DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — It was at the 2012 Class 5A regional tennis meet in San Antonio when Monica Gonzalez, then the coach at John Jay High School, first saw Andre Mercado.
Mercado, then a freshman at Edinburg High, left quite the impression on Gonzalez and other coaches in attendance.
“I was like, ‘Wow. This kid has got some talent,’” Gonzalez recalled. “Here was a freshman holding his own against top talent. He stood out to everybody.
“All the San Antonio coaches were like, ‘Hey, who is this kid? Where’s he from?’ And I was like, ‘He’s from my hometown!” Everyone was just so impressed. And all he’s done is developed and grown.”
Now Mercado and Gonzalez are on the same team at Edinburg Vela, the former the face of the latter’s blossoming program. Mercado switched to Edinburg Vela once it opened prior to the 2012-13 school year, and Gonzalez did as well. The Edinburg North alum left John Jay to lead SaberCats tennis.
It’s only fitting that Gonzalez now has a not-so-distant view to the grand finale of Mercado’s high school career. After years of heartbreak at regional play, Mercado qualified last month for the UIL Class 5A state tournament that starts Tuesday at Texas A&M University.
He won his true second boys singles match at regionals to earn the bid to College Station.
“Ever since my freshman year, I always wanted to make it to state,” Mercado said. “That was the goal. My first three years, I was always really close. I was right there. This year I just pushed even more.
“It was all of my focus. I think I learned that if you have a goal and you commit to it, at all costs, you can achieve it.”
It has been a process for Mercado and Gonzalez.
In 2012 and 2014, Mercado lost in the regional semifinals. In 2013, he was on the brink of qualifying for state, but lost his true second boys singles match in three sets.
Since that point, Mercado has worked harder to be calmer. He has finally reached a point where he lets the game come to him.
He saw that pay off during his true second match win last month.
“He was definitely a lot more patient,” Vela assistant coach Marc Ortega said. “He didn’t try and go for too much too early. He was consistent, he wasn’t trying to force a point. When the winners were there, he took it.
“The previous true second match, he tried to close it out too early. He’s calmed down a lot.”
While Mercado’s shot selection has improved considerably — no longer just a one-dimensional forehand player, he now has the skill to change pace, heights and spins on various shots — it’s his approach that has developed the most.
“I’ve been playing since I was 7, and it’s always been about keeping my composure out there,” Mercado said. “When I was younger, I hated to lose and I used to get frustrated. I’d get down on myself. But I’ve seen kids get mad and then they lose a match because of that. It consumes them. I’ve tried really hard to focus point by point, keep an even keel.”
He knows that mindset will help him at state.
“Every guy going to state is probably around the same level as me,” said Mercado, who will compete for NCAA Division II St. Edward’s University starting next fall. “It’s about the little things, keeping composure, staying focused. Whoever holds their nerves the best is will win.”
Gonzalez said she gets chills whenever talking about Mercado going to state. It’s a landmark for her third-year program.
Even better, she sees a player who is ready and confident. Exactly like the player she saw three years ago in San Antonio.
“I think he knows this is his last shot,” Gonzalez said. “He went into regionals ready. He was mentally prepared, he was confident.
“Like his freshman year, you could see this was someone who knew what he wanted and was going to do what it took to get there.”