Galgos de Tijuana

Mexican American football team
Galgos de Tijuana
Team logo
Established17 November 2021; 2 years ago (2021-11-17)
Based inTijuana, Mexico
Home fieldEstadio Caliente
Head coachMauricio Loyola
Owner(s)Grupo Caliente
LeagueLiga de Fútbol Americano Profesional
ColoursBlack, red and white
     

Galgos de Tijuana (English: Tijuana Greyhounds) are an American football team based in Tijuana, Mexico. The Galgos compete in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football league in Mexico. The team plays its home games at the Estadio Caliente.

History

On 9 November 2021, LFA commissioner Alejandro Jaimes announced a franchise in Tijuana would be joining the Reyes de Jalisco as one of the two expansion teams ahead of the 2022 season.[1][2]

Galgos de Tijuana was established on 17 November, revealing their name, logo and uniforms.[3][4] The project was undertaken in part by Grupo Caliente, owners of Club Tijuana.[5] Guillermo Ruiz Burguete was announced as the first head coach while wide receiver Luis Araujo was their "franchise player".[4] The first tryout was held at the CETYS University [es] Tijuana campus just a few days later, with over 100 player attending.[6] The inaugural roster included 17 players from colleges in Tijuana, three from Ensenada and three from Mexicali.[7]

The Galgos played their first game on 4 March 2022, kicking off the 2022 season against fellow expansion team Gallos Negros de Querétaro at the Estadio Caliente with a 9–33 loss. Paul Ortíz kicked a first-quarter field goal for the first points in team history, while Alejandro Meléndez threw the team's first-ever touchdown to Cody Smith in the game's closing minutes.[8][9] Galgos ended the 2022 season with a 0–6 record, becoming the first LFA team to finish a season with no wins.[10]

On 4 January 2023, Héctor del Águila was announced as the head coach for the 2023 season.[11]

Galgos achieved their first victory ever in their first game of the 2023 LFA season against Mexicas de la Ciudad de México, 24–6.[12]

Roster

Galgos de Tijuana roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

  • 34 Antonio Guerrero
  • 11 Alejandro Mendoza
  • 21 Héctor Villavicencio

Wide receivers

  • 14 Manuel Espriú
  • 81 Mauricio García
  • 83 Alberto Lemus
  • 15 Alejandro Martínez
  • 16 Eldridge Massington
  •  3 Kobe Miranda
  • 22 Tremaine Ross
  • 13 Carlos Santillano
  •  6 Cody Smith
  •  1 Terrance Williams

Tight ends

  • 87 Osmar Marentes
 Offensive linemen
  • 63 Saúl Alfaro
  • 71 Juan Manuel Candela
  • 78 José Carpio
  • 55 Rodrigo de la Rosa
  • 56 Cris Lira
  • 50 Mario Ojeda
  • 65 Jalen Powell
  • 69 William Rivera
  • 52 Carlos Sánchez

Defensive linemen

  • 20 Jonathan Arellano
  • 92 Diego Ibarra
  • 91 Eli Leal
  • 99 Steven Mason
  • 93 Jamal Newman
  • 90 Jorge Ortiz
  • 97 Carlos Ríos
  • 10 Maximiliano Soto
 Linebackers
  • 17 Miguel Ángel Canseco
  • 30 Patricio Garza
  • 18 Garret LeBouef
  • 28 René López
  • 27 Michelle Pasillas
  •  9 Issac Pulido
  • 49 Fernando Rubio
  • 54 Felipe Sifuentes
  •  0 LeDevin Smith

Defensive backs

  •  8 Enrique Altamirano
  •  7 Fabio González
  • 26 José Gutiérrez
  • 23 David Richardson
  • 24 José Pablo Sánchez

Special teams

  • 19 José Manuel Vargas K

Italics indicate International player
Roster updated 27-02-2023

Season-by-season

Season Head coach Regular season Postseason
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
2022 Guillermo Ruiz Burguete 0 6 .000 7th (League) – – – –
2023 Héctor del Águila 5 5 .500 6th (League) 0 1 .000 Lost to Reyes 3–15
Total 5 11 .313

References

  1. ^ Mayen, Fernanda (9 November 2021). "La LFA está de regreso" (in Spanish). Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  2. ^ Moreno, Arlene (9 November 2021). "Tendrá Tijuana equipo de LFA". El Mexicano (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  3. ^ Mayen, Fernanda (17 November 2021). "Llegan los Galgos Tijuana a la LFA" (in Spanish). Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b Muñoz, Heriberto (17 November 2021). "Galgos, la pieza que faltaba en el futbol americano de Baja California". El Imparcial (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  5. ^ Romero, Marcos (17 November 2021). "Galgos Tijuana jugará en LFA MÉXICO 2022". El Sol de Tijuana (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  6. ^ Ávila Díaz, Carlos Arturo (22 November 2021). "Primer tryout de la LFA en Tijuana". Puebla Sport News (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  7. ^ Muñoz, Heriberto (4 March 2022). "Los Galgos de Tijuana debutan mañana el Estadio Caliente". El Imparcial (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  8. ^ Romero, Marcos (5 March 2022). "Amargo debut de Galgos en LFA". El Sol de Tijuana (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  9. ^ Moreno, Arlene (5 March 2022). "Triste debut de Galgos en LFA". El Mexicano (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  10. ^ Kuri, Omar (24 April 2022). "Galgos de Tijuana termina su participación en la temporada". Vpro Sports (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  11. ^ Romero, Marcos (4 January 2023). "Galgos presentó su nuevo Head Coach". El Sol de Tijuana (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  12. ^ Muñoz, Heriberto (5 March 2023). "Galgos de Tijuana consigue su primera victoria en LFA". El Imparcial (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 March 2023.