MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
SAN BENITO — Despite a slow start and a 2-2 record for the San Benito Greyhounds this season, there aren’t any hanging heads in that camp.
Aside from that, the Greyhounds are a team that can score points in bunches and after this past week’s 39-14 week over Brownsville Hanna, they are District 32-6A’s top offense.
A big part of that is senior quarterback Cristian Sierra.
It’s the senior’s second year as a starter but only the first under center—he started at running back last season.
While it is Sierra’s first year as the starter, the concept is nothing new to him.
“This year, we came into the season needing a quarterback, so I stepped up to help our team. I was the back up last year, but I was the starting running back,” Sierra said. “I already knew the concepts, so when I knew we’d need a quarterback, I knew it would be my turn to shine in my senior year.”
As well as being prepared and stepping up, the senior signal caller also brings confidence.
Sierra claims the jitters of being the offensive leader doesn’t get to him because it doesn’t exist.
“I don’t get nervous; I never have. I sit and wait for the game to start,” Sierra said. “I get asked if I’m nervous and I just say I’m ready to go out there and show what I can do.”
His teammates and peers may ask the questions about nerves, but you won’t find his coaches questioning his mettle.
First-year San Benito head coach Dan Gomez knows Sierra is as cool as they come.
“Cristian has come a long way maturity wise with the responsibility he has taken being our quarterback,” San Benito head football coach Dan Gomez said. “We put a lot of pressure on that position and he hasn’t shied away from it at all. He brings focus and good athleticism to the offense and program. He leads by example and we’re glad to have him on our side of the ball.”
Sierra talked about being hungry to win the district opener after falling to Weslaco East and McAllen Memorial in consecutive weeks.
Sierra said he called a meeting with the offense where he and the offense challenged themselves to perform better—they answered.
This past Saturday, Sierra lit up the Eagles for 291 yards on 17 of 29 passing two touchdowns and an interception.
That performance made Sierra the No. 2 passer in the district, showing the balance of the potentially potent offense.
San Benito’s running back Gabriel Vasquez leads 32-6A in rushing and also scored a pair of touchdowns coming out of the offense’s meeting.
“We were angry about losing those two games; everybody was,” Sierra said. “We were hungry for our last win. I want everyone to come out everyday and work hard; that’s how we got better. We were ready.”
Now, the Greyhounds will host Los Fresnos on Friday night in what Sierra feels is a game to prove to the community that they are indeed district competitors.
“After we dropped those two games, everyone thought it was going to be the same old San Benito that missed the playoffs. We lost some fans after those losses,” Sierra explained. “We are just trying to get everyone back. We need to stay confident and go play ball.”