By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
Senior running back Melik Kauachi was the workhorse for Brownsville St. Joseph for two seasons, and he never folded under the weight of his role.
Kauachi used the extended offseason to get faster and stronger, and his effort showed in his final season. Through nine games, he rushed for 1,156 yards on 165 carries, accumulated 396 receiving yards and scored 18 touchdowns on offense and special teams. Kauachi’s productive season earned him a second-team TAPPS all-state selection and the title of The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro football offensive player of the year.
“I feel blessed. I did not expect this at all,” Kauachi said. “I feel like I could’ve done better, but it worked. I played like every game was my last. I didn’t know if the next week we’d have a game or not and it was my senior year, so every game I just gave it all I had and did my best.”
Bloodhounds coach Tino Villarreal called Kauachi a prototype running back, saying the senior is “always banged up, bumped and bruised, but never says he’s injured.” He praised Kauachi for leading by example and embodying what it means to play bigger than a person is.
“He’s a fighter. You see him on film, you see his numbers, and he plays way bigger than his height and weight,” Villarreal said. “He’s stronger than he looks, too. Melik is one of the strongest kids in the weight room as far as his legs go. He can squat the house. He’s very powerful and has quick, clean movements, and that allows him to be very explosive.”
Kauachi used his explosiveness in a number of ways to help lead St. Joseph back to the playoffs in 2020. His team-first mentality made him willing to line up anywhere his team needed, even defensively. Villarreal said Kauachi “is the type of guy that, if it’s fourth-and-1, he’s going to be disappointed if you don’t give him the ball.”
Kauachi thrived while being the workhorse and using his versatility for the good of the team. He said it meant a lot for his coaches and teammates to trust him enough to fill several roles, and while he enjoyed playing anywhere he was asked, he got the most fired up when he got to show off his power and speed.
“For me, the best feeling was the kick return touchdowns I had, just breaking away from everyone and having an open field to myself,” Kauachi said. “I like hitting people and going through them, just full speed ahead. It was instinct most of the time, I just lowered my shoulder and boom. It feels better than juking. I always thought that was the easy way out.”
As Kauachi reflected on his Bloodhounds career, he said the thing that meant the most to him over the last four years was his team. He loved suiting up every week for SJA with teammates that felt like family, and he’s proud of the things he and his friends did in their final season. He expressed gratitude for his teammates, especially the offensive linemen, coaches and family for always supporting him and making him confident in carrying the load.
“There’s no other place I would’ve preferred playing. Even if we didn’t always have the best seasons, I still wouldn’t trade this for any other team. I loved it,” Kauachi said. “The team we had this year, we’ve basically been playing together since seventh grade. It was nice to use our senior year to do something good for the school.”