DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

When Donna North’s head football coach/athletic coordinator position opened shortly after the end of the 2015 season, one name in particular was tied to the job.

During the last few weeks, multiple sources in and around Donna ISD said the job was Matthew Rokovich’s to lose. That speculation was verified Tuesday night when the school board approved the Donna ISD assistant athletic director to lead the Chiefs.

Donna North is the job Rokovich longed for, and he made that clear after hearing he had been approved for the role.

“I’ve seen the last two years and I’ve been around the kids,” Rokovich said. “I’ve seen how hungry they are, I’ve looked into their eyes. I know they want to be successful. They want to win. They just need to be given direction. I’m ready to go over there and help them get to where they want to go. I’m excited to look in their eyes and tell them where we’re headed.

“We’re going to fight, because we have kids who want to fight to win.”

Rokovich, 55, has been a coach for 32 years, when his career began at Laredo Martin 1984.

Since then, he has been an offensive coordinator at Del Rio, a head coach at Brackettville where he amassed an 11-19 overall record from 1985-1987, a first assistant coach under Dave Evans at Donna High, and then an assistant coach at Weslaco High for four years and Weslaco East for seven.

The last three years, Rokovich was an offensive line coach under Ramiro Leal at Donna High, Donna ISD’s interim athletic director in 2014 and assistant AD last year.

Most of Rokovich’s tenure has been spent coaching the offensive line. Rokovich said 27 players have gone on to earn All-State honors under his tutelage.

“You win and lose up front,” Rokovich said. “If you’re moving people offensively, you’re going to open up holes. We’re going to be a multiple offense. I’ve worked in the spread and slot and power I … you have to have multiple looks and give defenses a lot to think about.”

Rokovich said he will not be stubborn and will coach to personnel. He’s excited about taking over a program that is only two years old. That means a lot of teaching, something he prides himself on.

“How do you win games? You put kids in a great position to succeed and you teach them,” Rokovich said. “You teach. I’m a teacher, first and foremost.”

Rokovich takes over for Tommy Sauceda, the Chiefs’ inaugural coach who led the program to a 1-19 record the last two seasons before he was reassigned in late November.

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

After graduating from Edinburg High in 1988 and before he stepped onto the then-Texas A&I campus in Kingsville, J.J. Leija knew what he wanted.

“I was going to be a coach,” Leija said. “I was going to be an educator. And my dream was to come back and be the head football coach at Edinburg High School.”

Late Tuesday night, Leija returned to his roots. Edinburg CISD approved the former La Joya Palmview defensive coordinator/assistant head coach as the next head coach/athletic coordinator for the Bobcats’ football program.

Edinburg CISD interviewed 10 applicants. Thirty applied. Leija, who was a runner-up when former coach Joaquin Escobar was named to the position in December 2013, won out this time around.

“I had great mentors growing up, and it’s because of those men that I’m in the position where I’m at today,” Leija said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s a big dream come true for me.”

Leija played center on the offensive line as a Bobcat for Richard Flores. Leija’s ties to Edinburg — he was also formerly an assistant coach at Edinburg Economedes — is what attracted him to Edinburg CISD administration.

Leija succeeds Escobar, an Odessa native who went 3-17 in his two years at Edinburg High.

“He’s an alumnus and is familiar with Edinburg and that was big for us,” Edinburg CISD athletic director Roy Garza said of Leija. “It was important to us that we get an Edinburg guy, and he was above the rest. He’s a professional.

“He’s a player’s coach and is very organized. He’s a family man who loves Edinburg.”

Leija’s first head coaching gig will be a challenging one.

Since Edinburg High split enrollment in 2012 with the birth of Edinburg Vela, the Bobcats are 8-32 on the gridiron. The football program has seen its numbers shrink, and the Bobcats have not been able to forge an identity.

But Leija comes from a Palmview program that struggled before he got there in 2014, and he is familiar with reclamation projects. Since it opened in 2008, Palmview was 17-43 and failed to make the playoffs before coach Margarito Requenez brought Leija on board to lead his defense.

In the two years since, Palmview underwent a drastic turnaround, going a combined 11-11-1 and making the playoffs both seasons.

“You have to change the mindset,” Leija said. “We went into Palmview, which hadn’t been successful, and we made the kids believe that they are going to be champions and winners. It’s about making the kids believe, and that’s going to be the biggest challenge I have.”

Leija said the first step is establishing a system founded upon discipline, respect and responsibility, the “three key features that kids need nowadays.”

“We’re going to have to really take them under our wing and have them understand what we’re trying to do and why we’re trying to do it,” Leija said. “It means one-on-one time and showing I care and I was put here for a reason, and that’s to lead them.”

Going into his 24th year as a coach, Leija is excited and confident. He talks about playing a hard-nosed, physical brand of football — “the only way I know how” — and continuing in a long line of legendary coaches at Edinburg High that includes Flores, Fred Akers, Joe Vasquez, and Robert Vela.

“They want someone who will be here for the kids,” Leija said of Edinburg CISD’s desires. “The previous coach did a great job, but they want someone who has a connection with the kids, someone who knows what Bobcat pride is about. They had shied away from that, and if the kids understand someone who’s been there before, and who’s worn their colors, they’ll understand it and believe in it more.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Fourteen Rio Grande Valley high school football players were named to the Class 5A all-state team that was released Wednesday morning by the Associated Press.

Voting was done by Texas sports editors and based on regular-season performance.

Edcouch-Elsa junior defensive tackle Seth Garcia was the only Valley player to be named to the first team. Garcia posted 137 total tackles, 16 sacks and 25 tackles for loss this season.

“I said from the start that Seth was going to be a guy who would have a breakout year, and he lived up to those expectations,” Edcouch-Elsa coach Joe Marichalar said. “Seth was a monster. He’s about 5-10, about 200 pounds, and he doesn’t look like a defensive tackle. But he’s the strongest kid on our team, and he’s a 4.9 40 guy.

“He’s freakishly strong and quick and he just throws people around, even if they’re twice his size.”

Garcia was one of five Yellowjackets named to the all-state team.

Named to the second team were Donna High senior tackle Troy Billman, Brownsville Porter senior running back Jorge Gutierrez and Mercedes senior linebacker Fabricio Quintanilla. The Redskins had a player named to the all-state team for the first time in more than 10 years.

Named as honorable mention were Edcouch-Elsa senior offensive lineman Jared Cantu, Roma offensive lineman Juan Ramirez, Edcouch-Elsa junior offensive lineman Elijah Sanchez, Mission Veterans Memorial senior receiver Bobby Tovar, Donna High senior running back Amonte Bowen, Donna High senior defensive lineman Jorge Ibarra, Mercedes sophomore linebacker Roger Adame III, Edcouch-Elsa senior linebacker Sammy Alaniz, Mission Veterans Memorial senior defensive back Kevin Liebano and Edcouch-Elsa senior defensive back Noe Rodriguez.

What follows is the complete 2014 AP Class 5A all-state team:

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

Linemen:

— HOLTON GREENFIELD, Austin Vandegrift, Jr. — 93 percent grade, 39 pancakes, 67 knockdown blocks, 2 sacks allowed

— DARREN HARRIS, Temple, Sr. — 96 percent grade, 72 knockdowns, allowed one sack for offense that averaged 477 yds/gm

— WES HARRIS, Aledo, Jr. — 37 pancakes, 86 percent grade, no sacks allowed

— DYLAN ORHT, Victoria West, Sr. — 95 percent grade, 101 pancakes, no sacks allowed

— GRANT POLLEY, Denton, Jr. — 128 knockdowns, 92 percent grade, no sacks allowed

Receivers/ends:

— STEVEN WAGONER, Denison, Sr. — 103-1,533, 18 TDs

— TYLAN WALLACE, FW South Hills, Jr. — 53-1,313, 19 TDs

Quarterback:

— JETT DUFFEY, Mansfield Lake Ridge, Sr. — 95-155-1,648, 20 TDs passing, 3 INTs; 98-1,019, 12 TDs rushing

Running backs:

— ENO BENJAMIN, Wylie East, Jr. — 306-2,141, 30 TDs

— TRAVIS BRANNAN, Austin Vandegrift, Sr. — 198-1,706, 24 TDs rushing; 5 TDs receiving

— XAVIER SCOTT, Denton, Sr. — 305-2,251, 28 TDs

Kicker:

— JOSUE MUNOZ III, Mansfield Summit, Jr. – 11-15 FGs, long of 52, 48-51 PATs, 38 kickoffs in end zone

Offensive Player of the Year: Jett Duffey, Mansfield Lake Ridge

___

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

Linemen:

— SETH GARCIA, Edcouch-Elsa, Jr. — 137 tackles, 16 sacks, 25 TFL

— TAQUON GRAHAM, Temple, Jr. — 50 tackles, 23 TFL, 11.5 sacks, 3 FF

— CHRIS RADFORD, Mansfield Summit, Sr. — 54 tackles, 20 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 FF

— MARVIN TERRY, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Sr. – 89 tackles, 15 sacks, 24 TFL, 2 FF

Linebackers:

— TREVON BROOKS, Lancaster, Sr. – 122 tackles (77 solo), 23 TFL, 8 sacks, 1 INT, 1 def. TD, 10 FF, 3 FR, 3 PBU

— LARRY BROWN, Aledo, Sr. — 125 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 INTs, 10 TFL, 3 FF, 2 FR

— JAYLON WOOTEN, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Jr. – 111 tackles, 14 sacks, 15 TFL, 3 INT, 3 PBU

Defensive backs:

— AMERON DEAN, Longview, Sr. — 32 tackles, 6 PBU, 5 INTs, 3 blocked punts

— ROGER FRAGA, Laredo Nixon, Sr. — 61 tackles, 2 TFL, 8 INTs

— FRANK HONANG, Saginaw, Sr. — 178 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 FF, 2 INTs, 7 PBU

— DEE JOHNSON, Mesquite Poteet, Sr. — 27 tackles, 5 INTs, 2 FR, 2 TDss, 2 blocked kicks, 7 PBU

Punter:

— JORDAN LAWLESS, Lindale, Sr. — 44 punts, 40.4 avg., 15 inside the 20

Defensive Player of the Year: Trevon Brooks, Lancaster

___

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

Linemen:

— Myles Adams, Mansfield Summit, Sr.; Kyle Ardoin, Port Neches-Groves, Sr.; Troy Bilman, Donna, Sr.; Jon Mayweather, Houston North Forest, Sr.; Nico Russolillo, Frisco Heritage, Sr.; Michael Shogbonyo, Mansfield Summit, Sr.; Jermaine Townsend, Temple, Sr.

Receivers/ends:

— Keegan Brewer, Lake Dallas, Sr.; Brannon Bullitt, EP Chapin, Sr.

Quarterback:

— Cade Dyal, Kerrville Tivy, Sr.

Running backs:

— Mulbah Car, Austin Reagan, Sr.; Kierre Crossley, Everman, Sr.; Jorge Gutierrez, Brownsville Porter, Sr.

Kicker:

— Grant Carlson, Fort Bend Ridge Point, Sr.

___

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

Linemen:

— Aaron Evans, CC Miller, Sr.; Demerick Gary, Dallas Kimball, Sr.; Jair Jordan, SA Sam Houston; Jack McAdams, Aledo, Sr.

Linebackers:

— Jack Lechman, Mansfield Lake Ridge, Sr.; Mac McCaskill, Cedar Park, Sr.; Fabricio Quintanilla, Mercedes, Sr.

Defensive backs:

— Arnold Azunna, Mansfield Lake Ridge, Sr.; JuAnthony Parker, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Sr.; Prince Robinson, Houston North Forest, Sr.; Vernon Scott, Mansfield Summit, Sr.

Punter:

— Jacob Brammer, Richmond Foster, Jr.

___

HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE

LINEMEN: Jack Anderson, Frisco; Ryan Becker, Marble Falls; Parker Braun, Hallsville; Travis Bruffy, Fort Bend Ridge Point; Jared Cantu, Edcouch-Elsa; Kade Clapper, Georgetown; Tim Clay, Longview; Barton Clement, Fort Bend Marshall; Benjamin Cohen, SA Alamo Heights; Alex Costilla, San Marcos; Elijah Duane, Cedar Park; Harper Geracci, Cedar Park Vista Ridge; Zach Gipson, Longview; Clay Greathouse, WF Rider; Adrian Harris, Tyler; Jake Helton, Austin Vandegrift; Ernest Martinez, Wylie East; Kevin Massey, Houston North Forest; Chance McLeod, Victoria East; Jack Merrill, Cedar Park; Keenan Murphy, Crosby; Juan Ramirez, Roma; Jorge Rios, Port Lavaca Calhoun; John Runberg, Canyon; Elijah Sanchez, Edcouch-Elsa; Parker Sorge, WF Rider; William Withers, Gregory-Portland; Jordan Wyatt, Longview.

RECEIVERS/ENDS: Taylor Bissell, Burleson; Chayce Bolli, Boerne Champion; Jaylen Dixon, Frisco Lone Star; Bryce Martinez, Victoria East; Ralphlauren McCauley, Grapevine; Emmanuel Netherly, Crosby; Nathan Rabe, CC Calallen; Paxton Segina, Austin Vandegrift; Nathan Stewart, Dallas Adams; Robert Tovar, Mission Veterans; T.J. Vasher, WF Rider.

QUARTERBACKS: Cody Brewer, CC Flour Bluff; Bryson Gipson, Tyler; Josh Green, Boerne Champion; Preston Paden, Burleson; Gunnar Palacios, Canyon; Bowman Sells, Lucas Lovejoy; Jason Shelley, Frisco Lone Star; Luke Skipper, Forney.

RUNNING BACKS: Idrees Ali, Frisco; Josh Avila, Somerset; Khalil Banks, The Colony; Amonte Bowen, Donna; Matt Collier, SA Southside; Carandal Hale, Greenville; Geovani Manning, North Dallas; Blaine Monroe, Gregory-Portland; B.J. Rainford, Fort Bend Ridge Point; Anthony Pegues, Frisco Centennial; Paul Terry, Canyon Randall; Dawonya Tucker, Terrell; J’kardi Witcher, Texarkana Texas.

KICKERS: Luiz Diaz, Georgetown; Hunter Elder, Victoria West; Cody Jenkins, Longview; Jordan Lawless, Lindale; Connor Martin, Frisco Centennial; Angel Quiroga, Bryan; Ryan Reid, Burleson Centennial.

___

HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE

LINEMEN: Kelvin Apari, Frisco Lone Star; Noah Blomberg, Magnolia; Jacobi Brewer, Texarkana Texas; Mark Brown, FW Arlington Heights; Jayden Drisdale, College Station A&M Consolidated; Jaylen Hutchings, Forney; Jorge Ibarra, Donna; Demondre Lauderdale, FW Arlington Heights; Pierre Leonard, Tyler; Bronson Massie, Lufkin; Jay Mobley, Cedar Park Vista Ridge; Amere Morris, Lindale; Michael Nash, Wichita Falls; Paco Ortiz, Dumas; Camerion Pumphrey, FW South Hills; Jake Ray, Frisco Lone Star; Alex Roman, Marble Falls; Kade Satterwhite, Canyon Randall; Khevon Shepard, Brenham; Kybrian Sheridan, Longview; Brenden Solete, Cedar Park; Rollie Tatum, Gregory-Portland; Moneeb Ullah, CC Calallen; Hal Vinson, Dallas South Oak Cliff.

LINEBACKERS: Roger Adame III, Mercedes; Sammy Alaniz, Edcouch-Elsa; Zach Barrientos, Mesquite Poteet; Jeremiah Chambers, Cedar Park Vista Ridge; Bryson Davis, Longview; Derek Ditto, Dumas; Garrett Grammer, Richmond Foster; Michael Harmon, Houston North Forest; Corban James, FW Arlington Heights; Raul Lucio, Laredo Martin; Corey Mann, Temple; Colton Oberthier, Hallsville; Eric Oliva, Laredo Nixon; RJ Phillips, Cedar Park Vista Ridge; Johnny Roa, FW South Hills; Augustine Tambe, Cedar Park; Vicente Terrones, Laredo Cigarroa; Jacobi Watkins, SA Sam Houston; Haden Willis, Magnolia; Trey Wooten, Dallas Adamson.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Darrien Campos, Abilene Cooper; Ja’Quavion Daniels, Terrell; Bryston Gipson, Tyler; Jav Guidry, Cedar Park; Jakob Heins, Cedar Park; Kalani Ibara, CC Calallen; Gary King, Dallas South Oak Cliff; Peter Ledesma, Laredo Nixon; Logan LeJeune, Port Neches-Groves; Kevin Liebano, Mission Veterans; Zac Leigh, Victoria East; Jonavan Lopez, Alice; Chris Miller, Frisco Lone Star; Blake Perez, Gregory-Portland; Rajah Preciado, College Station; Noe Rodriguez, Edcouch-Elsa; Vernon Scott, Mansfield Summit; Shyler Staton, Fort Bend Ridge Point; Ty Thomas, Lubbock Cooper; Jerry Wrightner, Texarkana Texas.

PUNTERS: Reed Bowman, Magnolia; Cody Jenkins, Longview; Connor Martin, Frisco Centennial; Culver Sumner, Austin Vandegrift.

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

La Joya Palmview defensive coordinator J.J. Leija was approved late Tuesday night as the new head football coach/athletic coordinator at Edinburg High.

Leija is an Edinburg native who coached at Palmview the last two years and was an assistant coach at PSJA North before that. He has also been an assistant at Edinburg High and Edinburg Economedes.

“He’s an alumni and is familiar with Edinburg and that was big for us,” Edinburg CISD athletic director Roy Garza said. “It was important to us that we get an Edinburg guy, and he was above the rest. He’s a professional. He’s a player’s coach and is very organized. He’s a family man who loves Edinburg.”

Garza said administration interviewed 10 candidates for the job. Thirty applied.

Former Edinburg High coach Joaquin Escobar was reassigned last month after going 3-17 in two years at the helm of the Bobcats. Escobar, an Odessa native, beat out Leija, whom Garza said was a runner-up for the position in December 2013.

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — It’s no surprise Cedar Park is still playing football this time of year. The Timberwolves, state champion runner-ups in 2014 and state champs in 2012, are ranked No. 1 in Class 5A in the state and are 12-0.

It is a bit of a surprise, however, that it’s Edcouch-Elsa playing Cedar Park in their Class 5A, Division II regional playoff game at 7:30 Friday night at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio.

The Yellowjackets (8-4) started the season strong, winning six of their first seven games. But injuries and a sudden lack of execution offensively bled into a three-game losing streak to close the regular season.

“A lot of people doubted us and we wanted to prove them all wrong,” E-E senior linebacker Sammy Alaniz said. “We wanted to show that they were wrong for doubting us. Everyone said we’re ‘one-and-done’ and look at us now.”

Look at them now. Edcouch-Elsa steamrolled Roma in the bi-district round and shocked 10-1 Somerset last week to make the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Now it faces its greatest test yet.

The Timberwolves have outscored opponents this season by an average of 35 points. They have outscored playoff foes Bastrop and No. 6 Kerrville Tivy by a combined score of 98-28.

And they couldn’t care less about a No. 1 state ranking.

“Our kids have done a great job of handling every week as its own season,” Cedar Park coach Carl Abseck said. “They don’t pay attention to what’s said or written about them. They pay attention to the team in front of us.”

Cedar Park averages 463.9 total yards. Sophomore quarterback Mak Sexton has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 2,043 yards and 23 touchdowns to just three interceptions.

In spite of Sexton’s gaudy numbers, though, it’s the running game that carries Cedar Park. The Timberwolves are led by running backs Tyler Lavine (643 yards, 8 TDs), William Richter (498 yards, 9 TDs) and Jack Grimm (302 yards, 14 TDs).

Abseck’s game plan going into Friday is clear. Keep the ball away from the Yellowjackets.

“We want to move the chains and run our offense the way we want to,” Abseck said. “We have to eliminate turnovers offensively. I know that’s a cliché, but we need to take care of the football and dictate what we do.”

The Yellowjackets are one of four Rio Grande Valley teams still standing. Edcouch-Elsa is here because of a balanced offense (339.3 yards for 27.7 points per game) and stingy defense (allowing 18.6 points on 243.1 yards per game). Abseck praised Edcouch-Elsa’s defense, noting its strength along the front and the need to get good angles from his offensive linemen to match-block.

The Yellowjackets are finally healthy, with starting quarterback Marco Aguinaga returning to the field last week after an eight-game absence because of a finger injury. Abseck admitted his team will have to adjust on the fly Friday because he did not see a completely healthy E-E team on film.

Aguinaga did not start the Somerset game, but was put in late during the second quarter and rallied the Yellowjackets to a win with two big second-half touchdowns. Marichalar said that will be the plan Friday — start backup Andrew Segura, who has thrown for 1,754 yards and 15 touchdowns in place of Aguinaga this season, and then bring in Aguinaga as a change of pace if he sees fit.

Though the Yellowjackets acknowledge the difficult task at hand, they are far from intimidated.

“Cedar Park is in a league of its own,” said E-E coach Joe Marichalar, who added Cedar Park’s team speed is “special” and that the Timberwolves don’t make mistakes. “But we want to go out there and earn some respect.

“It’s a mental thing. We’re here for a reason. That’s a very good team we’re playing, No. 1 for a reason. But what we have to understand is we’re here for a reason, too. It isn’t a fluke. A hit is a hit. It doesn’t matter how big or how small or what color or whatever. A hit is a hit.”

Senior running back Tey Valdez, who caught two touchdown passes during last week’s upset of Somerset, said he is confident the Yellowjackets’ receivers, linebackers and defensive backs can keep up with the Timberwolves. E-E saw this type of competition at the state 7-on-7 tournament in July, Valdez said.

“The ranking is just a number,” said Valdez, who has scored six touchdowns in two playoff games and has 12 this season. “It doesn’t mean anything. We play football like they play football. It’s a matter of us doing our job, working hard and giving that extra effort. It’s in our hands.”

An opportunity has arrived that Edcouch-Elsa isn’t willing to squander.

“They’re normal teenagers just like us,” senior linebacker Rigo Ayala said. “We’re going to play our hearts out, and I’m sure they will too. May the best team win.”

===================================

CLASS 5A, DIVISION II REGIONAL

EDCOUCH-ELSA VS. CEDAR PARK

WHERE: Alamo Stadium, San Antonio

WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

RECORDS: Edcouch-Elsa (8-4); Cedar Park (12-0)

GAME NOTES: Edcouch-Elsa is in the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Cedar Park is ranked No. 1 in Class 5A in the state and was state runner-up last season. …. The Yellowjackets stunned Somerset in the area round last week thanks to two big second-half touchdowns from Marco Aguinaga and a decisive goal-line stand late in the fourth quarter. … Cedar Park beat No. 6 state-ranked Kerrville Tivy 49-14 last week. … The Yellowjackets are facing a balanced offense for one of the few times this season. Cedar Park averages 267.8 rushing yards and 196.1 passing yards. Sophomore QB Mak Sexton (66.7 percent completion, 2,042 passing yards, 23 TDs-3 INTs) and RB Tyler Lavine (643 rushing yards, 8 rushing TDs; 625 receiving yards, 8 receiving TDs) are the Timberwolves’ primary threats. … E-E’s consistent playmaker of late has been senior Tey Valdez, who has six touchdowns in two playoff games. The running back/receiver has 12 overall this season. … Backup QB Andrew Segura, who has started the last nine games, will start tonight for E-E, with starter Aguinaga waiting if E-E wants a change of pace. Segura has thrown for 1,754 yards and 15 touchdowns as a starter since Aguinaga hurt his finger in Week 3 and just returned last week. … Defense is the strength of Edcouch-Elsa. The Yellowjackets allow just 18.6 points on 243.1 yards per game and have 22 takeaways this season.

PREDICTION: Cedar Park, 28-10

— Dennis Silva II

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ELSA – Cedar Park football coach Carl Abseck has only seen a few games of film on Edcouch-Elsa, his Class 5A, Division II, regional quarterfinal opponent Friday in San Antonio.

But he knows what makes the Yellowjackets tick.

“That program has a reputation for being aggressive, physical kids who play hard on defense,” Abseck said. “What I’ve seen matches up with that. They just fly to the ball.”

Defense and Edcouch-Elsa are synonymous. It’s been that way for decades, and it’s certainly that way now with five former Yellowjacket defensive standouts coaching that side of the ball: Joe Marichalar (head coach), Danny Perez (defensive coordinator), Martin Marichalar (defensive line), Victor Cardenas (defensive backs) and Xavier Zavala (assistant).

And it’s defense that has gotten Edcouch-Elsa (8-4) this far this season. Through a bout of injuries that hindered the offense early and often, through a three-game losing streak that almost derailed any hopes of postseason success, and through this point, with the Yellowjackets making a return to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

“We’re known for defense, and we’re just trying to protect the tradition,” senior linebacker Rigo Ayala said. “That’s been our thing all year long. We know Edcouch-Elsa and defense go hand-in-hand, so we take pride in making sure we do our jobs every time we step on the field.”

NEW POINTS OF ATTACK

The Yellowjackets allow 18.6 points on 243.1 yards per game. They surrender just 4.1 yards per rush and 11.9 yards per pass completion. Five times, they’ve held opponents to 14 or fewer points.

It was a goal-line defensive stand last week against 10-1 Somerset that earned the Yellowjackets a ticket to the third round. With 1:16 left and holding a 21-14 lead, Ayala and middle linebacker Sammy Alaniz stuffed running back Josh Avila for a negative-2-yard loss on 4th-and-1 from the E-E 1 to preserve the win.

“I like the fight,” said Marichalar, a former All-State linebacker in the late ‘90’s. “It’s a group that’s very resilient. We’ve gone through stretches where we don’t have our entire personnel, so they take it upon themselves to keep games in check and keep this team in games. When things don’t go well and we manage to stay in games, it speaks to our defense.”

Defense at Edcouch-Elsa starts early. Coaches identify kids and their strengths as freshmen. The more mentally tough and aggressive kids are put on defense. The more athletic kids go on offense.

From there, growth takes place during the offseason. Players spend a lot of time in the weight room, and every year they see progress physically.

“We’re a weight-room defense,” Ayala said. “That means we’re about strength, we’re about hitting. It starts in the summers when we get in the weight room, and then we transition that work onto the field.”

This year, the Yellowjackets’ coaching staff got more technical. Generally focused on explicitly teaching the 4-3 base defense and technique, coaches applied more detail.

For defensive backs, that meant tackling lower to take the head out of the hit, similar to what Pete Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks do. For linebackers, it meant specific drill-work every week. Depending on the type of offense they’d face that particular week, linebackers were drilled on open-field tackling or tight tackling closer to the line of scrimmage. Defensive linemen got more reps of contact.

“Coming into this year, we were just OK at tackling,” Alaniz said. “It wasn’t great. People would get yards after the catch or after the run on us. This year, we worked a lot on where to aim and making contact at the right spots.”

READING AND REACTING

The foundation of Edcouch-Elsa’s defense, however, is not in its tackling or even the intangibles preached day in and day out by Marichalar, like being mentally tough and all 11 guys to the ball.

It’s in the read-and-react nature of the system. The thorough teaching of the base defense and proper technique results in knowing a situation and reacting accordingly. “Automatics,” as Marichalar calls them.

No thinking. Just playing.

A primary product of the system is Alaniz. At 5-foot-11, 220 pounds, he is a prototypical old-school linebacker, a run-plugger with a knack for always making the big play. Alaniz leads the team with 193 total tackles (67 solo) and two fumble recoveries. He also has 2.0 sacks, an interception and nine total tackles for loss.

Alaniz has earned Marichalar’s trust. The coach allows his all-state player to make his own decisions on the field, even if it’s contrary to what the defense calls for.

Marichalar has no problem letting Alaniz “pull the trigger” because of his feel for the game. That comes from Alaniz’s extensive time in the film room.

Alaniz understands tendencies and often has a gut feeling for an offensive lineman’s ability or what an offensive coordinator may call on a certain down-and-distance.

“You can throw off the offense if you do it right, and I try and do that,” Alaniz said. “You move up, they can change the call, and then you drop back and you can get them off. Little stuff like that makes a difference. It puts the offense in a bind and really gives us an edge.”

Alaniz is also able to roam around because of the talent around him. Defensive linemen Julio Contreras (109 total tackles) and Seth Garcia (15.0 sacks) smother the run game. Ayala is the rock of the linebacking corps, quiet but deadly. And defensive backs Noe Rodriguez and Adrian Rodriguez have combined for 10 interceptions and 22 pass break-ups, quick enough to stay in pass coverage but smart enough to know when to use that speed and attack alleys in the opponent’s run game.

“There’s a lot of tradition here, and we know it well,” Noe Rodriguez said. “We have to live up to it. There’s a lot of guys who played here who did some great things, and we feel we can do some great things too. The work we’ve put in got us here and we just want to keep this going.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

LAREDO — Edcouch-Elsa wanted turkey on the road. The Yellowjackets got it.

Two big-play second-half touchdowns and a defense that produced a shutout in the second half and an enormous goal-line stand with just a minute left lifted Edcouch-Elsa to a 21-14 upset of Somerset on Friday night in their Class 5A, Division II area round playoff game at Shirley Field.

The Yellowjackets (8-4) rallied against what had been a dominant 10-1 Somerset team to outscore it 14-0 in the final two quarters and earn a trip to the third round Thanksgiving week for the first time since 2012. Edcouch-Elsa advances to play Cedar Park at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

“Turkey on the road, baby,” said senior linebacker Sammy Alaniz, who helped stuff running back Josh Avila on 4th-and-1 from the 1 with 1:16 left. “Since last year’s offseason, Coach always talked about turkey on the road, turkey on the road. Now we made it.”

It was a familiar recipe for the Yellowjackets. Most of this season, it’s been the defense keeping them in games while the offense overcame a bout of injuries or spotty execution at the worst times. And it was because of defense that, despite three first-half turnovers and 58 total yards, E-E only trailed Somerset 14-7 at halftime.

Fortunately for E-E, it was a different story for the offense the rest of the way. Coach Joe Marichalar moved Marco Aguinaga to quarterback. Aguinaga, who had been the starter but missed the last eight weeks rehabbing from a finger injury suffered Week 3, started the game at receiver but moved to signal-caller late in the second quarter.

After a punt and turnover on downs to start the third quarter, Aguinaga found his groove, producing two consecutive touchdown drives, one a 56-yard pass to A.J. Rodriguez that tied the game with 1:13 left in the period, and then the eventual go-ahead 17-yard score to Tey Valdez, who had two TDs, less than four minutes later in the fourth quarter.

“We went into halftime not on our game,” said Aguinaga, who completed 4 of 7 passes for 102 yards and a TD and rushed for 52 yards on 11 carries. “The offense huddled together in one room and just talked it out. This was do or die. We were a bit timid in the first half, and in the second we just played together as a team.”

While the offense got it together, the defense kept doing what it had started.

The Bulldogs never got the big plays they needed. Averaging 406.4 total yards per game, they had 207 against the Yellowjackets. Primarily a running team, Somerset entered the game averaging 8 yards per carry but managed 4 yards per carry against E-E.

Avila, who had 2,209 rushing yards and 21 TDs coming in, had 143 yards on 27 carries and had to work for his two scores, both of which came in the first half.

“We were ready,” said senior defensive back Adrian Rodriguez, who collected two interceptions. “That’s a tough offense, but we practiced all week for them. We hit them. We went right at them. Coach told us that was a team that really hasn’t been hit hard this year and that’s what we do.

“We’re a weight room defense. We hit and hit and hit until they just break down.”

And on its final play, Somerset (10-2) did. On 4th-and-1 from E-E’s 1, Avila cut to the outside only to meet Alaniz, who stuffed him for the negative-2 yard loss and the win.

“I knew they were going to go to the outside because they’re an outside team,” said Alaniz, who added E-E was careful to not over-pursue Avila because he was a patient runner. “I just made a play.”

And the reward? Turkey on the road.

“We thought coming in if we could play physical defense for four quarters, we’re going to be there at the end,” Marichalar said. “And yeah, we may be a home-run offense, but when we need a drive, we’re going to drive.

“It was a matter of all of our guys just coming together and saying, ‘We’re going to win this damn thing.’ And there’s your result.”

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Andrew Segura’s 2015-16 Hudl Highlights

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — Tough. Quiet. Humble. Resilient.

The words used by coaches and teammates to describe Edcouch-Elsa senior quarterback Andrew Segura are glowing. But they are not empty.

Segura is still coping with the loss of younger brother Anthony, who died during a July car accident that also seriously injured his mother, father and younger brother. Since then, he’s been asked to lead the Yellowjackets’ offense after a finger injury sidelined starter Marco Aguinaga during a Week 3 win against Edinburg North.

Still, Segura has, somehow, found a way to star on the field while dealing with tragedy off it. In eight starts, he has completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,737 yards and 14 touchdowns to six interceptions. He’s also rushed for 457 yards and eight more touchdowns.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder has been a front figure in leading Edcouch-Elsa (7-4) to its Class 5A, Division II area playoff game Friday against Somerset in Laredo.

“Every game, I play for him,” Segura said of Anthony. “I know he’s there watching me. He’s my guardian angel, and every time I take the field I’m thinking about him.”

Segura is modest when asked how he’s dealt with it all. Teammates say he has not talked about his brother at all.

“He shows no emotion and he’s handled it a lot better than most of us would,” senior offensive lineman Jared Cantu said. “We’ve just been there for him and let him know if he needs us he can come to us.

“Andrew’s just a great leader. He does everything he’s supposed to, he’s a good kid and he takes care of his business. He leads by example.”

Segura’s reason for his stoic nature is simple.

“I just play the game. I don’t talk,” Segura said. “Whatever I do on the field is all I need to show. I feel whatever I can do out there will say enough.”

When Aguinaga went out, Segura stepped right in and the Yellowjackets didn’t skip a beat. Segura and Aguinaga are similar in ability — both can pass effectively while also knowing when to tuck the ball and run to extend plays.

Segura and Aguinaga engaged in a quarterback competition prior to the 2014 season, which Aguinaga won in a close call. Since then, Segura has been his backup and the No. 1 receiver, but he’s also taken a significant amount of reps at quarterback during practices.

So, when Segura started fast by directing E-E to four wins in its next five games, it came as no surprise.

“We knew he was going to catch fire,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said. “He is a playmaker. Once he had the opportunity, he seized the moment. His numbers, his success, are just a testament to his hard work and talent.”

Aguinaga was cleared Monday to return to football. Marichalar said the junior will play Friday, but Segura will start.

“It’s out of respect for what Andrew has done in getting us here,” said Marichalar, who added Aguinaga will see time at wide receiver.

Marichalar said football has helped Segura cope with the loss of his brother. Segura admitted as much in August.

When the team hit the field for the start of preseason two-a-days, it was a breath of fresh air for Segura, a welcomed break from his role as the man of a distraught home while his father was in a San Antonio hospital recovering slowly from his injuries.

“‘Drew has a tough mentality, a ‘no big deal’ type of attitude,” Marichalar said. “He handles everything thrown at him like a man. His sanctuary is coming to the football field and being with his teammates.”

Segura said leading his family through a dark time helped him on the field.

“Whenever my dad wasn’t here, I had to take care of my family and be the strong one,” Segura said. “I was there for them whenever they needed me. As quarterback, it’s the same. You have to protect your team and lead them. You have to be calm and confident and have them feed off that.”

Leave it to Segura, then, to drive the Yellowjackets during their bi-district playoff win last week against Roma.

Coming off a messy late-season stretch in which E-E lost three of four games, nobody gave the Yellowjackets much of a chance. Here we go again, Yellowjacket followers thought. Another loss in the first round, just like the previous two seasons.

But Marichalar said he could see his signal-caller playing with a chip on his shoulder as he threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score.

Segura confirmed it.

“I don’t think the community was supporting us like they should and they felt like we weren’t going to make it,” Segura said. “That was my chip. I felt we had to dominate and show everybody we still have it, we’re still here.

“Edcouch-Elsa still has it.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

DONNA — At this time last year, Landry Gilpin was turning in his eighth grade football pads to play basketball for his junior high team.

Friday night, Gilpin led his Mission Veterans Memorial high school football team to a Class 5A, Division I bi-district playoff championship.

The precocious freshman rushed for 284 yards and four touchdowns and threw for 98 yards and a touchdown in leading the Patriots to a demonstrative 33-21 win over Donna High at Bennie La Prade Stadium.

Gilpin, starting because of an injury to No. 1 QB Diego Hernandez and the late-season injury and transfer of No. 2 QB Adam Solis, averaged 9.8 yards per carry as the Patriots totaled 411 yards against a typically punishing Donna defense.

“I was excited. Just really excited,” Gilpin said of his playoff debut. “I have a team that has my back and I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. As long as we stick together, I think we always have a chance.”

The Patriots (8-3) led 13-0, thanks to a defensive effort that forced three straight three-and-outs to start the game, before the Redskins (8-3) scored two touchdowns in three minutes to open the second quarter and take a 14-13 lead. But that would be the last of a Donna threat.

Gilpin scored on a 9-yard run with 48 seconds left in the half to regain the lead, and after the Patriots’ defense forced another three-and-out to start the second half, Gilpin scored again on a 1-yard run.

His 53-yard dazzler down the side and through the middle of the defense with 4:25 left in the third quarter put Vets up 33-14, all but sealing the win.

“They were locked down on our receivers,” Gilpin said. “Our guys did a good job getting open and I was just having a hard time getting the ball out to them. So I would just take it and run. The whole team did their part.”

As much as Gilpin awed, the defense was just as impressive.

The Patriots held the Redskins to 254 total yards (all rushing). Donna High’s dynamic tandem of Amonte Bowen (130 yards, 2 TDs) and Edward Dougherty (100 yards) filled the stat sheet, but rarely produced the big plays they’re known for.

Bowen had only two runs for more than nine yards, and Dougherty had one.

“Their team speed was phenomenal,” Donna High coach Ramiro Leal said. “Normally our guys make a move and they’re gone. But we couldn’t shake their safeties (seniors Cristian Anguiano and Kevin Liebano). They were always there. Their speed and the angles we projected weren’t there.

“Normally we break away, and we didn’t tonight.”

It led to a happy Patriots bunch, including a particularly happy dad.

“About two years ago I sat in a quarterback camp meeting, with a dad whose son was a quarterback,” said Mission Vets coach David Gilpin, father of Landry. “He talked about not being so hard on his kid because he’s hard enough on him at home. I’ve tried to stay light and put the pressure on the Bobby Tovars and Hugo Cabreras and the guys who have been there. I tell Landry just go out and play.

“He’s a calm and collected kid who’s relying a lot on talent right now, but he shows no fear. I’m one proud daddy right now.”

GOOD STARTS

Poor punting hurt Donna High all night, gifting Mission Veterans Memorial solid starting position on almost all of its possessions.

The Patriots’ starting points of the field on their drives: Vets’ 34-yard line, Vets’ 33, Donna’s 5, Donna’s 31, Vets’ 33, Donna’s 27, Donna’s 43, Vets’ 43, Vets’ 1, Vets’ 44, 50-yard line.

The Patriots scored on five of their 10 possessions and missed a field goal on another.

DONNA’S SKID

The Redskins last won a bi-district championship in 2007, which is also the last time they had won a district title.

Since then, Donna High is 0-7 in the first round of the playoffs. The Redskins fell to the Patriots in the bi-district round for a second straight year.

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — John Henry Gonzalez’s recruiting process wasn’t extensive or too exhausting. The Edinburg High senior pitcher received a full scholarship offer from Texas Tech early last fall and verbally committed soon thereafter.

Gonzalez made it official Friday afternoon when he signed his letter of intent to play for the Red Raiders. The hard-throwing right-hander said Texas Tech was a no-doubter all along the way despite receiving early interest from Texas and Florida International, among other NCAA Division I schools.

“They were one of my first offers and I love that school,” Gonzalez said. “I took the opportunity and ran with it. They showed me it was home and I could trust everybody there. All the coaches treated me like I actually mattered. I just love it.

“Ever since I was small, I wanted to play college baseball. It’s a big thing, because it’s the next stepping stone to the pros and it’s a great opportunity that I’ve got.”

As a junior last season, Gonzalez went 9-1 with a 0.11 ERA in helping lead the Bobcats to the Class 6A regional semifinals for the first time since 1956. He had 110 strikeouts to just 30 walks in 63 innings in working his way to becoming RGVSports.com’s 2015 All-Valley Pitcher of the Year.

It was a breakout year for Gonzalez, who was used carefully by coach Robert Valdez during his first two seasons. Gonzalez refined his arm angle and arm speed during those years, and then started going to a changeup more last season once opponents started catching up to a fastball that hits the low 90s.

“We’ve slowly brought him along, and now this year is trying to surpass everything,” Valdez said. “Really give him a full year to play. It’s been a slow process. He’s learned to pitch, instead of just throwing, and we’re looking forward to a big spring.

“This is what we’ve been building up to, and one of the biggest attributions for John has been his ability to display a leadership role. We continue to look for that growth.”

Gonzalez said he wants “to be ready for anything” his senior season. He spent the summer with travel teams improving his fastball and working on off-speed pitches.

“It’s a good feeling not having to worry anymore about college,” he said. “I can just concentrate on baseball, on our team and just go out there and do my thing. Hopefully I can take my team far.”

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