ANDREW CRUM | STAFF WRITER
The Rivera Raiders’ defense started out aggressive and forced two fumbles that led to two touchdowns during the first quarter.
But the unit couldn’t figure out how to stop Weslaco East running back Lupe Moron.
Moron scored four touchdowns and rushed for 250 yards to lead the Wildcats to a comeback 41-28 win over the Raiders on Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium.
“He’s tough. Coach Burget told me they had a transfer running back over there that if he gets in the open, it will be hard to stop him, kind of like (former Rivera running back) Jacquil (Evans),” Rivera coach Tom Chavez said. “The defense played well, we just had a hard time with (Moron).”
The Raiders got off to a quick start thanks to their defense. The Rivera offense turned the two forced fumbles into 14 points. The first score was a 10-yard touchdown run by quarterback Danny Elizondo and, two minutes later, Elizondo hit tight end Edward Rubio on a 10-yard strike for a quick two-score lead.
Weslaco East answered almost as quickly. Running back Angel Flores took a pitch 76 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to cut the deficit in half. After a Raiders punt, the Wildcats tied the score at 14 with a 79-yard burst from Moron early in the second quarter.
Then things started to fall apart for the Raiders late in the first half. After a botched punt return gave the ball back to the Wildcats, Moron scored again from 2 yards out.
On the ensuing kickoff, a miscommunication on the return left the Raiders deep in their own territory, and a few plays later they were forced to punt. Weslaco East blocked it, and Eban Lopez recovered it and scored from 15 yards out to give the Wildcats a 28-21 lead before halftime.
“We gave them two easy touchdowns, that’s 12 points and the difference (in the score) right there,” Chavez said.
Moron kept it up in the second half. He scored on a 69-yard run within a minute of the start of the half and later scored on a 21-yard run to add to his total.
“He knew our quarterback (Daniel Rivas) was banged up. He’s normally a running quarterback, so (Lupe) put the challenge on his shoulders,” Weslaco East coach Mike Burget said. “He said, ‘Just give me the ball, and we’ll be OK.’ I guess I believe him now.”
Moron, the transfer from La Villa, seemed to fit just fine within the higher football class.
“Everybody challenges him that he was coming from a (Class 1A) ballclub. I told him it doesn’t matter,” Burget said. “We knew the young man could play football, he had a great night and I’m happy for him.”
Elizondo did his best to keep the Raiders in the game. The senior quarter back finished 13 of 26 for 120 yards and three touchdowns, two to Rubio. He also ran for another score.
The Raiders’ running backs pounded the Wildcats defense for 158 yards among Jair Guevara, Mario Mendez and Mario Garcia, but they did not match what Moron did on the other sideline.
Chavez was happy with the effort of his team.
“We just have to come together, continue to work together as a team and keep working. We’ll get there, little by little,” he said. “I was proud of the kids because they kept fighting, they never gave up. They played as hard as they could.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.