By MARK MOLINA
Staff Writer
SAN BENITO — All week long the ‘Battle of the Arroyo’ rivalry has been downplayed in both the Harlingen and San Benito camps.
While this year’s “Battle” is viewed as just the next game up by both teams, when the Harlingen Cardinals visit the San Benito Greyhounds tonight at Bobby Morrow Stadium, it’ll be for at least a share of the top spot in the early 32-6A standings.
Brownsville Veterans is also 2-0 and will face Hanna tomorrow night.
Both teams enter with the same record (3-2, 2-0) and are riding a wave of momentum after winning these last two weeks and squashing early-season slumps.
For the Greyhounds, they’ve been led by their offensive attack which ranks tops in the district.
They bring a balanced passing and running attack which has produced just over 30 points per game this year.
However, this week they face a defense in Harlingen that has brought the pressure in their wins over Brownsville Rivera and Brownsville Hanna.
“We are just going to work. Harlingen is known for their defense and they deserve the credit when it’s given to them,” San Benito head coach Dan Gomez said. “All we can do is work hard, prepare for it the best we can and get after it.”
Last week the Greyhounds escaped the Los Fresnos Falcons 17-14 on a late field goal to get to 2-0 in district play, but there are concerns about protecting the football after losing one of three fumbles in the win.
“Every win is important, but we didn’t do it the way we’d like. We had fumbles and missed assignments,” Gomez said.
San Benito quarterback Cristian Sierra also threw his second interception in two games, making tonight’s match up a tough one for him.
Four of the Cardinals’ five turnovers in the last two games have been interceptions and came off the arms of the two top passers in the district in Rivera’s Danny Elizondo and Hanna’s Andy Lopez.
With 32-6A’s top rusher Gabriel Vasquez and Sierra’s arm to deal with, Harlingen coach Manny Gomez just wants his squad to do their part in their gap exchange type defense that has helped apply pressure to offenses this season.
“We have to make sure that we take care of our responsibilities,” Harlingen’s Gomez said Wednesday. “We give everyone a gap they have to worry about and they have to make sure they take care of that gap; it’s that simple. San Benito has a good running and passing game, so I’m sure they’ll have their screens. We have to make sure we cover all our bases, apply pressure and make sure we cover ourselves with those screens.
“We need to control the line of scrimmage, but it’s going to be a fun challenge.”
In Harlingen’s two district contests they have allowed 15.5 points a game and have won that battle.
That should help a Harlingen offensive that is coming off its biggest night of the season following a 37-21 win over Hanna led by running back Leo Tienda’s three rushing touchdowns and the spark of a returning Bowie Davis under center.
Davis had a solid outing after missing three games prior with a calf injury, should fare well against a San Benito defense which ranks sixth in 32-6A