The enthusiasm was palpable as Brownsville Rivera football coach Alberto Leal talked about the first few days of practice with his Raiders and the upcoming season.
“It’s been freaking awesome. We’re loving it. Kids are trickling in little by little, but they’re coming,” Leal said. “We had a real good summer since UIL was allowing us to do a little bit more football, an hour a day. … We always say our biggest opponent’s the summer, and I think our kids did a good job of beating the summer. Our No. 1s are ready to go, now we’re just making sure our No. 2s are ready to go. We’re real optimistic this year, and we have a lot of high hopes for these kids.”
Leal said the focus during the opening week of practice has been getting the No. 2s and the younger players caught up to the returners who put in work throughout the summer. He doesn’t have all expected participants yet, but he’s anticipating the program’s numbers will continue to grow. The Raiders are “strongly encouraging” student-athletes to get vaccinated and are hosting a vaccine clinic next Thursday at the high school in preparation for the school year.
The Raiders are returning a talented defense that Leal believes will be one of the team’s biggest strengths. The unit was young last year, but the playmakers impressed and have only gotten better with time. Rivera has a big, experienced offensive line ready to lead the way on offense.
A big hole to fill will be at quarterback after mainstay Chito Perez graduated. Leal isn’t worried about the key position. Senior Ramsey Rocha has stepped into the role and proved he’s the man for the job by putting in long hours with his teammates.
“Ramsey has been here all summer working his butt off, and I think, not think, I know he’s going to do a good job for us. We’re excited about this kid,” Leal said. “The kids are real energetic. It’s kinda hot, but they’re buying in. Once we get all our kids back, we’ll really get rolling. I really feel it’s going to be a great year for us.”
Down the road, the Brownsville Lopez Lobos are optimistic, too. Coach Armando Gutierrez has a good mix of experienced players and promising young talent, and everyone has been giving it their all every time they hit the field, lift weights or study film.
“Despite the trying times, we’ve had decent numbers. They’ve been coming and buying in all summer,” Gutierrez said. “They crave that structure and we’re going to give it to them. Part of our team motto is T.E.A.M — together, educated, accountable, motivated. Those are our core beliefs, and these kids have lived it this whole summer because they’re excited to get back.”
Some of the players Gutierrez is expecting to be key pieces on the team are junior quarterback/athlete Jacob Cortinas and senior defensive linemen Omar Cervantes and Gerry Martinez. Gutierrez praised the incoming freshmen and other young players who didn’t get the full football experience last season for “bringing the spark” and playing with excitement.
Lopez went 1-4 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and has had a tough time battling out wins in the competitive District 16-5A Division I. But the win-loss record is not the end-all, be-all for Gutierrez. He appreciates the fight his team shows and takes pride in knowing the Lobos program is about more than football, and he believes that will translate into strong performances this season.
“I know what their potential is. Granted, if you live your life by the scoreboard, you’ll be disappointed. We don’t live our life by that,” Gutierrez said. “These kids are excited about doing this and being here, and that’s what matters. There’s a lot more at stake here than just football. It’s a different set of kids here at Southmost. I’ve been a lot of places, and this place is so unique because of what they battle through. Every one of these kids has a story, and when they come here they bring it all together and they put it all on the line.”
