RGVSPORTS.COM
Sharyland Pioneer erased what had been a turnover-riddled opening half by scoring four times after intermission en route to a 28-7 victory over visiting Valley View in both teams’ District 31-5A opener on Thursday night at Richard Thompson Stadium.
The Diamondbacks (3-2, 1-0) turned the ball over five times, committing three fumbles, before halftime, falling behind 7-0. They turned the corner in the second half to fend off a struggling Tigers team (0-4, 0-1).
“It’s good to be 1-0 in district,” Sharyland Pioneer coach Jason Wheeler said. “I think we’re starting to come together as a team. We showed a lot of character because a lot of teams would turn on each other, saying, ‘Why’s it worth it to keep fighting?’ But they knew if they kept fighting, the offense was going to get going.”
Joe Garza returned a fumble for a 30-yard score. Alec Garcia, the team’s leading rusher, scored on a 35-yard pickup. And Gabriel Benavides, who rushed for more than 100 yards, added another score.
The win helped protect what had otherwise been a solid defensive effort, in which Sharyland Pioneer surrendered only 45 yards through the opening half.
“I think we gave great effort,” Wheeler said. “We showed a lot of character. Of course, we still have to correct our mistakes and we’ve got to concentrate more on ball control. … It was important for us to win. On a short week like this, we’ve just got to continue to get better. We have a huge game coming up on the road against Rio Grande City. We’re trying to put two wins together for the first time this season. We need to, if we’re going to be a playoff team.”