BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
Last season was a whirlwind for the La Villa Cardinals.
They got out to an 0-5 start, and things didn’t look very promising.
Enter Zach Gomez, the standout quarterback from Mercedes who transferred into La Villa midway through the year.
Gomez became one of the most intriguing storylines of the football season, passing for 791 yards and 5 TDs and running for another 537 yards and 16 TDs.
In order for Gomez to help the Cardinals turn around their season, the team needed to make sacrifices.
“I said to (senior Rey Felix), ‘You are my quarterback. You have been since you were a sophomore,’” La Villa coach Daniel Perez said. “So I asked him, ‘You know Zach plays quarterback. Do you want him to play receiver?’ He goes, ‘No coach, I will play running back. I played that position before. I will be the running back. Let him play quarterback.’ So he made that decision. We told him it was his choice, and that we wanted him at quarterback, because he is our quarterback. But he said it himself, ‘I want him to play quarterback. I will move.’”
The respect Felix earned for that move last year should pay dividends this year.
Felix returns as La Villa’s starting quarterback this year, and, as a senior, this is his chance to use that respect to guide the team down the right path.
“Most kids wouldn’t make that sacrifice. He is respected for that,” Perez said. “He doesn’t say much. He just goes out there and plays. … Everybody looks up to him. He is a quiet guy. He doesn’t say much. On the field, he is a different person.”
ALL STATE
Senior linebacker Bryan Hinojosa had a major year last year.
He totaled 163 tackles, including 105 solo tackles. He had three sacks and five tackles for a loss. As the man in the middle, he commanded the defense and led the way for his teammates.
As a result of his great play on the field, Hinojosa was rewarded after the season. He was named to the All-State first-team defense.
“Bryan is a great player for us,” Perez said. “He is a leader on that defense, and he works hard. It was great to see him recognized for his phenomenal play last year. He definitely is deserving, and we are glad he was named to the first team.”
ANTS AND CARDS
Progreso and La Villa will meet in Week 1 this year. The meeting has special meaning for the two men who will be manning the sidelines Aug. 31 at Red Ant Stadium in Progreso.
Progreso coach Frank Martinez played defensive lineman at Edcouch-Elsa when Perez was coaching there. After Martinez finished his playing career, he joined Perez on staff. The two coached together at E-E before both eventually left to pursue their coaching careers.
“We are close friends,” Perez said. “We reach out to each other throughout the season. We will text each other, ‘Good luck,’ before our games. We have a real good friendship, but when we go out there on Friday, he is going to try to win, and I am going to try to win.”
LA VILLA’S KEY TO THE SEASON
La Villa will never have huge numbers, and trying to find enough bodies to play every play is never easy. Despite that, the players’ connection to coach Daniel Perez shows the growth of the program in just a year. La Villa is eager to return to the playoffs, and with Rey Felix running the offense, the future looks bright for the Red Birds.
2017 record: 4-7
Returning starters O/D: 7/7
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Daniel Perez
Year at the school: 2nd
Record at La Villa: 4-7