Draigon Silvas sets the tone for Refugio

Running back doesn't have huge numbers, but his leadership stands out

REFUGIO - There are football players bigger and faster than the 5-foot-7, 180-pound Draigon Silvas.

Ask Refugio coach Jason Herring, though, and he's quick to say that he's had few players who compare to his senior running back/middle linebacker.

"If I was picking one football player, he's the one I would pick," Herring said. "I've told college coaches the same thing. If I was going to build a college or high school team and you told me I could get one pick, my first pick would be Draigon Silvas.

"Draigon is a once-in-a-lifetime kid and football player because a lot of the time when you have a kid who's really talented and special in football, they tend to be prima donnas and not work as hard because things have come easy. What you have in Draigon is a stud athlete and football player who works his butt off all the time."

His first name alone — it's his father Manuel's homage to martial arts icon Bruce Lee, with an extra vowel thrown in — makes Silvas stand out. And as defending Class 2A Division II state champion and top-ranked Refugio (12-0) continues its playoff run with Friday night's Region IV final against No. 4 East Bernard (12-0), Silvas has come to the fore during the postseason.

In the Bobcats' first two playoff games, he has accounted for nine touchdowns (seven rushing, one receiving and one passing) during a pair of lopsided victories over Rogers and Lexington.

"I'm just going out there and playing — I love the game," Silvas said.

Whether the hard-charging Silvas finds another gear during the playoffs is debatable.

What isn't questioned is how emotionally invested he is in the Bobcats' fortunes. That's natural, as he was weaned on Refugio football, with his father and a host of other relatives — the most notable being late 1980s standout Willie Mack Garza — having played for the Bobcats.

"It was a big thing for me because I've been hearing heat since I was a little kid from my dad and uncles," Silvas said. "If you don't win state, it isn't good enough. They went to state, but they got beat by one point (by Lorena in the 1987 2A final).

"Losing the game, it's not just 'Oh, we lost that game.' It's like losing a piece of your life to me."

Of course, the Bobcats haven't done much losing since Silvas first suited up on the varsity in 2009. Refugio has a 54-2 record during Silvas' four seasons, with 27 consecutive victories entering this week.

Because of the wide-open offense Refugio runs, Silvas put up modest regular-season numbers (763 yards rushing, 14 touchdowns in 10 games). But Herring insists Silvas' contributions aren't measured in numbers.

"The things the outsiders don't see is he doesn't have to rush for 3,000 yards to be our heart and soul," Herring said. "It's all the things that Draigon brings that people don't know about, like his work ethic in the weight room and in practice, you would never know he was the star. Because he's right in the middle of the scout team on defense or offense playing his butt off. He just loves the game of football.

"The Rogers game, the plan was 90 percent for him to lead block. And you know how much griping he did during the week? Zero. And then he turns around and scores five touchdowns against them and four against Lexington.

"Many, many kids, especially stars, would've seen the game plan against Rogers and would've been pouting all week and wouldn't have played worth a flip. Instead, he just took his opportunities and turned them into nine touchdowns."

Silvas hasn't exactly gone unnoticed, as he was a second-team all-state selection by the Texas Sports Writers Association last year. Still, he didn't hesitate to say he'd take a state championship with no individual honor rather than being feted by the media with no team hardware.

According to Herring, that sums up the player he's dubbed "my little soldier."

"And I'm not trying to make light of soldiers and even compare (their jobs to football)," Herring said. "But everything about him is that (soldier) mentality. I think of a clean-cut guy with no questions asked, just saying 'Yes, sir.'

"Every Friday night, when we're warming up, I walk up to him and say, 'All right, soldier, let's go.'"

For the soft-spoken Silvas, getting ready to play, whether it's an August scrimmage or a high-stakes December playoff game, is no problem.

"When we've needed him, he's put us on his shoulders and taken care of it," teammate John Wesley Shipp said.

"He's real friendly – you won't meet a nicer guy than Draigon — but when it comes down to business, he's going to take care of it and not worry about talking a whole lot.

While Silvas has given plenty to the Bobcats over the years, the sands are running out of the hourglass. He has a maximum of three games left in the black and orange, making it a bittersweet time for Herring.

"It breaks my heart," Herring said of Silvas' looming departure. "He's just real special. It's going to be just him not being here, all the intangibles, those things he brings to us that you guys don't see. He's the best football player I've ever coached, no question. In all phases, no one's even close.

"Everything he does is the perfect example of what a complete, unselfish football player is supposed to be."