MISSION — The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks elevated their program to another level over the past two seasons, winning back-to-back district titles and tallying five playoff victories, including an appearance in the Region IV-5A final in 2020.
Head coach Tommy Lee and quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger led that run, combining for a 19-3 record.
Both Lee and Marburger are gone now, with Lee accepting a position as assistant athletic director at Sharyland ISD and Marburger taking his talents to UTSA after graduation.
Now, Eddie Galindo takes over the head coaching duties, ushering in a new era of Diamondbacks football. Galindo had served as the team’s offensive coordinator since 2014.
The coaching transition has been smooth for himself and his teammates despite differing coaching styles between Galindo and Lee said senior middle linebacker Caleb Fuentes.
“He’s definitely a different head coach,” Fuentes said. “It’s nothing personal to Coach Lee, but I kind of like the style of Coach Galindo better. He (Galindo) likes real blue collar. He likes for people to just get it done. He just preaches hard work and that’s what we’re all about.”
Only four starters return this season for the Diamondbacks, two one each side of the ball.
Offensively, Pioneer’s biggest question lies behind center, with a three-way battle for the starting quarterback spot taking place during preseason. Among those is The Monitor’s 2020 All-Area Football Newcomer of the Year Joseph Graham, who could make the move from receiver to quarterback after tallying 1,075 receiving yards and 13 touchdown as a sophomore last season.
Graham will shoulder the load offensively regardless of where he lines up, with only senior offensive lineman Shawn Halbritter rejoining him on that side of the ball.
Graham has spent this summer training with his new teammates while stepping into the leadership role as a veteran, saying he is anticipating returning to football after a year of uncertainty.
“It feels like a regular season especially with COVID last year,” he said. “It feels good to play football again. We have a young team, but we all got heart. I worked on my footwork, speed and strength this summer. I got my team together for workouts when nobody else was working out. I’m just trying to put up more numbers and get wins for the school.”
Fuentes and senior defensive end Trevor Huddleston will be leaned on to guide a young and inexperienced group, as the team’s only returning starters defensively.
Fuentes and Huddleston said they believe teams will see a new kind of Diamondbacks squad than they’re used to this season, with both sides of the ball ready to grind it out for a win.
“I think this year is going to be a lot different,” Fuentes said. “I think we’re going to be a different team. We don’t have Eddie or a lot of those big explosive guys. So, I think we’re going to be one of those teams that chew up the clock now. I think we’re going to be more physical than we were last year where we were more about finesse.”
Expectations remain high among the team despite a season full of changes said Halbritter, with their eyes set on continuing to raise the bar.
“We’re a whole new team and they don’t know what’s coming at them,” he said. “They’re not expecting much from us. We may have lost a lot of people but we’re still dogs. It’s the same thing. It’s about toughness on the field. We’re still going to show the same toughness and same mentality. We’re going to rock it down the field all the way.”
Sharyland Pioneer kicks off its season with a pair of non-district games against PSJA High on Aug. 26 and Harlingen South on Sept. 3, both at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission. The Diamondbacks then get a week off before hitting the road to take on PSJA Memorial in their first District 16-5A DII matchup Sept. 17.