By MARK MOLINA | The Brownsville Herald
With the end of the school year on the horizon, Valley football standouts will have a swan song of sorts during today’s Rio Grande Valley Coaches Association East-West All-Star game.
The game is set for 7 p.m. at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco with the East being coached by David Cantu and the Brownsville Veterans Memorial staff and the West by McAllen Rowe’s Robert Flores and his assistants.
While the game lends an opportunity for more football, bringing together so much talent for practices has created unique experiences for all involved on the East side and for different reasons.
“The main word I’d use is ‘fun’ because we have a lot of guys with football smarts here and guys who have a lot of passion for high school football,” Cantu said before the start of the East’s final practice Thursday. “It’s been an honor for all of us to be part of it. It’s been great and I feel like we’ve been with each other for more than two weeks.
“We love the game of high school football, so it’s not very difficult to be on the same page.”
The East features standouts from the Brownsville area, Los Fresnos, Harlingen, San Benito, Weslaco, Mercedes, Edcouch-Elsa and several other surrounding schools and the West features its own standouts from Donna, Mission,
Edinburg, Grulla, Rio Grande City, McAllen, La Joya, Hidalgo and the PSJA area. Each side gives players a chance to compete side-by-side with unfamiliar talent.
“It’s one of the coolest experiences I’ve had as an athlete, being able to play with all these All-Stars,” Los Fresnos senior linebacker Sebastian Gonzales said. “Everybody here is really good, they come to compete and it’s nice. The practices have been a lot faster because everyone here is at a higher level.”
For others, the practices have not only brought higher level on competition, but a chance to build new relationships.
“You can’t take a rep off here; you have to put in the work,” Hanna defensive back Matthew Garcia said. “These past couple of days has really been a good experience in getting to know these guys and becoming like a brotherhood.
Everyone is a top dog here and the game is one last game for us and we’re ready for it.”
San Benito senior quarterback Eric Retta, who helped lead a very potent Greyhound offense this season, has enjoyed running offensive reps with a different set of skill position weapons.
He says schools size hasn’t mattered at all on that front.
“It’s been pretty great, honestly,” Retta said. “These guys are the best of the best. It doesn’t matter what (classification) they’re from, 6A, 5A, 3A, these guys have some talent and that’s why they’re here.”
Taking reps for the East include Retta, who is one of three quarterbacks along with Brownsville Veterans’ Gustavo Vasquez and Mercedes’ Marc Ledesma, and Pace receiver Gabriel Zapata has been as well.
Zapata has relished this opportunity after having his senior season end prematurely with an injury.
“I didn’t get to finish the season because I broke my leg,” he said. “I guess this is like my playoff game because I didn’t get to play in the playoff game with my team, so I’m looking forward to this.”
When game time comes around, Cantu is confident his team will be ready to go out, compete and put on a good show as he and his coaching staff have meshed well with the players.
“I’ve been impressed on how the players have been able to grasp so much so quickly,” he said. “We have quite a bit of what we do offensively ready to go we think. Defensively, coach (Dave) Evans has them on all cylinders. At this point, I’m very much at peace with where we’re at.”
RGVCA All-Star game rosters
WEST
Nate Sanchez, PSJA, REC
Adrian Bernal, Nikki Rowe, REC
Victor Gutierrez, Mission, DE
Rollie Martinez, Edinburg, SEC
Brandon Gonzalez, PSJA North, SEC
Jacob Amaro, PSJA Memorial, SEC
Pete Segura, Economedes, REC
Marco Bella, Hidalgo, REC
Steven De Leon, Mission, LB
Blake Klein, Sharyland, REC
Erik Puente, Nikki Rowe, LB
Elias Gutierrez, Juarez-Lincoln, SEC
Jesus Sanchez, Nikki Rowe, QB
Jeremy Gorena, Rio Grande City, LB
EJ Alvarado, Donna, RB
Nathan Gracia, La Joya, LB
Giovanni Grimaldo, Mission Veterans, SEC
Tyler Bulthuis, Pioneer, SEC
Nate Garcia, Vela, QB
Jason Perez, Rio Grande City, QB
David Torres, Valley View, DE
Ricky Cantu, PSJA Southwest, SEC
Brandon Guzman, Vela, REC
Chris Neal, Nikki Rowe, SEC
Hector Ramirez, Nikki Rowe, REC
Nate Miranda, PSJA, REC
Fransisco Villanueva, Roma, SEC
Eddie Hernandez, Juarez-Lincoln, RB
Ace Chavez, Memorial, SEC
Jesus Acosta, Valley View, RB
Logan Harris, Pioneer, RB
Jonathan Figueroa, PSJA, K
Arath Martinez, Donna North, LB
Noe Guzman, Sharyland, SEC
Angel Chapa, Pioneer, LB
Raudel Garcia, Nikki Rowe, RB
Daniel Villereal, La Joya, DE
Frank Estrada, PSJA Memorial, LB
Joseph Munoz, Edinburg North, LB
Joseph Valdez, Juarez-Lincoln, LB
Miguel De Hoyos, Palmview, LB
Chris Lara, Memorial, DT
Derek Solis, Grulla, DT
Ernie Tijerina, Economedes, DT
Caleb Longoria, PSJA Southwest, OL
Jamie Rios, Grulla, OL
Ian Sarmiento, Vela, DL
Aaron Ramirez, Memorial, OL
Oscar Juarez, Edinburg, OL
Ricardo Salinas, McAllen, OL
Moises Morales, Palmview, OL
Xavier Luna, Sharyland, OL
Javier Gaitan, Mission, OL
Ricardo Cerda, Edinburg North, OL
Julio Cuello, Vela, OL
Timothy Ellington, Vela, DE
Abram Martinez, Mission Veterans, DE
EAST
JC Vargas, Weslaco East, SEC
Jose Echevarria, Lopez, K
Matthew Garcia, Hanna, SEC
Ethan Martinez, Harlingen, REC
Oscar Ovieda,Los Fresnos, SEC
Marc Ledesma, Mercedes, QB
Vicente Saldivar, Santa Rosa, LB
Tyrone Harper, San Benito, RB
Alex Perez, Santa Maria, RB
Julian Trevino, La Feria, REC
Eric Retta, San Benito, QB
Frank Moreno, Lyford, SEC
Brandon Bennett, Harl South, OL
Bryan Smith, Mercedes, LB
Andres Martinez, St. Joe, REC
Raul Arteaga, Mercedes, SEC
Garrison Medley, Harlingen, LB
Anthony Cantu, St. Joe, RB
Marc Tamez, La Feria, SEC
Matthew Ledesma, Mercedes, REC
Ruben Hernandez, Rio Hondo, SEC
Gabriel C. Zapata, Pace, REC
Gustavo Vasquez, Veterans, QB
Isaiha Trevino, San Benito, REC
Eddie Sarrion, Monte Alto, REC
Sebastian Gonzales, Los Fresnos, LB
John Michael Gonzalez, Edcouch Elsa, SEC
Aldo Martinez, Progresso, RB
Abel Martinez, Veterans, RB
Fred Rodriguez, Raymondville, LB
Matt DeSantiago, Weslaco, REC
Joe Cavazos, Hanna, REC
Jeremy Martinez, Port Isabel ,SEC
Ryan Castillo, San Benito, LB
Leo De la Torre, Lopez, LB
Robert Ramirez, Los Fresnos, SEC
Ryan Reza, San Benito, DE
Andrew Olguin, Weslaco, SEC
Manny Yanez, Veterans, DE
Jorge Gomez, Edcouch Elsa, RB
Chase Tomlinson, MMA, LB
Jose Sanchez, Veterans, LB
Eladio Flores, Harlingen, DT
Roy De La Garza, Los Fresnos, DT
Abiel Lopez, Porter, DT
Ram Aguirre, Weslaco East, OL
Sabino Davila, Rio Hondo, DE
Sebastian San Miguel, Hanna, OL
Sky Tatum, Harl South, DE
Jonathan Trouchet, Rivera, OL
Darian Cortez, Raymondville, DE
Jonas Garza, Pace, C
Peter Garcia, Lopez, DT
Brandon Salazar, Veterans, OL
Zachary Cordova, La Feria, OL
Sebastian Diaz-Melo, Hanna, DE
Justin Garcia, Lyford, OL
Raul Barerra, Mercedes, OL
Aaron Limas, Harl South, C
Rey Salazar, Veterans, DT