SAN BENITO — Playing in the purple and gold of San Benito meant a lot to senior linebacker Aaron Reyes.
He didn’t just grow as a player in his time with the Greyhounds, he learned how to be a better person, too. Though his final season didn’t pan out quite like he’d hoped, Reyes said it was a fun experience taking the field one last time with his squad and he made the most of the six games he got to play.
Reyes recorded 52 tackles with 10 tackles for loss and five sacks through six games along with notching two forced fumbles and two recoveries. He was the leader for a Greyhounds defense that only allowed an average of 19.3 points per game and limited two opponents to single-digit scoring. Reyes is the Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR football defensive player of the year.
“It feels great (to win this). I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and my coaches,” Reyes said. “Growing up, I had it rough and I didn’t know if I was going to play football. I quit many times. This year, I just wanted to show people that I could be that leader. It was an amazing feeling.”
Reyes credited Greyhounds coach Dan Gomez for helping him shape up. The senior called Gomez a father figure for him, and he thanked Gomez and defensive coordinator Johnny Garza for pushing him to become a better player, person and teammate.
“My coaches have been there for me through it all,” Reyes said. “When I first got here, I was lazy. I thought I was too good, and Coach Gomez put me right real quick. That was something I improved on, I became more of a leader and involved myself with more people and became a good teammate.”
Gomez said Reyes matured a lot while in the program and became a positive example for his teammates on the field and in the classroom. He lauded Reyes’ resilience, versatility and the energy he brings to the field, which are a few characteristics of the senior’s playing style that helped him earn co-most valuable player honors in District 32-6A’s south zone.
“Aaron is a resilient young man. He’s been through so much in the short life that he’s had, and he handled the challenges this season brought forth so well because of what he’s gone through,” Gomez said. “His practice habits improved tremendously from one year to the next, and his leadership skills as well. That allowed him to play really good football this year. He can go and cover people, he can play in space and he can also play up at the line of scrimmage and be effective. That’s what made him very productive this year.”
Reyes does a lot of great things on a football field, but the moments that made him most excited were plays that drove opposing offenses off the field. San Benito was able to do that often this season, and Reyes said the unit’s chemistry was the key to its success.
Though the season ended sooner than he liked, Reyes finds comfort knowing his career isn’t over. He recently played in the Hawaii Tiki Bowl in Orlando and earned defensive most valuable player honors for his performance as a starting free safety. The showcase sparked an uptick in college interest, and Reyes is in the process of deciding where he’ll be playing next.
Wherever he goes, Reyes knows he’ll have the Greyhounds community behind him. He thanked his family, coaches, teammates and “all the San Benito family” for their support throughout his career and especially through a senior season that may not have been ideal but was special nonetheless.
“Even though it didn’t go as I wanted, I was still happy we got the opportunity to play and I got to be with my coaches for one more season,” Reyes said. “It felt great being able to play with my teammates one last time, Michael Banda, Leonel Fuentes, John Castro, Zachary Galvan, all those guys. We always had each other’s back.”
