By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
PHARR — For as much success as PSJA North enjoyed the past two years after a dismal 2013, first-year coach Marcus Kaufmann set out to scrap it all and start anew when he took over the program in January.
In 2003, Kaufmann was part of a similar rebuilding project when he joined coach Bill Littleton at McAllen Memorial from Cuero. That assignment, Kaufmann said, was “a complete overhaul.” What he believes he has now at PSJA North, however, is the proper foundation to begin molding a new culture.
“I know they made the playoffs (the last two years),” Kaufmann said. “But I tell them, ‘Let’s go back and try to rekindle some of that fire’” from the district title-winning teams.
“When I first got here 13 years ago, everybody was afraid to play PSJA North. They were going to hit you in the mouth, and they were not going to stop the whole game. We’re going to try to simulate that.”
Kaufmann has talked at length with his players about “bringing back the gold” — so much, in fact, that it has become one of their mottos during two-a-days. Those district title trophies now adorn Kaufmann’s new office. And whenever he finds himself curious about the past Raiders teams, Kaufmann “bugs” former defensive coordinator Freddy Hernandez or former head coach Orlando Garcia, now the PSJA ISD athletic coordinator, with any inquiries.
Coming off a winless season in 2013, Jorge Peña took over at North and led the team to two straight bi-district appearances. The Raiders finished tied for second place in district in his first year, before taking sole possession of third.
Yet, in having one-on-one discussions with players, Kaufmann learned about contentiousness in the locker room. So when the team went through spring practices in May, Kaufmann set out to start anew — to have his players in sync, and to have them play up to the level of competition, not down.
Going into two-a-days this week, Kaufmann anticipated having to refresh his players on the ins and outs of the system, and the terminology. Because they retained most of it, players now find themselves going through the schemes.
The Raiders will be multiple on offense, led by quarterback Darren Fuentes, who assumed that role last year after George Olivarez transferred to Edinburg Vela midseason. Bo Adams, who split time at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, is expected to be the featured ball carrier. Halfback Rene Ramirez should alleviate some of the load.
Last year, the three came together to help produce the second-most yards in district (398.4 per game) and the third-most points (30.4) as they closed out the regular season winning four of five games. They return five starters from that side of the ball, and have seven three-year starters sprinkled across their roster.
“Everything’s coming together perfectly,” Ramirez said. “Coach is talking about bringing back the swagger. That’s definitely his catchphrase. Smash mouth football. Bring back the gold.
“We’re still learning the system, but we’ll get there.”
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
With first-year defensive coordinator Will Littleton, previously the secondary coach at Los Fresnos, the Raiders will run a 4-2-5 set, which Kaufmann believes will better stabilize the defense, especially with safety Raudel Alvarez as an additional outside linebacker.
“The way that our linemen are set up, it gives the linebackers a chance to fly anywhere and make plays,” Alvarez said.
North returns seven players on defense, including linebackers C.J. Gaitan and Leroy Vasquez. Vicente Palacios returns to lead the front four.
“As long as they’re playing with high energy and 11 guys realize we’re going to help — we’re not going to have just one guy tackle — that’s the big deal on defense,” Kaufmann said. “We have to play with reckless abandon. You could be in the wrong spot, but if all 11 guys are playing hard, you’ll make up for a bunch of mental errors.”
LENDING A HELPING HAND
Last year, North finished last in district in defense, allowing the most yards (385.7) and the second-most points (31.6) per game. But Kaufmann insists “it wasn’t as bad as the stats look.”
Though the team generated plenty of offense, he noticed North had several three-and-outs and careless turnovers. That resulted in shorter breaks for the defense, and reduced time discussing adjustments with the coaching staff.
“When you do that, you put your defense in a pretty big bind,” Kaufmann said. “The kids were playing hard, but the defense was hurting. They were just in a lot of bad situations.”
Kaufmann’s hope is that the Raiders are able to extend drives at least seven or eight plays to give the defense sufficient rest.
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PSJA NORTH’S PROGNOSIS
North returns 12 starters from a playoff-qualifying team. Should their defense improve under a new system, the Raiders should secure another postseason berth.
Projected record: 7-4
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Marcus Kaufmannn
Year at school: 1st
Career record: 0-0