MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Non-district was intended to expose Valley View to “upper-echelon teams,” which is why coach Baldo Peña scheduled PSJA Southwest, Zapata, Laredo Cigarroa and Port Isabel — all boasting winning records.
By the time they entered District 31-5A, the Tigers were 0-4. After the opener, they fell to 0-5, with a nine-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Was Peña concerned? Sure.
“If you don’t win many games, you get fired,” he said. “But the kids weren’t focused on that. And they proved it by coming out last week and playing a fantastic game against Rio (Grande City in a 14-13 win).”
After recording their first win of the season, the Tigers (1-5, 1-1) find themselves in a two-way tie for third place in district, along with Mission Veterans (4-2, 1-1). The last 31-5A team to win a game is suddenly in the playoff picture, and Peña can appreciate that considering the circumstances.
The Tigers have so few players (between 35-37) that it can’t field a JV team. Freshmen graduate to the varsity squad. As such, a sophomore-laden team took their lumps last season, losing eight of 10 games and several players to injuries along the way.
To limit those odds, Valley View implemented rigorous offseason workouts, Peña said, helping players add bulk. Thus, the losses this season haven’t come by way of low roster numbers. It was because of a lack of maturity.
That’s what non-district was supposed to help with — accelerating the learning curve.
“We haven’t played any slouches; we’ve played terrific teams,” Peña said. “Playing them, the lack of football knowledge (on our team) was glaring, but not anymore. The biggest blessing was that they realized they can play with anybody.”
One of the biggest tests comes tonight, when they travel to take on No. 4 Edinburg Vela, a high-octane offense whose lone loss came at the hands of top-ranked Sharyland High.
“They’re looking forward to Vela,” Peña said. “They don’t have a 5-1 record because they’re not good. They know Vela’s good. They’re a team that went through the same (learning) process as these kids. To them, it’s a game that’ll show them where their development is as a unit.”
Valley View will rely on a defensive line featuring Edgar Rodriguez and Albert Castillo, with Jorge Lopez and Carlos Batiz at defensive ends. Sophomore Lou Gomez finds his way into the rotation, as well. They give the Tigers their best shot at taking the next step with one win under their belts.
“Coach Peña has done a good job with those guys,” Vela coach Michael Salinas said. “They’re going to make you work for everything. We’re going to attack it and approach it like we do every week. The fact is, Valley View is 1-1 (in district). They do have an opportunity to make the postseason. So we know they’re going to give us their best shot.”