Wade Baker, 30, is Sports Editor of The Monitor. He graduated from Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C. in 2000 with a degree in Mass Communications and moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 2002 for a sports reporter opening at The Monitor. Baker was promoted to his current position in August of 2007 after serving as assistant sports editor for two years. 
La Joya: Two-A-Days
August 21st, 2007, 8:27 am by wbakerI never thought I’d say a team with an enrollment of 5,546 — more than twice the size of the other six schools in District 30-5A — won’t make the playoffs this season in high school football. But I just don’t see that happening for the La Joya Coyotes this season. There are just too many factors in the preseason that tell me the Coyotes won’t be playing past the regular season. With that said, I’m sure this is good bulletin board material for the locker room.
For starters, the Coyotes do return 11 starters combined. But they lost all of their skilled players, including star running back Juan Martinez and starting quarterback Javier Acevedo. Keep in mind that the Coyotes were 0-4 last season when Juanito didn’t play a complete game, and 6-2 when their workhorse suited up for the complete game. Plus, add in to the equation a coaching change that didn’t allow Leonel Casas to take up office at La Joya until late June.
So, with a brutal non-district schedule (Brownsville Rivera, Calallen, Carroll and San Antonio Warren) on the docket, I don’t see this La Joya team building any confidence heading into district play. And I see the Coyotes falling just short in the four-team battle (Sharyland, Donna, McHi, La Joya) for the final two playof berths from District 30-5A this season.
