By MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
The Hanna Golden Eagles’ offense had many options on the offensive side of the ball during their historic 2018 season.
More times than not, however, their best option was to hand it off to senior running back Cesar Mancias and watch him run into the line with power, evade with finesse or simply leap over defenders.
Mancias’ ability to be that top playmaking option made him a vital part of the Hanna offense, and helped guide the Eagles to an undefeated District 32-6A title and a run to the third round of the playoffs for the first time in school history.
For his efforts, Mancias has been named The Brownsville Herald’s 2018 All-Metro Football Most Valuable Player.
“ It’s amazing (to earn MVP),” Mancias said. “It’s literally a dream come true, and it’s something I worked on with a lot of these guys. We’ve all worked to have a season like this. To be able to be named the MVP is an amazing feeling.”
Hanna coach Mark Guess said that after watching his top running back progress across two seasons at the varsity level, in which he blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher and rushed for 1,000 of his own, expectations would be high for his senior campaign.
Even with defenses zeroing in on Mancias, he met expectations.
“ We knew coming in that everybody would be looking to stop him,” Guess said. “As a defensive guy, I know my first priority would be to stop him and make everyone else beat you. Teams had that mindset, but eventually he’d still break loose, get his yards and do what he does. He totes that ball very well.”
Mancias finished the season as the District 32-6A Most Valuable Player after ending up with 1,547 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground, and another 203 yards and three scores through the air.
The senior back rushed for at least 100 yards in nine games, scored multiple touchdowns on the ground six times and went for 200-plus yards and three touchdowns twice.
Though the numbers were big, Mancias admits that the defense and bevy of weapons around him made life in the backfield sweet.
“ It was great having a defense that would get us back on the field,” he said. “And having the kind of weapons we had on offense made my job a lot easier and made everything come smoother because defenses weren’t always focused on me. I mean, they were, but they also needed to game plan around other players, too, not just me.”
Mancias also was looked at to help close games in the postseason, where he rushed for 485 yards and seven touchdowns in three games, including a 257-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 28-13 area win over Eagle Pass.
While the moments felt big for Mancias, he said having the support of the team behind him made him click.
“ It’s nerve-wracking just knowing that sometimes it comes down on you,” the senior runner said. “I knew I had my team behind me and my offensive line to help me through it, and everyone on the team to back me up.”
Now, Mancias hopes that a college will come knocking so that he can continue playing football.
Guess said upon first look, Mancias’ undersized stature may not be certain programs’ cup of tea, but physical attributes aren’t what made him special.
It was heart, leadership and drive.
“ One of the best traits he has is that he has dreams that he wants to accomplish, and he’s going to do everything in his power to get it accomplished,” Guess added. “Everybody looked up to him on both sides of the ball. Cesar isn’t a big rah-rah guy, but he leads through example. The guy is a machine. He didn’t want to take time off, he has a great work ethic and he’s a very respectful young man. To have him for the last two seasons as the main part of our offense was just a lot of fun to watch.”
First Team
Quarterback: Victor Campos, Hanna
Running back: Brayan Medina, Port Isabel; Brandon Zapata, Pace
Wide receiver: Elijah Masten, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Pablo Zolezzi, St. Joseph Academy
Tight end: Damian Maldonado, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Offensive tackle: Jose Quintero, Pace; Abraham Coronado, Hanna
Offensive guard: Sebastian Garcia, Hanna; Julio Hernandez, Pace
Center: Douglas Tolman, Hanna
Kicker: Israel Barron, Brownsville Veterans
Defensive End: Jarod Lozano, Hanna; Allen Garcia, Port Isabel
Defensive Tackle: Brandon Esteves, Hanna; Lorenzo Villarreal, Los Fresnos
Linebacker: Isaac Iracheta, Hanna; Jose Salinas, Pace; Robert Maldonado, Port Isabel
Secondary: Leigh Guevara, Hanna; Eric Sosa Brownsville Veterans; Andres Sustaeta, Hanna; David Rodriguez, St. Joseph Academy
Punter: Matthew Guerrero, Rivera
Second team
Quarterback: Kevin Garcia, Porter
Running back: Ulises Guzman, Porter; Aaron Frausto, Hanna
Wide receiver: Sebastian Martinez, Port Isabel; Nico Valencia, Los Fresnos;
Tight end: Justin Lopez, Port Isabel
Offensive tackle: Sebastian Sosa, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Angel Cacho, Port Isabel
Offensive guard: Jonathan Huerta, Hanna; Gabriel Caram, St. Joseph Academy
Center: Gustavo Herebia, Pace
Kicker: Anthony Orduna, Port Isabel
Defensive End: Eric Stachowiak, St. Joseph Academy; Matthew Ortiz, Los Fresnos
Defensive Tackle: Omar Plata, Pace; Alex Villarreal, Brownsville Veterans
Linebacker: Christian Pena, Los Fresnos; Silvestre Macias, Pace; Rodrigo Vasquez, St. Joseph Academy
Secondary: Tony Medrano, Brownsville Veterans; Alex Romero, Port Isabel; Hector Salazar, Pace; Johnny Cadengo, Los Fresnos
Punter: Brandon Zapata, Pace