WESLACO — Weslaco High’s Andres Sepulveda has played quarterback since he was 6, dreaming of one day suiting up for the Panthers since his Pop Warner days.
After spending his first two years at Weslaco High on the freshman and junior varsity teams, Sepulveda earned his shot this season, taking over as the Panthers’ starting quarterback.
“It’s a big role to fill but I feel like I can handle it,” Sepulveda said. “It feels good knowing you’re the one in control. Words can’t even explain what playing quarterback for the Panthers means to me. It’s just a really good feeling knowing the community is cheering for you and your team.”
Sepulveda has given Panthers fans plenty to cheer for through the first four weeks, racking up 684 total yards and seven touchdowns to help guide Weslaco High to a 4-0 mark.
The junior signal caller ranks No. 2 in District 32-6A in passing yards, completing 44-of-73 passes for 548 yards and four touchdowns. He has added 136 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.
“It was definitely a little nerve-wracking to start,” Sepulveda said. “The coaches have been getting me right, though. They’ve been getting our whole team right. Everything has just been falling into place one by one, taking it one game at a time.”
Sepulveda’s first start wasn’t perfect, going 7-of-12 for 85 yards and an interception. He has completed over 60% of his passes since then, throwing for more than 125 yards during each contest.
Weslaco’s field general delivered his best game of the season last week, throwing for 181 yards and three touchdowns, and carrying the ball nine times for 35 yards and a score during a 41-10 victory over Sharyland High.
“If there is any word that can describe him and where he sits right now, it’s his confidence,” Weslaco High head coach Roy Stroman said. “He’s trusting his offensive line, receivers and the process. For him, it was about finally getting himself into that starting role, which was something new to him. It is totally different than freshman football. Now that he has that confidence and swag, now that he understands our offense, it has paid dividends for him this year.”
The team’s work in spring ball and summer 7-on-7 helped him build chemistry with his receivers going into the season, Sepulveda said, building a rapport with senior wideouts Dohnny Lincoln and Roy Stroman Jr.
Lincoln and Stroman Jr. have served as Sepulveda’s favorite targets, hauling in a combined 24 catches for 325 yards and four touchdowns.
Still, it’s Sepulveda’s work in the weight room has played a bigger role in getting the junior quarterback prepared this season, his head coach said.
“He used to wear hoodies and now he’s wearing those short-sleeved shirts,” Stroman said. “That’s when you know the weight room is working. He’s been putting a lot of emphasis in trying to get himself in better shape. That plus eating right, something his parent have done a tremendous job of. He carries a gallon of water to school every day. All that stuff has been key to the way he is right now.”
After opening the season unranked, Weslaco High has climbed the RGVSports.com Class 5A/6A top 10 poll each week, debuting at No. 10 after Week 1 and currently sitting at No. 5.
Sepulveda and the Panthers put their unbeaten record on the line at 7 p.m. Friday, wrapping up non-district play against Laredo United South at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.
LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE
Mission High receiver Josiah Guzman can be described in one word — electric. The 5-foot-8, 155-pound wideout’s blazing 4.5 speed makes him a threat to score anytime he touches the ball.
His game-breaking ability was on full display against Brownsville Pace on Friday, returning a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns, including a 101-yard return with 2:50 left in the first.
Guzman added an 11-yard touchdown reception during the fourth, finishing with seven catches for 69 yards and a score during the loss.
The Eagles’ impact receiver ranks No. 2 in District 31-6A in receiving yards, reeling in 19 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns. His five total touchdowns are tied for first in the district with PSJA High’s Caleb Salas.
GROUND AND POUND
Passing has been at a premium during non-district play in the Valley’s two 6A districts, with only two teams averaging more than 200 yards through the air during the first four weeks.
Ground attacks, however, have taken center stage, with several rushers averaging more than 100 yards per game.
San Benito fields the RGV’s most dominant rushing attack in Class 6A, averaging 319.5 yards per game. Junior running back Fabian Garcia has spearheaded the Greyhounds’ ground game, carrying the ball 53 times for 536 yards and eight touchdowns.
At Brownsville Hanna, running back Kriz Peña continued his dominant senior season Saturday, eclipsing the 200-yard mark for a second time this season. His 673 rushing yards rank No. 1 in District 32-6A.
Other standouts include Los Fresnos quarterback Robert Pineda (59 carries, 432 yards, four touchdowns) and Edinburg Economedes running back Miguel Saucedo (82 carries, 400 yards, two touchdowns), both averaging more than 100 yards per game.
