Apaches to celebrate homecoming against 5A squad

GONZALES — The Gonzales Apaches (2-2) have now dropped their second straight game after losing to state-ranked Navarro and Cuero. This homecoming week, the Apaches are set to take on yet another tough opponent in Uvalde (4-0), a 5A squad that’s picked to win their district.

Offensively, the Uvalde Coyotes run a spread. They will no huddle and try to hurry up to catch opponents off guard.

“It’s hard to tell on film because they stop the film after every play,” Gonzales head coach Kodi Crane said, “but it looks like they’re in a tempo, hurry up kind of a spread.”

The Coyotes in the past started #12 Michael Mata at quarterback and then put in #2 Domingo Davila but have now switched and used the more athletic Davila as a starter.

“They both are very accurate, but Davila brings foot speed as well,” Crane explained.

With that added facet to their game, the Coyotes will be running multiple plays that have RPOs, or run-pass options.

“Our eyes have got to be exceptional,” Crane noted. “Their scheme is not super complicated. But they just do what they do extremely well.”

He also gave props to the skill position players, especially #3 Leo Rodriguez, #4 Christian Flores, #5 J.T. Trevino and #6 Xavier Vasquez. They are all good pass catchers that can “make themselves open, catch the ball well and catch the ball well in traffic.”

Defensively, the Coyotes have shown looks using a four-man front as well as a 3-3 stack. Their philosophies include getting after the quarterback while not giving up big plays with their defensive backs playing cover three.

“What we got to do an outstanding job is protecting the passer, delivering intermediate throws and letting those intermediate throws turn into big plays,” Crane explained.

The Apaches believe they have the skill positions players necessary to do just that, it’s just a matter of protection, getting the ball there and making the catch.

“At times, whenever [Uvalde] come to man or man free, we’ve got to win our one-on-one routes,” Crane continued. “We’ve got to be able to win that and deliver and accurate ball and catch it.”

Some key players on their defense include #33 Benito Luna at nose guard, #11 Joshua Sandoval as a backer and #1 Noah Smith as a secondary player.

“They’re just physical, their defense is physical,” Crane scouted. “They run around and try to make things happen.”

With this being their last game before the open week and then district, the Apaches hope to not only get the homecoming win but have something good to look at during film as they prepare the next weeks for the next portion of the season.

Kickoff tonight is set for 7:30 p.m. at Apache Field.