NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
The coaching change at Weslaco High took many by surprise. Mike Salinas is in, and longtime Weslaco High Panthers coach Tony Villarreal is out.
The head man on the sideline has changed, but the goals for Weslaco High have stayed consistent: Make the playoffs and beat Weslaco East, in that order.
Last year, the Panthers fell short of beating East and also missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
Weslaco brought in one of the Valley’s most successful coaches in recent years in Salinas. He joins the Mid-Valley giants on the heels of a 31-5 record in his last three seasons with the Edinburg Vela SaberCats.
“Bottom line, the success we had (at Vela), we attribute all of our success to our preparation. We’re going to try to do a great job preparing,” Salinas said about his new gig. “Weslaco has a ton of tradition, and it’s been a very successful program. The challenge for our staff is definitely there, and we’re going to work as hard as we can every day to make sure we give our kids an opportunity to be successful.”
Senior quarterback Marco Leal will have to step into a big role if the Panthers want to stay competitive in the Valley’s toughest district.
The 6-foot Leal got into some games as a junior, when starter senior Adrian Gonzalez needed to be relieved. It was only a small sample of varsity action, but he took mental notes as he took the reps.
“It really helped me lead the team down the field,” Leal said. “It played a tremendous role on my stature in the pocket and how I play the game… how I look off defenders and read my reads that Coach Salinas has taught me, and just run this offense to the best of my ability.”
The Panthers only tallied 397 passing yards in 2016 and will be replacing their top three rushers. Despite those factors, it feels like a confident offense in practice, with plenty of unproven tools ready to break out.
WEAPONS TO SCORE
The quarterback will be protected by an offensive line anchored by big left tackle Richard Carmona, who towers above most of his competition at 6 feet 5 inches tall. He was one of the returners that Salinas listed by name as a leader early in camp.
The line and entire offense will be tasked with scoring much more than a year ago. On the way to a 3-4 district record, the Panthers scored 107 points, only better than winless Brownsville Rivera.
Salinas brought over offensive coordinator Patrick Shelby from Vela in hopes of giving the scoring a shot in the arm. The brewing confidence with a new QB, a running back battle and a hungry team is evident.
“My whole offense is a weapon,” Leal said. “We talk about family, but really running backs are going to play to the best of their abilities. We know that they can make big-time plays whether it’s Matt (de Santiago) or Peyton (Knaub). And my receivers, all of them can get open and create separation and help me release the ball in time and get rid of sacks.”
The battle between senior Santiago and sophomore Knaub is being ironed out in camp. Knaub also saw a lot of deeper balls thrown his way and might find himself as a catching target, as well.
EARLY GRIND
The Panthers are among the teams that don’t make their schedule just to pad their record. Weslaco will push its limits early with a Week 1 trip to Houston-area Richmond George Ranch and a Week 3 trip to Mercedes. All before their district opener against Weslaco East in Week 4, a date that even fans outside of Weslaco should have circled on their calendars.
Salinas is a fan of the schedule that was put in place prior to him taking control.
“Any time you can play up early, it’s going to help you,” Salinas said. “You’ll answer some questions early in the season, so you’re not going to go into Week 4 or Week 5 with unknowns. Playing a tough schedule early can benefit you in the long run. We’re going to understand that the biggest one is the next one and to take it one game at a time.”
Quarterback Leal also looks forward to those games for the high intensity they promise to bring.
“It really puts us where we stand,” Leal said. “Each week, it’s going to be a tough competition and we, of course, want to come out with a ‘W.’ But if we come out with that ‘L,’ we’re still a family. We still push through. These first three games are going to test us and make us survive throughout the tough district that we have upcoming.”
PURPLE PAIN
The defense was the centerpiece of the Panthers team from 2016 that narrowly missed the postseason. In their four losses, they kept powerful offenses like Harlingen High and San Benito from scoring in bunches but were unable to muster points.
Defensive back Roy Trevino played a role in that strong defense.
“We just had a lot of players that were willing to play lights out every play,” Trevino said. “Every play, you have to be willing to play for the guy next to you.”
Weslaco allowed the fewest district points with 101 and will lean on its defense again in 2017.
Trevino is entering his second varsity season as just a junior, and the underclassman takes pride in his youth.
“You just have a lot of confidence coming into every game. You just have to own up to yourself and mature in your football experience,” Trevino said.
The secondary, along with the boys in the trenches like Antonio Estevane or outside linebacker Daniel Estevanes, will benefit from the new leadership Salinas and his staff brings.
“They know what they’re doing,” Trevino said of the newly implemented coaching staff. “Coach (Haskell) Buff has had record-breaking defenses, and he’s led teams to championships, and we’re trying to be that team. We’re not there yet. When we get there, it’s going to be good.”
Weslaco’s Prognosis
The Panthers have the tools to surprise teams and the new coaching staff to demand the most out of those players. They’ll battle for the last 32-6A playoff spot.
2016 record: 5-5
Returning starters O/D: 3/5
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Michael Salinas
Year at school: First
Record at school: 0-0