Coach Eric Villasenor, is planning to return to the gridiron with a vengeance.
“The tougher it gets, the better we are,” Villasenor says in a booming voice, as he closely watches his players running drills under the scorching hot Eagle Pass sun. “Our program has high standards. For the system to work, everyone must be held accountable for their actions, both players and coaches. How we treat each other, both on and off the field, matters.”
Entering his fifth season as head coach, Villasenor prefers to do his talking on the field, and he understands what it's going to take to secure another playoff berth.
Villasenor had to negotiate some difficult times last year after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer early in the season. He has enough life experience to give good advice to his young players who look up to him. They see Villasenor, and the adversity he's faced, and the passion he shows, and they can't believe how much he takes an interest in them.
"I think I've probably grown more as a person than I have as a coach," said Villaseñor. "I think I've learned a lot about myself, learned a lot about life in general. You learn from adversity, you learn how to be a better leader. I try to pass this wisdom on to my players and coaches."
The Mavericks will have 25 returning letterman this year.
Captain and senior running back Gustavo Cabrera is a work-horse who will carry much of the offensive load this season.
The offensive line, led by senior Eric Del Bosque, will be a key component for the Maverick ground game to be successful.  
Defensively, the Mavericks senior linebacker Ernesto Villasenor (2016 Newcomer of the Year) will be a force to be reckoned with.
Other players to watch out for on defense are junior linebacker Mikey De Los Santos, senior DB Brandon Wheeler and sophomore DE Ricardo Morales.
The Mavericks are working as hard as ever, and coach Villasenor, the cool-headed logician, is a smarter coach than he was a year ago.