GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — Growing up, Weslaco East’s Adrian Duran was drawn to Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. Watching on TV, Duran was awed by the two-time NFL defensive player of the year, and he decided he wanted to someday play the same position on the gridiron.
“I liked the way he hit,” Duran said. “I liked the way his role was, as a leader, and I guess that influenced me a lot.”
Duran may not stand 6-foot-1 or talk a lot of trash like the former NFL great, but he has taken on the roles of leader and heavy hitter during his senior year for the Wildcats.
Duran has notched a team-best 48 tackles this season, ranking atop a unit that coach Mike Burget said has overachieved against a grueling schedule. Duran and his cohorts are in for another stiff test at 7:30 tonight, when Weslaco East hosts Los Fresnos in The Monitor’s Game of the Week.
“I knew they were going to be undersized,” Burget said, “but I also knew those guys would hit you.”
Few, if any, on the Wildcats defense have attacked offenses with as much force as Duran. Burget has seen it in practice since Duran was a freshman, even on drills in which the hitting is supposed to be light.
Duran stands only about 5-foot-8, but like many of his teammates he has committed himself in the weight room to develop a strong build.
“When I get the chance, I like to hit people. I take pride in that,” Duran said. “I like to sacrifice my body. I don’t really care.”
His teammates saw him do that quite a bit last year, when his 122 tackles were 40 more than the next best Wildcat. Burget said the key to Duran’s success is his ability to read his keys quickly and take a strong first step — a skill developed through experience and film study.
Duran’s dedication and production were major reasons he became a leader in the middle without ever having to talk too much.
“It’s not so much what he says, it’s more what he does,” said linebacker Marcus Caceres, who is tied for second on the team with 41 tackles. “If he gets a good play, the rest of us are getting pumped, getting ready for the next play to happen.”
That’s not to say Duran never speaks; he said he tries to motivate his team to push through fatigue, and to make sure the young players around him understand their assignments on each play.
Even Caceres, a senior, turns to Duran for advice on how to hold down his inside linebacker position after lining up outside last year.
“Playing outside linebacker last season and repping it during the whole offseason, I have to ask him a lot, ‘Hey, where am I supposed to be lined up?’” Caceres said. “’What are the different calls for the inside linebacker?’”
Although still learning the finer points of the position after a season away, Caceres said he’s much more comfortable on the inside than outside.
On the interior, he can play more reactionary, targeting the run game. Outside, he had to sit back and read the offense, always ready for a potential pass.
“Adrian is more of the plugger, the hitter. Marcus, he can chase you down,” Burget said. “He’s very humble. He doesn’t say much, again. He’s like most East kids.”
The Wildcats defense is young this season, starting three sophomores and a large group of juniors, Burget said. He’s glad to see that they all stay quiet and composed, putting the energy that could be spent jumping around toward finishing strong in the third and fourth quarters.
On the rare occasions something does need to be said, everyone knows to look to Duran.
“I just tell them we have to strive to be No. 1, the No. 1 defense in the Valley,” Duran said. “That’s how I feel we are, and we need to play like it.”