MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Valley View coach Baldo Peña resigned Monday after two seasons as the head football coach and athletic director.
Peña went a combined 3-17 in two seasons at the helm. Julio Martinez, who served as the offensive coordinator under Peña, is now the interim coach. The position is open.
The Tigers wrapped up their season last week following a 28-0 loss to Roma in the regular-season finale in which both teams were in the running for a postseason berth.
After the game Friday, Peña said he would take his time considering his next step.
“There’s a lot of contemplation to go on,” he said. “Two years of not being able to build a program, not being able to impact positively weighs on a man.
“I’ve been hired different places for basically the same thing and we’ve turned it around. I haven’t been able to do it here. I need to sit down and consult with my family, my wife and determine our next step.”
When asked what he told his team after the game, Peña said, “Basically, I failed them. I failed to motivate them. It’s my fault.”
Valley View capped 2014 with a 1-9 record, 1-5 in district.
HANDS FULL
Defense has been an area of emphasis all year for Mission Veterans (7-3), which yielded the fewest number of yards among district teams. That side of the ball is sure to be tested Friday facing a run-first Donna High team.
The Redskins (6-3) averaged 323.8 yards per contest (third in 32-5A), and a district-high 2,462 yards on the ground.
“We have our hands full,” Mission Vets coach David Gilpin said. “We’ve got to play well in the box. Our defensive line, our outside backs, everybody has to come together. Donna’s going to keep coming at you.”
The Patriots will rely on Albert Garcia on the defensive line. Gilpin touted Garcia as one of the more “dominant d-linemen I’ve been around” in 25 years of coaching, adding that his workhorse “has got a nose for the ball.”
Adrian Flores, a three-year letterman, brings size at outside linebacker. And Kevin Liebano, a strong safety, is expected to lead the secondary. The senior has provided a big boost this year creating turnovers.
“He’s the total package,” Gilpin said of Liebano.
BIG TEST
Edinburg Vela (9-1) will face one of its toughest challenges this year against PSJA High on Saturday.
The SaberCats boasted the second-best offense in district, averaging 397.3 yards, and the most productive rushing attack in 31-5A with 2,386 yards in 10 games. PSJA’s specialty on defense: stopping the run game, allowing a meager 885 yards on the year.
“They’re going to present a challenge,” Vela coach Michael Salinas said. “We’re going to have to try to find a way to run the football and be smart and eliminate mistakes and just go out and execute.”
That means finding a way around defensive lineman Thomas Quiroz, linebacker Christian Sanchez and Bobby Guajardo in the secondary.
“I think we just have to build momentum,” Salinas said. “We played extremely well in every phase of the game. They’re going to present some issues. They’ve been playing better as of late. We just have to stop the run and take care of the football.”
By the numbers, Vela’s defense hasn’t been stellar. The SaberCats allowed the second-most yards in district with an average of 323.0 per contest. However, Vela’s coming off one of its best showings all year, when it beat a stout Mission Veterans to its second-lowest scoring output of the year in a 39-12 win over the Patriots.