BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
EDINBURG — After Edinburg Vela coach Michael Salinas left for Weslaco High, junior defensive lineman Sergio Carrizales felt a familiar pain.
“In the beginning, it’s just like going through a breakup,” Carrizales said. “My parents have been divorced, so I know what it’s like having a father figure torn apart from you. That kind of reflected here.”
Carrizales remembers the pain of his parents’ split from when he was 5 years old. But he didn’t show the pain he felt inside. He was strong for his younger siblings. He knew then what is still true to this day. He would have to be the man of the house.
“I have to be a good example for them,” Carrizales said of his siblings. “I feel like everything that happens at the household, ever since I was growing up, being the leader to my siblings, that carries onto the field, too. Humble beginnings.”
With his mother working long hours, Carrizales and the family lived with his grandmother, who looked after the three kids.
Carrizales recently learned his father is “no longer a free man.”
Talking about his father after Vela’s practice on Wednesday, Carrizales showed the same strength that helped him through his parents’ divorce. But the pain was evident. The normally engaging and talkative Carrizales was reserved and pensive when he spoke about his father. A cocktail of emotions swirled inside him as he considered how to answer each question. His voice cracked as he spoke.
For much of his life, Carrizales didn’t know where his dad was. When he found out that his father’s location wouldn’t be changing for a while, he said he felt “let down.”
That just fueled him to work harder, to set an example for his brother and sister and to help his team get better.
“I am going to push myself to the limit,” Carrizales said. “I’m trying to be the district leader in sacks.”
Just like Carrizales felt abandoned by his father, he said he felt a similar feeling when Salinas accepted the head coaching job at Weslaco High in March.
He had worked with Salinas for two years, and the two had become very close. The arrival of coach John Campbell in April began his healing process on the field.
If the split with Salinas was like going through a divorce, then, Carrizales said, “It’s kind of nice to have new love again.”
“I’m beginning to like Coach Campbell and his staff,” he said.
And just like he continued to step up at home, he took his football game to the next level, as well.
His teammates say his pain — from his personal life or the coaching change — never showed. Through it all, he came to practice with a positive attitude. He brought an energy the SaberCats have come to rely on.
Carrizales’ leadership was one of the first things Campbell noticed when he arrived in Edinburg.
“He definitely brings a sense of maturity to the team,” Campbell said. “I have been very impressed, since getting here, with the leadership he shows on a daily basis. Not just the vocal leadership, but more importantly just the day-to-day: showing up and going to work and doing it with a sense of energy and enthusiasm. Without a doubt, he’s got a level of maturity that is not common with a high school kid.”
His attitude and work ethic show up in the box score on Fridays. Last year, as a sophomore, Carrizales played in all 11 games and was second on the team in sacks. Going up against him isn’t easy for anyone, even his teammates.
“He is really good,” senior quarterback Nathan Garcia said. “He’s fast, fast off the edge. I always have to keep an eye on him whenever we are going up against him. He’s going to be really good this year.”
While his speed and power are easy to spot on tape, what’s not so easy to see is his mental game. Carrizales said he watches a lot of film. He studies the game, and he knows not just how he is supposed to play, but also how his teammates are supposed to play.
“He is one of those guys that he is kind of a throwback,” Campbell said. “He just enjoys the game. I don’t care if it’s practice, walk-through or a weightlifting session, he’s a happy guy. He’s a competitive guy. He’s one of those guys that we all know in football, that the game of football was designed around those kinds of guys. Sergio is that guy. He’s a great kid, great motor and a very, very smart football player. I’m definitely glad he’s on our team.”
SHOES TO FILL
Despite only playing in five games, Robert Guerra amassed 1,179 yards and 20 TDs last season before graduating in the spring. Then-sophomore Cristian Flores got the bulk of the carries in the games Guerra missed, putting up 984 yards and 11 TDs. But Flores transferred out of Vela after football season.
“Seventy-five percent of the offense went through one guy last year,” Campbell said. “A very talented kid in Guerra. But, obviously he’s not here, and we have to make sure that we can get that production from somewhere else.”
Vela has a bevy of talented backs. Add to that the mobility of Garcia, who ran for 803 yards and 8 TDs last season, and it’s easy to see why there is optimism surrounding the SaberCats’ offense.
Other than Garcia, though, there isn’t a lot of experience coming back to the ground game. The next leading returner after Garcia is senior Sam Valenzuela. But Valenzuela will be splitting time between offense and defense, so he will need to share the workload.
Another option the SaberCats have is senior Harvey Soliz. Soliz carried the ball five times for 19 yards last year but has been impressive so far this fall.
“He’s super quick,” Garcia said. “He’s explosive and energetic. He gets to the holes and he finds the creases. He’s going to be good for us.”
Vela’s third option is sophomore Kevin McKinney, who has impressed in his first year working with the varsity squad.
“We are kind of doing a three-way on that deal,” Campbell said. “We kind of feel between those three guys, they are all kind of a different style. So we would like to see one of them emerge, but at the same time we are fine with sharing the reps with those guys until we kind of settle in on one.”
TOO TALL
Vela’s roster lists 21 players who are 6-foot or taller. Much of that height is in the wide receivers, defensive backs and along the offensive line. That height is very useful for an offense that looks to pass.
“It helps a lot to have that height,” Garcia said. “As a quarterback, you have to put it in the perfect spot, and having tall receivers just makes that spot a lot bigger.”
“Being tall doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to be a great player, but if you are a good player and you are tall, if definitely helps out,” Campbell added. “That’s not something that is by design, necessarily. We are just fortunate that we have some height on offensive line, we have some height in the secondary and we have some height at receiver. … I’m glad the tall guys are on our team.”
EDINBURG VELA’S PROGNOSIS
Coach John Campbell’s experience with winning programs should help Vela continue to dominate its district.
2016 record: 9-2
Returning starters O/D: 5/6
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: John Campbell
Year at school: 1st
Record at school: 0-0