KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
LA FERIA — Senior defensive end Guillermo Vargas didn’t suit up on the varsity until his senior year. When he did take the field for La Feria this fall, he was a disruptive force along the defensive line.
After transferring from Harlingen South, Vargas had to sit out his junior season but was primed and ready for his final season. The defensive end fit the La Feria 3-4 scheme perfectly with the ability to rush the passer and drop back in coverage.
Vargas turned in a strong season, recording 102 tackles, 41 for loss, 13 sacks and recovered two fumbles and was named to the 2019 Texas Associated Press Sports Editor Class 4A all-state football team.
“I found out when Coach (Donny) Flores called me,” Vargas said. “It means a lot to me. I have never received an award like this in my career, so it just means so much to my family and I. There is no ‘I’ in team but I tried my best and I did what I could to adapt to the game. I’m an aggressive player on the field — that is just who I am.”
Vargas was the only 4A athlete to receive first-team honors in the area.
Joining Vargas was fellow defensive end Andrew Rodriguez. The duo pass rush provided speed off the edge for the Lions defense. Rodriguez finished the year with 12 sacks and over 110 tackles. Rodriguez was named honorable mention.
“That means I’m a pretty good football player,” Vargas said. “I love what I do. Andrew and I are explosive; we get off the line as fast as we can. We both base our game off of speed.”
Rodriguez’s junior year was cut short due to a hernia injury but was able to return and start four games before returning this fall to put together a strong senior season.
“This means a lot,” Rodriguez said. “All my life, I always wanted to be a part of something big, and for me, this is big. I worked my butt off during the off season and throughout the year, so this is meaningful.”
Rio Hondo’s senior linebacker Joey Ortega also received honorable mention in Class 4A. The hard-hitting Ortega racked up 145 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and one interception. In Class 3A, Santa Rosa’s junior running back Jose Diaz-Mendez also received honorable mention recognition after being the driving force for the Warriors’ offense.
Diaz-Mendez ran wild for 1,618 yards and 24 touchdowns.
In Class 6A, Harlingen High had one representative on their all-state list. Senior linebacker Gabriel Martinez was tabbed second-team linebacker.
Martinez anchored Bid Red’s defense with 146 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks.
“The award means so much to me,” Martinez said. “It is a testament to how hard I have worked and it is great to achieve some recognition for the time I have put in. I thank the man upstairs, my whole family for their support throughout my life. My coaches as well, coach (Manny) Gomez, (Scott) Swinnea for being there to guide me during my high school career.”