KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
SAN BENITO—Over the last few years, the San Benito Greyhounds have relied on a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball.
Each year, a crop of seniors graduate but that doesn’t faze them.
Rather than rebuild, they simply reload.
This year, the ’Hounds have put together another strong year under sixth-year head coach Dan Gomez and are back in the area round for a fourth straight season.
On defense, the Greyhounds returned four starters, including hard-hitting senior linebacker John Daniel Gonzales and utility man Hector Avalos, who have been on the varsity since their sophomore year and have been in big time games for the Greyhounds.
This year, the duo has been a key ingredient to the Greyhounds’ success.
The rare opportunity the two seniors have is a shot at the third round of the playoffs for a third straight season.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity,” Gonzales said. “My first two years on the varsity, I saw the seniors graduate and those guys were grateful for the time they had and that is what I’m trying to do. I’m just trying to take advantage of the time I have here.”
Gonzales has been a tackling machine for the Greyhounds with a team-high 109 tackles.
“He is the hardest hitter I know,” Avalos said. “AJ Garcia would hit hard to, but yeah, John can hit really hard.”
Gonzales and Avalos have played football together since they were six years old. The two went to separate junior highs but eventually teamed up again their sophomore year.
“We are aggressive,” Avalos said. “We are always flying to the ball, John and I. It felt good to see John again. I played freshman ball and he was on the JV, it was our sophomore year we teamed up again.”
Along with Gonzales is Avalos who is a true gamer. This year, he has played linebacker, outside linebacker and free safety.
Avalos is second on the team with 95 tackles.
“I just push through and play 100 percent all the time,” Avalos said. “It isn’t difficult to switch positions you just listen to the game plan and to what the coaches tell you and you just do it and be coachable.”
Since their loss to Harlingen High in Week 6, the Greyhounds got on a roll and won their final four regular season games and now have another bi-district title under their belt.
“Every year people doubt us; they always say the senior talent is gone,” Gonzales said. “But coach Gomez preaches to us to rise to the occasion and I feel we have done that. Every week we want to get better. Since that Harlingen South game we flipped the switch and turned it around.”
The duo will look to get pass a tough Laredo United team this Friday night in Rio Grande City.
“It feels good and for the last two years we have been going at it,” Avalos said. “We put in all this work from the offseason till now we earned this opportunity to still be playing.”