El Paso Hanks Knights

“It is a great honor and privilege to get the opportunity to play against Abilene High School and Coach Warren,” said El Paso Hanks Knights head football coach Jeff Cleveland.  “Here at Hanks we are trying to build a program that is going to be able to go outside the city of El Paso and be competitive, and playing against the best competition out there is the only way you can do that."

Cleveland deems himself “very fortunate” to have an athlete the caliber of Patrick Pettis (6-0, 190), a definite threat as a wide receiver, kick and punt returner. He will also be used as defensive back this season.  “We plan to move him around a lot on offense and will certainly build our packages from week to week around him and what we feel other people will do to try and stop him,” said Cleveland.

In his 18 years of coaching, Cleveland - working with numerous quarterbacks - said he has never been in this situation before where he has two “starters,” so to speak. “ I expect Paul Pendergrass (5-10, 165) and Emilio Noriega (5-11, 165) to both see significant playing time again this year,” said Cleveland.  “Both of these young men have matured and taken on a leadership role within our football team, and I feel they will each contribute great things to the 2011 Knights.”

Cleveland agrees that his district is one in which five or six teams have a shot at getting into the playoffs.  “I think we have a very good chance to do so if we continue to get better every week and stay healthy,” he said.  “We are the smallest 5A team in District 1-5A, so depth is a concern for us.  However, we are going to strive to push our kids every day in practice to simulate the intensity of playing 5A football on both sides of the ball for some of them.  It will be our challenge to develop a rotation that allows our players to play maximum plays at a high level while also getting them off the field and keeping them fresh.”

On defense, the Knights will look to Jesus Rodriguez at nose guard. “He is a good football player,” said Cleveland.  “Aggressive and strong, he also plays with a lot of intensity and never gives up on plays.”

Cody York and Cajh Malone are the starting outside linebackers, and each of them has college potential, said Cleveland.  Marco Ceniceros and Franky Lopez will each return in the secondary, and Chris Thummel will team with Julian Tapia to round out the defensive line.