ANDREW CRUM | STAFF WRITER
Weslaco East and Rivera were playoff teams last year, and each hopes to return to the postseason again this season.
But first the two similar teams face each other in a Week 1 matchup tonight at Sams Memorial Stadium.
“They’re a potential playoff team again like they were last year. They have a lot of tradition,” Rivera coach Tom Chavez said. “That’s something we want to get used to, playing good teams to make ourselves better, so we can be better down the road.”
The Raiders and Wildcats have a similar offense, relying heavily on the running game and the usage of play action to keep the defense off balanced.
“We’ve always had a high percentage of play action, much like Rivera,” Weslaco East coach Mike Burget said. “We’re hoping to mix it up (today).”
Even though the Raiders will miss Jacquil Evans in the backfield, running backs Jair Guevara and Mario Mendez look to fill the void and replace the more than 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns that Evans had one year ago.
The Wildcats counter with their own power running game. Last year, Weslaco East has had a running back reach beyond 1,500 yards. The previous four years the Wildcats had a 2,000-yard rusher.
Both coaches were positive after coming off their last scrimmage. However, the shorter week of preparation had both Chavez and Burget concerned.
“They have a lot of formations and it’s a short week, so we’ve crammed everything in the last few days,” Chavez said. “It’s a tough situation coming in with a young (offensive) team. I think this is going to be a big test for us.”
Burget agreed.
“Is there going to be some first-game jitters, first-game mistakes, of course,” he said. “But we’re excited to play a guy like Tom Chavez, he’s one of the best coaches in the Valley. A team that’s coming off a (season as) bi-district champion, who is always well coached.”
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Burget, who started his career as an assistant for six years at Hanna and fondly remembers facing Chavez.
“I look for a great game, a tight game that goes down to the wire,” Burget said. “The team that executes the best, hangs onto the ball and doesn’t make those mistakes will probably come out the winner.”
The defense will be key for the Raiders, Chavez said.
“Our defense has played pretty well,” he said. “If we can contain them, make first downs and move the chains (on offense) and keep their offense on the sidelines, well, that’s what I’m hoping for.
Chavez felt the team improved steadily during the previous scrimmage and was ready for the season opener.
“I feel pretty good, I felt even better after the scrimmage against Donna,” he said. “We’re growing in confidence, and as long as we can keep improving every week, I think we’ll be all right.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.