BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — Weslaco High’s Jeremy Coronado remembers sitting in the stands as kid watching his older brother playing in the same jersey he wears today.
“I looked up to him so much,” Coronado said. “It was a great experience, and then my sophomore year, I got to play with my other brother. … I am looking forward to having them come out and see what we have been working for.”
Coronado racked up 144 yards on the ground in just three games last year. He scored two touchdowns. He also shared the backfield with a number of talented players.
Heading into his senior year, Coronado will not be sharing as much.
“Jeremy Coronado and Peyton Knaub are working at running back for us right now,” Weslaco coach Michael Salinas said. “Both guys are returners, and we are excited to see what they are going to do. They both worked hard over the summer and prepared themselves. So they are going to be two guys that we rely heavily on in the running game.”
Knaub, a junior, also made his mark last year, compiling 85 yards and a touchdown in just three games.
Though they are competing against each other, they make sure not to take the competition off the field.
“Me and Jeremy, we are like brothers,” Knaub said. “He’s going to push me, and I will push him. We know we have each others’ back.”
Junior quarterback Jacob Cavazos has watched each back work over the summer to be ready for this year.
“They bring a lot to the offense,” he said. “They spread a lot of things out. They can hit holes everywhere — outside or inside. It’s a good feeling (to) have guys like that.”
MEAN D
The Weslaco High defense returns a lot of talent from last year’s team.
Leading tackler Marco Noriega, a linebacker, is back for his senior year.
The defensive line returns a solid core of Seth Sanchez, Jesse Ramos, Benito Juarez and Sam Perez, who are all entering their senior season.
And in the secondary, few are better than senior safety Roy Trevino.
“We are excited to see them grow in our system,” Salinas said.
The first-team offense has been going against the first-team defense in practice, and Knaub is excited about what he has seen.
“They are dogs, man,” he said. “They hit hard. They run fast. They are well-coached and disciplined. They are a really good defense.”
WHO’S THE Q?
Salinas said Weslaco High is holding a quarterback competition coming into the year, and Cavazos is fighting to earn his starting spot.
Cavazos is the only quarterback on the roster who played live reps last year. He featured alongside two seniors, Marco Leal and Eljah Banda, who also took snaps at quarterback.
“They had a lot of experience,” Cavazos said. “They taught me the ins and outs, reads, and the intelligence required to play quarterback for varsity football.”
Knaub knows Cavazos has the skill and ability to be a special player for the Panthers.
“He’s amazing,” Knaub said of Cavazos. “He’s smart. He has an arm. He can run. He can do everything we need him to. He is what you look for in a quarterback.”
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WESLACO HIGH’S KEY TO THE SEASON
The Weslaco High defense has a ton of talent and experience. That group will need to shut down the high-powered offenses in District 31-6A.
2017 record: 3-6
Returning starters O/D: 6/8
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Michael Salinas
Year at the school: 2nd
Record at Weslaco High: 3-6