WESLACO — A year ago, the San Benito Greyhounds would not have taken on Weslaco East in a preseason contest, given the two were district rivals.
But this year, thanks to the UIL realignment, the Hounds were able to meet their former league rivals in their first scrimmage of the 2018 season.
And although it was just a scrimmage, the fans in attendance at Weslaco East High School were treated to two of the premier programs in the Valley as both squads reached the third round of the playoffs last season.
“It’s always great to play Coach (Mike) Burget and the Wildcats,” said San Benito head coach Dan Gomez. “They’re always a tough team and a great program; anytime you play them it’s a good measuring stick to see where you are at as a team.”
Here are a few things we learned from Friday’s scrimmage:
CAVAZOS LEADS THE HOUNDS’ OFFENSE
Senior quarterback Jacob Cavazos patiently waited behind Erick Retta the past few seasons.
Now with Retta gone to graduation, Cavazos is now the man.
“It’s a new position for me, but I’ve adjusted and I have learned a lot over the offseason,” said Cavazos. “It means a lot for me to play QB. I’ve played with most of these guys for my entire life and it’s a great experience for me to get a chance to play with them.”
Last season, the Hounds played a quick, up-tempo offense, and on the Hounds’ opening drive on Friday they spread the ball around and handed it off to running back Brandon Valdez.
Cavazos displayed full control of the huddle and showed his ability to use his legs.
“We saw some things we liked on offense; tonight gave us an opportunity to get better and we also saw things we need to fix, too,” Cavazos said.
VALDEZ LOOKS TO PICK UP WHERE TY LEFT OFF
While the shoes may be big to fill, running back Brandon Valdez looks to carry the load and pick up where Tyrone Harper left off last season.
While Harper was a once-in-a-decade kind of back, Valdez has the skill set to put up some sturdy numbers in 2018.
Valdez makes a nice combo with fellow back Kyler Castaneda who also displayed some smooth runs against the Wildcats.
SAME OL’ HOUNDS
Despite a few changes to the Hounds’ coaching staff, San Benito looked the same.
The Hounds looked sharp on both sides of ball. Defensively, San Benito picked up where it left off by being a hard-nosed defense.
San Benito will now host Corpus Christi Veterans next Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium in their final scrimmage of the season before the regular season kicks off on Aug. 31.
