SAN BENITO — The end of the 2021 season left San Benito with an ugly taste in its players mouths. After reeling off three straight wins to close out the regular season, the Greyhounds season came to a halt in the 6A bi-district round, trading blows with perennial Valley power Edinburg Vela before falling 17-7.
Fueled by the first-round exit, the Greyhounds are amped for the 2022 campaign, returning 11 starters from last year’s 8-3 team. San Benito kicks off the year as the No. 5 Class 5A-6A team in the first RGVSports.com top 10 poll.
“Everybody here, we have the same goal in mind since we lost to (Edinburg) Vela,” San Benito defensive lineman Nova Bejaran said. “Since the offseason, we’ve been putting in the work and we’re ready for this new season.”
The Greyhounds return several weapons on offense, including District 32-6A co-offensive player of the year Fabian Garcia. The junior running back broke out in a big way as a sophomore, rushing for 1,204 yards and 11 touchdowns on 170 carries.
He’ll be joined by do-it-all athlete Rodney Rodriguez on the offensive side of the ball. Rodriguez finished with 610 yards and seven touchdowns passing, adding 430 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
The offense demonstrated it’s potential during 7-on-7 competition during the summer, going 5-2 overall Valley opponents during the Sharyland Snake Pit Classic tournament and the state tournament in College Station.
“We got a few guys coming back and we know what we’re doing,” Rodriguez said. “We’re also very confident in our underclassmen and the seniors we have coming in. I think we’re going to do some really good things.”
The Greyhounds field an equally talented defense, returning six starters. Senior linebacker Mariano Garcia, the team’s leading tackler a season ago (78), gives San Benito an impact player in the middle of the field, recording 18 tackles for loss, seven sacks and five interceptions in 2021.
Defensive backs DeAnthony Mireles and Homer Quiroz solidify the Greyhounds’ secondary, giving San Benito a pair of athletic playmakers against the pass. The duo combined for 106 tackles, 16 pass breakups and six interceptions last year.
“We’ve been working all offseason since the day we lost to (Edinburg) Vela,” Mireles said. “We’ve been counting down the days, knowing we can finally strap it up again and go to battle with someone else in a different color.”
“We’re a little bit more experienced than last year, with a lot of us coming back. We’re going to play violent and physical and make sure they feel us. We’re going to come prepared every Friday.”
Like the Valley’s other 6A district, 32-6A received a revamped look during realignment, dropping from eight teams to six following the departure of Donna North and Harlingen South to 5A-Division I.
The six-team district leaves San Benito with five non-district contests to gear up for their district title hunt, including four against postseason qualifiers from a season ago. The Greyhounds non-district slate begins with a clash against No. 8 Brownsville Veterans on Aug. 27 at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.
They’ll square off against Brownsville Pace, McAllen Memorial, Mission Veterans and Edinburg High before a bye week Sept. 30 leading up to their district opener against Brownsville Hanna on Oct. 7 at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito.
“I feel like we can be district champs but we have to take it week by week,” Mireles said. “We’re going to prepare every week like we’re playing the best team in the state. Hopefully with that we can win out and be district champs.”
