Kingsville defensive end Charles Cox (left), a first-team all-district pick last
year, is one of five starters returning to the Brahmas’ defense.
If rebuilding a high school football team was an art, Richard
Whitaker has plenty of canvas to work with.
The Kingsville head coach returns just two offensive starters from
last season's playoff team, one that must now contend with Gregory-Portland and
Rockport-Fulton in the district race.
"I think from top to bottom there's going to be a lot of surprises,"
said Whitaker, whose Brahmas finished in second place last season with a 4-1 district
record. "There's no telling how good Tuloso-Midway and Robstown are going to be.
This might be one of those years when a team with three or four losses makes it
in (to the playoffs)."
Robstown coach Claude Bassett knows not to count out the Brahmas.
"Richard is loaded and he knows he is," Bassett said. "Don't turn
your back on them for a second."
With the addition of G-P and R-F, District 30-4A now has five teams
that made the playoffs last season.
Last year, Kingsville was picked to finish fifth by the district's
coaches in the preseason poll. Whitaker said there is enough parity in the new
district for any team to debunk the predictions and earn a spot in the postseason.
"There is no clear-cut race of three teams that are going to go through
and take it," Whitaker said. "T-M has a good group of young kids coming up, and
they could be the sleeper team. I think it's anybody's run this year. Some teams
are going to be beating up on each other, and hopefully we'll be one of the ones
to get in."
Inexperience on offense
For that to happen, the Brahmas must overcome the loss of 1,000-yard
rusher Chris Campbell and their entire offensive line.
Fortunately for Whitaker, one of the two starters back is running
back Joey Castillo. Just 5-foot-5 and 135 pounds, Castillo rushed for 529 yards
and four touchdowns last season.
Nowhere near the size of Campbell, who at 6-0 and 200 pounds bulled
his way for
most of his yards, Whitaker said Castillo has the speed to run past
defenders.
"Joey's good at catching the pitch on the option and getting to the
outside. From there, he can get into the alley and take off up the field," Whitaker
said. "We're not going to ask him to do any running up inside the line of scrimmage."
That task belongs to Charles Cox, a first-team all-district defensive
end who stands as tall as Campbell and weighs five pounds less. Whether Castillo
or Cox can match Campbell's production depends on the offensive line.
Tight end Chris Rhone, the other returning offensive starter, is
Whitaker's only experienced player that will take position on the line of scrimmage.
At 6-3 and 225 pounds, Rhone gives the line a player to build around, but not
the adequate protection needed for junior varsity call-up quarterback Calixto
Aguila
r.
The revamped offense also means the Brahmas will take a different
approach on the field.
"Last year we were big and thought we could control the line of scrimmage
and the clock," said Whitaker, who expects Gertrudis Munoz (6-1, 285, sr.) to
lead on the line from his position at guard. "Even though we didn't score a lot
of points, we were in control. This year we're going to have to rely more on big
plays."
Speedy defense
The outlook is a little different on defense, where Kingsville has
six starters back. Though the Brahmas lack the size of a year ago, Whitaker said
the overall speed has improved.
That's a good thing with an offense that needs time to develop.
"The defense is going to have to carry us early," Whitaker said.
"We got some really small players, but the speed is better defensively. That's
going to give us the chance to be a good team."
Joining Cox, who recorded 60 tackles last season, on the defensive
line are seniors Joseph Hernandez (5-9, 225), Travis Nelson (6-0, 180) and Joseph
Perez (6-1, 235).
Senior Anthony Mendoza, a three-year starter, leads the stable of
linebackers. Only a junior, Crispin Gonzalez returns to the secondary after intercepting
five passes last season.
Though bigger physically, Kingsville's defense was rather porous
last year, giving up 23.6 points and nearly 300 total yards per game. Despite
the statistics, the Brahmas made it to the playoffs.
Should Kingsville return to the postseason for a second straight
year, Whitaker is hoping history repeats itself.
"The last time this was an eight-team district, we had a team in
the state semifinals eight consecutive years," he said. "What this district does
for any football team is it prepares you. If you survive, you have a chance to
make a hard run. From top to bottom, it's hard to imagine a better district in
the state."
