MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Four games into the season, Sharyland Pioneer coach Jason Wheeler has picked up on a few trends.
On average, his Diamondbacks are giving up more points than they score. Defense isn’t so much a concern; they rank in the top half of their district. Rather, the emphasis is on the offensive end, where Wheeler and his staff have moved around some of their linemen.
Aside from a 21-10 win over Hidalgo in Week 1, Pioneer has yet to score more than two touchdowns in a game.
“We feel like we have our best group together now,” Wheeler said. “We made some personnel changes and we’re working a lot on hitting the sled and being more physical up front.”
Short yardage has been an issue, at times, for Pioneer (2-2). Wheeler has stressed the importance of picking up positive yards on first down.
The Diamondbacks have struggled, at times, getting into the red zone.
Though the ground game has largely fueled the Diamondbacks offense, Wheeler will look to quarterback Alejandro Ramirez to pick up some more carries, in an effort to provide that dual threat, and milk some of the clock.
Ramirez, who has taken nearly 70 percent of the snaps, has solidified himself as the starting QB. He’s shared the role with Alec Garcia, a southpaw, who is among the district’s top rushers and an exceptional catcher.
Pioneer’s most effective offense, Wheeler has learned, is with Ramirez at QB and Garcia lined up at receiver, along with J.R. Lopez.
The Diamondbacks will implement those changes when they host Valley View on Thursday in both teams’ district opener.
Though Pioneer is riding a two-game losing skid after winning two straight, Wheeler’s taking a new-season approach with his first-year program.
“We’re basically looking at it like we’re 0-0,” he said. “You got non-district and you got district, and this is our second season. So we’re taking what we learned from our first season and we’re hoping to get going.”
BANGED UP
Mission Veterans Memorial’s bye in Week 5 was supposed to serve as added time for the Patriots (3-1) to gear up for their district opener against Sharyland High in Week 6. Now, the week off serves another purpose.
After sustaining four injuries last week, coach David Gilpin said his players will use some of that time to recover and plug in players, wherever needed.
Raymond Santos, a starting defensive end, broke his foot during a 47-39 win over PSJA North last week. The preliminary reports suggested he’ll miss 6-9 weeks.
Gilpin’s hopeful for a return in the playoffs, should Mission Vets advance that far.
Noe Garcia, a linebacker, suffered a “chest injury,” Gilpin said. He’s meeting with doctors to determine the severity of that injury. Edgar Villarreal, a defensive end, hurt his ankle last week. He hopes to come back against Sharyland in Week 6. And Roman De Leon, one of the team’s leader receivers, endured a “mild concussion,” Gilpin said.
“Injuries are a thing everyone’s going to have to deal with,” Gilpin said. “Nobody’s exempt from it; it’s going to happen. It’s not an excuse for us. The next-man concept has to be in place.
“It’s just a matter of having to buckle your chin strap and getting back to work.”
TOUGH STRETCH
Valley View (0-4) remains the only winless team in 31-5A heading into district. Part of that can be attributed to the Tigers’ defense.
Each week, Valley View has given up more points than the week prior.
The season-high came in a 39-12 loss to Port Isabel, the No. 4 team in the latest RGVSports.com top 10 poll.
The Tigers, however, can take solace in knowing that it posted the second-highest offensive numbers against P.I., totaling 219 yards.