By Roy Hess | The Brownsville Herald
The numbers are up for Pace football and so are the expectations.
The Vikings opened workouts on Monday with 116 players participating in drills on Pace’s newly completed on-campus artificial turf field that was officially dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
Including the new field, there are quite a few positives that are motivating the players to do well this season.
“We feel we have a pretty good team and we want to go (at least) two rounds deep in the playoffs this year,” said Hector Salazar, a 5-foot-10, 156-pound senior safety who has started three seasons for the Vikings. “We’re looking forward to the season.”
The Vikings made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2011 under first-year coach Danny Pardo.
A 59-43 loss to Sharyland High in the Class 5A bi-district playoffs last Nov. 17 ended the Vikings’ 2017 season at 5-6 and left them wanting to do more than make just a quick appearance in the postseason in 2018.
With Pardo back for his second year at the helm and a number of starters returning (eight offensive and seven defensive), there is plenty of optimism evident among the Vikings.
“It’s great to have the football season back again,” said Julio Hernandez, a 5-11, 280-pound senior guard who is beginning his third season as a starter in an offensive line that from tackle to tackle is one of the most massive in the area and considered the biggest in school history. “We’re getting to play with our brothers one more year, and it’s our last year (as seniors). We have to come together again (like last year) and work harder as a family.”
Overall, the Vikings return 25 lettermen from a season ago.
“Our senior class from last year put us back in the playoff picture and our goal now is to move on by at least going to the second round,” said Pardo, who as a player was a district MVP-caliber standout in the defensive line for the Porter Cowboys in the 1980s. “Seeing if we can move on to the second round is kind of what we’re focusing on, but first, we know we can’t be overconfident. We have to work hard and make sure we make it to the playoffs first. “We’re trying to instill an attitude in these players that it’s no longer just about getting in (the playoffs), it’s more of a challenge to see if we can do even better. It’s a challenge that we’re putting on these guys and they’re accepting it. Is it possible? Yes. I think we have the team to do it. We’re going to see what happens.”
The Vikings will get their first strong indication of how things are progressing on Aug. 17 when they scrimmage Port Isabel. A second scrimmage against Edinburg Economedes is set for Aug. 24. The sites and times for both scrimmages are pending.
Pace plays its regular season opener at Sharyland High on Aug. 31. The Vikings open District 16-5A Division I action against Porter at Sams Memorial Stadium on Sept. 6.
The Vikings hope their all-out efforts pay dividends.
“We’re just out here working hard, busting our butts and trying to improve every day,” said Jose Quintero, a 6-2, 270-pound senior offensive tackle who is playing his second year as a starter. “The seniors of last year set the standards for us and now we’re just trying to reach a higher level and be the best that we can be.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess