HARLINGEN — Harlingen High athlete Eric Quilantan has been a standout in several sports throughout his Cardinals career, and he added football to the list in his senior year.
Cardinals coach Manny Gomez said he’d been trying to lure Quilantan onto the gridiron for years. He watched the senior excel on the track and basketball court, and knew he could have an impact on the football field, too. Quilantan didn’t want to have any regrets upon graduation, so he donned a helmet and pads before his time ran out.
Quilantan’s athleticism allowed him to contribute in a number of ways, lining up at receiver, cornerback and on special teams. He tallied 25 tackles, forced two fumbles and scored two touchdowns on a kickoff return and interception return to go along with accumulating 90 yards of offense, lining up in certain sets. Quilantan’s versatility and immediate impact upon returning to the sport earned him the Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR football newcomer of the year award.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting it, but it feels really good to go out my senior year and accomplish this,” Quilantan said. “All the coaches had been asking me to come out and play, and my cousins have been playing, so I just wanted to play my last year with them and experience football. It was a season to remember. I really loved the team and getting closer to a bunch of the guys, feeling like a family. It felt good to be able to help win some big games.”
Gomez said getting Quilantan to join football was a bigger challenge than teaching him how. He raved about Quilantan’s athletic abilities and work ethic, and said his influence on the underclassmen in the program was just as influential as his performances.
“I kept throwing it out there, and finally he came out for his senior year,” Gomez said. “It was one of those deals where you put the uniform on him, teach him a few things here and there — coverages, pass plays, run plays — and just let his athleticism take over. I didn’t really have to do much, it was just enticing him here and letting him have fun. He was certainly impactful in some big games and certainly helped us.”
One play in particular that stood out for the player was a kickoff return in a key win over Weslaco High. Quilantan said that was his best highlight this season, and Gomez agreed. The coach said he rewound the film to watch that play at least five times, in awe of Quilantan’s speed, vision and elusiveness.
Quilantan credited his track & field career for helping him influence the team. He said his speed and agility were beneficial on both sides of the ball, and once he learned the playbook and fixed some technique with the help of his coaches and family, he was a good weapon for Harlingen High.
“(My track training) definitely played a role. It helped me get off the line and get around people, and just covering and all that. Being able to stick with them the whole time was definitely an advantage,” Quilantan said.
Gomez said he wished he “would’ve had (Quilantan) a couple more years,” but he was proud of what the senior accomplished in his year with the program and enjoyed being along for the ride as Quilantan made his family proud.
“He helped put Cardinal football back where we needed to be and opened up the eyes of the younger cats to inspire them to work harder,” Gomez said. “His parents, grandparents, sisters, cousins have all been competitors and played for the Cardinals. So it wasn’t just a Cardinal affair, it was a Quilantan affair. He went out there and made it memorable for himself and for his family.”
