BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
EDCOUCH — Fifth-year Edcouch-Elsa coach Joe Marichalar is aware of the talk surrounding his team coming into the season. The Yellow Jackets are young. They’re inexperienced. They’ve lost multiyear talent on both sides of the ball.
When asked if 2017 would be a rebuilding season, Marichalar said he doesn’t quite see it that way.
“I don’t think you can say ‘rebuilding’ too much in this area. The proper term is ‘reloading,’” Marichalar said. “It’s just a matter of time before people start seeing what we’re seeing on a daily basis. We have a great bunch of kids. Once we put the whole picture together and put it on display, we’re going to put a good product out there.”
Regardless of how fans choose to describe the state of the program, Edcouch-Elsa will be forced to plug a few holes on an offense that returns only four starters. Quarterback Marco Aguinaga, The Monitor’s 2016 All-Area Offensive Player of the Year, has since graduated. Junior speedster Albert Trevino is stepping into his spot.
In an effort to mold an offense and make up for the team’s losses, E-E offensive coordinator Gene Garza will be changing a few things going into the season.
“We’re going to be more of a wing-t offense this year,” Garza said. “It’s not that we don’t have confidence in Albert, but we happen to have some pretty good running backs, too, to run some potential misdirections, as well. We’ll either spread out or condense it in.”
Aguinaga, who ran for 948 yards and nine touchdowns in 2016, was one of two Yellow Jackets who ran for over 900 yards on the ground. Current senior running back Jorge Gomez was the other, with 937 yards. Gomez might see more catches out of the backfield as one of the few returning performers on offense.
“I think my role will get bigger and better because of the O-line we have,” Gomez said.
“If the defense is giving us that, Jorge does have that ability,” Marichalar said. “He’s a great receiver, as well, since he plays as our inside receiver whenever we go into our spread.”
Edcouch-Elsa’s wide receiving core will have a drastically different look compared to a season ago. Of the 2,192 receiving yards and 31 receiving touchdowns recorded by wideouts, the Yellow Jackets have lost 98 percent of those yards (2,162) and all 31 touchdowns.
Junior Derrick Ayala, who caught two passes for 13 yards in four varsity games in 2016, is E-E’s leading returning receiver.
“My job is to carry on the tradition of the great Edcouch-Elsa wide receivers of the past,” Ayala said.
Ayala is enjoying what he has seen so far from new signal caller Albert Trevino.
“He’s good,” Ayala said. “He’s got the speed and accuracy. He’s a good quarterback. I’m anxious to see what we can do when the season starts.”
ONE LAST RUN
The buzz around Yellow Jackets practice was the anticipated return of senior wide receiver, tight end and linebacker Mac Lara.
“Mac has been on the varsity team for three years,” Marichalar said. “Unfortunately, he had an injury last year. We’re expecting a lot of great things from him.”
Lara suffered a broken right tibia in a scrimmage before the year and wasn’t able to suit up for E-E in 2016.
“The injury was kind a freak accident,” Garza said. “His mom didn’t want him to play football anymore, but Mac told her that he wanted to play. So he’s out here.”
The nearly all-new core of wide receivers is Lara’s to lead, molding future Yellow Jackets pass catchers.
“We’re dealing with some adversity, but a little adversity never hurts,” Lara said. “They’re all learning the positions pretty well. They’re stepping up. It’s not that hard when you have pretty good receivers around you.”
“I coached his older brother Frank who played at Texas State, and they’re very similar,” Garza said. “He can play at the Division I level. We have so much confidence in this kid. He’s a hell of an athlete.”
DEFENSIVE STALWART
As much as Edcouch-Elsa’s offense will have to pick up the pieces in 2017, the Yellow Jackets will return only three starters on the opposite of the ball.
Chief among those returners is senior John Michael Gonzalez, a 5-foot-4-inch cornerback whose rugged play has earned the respect of teammates and opponents alike.
“I call him Shorty, because he’s a little stud out there,” Marichalar said. “He lines everybody up. He’s the smallest guy on the team, but he’ll bark at anybody to make sure everybody’s on point.”
Gonzalez is one of two returners to the E-E secondary. He led the team in passes defended (four) in 2016.
“The coaches who bring us up in the program teach us not to give up, dream big and believe big,” Gonzalez said. “That’s our motto here. I took that mindset and made it my own. I don’t let my height discourage me.”
For Marichalar, watching Gonzalez from the sidelines is like watching another version himself out on the field.
“You just love those type of kids who are willing to do anything in their power to make sure that the team succeeds,” Marichalar said. “That’s what Shorty brings to the table.”
EDCOUCH-ELSA’S PROGNOSIS
The Yellow Jackets return only seven starters to their team but are still in a prime position to contend for a top-four finish in District 32-5A.
2016 record: 9-4
Returning starters O/D: 4/3
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Joe Marichalar
Year at school: 5th
Record: 32-16