By Ramiro Paez

956sports.com

McALLEN – As the most tenured coach in the Rio Grande Valley, nothing should surprise McAllen High coach Tony Harris anymore.

And honestly, nothing really does.

About the only thing that’s ever baffled Harris, who is entering his 17^th year at McHi, is what transpired during February’s realignment. The UIL’s decision to pack San Benito, a school 43 miles away from the farthest campus in McAllen (Rowe), with eight teams separated by only 18 miles stumped Harris.

“Yes, I was very surprised,” Harris said. “I don’t know what they did or what the rationale was, but we’re going to play it and we’re going to have fun doing it.”

Harris’ bewilderment seems so trivial compared to what another coach would have certainly found surprising: an ultra-competitive nine-team district. He even joked that it messed up his schedule a bit, but that’s only a pure reflection of Harris’ experience on the sidelines.

Jokes aside, Harris is well aware of the gauntlet his team is about to face this season. The phrase “no week off” has never meant more in arguably any other year than this season with seven playoff teams from 2011 all crowded into a new-look District 31-5A.

Despite the challenging year ahead, Harris says the competition is a blessing in disguise.

“The better the competition, usually, the better you play,” he said. “In sports, you’re going to play to your competition, and when you play teams that aren’t as good and you may be good, you’ll find that good teams kind of underachieve in those games. We’re going to be playing good teams every week so we should be at a high level every week.”

And that’s the only level he expects to see from his Bulldogs, who’ve made the postseason the last six years. Harris has high expectations this year and says his team encompasses a “tough” demeanor, which could help McHi clinch its first district championship since 2006 (co-champs).

To accomplish that, a replacement for former standout quarterback Justin Salinas is a point of emphasis on offense, which returns five starters. Three-year starter Garrett Thomas and Cole Yarto return at the wide receiver position and should help aid in the loss of Salinas. Thomas has also had experience playing quarterback and running back in the past and should provide some stability if Harris calls for it.

Thomas says the product being developed in the blistering afternoon heat looks promising.

“We’ve been putting in a lot of work,” Thomas said. “Hopefully that hard work will pay off and that’s what you all should see. You see should see a lot of hard work and giving 110 percent.”

Senior inside linebacker Jose Gonzalez sees the same productivity and believes the effort could equate into “a lot of wins” in a district that’ll surely be a “dog fight” each week.

Advantage perhaps?

“It’s definitely going to be a grind,” said Gonzalez, one of five returning starters on defense. “It’s way different than what we’re used to seeing. Everyone is looking forward to just a really good game every week. It’s a big difference, but it’s a good difference.”

Returning Offensive Starters: 5

Returning Defensive Starters: 5

Offensive Players to Watch: Garrett Thomas, senior, WR (utility player); Cole Yarto, senior, WR; Caesar Mireles, senior, tackle; Josh Ontiveros, senior, RB; Ricky Rodriguez, sophomore, RB

Defensive Players to Watch: Phillip Cantu, senior, DB; Roman Silva, senior, safety; Jose Gonzalez, senior, ILB

Last Year’s Record: 6-5

Last Time Made Playoffs: 2011 (L – Bi-district, Laredo Alexander 41-18)