BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
EDINBUGR — Edinburg Vela senior left tackle Jayden Borjas and senior tight end Nico Rodriguez were reminiscing on a story form sophomore year.
“We had a little run play where we blocked for Robert Guerra,” Borjas said. “It went for about a 75-yard score, and we looked at each other and said ‘this is going to be a great thing for three more years.’ And it has been.”
Runs like that were commonplace with the powerful back Guerra running the ball for Vela.
The line Borjas was a part of at that time helped groom him and make him into the player he is today. Two years ago, he was the young pup on the line, getting advice from the veterans.
As the years passed by, Borjas watched linemate after linemate graduate. Now, he is the elder statesmen on the line, the lone senior. And now, the younger guys look to him for that guidance at Vela (10-0, 6-0).
“It is kind of different for me, because since my sophomore year, I have been passed the torch every year, from guys like Jaime Alaniz, Caleb Luna and Julio Cuello,” Borjas said. “It is different for me, but I am enjoying it. It’s my turn to show these guys what it is like to work and to show them the leadership I got from those guys.”
Borjas will lead his offensive line into battle against Harlingen South (4-6, 2-3) at 7:30 Friday night at Richard R. Flores Stadium in the bi-district round of the Class 6A-DII playoffs.
“It means a lot to know that we are supposedly the best team in the Valley,” junior tackle Tyler Bailey said. “You don’t think about it much, but the times you do, it really hits you.”
The Vela offensive line jelled quickly, and the starting five was able to stay healthy for the first nine weeks. Then came Edinburg High. Juniors Tyler Bailey and Jorge Hinojosa were both injured in the EHS game. Bailey suited up the following week, but junior David Carreon is out with injury now, and Hinojosa will be a game-time decision for Vela this week. Junior center Sebastian Garza has been the only lineman other than Borjas who hasn’t been affected or moved by the injuries. Sophomore Ronnie Garza and senior Felix Hernandez will both be filling in as needed this week.
Borjas is one of the best tackles in the Valley, but so is Bailey, meaning the SaberCats have the flexibility to fill holes as needed, so Bailey has been working at guard this week.
Sebastian Garza took over at center this year, and has quickly become a big part of the line.
“He has done real well, especially considering center is the hardest position,” Bailey said. “In the zone offense that we run, he is up in front of everyone and he really has to move. He has done real well, especially being a soccer player, he is really fast.”
The line has been one of the steadiest units for Vela. The SaberCats ran for 1,714 yards behind the line and passed for another 1,821 yards.
To finish the regular season, the line was put to the test against the Valley’s best defense, Weslaco East.
“It was tough, honestly, to figure them out,” Bailey said. “They were strong, they were physical, they had a motor and they just kept going.”
The win came for the SaberCats, 21-0, and there was a lot of meaning to closing the year that way.
“It was very emotional, especially for the seniors, knowing it is their last district home game,” Bailey said. “It was a big win for them, especially to be the first team to shutout Weslaco East. And then put up 21 points on the best defense in the Valley.”
Vela was dominant from start to finish this year, and a big reason why was the steadying presence of the offensive line. Having a strong line was vital to sophomore quarterback AJ Sotelo in his first full season on varsity. Having the time to throw allowed him to gain the confidence needed to lead the SaberCats into the playoffs.
“AJ has been in the zone all year for us,” Borjas said. “I trust him fully, 100 percent. He is only a sophomore, but I trust him fully, and I think he’s got it.”
After the injuries hit, the line could have gone downhill, but the combination of the personalities in the group and the chemistry developed during the first 10 weeks created the perfect balance amidst the turmoil.
“That chemistry helped out a lot,” Borjas said. “The strength of our unit is to be cohesive and strong with our communication. We know our calls. We know what the guys next to us are going to do. We have a feel for everybody. That helped us out when we had to bring new people in. We trusted those guys because of the connection we built this year.”
Vela knows the third round, and beyond, is the goal every year. The SaberCats also know, from hard-earned experience, that if they don’t give their full attention to South this week, there may not be a next week, as was the case for Borjas.
“I was a part of that team that lost to Weslaco East in the first round,” Borjas said,” and I remind them that all the time.”
Edinburg Vela lost to Austin Westlake in the third round of the playoffs last year. If the two teams were to meet again, it would once again be in the third round.
“We go into every game thinking it will be tough,” Bailey said. “We treat every game like we are playing Westlake, because that is obviously our ultimate goal, to get up there and play them again. So we have to play like that every week in order to get there.”