CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Moody High School is looking to bounce back after a rough season last year. The Trojans are working with a new group of athletes on both sides of the ball, and one two-way player has already started changing the mentality his senior season.
"I love wearing this shirt because I'm going to be the one that brings it up, you know what I mean," Jimmy Rodriguez, senior tight end and defensive end, said. "Have a lot of expectations on me now because I'm the senior now, and I have a lot of eyes on me, so I just love wearing this shirt to be the guy that brings it up."
Jimmy Rodriguez is one of the few seniors on the Moody roster this season. The Trojans return four starters on offense and defense. 6-foot-3 Rodriguez plays on both sides as a tight end and defensive end.
"Jimmy is a good size. Jimmy is one of the best tight ends in the district, and of course, we know he's got some numerous college offers," Michael Cantu, Moody football head coach, said. "We're just looking to put him in the isolation positions where he can excel on the outside."
Where the team lacked in leadership, Rodriguez has filled the gap over the summer.
"We come out here Saturday at 9 a.m.," Rodriguez said. "We're on the grass field working hard, going through ladder drills, and I try to encourage every position to be a leader so when people like me are not here anymore, they'll be there to step up."
One of the new guys stepping up is quarterback Dylan Prado. Head Coach Michael Cantu named him their starter.
"He's a dual-threat kid," Cantu said. "He's going to be able to throw the football, run the football for us, and then facilitate our offense the way we want it to be run."
The Trojans' foundation was built by work ethic and a blue-collar mentality.
"We don't really have the size. The size and the speed that everybody else has, you know, so we have to work a lot harder," Adrian Ayala, Moody junior linebacker, said. "Having the faith there and having everybody's back will definitely help us."
Moody kicks off the season against Tuloso-Midway on Friday, August 25, at Cabaniss Field. The game starts at 7:30 p.m.
