By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Brownsville Lopez’s Julio De La Garza and Raymondville’s Ralph Rubalcaba were selected to the Javelina football all-decade team released Sept. 9 by Texas A&M University-Kingsville athletics.
De La Garza was TAMUK’s kicker during the 2015-18 seasons. Rubalcaba was an offensive lineman for the Javelinas from 2014-17. Angel Millan from Edinburg Economedes was selected as the punter. Both East Valley natives said they felt fortunate to receive that recognition and to have contributed to the tradition of TAMUK football.
“I was just speechless and grateful,” Rubalcaba said. “It honestly means the world to me. It’s a very humbling honor, because I know the kind of production the players in the past have made and the standard that’s been set by players before me, for players after me to live up to. To know that I was able to contribute and be productive while I was there and do something great for my family and make them proud, it’s the best thing.”
De La Garza found out about being selected when he left work and saw several notifications from people congratulating him and tagging him in the Javelinas’ Twitter post announcing the team.
“I was shocked, in a way. I feel blessed, and it was really nice seeing that almost 75 percent of the guys that made it I was able to play with, so it was pretty nice seeing all my brothers getting recognized for all the hard work that we put in on the field,” De La Garza said.
Rubalcaba learned about the honor when his Javelinas offensive line coach, Jaime Martinez, who helped select the all-decade team, sent him and some teammates who were honored a text telling them how proud he was.
Rubalcaba played 26 games and was a component on the offensive line that helped TAMUK go 9-3 with a win in the Live United Bowl in 2016. He “was critical in securing 2,884 passing yards and 22 touchdowns” and four 300-yard passing games in 2017. After that senior season, Rubalcaba was selected to play in Dream Bowl VI, a game that showcases the best FCS and NCAA Division II and Division II players.
Some of the moments that stick with Rubalcaba most include his first start against Incarnate Word, which resulted in a victory, and defeating a ranked West Texas A&M team to wreck that team’s homecoming night. But ultimately, he said the bonds and experiences shared with teammates are most important. The Javelinas have been a big part of Rubalcaba’s life for a long time, and he’s proud to say he’s a part of the TAMUK family.
“Growing up a Valley kid, I had been going to Javelina football games since I was in first grade. There was a span in my life where I didn’t miss a home game with my dad and my brothers,” Rubalcaba said. “Just knowing the history of guys from the Valley that were able to play there and the tradition they had, to be able to be some kind of contribution to that positive legacy is just amazing. I’m very appreciative for it.
“(My time at TAMUK) is something I’ll hold with me forever. Every single game, every single practice for us was something special because we always made the most out of it,” he added.
De La Garza was a team captain and four-time All-Lone Star Conference honoree, receiving three honorable mention selections and a first-team spot in 2016. He “took over kicking duties in 2015 as a true freshman and methodically worked his way into the program’s record book.”
In 2016, De La Garza set the single-season program record for points scored by a kicker with 86 by making nine field goes and going 52-for-54 on PATs. He is the second-highest scoring kicker in TAMUK history with 279 career points, has the second-most made field goals with 41 and is tied for second all-time in successful PATs with 156. He notched a 72.3 field goal percentage, which ranks him third among kickers with at least 20 attempts, and he’s considered “one of the more accurate kickers in program history.”
“I think my best year was my sophomore year. That was the year I got the confidence and started making a name for myself,” De La Garza said. “Me being able to help out the team, I mean, as a kicker, I don’t really make a big difference in the game. But when I’m in there, I tried to make the best out of it and be consistent and good throughout the whole year.”
De La Garza said the memories he holds closest are all about spending time with his teammates. He reflected on the road trips, including one that took him to Canada, and the friendships he made that still remain in tact today. He hopes the attention from making TAMUK’s all-decade team will inspire Rio Grande Valley football players to set big goals and work hard to reach them.
“It’s nice getting recognized for that. But for me, it’s always been about trying to make guys get out of their comfort zone and go out of Brownsville, go to a university,” De La Garza said. “Hopefully with this, we can get some Brownsville guys … the motivation so they can go play college ball and make a name for themselves. They can follow their dreams, then come home and make other people do that as well.”