BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Leo Cantu has taken more than a few detours in his Patriot career.
Cantu came into the program as a quarterback on the freshman team. During his sophomore season, he broke an elbow and was lost for the year.
As his elbow recovery began, Mission Veterans coaches believed Cantu would be better suited as a backup quarterback to Landry Gilpin, defensive back and wide receiver. But he only had three receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown in 2017.
Cantu may have served with an everyman purpose last season, but his senior year was going to be different. He spent the spring and summer zeroed in on one position.
“My coaches gave me an opportunity and I took it,” Cantu said. “I just had to work harder at my craft and do as much as possible for my team. For me, I needed to be a better all-around athlete. We worked hard on our 7-on-7 team in the summer. That was a big contributor to all of our success as an offense. We all have good communication with each other.”
Mission Veterans (7-1) hasplayed much of this year as walking wounded on both sides of the ball. Five offensive starters, including Cantu, have missed at least one game due to some form of injury.
Both Cantu and junior wide receiver Mikey Garcia weren’t able to play in the Patriots’ Sept. 20 game at Rio Grande City. Cantu suffered a facial injury and returned the following week while Garcia pulled a hamstring during pregame warmups. Garcia, who caught 78 passes for 1,364 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2017, has played sparingly the last two weeks but is still dealing with pain.
“We all had to make up a lot of ground when you lose such a good piece like Mikey,” Cantu said. “Ralph (Ochoa) has done a good job in his Mikey’s role. John Aguilar is our ‘A’ guy. We’re all working as a unit. We have a nickname ‘The G-Unit.’ We always break the huddle with that.”
In Garcia’s absence, Cantu has become a reliable No. 2 option at wide receiver. He caught a touchdown vs. PSJA Southwest in Week 8 and was the go-to guy for Gilpin last week at Brownsville Pace. Cantu caught seven passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. His seven catches and 171 yards were both career bests.
“Leo has hit his stride,” Mission Veterans coach David Gilpin said. “He’s another guy that doesn’t miss anything. He’s on time to practice. He’s here in the summer for conditioning. He does everything that we ask of him. He wasn’t seeing the ball a lot to start, but as the season has gone on, Landry is going to him a little bit more. He’s not only a dependable, accountable player. He’s becoming a big-play receiver.”
The Patriots are 7-0 in District 16-5A Division I with a chance to finish undefeated in district. Standing in Mission Veterans’ way are La Joya Palmview (5-3, 5-2) this week and Brownsville Lopez in Week 11.
Friday night’s home finale will be more than Cantu’s last regular-season game inside Tom Landry Hall of Fame Stadium. Cantu grew up with several players on the La Joya Palmview team.
A matchup like the Lobos and Patriots would not have been possible without last February’s UIL realignment, bumping Palmview down to District 16-5A DI in football.
“I’m excited to play against some of my old teammates: (starting quarterback) David Flores, (wide receiver) A.J. Balderas, (linebacker) Lazaro (Morales),” Cantu said. “We went to elementary school together. It’s something I’ve been waiting for all season long.”
Cantu and his childhood friends-turned-district opponents still communicate from time to time. Naturally, trash talk became a part of their communication this week.
“I’ve kept it at a minimum. Coach (Gilpin) doesn’t like that at all,” Cantu said. “We’re working hard out here and they’re working hard over there. We want to show it on the field on Friday night.”