Author: Jon LaFollette

by Jon LaFollette

Weslaco High rolls over PSJA North in district opener, 56-7

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — At times, Desi Rodriguez finds himself in an awkward spot on the Weslaco Panthers. He’s a quarterback, sure, but his right arm is rarely used in coach Tony Villarreal’s run-dominant slot-T offense.

“Normally I only throw on third and long,” Rodriguez said. “But whenever they call my number and nothing is there, I just take off running.”

Third and long, second and short. It didn’t matter Friday during the Panther’s 56-7 district-opening win over PSJA North at PSJA Stadium in Pharr. Weslaco got whatever it wanted, including a potent passing attack.

Rodriguez’s stat line — 2-of-5 for 86 yards — may seem insignificant in such a one-sided win, but his pair of completions propelled his team’s rout. Rodriguez’s struck gold on his first passing attempt with 1:49 left in opening quarter. On the Weslaco 39-yard line, Rodriguez found wideout Alex Lara as naked as the eyes of a clown behind the Raiders’ defense for a 61-yard score.

One play. 10 seconds. 21-0 Panthers.

“We have it,” Villarreal said of his team’s ability to move the ball through the air. “We just don’t show it ‘til we need to. District is the number one thing for us. We needed big plays tonight.”

But Weslaco (3-2, 1-0) was productive from the get-go. Their first two drives resulted in touchdowns. Usiel Gonzalez punched it in from 2 yards out to cap a five-play, 78-yard drive with 10:07 in the quarter to put the Panthers up 7-0. Running back Matt Ortiz made it 14-0 with a 22-yard run seven minutes later.

Weslaco didn’t let up, either. By the end of the third quarter, and with second stringers on the field, the Panthers scored on eight of their nine possessions. The catalyst was their offensive line, who routinely pushed North defenders aside with ease.

“I saw a lot of holes tonight,” Weslaco senior fullback Jonathan Martinez said. “It didn’t matter who was carrying the ball.”

Indeed. Nine separate Panthers took turns carrying the ball, combining for more than 400 yards on the ground. If Villarreal wanted a crack at running back, he could have walked into the end zone unscathed, as Martinez did three times to the tune of 183 yards on eight carries.

Just as impressive as Weslaco’s offensive output was their defensive display. The Raiders (1-4, 0-1) entered the game averaging 41 points on 442 yards per game. Friday, they were limited to less than 300 yards, the bulk of which came when the game had long since been decided.

“The defensive coaches did a tremendous job planning for this game,” Villarreal said. “I was worried coming into this game, because (North) can move the ball so well. The defense played outstanding.”

Junior linebacker Jordan Nichols collected two turnovers, recovering a fumble from a sack of Raiders quarterback George Olivarez on the third play of the game. Nichols’ other takeaway came midway through the third when he intercepted Olivarez.

“This was a hell of a win,” Nichols said. “It just shows that people can doubt us all they want, but when it comes to the field, we know we can take care of business.”

The Raiders’ offense could only go as far Olivarez took them. The senior quarterback, when not scrambling away from Weslaco’s defenders, looked a step slow for much of the night, and seemed to still be affected by injuries which kept him out off the first half of North’s Week 4 loss to Mission Veterans. By the end of the third quarter, North punted four times and had three turnovers.

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by Jon LaFollette

Red Ants reloaded with Joey San Roman under center

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PROGRESO — Wins are hard to come by for Progreso football. The Red Ants have relished the joy of victory just nine times since 2010.

So the team was understandably elated when it disposed of Hebbronville 40-13 on Friday for its first win of the season.

“There was a lot of excitement,” senior Joey San Roman said. “Guys were really happy about it.”

San Roman was the most instrumental part of the Red Ants’ win. He completed 7-of-12 passing attempts for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns, including a 73-yard score to receiver Cristian Chavez. San Roman was also productive with his feet, rushing nine times for 48 yards and a touchdown. With so many things going the quarterback’s way, certainly he partook in his team’s post-win afterglow. Right?

“Nah, not really,” San Roman said. “I just went to dinner with my parents and that was about it. I really don’t go out and do the whole party thing.”

To each their own. But that’s not to say San Roman doesn’t have a trademark. Recently, it’s been playing multiple positions for a Progreso team desperate for production at almost every position. Though the Red Ants (1-2) have played only three games, the 18-year-old has lined up as a receiver, linebacker and strong safety, in addition to his duties under center.

“Wherever you need him, he’s going to be there,” coach Tom Salazar said. “He’s such a gifted athlete. There’s so many things he can do that help us get to where we want to be.”

San Roman isn’t alone in pulling double duty. With a paltry 35 players on the varsity roster, Progreso counts on a small few to do a great deal. But Roman wasn’t supposed to play quarterback. That job belonged to Gaspar Trevino until a separated shoulder caused him to exit the Hebbronville game during the first quarter. With Trevino out, San Roman heard his number called.

“He was a sparkplug,” Salazar said. “He stepped in and made things click quick. He started making the reads, throwing accurate passes, running the ball himself. He’s a skilled player. He picked it up. It just made us a completely different team.”

That was the goal coming into 2015. Last season, the Red Ants tried to ground-and-pound their way to points to no avail. Through 10 games, Progreso combined to score 74 points and just one win (a 7-0 shutout against Brownsville Porter in Week 1). This year, Salazar has implemented the spread offense. In his team’s first three outings, it has scored 79 points and been competitive in each of its games.

“We’ve simplified things,” Salazar said. “And we’ve tailored our offense to the type of kids we have. We’ve got a lot of speed, so we do our best to use it when we can.”

And San Roman’s two-dimensional skill set fits the bill. So much so, that according to Salazar, San Roman will remain the starting QB for the remainder of the season. So vital has he become to the Red Ants, San Roman no longer plays both sides of the ball. He’s far too valuable to risk injury any more than he has to.

“I wish I could still play defense,” San Roman said. “I want to do whatever I can to be out there and help the team.”

Such a selfless quote is endearing, but it resonates more when spoken by a player who quit the team at the beginning of last season. A multi-sport athlete, San Roman ditched football in order to pursue baseball full time, much to the chagrin of Salazar.

“Football is a year-round sport,” Salazar said. “It’s made up of so many small things that you constantly have to work on in order to get better. But that was his choice. What could I do?”

But San Roman, like any well-indoctrinated Texan, was drawn back to the gridiron. He’s played football since he was 7 and enjoys the rush of throwing his body around in the same way he enjoys a good fastball. He quickly recanted during a meeting on the practice field during athletic period. But he didn’t do it for himself or his coach. It was for his teammates.

“I had to talk in front of the whole team,” San Roman said. “I told them how sorry I was, and that I was never going to give up on them. They’re my brothers.”

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by Jon LaFollette

Weslaco High loses on late Harlingen High touchdown

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — Weslaco High coach Tony Villarreal knew what he was getting his Panthers into when he scheduled Friday’s non-district game against Harlingen High at Bobby Lackey Stadium: strength, craftiness and speed.

And while the Panthers went muscle-for-muscle with the Cardinals and used just as many disguises, it was Harlingen’s quickness which ultimately downed Weslaco 21-14, handing them their second straight loss.

Harlingen’s junior running back Leo Tienda was the fastest on the field throughout the night. He gained 159 yards on 29 carries, including the game-winning touchdown from one-yard out with 30 seconds remaining in the game.

“I thought it was a tough, physical game,” Villarreal said. “I thought the defense played well, we just didn’t score enough points on offense. I think we just came out of the blocks too late. If we had a fifth quarter, we’d beat ‘em.”

But the Panthers (2-2) almost didn’t need a fifth quarter. Trailing 13-7 with just over 4 minutes left on the clock, senior running back Brian Guerra went 96-yards for a touchdown to give Weslaco the one point lead. But Guerra’s lightning-quick score left too much time.

On Harlingen’s final 10-play, 72-yard drive, the bulk of their production came from Tienda. A nine yard carry up the middle here, a seven yard gain down the sideline there. Finally, a 12-yard run to put the Cardinals (2-1) on the 6-yard line.

“I think we underestimated them and how fast they are,” junior safety Diego Rodriguez said. “Tienda was really fast. He was hard to bring down for as small as he is.”

Rodriguez was arguably the best defensive player for Weslaco. He intercepted Cardinals receiver Michael Gonzalez on a trick play after striping Gonzalez during the second quarter. Gonzalez caught a pass over the middle and ran down to the Weslaco 9-yard line before the takeaway.

“Getting a turnover was the last thing on my mind,” Rodriguez said. ‘I was just trying to tackle him, but the ball came loose, so I just ran with it.”

Offensively, Guerra led the team in rushing yards with 142 and a pair of scores, including a 31-yard zig-zag of a run near the midway point of the second quarter to put Weslaco on the board 13-7.

“That play worked exactly like it was supposed to,” Guerra said. “The big plays were there all night, we just couldn’t execute them as much as we would have liked to.”

Harlingen scored on their first two possessions. The first lasted a dozen plays for 84 yards and was capped off by a 12-yard pass from junior quarterback Jesse Castro to Kaynon Fuentes. A blocked extra point gave the Cardinals a 6-0 lead with 7:07 left in the opening quarter. The Cardinals would score again on the first play of the second quarter when Gonzalez ran from 9 yards out on a sweep.

THAT’S MAJOR
Major Free carried the ball just 11 times through Weslaco’s first three games. Friday, he touched the ball 10 times for 102 yards. At 6-foot-3, his size came in handy often. At several plays, he steamrolled Harlingen defender with a simple lowering of his shoulder.

“I wanted to go with a little something more down hill,” Villarreal said. “A lot of our other plays just weren’t there tonight. But the downhill game was there all night, so we stuck with it.”

Though Free gained more than 10 yards per carry, he fumbled the ball twice. One was recovered by Free, the other was called down-by-contact despite Free being airborne when the ball popped out.

‘INEPT’ PASSING
Under Villarreal, the Panthers have been known to run the ball with such frequency, it would be a farce were it not for the team’s nine playoff appearances in 10 years. Villarreal swears he’ll pass the ball so long as it’s something Weslaco can successful do on a regular basis. The Panthers will have to do better than they did Friday. Desi Rodriguez attempted seven passes, competing just one for 17 yards.

“We have to improve our passing game,” Villarreal said. “I thought it was a bit inept tonight.”

UP NEXT
Weslaco High opens District 31-6A play next week against PSJA North (1-3) at PSJA Stadium in Pharr. The Raiders won last year’s game 14-7.

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by Jon LaFollette

Run-heavy Weslaco High faces balanced Harlingen High

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

It’s a forgone conclusion the Weslaco High Panthers are going to run the ball. Not just as a means to set up the pass, but as a part-and-parcel of their offensive attack. From coach Tony Villarreal on down to the cheerleaders and concession workers, everyone knows what to expect from the Panthers.

So don’t waste time waiting to be surprised when Weslaco hosts the Harlingen High Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. at Bobby Lackey Stadium. By employing the slot-T, the Panthers (2-1) have gained 1,024 yards of total offense this season, with only 86 coming through the air.

“That offense needs to be outlawed,” Harlingen coach Manny Gomez said after his team’s Week 2 win against McAllen High. “They don’t play it on Saturday or Sunday.”

Good thing the Panthers play it on Friday, where it’s helped them reach the playoffs nine of the last 10 seasons — including last year’s 3-0 win over the Cardinals in the bi-district round. Though Weslaco’s offense is minimal in approach, the aim is always for something bigger.

“We play the style of offense we do because that’s the kind of football you have to play to win during the playoffs when it’s nasty and cold outside,” Villarreal said. “Teams that want to throw all day usually struggle once the weather isn’t friendly.”

In three games, 12 Panthers have carried the ball. The bulk of their rushing load is shared by Brian Guerra (319 yards, 2 TDs), Usiel Gonzalez (282 yards, 2 TDs) and Jonathon Martinez (143 yards, 4 TDs).

Where Weslaco is obsessed with ground-and-pound, the Cardinals (1-1) are one of the most balanced offenses in the Valley. Of their 824 total yards, 451 have come on the ground while the other 373 has been achieved through the air. Quarterback Jesse Castro has been efficient, completing half of his 40 passing attempts for 303 yards and three touchdowns. RB Leo Tienda leads the team with 274 rushing yards.

“We can’t give up the big play,” Weslaco safety Diego Rodriguez said. “We’ve got to be mindful of some of the screens they like to throw and make the right reads, or else we’re going to give up points.”

Villarreal describes Harlingen as athletic, and compares them to McAllen Memorial in terms of speed. He also credited the Cardinals’ offensive and defensive lines, saying they were among the best in the Valley. Gomez could not be reached for comment.

The Weslaco-Harlingen rivalry dates back to 1922, when the Cardinals blanked the Panthers 22-0. Harlingen leads the all-time series 51-25-4. But Villarreal and the Panthers are looking past history, instead keeping an eye on the future.

“I want to play a tough non-district schedule because it gets us ready district,” Villarreal said. “Sure, I want to win the game, but it’s just practice. That’s all it is. If we win, the kids aren’t going to hoist me onto their shoulders and carry me off into the sunset.”

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