By PETE BANDA
Special to the NEWS
No one has ever questioned Karmyne Castilleja’s love for football.
From being raised the son of a former Greyhound football star to watching his older brother earn his own acclaim on the gridiron, the only uncertainty for Castilleja was how far he would go once he earned his Varsity spot. Now, with only a handful of games left in his senior season, it’s clear that the All-Valley Defensive Tackle has more than lived up to expectations as the third Castilleja to shine for the ’Hounds.
This past Friday’s district bout against Hanna saw Castilleja rack up three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks as the senior lineman continued as a terror in the backfield. Now in his third year on Varsity and his second season as a significant contributor on one of the best defensive units in school history, Castilleja’s high hopes of parlaying his talents into a college scholarship seem within reach. “I feel like every kid who truly loves the game of football dreams of earning that scholarship,” said Castilleja. “It might not be a Division 1 school, but I feel I have that opportunity. The way our program is run, every player prides himself on being a student-athlete, which has prepared me to succeed in every aspect of life moving forward.”
Last year, Castilleja stood out on a defense that allowed the least points in school history, regularly commanding double-team blocks from opposing teams. Still, the athletic big man was able to post ten tackles for loss and five sacks en route to earning All-District and All-Valley honors.
While he might end his career as one of the most decorated interior linemen of the Dan Gomez (district AD and Greyhound Head Football Coach) era, Castilleja’s rich athletic family history sets the bar mighty high.
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