BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Mission Veterans’ football history has two distinct periods. The first is the period before David Gilpin became head coach, and the second is after Gilpin became head coach. Before Gilpin took over, the program had qualified for the playoffs one time. This was in 2004, back when Mission Veterans was classified as a 4A school. The Patriots traveled to Gregory-Portland in the bi-district round and were thoroughly walloped by the Wildcats 77-0.
In 2009, Gilpin was hired, and the program has since risen to new heights. The Patriots have made seven playoff appearances in Gilpin’s eight seasons, including four bi-district championships. Advancing further than the second round had become the tiger Gilpin wanted to tame.
“We’ve been talking about winning in the second round for several years now,” Gilpin said. “We won that bi-district game three times. We knew we could win at that level. Getting over that mental barrier was something that we needed to do. Something that we had to do.”
Last season, Mission Veterans finally did it. The Patriots took down Corpus Christi Flour Bluff in the area round 28-14 in Mission. Quarterback Diego Hernandez threw for 286 yards and three scores in the win. Flour Bluff had defeated Mission Veterans in three of their previous four postseason matchups.
“We were the better football team in that game,” Gilpin said. “They scored 14 points in the first half and didn’t score again.”
Mission Veterans faced off with Dripping Springs in the third round. While the Patriots’ offense seemed to overcome a few early setbacks to score 35 points, the defensive struggles Gilpin feared would arise did, as Mission Vets allowed 69 points.
Now, the Patriots have some gaping holes to fill. Johnny Martinez, the team’s top leading rusher, is gone. Wideouts Roman De Leon and Jacob Guerrero — who combined to account for 2,319 yards and 25 touchdowns – are gone. Quarterback Diego Hernandez, The Monitor’s All-Area Player of the Year in 2016, will graduate and play football at The University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Even offensive coordinator and legendary Valley quarterback Lupe Rodriguez left Mission Veterans to take the head coaching position at PSJA High during the offseason.
Despite everyone he had to replace, Gilpin didn’t want to lower expectations.
“My message to the team after we lost was this: We’re going back to the third round,” Gilpin said. “We’re not talking about the second round with this program anymore. That’s done. Even if we lose in the second round the next three years. Now, that doesn’t mean we’re going to get past the second round next year. But we’re not going to talk about it. This program’s aiming point will be the third round and beyond.”
“And if we find a way to get through that third-round barrier, the same thing will happen. It’s a slow process of getting into the playoffs, then winning in the bi-district round, then winning in the second round. Now, it’s winning in the third round. That’s the mentality in the way that we will attack this.”
“NEW” QUARTERBACK AND OC
Mission Veterans’ new starting quarterback isn’t all that new. Sophomore Landry Gilpin was the varsity starter for part of his freshman season, throwing for 1,589 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2015. Last season, Gilpin served as a capable third option at wide receiver with 61 catches for 851 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
With the loss of Hernandez, Gilpin’s transition back to QB has been eased by an influx of depth.
“This year, we’re a lot stronger at other positions that will compensate for what we lost,” the younger Gilpin said. “Taking from Diego, I learned a lot about what he was able to do in the pocket, reading coverages and things like that. The pressure to be like him isn’t really there.”
Calling the plays for Gilpin will be new offensive coordinator Jeff Espino, who was promoted from a wide receivers coach when Lupe Rodriguez got the top job at PSJA High. Espino’s work with Landry thus far, Coach Gilpin said, has been “awesome.”
“We’re not changing anything offensively,” the elder Gilpin said. “We’ve got a few tweaks here and there coming because of Landry and his particular skill set. He’s not going to be your prototypical pocket quarterback. We want to get him out on the edge and run it when he can.
“When Landry came in as a freshman (in 2015), he was more dangerous running the football than throwing it. You have to remember: by the time he takes a snap against Harlingen High (on opening night), he’ll be two years older and two years more mature than he was as a freshman. That’s a lot of growing that he has done. For anyone that goes out and watches us play this year, we’re going to look like the same team offensively.”
MISSION VETERANS
Returning starters (O/D): 4/4
Returning lettermen: 21
Key players: QB Landry Gilpin, LB Joey Garcia, LB Jazz Vallejo, WR John Aguilar, WR Jesus Gonzalez, DE Sergio Garcia
Coach: David Gilpin, 9th year at school
2016 record: 8-5