Some teams like to use rankings as “bulletin board material” to fire up the locker room.
Others, like the Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles, brush them off and set their sights on showing the potential they know they have.
Hanna debuted in the RGVSports.com preseason poll at No. 10. The Eagles will open their 2021 campaign with a top 10 matchup against No. 2 Mercedes at 7 p.m. today at Sams Memorial Stadium. They’ve been in game mode all week and feel prepared to start the season with an upset.
“I believe that rankings aren’t really that important. I think we’re one of, if not the, best teams in the RGV,” junior running back Kriz Pena said. “I feel like we have a name on our shoulders, and we have a lot of high expectations from the school and the community all around. On Monday we changed into, like, a battle mind. We’ve been looking forward to the season, and I feel good about this first game.”
Pena will be the go-to guy in Hanna’s run game after having a breakout sophomore season. He said Santos Avalos and German Woo lead an offensive line he feels confident running behind. He’ll be nervous before the opening game, but once he takes the first hit of the season, he’ll be ready to go.
“It’s a lot of pressure, but I think I can take on the role. I have one of the best lines in Texas. I’ve been putting in a lot of work, and a lot of my teammates haven’t taken a day off,” Pena said.
The Eagles will have their third quarterback in three years leading the offense. Junior Joshua Vela, a former receiver, won the job.
“He has improved tremendously from the first practice to today,” coach Mark Guess said. “We expect him to go out there and do what he’s supposed to do, not trying to force things, but just taking what the defense gives him and being a smart quarterback. He’s a great kid, and he studies hard.”
Vela was a subvarsity quarterback as a freshman and said the transition has been a little easier because of that experience. But game week preparation as QB1 has been very different and comes with more scrutiny and responsibility, he said. Vela feels up for the challenge and wants to help Hanna start the season with a bang.
“It means a lot, knowing they trust me to go out there and help lead the offense on Friday nights, and hopefully into the postseason,” Vela said. “As a receiver I didn’t have all the eyes on me, whereas the quarterback does. That’s a lot of responsibility to take. I think I’m ready for it. … We just came off a District 32-6A championship and we think we’re higher than No. 10, but we’re not going to talk about it. We’re just going to let our playing do the talk (today).”
Senior defensive lineman Humberto Garcia, an all-state honorable mention honoree, returns to lead Hanna’s defense. Garcia said he’s excited to get the season started and feel “that rush of adrenaline” that comes with the Friday night lights. He wants to see the Eagles play aggressive and use their strong bond to earn a win against Mercedes and many more.
“We’re expecting to see a lot of spread, it’s going to be a quick team. But we have a quicker defense, explosive defense, so I think we’ll get the job done,” Garcia said. “Just keep cool, calm and collected. Don’t get too much into the moment. Play calm like it’s a regular game. … I think we can take it far, maybe even a state championship. I think we have that ability.”
Guess said opening with Mercedes is “a great test” and believes playing top teams will get Hanna ready for its “buzzsaw” district season. Though there will be a lot of eyes on this marquee matchup, he just wants the Eagles to stay focused and play hard.
“(Mercedes is) well-balanced offensively, and on defense they get after it. … I think we did a pretty decent job of preparation, so we just have to go out (tonight) and do our job,” Guess said. “We’re aware of (the rankings), but we don’t necessarily pay attention to a lot of those things. I always tell the kids, ‘Don’t ever drink your own Kool-Aid. Don’t believe what people say about you.’ We know who we are and what we can do, so we always keep ourselves grounded.”
