PECOS The Pecos football team accomplished something in 2020 that had not been done in nearly a decade: make the playoffs in back to back seasons.
Now as Chad Olson enters his third year as the head coach of the Eagles, he hopes that the team can find a way to keep that going.
“We just want to do focus on progressing and doing things right,” Olson said. “We’re going to go out and play hard and we want our kids to be in the right place at the right time and just get after it.”
Pecos will rely heavily on the ground attack on offense and will lean on seniors Zeke Saldana and Ricardo Serrano to lead the way.
After running in tandem with Serrano and graduate Abel Velasquez, Saldana says he is ready for his chance to lead.
“We have a bunch of young kids on our team and I have a chance to lead them and show them what we do here in Pecos,” he said.
His leadership will be needed as the Eagles replace nearly every starter on the offensive line. Olson added that it’s a new group and even involved some position changes but said that he’s encouraged both by the progress the unit has made and how Saldana has grown as a leader.
“He turned the leadership corner this summer,” Olson said. “He started showing some things by helping kids out, directing them and being that coach on that field. I’m really proud of where he’s turning to.”
One of those players making a move up front is junior David Madrid. Madrid saw some time at guard in 2020 but mostly played lined up at tight end on offense and linebacker on defense.
“We’re going to have a lot of juniors on the line,” Madrid said. “It’s a lot different in the trenches than on the edge. We just have to stay focused as a team and not falter.”
Like the offensive line, the defensive line is where Olson said the Eagles are also inexperienced.
He said that the most important thing for the new starters is making sure that everyone understands their assignments.
“We’ve tried to simplify our scheme a little bit so we can put our kids in the best place to help them be successful,” Olson said. “At the end of the day, we want to get lined up right and be able to go where we need to go.”
The Eagles enter the 2021 season looking to put together another solid season and the good news for the team is that they will get a chance to do so in front of their home fans.
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD announced Aug. 18 that the team will play its home games at Rotary Field after the bleachers had been deemed structurally unsafe following an inspection. There will be temporary bleachers installed in both end zones.
The first home game of the season, previously scheduled for Aug. 27 against Crane, has been moved to Crane.
Prior to the announcement, Olson said it was just simply about making the best of the situation.
“It’s a little bit of shock and confusion with what you’re going to do and figure things out,” he said. “At the end of the day, the safety of our kids, fans, administrators and everyone else is the most important thing.”
On the field, the Eagles know that they will have a challenge facing them to get back to the postseason in a district with Sweetwater, Greenwood, Monahans and Snyder.
That said, he believes his team has what it takes to get the job done.
“Our district is tough,” Olson said. “We’re going to go out and run the football and get to the right places and be as physical as we can all the time. It’s a tough West Texas district and the five teams will go at it every week.”
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PECOS EAGLES
— COACHES —
>> Head coach: Chad Olson.
>> Coach’s overall record: 10-11.
>> Coach’s record at school: 10-11.
>> Assistant coaches, duties: John Launius, assistant head coach/running backs; Drew Escamilla, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks; Guillermo Gonzalez, offensive line; Armando Martinez, defensive coordinator/inside linebackers; Michael Whitehead, defensive line; Phillip Lopez, outside linebackers; Shane Keeton, secondary.
— TEAM INFORMATION —
>> 2020 overall record: 3-6.
>> 2020 district record: 1-3 (Fourth, District 1-4A Division II).
>> Last district title: N/A.
>> Last playoff appearance: 2020 (lost to Lubbock Estacado, 47-6, in bi-district).
>> Stadium name: Rotary Field (1,000, temporary seating).
>> Base offense: Slot T.
>> Base defense: 4-2-5.
— PLAYERS —
>> Returning lettermen: 16.
>> Returning starters: 13 (8 offense, 5 defense).
>> Key returners: Ezekiel Saldana, 5-6, 165, RB/DB, Sr.; Ricardo Serrano, 5-8, 170, RB/OLB, Sr.; Eli Sandoval, 5-7, 155, QB/DB, Sr..
>> Key newcomers: Jonathan Sandoval, 5-8, 160, RB/DB, Soph.
