By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
It didn’t sit right with the Brownsville St. Joseph Bloodhounds that they missed the playoffs last season.
Getting back to the postseason was a primary goal for the senior-heavy squad and coach Tino Villarreal, and despite an early disadvantage, the Bloodhounds (3-4) earned their shot. They’ll kickoff their playoff journey at 5:30 p.m. today at Houston Lutheran South (3-4), and Villarreal thinks his squad is hitting a stride that could help it lengthen the season.
“We’re excited to make the playoffs after we missed them last year,” Villarreal said. “(Our season) went back-and-forth, but the only difference was (our district opponents) got to start football Aug. 3 and we didn’t start until Sept. 14. We’re starting to get into the groove of playing as a team, and it couldn’t come at a better time. We’re barely reaching our peak, and let’s see how long (our opponents) can hang on to their peak because they’ve been playing for six weeks longer.”
Senior running back Melik Kauachi is a big reason St. Joseph redeemed last season’s playoff absence. Villarreal called him a workhorse, and the veteran said he “wanted to play at least one more playoff game” before his career is over. Kauachi believes if the Bloodhounds can maintain their up-tempo offensive style, they’ll have a good shot at reaching the next round.
“I think we’re ready to go over to Houston and play our butts off, and hopefully end up winning,” Kauachi said. “I think I’m healthy enough to go out there and play the best that I can. My offensive line has been pretty good all season, so I have trust in them and I know they’re going to make me some holes that I can run through. We can go out and fight against any opponent in front of us. We can win any game if we really put our minds and hearts to it.”
Senior safety Sean Teo Ong has been a defensive leader for the Bloodhounds. Villarreal said the coaching staff expected Teo Ong to be one of the team’s top tacklers before the season, and the four-year letterman hasn’t disappointed.
Teo Ong said the SJA secondary has a good mix of experienced seniors and talented young guys that have played well throughout the season. He said they’re heading into this game knowing they have to contain Houston Lutheran South’s speedy offense, and the group is prepared to fight to the final whistle for a win.
“I think we’re really grateful we’re given a shot, and we want to go all the way,” Teo Ong said. “Our veteran secondary is going to help because we’re playing a team that does a lot of passing, so we’re hopefully going to shut them down and get the win. We have to play through adversity. We have to make sure that whatever happens, we’re prepared for it and we can bounce back and find the victory.”
Villarreal said Kauachi, Teo Ong, junior quarterback Luigi Cristiano and senior nose guard Sergio Martinez were all guys the staff knew they could depend on, and they delivered. But the coach also said the Bloodhounds have been “pleasantly surprised” by some playmakers who stepped up when injuries arose.
Senior trio Pablo De la Garza, Eduardo Esquivel and Jackson Rodriguez are among the standouts Villarreal said have “done a phenomenal job” this season. De la Garza jumped onto the offensive line, Esquivel recorded three sacks as he transitioned to the defensive line and Rodriguez has helped “provide good defensive coverage” lining up at cornerback.
The Bloodhounds feel they are pretty evenly matched with the opposing Pioneers and that the game tonight will be competitive. Villarreal said the offensive and defensive lines will be a key difference, and he knows his team is ready to take on the postseason and keep their season alive as long as possible.
“They have a high-powered offense, kind of like us. They have some great athletes, good receivers and a very strong running back, and we do, too,” Villarreal said. “I think our D-line matches up very well and we’re excited for that. They blitz a lot on the defensive side of the ball, which makes me feel comfortable having a very veteran offensive line and a veteran running back behind that.
“Any time you play teams from outside the Valley you’re going to be outsized, but one thing we’ve preached to our kids all year is we can be outsized but we’ve got big heart and we don’t give up,” he continued. “We’re definitely looking forward to an opportunity to get another playoff win for our school.”