That’s what’s at stake when the Red Birds hit the turf at Buc Stadium tonight against Smithson Valley in their Class 6A Division I regional playoff contest. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
This year’s seniors were eight graders when that 2011 team made a run, and now they hope to match that and write their own story in the process.
“Well, that’s something that has always been in the back of their minds and they have echoing that they want to be like those guys, and even better than those guys” said Harlingen head coach Manny Gomez. “You always have to have a vision when you start something and here at Harlingen, you don’t just start something, we always start something with a purpose, vision and ending.
“We’re in a good setting to be successful and for sure we’re going to go out and give it our best shot.”
Standing in the Cards’ way is the Smithson Valley Rangers (9-3), who are coming off a pair of impressive wins over San Antonio Reagan (17-7) and San Antonio Stevens (35-0).
The Rangers’ three losses this year have come at the hands of Cibolo Steele, Converse Judson and Schertz Clemens.
Harlingen’s defensive has pitched a shutout against Edinburg Economedes and held McAllen Memorial’s Division I talent Trevor Speights in check in consecutive weeks, but will face arguably its toughest test of the year tonight.
Smithson Valley has compiled 4,171 yards of offense this year and has gotten a good chunk of it through the air.
Leading the air raid is quarterback Josh Adkins, who has thrown for more than 2,500 yards and 26 touchdowns. He has even run in 14 more touchdowns, making him a matchup issue for the Cards.
On the receiving end of a lot of those passes has been 6-foot-1 receiver Derek Housler, who has caught 56 passes for 1,252 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The key for Harlingen will be pressure, as always.
“We just put more emphasis this week on the pass because (Smithson Valley) is going to throw the ball, but at the same time we have to take chances and apply pressure to the quarterback,” Gomez said. “That helps with coverage, but we know it’ll be a chess match. The bottom line is that what has gotten us here is our ability to apply pressure when we have to.”
Harlingen has been solid, but allowed big plays through the air to Memorial in last week’s win, so that matchup will be one to watch.
Offensively, the Cardinals will lean on their duo of Leo Tienda and Jesse Castro.
Last week Tienda found the end zone five times and ran for 233 yards, while Castro had a combined 364 yards of offense. He threw for 200 yards and ran for 164 more and a score.
They will need to be that sharp again, as they face a Rangers defense that held San Antonio Stevens to 166 yards of total offense last week.