Laredo's 'best kept secret' ready to make his mark

Senior running back Joe Fernandez excited to show off his potential this season

Laredo’s best kept secret won’t be unknown much longer.

The Alexander Bulldogs like to run the ball. That’s no secret. It’s their identity. It’s what has allowed head coach Edwin Garcia to be so successful throughout his career.

For the past four years, Alexander relied on All-City and All-District running back Gael Rodriguez to power the team’s offense. However, the Bulldogs won’t have Rodriguez to depend upon this season as he graduated back in May. But the Navy & Gold aren’t worried about his departure. They are confident that they have a more-than-suitable replacement for him this year.

“He had an impact last year whenever he touched the ball,” Alexander head coach Edwin Garcia said. “More people are going to find out about him.”

That “he” Garcia is talking about is senior running back Joe Fernandez.

Fernandez was solid last season for the Bulldogs. He ran for 193 yards and even had 243 receiving yards, too. He finished with three total touchdowns – two rushing and one receiving. 

While those statistics aren’t eye-popping, it’s good to remember he had limited looks as Rodriguez – who finished with over 4,000-plus career rushing yards – was the workhorse of the offense. But this year, Fernandez is expected to be “the man” of the offense. And the expectation for Fernandez is 1,000-plus rushing yards this season.

“I think I can go over 1,000 yards this year,” Fernandez said. 

If Fernandez performs like he did in last week’s scrimmage against San Benito, he should easily exceed expectations this year.

Fernandez was dynamic in Alexander’s game against San Benito. He had several long runs. His first carry of the game was a 20-plus yard run right up the gut as he evaded defenders with ease. He finished with two touchdowns, too, and his last one was on a long run up the right sideline.

Fernandez and the Bulldogs open their season on Friday against San Antonio Marshall – a program that went 2-8 last year. And if Marshall’s defense is like it was last season, Fernandez could have a productive outing.

There were a handful of times where Marshall allowed over 200-plus rushing yards. And with the way Alexander likes to utilize its run game, Fernandez as the primary back should mean he has a good chance to open the year with a 100-yard game.

“He’s going to be the guy who carries most of the load for us early on,” Garcia said. “We rely on our run game more so, especially at the beginning of the year as we try to get our passing game to get caught up. 

“We are going to do what we do, which is run the ball. We will pass when we need to, but if the run game is going, the Bulldogs will be alright.”

Fernandez describes himself as a patient running back. According to him, his best skill as a back is his ability to find the open running lane with ease. And he’s confident that he’ll have plenty of wide lanes to run through this season because of the team’s talented offensive line. Alexander has arguably one of the best offensive lines in all of South Texas, highlighted by the likes of Will Omenski – who holds several college offers – Aaron Carranza – an All-State honoree last year – and Luis Garcia. 

Replacing a back like Rodriguez can be daunting for any program. And to live up to the standard he left can be daunting for any player, too.

Although the benchmark Rodriguez left behind is high, Fernandez doesn’t have any fears about reaching or succeeding it. In fact, he’s more worried about helping the team win than surpassing personal milestones. And he and coaches feel there’s no pressure for him to live up to Rodriguez’s standards either.

“The way our team is built, we stress the run game, we stress being physical, we stress our running backs being the guys who carry us where we need to be,” Garcia said. “There’s no added pressure. It’s a part of what we do.”

The Bulldogs truly believe Fernandez is Laredo’s best kept secret when it comes to football this year. He wasn’t even considered a top-25 returning player by the Laredo Morning Times. However, from what he showed during spring ball and last week’s scrimmage against San Benito, the senior has the potential to be the Gateway City’s best running back this season.

And one thing is for certain, Alexander can’t wait to unleash Fernandez come its season opener Friday and make sure Laredo knows his name this year.

“We don’t know what’s out there for me,” Fernandez said. “I haven’t really shown my potential yet. I think I can do great things this year.”