BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
LA VILLA — Rey translates to king in Spanish.
That’s good name for senior quarterback Rey Felix, who has taken the kingdom of La Villa to new heights.
Growing up in a family of seven, there was always a game going on at the Felix household.
“We would always go outside and compete,” Felix said. “I would have my cousins come over. There would be at least 10 of us there. We would play basketball, football, anything. Just to have fun and compete against each other.”
In a small town, everyone knew each other, including the Felix family. Neighborhood friends would join the games at home, and the Felix boys would also head to the youth center to take part in games.
Sophomore Damien is a running back and safety for La Villa. After Rey graduates this year, Damien wants to follow in his brother’s footsteps and play quarterback.
“We play catch a lot,” Damien said. “Obviously, my arm is not as strong as his, but I want to be a leader for this team, especially with so many seniors graduating.”
And the younger Felix brothers Brandon, who is in middle school, and Isaiah, who is even younger, both play quarterback now.
The Cardinals have a quarterback family dynasty on their hands, and it could change the fate of La Villa football.
For now, though, the Felix brothers and the rest of the Cardinals are zeroed in on their game against the Granger Lions at 7 tonight at Aggie Field in Poteet.
“It will just take hard work,” Rey said. “It’s all about not being nervous. I know some of the younger guys might get nervous, but I tell them not to be scared; you will get laid out eventually, it happens to everyone. I just tell them to get back up and keep going.”
Last year, Zach Gomez transferred to La Villa from Mercedes. He changed the game for Daniel Perez, then a first-year coach.
Rey was unselfish, volunteering to move to running back to make way for Gomez. Perez said at the time that he would not have made Gomez the quarterback, had Rey not been OK with it.
The time playing at running back changed how Rey played the game.
“It helped me out,” Rey said. “Now as a quarterback, I am able to move faster, since I played running back last year. I have more experience running the ball. It is a lot easier for me to run, because I know what to do, I know where to expect the holes. I have a vision of the field that I didn’t have before.”
That was big for Felix, because it allowed the Cardinals to play to their strength this year, quite literally.
“We work out everyday, and it helps us a lot,” Rey said. “We are more physical than most of the teams we play, because of DP (Perez). He pushes us to work harder. He told us to go 100 percent all the time, and we always do. It helps because, in the fourth quarter, other teams start to get tired, but we are still good to go.”
That was the case in the Cardinals’ bi-district playoff game against Runge.
The Cardinals lined up in their power formation and pounded the ball all night. Runge gained a lead at a few points throughout the game, but when the fourth quarter came, La Villa was the fresher team with more energy, propelling them to put the game away.
Granger presents a bigger test. The Lions are 10-1, and they are strong on both side of the ball.
“They run a 50 defense,” Rey said. “We added new formations. Hopefully, they can help us out. On offense, they run a wishbone, and they pass quite a bit also. Our DBs and safeties are going to have to be on point, and our defensive line will have to control the line of scrimmage.
“Our community always supports us. They love to come out for games on Friday night. We just want to reward them for all of their support and give them a season to remember, especially because it is my senior year.”