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The complete package
Size, strength, ability. You name it, Ray QB Travis Wheat’s got it

By Matt Young, Caller-Times

Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times Ray quarterback Travis Wheat rushed for 964 yards and threw for 708 more last season.

   Gary Turberville isn't much for hyping up his own players to the press, especially in the preseason.
   The way he figures it, no one on his team has played a single snap in 2002, so what have they done to earn public praise?
   Even though the veteran coach, who is entering his 10th season at Ray, is not big on August compliments, Travis Wheat is so good that even Turberville slips up when his quarterback's name is mentioned.
   "He's probably the most complete quarterback we've had here in the last 20 to 25 years," Turberville said. "And, we've had some pretty good quarterbacks in that time."
   If Turberville is shy about praising his own players, there are plenty of opposing coaches that don't mind heaping the praise on Wheat.
   "Travis Wheat is like a fullback running quarterback," Moody coach Steve Castillo said. "He can run it. He can throw it. Coach Turberville does a great job of working with him over there. He's
   just like a big guy running quarterback."

George Tuley/Caller-Times Ray quarterback Travis Wheat accounted for 17 touchdowns, including nine on the ground.

   In a part of the state where football players are usually known for not being exceptionally fast or exceptionally big, Wheat is exceptionally both for a quarterback. He is solidly built with a 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame that can bench 350 pounds, but he has running back legs that cover 40 yards in 4.6 seconds.
   "He's just a heck of an athlete," said Carroll coach Terry Morris, who witnessed Wheat burn his team for 169 rushing yards and four touchdown runs in Ray's 29-27 win last season. "The thing that makes him so dangerous is that he touches the ball on every play. Teams have good running backs or fullbacks, but they're not going to get it every play. Travis Wheat always gets the ball, and he's always dangerous."
   Wheat rushed for 964 yards and threw for 708 more last season. He also accounted for 17 touchdowns, including nine on the ground.
   Athlete on defense, too
   While Wheat is the obvious offensive leader, junior Adam Furtwengler is the rock of the defense.
   Furtwengler is an imposing figure at 6-3, 240, but like Wheat, he can run, too. Furtwengler did damage at defensive tackle last season, but after witnessing his agility during basketball season, Turberville decided the big man could wreak even more havoc at linebacker.
   "He can run, so we moved him to linebacker," Turberville said. "When you look across the line and see 6-3 and 240 pounds staring at you at linebacker, that's pretty good."
   With impressive athletes like Wheat and Furtwengler on their side, the Texans hope to have enough to make up for the slim margin that caused them to barely miss the playoffs last season.
   At 4-3, Ray finished in a four-way tie for the third and final playoff spot in District 29-5A. That bottleneck could have been avoided if Ray wouldn't have suffered a devastating 39-35 loss to Harlingen South in the regular season's final game. The Texans led that game 35-21 with seven minutes left before giving up three straight touchdowns to end the game, including the back-breaker with 11 seconds remaining.
   "We lost too many games late last year," nose tackle Fred Ruiz said. "We'll be better this year, because we're better conditioned. We're not going to lose any more games in the fourth quarter this year."
   Plenty of returners
   Ruiz is one of a handful of returning starters on defense that includes three-fourths of the secondary. Cornerbacks Jason Arnold and Jason Jones and safety Adam Anthony all return to make for a formidable pass defense.
   The Texans return eight starters on offense. Included in that mix is fullback Ruben Cantu (5-10, 185). Since Ray likes to pound the ball up the middle, it will also use F
   urtwangler at fullback to blast through some holes.
   "Both of our fullbacks will be pretty good," Turberville said. "Between those two guys, I think we'll have a fullback that can run the ball up the middle for us for a change."
   With Randy Cantu and Jones, the Texans will also have some quick tailbacks that should be able to get to the outside.
   There should be holes to run through, because the Texans return three starters - Randy Villareal, Jaime Tyree and Joseph Gutierrez - on the offensive line.
   Ray returns 21 lettermen from last season that know what it's like to narrowly miss the postseason. It's a feeling that has motivated the team's veterans throughout preseason drills.
   "That just makes us work harder," Ruiz said. "We know we had a good team last year, but this year we feel like we're better. We know where we messed up last year, and we want to make sure that doesn't happen again."