GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Last season, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln coach Tommy Garcia could tell that defensive end Abram Aguilar was a little hesitant. Coming back from an ACL tear suffered the year prior, Aguilar favored his strong leg, unable to move from side to side without pain.
His play never showed it. He finished 2015 as one of Juarez-Lincoln’s most productive defenders, racking up 92.5 tackles, 2 sacks and 11 hurries. And as the Huskies prepare for 2016, Aguilar believes he is a year stronger, better and healthier.
“Last year in my season, I had to wear a knee brace, so I couldn’t change directions,” Aguilar said. “But not anymore. I don’t use it anymore. It’s already been a year, so I feel pretty good about it.“
Aguilar said he suffered the tear on a chop block on Oct. 17, 2014, against McAllen High but continued to play, suiting up for the season’s final three games.
Once he warmed up, he found it pretty easy to shrug off the pain. He knew if he told the coaches anything else, they would bench him.
“I just thought it was a meniscus, or something not that big,” Aguilar said.
Once he had the knee checked out and underwent surgery following the season, he was told he would be out for about a year. He said he was back on the field going through drills after only six months.
Though he needed a little time to round back into form, he quickly proved himself a valuable piece of last year’s rotation and earned a leadership role on this season’s squad.
“He’s looking great,” Garcia said. “He has the size. He has the speed, and the quickness. He’s one of those guys they should have to double team on every play.”
The 5-foot-11 Aguilar said he’s greatly improved his strength from when he entered the program, bulking up from 205 pounds to 225. He also said he’s increased his speed and quickness, adding extra bite to his go-to swim move.
“He’s really aggressive. He’s going to come at you nasty,” Juarez-Lincoln defensive back Elias Gutierrez said. “He’s going to hit you and do everything he can to take you down. He’s always been like that.”
Aguilar has taken charge of his defensive teammates, regularly making sure they’re on time for the start of practice at 7 a.m.
When he sees someone slacking on a drill, he yells at them “Let’s go!” or “Move!”
“He pumps everyone up and tries to motivate all of the line,” Gutierrez said. “He just starts screaming and getting them ready. I get that fire, and then I spark up all of my DBs. And from there, we just set it off and set the tone.”
DEFENSE IN FLUX?
Because Aguilar is capable of standing up and playing linebacker, Garcia is considering switching Juarez-Lincoln’s base defense from a 4-2 to a 3-3. Although the Huskies’ 90-player turnout for two-a-days is the best Garcia has seen in his five-year tenure, the defensive line is still relatively thin. The linebacker position, on the other hand, boasts a strong pair of returning juniors in Joseph Valdez and Benito Gonzalez.
Whatever the alignment, Gutierrez figures to anchor the secondary after amassing 97.5 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions last season.
“Elias is awesome. I wish I could clone him,” Garcia said. “He’s one of those rare kids who comes along that I think he’s going to possibly be the player of the year in our district. He’s just awesome.”
ON OFFENSE
After moving over from cornerback in the spring, Andrew Rodriguez remains in line to be Juarez-Lincoln’s starting quarterback, though Garcia said Isai Galvan has improved enough to make it a competition.
“In spring ball I learned, and now I’m going all out,” Rodriguez said.
CJ Flores and Harley Vargas project as his top receiving threats, and he’ll operate behind an offensive line that has size and returns a pair of starters in Jesus Proa and Julio Monsivalles.
PROGNOSIS
With plenty of young players returning after the first playoff appearance in program history, Juarez-Lincoln has the tools to prove that 2015 wasn’t a fluke.
Projected 2016 Record: 6-5
TENURE
Coach: Tommy Garcia
Year at school: Fifth
Record at school: 13-28