DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
ROMA — All that needs to be known about Roma senior linebacker Roger Lozano is this: since fracturing a bone in his hand during a Sept. 26 game against rival Rio Grande City, the diminutive punisher has not missed a play.
Not during practice. Not during a game. His brother, sophomore strong safety David, said Lozano told him he was in pain. But he also told him he didn’t care.
That, in a nutshell, defines Lozano, whose team needed every snap from him for a 7-6 win over the Rattlers. It, too, defines the make-up of the Gladiators, who have reached historic proportions heading into Friday’s Class 5A area playoff game against Gregory-Portland.
“Most kids would have folded, would have said they’re done,” defensive coordinator Frank Villarreal recalled. “But not him. He didn’t want to miss a play. He’s true to himself.”
Lozano perseveres because of what he plays for.
This season, he has amassed 107 total tackles (64 solo, 14 for losses), 11 sacks, one fumble caused and one fumble recovery. But he wouldn’t care if he had all zeroes in those categories, as long as team results were the same.
Roma, for the first time in program history, is in the playoffs. And Roma, for the first time in program history, is a bi-district playoff champion.
“I’m not just playing for this team or myself,” Lozano said. “I’m playing for past teams, because we know they wanted to reach what we reached this year. I’m playing for the whole community, playing for everyone who’s ever played with me.”
‘THE PERFECT LEADER’
Lozano comes from a football family. Not only is younger brother David following in his footsteps, but older brother Enrique, a 2010 Roma graduate, left an impressionable mark as a linebacker.
Lozano has learned well from Enrique.
The brothers grew up telling stories about one day playing football for Roma. Not just football, either, but defense. Roger and David saw Enrique star on the field for the Gladiators, wearing the red and white proudly.
“My older brother taught me a lot, so it means a lot to go to the playoffs and win our first playoff game,” Lozano said, smiling. “I have bragging rights. With my whole family, it’s always been about being the best you can be in anything you do.”
A three-year starter, Lozano is a leader. Emotionally, physically, vocally. The grounds of Gladiator Arena are his.
“It’s easy to follow a guy like Roger,” Roma coach Max Habecker Jr. said. “There’s no ego. There’s no flash. He’s workmanlike. He does his job.
“He won’t pump his chest, he won’t yell and scream. People gravitate to that.”
David, certainly, is one.
“He’s the perfect leader,” David said. “He motivates people, he pushes people and he does everything he can. We see him doing the best he can, and it makes us want to do the same. His attitude towards the game and the way he wants it so badly … it makes the difference.”
When talking about Lozano, Habecker often refers to his play on the scout team.
Defense has been Roma’s calling card this season. Lozano is the leader of that defense. The benefit has been the offense.
With Lozano leading scout team defense during practices, the offense has been challenged every day, and now it’s paying off at the right time.
“When this year started, all I had to do was tell him, ‘Hey, man, we’re real young. We need high competition in practice,’” said Habecker, whose Gladiators start 10 sophomores. “And I just had to tell him once. That was it.
“It’s guys like that, who’ve driven themselves to win when they could be on the sideline taking it easy on scout team, that shows why we’re here.”
REACHING FOR MORE
While much of his success comes from ambition, there is no doubting Lozano’s ability.
He is small, nor is he overly strong. But he is quick and elusive, and has a knack for beating opponents to spots.
As Roma’s outside linebacker, it is Lozano’s job to put pressure on the quarterback. He does, early and often.
“Nothing fazes him,” Habecker said. “He has a lot of natural gifts, like his want to get to the ball.
“We can get these guys physically tuned and teach them to play their positions all we want, but some guys are born with it and he has it.
“He just gets to the ball.”
Lozano has started for the Gladiators since he was a sophomore. He has had a front row seat for plenty of heartbreak.
A loss to Mercedes during his sophomore season cost Roma a playoff berth. Roma winning three straight to close last season before again falling short of a postseason visit, losing out on positive points.
But for all of that, he is here now, with his team, with his brother, still playing football in late November.
Of course, it’s not enough. Lozano is not the type to be content. And because of players like him, Roma is not that type either.
“It’s been a special year for me, for this team,” Lozano said. “We’re not a football town, and we’re making it a football town. We’re starting a tradition now. But making the playoffs was just one goal we have.
“We have to reach for more.”