By KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star
SAN BENITO — Senior linebacker AJ Garcia brings what every coach wants in a player: leadership, heart, passion and a killer instinct on the field.
Throughout his three years with the varsity, Garcia provided those traits, and he will walk out of San Benito High School as a household name.
Entering the 2018 season, there were question marks about who would step up and lead the Greyhounds’ defense, but Garcia put together a strong senior year and was a force for the unit.
Garcia is this year’s Valley Morning Star All-STAR Football Defensive Player of the Year. The award will stay in San Benito, as Ryan Reza earned the same award last year.
“ It is an honor to win this award from the VMS,” Garcia said. “Each award I receive is great, and I feel good about myself to receive this award. Here we always want to be the hardest hitting team on the field, it is something the coaches teach. They push us to be better. Coming into this year I wanted to do better than Ryan did, and that is no disrespect, and now the next guy coming up, I want him to be better than me.”
Garcia finished with 11 sacks during the regular season, and he roamed sideline to sideline, with 56 solo tackles, 61 overall, and 16 for loss.
“ I just had a conversation with someone the other day, and I told them that I have no regrets,” Garcia said. “I feel I did everything I could, and did the best I could and left everything on the field. I’m proud to say that, and I have no regrets.”
Garcia now passes the torch to future ‘Hounds players.
“ I talked with some of the younger guys, and I talked to John Daniel and told him to go out there and play hard, and to play each game as if it were your last because time goes by quick.”
Garcia’s best moments came two years ago during his sophomore year against Weslaco High, when he made a tackle for a loss; his junior year, scoring a touchdown against Northside O’Connor; and most recently against Harlingen High, when he scored three rushing touchdowns.
Garcia also reflected on his time with ‘Hounds coach Dan Gomez, who coached him all four years.
“ I want to thank Coach Gomez for giving me the opportunity to play as a sophomore,” Garcia said. “He gives everyone an opportunity and it is a matter of what you do with that opportunity, and he is a great man for that, and without him I’m not sure if I’d be here right now.”