BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — If you watch the Mission Veterans offense operate, it can be a bit misleading.
The Patriots quarterback is Landry Gilpin, the most dynamic in the Rio Grande Valley. He has big-play ability with his arm with precision passes to receivers, like A.J. Gonzaque, and his capable feet to spur long touchdown runs at a moment’s notice.
Gilpin accounts for most of the offense’s yardage, but even he understands that the offense is far from a one-man show.
The offense cannot advance down the field without the Patriots’ offensive line. Protecting for an improvisational quarterback might look like fun and games from the stands, but it requires the front five to always be on their toes, especially now as they prepare for a third-round Class 5A playoff game at 8 p.m. today in the Alamodome against 12-0 Corpus Christi Veterans.
“Obviously, we have to have great communication with each other. We can’t just run out onto the field and be great,” Mission Veterans center Erik Espinoza said.
“We block the best that we can,” Mission Veterans right guard Adrian Meza said. “If we see Landry (Gilpin) rolling out or running around, we just try to run with him and set him up for big runs.”
Gilpin, a senior, is protected by four seniors and a junior on the offensive line.
“They played awesome this year, but the thing is, a lot of them had played in the past,” Gilpin said. “Last year, a lot of them were able to start when we were down a few o-linemen. This year, they’ve been able to put everything together. They have chemistry. I’ve seen their Snapchats and they are all out hanging out like NFL linemen. They have to have chemistry because they know what I’m going to do and know everywhere I’m going. It’s pretty nice to see out there.”
Espinoza and Meza are two of the Patriots’ four seniors starting up front. Both are three-year varsity starters, dating back to their time protecting former Mission Veterans quarterback Diego Hernandez. Hernandez threw for 4,175 yards and 45 touchdown passes during the 2016 season.
“For Diego, it was more about giving him a lot of time to stand in the pocket and throw,” Espinoza said. “With Landry, we’d have to block for a couple seconds and let him make some moves. We allow him to do that. That’s the type of offensive line we are: hold a block, let him dance and give him a chance to make moves on people.”
Through two playoff games, the Patriots (11-1) faced more physical defenses than what they are used to seeing from Valley opponents. In the bi-district round, Victoria East had bigger defensive players to contend with. Last week, San Antonio Veterans’ defense was stacked with pure athletes.
“We adjust from opponent to opponent based on angles,” Meza said. “Angles are what we do. We use the best angles to get a certain block.”
“Over the years, people have criticized our offensive line,” Mission Veterans coach David Gilpin said. “We ask our offensive line to play in space with what we do. That’s not a big guy’s dream. What do they like to do? Stick their hand in the dirt and play in a phonebooth.
“We’re asking guys to play in the middle of an open field and move their feet with guys that generally have better feet than them at defensive line and linebacker. At times, you see guys that come clean because we miss a block or the defense will send more than one guy. All of a sudden, someone might see that and go, ‘Man, their offensive line is not very good.’ That’s absolutely false.”
The Patriots’ offensive line hasn’t been able to avoid injuries this season. Espinoza was out for a couple games and junior Andres Garcia missed a game as well. The protection and blocking angles went off without a hitch. The offense averaged 565.6 yards during the regular season and allowed Landry Gilpin to complete 67.1 percent of his passes, throw for 725 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions through two playoff games.
“In layman’s terms, it’s next man up,” David Gilpin said. “And that’s what everybody does. We’re not unique in that. The Dallas Cowboys talk about, ‘Next man up.’ It’s what coaches and teams talk about. Now, the coaches and teams that believe in the concept and not just words coming out of somebody’s mouth, that’s a big difference. I’m not saying we’re better at it than anybody else, but it works in our program.”
Espinoza and Meza already comprehend the gravity of playing in a third-round playoff game. They did so in 2016 when they lost 69-35 to Dripping Springs at Alamo Stadium, which was also in San Antonio.
The Eagles, competing in their third season of varsity football, qualified for the regional semifinal round for the first time in program history last season.
“They’re obviously very good,” David Gilpin said of the Eagles. “They will be more athletic than any team we’ve seen this season. Our kids know it’s going to be a heck of a ballgame, but we feel like we can compete to go to the fourth round.”
“It’s going to be difficult, but I think we could win,” Meza said. “We have to be on point. We have to do whatever we can to be the best we can be. Us and the other Valley teams are proving that we’re not as weak as they think we are. We can compete. That’s the statement we’re trying to make again.”