By Rey Sifuentes Jr.

     Approaching his inaugural season as C.C. Winn High School’s head football coach, Eric Villasenor is shrugging off the recently released issue of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine which has picked the Mavericks to finish the upcoming fall campaign in last in place in District 29-5A.  

     “No, I do not put too much stock into preseason rankings,” Villasenor said. “I am more concerned about where we are heading. I would rather fly under that radar and surprise some people along the way.”

     A seasoned coach of about 12 years, Villasenor will be the first to tell you that 29-5A will not be an easy walk in the park for any of the seven teams residing there.  

     “This district is going to pretty competitive this season,” Villasenor said. “There are a lot of defensive kids returning to teams like Del Rio and Eagles Pass. Laredo Alexander and United consistently have potent offenses. United South and LBJ are up and coming teams so this district should be pretty interesting. At the same time, I have a lot of faith in our own guys and we should be right there in the thick of things.”

     Which is why the Mavericks have been doing some running around during the offseason.   

     “We have been participating in some seven on seven competitions which are going on at our campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and they have been going very well,” Villasenor said. “We are also coming up on our strength and conditioning camp which will begin on July 15, and we hope to have a big turnout there as well.”

     About half of last year’s starting group – six on offense and five on defense – are expected back for CCWN this season.  

     “Right now we have 27 senior players and about 41 incoming juniors,” Villasenor said. “We have a rather small freshman class coming in (about 38). So as far as grooming our younger players, we are first going to have to see how they react to things early on – during ‘ones versus ones’ workouts, our preseason scrimmages against Carrizo Springs and Laredo Cigarroa, and then in our non-district games. Based on those evaluations, what they show us coaches, then we will make our assessments and necessary adjustments when we begin district play.”

     Villasenor, meanwhile, is anxious to get his first season as a head coach started.  

     “I am very eager and excited,” Villasenor said. “The kids here have really been working hard. I am surrounded by a great group of coaches who are hard working, dedicated and passionate about what they do. You need to surround yourself with good people, and I am excited to kick this season off and put the Mavericks on the football map where they belong.”

     CCWN football players are to report to the campus gym at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, August 5.

     (Rey Sifuentes Jr. is the sports editor of the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune which is located in East Texas. He is also a 1992 graduate of Eagle Pass High School. Sifuentes can be reached on Facebook and at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also follow him through Twitter at @eaglesmavericks.)