STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
A cloudburst over Lion Stadium made for a rather humid and wet practice environment on Wednesday afternoon for La Feria.
The result of the precipitation was a rainbow that was briefly visible in the cloud-covered sky directly above campus. Much like the progress of the improved facility, as evidenced by their state-of-the-art new artificial turf field and a track undergoing resurfacing, the Lions (5-0) have developed their squad from the ground up, building upon a foundation of veteran players in key positions.
And it is because of this well-developed infrastructure that La Feria feels its playoff aspirations of this year’s La Feria squad are far more genuine than any proverbial pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
To La Feria coach Oscar Salinas, one of the tipping points that bolstered a solid position group into one of the most feared in the Rio Grande Valley was the looming question of what to do with junior Dereck Perez. One of the Lions’ top-flight receivers alongside Caleb Flores, Perez also spent his sophomore season at cornerback.
Every well-functioning door or gate has a few key things in common. It swings on a fixed point, a hinge, and the rest of its parts move together as a cohesive unit. The La Feria defensive backs operate in a similar fashion, and it was the emergence of Isiah Vento (10 solo tackles) at cornerback as the final piece that complemented safety Jaden Torres (nine solo tackles) and cornerback Evan Avila (six solo tackles), and another newcomer in safety Daniel Valencia (five solo tackles).
The four have played together since middle school, and, according to Torres, have known each other “all our lives.”
“Right after the scrimmages, we knew were a special team,” Vento said. “We stayed humble through it all, we work hard every day. … We’re very confident in ourselves and that’s the mentality we think we should have.”
Torres came up with a clutch interception to seal a 35-31 win over Mercedes in the final minute of the game. Avila has two picks, one that came against Mercedes and the other against Raymondville.
The improvement of all four players helped Salinas make the decision to move Perez to full-time receiver, a move that has had significant implications. Perez has racked up 343 receiving yards in five games and can rest when the Lions are on defense. He still remains an option in La Feria’s “SEAL team” defense, where he and Aaron Trevino will shift to defensive back when they are urgently needed in games.
Salinas said Vento’s confidence came after an impressive performance at the 7-on-7 state tournament that reassured him he could make up for what he lacked in height with elite leaping ability and speed.
“He’s able to stay with the taller receivers,” Salinas said. “He’s a really good tackler, and he’s really smart.”
Torres (17 tackes) and Avila are the vocal leaders on the back end of the defense. The two both got looks at safety and corner, allowing them to learn on the fly when injuries allowed them their first varsity opportunities.
“I feel like all the experience I’ve had playing both positions helps,” Avila said. “Playing safety, I know what to look for, read the linemen, reading the hips of the receiver at corner. I feel like those first three years have helped me grow into this year, which is kind of my breakout season right now.”
Salinas said his players have become students of the game at such a high level that they have become, in effect, coaches on the field.
“They have their communication down, they have their coverage’s down,” Salinas said. “They know how to make adjustments to formations, and they’re really good at diagnosing plays through film study.”
Motivated by last year’s third round playoff exit, the seeds that were planted in College Station in the summer have fully bloomed and the Lions are confident that they have shown thus far that they are a force to be reckoned with.
“We don’t mean it in a cocky way,” Torres said. “We still do our assignments; we still have a mindset that we want to go up against another squad’s best. We don’t underestimate anyone. … Us Valley kids, we can hang with them.”