MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
It wasn’t pretty, but Harlingen got in the win column against Weslaco this past Friday.
Despite a 1-2 record and some injury problems, the Cardinals have looked sharp during one of the toughest preseason schedules in the Rio Grande Valley.
Aside from being shutout by San Antonio Reagan in Week Two, the undermanned Cards rebounded to give McAllen all it could handle and took down Weslaco in a grind-it-out game that happened to go their way in the end.
Cardinal running backs Rene Medina and Michael Gonzalez, who were the go-to players against Weslaco as they combined for 109 yards on 25 carries, have made the injuries to quarterbacks Bowie Davis and Jesse Castro less of an issue.
While dismissing the Panthers, the Cards struggled offensively but scored when it mattered most in the final minutes of the game on a Medina 16-yard game-clinching run.
It was the second straight game that the Harlingen defense forced multiple turnovers.
Despite being second to last in the district in terms of total defense and total offense, don’t expect that to hold up during district play.
The Cards head into District 32-6A play confident and with some momentum on their side when they meet the 0-3 Brownsville Rivera raiders this Friday night.
“We believed in the guys who were in there. You fight to the end and great things happen,” Gomez said Friday after the game with Weslaco. “Next week is a new season and you always want to build some sort of momentum.”
SOUTH AND SAN BENITO LOOKING TO GET BACK INTO WIN COLUMN: Week One seems so long ago for Harlingen South and San Benito.
After getting impressive Week One victories over Weslaco and Edinburg respectively, the Hawks and Greyhounds are both 1-2 and looking to get back in the win column after being blown out in their last two contests before heading into this past week’s bye week.
For South, its first district game will be a tough one as they host a 2-1 Brownsville Veterans team.
After three weeks, the Chargers are leading District 32-6A in total offense and defense.
The Hawks have managed only 17 points their last two games prior to their bye week, including a 30-0 loss to Weslaco East.
The Greyhounds, meanwhile, will face the 1-1 Brownsville Hanna Eagles.
The Greyhounds proved they could score in Week One against Edinburg when they put up 53 points.
However back-to-back tough games against Weslaco East and McAllen Memorial were tough outings for the ’Hounds as they allowed 42 points per game while scoring just 42 in both combined.
One bright spot has been running back Gabriel Vasquez, who is leading the district in rushing and scoring with 355 yards and six touchdowns.