Senior quarterback Micah Rodriguez (3) and All-District tailback Marques Washington (left) look to spark an explosive Seguin offense in 2020. Photo by Dustin Wyatt.
(Seguin) – The long-awaited first varsity game at the newly rebuilt Matador Stadium coincides with the long-awaited start to a pandemic-delayed 2020 football season when Seguin plays host Bastrop-Cedar Creek on Friday.
The Matadors, Eagles, and every other 5A and 6A program in the state had their entire season calendars pushed back a month by the UIL due to COVID-19. Seguin’s athletes rolled with the punches and dealt with the constant shuffling of schedules and workout regimens as they came.
“They’ve been great,” Seguin head coach Travis Bush said. “They’re resilient, and they’ve been excited since Day One to start back in June, and we’ve talked that it’s going to happen at some point. They’ve done a great job of working their tails off all summer, and every time we get a new date, and we get a new date, they just adjust their goals.”
The Mats open Bush’s fifth season as head coach with the goal of a third straight trip to the UIL playoffs after a 5-6 record and bi-district exit in 2019. The opening night two-deep shows varsity veterans at every starting position on offense, but a group of younger players mixed in with experienced athletes on defense.
The most notable offensive returnee is All-District running-back Marques Washington, who ran for 1,214 yards and 19 touchdowns while totaling 309 receiving yards on 25 catches in 2019. Jerivan Contreras (316 yds., 5 TD) provides exceptional depth at that position. His younger brother Evrin has earned a starting spot on the defensive line as a freshman.
Micah Rodriguez mans the quarterback role full-time after filling in for spring graduate Jhalen Mickles in spots a year ago. He completed 59 percent of his throws for 663 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions in those opportunities. Tristan Moreno is (20 rec., 408 yds., 2 TD) is his top returning target.
Those talented skill players will have a senior-laden offensive line to work with, including All-District honorees Daniel Gonzalez at center and Marco Montemayor at left guard. When the offense finds the end zone, All-District kicker Garrett Stiles (31-33 PAT, 2-2 FG, LG-37) will be a dependable finisher on extra points.
A trio of juniors who earned All-District accolades and flashed star potential as underclassmen in 2019 will anchor defensive coordinator Nate Langford’s unit this fall. That list includes defensive end Ian Box (7 sacks, 22 tackles for loss), and linebackers John Michael Mata (125 tackles, 11 TFL, Int.) and Allen Martinez (68 tackles, 17 TFL, 2 FR).
Friday’s opener features a “mentor vs. protege” coaching matchup. Cedar Creek’s Bryan Hill, the son of long-time Smithson Valley coach Larry Hill, played quarterback at Texas State when Travis Bush was the Bobcats’ offensive coordinator from 2008-2010.
Hill makes his head coaching debut with a Cedar Creek program that went 5-5 and missed the playoffs in 2019. The Eagles dropped their final two games by a touchdown apiece to Georgetown-East View and Marble Falls to finish sixth in District 13-5A Division II.
Cedar Creek’s most accomplished offensive returnee is running-back Dominic Mojica, who ran for 428 yards and three touchdowns a year ago. Starting quarterback Brock McGlaughlin is a junior who did not attempt a varsity pass for the Eagles in 2019.
“You watch them on offense and watch them on defense, and they’re a mirror of Smithson Valley,” Bush said. “They’re going to rely on the running game, and they’re going to get the tight end and two backs in they’re going to try to iso the backers, and we’ve probably got some guys on defense that they think are undersized, and they’re going to try to attack them in the run game first, so we’ve got to be able to stop the run.”
Friday’s kickoff at Matador Stadium is slated for 7:30 p.m. The game will air live on KWED 1580-AM and Seguintoday.com. Pre-game coverage starts at 6:45 with the Navarro and Marion coaches’ shows.