Falcons eager for 2020 season

By KEVIN NARRO
RSL

Los Fresnos – After a slow start to the 2019 season, the Falcons found themselves in the playoffs. Despite going 2-3 in the final five games of the regular season, the Falcons improved with their new look Flexbone offense.
The offense averaged 23 points down the stretch and the three losses all were lost by 10 points or less.

Flash forward to 2020, the Falcons return nine on offense and entering their second year in the Flexbone offense, Head Coach Patrick Brown feels optimistic about his team heading into one of the more interesting seasons to date amid Covid-19.

“This the start of our second week and we have been in full pads since last Friday,” Brown said.” The first thing is, this is surreal, from March on up there was light at the end of the tunnel and it kept getting closed. Eventually you start to lose hope especially if you are a young man, but being able to see the kids and coaches on the field it was just an amazing moment for all of us and I think that we realized how important that social component is in our kids life and well being. Just seeing them hop around was a different level of energy that we have seen.”

Brown who is entering his fifth year at Los Fresnos has made the playoffs three out of the four years including two trips to the third round of the playoffs.

This year the team will lean on that Flexbone offense that caught many teams by surprise last season. Los Fresnos will have to replace Nico Valencia who was a key cog in their offense over the past few seasons.
The solution however will be senior running back Chris Resendez. Resendez will lead the backfield along with running back Miles McWhorter. Undercenter wil be senior Adrian Longoria.

“We have nine back on offense and we feel pretty good about that,” Brown said. “The thing with us is the offense we run it takes a game or two to gel. It is tough going straight into district, we feel our offense is going to be good.”

On the flip side, Brown’s defense will be young. The Falcons defense will return just three starters from last season. Along the defensive line will be the 6-3, 240 pound outside linebacker Greg Jones who Brown has high expectations for in 2020 and beyond.

Incoming senior Steven Atkinson will make the switch from the offensive line over to the defensive line joining Jones along with Alan Torres who is a three year starter. Hector Muniz will lead the secondary and is one of the few players to have started for Brown as a true freshman.

“Our defense will be young,” Brown said. “We have a lot of sophomores and juniors on defense but we feel if they can step up and they have done a good job in camp that we can be pretty good.”

The Falcons kickoff their 2020 season at Brownsville Rivera on October 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Last year the Raiders stunned the Falcons 21-20 at Sams Memorial Stadium.