As the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers prepped for a third-round playoff game against PSJA North, hard rain forced the Chargers to stay indoors and lift weights.
Senior Bryan Chavez, only a couple of days removed from rushing for 455 yards on 33 carries and nine touchdowns against Victoria East, easily squatted around 500 pounds during the session — completing multiple reps.
With a heavy workload like that and with a physical game on the horizon, one would assume the fullback would be in the treatment room — or taking it easy.
Not Chavez, The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro Player of the Year. He did not take it easy all year, and not just during the season.
Chavez only had three carries for 3 yards and a touchdown his junior year. Chavez played some defense, too — he did that as a senior as well — and finished with the same number of total tackles both years with 26. The senior also picked up a sack on defense this year.
The senior put in the work during the offseason to make sure he had the best senior season possible, he said. It showed, as Chavez went on to break nine school records with his offensive performances — pretty good for a fullback.
Chavez rushed for 1,721 yards and 34 touchdowns, averaging 9 yards a carry and 132 yards per game in 2022. Chavez also caught a touchdown pass.
“We accomplished many things this year,” he said. “We broke records and made history not just for the school, but also for Brownsville.”
What makes Chavez’s accomplishments even more impressive was that he was running almost exclusively between the tackles. where contact is almost assured. Also, having to strap up on defense to help make a big stop after receiving multiple carries in a drive.
“It was a great experience,” he said.
The fullback would not admit he was tired after games.
Against Harlingen South in a District 16-5A DI title game Chavez had 26 carries. He had 21 in the bi-district round against McAllen Rowe and 33 against Victoria East in the area-round game. The fullback is expected to block as well.
“It is an important position for the game, especially the triple-option,” he said.
Chavez is going to follow head coach Kelley Lee to East New Mexico and hopefully will continue playing the fullback position that he transcended this year for the Chargers, he said.
“It was an amazing season,” Chavez said. “Thanks to everyone that came out and supported us this season.”