By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
RIO GRANDE CITY — In a span of two years, Rio Grande City went from area-round qualifiers to district bottom-feeders.
More than the graduation of key players, the Rattlers’ rapid descend was the result of injuries.
“At the time, it frustrates you,” coach Carlos Longoria said. “It drove me nuts, looking back at it.
“But because of that, you had a lot of kids that got playing time.”
Oddly enough, their misfortunes last year “could pay dividends for us this year,” Longoria said. With an assortment of players sidelined, the Rattlers turned to their bench, and feeder system, to pluck players into the lineup. And now, they expect them to lead an RGC resurgence in the top-heavy 31-5A battle.
There’s still some unknowns on a roster that figures to carry 40 newcomers. There’s roughly 35 seniors and 26 returning lettermen, with some gaping holes to fill.
Other than senior Ivan Garcia, who has emerged as a bright spot at free safety, the secondary is pretty thin. But players like Victor Martinez have possessed the “intensity and fire” that has largely come to define the Rattlers’ practices, Longoria said.
At 5-foot-11, 178 pounds, Martinez has been one of the RGC’s most fearless players. He doesn’t possess lightning-quick speed at outside linebacker, but he’s been relentless in covering players.
Between the linebackers and defensive linemen, the Rattlers are hoping to improve a middle-of-the-pack defense that allowed 307.4 yards per game last year. Stopping the run proved most challenging for RGC, which allowed 600 more yards on the ground through 10 regular-season games.
With a d-line going three deep, the Rattlers appear better suited to survive injuries, as opposed to last season. What’s more, they have only one sophomore on a team peppered with upperclassmen.
“That’s where you start to develop consistency,” Longoria said. “When you have seniors, I think that’s where you build up your backups and you develop the type of depth that you’re going to need down the line.”
UNDER CENTER
Battling for the starting quarterback role is Diego Garcia and Jason Perez.
Longoria described Garcia is “a little feisty guy” who has managed the ball well without making too many mistakes during two-a-days. As a sophomore, Garcia started on the JV team.
Perez led the freshman team last year. Now a sophomore, Perez has been a calming presence in practice. His grasp of the playbook has impressed the coaching staff, as well as his adjustment to the varsity game. Recently, he absorbed a crushing hit from teammate Ivan Garcia, and Longoria said his dual-threat QB “popped back up and ran another play.”
“That showed me a lot,” Longoria said. “For a young man to do that, that’s fairly impressive.”
The two will split time during their scrimmage today at Laredo Alexander.
STILL EVALUATING
The Rattlers expect to carry between 60-65 players on varsity — their largest roster in Longoria’s five years. As a result, the coaching staff is still sorting out its talent and trying to determine roles and depth charts.
The offense, in particular, has been difficult to gauge. There’s four returning starters on the offensive line and three others who started at some point as a result of injuries.
Casimiro Olivarez, who suffered a concussion and had a torn MCL last year, returns in a running back battle with Gerardo Garcia, his replacement last season, who is back from a broken collarbone. Olivarez is the bigger back and a downhill runner. Garcia is one of the fastest players on the team.
Offensive coordinator Sam Longoria said players are graded on their performance each day in practice. And those with the higher grade run with the first team the following day.
“It’s a battle everyday,” Longoria said.
PROMOTION
Joel Duarte will step in as kicker/punter after RGC graduated Juan Rosas.
Duarte joined JV last year after playing soccer. During spring ball, he impressed with his strong leg, going 7-for-7 on extra-point kicks. Longoria, the head coach, said Duarte initially wasn’t too familiar with kicking a football until the staff worked on his foot placement and following through on his kicks.
“A lot of soccer guys, they want to tap the ball,” Longoria said. “They want to place their foot behind the ball. But when you’re kicking a football, you want to put your foot even with the ball and drive it through. That’s what we’re working on with him.”
PROGNOSIS
A larger, more experienced roster should result in a better season for RGC, which was beset by injuries last year. Still, it’ll be an uphill battle to crack a playoff spot in a top-heavy district.
Projected 2015 Record: 3-7
TENURE
Coach: Carlos Longoria
Year at School: Fifth
Record at School: 15-28
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