By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Porter needed a win or a PSJA Southwest loss to clinch a playoff berth this week.
The Cowboys received some good news late Thursday night as Mercedes defeated PSJA Southwest 52-0, clinching a postseason spot for Porter for the first time since 2008.
The Cowboys will now try to build on that momentum when they play PSJA High at 1 p.m. Saturday in a District 32-5A game at Sams Memorial Stadium. Rivera and Hanna will face off later at 7 p.m. tonight in a District 32-6A game, also at Sams Memorial Stadium.
“It feels amazing,” Porter quarterback Ernie Martinez said. “But I still feel like we need to win. I think it’s best to have as many wins as we can heading into the playoffs.”
The Cowboys could relax with a playoff berth in hand, but the team and Porter coach Tom Campos don’t want to rest. They want to finish the season strong with a victory or two, and play as if the stress is still on their shoulders.
“I think the pressure is still there,” Martinez said. “It’s the last home game for the seniors, and I don’t want to go into the playoffs losing.”
Porter again will rely on running back Jorge Gutierrez, who leads the district with 1,614 yards and 20 touchdowns on the season.
The game plan for Porter doesn’t change this week, and its ground attack should be pretty effective. The Bears allow 285 rushing yards per game, and the Cowboys gain 298 yards per game on the ground.
The team is confident and ready to face the Bears today, but Martinez did allow himself to reflect for a moment.
“It’s something that not a lot of people have done before,” he said. “It’s something I can take with me, and I know that I’ve done something that not a lot of people have done. It’s pretty special.”
As for the Golden Eagles and the Raiders, both teams are out of the playoff picture in District 32-6A but they hope to finish the season on a positive note.
Regardless of records, Hanna and Rivera are working diligently.
“The kids are upbeat and still working hard,” Hanna coach Rene Medrano said. “We’ve had some tough battles all year, and this isn’t going to be any different. We’re trying to get ready, and they’re going to give us everything they’ve got.”
The Raiders are still searching for their first victory of the season, but their preparation hasn’t changed.
“We haven’t done anything different,” Rivera coach Tom Chavez said. “We just keep trying to work hard. We’ve just focused on what Hanna does offensively and defensively. Whenever two Brownsville teams play, you never know. They’ll be up for it, and we’re getting ourselves up and ready for it, too.”
Hanna is the top passing team in the district with Andy Lopez at the helm, and the Raiders will try to limit him as Harlingen South did last week. The senior was held to 120 yards through the air last week against the Hawks.
Rivera has struggled on offense but will stick to its smashmouth running game. Hanna has struggled against the run at times and will need to keep the Raiders from moving the chains.
Chavez knows the team has to limit their turnovers.
“One thing we’ve had trouble with is turning the ball over and making mistakes,” he said. “We need to perform a little bit better and get on track.”
Medrano has dealt with an up-and-down season as well, as the Eagles have been close in several games. He wants to see the effort that he’s seen all year.
“We’ve been in every one of our ballgames. Win or lose, we’ve fought until the end, and that’s all I can ask for,” he said. “You just want to compete to the end, and I’m proud of our kids for that.”
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.