By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
When the Rivera Raiders found themselves winless through five games, certain changes had to be made.
The biggest changes came within the offensive unit, especially brazen during the middle of the season. Led by quarterback Danny Elizondo’s expanded role running the football, the Rivera players embraced the changes and won seven straight games, including a share of the District 32-6A title and a postseason berth.
“It’s in the stats. (Danny) did an amazing job for us, you have to give him a lot of credit,” Rivera coach Tom Chavez said. “We changed the offense, and he picked it up right away.”
Elizondo took the reins, put the offense on his shoulders and guided the Raiders to just their second trip to the regional round of the playoffs and first since 1999.
For his efforts, Elizondo has been named The Herald’s 2014 All-Metro Football Most Valuable Player.
The senior signal caller completed 144 of 308 passes for 2,320 yards and 26 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, and he rushed for 869 yards on 161 carries (5.4 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns.
That’s a total of 3,189 yards of offense and 43 touchdowns on the season, including 969 yards and a hand in all 14 touchdowns the Raiders scored during their postseason run.
Rivera finished 7-6 and was upended in the regional round by San Antonio Northside Brandeis at Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Javelina Stadium.
“The first five games compared to the next seven games, you see a lot of difference in his stats,” Chavez said. “That was a big plus for our offense, and he made a lot of plays for us (this season).”
The soft-spoken and humble Elizondo allowed himself to be proud for a few moments.
“That was my goal from the end of last season. So it makes me feel accomplished,” he said. “I’m happy to go out and achieve my goal. My hard work paid off.”
Chavez boasted that his quarterback was equally important as a leader as he was to the Rivera offense.
“He made a lot of plays for us, but he did a great job as a leader,” he said. “Danny was tremendous as a leader to the offense. I always mention that he is like a coach on the field.”
Chavez knows he loses a dynamic player that will be hard to replace next season. But the longtime coach hopes to see his quarterback competing at the college level next season.
“He did a great job. He was a tremendous athlete,” Chavez said. “Hopefully we can get him going to move on with football at another level.”
The Raiders’ coach took another moment to reflect on the season and the impact his quarterback had on the successful season.
“We couldn’t have done it without him,” Chavez said. “We realized how talented he was and how good a player he was for us by what he did this year. It was amazing.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.
The Brownsville Herald’s 2014 All-Metro Football Team
Most Valuable Player
Danny Elizondo, Rivera
Offensive Player of the Year
Pierce Ruiz, Los Fresnos
Defensive Player of the Year
Christopher Godoy, Rivera
All-Purpose Player of the Year
Derrik Rodriguez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Newcomer of the Year
Kai Money, St. Joseph Academy
Coach of the Year
Tom Chavez, Rivera
First Team
Quarterback: Andy Lopez, Hanna
Running back: Jaime Gonzalez, Port Isabel; George Gutierrez, Porter
Wide receiver: Lucas Olivares, Hanna; JJ Mercado, Lopez
Tight end: Edward Rubio, Rivera
Offensive tackle: Mario Gomez, Brownsville Veterans; Mario Gaucin, Port Isabel
Offensive guard: Michael Mendez, Los Fresnos; Agustin Hernandez, Port Isabel
Center: Jorge Montelongo, Brownsville Veterans
Kicker: Chelin Martinez, Rivera
Defensive End: Angel Espinoza, Rivera; JC Garcia, Los Fresnos
Defensive Tackle: Cristobal Bermudez, Pace; Armando Azocar, Rivera
Linebacker: Christian Martinez, Rivera; Morgan Borland, Brownsville Veterans; Kage Taylor, Los Fresnos
Defensive Backs: Marco Colorado, Port Isabel; Jordan Rojas, Los Fresnos; Fabian Rodriguez, Los Fresnos; Edward Velasquez, Rivera
Punter: David Pacheco, Porter
Second team
Quarterback: Marcus Castillo, Brownsville Veterans
Running back: Carlos Garza, Brownsville Veterans; Isaac Moreno, Los Fresnos
Wide receiver: Sammy Orive, Rivera; Bernie De La Garza, St. Joseph
Tight end: Rudy Rocha, Hanna
Offensive tackle: Jose Coronado, Porter; Bryan Lawrence, Brownsville Veterans
Offensive guard: Erick Vazquez, Brownsville Veterans; Rodney Morales, Hanna
Center: Omar Leal, Hanna
Kicker: Martin Ornelas, Los Fresnos
Defensive End: Brandon Martinez, Brownsville Veterans; Jonathan De Leon, Los Fresnos
Defensive Tackle: Robert Lopez, Los Fresnos; Christian Velasquez, Rivera
Linebacker: Pedro Gonzalez, Port Isabel; Joe Ibarra, Brownsville Veterans; Jose Lerma, Los Fresnos
Defensive Backs: Jorge Duran, Pace; Javier Ochoa, Hanna; Rey Garza, Brownsville Veterans; JJ Salazar, Rivera
Punter: Trey Mock, Port Isabel