By Moses Leos III
After their high school and college football playing days were over, Lehman High alumni Cruz Banda and Chris Piedra couldn’t let go of the gridiron.
Their love of the sport has taken the teammates to the realm of semi-professional football with the Texas Punishers of the Minor Professional Football League (MPFL).
And while the experience is far different than expected, they hope their path can help become a beacon for not only Lobo football, but young players.
“Coming from a small town like this, where football isn’t heard of but from the Hays side, I’m glad we have it from the Lehman side,” Banda said. “You don’t often hear about football from Lehman.”
Banda’s path toward semi-pro football began after he stopped playing the sport at Wayland Baptist University in 2014.
Upon returning home, Banda found out about an open workout for Cedar Park’s MPFL team. The workout featured NFL-style combine elements, including a 40-yard dash, vertical jump and shuttle run.
Banda quickly realized how different professional football was from the high school and college game. Banda, who tried out for a position on the offensive line, said many of the players who participated outweighed him by “200 pounds.”
While he was a “little intimidated at first,” he harkened back to what he learned at Lehman to help him.
“It was a whole different experience. I’m not used to going up against grown men. I’m used to going up against guys my age,” Banda said. “It wasn’t anything I was expecting. It was tough but I loved the competition level.”
Piedra, who had been out of football for a year and was coaxed to try out in 2015, said he was also helped by what his position coaches at Lehman taught him.
“It’s crazy,” Piedra said of the tryout. “It’s fun, but a crazy atmosphere.”
But the two eventually realized how competitive the world of professional football is. Banda said many players on the team played collegiately or had a football background.
It showed during his tryout, where an “average guy” suffered a concussion on the first hit he took. Banda said his first day of practice was “nerve-wracking,” and that he had several errant snaps.
The nervousness was gone once he took his first few hits.
“This is not like a league where you can get off the couch and go play. These guys have been training all season to where they are now,” he said.
Both players also saw the business side of the sport. Piedra, who plays behind a kicker who has six years experience over him, said the mentality of the “next man up” applies if you “don’t do your job.”
“It’s a whole another competition than in high school,” Piedra said. “You have to have every single play, every single snap, you have to be on it.”
But the familiarity the duo has helped them during the 2015 season. Banda was a long-snapper and center at Lehman when Piedra was a freshman punter.
They reprised that role when both players made the team last fall.
“Playing together is more special,” Piedra said. “It’s not from a different generation, but the same guys on the same field coming together. I feel it’s special that it’s from the Lehman side.”
Living the semi-pro football life was also different. Banda said up until this season, players had to carpool to games. The MPFL features 50 to 60 teams that span the entire state.
But traveling with teammates, whether in a small car or a charter bus, allowed the team to bond while on the road. For Banda, it allowed him to learn from his much more experienced teammates.
“To learn from these older men, and learn from their experiences, it’s great to learn from someone that’s older than you,” Banda said.
Both players believe their success provides an opportunity for high school players that may want to continue their career in football in the future.
“We hope to motivate more people from middle school through Lehman football and know there have been some players from Lehman that went to college, or skipped college, and played professional football,” Piedra said.
