BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
Four games in, PSJA Southwest already has a better season than it did in 2017.
The Javelinas went 0-10 last year, but coach Michael Evans earned his first win as a head coach against PSJA Memorial on Sept. 14. Last season, Southwest was outscored in its first four games 163-27. In its first three losses this season, opponents outscored the Javelinas 56-21.
The turnaround is far from complete, but the program is heading in the right direction.
“It’s going to come down to consistency,” Evans said. “We’re doing a lot of great things, but we have to do them more often. We make too many errors at the wrong time, but we have played a lot closer.”
Last week, the Javelinas defense held Brownsville Pace to 19 points after allowing the Vikings to score 28 in the 2017 season opener.
“We have a young secondary, but they’re growing up a lot,” Evans said. “Our front six have done a great job. Our defensive tackles, Tereso Barcenas and Victor Rodriguez, have been the anchors of our defense. We’ve got so much experience in the box.”
After missing the preseason, senior Diego Treviño decided to return to the team to shore up the Javelinas’ offensive line. He also juggles duties as one of the Valley’s best throwers on the track and field team.
“Diego came back for the PSJA Memorial game, but he had a college visit last week and a college visit this week,” Evans said. “After those visits, he’ll be with us the rest of the season. Having him back is big, but we’re bringing him on slowly. We’re so young on our O-line that’s it’s so important to have a senior leader in there.”