By KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
Entering the 2019 season, the question for Harlingen High was about which player would step in and lead the defense? For a team led by defensive-minded coach and former Cardinals linebacker Manny Gomez, those questions were quickly answered.
Senior linebacker Gabriel Martinez was one key ingredient to Gomez’s defense in 2019. The hard-hitting linebacker collected a team high in tackles with 130 and tackles for loss with 14, and he finished with four sacks, tying for the team lead.
Along with Martinez was sophomore defensive end Ramon Huerta, who was a pleasant surprise for the Cards in 2019. Huerta finished with 60 tackles, three sacks and a team-high 23 quarterback pressures.
For their efforts, Martinez was named the Valley Morning Star’s 2019 All-STAR Football defensive player of the year, and Huerta was named the newcomer of the year.
“Coach (Manny) Gomez texted me just a few minutes ago. I was asleep, but I woke up to his text and it was a cool thing to see,” Martinez said Wednesday. “It is humbling to receive these awards, to be able to get my name out there, and all the work I put in, it is a great feeling to have.”
Huerta, too, was humbled after his first year at the varsity level. He enjoyed the opportunity to play with seniors like Martinez and took in everything he could.
“Ever since I was in junior high, I wanted to play at the varsity level,” Huerta said. “Since I got to the varsity I have been working my butt off to be great, and now that I’m here I have a chance to prove myself.”
The duo helped the Cardinals rekindle their hard-nosed, blitz-savvy style. While Martinez’s Cardinals career is over, Huerta’s is just getting started.
Martinez was one of many seniors on the team who helped light a fire under the underclassmen, on and off the field.
“The missing piece alltogether was just leadership,” Martinez said. “In the locker room, we understood each other, and we have been playing together for 10 years. We all pushed each other to get better and we held each other accountable, and we never skipped reps and we competed with each other, and that is what changed.”
Huerta work ethic mirrors what Martinez and others have done in the past. While Huerta’s success on the field is undeniable, he owes the work ethic to his blue-collar parents.
“This comes from my whole family. My family members are a bunch of hard workers,” Huerta said. “My dad came from nothing and made things big for us, and I’m proud of him. I learned from him to work hard. My mom, too, she is a teacher and works very hard. They taught me to work hard and be great.”
Huerta isn’t going anywhere and fully understands the standard that has been set before him. He saw firsthand what Cardinals football represents through the senior class.
“It is great to be a Cardinal,” Huerta said. “Now I know I can carry on their legacy, and one day I will leave my own legacy. One day, the junior high kids will look up to me the same way I looked up to the older guys, and here I am.”