By ROY HESS
Staff Writer
Opponents who do their homework when scouting the La Feria Lions realize they must be prepared to defend against a number of receivers in La Feria’s multi-faceted passing game.
Spreading the ball around in the Lions’ aerial attack is one of the things that has helped the team win District 16-4A Division I and advance three rounds in the playoffs.
District 16-4A Division I champion La Feria (11-1) goes against District 15-4A Division I tri-champion La Vernia (11-1) at 2 p.m. today at Corpus Christi’s Buccaneer Stadium. It’s a regional semifinal matchup. The winner plays Liberty Hill next week in the fourth round.
So far in the playoffs, La Vernia has defeated Grulla 55-28 and Lampasas 28-21. La Feria has beaten Beeville Jones 28-25 and Needville 49-34.
La Vernia is led by senior quarterback Clayton Chadwick, who has passed for 2,579 yards and 28 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 1,442 yards and 23 scores.
La Feria junior quarterback Dorian Hernandez has passed for 1,535 yards and 16 touchdowns, and he’s rushed for 1,255 yards and 16 TDs.
Four of Hernandez’s receivers have caught at least 24 passes this season. The receiving corps is led by Darius Hernandez, a senior wideout and three-year starter with 38 catches for 456 yards and three touchdowns.
The two Hernandez players are not related but they sure work well together on the football field, as do the other receivers in the La Feria’s dual-threat offense featuring an active aerial game.
Among the other top receivers for the Lions are Emanuel Sanchez (34 catches, 288 yards, four TDs), Caleb Flores (29-237, two TDs), Noah Conde (24-281, four TDs) and Eric Alegria (8-153, three TDs). Other players who have caught passes from the junior QB this season are Chris Diaz, Avishai Dickerson, Dereck Perez and Chris Diaz.
“It’s something magical,” said Sanchez, a senior, of the Lions’ passing/running attack. “What Dorian does (as a dual-threat QB) just blows you away sometimes. Our ability to run and pass in this offense has really helped us a lot.
“We knew this would be a good year,” Sanchez added. “The coaches have been telling us all season long that this would be a good year. It’s also the hard work we put into practice. If we don’t practice hard, we’ll never be able to execute in the game.”
Added Alegria, also a senior, “It’s fun to be out here playing football with my teammates. I had never expected to play football, right? But now here I am on the varsity. It’s worked out well, and it’s great to be with the team. It would be really nice to win against La Vernia and be a part of it as we move on to the fourth round.”
Flores agreed with Sanchez and said giving a strong effort daily has been an important factor in the team’s success.
“Us working hard as a team in practice has helped a lot,” said Flores, a junior. “This has been one of our best years ever.”
The Lions’ camaraderie is a vital part of the squad, especially for this season’s seniors.
“It means everything to me to come out here every single day and practice as hard as we do,” Darius Hernandez said. “With the great coaches and great teammates we have, it means a lot to accomplish what we’ve accomplished so far.
“We have great chemistry in the way we play together as one,” he added. “We’ve come a long way, of course, since we started as freshmen. My senior group, we’re trying to lead by example and show the younger guys what this team is all about and how to practice.”
La Feria coach Oscar Salinas, now in his seventh year guiding the Lions, said his team must play at its best against La Vernia.
“First of all, we just can’t turn the ball over,” Salinas said. “La Vernia is a really good team that doesn’t make mistakes, so we can’t have any, either. We’ve got to do what we’ve been doing offensively and defensively. To me, the key will be which team can play better on the line. If we play with the same energy on the line that we had last week, I like our chances.
“It would be tremendous to get the win,” the coach added. “To have a team go to the fourth round is something that has never happened in the history of La Feria football. We want to erode that stigma that the Valley teams can’t play with the teams up north. We’ve actually beaten three of them already to get to this round.”
Salinas is grateful for all the backing the team is receiving.
“The community of La Feria is great,” he said. “They love their Lions. You could see it by the turnout at our last game (against Needville in Mathis). We have a lot of support. We’re so blessed to have a great community that loves this team and supports the kids. They’re our 12th man every game. I thank them for all their prayers and support.”