KEVIN LU | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
EDINBURG — Edinburg North needed a final-minute field goal to nip PSJA Memorial 17-14 on Friday night at Cats Stadium.
Edinburg North (5-4 overall, 3-2 District 31-6A) had a third down at the Memorial 6-yard line with 17 seconds left. Coach Rene Saenz opted to send out kicker Diego Sanchez for a 23-yard field goal attempt. Sanchez, who missed a 45-yard try earlier in the game, knocked it through for the win.
“We have all the confidence in the world in our field goal kicker,” Saenz said. “We were out of timeouts, we didn’t feel confident enough with 17 seconds left to run a play and spike it. We would’ve had to rush our field goal team out there.”
As a result, PSJA Memorial (5-6, 2-4) saw its playoff hopes eliminated after it had pulled within 14-12 on a Jonathan Trevino 2-yard run with 2:55 left. Quarterback Michael Gonzalez connected with Trevino for the two-point conversion to tie it at 14.
Trevino’s final carry gave him a team-high 102 yards rushing.
The Cougars began the ensuing final possession on their own 18-yard line with 2:48 left. The winning drive featured a 30-yard run by senior Matt Whitesides, as Edinburg North only threw the ball once during the possession.
“We knew worse comes to worse, we’re going to (overtime),” Saenz said. “We’ve done it three times this year, so we’re used to that.”
Whitesides opened up the game’s scoring with a 4-yard touchdown on the Cougars first possession. Edinburg North drove the ball 65 yards, 55 coming via the legs of Whitesides, who finished with a game-high 195 yards and the touchdown.
PSJA Memorial answered right back on the next possession. Gonzalez completed a pass to Jay Bocanegra, who took the ball down the left sideline for a 70-yard gain. A shoestring tackle downed Bocanegra at the 1-yard line. Gonzalez ran in for the score on the next play to cut the Wolverines’ deficit to 7-6. Bocanegra had a game-high 132 yards receiving.
Neither team scored again until Cougars quarterback Josh Salazar ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Edinburg North a 14-6 lead.
Edinburg North senior Joey Benitez had a pair of interceptions in the win.