BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — When Weslaco East senior linebacker Freddy Cardenas first started playing football, he was shifty and good at avoiding contact.
His dad, Alfredo Cardenas Jr., taught Freddy how to play football when Freddy was 7 and knew his son needed a different approach.
“He was like, ‘No, just go smash them in the mouth,’” Freddy recalled. “That is what I brought here today. I have to thank my dad for that.”
East coach Michael Burget expressed a lot of gratitude for that lesson, as well. That instinct Freddy learned is what Burget says East football is all about.
“I guess every coach has that one player that you would want your team to be molded after. For me, it’d be him,” Burget said of Freddy. “He’s fully bought in to the program. He does exactly what we ask him to. He’s not a selfish player. He cares about the team more than his stats. He’s been heavily recruited by colleges. He’s just one of those kids that you don’t want to get hit by.”
Nowadays, Freddy won’t hesitate to tell you his favorite part of the game is hitting people. His knack for finding contact and winning exchanges has helped him develop into one of the best linebackers Burget said he has ever seen in the Valley.
Alfredo Jr. played for Weslaco High. He was a center and he wore jersey No. 55. Father had to swallow his pride when son enrolled with his school’s biggest rival.
“He didn’t really like it, but he has changed his mind since then,” Freddy said with a chuckle. “He’s my biggest supporter, and I have mad love for that guy.”
During the offseasons, Freddy and his father take some time to bond.
“I like to shoot guns with my dad,” Freddy said. “I normally just spend time with my family.”
Freddy has two younger siblings — Aaron, 12, and Alessandra, 10.
He has long been a standout on the football field. He forced his way into the starting lineup during his sophomore season, when Burget said he expected Freddy to spend time on the bench. He has been in the lineup ever since.
He was named an honorable mention all-state linebacker in back-to-back seasons, and last year, he was The Monitor’s All-Area Defensive Player of the Year. He finished the season with 174 total tackles, three forced fumbles and one interception.
Cardenas is on top of his game now, but he was special from the beginning.
“I didn’t (see it right away), but our middle linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Mike Gonzales did,” Burget said. “He said this kid is going to be really special, and Freddy put in a lot of work. You are talking about a guy that weighs 200 pounds, but he benches 360. He power cleans 300. You don’t see that very much. And then he goes sideline to sideline, so he’s got some speed. You might even see Freddy on offense a little bit, too. You never know. He scored two touchdowns last year.”
This year, he will be the leader of the most important group for the Wildcats — their defense.
Weslaco East’s “Big Three” was pretty well known to Wildcats faithful last season.
Running back Roy Pedraza, receiver J.C. Vargas and quarterback Richard LeFevre all graduated last year, but not before capping their stellar careers with a second consecutive trip to the third round of the playoffs. The Wildcats have made it to at least the second round of the playoffs in each of the last four years. If they intend to do so again, they will have to do it without the Big Three.
While it wasn’t ideal, East got a sneak peak of what to expect when all three were injured during consecutive weeks last season.
“It kind of took a toll on our coach. Everybody was down,” Cardenas said. “A lot of people had to step up. I was one of them. Jacob Banda was one of them. We had to mature, and that is what we did. It made us better for this year.”
“That’s how we looked at it last year. This is preparation for next year, when they won’t be here,” Banda said. “We are already ready. We knew we would be ready.”
With Cardenas, along with honorable mention all-state defensive lineman Banda and the rest of the defense, East can expect to shut down opposing offenses.
“That guy (Banda) has been working hard to secure that starting spot since seventh grade,” Cardenas said. “He’s just grown, made himself a monster. He has that attitude that he needs to be here. He needs to work hard. He is the hardest worker. He really outworks me sometimes. We are in there competing. He’s a great leader, and it is great playing with him.”
The secondary will be helmed by perhaps East’s best athlete, junior Ramsey Vasquez.
“The crew is pretty tight,” Vasquez said. “We have a lot of guys coming back who were on varsity last year. We still have that same chemistry.”
One of those returning DBs is Hector Muniz, the safety who lines up alongside Vasquez. The two are thick as thieves, and their connection on the field is vital to shutting down opposing aerial threats.
“The secondary is looking good,” Banda said. “This is the best secondary we have had in the four years I have been here.”
The defense will not have to do everything for East. But with so many fresh faces on offense, the defense is ready to pick up the slack.
“Our defense always plays with a chip on our shoulder,” Cardenas said. “We are always angry, always hungry. Nothing is really going to change, but we are going to play tougher this year. We do need to help out the offense, but it goes both ways. They got our backs, and we have theirs.”
POSITION: ATHLETE
Vasquez will be a full-time defender this year, playing every snap at free safety, but that won’t be his only assignment on Friday nights.
“If I could play him every play, I would,” Burget said. “But, we are going to be a little bit smarter. He’s going to play defense full time. He will be a receiver, running back, quarterback, wherever we put him on offense, too.”
Senior Antonio Cedeño will be stepping in to play quarterback this year, but he has big shoes to fill, and Vasquez could help relieve some of that burden.
Burget played it close to the vest with regard to how many snaps Vazquez could take under center, but he said he believes Vasquez could be a valuable weapon. Last year, Vazquez put up 708 all-purpose yards. Expect that total to grow this year.
NEW QB
LeFevre was a standout for East over the past three years. His career totals were eye-popping: 3,053 passing yards, 35 passing TDs, 1,601 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns.
This year, he will be playing for the University of the Incarnate Word.
Cedeño, the 6-foot native of Monterrey, Mexico, will be taking over at quarterback this year.
“He is one of the toughest, hardest working kids I have seen,” Burget said. “The kid is outstanding. He has bought in to the system. He was our JV starter last year. He has been here for a full year. He knows what to expect. He has gotten a lot stronger since he got here. He can throw the ball pretty good, and he’s a smart young man.”
After some early struggles, Cedeño helped get the JV team get back on track and led the group to a 6-4 record.
The team welcomed him when he arrived at East last year.
“He actually fit right in,” Banda said. “We brought him in like our own. He gets the job done.”
Cedeño is excited about the team he has around him.
“We have a lot of good players, and they all play very well together,” Cedeño said in Spanish. “They know what is expected of them, and they get it done. I can’t wait to get started.”
For now, he just can’t wait to get started.
“I am going to give everything I have for this team every week,” Cedeño said in Spanish. “I can’t wait to see what I can accomplish with this team behind me.”
WESLACO EAST’S KEY TO THE SEASON
East will need the offense to learn and grow on the fly, while the key players on defense will need good health to take the pressure off of a new quarterback.
2017 record: 9-4
Returning starters O/D: 6/7
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Michael Burget
Year at school: 6th
Record at school: 45-17