GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — When Paul Castañeda tried out for the Sharyland High soccer team as a freshman, his coaches told him he was talented enough to play on varsity. But his weight and conditioning weren’t where they needed to be, so Castañeda spent the year with the JV team.
That summer, Castañeda ran three miles each day Monday through Friday, plus five more on Saturday. He said his diet consisted mostly of chicken and broccoli.
“I wouldn’t starve myself, but I would eat a lot less than what I used to eat,” Castañeda said. “No more chips, no more Cokes, nothing. I’ve stuck to that.”
Castañeda lost 50 pounds during the summer, more than enough to secure a varsity spot as a sophomore. In the years since, Castañeda has added muscle and continued to develop his game, becoming the leading scorer for a Sharyland High team that stands as one of the Valley’s best despite heavy offseason turnover.
During his senior season, Castañeda’s physique has allowed him to shield defenders away from the ball, a major reason he’s scored a team-high nine goals in seven District 31-5A games.
“It was tough, but it worked well in the long run,” Castañeda said. “I can run more in the field, and my skills show. So it was good for me.”
Coach Rev Hernandez sees Castañeda reaping the rewards for his work. Hernandez describes the senior as a more mature player.
“When he got to us, he was a little chubby guy,” Hernandez said. “Now, he goes to the gym after practice every day. He’s a workaholic. … He did it on his own. It takes a lot of dedication, and a lot on your own. I tell everybody to go, but not everybody is going to go. Only the ones who want to do something different.”
Hernandez said that maturity has been a trademark not just of Castañeda, but the entire Sharyland High team. It’s an unlikely asset given that the Rattlers graduated 17 seniors, many of them starters, from last year’s 11-1 district champion. Goalie Marco Alanis graduated as the All-Valley Defensive Player of the Year, forward Eric Izaguirre took his talents to Louisville, and senior midfielder Brandon Longoria had played a key role.
Coming back with so many new faces expected to start, the outlook wasn’t always bright.
“We thought that we weren’t going to be as good this year, but we came together and started playing together, and we really clicked,” junior Romeo De Leon said. “At the beginning, we were a little skeptical, but just because we are Sharyland and we’ve always had a great soccer program, we wanted to prove that we are the best. And so far, we’ve been doing that.”
Sharyland High has a strong soccer history, winning a state title under Hernandez in 2012.
But Sharyland was a different school at that time, playing in the state’s highest classification with an enrollment of 3,040.5. Since the split that formed Sharyland Pioneer, Sharyland High’s enrollment has been almost halved, down to 1,707, as the school moved from Class 6A to 5A.
“When we split, we knew it was going to be more difficult, but I think it’s worked out better for us like that,” Castañeda said. “It’s a big surprise for us. They have a lot of good players that were our players, but since the split, we’ve just blossomed. It’s been better for us like this.”
What the team lacks in talent versus previous years, Hernandez believes it makes up in chemistry. Some of the starters are new to varsity, but not new to playing with each other after coming up together through elementary school, middle school and independent leagues.
That cohesion has resulted in a different type of team — one that moves the ball more rather than relying on star players.
Sharyland is hesitant to look too far ahead after an upset loss at the hands of Donna High in last season’s bi-district round, but the players are already whispering about the possibility of going to state. The Rattlers are 7-0 this season and have outscored their district opponents 31-6.
“They didn’t believe last year,” junior Martin Gonzalez said. “Everyone said, ‘Yeah, let’s go to state.’ Everyone said it, but nobody really thought we could do it. This year, people have told us we have a really good team, and we’ve started believing in ourselves.”
Castañeda, Sharyland High out to promising start despite turnover
BY GREG LUCA
STAFF WRITER
MISSION — When Paul Castañeda tried out for the Sharyland High soccer team as a freshman, his coaches told him he was talented enough to play on varsity. But his weight and conditioning weren’t where they needed to be, so Castañeda spent the year with the JV team.
That summer, Castañeda ran three miles each day Monday through Friday, plus five more on Saturday. He said his diet consisted mostly of chicken and broccoli.
“I wouldn’t starve myself, but I would eat a lot less than what I used to eat,” Castañeda said. “No more chips, no more Cokes, nothing. I’ve stuck to that.”
Castañeda lost 50 pounds during the summer, more than enough to secure a varsity spot as a sophomore. In the years since, Castañeda has added muscle and continued to develop his game, becoming the leading scorer for a Sharyland High team that stands as one of the Valley’s best despite heavy offseason turnover.
During his senior season, Castañeda’s physique has allowed him to shield defenders away from the ball, a major reason he’s scored a team-high nine goals in seven District 31-5A games.
“It was tough, but it worked well in the long run,” Castañeda said. “I can run more in the field, and my skills show. So it was good for me.”
Coach Rev Hernandez sees Castañeda reaping the rewards for his work. Hernandez describes the senior as a more mature player.
“When he got to us, he was a little chubby guy,” Hernandez said. “Now, he goes to the gym after practice every day. He’s a workaholic. … He did it on his own. It takes a lot of dedication, and a lot on your own. I tell everybody to go, but not everybody is going to go. Only the ones who want to do something different.”
Hernandez said that maturity has been a trademark not just of Castañeda, but the entire Sharyland High team. It’s an unlikely asset given that the Rattlers graduated 17 seniors, many of them starters, from last year’s 11-1 district champion. Goalie Marco Alanis graduated as the All-Valley Defensive Player of the Year, forward Eric Izaguirre took his talents to Louisville, and senior midfielder Brandon Longoria had played a key role.
Coming back with so many new faces expected to start, the outlook wasn’t always bright.
“We thought that we weren’t going to be as good this year, but we came together and started playing together, and we really clicked,” junior Romeo De Leon said. “At the beginning, we were a little skeptical, but just because we are Sharyland and we’ve always had a great soccer program, we wanted to prove that we are the best. And so far, we’ve been doing that.”
Sharyland High has a strong soccer history, winning a state title under Hernandez in 2012.
But Sharyland was a different school at that time, playing in the state’s highest classification with an enrollment of 3,040.5. Since the split that formed Sharyland Pioneer, Sharyland High’s enrollment has been almost halved, down to 1,707, as the school moved from Class 6A to 5A.
“When we split, we knew it was going to be more difficult, but I think it’s worked out better for us like that,” Castañeda said. “It’s a big surprise for us. They have a lot of good players that were our players, but since the split, we’ve just blossomed. It’s been better for us like this.”
What the team lacks in talent versus previous years, Hernandez believes it makes up in chemistry. Some of the starters are new to varsity, but not new to playing with each other after coming up together through elementary school, middle school and independent leagues.
That cohesion has resulted in a different type of team — one that moves the ball more rather than relying on star players.
Sharyland is hesitant to look too far ahead after an upset loss at the hands of Donna High in last season’s bi-district round, but the players are already whispering about the possibility of going to state. The Rattlers are 7-0 this season and have outscored their district opponents 31-6.
“They didn’t believe last year,” junior Martin Gonzalez said. “Everyone said, ‘Yeah, let’s go to state.’ Everyone said it, but nobody really thought we could do it. This year, people have told us we have a really good team, and we’ve started believing in ourselves.”