By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
Harlingen South coach Israel Gonzalez III told his senior quarterback, Xander Casarez, early in the season that he’d earn most valuable player awards by the end of it.
Gonzalez was right. Casarez was the ultimate catalyst for the Hawks, sparking a historic 10-0 regular season that resulted in a District 32-6A championship and many momentous victories. He threw for 1,540 yards and 17 touchdowns with only one interception. He added three scores and 116 yards rushing, and one receiving touchdown.
Casarez was named the co-MVP of the district. He’s adding the Valley Morning Star’s 2021 All-Star Football Most Valuable Player award to his phenomenal season.
“It’s really great. I give all the glory to God, first and foremost,” Casarez said. “I want to thank all my teammates and coaches and family that helped me along the way to get here. It’s great to show that hard work really does pay off. It’s never going to be easy, but it will be worth it. It was a really great season and felt really good in the heart.”
Gonzalez’s belief in Casarez set in from the moment they met, when the latter presented the first-year coach with a Hawks jersey at his introductory pep rally. Gonzalez called it a moment he’ll never forget.
“When he gave me that jersey, I asked if he was ready to go to work, and that look in his eyes told me he was,” Gonzalez said. “He was a kid that showed up from Day 1 and was willing to learn, willing to do what we asked of him. We saw all the traits we needed to see in Xander. We saw the leadership, the commitment, the work ethic, and there was no doubt in my mind he was our team MVP.”
Taking the sole QB1 role this season was a task Casarez was eager to have. He stepped up not only his play, but his leadership, too, and he humbly credited his coaches and teammates for making it easy to take on his responsibilities.
Casarez said the new coaching staff started off simple when introducing the offense, and as they learned it quickly, the Hawks opened things up and averaged more than 34 points per game. He took advantage of the athletes around him, delivering touchdown passes to five different receivers and notching a 68 percent completion rate.
“It was team-first. I didn’t believe I did anything for the team, we all did it together. We had many weapons, and it wasn’t just a one-scheme offense,” Casarez said. “(I focused) more on my mindset, really learning the game and knowing what’s going on in situations. (I showcased) my athleticism, that I can really roll out and throw on the run under pressure, and I’m able to read the field really well.
“It was my job to lead the guys and to show them that we can do this. If we stick together, teamwork is going to get us through and where we need to go.”
Casarez and Co. did go where no Hawks team had in a while. They captured their first Bird Bowl victory over rival Harlingen High since 2007. Following that milestone with a hard-fought win at San Benito, then capturing the district title at Los Fresnos are a few of Casarez’s favorite moments from the stellar season.
The senior hopes his final season will show future Hawks what they can achieve with hard work and faith.
“We were confident. (The coaches) really implemented confidence in us, and we all grew better mindsets and became better men,” Casarez said. “Having that faith from the coaches and all the players, knowing they believed I can get the job done, made a difference.”
Offensive Player of the Year
Aaron Trevino
Senior, La Feria
Trevino waited three years for his chance to be the starting quarterback for the La Feria Lions.
He earned the role during his senior season and shined. Trevino lit up the scoreboard, passing for 1,671 yards and 22 touchdowns. He surpassed 1,000 yards rushing and contributed another 16 touchdowns on the ground. For his sensational playmaking abilities, Trevino is the All-Star offensive player of the year.
“It definitely means a lot,” Trevino said. “After all the years I put in, it feels good to come out with this award and to know for myself that it all paid off and it didn’t go unnoticed. I’m just grateful.
“Coming from a family of seven with four brothers, we’re definitely competitive,” he added. “All my brothers really helped push me. My father and mother always supported me in everything I did. And (all my Lions coaches) really helped develop me as a player and a quarterback, and I’m so grateful for all of them.”
Trevino worked hard to fully learn the offense ahead of the season. As a four-year letterman, Trevino spent time working with the quarterbacks in previous years, so he used the lessons he learned while in wait to elevate his game.
“It was kind of a surprise how much really goes into the offense and how much there is to learn. I think I handled it pretty well,” Trevino said. “It was a little challenging just to know everything, pick it all up, but I think with my years of experience on the varsity level and seeing how it works since my freshman year got me used to it.”
Trevino reflected on La Feria’s regular-season finale against Hidalgo, a 34-28 victory for the District 16-4A Division I championship, as one of his favorite moments from the season. Pinned inside the Lions’ own 10-yard line, needing a score with two minutes on the clock, Trevino broke free for a nearly 90-yard rushing touchdown to seal the deal. He was named the district’s MVP.
“I remember seeing all my teammates happy and running to me, the crowd was going crazy. I love that memory,” Trevino said.
Trevino hopes his journey to success and the way he carried himself will inspire Lions for years to come.
“I started from the bottom of the offense, being a utility player and, like, the 12th man, all the way to being the captain and leading the offense. It was an amazing feeling,” Trevino said. “One of the main things I hoped to leave behind was I always played with composure. I was never out there talking trash. I always let my game do the talking. I hope they saw the way I played and they carry that on with them.”
Defensive Player of the Year
Nathan Huerta
Senior Harlingen High
For three years now, Huerta, a defensive lineman, has been a highly respected football player.
He went from being the District 32-6A newcomer of the year to the defensive player of the year to being the co-MVP this year. As an often double-teamed senior, Huerta recorded 84 tackles, 15 sacks and pressured quarterbacks at a high rate.
His consistency, relentless effort and ability to impact a game led to Huerta adding the All-Star defensive player of the year award to his impressive resume in 2021.
“It’s all God’s blessing. He blessed me with the talent and the work ethic that I have, that my team had,” Huerta said. “These successful seasons don’t come easy. They come with all the hard work and passion we put into the game.”
As Huerta continued to develop his game, opposing teams frequently game-planned around him. He pushed himself every offseason to come back faster, stronger and more knowledgeable in order to counter what would be thrown at him. He appreciated the respect it showed when teams focused so much energy on stopping him.
“It’s always double teams every game,” Huerta said. “That’s where you have to be an athlete, be a great player, be elite to be able to break off those and still make plays. Being able to watch myself on film, being able to critique myself, go to camps and see the technique that others do so I can better myself (helped me overcome that). It doesn’t come without hard work.
“(Still being successful showed) that I’m not going to be stopped,” he continued. “Every single time it’s 110 percent go, and I give it all I got. Even if I don’t have the best game, hopefully the guys around me did and we come out with a win.”
Along with being a dynamic playmaker, Huerta strived to “be a good leader, have good character and lead the defense and the team to be successful.” He wants to use his athletic ability and work ethic to make his family and community proud while playing in the college ranks.
Huerta thanked his support system for pushing him to be his best, and he hopes his efforts showed others that the sky is the limit.
“I thank my parents,” Huerta said. “They’ve pushed me every step of the way, took me to all these camps so I could better myself. And, of course, all the coaches on my journey that have helped me find myself and what I’m capable of being.
“Being able to have that great work ethic will get you places. Outworking people will get you to the top, and when you get to the top, don’t become complacent. Always keep working.”
Newcomer of the Year
Fabian Garcia
Sophomore, San Benito
There’s no denying the immediate impact Garcia, a running back, had for San Benito.
During his varsity debut season, Garcia quickly proved he could be the focal point of the Greyhounds’ offense. He accumulated 1,204 rushing yards on 170 carries, scored 11 touchdowns and turned in six performances with more than 100 yards rushing. He showed his potential from Week 1 and earned the All-Star newcomer of the year award.
“It feels great. I just worked hard every day,” Garcia said. “The beginning of the season was kind of rough for me. It was really nerve-wrecking. I had to shake off all the nerves and get better every day. I want to thank the coaches, my mom, my brother for believing in me. What helped a lot was my brother. He gave me a lot of advice.”
Garcia definitely shook off the nerves and excelled this season. He was named the District 32-6A co-offensive MVP and took on a workhorse role for San Benito. As he got more comfortable with the offense and learned how to battle the tough defenses in the district, Garcia grew more confident and became a consistently dynamic runner.
“I felt like I improved everywhere, from knowing the plays to running the ball, blocking, everything. It was really good,” Garcia said. “I couldn’t do it without my O-line, of course. I want to thank them because they had the trust in me to run the ball. … I had to start adjusting to (my opponents’) speed because they were pretty fast and learn to read their defense. My speed really helped.”
Throughout the season, Garcia also grew to truly understand how much football means in San Benito. He’s ready now to build on his breakout season and become a better leader and player for the Greyhounds.
“The last game, our playoff game, when I saw everyone tearing up, I was, like, it’s family. That’s when I really realized what it’s all about,” Garcia said. “I came from a decent season, now it’s time to get better from here. It gives me confidence, but I can’t let it get in my head. If you let it get in your head, it gets you off your groove. I just have to keep playing football.”
Coach of the Year
Israel Gonzalez III, Harlingen South
There was no program turnaround in the Rio Grande Valley quite as impressive as what Gonzalez did during his first year at the helm for the Hawks.
Gonzalez and his staff took South from turning in suboptimal seasons to going 10-1 in 2021, capturing a perfect regular season and an undefeated District 32-6A championship. The Hawks captured their first Bird Bowl victory since 2007.
Under Gonzalez’s direction, the culture at Harlingen South changed and the athletes played with a renewed fire to become one of the top teams in the RGV. Gonzalez is the All-Star coach of the year.
“There was a lot of things that made this season special,” Gonzalez said. “The expectations were a little high, and nobody puts more pressure on themselves than I think I put on myself. … (This award) is a blessing. It’s humbling. I’m extremely grateful and proud of our kids and our coaching staff.”
Gonzalez said his first step was getting the kids “to understand that you believe in them.” He showed that he was there to do more than coach football, preaching faith and doing things the right way and being confident.
The Hawks responded to his coaching style immediately, and with everyone on the same page faster than expected, the sky was the limit. Gonzalez focused on building relationships not only between players and coaches, but between the team and its school and community. He knew he had something special early on, and he fostered it to reach its potential.
South soared, but for Gonzalez, being able to have an impact on athletes like the coaches who influenced him was the most special thing about the season.
“Going undefeated was great,” Gonzalez said. “Winning Bird Bowl was great. Looking back, being able to uphold the legacies of the coaches that coached me was most special.
“I think about Randy Cretors and what he did for me as a young man growing up in the Harlingen (High) program. I think about Manny Gomez and how he helped me and turned me into the coach I am today. I think about Monty Woodall and the impact he had on my life, not only as a coach but as a mentor. To think I could’ve made those guys proud is something I’ll never forget.”