SAN BENITO — The San Benito Greyhound football program had one of their best seasons in recent memory in 2015, winning a share of the District 32-6A title and qualifying for the regional quarterfinals.
For seniors Joseph Partida and Mario Valdez, the ride will continue. The pair inked their national letters of intent to play college football during Wednesday’s National Signing Day at San Benito High School.
Partida (left tackle) will join Division II Texas A&M – Kingsville, while Valdez (defensive back) will take his talents to Division III’s Hardin Simmons University in Abilene.
“I’m excited for the kids and their families,” said San Benito athletic director Dan Gomez. “They’re very committed young men. Joseph is in the top 10 of his class and Mario is also in the top 10 percent, so that shows the type of commitment they have. In order for them to play football at a high level it takes a lot of work and a lot of hours and for them to be where they’re at academically, it takes the same.
“It’s exactly what they’ve shown and the reason why they’re successful.”
Partida was a force in the trenches this season and a big reason why the Greyhound offense averaged nearly 400 yards of offense per game and produced two 1,000-yard rushers on the season.
“I am excited and I have a lot of butterflies in my stomach,” Partida said. “My family will be able to watch me play and that just makes this feeling that I have greater. They watched me in middle school, high school and now they’ll be able to see me in college.
“I plan on making them all proud.”
He will join the Javelinas of the Lone Star Conference, who are led by second-year head coach Daren Wilkinson and are coming off a 2-9 season this year.
Still, the school boasts a great deal of past football success and tradition.
However, football wasn’t the only thing that drew in Partida. TAMUK is also one of the premiere engineering schools in the state.
“It’s a great school for engineering and that was a big plus for me,” Partida said. “As far as athletics go, they are familiar with winning and have a new coach. The talent is there, but it’s all a matter of doing it — I would love to be able to contribute to that kind of program.
Valdez, who led the Greyhound defense with eight interceptions on the season, comes in to a winning situation at Hardin-Simmons.
The Cowboys, of the American Southwest Conference, are coming off a 9-2 season, which included a tri-conference championship.
“When I visited, I knew they were a winning team and all they know is winning,” Valdez said. “The campus is nice and the staff reminded me so much of our staff here in San Benito because they care so much; it felt like home.
Aside from the at-home feeling and the pure excitement of joining a solid football program, Valdez feels it’s the culmination of a successful year and a childhood dream come true.
“Everything that happened this year was so surreal. Who would’ve thought that our team would go so far and that me and my colleague Joseph (Partida) would sign to play at the next level,” Valdez said. “It was a dream we had since we were kids and now all that hard work is finally paying off.”