No. 10: Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers

2016 record: 8-3, 6-1 in 32-5A; bi-district qualifiers

Of note: Last season, Brownsville Veterans Memorial earned a share of its first District 32-5A football title under coach David Cantu.

Key returning starters include seniors quarterback Gustavo Vasquez and running back Abel Martinez. The pair led the ground attack with nearly 2,500 yards and 31 touchdowns combined last season.

The defense is led four seniors: defensive ends Manny Yanez and Tommy Martinez and a duo of cornerbacks, Sammy Chapa and Aaron Recio.

RGVSports.com will reveal its preseason Top 10, one team per day, leading up to the start of the 2017 football season on Aug. 31.

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — When Michael Salinas looked at Weslaco, he saw a two-school town that maintained a small-town feel. He admired the school district’s commitment to athletics and proven success across every sport. For Salinas, the chance to try to keep that going on the gridiron seemed like a fresh, new challenge.

Those factors, Salinas said, are the reasons he chose to leave his position as the head coach at Edinburg Vela, where he went 31-5 during the past three seasons, to take the same position at Weslaco High.

“Professionally, for myself, it was a better opportunity here,” Salinas said. “And again, looking at it, a two-school town with a ton of support, and they’ve been extremely successful in athletics.”

Salinas was officially approved for the position in March, filing the void left when Tony Villarreal was reassigned in January following 12 seasons that helped him become one of the top 100 winningest coaches in Texas high school football history.

This month, Salinas is running his new group through spring practice, working to install fresh systems on offense and defense.

“There’s going to be a learning curve, but because of their attitude and effort, they’ve sort of sped that up,” Salinas said. “So we’re happy with where we are in the progression.”

The transition on offense is especially steep. During the past three seasons, Weslaco High picked up 87.3 percent of its yardage on the ground in a slot-T attack, with 8,835 rushing yards against 1,289 passing yards.

Salinas is aiming to install a multiple offense very similar to what he ran at Vela, which typically used only one running back. During the past three seasons, Vela gained 58.4 percent of its offense on the ground, with 7,474 rushing yards against 5,325 passing yards.

“It’s completely different,” Weslaco running back Michael Martin said. “It’s no huddle. We don’t even go under center. We have one running back compared to three (last year). All the running plays are for one running back, so it’s not split. It’s really good. Our receivers are getting after it, our running backs are getting after it, and our quarterback and our line are doing really good.”

The defensive adjustment is not as drastic, Salinas said. The base formation will be similar to what the Panthers have done in the past, only with more pressure and blitzing. The biggest adjustment, Salinas said, will be to initial alignments.

“There’s a lot to learn,” safety Roy Trevino said. “The transition is tough. It’s going to be hard to get it right. We’re not at our best yet, but once we’re at our peak, it’s going to be good.”

Salinas said the process of making such a sweeping change starts with classroom-style learning, both on the whiteboard and through video review. The Panthers then try to implement the techniques on the field before looking over handouts and “improvement sheets” at the end of the day.

From the start, Salinas stressed that Day 12 would look a lot better than Day 1. He said his players have shown faith in that process. “The first day was kind of rough, and as the days progressed, it got better,” Martin said. “I think it’s really clicking well, and we’re all excited to see for next season.”

FAMILIAR FACES

Salinas brought four assistant coaches he worked with at Vela to join the staff at Weslaco High. That group includes defensive coordinator Haskel Buff and offensive coordinator Patrick Shelby, though Salinas will be the one calling the plays on offense, he said.

NEW RESPONSIBILITIES

With passing becoming a much bigger part of the Panthers offense, Salinas has been working to develop Weslaco’s receivers into better route runners. So far, current freshman Peyton Kanob has been one of the standouts because of his sure hands and ability to pick up the system mentally, Salinas said.

Kanob was a running back and free safety on the freshman team last year but sees himself finding a role on the outside at the varsity level.

“I feel like I’m going to fit in more at the wide receiver position,” Kanob said. “I feel like we’re going to be really good this year, and everyone is just going to fill in their role.”

NO PRESSURE

When Salinas took his first head-coaching job at Vela in 2012, he was entering a program with no previous football history.

At Weslaco, he takes over a program that had advanced to the playoffs in 10 of the past 11 seasons prior to last year’s 5-5 campaign in a daunting District 32-6A.

“I think pressure is something you feel if you’re not prepared,” Salinas said. “So we’re going to prepare like crazy and hopefully, we’re able to respond to the challenge ahead of us.”

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WESLACO HIGH

Returning starters (O/D): 2/5

Returning lettermen: 18

Key Players: RB Michael Martin, OL Richard Carmona, S Roy Trevino, LB Marco Noriega, DT Seth Sanchez, WR Peyton Kanob

Coach: Michael Salinas, 1st year at school

2016 Record: 5-5

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Mission High quarterback Damian Gomez was introduced to coach Koy Detmer’s multiple offense only about a month before his first varsity start.

Coming in as a freshman under a first-year coach, Gomez didn’t have the luxury of spring practice or offseason repetition. Regardless, when senior quarterback Rudy Trevino was lost to injury in Week 2, the onus was on Gomez to sink or swim in a starting role.

Gomez ultimately did a little bit of both last season, completing 31 of 66 passes for 357 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions.

“I was really proud of myself, but there’s always room for improvement,” Gomez said. “Control the huddle, my feet, my fundamentals, drop backs, reads. Just get everything down and get good at it.”

This month, Gomez is running through his first spring practice. He and the rest of the Eagles are focused on refining their grasp of Detmer’s offense as they look to build from last year’s 3-7 campaign.

Gomez said getting all of the first-team reps is making a huge difference, and Detmer is already seeing signs of improvement.

“This offseason has been awesome,” Detmer said. “He’s worked out awesome in the weights, the running, the training. He’s developed his body from a physical standpoint. In spring ball, he’s taken a very big step just being familiar with the system and the different calls and knowing where people are. He can see it. He’s now taking that step.”

Gomez drew praise from Detmer for his calm and poise from the first time he stepped into a game. Looking back on the year, Gomez said his biggest takeaway was the mental fortitude needed to play quarterback, even if that attribute came naturally to him, to some extent.

“My parents tell me that I’m a really calm kid,” Gomez said. “I can show it, that once we’re out here, I’m focused and ready to grind.”

Still, offense was often hard to come by for Mission High last season, as the team amassed just 253.5 yards per game to rank sixth in District 30-6A.

Detmer, the Valley’s all-time leading passer and a nine-year NFL veteran, likened his first season as a head coach to building the ground floor at a construction site. This spring is a chance to add on a few new levels.

Most importantly, he said, everyone in the program enters the spring feeling like they’re speaking the same language.

“The first season is a challenge just getting systems in place and everything up and running,” Detmer said. “We’re excited about going into this second year, because now we’re having a chance to really coach the details and how to do things.”

STOUT DEFENSE

Mission High’s defense ranked atop District 30-6A last year allowing just 275.7 yards per game.

Detmer expects the unit to be strong again in 2017, citing key returners linebacker Steven De Leon — an All-State honorable mention in 2015— nose tackle Chris Hernandez and outside linebacker Raul Paez.

“They did an excellent job last year and found a way to continue to keep getting it done and giving us a chance to win,” Detmer said. “We didn’t always take advantage of those opportunities, but they kept us in games. And they’re going to be good again this year. We’re excited about that.”

SENIOR STANDOUT

On top of being a defensive leader last year, De Leon ran for a team-best 873 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has been working mostly at defense throughout the spring, but he’s expected to take on a similarly heavy and diverse workload come fall.

The 6-foot, 220-pound senior said he’s hoping to bring even more to the table than he did in 2016.

“I feel like I didn’t do that much. I needed to have more tackles and more touchdowns,” De Leon said. “I’ve been getting here earlier. Been here every practice. Been stepping up to be a leader. Just telling guys where to go and what the plays are.”

UNSUNG HERO

Running through Mission’s returning starters, Detmer made a point of highlighting fullback Luis Valdez. As a junior, Valdez rarely touched the ball, but he was still a valuable piece.

“They don’t know who he is. They probably wouldn’t even know the number,” Detmer said. “Luis was a guy that always was the constant. He did an excellent job at the role he played, where primarily he was blocking and doing different things that you need done to function offensively.”

[email protected]

MISSION HIGH

Returning starters (O/D): 5/4

Returning lettermen: 12

Key Players: RB/LB Steven De Leon, QB Damian Gomez, WR Al Tijerina, WR Sebastian Gonzalez, RB Jose Resendez, DT Chris Hernandez, LB Raul Paez

Coach: Koy Detmer, 2nd year at school

2016 Record: 3-7

STAFF REPORTS

The UIL Tennis State Tournaments begin today in College Station, and the two boys singles players representing the Valley are among the nominees for Boys Tennis Player of the Year and Girls Tennis Player of the Year.

The winners will be announced at the 2017 All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet on June 10 at Mario’s Banquet & Conference Center in Mission.

Former San Antonio Spurs forward Robert Horry will be the keynote speaker.

The nominees for Boys Tennis Player of the Year:

>> Joaquin Delgado, Sharyland Pioneer: Delgado, a senior, followed up his Class 5A state silver as a junior with another trip to state. He won the District 31-5A singles championship in straight sets and earned silver at the regional tournament despite battling illness. He also signed to Abilene Christian University in the Southland Conference.

>> Nick Martinez, Lyford: Martinez, a 6-foot-1 senior, is set to compete in the UIL Class 3A state tournament for the second time in his career.

>> Jack Wang, McAllen Memorial: Wang wrapped up an impressive career with his fourth consecutive district singles title. The Mustang was the model of consistency for a team full of young, impressionable talent. He won the District 30-6A tournament in comeback fashion by a 6-2, 6-0 margin in the final. He reached a state rank as high as No. 9 this season.

The nominees for Girls Tennis Player of the Year:

>> Grace Bell, Harlingen South: Bell, a senior, was a consistent force for the Hawks this season, advancing to the regional tournament after taking gold in the girls singles division at the District 32-6A tournament.

>> Chantel Lozano, Roma: A season after winning the District 31-5A singles crown, the senior became a doubles champion, too. Lozano teamed up with Monika Cantu, who was her competition when they both played singles. The pair had instant chemistry and cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 final-round victory at the district meet.

>> Valerie Montero, Harlingen South: Montero, a sophomore, continued to impress this season, advancing to the regional tournament for the second straight year. This time, she did it as part of a mixed doubles team with her brother.

The Banquet, hosted by RGVSports.com and AIM Media Texas in conjunction with the RGV Sports Hall of Fame, will see 33 awards presented to standout athletes, coaches and teams across all 12 UIL sports. The highly prestigious Tom Landry Award of Excellence will honor a student-athlete for outstanding achievements on and off the field.

The Monitor, Valley Morning Star, The Brownsville Herald, Mid-Valley Town Crier and RGV Sports Hall of Fame will vote to determine the winners in the sports categories. While The Monitor, the Star and the Herald have previously named their All-Area teams in certain sports, the All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet will recognize the very best across all three coverage areas.

Tickets for the catered banquet, which will run 6 to 8 p.m., will be available soon at a cost of $40 per person. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact Marcia Kitten at 956-683-4463.

Horry won seven NBA Championships and earned the moniker “Big Shot Rob” for clutch performances during his 16-year NBA career that included stints with the Spurs, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Throughout the spring, McAllen High junior Gunnar Henderson has spent most of his weekends on the road.

Since making the Team Texas Elite 7 on 7 squad, Henderson has taken the 5-hour car ride with his father back and forth to Houston for practice every Sunday. He’s also traveled to Los Angeles, New Orleans and Las Vegas for tournaments with the team, with trips to Denver and Tampa still on the horizon.

“It’s a lot of work, but I know it’s going to be worth it at the end of the day,” Henderson said. “It’s helped me get a lot of interest from different colleges.”

The reps also figure to help him at McHi, where this month he and his teammates have been running through spring practice. After a relatively quiet 2016, Henderson is looking to set himself up for a breakout senior season that could land him college offers and help the Bulldogs bounce back from last year’s 3-7 campaign — McHi’s lowest win total since 2005.

Coach Kevin Brewer is already seeing the dividends of Henderson’s effort.

“All the hard work that young man has put in developing his skillset, it shows out here,” Brewer said. “He’s done a heck of a job, absolutely.”

Henderson said he found out about Team Texas Elite through Twitter, traveled to Houston for the tryout and ended up coming through a group of about 150 interested athletes.

His offseason has also included standout performances on the track — a Class 6A District 29-30 area title in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 38.75 seconds — and a trip to the Army National Combine in San Antonio to work against other top high school talent.

“I went against a lot of the top DBs, and I ended up winning,” Henderson said. “I have video to send out to coaches and the name of the DBs I beat. Here’s me versus this and that, and he has 14 offers, and I beat him. That’s another way to sell myself.”

Henderson also knows he can sell himself on the field at McAllen High, where last season he ran for 144 yards and caught 11 passes for 217 yards in six games after rejoining the team midway through the season as a transfer from Brownsville St. Joseph.

At 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds with a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, Henderson projects as a slot receiver at the college level. But at McHi, he said he’s willing to do anything to help the team win, with responsibilities last year that also included running back and wildcat quarterback.

Brewer said Henderson will be McHi’s “Swiss army knife,” and that his natural playmaking will allow him to stand out to college scouts at any position.

“His ability will shine,” Brewer said. “They’ll see that. We don’t have to do anything different to showcase him in a certain way. His ability is going to show no matter what we’ve got him doing.”

So far, Henderson said his process of trying to find a college involves mostly just conversations. Army, Columbia, Georgia, Navy, Nevada, TCU, UTSA and Yale are among the schools that have shown interest in getting him out to their camps. Much like this spring, Henderson and his father are planning on a lot of traveling during the summer.

“It sucks, but a lot of colleges find the excuse that, ‘You’re from the Valley,’” Henderson said. “They want to see you in person. So I guess that’s what I have to do. I can’t make an excuse. I have to go.”

FRESH DEFENSE

McAllen High is going through the spring practice season looking to find 11 new starters on the defensive side.

“When you’re replacing 11 starters, there’s going to be some transition time and some figuring things out time,” Brewer said. “In three weeks, they’ve gone through that process. They’re going to be fine.”

So far, defensive tackle Jerry Lopez and defensive back Tripp Potter seem to be some of the early standouts.

“You’re used to the same faces. When they leave, you have to step up,” Lopez said. “It’s helping with the maturity, and some of the guys you never thought would step up have stepped up really well.”

QUARTERBACK BATTLE

Brewer said McAllen High’s quarterback battle is hard to handicap during the spring given that freshman option Aaron Nixon spending his time with McHi’s baseball team.

Brewer said returning letterman JR Cortez has had a great spring, and Cortez said he’s looking to make the most of his opportunity.

“I’m getting all the reps. He’s at baseball right now, so when he comes in, he’s not going to know anything about that,” Cortez said. “That’s what I’m going to try to take advantage of, because I have a big step up on him right now.”

McALLEN HIGH

Returning starters (O/D): 5/0

Returning lettermen: 25

Key Players: RB/WR Gunnar Henderson, RB Roy Gutierrez, DT Jerry Lopez, DB Tripp Potter, QB JR Cortez

Coach: Kevin Brewer, 5th year at school

2016 Record: 3-7

STAFF REPORTS

Former San Antonio Spurs forward Robert Horry will be the keynote speaker as the best athletes and teams from the year in Rio Grande Valley athletics are honored at the 2017 All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet on June 10 at Mario’s Banquet & Conference Center in Mission.

Horry won seven NBA Championships and earned the moniker “Big Shot Rob” for clutch performances during his 16-year NBA career that included stints with the Spurs, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.

The Banquet, hosted by RGVSports.com and AIM Media Texas in conjunction with the RGV Sports Hall of Fame, will see 33 awards presented to standout athletes, coaches and teams across all 12 UIL sports. The highly prestigious Tom Landry Award of Excellence will honor a student-athlete for outstanding achievements on and off the field.

The Monitor, Valley Morning Star, The Brownsville Herald, Mid-Valley Town Crier and RGV Sports Hall of Fame will vote to determine the winners in the sports categories. While The Monitor, the Star and the Herald have previously named their All-Area teams in certain sports, the All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet will recognize the very best across all three coverage areas.

The tremendous demand for tickets at last year’s banquet, which sold out weeks before the event, has necessitated a change of venue to Mario’s Banquet & Convention Center. The new venue has a seating capacity of more than 500 people.

Tickets for the catered banquet, which will run 6 to 8 p.m., will be available soon at a cost of $40 per person. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact Marcia Kitten at 956-683-4463.

Horry averaged 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game across 1,107 career appearances but became known much more for his clutch shots than his raw numbers. He started building that reputation in 1995, when in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals he hit a jumper with 6.5 seconds remaining to give Houston a win over San Antonio. Horry also hit final-minute shots to secure NBA Finals game wins in 1995 and 2001. Then, with the Lakers in 2002, he connected on game-winning 3-pointers in Game 3 of a first-round playoff series and Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

Perhaps the most outstanding performance of Horry’s career came with the Spurs in 2005. During Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Horry scored 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, capped by a 3 with 5.8 seconds remaining, to give the Spurs a 96-95 win. He also made a critical shot to secure Game 4 of a first-round playoff game for the Spurs in 2007.

He won NBA titles in 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2007 after being selected by Houston with the 11th overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft following a four-year career at the University of Alabama.

Since playing his final season in 2007-08, Horry has become a successful motivational speaker.

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 7

Class 6A

Edinburg North 2, San Antonio Clark 1

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 3, San Antonio Johnson 0

Class 5A

Brownsville Veterans 4, Austin High 0

Brownsville Lopez 2, Alamo Heights 1

Class 4A

Bandera 2, La Feria 1, PKs

Progreso 2, Fischer Canyon Lake 1

Regional Finals

Saturday, April 8

Class 6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 1, Edinburg North 0, OT

Class 5A

Brownsville Lopez 1, Brownsville Veterans Memorial 0

Class 4A

Progreso 5, Bandera 0

UIL State Tournament

At Birkelbach Field in Georgetown

Wednesday, April 12

Class 4A

Progreso vs. Bridgeport, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 13

Class 5A

Brownsville Lopez vs. Waller, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 14

Class 6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. Dallas Jesuit, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 7

Class 6A

Cibolo Steele 4, Los Fresnos 2

Austin Vandegrift 3, McAllen High 0

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 7

Class 6A

Edinburg North 2, San Antonio Clark 1

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 3, San Antonio Johnson 0

Class 5A

Brownsville Veterans 4, Austin High 0

Brownsville Lopez 2, Alamo Heights 1

Class 4A

Bandera 2, La Feria 1, PKs

Progreso 2, Fischer Canyon Lake 1

Regional Finals

Saturday, April 8

Class 6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. Edinburg North at Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio, 3 p.m.

Class 5A

Brownsville Veterans Memorial vs. Brownsville Lopez at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi, noon

Class 4A

Bandera vs. Progreso at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, noon

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 7

Class 6A

Cibolo Steele 4, Los Fresnos 2

Austin Vandegrift 3, McAllen High 0

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Regional Quarterfinals

Tuesday, April 4

Class 6A

Edinburg North 2, Brownsville Rivera 1, PKs

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 3, Laredo United 0

Class 5A

Brownsville Lopez 4, Laredo Nixon 0

Brownsville Veterans 1, Brownsville Pace 0

Class 4A

La Feria 2, Grulla 1

Progreso 3, Hidalgo 0

Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 7

Class 6A

Edinburg North vs. San Antonio Clark at Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio, 5 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. San Antonio Johnson at Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio, 7 p.m.

Class 5A

Brownsville Veterans vs. Austin at Cabaniss Soccer Field in Corpus Christi, noon

Brownsville Lopez vs. San Antonio Alamo Heights at Cabaniss Soccer Field in Corpus Christi, 2 p.m.

Class 4A

La Feria vs. Bandera at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, 2 p.m.

Progreso vs. Fischer Canyon Lake at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, 4 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Regional Quarterfinals

Tuesday, April 4

Class 6A

Los Fresnos 2, Brownsville Rivera 0

McAllen High 1, Harlingen South 0

Class 5A

Flour Bluff 4, Brownsville Pace 2

Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 7

Class 6A

Los Fresnos vs. Cibolo Steele at Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio, 1 p.m.

McAllen High vs. Austin Vandegrift at Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio, 3 p.m.