NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
MISSION — The Mission High Eagles practice in the shadow of a massive reconstruction effort at Tom Landry Stadium.
The hard hats on the gridiron are busily working, too. The Eagles are under construction in their own way, trying to return the program to prominence and respectability.
They’re far removed from the strong stretch of teams under current coach Koy Detmer’s father, Sonny Detmer, during the 1990s. In Sonny’s nine years as coach, the Eagles won three district championships and qualified for the playoffs six times.
The Eagles last playoff game took place in 2012, before the school moved back up to the highest UIL classification, then 5A. Mission has faced a turbulent road since the 2012 team, under Mario Pena, was crowned 32-4A champions as part of a three-way tie. In four seasons since, the Eagles have gone 13-26.
Summer could have been even gloomier had the Eagles lost their final two games in 2016. Instead, Mission strung together wins against La Joya Palmview and McAllen High, surprising the district by keeping the Bulldogs out of the playoffs.
“The kids came on, and we finished off the season on a good note,” Detmer said. “They started to catch on to some of the things we were trying to coach. It was a shame that it was the end of the season, because they did some good things down the stretch.”
The momentum from last November is hard to bottle and save, but Detmer says the improvement continued into summer workouts. His team is set on finishing better than 3-7 this season.
“We ended on a high note, so that’s carried all the way through the offseason,” Detmer said. “Going into this year, we’re hoping to come out and get things started early.”
Entering his second year, the former Mission High player is driven by his will to contribute to a place close to his heart.
“It’s exciting to get the chance to come back home and have a chance to give back to a place that gave me so much, that I feel like I owe the world to,” Detmer said. “So to have the opportunity to be back here and work with these kids, I’m fortunate.”
Detmer is one of multiple coaches in the district coaching at his alma mater, so that feeling and intensity will be amplified on both sidelines many nights. McAllen Rowe’s Bobby Flores and La Joya High’s Reuben Farias are both coaching the schools they once attended.
Mission’s Steven De Leon will be hard to miss on the field, and the Eagles will have a tough time winning without his influence. He led the team in tackles last season, and on offense he accounted for 16 TDs. The two-way impact player stands 6 feet tall and punishes opponents with a 215-pound frame.
“I try to keep it calm, but I’m going to get emotional,” De Leon said.
DON’T TREAD ON THE D
One place the Eagles shined in 2016 was on the defensive side. They only allowed 275.7 yards per contest last year, almost 20 less than second-place La Joya High.
“It was a big accomplishment defensively, coming in with a new system,” Detmer said. “Credit to our defensive coordinator, coach (Chris) Castillo, did an excellent job coming in and getting his system in place. Then to be able to have that kind of success was outstanding.”
The Eagles allowed fewer rushing yards than half of their district — an important stat given that six of seven District 30-6A offenses ran for more yards than they threw.
De Leon earned an all-state selection as a sophomore, was named co-defensive MVP for District 30-6A last season and got the nod as a first-team all-district player at fullback, to boot.
He says being in peak shape is the only way to play both sides of the ball at a high level.
“It’s real tough. You have to stay conditioned,” De Leon said. “I ran in the summer 100s with the defense, just out there a lot.”
YOUNG ARM SETTLING IN
When considering the future of Mission, a bright spot is directly under center and running the offense. Damian Gomez is a big body and only a sophomore in Detmer’s West Coast-style attack.
“I trust my abilities, and I’m humble enough to know what I can do on the field,” Gomez said.
“He’s awesome,” Gomez said of Detmer’s hands-on coaching. “Just doing the little things correctly and sticking everything together.”
Detmer will provide guidance following a career of playing the position and years coaching after that.
On game nights, Gomez will be protected by a burly group of seniors up front.
“Our offensive line, almost everybody’s back,” Gomez said. “We just lost our center and right guard. We’re pretty big on it. It’s a big part of the game, because they’re the ones that do the work.”
The combination of a young, up-and-coming quarterback and experience on the line could be dangerous for opponents.
SPACE CREATORS UP FRONT
Having a majority of the offensive line intact never hurts a team. Right tackle Javi Gaitan, left tackle Julian Vela and right tackle Michael Brasher are inseparable off the field.
They hope to be impenetrable on it.
All three surpass the 6-foot mark and hope to use that size to create gaps for the likes of De Leon while providing time for Gomez to air it out.
“It’s very easy, because we already know how we work,” Vela said about playing with teammates that he’s known for years.
Gaitan, who seems to lead the group vocally, got deep with his fellow seniors.
“We all know each other. We’ve played with each other since we were very small,” Gaitan said. “We love what we do. We do it with a passion, love our guys in the back, and we’re ready.”
Even De Leon, also a senior, mentioned that there’s no need to worry about those guys doing their job.
“They’re experienced. We’re experienced,” De Leon said. “It’s not their first year, so they should know how fast to go.”
Mission High’s Prognosis
Mission will be an improved team with QB Damian Gomez settling in, but it’s tough to tell if that’s enough. If he can have a solid year throwing the ball, they’ll be harder to predict. The Eagles will need a stellar defense yet again to contend in 30-6A.
2016 record: 3-7
Returning starters O/D: 4/6
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Koy Detmer
Year at school: 2nd
Record at school: 3-7