BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
Valley View is 2-0 for the second season in a row, but a couple things are significantly different from 2017. The Tigers are the only 2-0 team in the new District 16-5A Division II. They are also enjoying quite a bit more depth at multiple positions than they previously had.
“We’ve got more numbers, and the kids have another year under their belts,” Valley View coach Elifonzo Esquivel said. “What helps also is that they are running the same offense and defense going on four years. That helps a lot. They’re working together, and they’re believing in what we’re doing.”
The running game makes the Tigers go, and senior tailback Brandon Gonzalez has led the way. Gonzalez, who was the team’s second-leading rusher (555 yards) with a team-leading seven touchdowns as Valley View went 3-7 in 2017, is already at 200 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns through two games.
“He’s really blown up for us,” Esquivel said of Gonzalez. “He knows our system. He’s at practice every day. He’s one of our leaders. Brandon’s at 200 (yards) now, but he’s already set a goal to break 1,000 yards this season. He’s on track right now.”
The Tigers dismantled Hidalgo in Week 1 and Port Isabel in Week 2 by a combined 61 points. Valley View will face Brownsville Rivera and Donna North, two other winless teams, in preparation for its Sept. 28 district opener against Roma.
“We also scrimmaged Lyford, who is 2-0,” Esquivel said. “We saw Rivera last week. They’ve got some good size, so that’ll be tough. I think this schedule will have us prepared for a wide-open district. We’re telling our boys that we’ve got a good shot at making the playoffs. We just have to take it one game at a time.”