After six seasons playing as one of the smaller teams in 5A, El Paso Riverside certainly enjoyed its first season back in 4A since 2013. The Rangers finished 4-2 and earned their first playoff berth since 2011.

However, a 14-13 loss to Clint in the final game of district play and a 32-26 triple overtime defeat to Big Spring in the first round of playoffs denied the Rangers both a district title and a playoff victory.

With hopes high yet again ahead of the 2021 season, TexasFootball.com caught up with El Paso Riverside head coach Gary Recoder to discuss all things Rangers football ahead of his third season in charge.

What did it mean to your program being back in the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and what can your team take away from the crazy triple overtime game against Big Spring in the first round of playoffs?

“Going into the season, regardless of COVID, our boys expected to come out district champions, and we expected a deep playoff run. And going into that playoff game and getting out of that playoff game, obviously the ideal situation would have been for us to win the game but we lost. But I’ll tell you what, it has prepared us to where we’re at now. Since 2011, it was the first time we were in the playoffs, and it gave us our kids playoff experience. It’s a different level once you get into the playoffs. Just the way we carry ourselves now with 7-on-7 or the way we’ve lifted and worked out all year round, it has really set us up to have a fantastic season. We’re going to have a really good season because of those experiences that we had last year.”

Despite its on field success, there were plenty of challenges that Riverside faced last year playing during the pandemic. An El Paso County Heath Ordinance prevented the Rangers from playing their first game last year until October 2.  Just two weeks later, rising cases in the area forced Fabens to forfeit its contest against the Rangers, meaning Riverside played just five games last season.

El Paso was hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. What were some of the challenges that your team faced last year?

“Just like any other program in the state or the country, we faced all kinds of obstacles. Because of the city ordinance, we didn’t get to have our kids until late September, so we didn’t know what kind of shape they were going to be in. The real obstacle was: ‘are we ready for any kind of physical game?’ We were confident. Systems were already installed: offenses, defenses, and things of that nature. But the biggest obstacle was what kind of shape our boys were going to be in. And then of course, getting into survival mode. We told the kids that because of the pandemic, I really believed that it was going to be survival of the fittest, and we had systems in place as far as social distancing, how we practiced, and who came up to varsity and who was a JV player. The program in itself was very difficult. It was hard. It really was, but the boys hung in there and they stood tough. And we had a great season. We were really proud of the season that we pretty much turned in. Obviously, we came up short in our district championship game 13-14 and then losing a heartbreaker in triple overtime in the playoffs. To say the least, we were real happy with the outcome of the season.”

Recoder was hired at Riverside in 2019 after serving as the offensive coordinator at Coronado High School the previous season. It was a special reunion as Recoder is a 2000 graduate of Riverside High School.

What has it been like having the opportunity to coach and have success at your alma mater?

“It’s been really special. Public enemy number one for us, when we got here three years ago, was we wanted to keep our kids. A lot of our kids from our middle school, we only have one middle school that feeds into our school, were leaving. They were going to other programs, other schools, other districts. So when we started to keep those kids is when we finally saw the change. We saw the change here at the school and the culture and things of that nature and that has contributed to the success that we’re having and that we’re about to have. We have some really good kids right now. We have good talent. Our numbers are definitely up. We have over 100 kids in the program now, so that has been the biggest key.”

The Riverside backfield was led by a pair of sophomores in running back Jose Guardado (577 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the regular season) and quarterback Angel Munoz (563 passing yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season) during the 2020 season. They join a number of starters that will be returning for the Rangers on offense this season.

How important will your backfield be to your football team this year and what other players are you looking at to step up alongside Guardado and Munoz offensively?

“Offensively speaking, obviously everybody knows who [Guardado and Munoz] are now. Angel is our quarterback, and he in a lot of ways is the heartbeat of our team. As he goes, we all go. He does turnaround and plays a bit of defense. This year, we’ll do some different stuff with him, but he definitely brings it. He’s a three sport athlete: he excels on the basketball court and, in track, he went to state in the 300 meters [hurdles]. Guardado is just a man. He runs hard, plays hard. Both of these kids are good kids. They make good grades, and they lead the team. We have a really good offensive lineman coming back in Armando Lucero. I strongly believe Armando will be able to play offensive line at the next level. Our o-line in general will be pretty good. We only lost our center. On the offensive side, we lost two kids which was our center and one of our receivers. Our receiving core should be probably the best that it has been in the last 3-4-5 years. Frank Luna, who is a really good receiver and also plays some corner for us to, is fantastic.”

The Rangers had a stout defense a year ago, allowing just 66 points in the five games they played, which included a shutout victory against Clint Mountain View. With nine juniors and sophomores combined earning all-district honors a year ago for Riverside, there is plenty of talent back on that side of the ball for the 2021 season.

Who are you looking to lead the way defensively and what are your expectations for that unit?

“Defensively speaking, we have Adrian Estrada, he’s also a receiver. He’s a really good kid, a tough kid. We lost a stellar defensive tackle in Jaime Loya, but we have a junior that’s coming back, he played some defensive end last year, in Sebastian Orquiz who will anchor the defensive line for us. We have kids like [linebacker] Rudy Valenzuela and [safety] Alfredo Sigala. Both of those guys are seniors, and they are going to be a big part of the success that we have this year. I’m an offensive minded coach, but I also love me some defense. I’ve coached some defensive line before. Our defensive coordinator Coach Chuy Ayala does a fantastic job. I’m very pleased with the way he schemes and gameplans. He’s a special coach; he’s going to be a head football coach one day. Our defense is very good. They’re coached really well by the defensive staff. They keep everything in front, they rally to the football, we’re aggressive when we have to be, we stunt when we have to be, we can get back in base and play regular base defense, [and] we’re good tacklers. Our defense this year is going to be pretty good. We have nine dudes coming back on both sides of the ball, so our defense is going to be really good too.”

Riverside came agonizingly close to its first district title since 2005, falling just short in a nail-biting 14-13 loss to Clint in the regular season finale a year ago. This year, the Rangers will look to unseat a Clint team that has now won three district titles in a row.

How is your team’s quest for its first district title in 16 years shaping up this year?

“The king of the district for many years in El Paso has been Clint. Coach Rosvel Martinez does a fantastic job over there. In my opinion, not a knock on anybody else, we have to get through Clint and Clint has to get through us. It’s definitely going to be one of those. The thing about that game is it’s the last game of the year. We’ve got Mountain View the week before that and Fabens the week before that and so on and so on [An away trip to San Elizario is the first game on Riverside’s district slate].  My honest opinion, it’s going to be pretty competitive.”

What are the goals and expectations for the 2021 season?

“As far as the goals, we’re playing and practicing to be the district champion. We’re trying to go as far as we can in the playoffs. And at the end of the day, each week, we’re just trying to finish 1-0. The expectations are higher than ever, the goals are set, and the kids know it. We’re excited, and we’re hungry. We’re ready to get to work. We can’t wait for August 2.”

Riverside’s quest to earn its first district title since 2005 and win its first playoff game since 2011 will begin on August 27 when it hosts El Paso High School to get the 2021 season under way. However, the most important night of the season could well fall on October 29 when Riverside hosts Clint in what could potentially serve as the de facto District 1-4A Division I title game.