NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
Steven De Leon is a huge part of the Mission Eagles defense at linebacker every Friday. The senior also plays running back at a high level. Last season, he led the Eagles in rushing with 873 yards and 16 TDs.
So in Week 1, against PSJA North, when projected starting quarterback Damian Gomez was kept on the sidelines with hamstring tightness, second-year coach Koy Detmer turned to his most trusted asset: De Leon.
It paid off.
The bruising runner did a lot of damage, scoring 3 TDs on nine runs for 94 yards. He attempted only one pass, and it was caught for 14 yards by Alex Lopez.
“We got out to a really good start. They came out with a lot of energy early,” Detmer said. “The guys did just an excellent job to come out and get after it, get a lead early, put us in position. And then we were able to hold on the rest of the way. The defense did an excellent job.”
Detmer explained that sitting Gomez was a precautionary measure. The sophomore quarterback is back to practicing this week.
“If it would have been a district game or something like that, he would have played,” Detmer said.
Just a week after the successful opener, the Eagles will face a test just as crucial as a district matchup: Mission Veterans.
This year’s Battle of Conway will move to Donna due to ongoing renovations at Tom Landry Stadium. Regardless, the game promises to be an intriguing matchup between a Veterans team fresh off an upset of Harlingen High and a Mission team quietly handling its business.