KEVIN LU | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
The PSJA High Bears survived a sloppy game to beat the Edinburg Economedes Jaguars 21-14 at a rain soaked Cats Stadium on Friday night.
The game featured 14 fumbles — seven for each team — and 190 yards in penalties after it was delayed for a half-hour due to rain. PSJA High won the turnover battle, as it forced four fumbles for takeaways and intercepted a pass as well. Economedes High had three takeaways after Bears fumbles.
“It’s the same for both teams,” PSJA High coach Steve Marroquin said of the fumbles. “At the end of the day, it kind of evens itself out… we just got to do a better job of taking care of the football.”
The most impactful takeaway occurred in the fourth quarter with the Bears up 13-7. At the end of a PSJA rushing attempt, Jaguars senior Dayron Molina stripped the ball and ran 60 yards to the end zone. The eighth and final turnover of the game gave Economedes a 14-13 lead with 10:50 left on the clock.
PSJA High responded on the ensuing possession, as quarterback Andrew Castaneda found Anthony Dunaway on a fade route for a 17-yard touchdown reception. It capped an eight-play, 79-yard drive for the Bears. Bobby Guajardo’s rushing two-point conversion gave the game its 21-14 final score.
“We were in a fight all night long, and at the end of the day, my kids kept it cool, kept their composure,” Marroquin said. “When the game was on the line, they believed in themselves.”
Andrew De La Cerda opened up the scoring on the first play of the second quarter. He ran untouched to the end zone on a third-and-goal for a 7-0 lead. Economedes answered right back, as senior signal caller David Garcia connected with Rolando Resendez for a 48-yard touchdown catch. Play-action in the backfield sucked in the defense, and Garcia hit Resendez in stride as he got behind the Bears secondary.
The score stayed 7-7 until late in the half. On the first play after a Jaguars punt, new Bears quarterback Troy Flores hit Eric Castillo on a slant route. Castillo took the pass 27 yards before Economedes forced a fumble at its own 40 -ard line. Luckily for the Bears, Dunaway was there to scoop it up and run it to the 1-yard line. On the next play, Christian Sanchez punched it in for PSJA High. A fumbled hold on the extra-point attempt sent the teams into halftime with a 13-7 Bears lead.
“That’s football. Things like that are going to happen,” Marroquin said. “We’re very fortunate that it took a good hop for us… We gave a lot of character on this football team. It’s a game that will get us ready for our next challenge.”