BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Three months ago, junior quarterback Edgar Longoria participated in a Sharyland High spring practice. The practice was one of Longoria’s first as a full-fledged member of the varsity team following a brief, successful stint as the stand-in for Alan Alvarez last season.
On one play, he was met and tackled by two of his teammates. Longoria suffered a broken upper rib that kept him in a sling — and off the practice field — for the remainder of the spring.
Now the sling is gone, and Longoria is getting back into the swing of things.
“Right now, I’m just trying to get back into a rhythm,” Longoria said. “Everything’s good. Nothing hurts. Most of all, I’m just trying to get back into playing shape.”
Longoria is being held out of practice after his doctor advised him to wait another week or two, which could mean he makes his return to the field to open the season at Weslaco East on Sept. 1.
Staying in shape over the summer has been another barrier for the junior quarterback.
“I was limited at first, because I couldn’t lift weights, but I could do bands and all that stuff,” Longoria said. “Once my doctor gave me permission to lift, I hit the weight room.”
Longoria began throwing a football for the first time post-injury earlier this month.
“I did that to get a rhythm again, because I don’t want to eventually come out here and do poorly,” Longoria said.
As he waits to receive the go-ahead from his doctor, Longoria knows how he can try to improve his game.
“The most important thing I can work on is watching film and grasping as much knowledge as I can,” Longoria said. “Reading defenses, making sure I can call audibles and change some other things.”
In Longoria’s place, senior Diego Vela and junior Oscar Valdez are splitting practice snaps with the first-team offense.
“The three of us all have a good relationship, so I trust them with everything,” Longoria said. “They do what they do. And if they have any questions, I’m more than happy to answer them from the experience that I’ve had before. They’re doing super well, and I’m glad to have them as quarterbacks.”
GETTING THEIR CHANCE
As Longoria waits to get cleared by his doctor, Sharyland coach Ron Adame is going full steam ahead with the auditioning of Vela and Valdez.
“Diego and Oscar are battling it out, and we feel confident with both of them,” Adame said. “The kids are responding to them and are getting used to the particular rotation on the ball they throw.”
Like Longoria, Vela and Valdez are on the varsity roster for the first time.
“I think this is good for all of us,” Valdez said. “The competition will make us all better.”
“Coach Adame gives us all opportunities. He doesn’t single any one of us out,” Vela said. “Every day, we’ve got to prove ourselves.”
For Vela, adjusting to higher competition hasn’t been as difficult as it was cracked up to be.
“I’ve been preparing for this all four years,” Vela said. “I started off not very good, but with hard work, I got better. I’m prepared to play at this level.”
Adame likes having two more options at quarterback that bring their own set of intangibles to the table.
“Diego throws a nice ball,” Adame said. “He’s worked hard all summer. Great mechanics. You look at this young man who was on the light team and the ‘B’ team growing up, and he’s always played that underdog role, but he cherishes that. He uses that to his advantage. It’s pleasant to see the progress he’s made since junior high.
“Oscar happened to go to Mexico after his eighth-grade year. He was out for a year, and then he came back. When he came back, I got excited, because I knew the kinds of things he did at the junior high level. He’s one of these young men who has a sixth sense. Some kids have it, and some kids don’t. His football IQ is real high. But these two have grown up in our system for a long time.”
Regardless of who starts the opener, Adame and the players agree they are all learning from this experience.
“They’re all humble kids,” Adame said. “They’re pulling for each other, and they understand that the ultimate goal is for this team to be successful.”
LEADING THE D
Junior middle linebacker Javier Lopez will have more responsibility to carry on defense this season. The Rattlers’ leading returning tackler (113) knows he has to set the tone.
“After Week 2 last year, I earned my spot as a starter,” Lopez said. “Now as a junior, it’s a great honor to be leading this defense.”
Lopez said having more reps as a varsity starter slows the game down. Except when it doesn’t.
“When you have more comprehension of the game, it does slow down in practice,” Lopez said. “But really, Friday nights are a much faster game at the varsity level than on freshman or JV. These guys have a lot more speed, and they know what they’re doing.
“But if you know what you’re doing, the game then goes at a relatively slow pace for you.”
SHARYLAND HIGH’S PROGNOSIS
The Rattlers will once again be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Problem areas on the team that could hinder a playoff run are depth at the running back and wide receiver positions, as well as a young defense.
2016 record: 7-4
Returning starters O/D: 5/3
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Ron Adame
Year at school: 6th
Record: 49-12