Post by gp37 on Apr 25, 2020 15:57:05 GMT -6
Coach, tell us about your rationale in opting up to Class 5A, Division I for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Rick Rhoades: Basically, it boiled down to travel and the time you’d have to take your kids out of class. When the numbers came out in 5A Division II, which is where our enrollment puts us, there was a small group of us in this part of Texas. There was G-P, Flour Bluff dropped down, and at that time, Alice (since reclassified to 4A). If you want to include Floresville, you could say there were four of us in that group. There wasn’t anybody else around us in the area that was 5A Division II. So, we really had two choices: to go to the Valley or go to San Antonio. The Valley has nine schools, so they’ve got enough schools for a district. So, really, we were going to go to San Antonio. I feel real confident that we were going to go to San Antonio.
All of the CCISD schools have Division II enrollment, except for Veterans, but they all opted up so that they could all be together with Veterans. So, to me it just made sense. I’d much rather just drive across the bridge and play, rather than drive all the way to San Antonio.
I think it’s going to work out really nice for us. You never know with the UIL realignment. Nobody will know that until February 3. But I really think we’ll end up with the Corpus Christi ISD schools. Since we opted up, Flour Bluff has opted up, so I think we’ll be in that district. Miller’s dropped out of that district (reclassed to 4A), so that leaves seven teams. So, I guess the big question is, do they bring both Victoria schools down to make it a nine-team district, or do they go find a single school district somewhere else, which is a possibility because there are 11 schools in the Valley. I would imagine they’d try and bring one or two of those schools up, if possible, and give both of us a nine-team district or give us an eight-team district and them a 10-team district.
That’s the rationale we used behind opting up.
361HSblast: Coach, what are your priorities this offseason?
Rick Rhoades: Obviously, we want to be more consistent offensively. One of the things we’re going to do during the offseason is sit down as a staff and analyze our offense. To me, when you’re not playing as well offensively as you need to, you probably need to cut some things out. We’ll compare what we practice to what we do in the games and try to match that up more. Defensively, I feel really good about the team we have coming back. I feel we have a good core coming back offensively and a good core coming back defensively. The big question for us is who’s going to play quarterback.
361HS blast: And how does that race shape up?
Rick Rhoades: We really have four candidates who are going to have an opportunity to win that position. We had two juniors on the varsity, Gage Gleinig and Devon Mauch, who got some playing time at the varsity level. I feel good about the job Easton Dowell did as the JV quarterback. He led us to a 7-2 record. He throws a really good ball and is a very coachable kid. He’s been a varsity player in baseball, so he understands the pressure of being a varsity player. He’s certainly in the mix, and then I don’t think you can leave out our freshman quarterback, Michael Soto. He might be the best athlete overall. He has great speed. We’ll start our quarterback camp around the beginning of March and all four of those guys are going to get serious looks. Someone’s going to have to step to the forefront and become the guy.
Offensive Starters Returning (4): REC Conner Durrill; REC Brian Harris; LT Mark Lara; RG Dawson Connor.
Offensive Starters Lost (7): REC Christian St. Romain; REC Jude Wiggins; LG Michael Poling; C Cameron Loudon; RT Rylan Cotten; QB Jeremy Barker; RB Joe Sauceda.
Defensive Starters Returning (4): DE Daniel Gonzales; WLB Hunter Floerke; BAN Josh Delgado; FS Kingsley Havens.
Defensive Starters Lost (7): NG Darius Smith; DE Alex Trujillo; SLB Reno Barrera MLB Mason Bridgeman; LC Jude Wiggins; SS Marcus Arroyo; RC Gaven Guzman.
Specialists Lost (2): K Nathan Bowden; P Jeremy Barker.
Lettermen Returning (23): WR/DB Eric Alaniz; WR/DB Christian Bolden; WR/DB Isaiah Chandler; OL Dawson Connor; ILB Dillon Davila; WR Dawson Dean; OLB Josh Delgado; DB James Durham; WR Conner Durrill; OL Chance Eubanks; OL/DL Richard Fierros; ILB Hunter Floerke; RB Kaleem Gholsby; QB Gage Gleinig; DL Daniel Gonzales; WR Brian Harris; DL Hunter Harrison; ILB Kelly Havens; DB Kingsley Havens; OL Mark Lara; RB/OLB Dustin Madsen; QB Devon Mauch; OL Jackson Williams.
Lettermen Lost (33): WR/DB Marcus Arroyo; QB Jeremy Barker; OLB Reno Barrera; WR/K Nathan Bowden; ILB Mason Bridgeman; OL Rylan Cotten; OL/DL T.J. Davis; OL/DL Zachery Escobedo; DL Cole Esslinger; OL Manuel Garcia; K Jordan Garza; DL Adrian Gonzales; DB Gaven Guzman; DL/OLB Colten Hankins; OLB Cale Kruger; OL Jeremy Lara; WR Anthony Lopez; OL Cameron Loudon; WR Jason McGarry; RB Zethaniel Martinez; K Jadyn Nunez; OL Michael Poling; OL/DL Brody Raines; DL Jaden Rowe; WR Juston Sanchez; RB/OLB Joe Sauceda; WR Carson Simmons; DL Darius Smith; WR/DB Christian St. Romain; DL Alex Trujillo; DB Matthew Valencia; WR/DB Jude Wiggins; OL Ryan Zepeda.
Rick Rhoades: Basically, it boiled down to travel and the time you’d have to take your kids out of class. When the numbers came out in 5A Division II, which is where our enrollment puts us, there was a small group of us in this part of Texas. There was G-P, Flour Bluff dropped down, and at that time, Alice (since reclassified to 4A). If you want to include Floresville, you could say there were four of us in that group. There wasn’t anybody else around us in the area that was 5A Division II. So, we really had two choices: to go to the Valley or go to San Antonio. The Valley has nine schools, so they’ve got enough schools for a district. So, really, we were going to go to San Antonio. I feel real confident that we were going to go to San Antonio.
All of the CCISD schools have Division II enrollment, except for Veterans, but they all opted up so that they could all be together with Veterans. So, to me it just made sense. I’d much rather just drive across the bridge and play, rather than drive all the way to San Antonio.
I think it’s going to work out really nice for us. You never know with the UIL realignment. Nobody will know that until February 3. But I really think we’ll end up with the Corpus Christi ISD schools. Since we opted up, Flour Bluff has opted up, so I think we’ll be in that district. Miller’s dropped out of that district (reclassed to 4A), so that leaves seven teams. So, I guess the big question is, do they bring both Victoria schools down to make it a nine-team district, or do they go find a single school district somewhere else, which is a possibility because there are 11 schools in the Valley. I would imagine they’d try and bring one or two of those schools up, if possible, and give both of us a nine-team district or give us an eight-team district and them a 10-team district.
That’s the rationale we used behind opting up.
361HSblast: Coach, what are your priorities this offseason?
Rick Rhoades: Obviously, we want to be more consistent offensively. One of the things we’re going to do during the offseason is sit down as a staff and analyze our offense. To me, when you’re not playing as well offensively as you need to, you probably need to cut some things out. We’ll compare what we practice to what we do in the games and try to match that up more. Defensively, I feel really good about the team we have coming back. I feel we have a good core coming back offensively and a good core coming back defensively. The big question for us is who’s going to play quarterback.
361HS blast: And how does that race shape up?
Rick Rhoades: We really have four candidates who are going to have an opportunity to win that position. We had two juniors on the varsity, Gage Gleinig and Devon Mauch, who got some playing time at the varsity level. I feel good about the job Easton Dowell did as the JV quarterback. He led us to a 7-2 record. He throws a really good ball and is a very coachable kid. He’s been a varsity player in baseball, so he understands the pressure of being a varsity player. He’s certainly in the mix, and then I don’t think you can leave out our freshman quarterback, Michael Soto. He might be the best athlete overall. He has great speed. We’ll start our quarterback camp around the beginning of March and all four of those guys are going to get serious looks. Someone’s going to have to step to the forefront and become the guy.
Offensive Starters Returning (4): REC Conner Durrill; REC Brian Harris; LT Mark Lara; RG Dawson Connor.
Offensive Starters Lost (7): REC Christian St. Romain; REC Jude Wiggins; LG Michael Poling; C Cameron Loudon; RT Rylan Cotten; QB Jeremy Barker; RB Joe Sauceda.
Defensive Starters Returning (4): DE Daniel Gonzales; WLB Hunter Floerke; BAN Josh Delgado; FS Kingsley Havens.
Defensive Starters Lost (7): NG Darius Smith; DE Alex Trujillo; SLB Reno Barrera MLB Mason Bridgeman; LC Jude Wiggins; SS Marcus Arroyo; RC Gaven Guzman.
Specialists Lost (2): K Nathan Bowden; P Jeremy Barker.
Lettermen Returning (23): WR/DB Eric Alaniz; WR/DB Christian Bolden; WR/DB Isaiah Chandler; OL Dawson Connor; ILB Dillon Davila; WR Dawson Dean; OLB Josh Delgado; DB James Durham; WR Conner Durrill; OL Chance Eubanks; OL/DL Richard Fierros; ILB Hunter Floerke; RB Kaleem Gholsby; QB Gage Gleinig; DL Daniel Gonzales; WR Brian Harris; DL Hunter Harrison; ILB Kelly Havens; DB Kingsley Havens; OL Mark Lara; RB/OLB Dustin Madsen; QB Devon Mauch; OL Jackson Williams.
Lettermen Lost (33): WR/DB Marcus Arroyo; QB Jeremy Barker; OLB Reno Barrera; WR/K Nathan Bowden; ILB Mason Bridgeman; OL Rylan Cotten; OL/DL T.J. Davis; OL/DL Zachery Escobedo; DL Cole Esslinger; OL Manuel Garcia; K Jordan Garza; DL Adrian Gonzales; DB Gaven Guzman; DL/OLB Colten Hankins; OLB Cale Kruger; OL Jeremy Lara; WR Anthony Lopez; OL Cameron Loudon; WR Jason McGarry; RB Zethaniel Martinez; K Jadyn Nunez; OL Michael Poling; OL/DL Brody Raines; DL Jaden Rowe; WR Juston Sanchez; RB/OLB Joe Sauceda; WR Carson Simmons; DL Darius Smith; WR/DB Christian St. Romain; DL Alex Trujillo; DB Matthew Valencia; WR/DB Jude Wiggins; OL Ryan Zepeda.