BY GREG SELBER
Though his team comes off a 3-7 mark in a killer District 27-5A featuring Converse Judson and San Antonio Wagner, Coach Juan Hinojosa is fired up about 2009, and it all starts for the Owls in the South Texas Football Classic. SA Highlands takes on Mission at Tom Landry Stadium Saturday, Aug. 28.
“We’re really excited about making the trip, because a lot of our kids haven’t traveled much,” said the second-year mentor, who started his career at Zapata, with stops at Presidio, San Diego, Gregory-Portland and Uvalde before arriving in San Antonio. “I think we lived through a transition year last year and now we have a good base foundation going here. We think we have a good shot in 2009.”
Hinojosa, who played for Bishop in high school and earned a degree in three years from Texas A&M-Kingsville, said the Owls have some good athletes at the skill positions, and will look to rebuild a defense that was touched hard by graduation.
“We’ve got a kid, Tyrice Hill, was All-District last year, he’s been looked at by some colleges already,” said the coach. “We also have a handful of quick backs and two fullbacks who will play. So in the backfield, we’re pretty tough this year.”
One of those runners, Raymond Gomez, is pound-for-pound the strongest player on the team. He ran for close to 400 yards in part-time duty in 2008.
The Owls have some holes to fill on defense, but they can count on 260-pound Joe Jimenez up front, with three-quarters of the secondary intact.
Aug. 28 Highlands will battle with a Mission team that has been among the picks to contend for a playoff spot out of the Valley’s 4A league, and Hinojosa knows all about the Eagles.
“We got a chance to watch them last year when they came up here to play McCollum, and it’s a team on the rise,” he said. “The school has a rich history and you know Mario Pena is going to have a well-coached team. So we are ready to see where we are and where we need to go.”
He characterizes himself as sort of a throwback, as a coach.
“I expect the kids to work hard and do the right things, on and off the field,” he commented. “I am an old-school guy who works with the new trends well. I mean, we don’t make the kids go without water, or anything like that. But we do work them hard and we will be in good condition for the game.”
The chance to play in the Classic is something the Highlands mentor is taking seriously.
“It’s sort of difficult, from the standpoint that you get a tough game right off the bat,” he explained. “But the opportunity to travel intrigued us. Heck, most of our kids never leave the 1604 Loop area until district, so I am happy to be bringing them down, they haven’t been down to the Valley, but I have. I told them they’d better be ready to play, especially since it’s a home game for Mission.”
Highlands has a mix of inner-city kids with some from the rural outposts, and Hinojosa thinks that since word of the Classic has spread the last few weeks, the program might bring a healthy contingent down to Citrus City.
“We will definitely have our band and cheer group, all the school personnel,” he said. “And the booster club has done a good job talking this thing up, so hopefully we can travel well. You know Mission’s side is going to be packed!”
 |
 |
