BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
SAN ANTONIO — Weslaco East’s chances of defeating Del Rio appeared as strong as the wind blowing through Alamo Stadium. With an eight point lead and 4:14 remaining, the Wildcats were rolling.
Sophomore quarterback Richard LeFevre was in the midst of a breakout game. The defense, led in part by sophomore JC Vargas, collected timely stops against an explosive Rams offense.
But a series of costly mistakes during crunch time, including a late fumble and an unrecovered onside kick, helped the Rams escape with a 33-21 win during Saturday’s Class 6A, Division II area round game.
The Rams scored three times in less than three minutes of game time, ending East’s bid to advance to the regional-qualifying round for the second time in as many years.
“I thought we were a bit timid during the first half,” East coach Mike Burget said. “That’s unlike our guys. At halftime I asked them to play Weslaco East football. Our guys came out during the third and fourth quarter and played well.”
The Wildcats (8-3) gained a 21-13 advantage late during the fourth quarter when LeFevre found junior receiver Jesse Trevino alone behind Del Rio’s defense for a 41-yard touchdown pass. The play was set up by a fumble recovery from Vargas.
LeFevre had a hand in all three of East’s scores, including an 8-yard pass to Ciro Rojas and a 2-yard dive on a keeper.
“These guys have stuck with me all season,” LeFevre said. “Through the ups and the downs and all the bumps, they’ve been with me no matter what. Whenever I make mistakes, they’ve always supported me.”
LeFevre completed six of his nine attempts for 101 passing yards and two scores. He also gained 14 rushing yards on five carries.
Del Rio responded in rapid fashion, going 64 yards in seven plays before quarterback Steven Salinas found Gaston Flores in the end zone from six yards out. The Rams attempted a 2-point conversion that was thwarted by Vargas, who knocked a would-be pass to the ground.
Flores proved a difficult matchup for the Wildcats throughout the afternoon, ending with 159 receiving yards and a pair of scores on 13 receptions.
It was 21-19 in favor of East with 2:27 left. The Wildcats wouldn’t see the ball again until the 17 second mark.
During the ensuing onside kick, Del Rio (10-3) recovered on East’s 38-yard line after the ball ricocheted off the hands of an East player. Five plays later, the Rams took the lead for good when Salinas connected with Miguel Chairez from the 4-yard line to go up 26-21.
East’s slim hopes of saving its season vanished when the team fumbled into the end zone on the first play of its final drive. Del Rio recovered and were credited with a touchdown to make it 33-21.
“That’s why they call it a playoff game,” East defensive coordinator Rene Guzman said. “Anything can happen. The ball didn’t bounce our way at the end. Wish we could do things differently, but that’s not the case.”
SMALL ON BIG PLAYS
Though the Wildcats scored on big plays during the second half, the team was shut out during the first two quarters. Emilio Tamez, the leading rusher in District 31-6A on the season with more than 1,200 rushing yards, was limited to 33 first-half yards.
“That was our goal coming into the game,” Del Rio coach Frenchey McCrea said. “We know how fast and athletic they are. We wanted to take away some of those big plays and make them work for every yard. It wasn’t easy. They’re a good team. They got me with a couple of their formations.”
Tamez finished with a game-high 87 rushing yards on 18 carries.
ADJUSTMENTS
Saturday marks the conclusion of LeFevre’s first season under center for the Wildcats. The 6-3 athlete transferred to East from Ben Bolt during the summer.
“It was a big transition, coming to a big school from a small school,” LeFevre said. “There are so many skilled players at every position. I know I played like a young player at times, but they always hung in there and gave me a chance. I just tried as hard as I could to give them whatever they wanted.”
HIGH DEMAND
Ciro Rojas played his last game as a Wildcat in all three phases. Rojas carried the ball just three times for 14 yards and caught three passes for 29, but spent the bulk of the first half on defense, lined up in the secondary.
“He’s been doing that all year for us,” Guzman said. “He’s our go-to guy. He hardly ever comes off the field… We demanded a lot from him all season long.”