WESLACO – Since he was seven years old, Freddy Cardenas has played the middle linebacker position.

He doesn’t care about blocking, running routes, or throwing the football.

He’s had one job for over 10 years. Get to the guy with the ball and take him down.

“You talk about a guy that gets in the weight room 24/7,” said Weslaco East coach Mike Burget. “One of those leaders, natural leaders. He don’t have to say too much. He does his talking with the pads.”

“My mentality is to go out there and with the way coach Burget says to out hit them, that’s really gotten into my head,” said Cardenas. “It brings another intensity to me. Anytime I can get a little lick on that running back, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Cardenas leads the team with 74 tackles, but that’s not his only impact. The senior also has a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a sack, a pass deflection, and he’s even blocked two field goals.

“Don’t be surprised if you see him on offense soon,” said Burget. “He does about everything for us. He calls the defense out there. He makes the adjustments on the run.”

So how does the Wildcats’ linebacker make so many plays?

“First off it starts with the d-line,” said Cardenas. “Jacob Banda, Robert Torres, Leo (Garza), Imanol (Ordonez), it starts with them. We have great coaches. The coaches put me in the best position that they can out there, and it just gets me to the ball every time.”

With a win last week, the Wildcats clinched their 12th straight playoff berth. That amount of success doesn’t happen without good coaching and good players like Cardenas.

“Has a lot to do with everybody’s hard work put together,” said Cardenas. “It’s just an amazing feeling when it comes together.”

Weslaco East faces Weslaco Friday in our First & Goal Game of the Week.