BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Mario Ramirez may as well live alone.
Sure, his home in San Manuel-Linn is shared with his mother and grandfather, but during football season, Ramirez rarely sees them.
“I just say ‘Hello’ to them at night,” Ramirez said. “It’s ‘Hi, hello, goodnight,’ and then right away after that I’m busy with other stuff.”
That other stuff is the homework that comes with an academic workload that includes four AP classes. In addition to his responsibilities as a student, Ramirez is an offensive lineman for Edinburg Economedes.
A typical day for the reserved 17-year old begins at 5 a.m. when he catches the bus for the hour-long trek to school. Once class is over, it’s out to the practice field to sweat and stew in the Valley’s ubiquitous heat. From there, Ramirez takes the late bus, sometimes doing homework by flashlight before arriving home at 9 p.m.
Even on the weekends, Ramirez can sometimes be seen on his grandfathers’ sorghum farm, operating and fixing equipment or tending to the pigs.
“During football (season), I’m pretty much only at home to sleep,” Ramirez says. “It’s tiring, but it’s worth it. It’s what I want to do. I love playing football. I don’t want to quit.”
Ramirez has played since he was in seventh grade and was attracted to the sport through pep rallies and games he attended.
“I just remember thinking those kids looked so cool in their jerseys,” Ramirez said. “I wanted to be just like them. And the atmosphere at the games was fun too. Everyone was watching them.”
In high school, he’s climbed the ladder from the freshman B-team to a backup right guard on the varsity squad. Though Ramirez sees the field on select occasions due a cluster of senior talent on the O-line, he attempts to make the most of his playing time.
“Everything is so much faster and stronger at the varsity level,” Ramirez said. “The few times I do get to see the field, I just try to use that as a learning experience to get better.”
Ramirez’ balancing act, though impressive, is not unique at Economedes. The school serves a rural demographic, which means long bus rides and obligations at home are not uncommon.
Junior defensive lineman Fabian Castillo helps his father with his lawn care business, and at times has had to cut grass instead of resting before games.
“I was busy in the morning, but I didn’t have time to finish everything,” Castillo said of an instance before a Week 2 matchup against Brownsville Hanna. “So I just cut half of what I was supposed to, then got on the bus and played.”
Such circumstances were an eye-opener to fifth-year coach Gabe Peña.
“I’ve coached at Port Isabel, Los Fresnos and Weslaco (High), and I learned pretty quickly when I got here that this place would have its own kind of reward,” Peña said. “What we do isn’t necessarily concerned with X’s and O’s. Our primary goal is building future husbands and future dads because some of our players come from backgrounds where that element isn’t there.”
But the football element for the Jaguars has improved. In the 11 years prior to Peña’s arrival, Econ failed to make the playoffs. With three games remaining during the regular season, the Jaguars (3-4, 1-2 District 31-6A) are trying for a third playoff appearance in five years.
“We preach hope to these kids every single day,” Peña said. “That’s how we get them to believe in themselves and buy into the culture change. Kids like Mario help make this program what it is with their effort and intensity. That’s all you can ask from them.”