By ROY HESS
Staff Writer
The final dress rehearsal leading up to the 2014 football season came off without any major hitches for the most part Friday as the Lopez Lobos scrimmaged the St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds at Sams Memorial Stadium.
During the first-half controlled conditions portion of the scrimmage, the Bloodhounds scored four times, all on passing plays, compared to two scores on rushes for the Lobos, making it 4-2 at intermission.
The second half was played under game conditions and SJA built a two-touchdown lead during the third quarter and eventually prevailed 24-7.
“I was very pleased with our passing game and the results,” SJA coach Christian Putegnat said. “I know our running game is going to come around, too. I thought that overall we played a really good game. We had a lot of enthusiasm and our guys played like we have been telling them all through two-a-days that they could play.
“Maybe what I’m most pleased about is our defense,” Putegnat added. “We held down Lopez’s ground game pretty well.”
Putegnat and Lopez coach Jason Starkey agreed the Bloodhounds looked quite a bit better Friday than they did during their first scrimmage last week against Rio Hondo.
“St. Joe has had two scrimmages, and it shows,” said Starkey, whose ballclub was playing its first and only scrimmage Friday. “St. Joe rebounded very well from its Rio Hondo scrimmage. They had a lot of adversity last week. Their first scrimmage against Rio Hondo looked a lot like we did against them tonight.”
Starkey said he remains positive about his team and is especially pleased with the perfect attendance he’s had at preseason practices to go along with the good numbers the Lobos now have in their program.
“We’re young, and I know we have a long way to go, but we’re close,” the Lopez coach said. “It’s tough to see that tonight because the (first and second half) scores of this scrimmage indicate a different picture than what we actually experienced.
“Like I told our kids, ‘We’re close,’” he added. “It’s a mental error here or having one player out of position there, things like that. Having perfect attendance (for preseason workouts) is the first time I’ve experience that (as a coach) in Brownsville, so I’m really excited about the heart of this young team and about the future. The future is very bright at Lopez, and I think the future is now. We’re going to get better.”
The Bloodhounds’ four first-half TDs came on pass plays covering 12, 13, 3 and 17 yards. SJA has two underclassmen newcomers vying to start at quarterback, Conner Pace and Kai Money, and each had a hand in throwing for a score. Money threw for three of the TDs in the first half and Pace tossed one.
The four SJA players catching TD passes in the controlled portion of the scrimmage were Mario Garcia, Dave Lapeyre and Bernardo de la Garza, who made a pair of scoring receptions during the first half.
The Lobos’ two scores during the opening half came on rushing plays. The first Lopez TD resulted from a 10-yard burst up the middle by running back Felix Nava. The second Lopez score came on a 21-yard QB keeper around the right side by Mike Vasquez.
During the third quarter of game conditions, Money threw a short scoring pass to de la Garza and added a 39-yard QB scoring scamper while kicking both extra points.
It became 24-0 in the fourth quarter after Pace hit Jeff Gowen with a 3-yard scoring pass and Money booted a 41-yard field goal.
Lopez’s backup offense drove the length of the field in the final minutes and scored on an 18-yard run by Ivan Olivo with 5.6 seconds left. Julio De La Garza added the extra point to make the game conditions final 24-7.
After the scrimmage, the two teams gathered at midfield for a group prayer and to hear words of encouragement from the coaches of both coaching staffs.
Lopez, coming off a 4-6 season, next opens the regular season at 7 p.m. Thursday at La Joya Palmview.
The Bloodhounds enjoyed a 6-5 playoff season in TAPPS one year ago and are looking to replace a number of starters who graduated. SJA opens the regular season at home at Canales Field against Raymondville at 7:30 p.m. Friday.