DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
PHARR — Donna High did not have a healthy Amonte Bowen for all but two games last season. It showed, as the Redskins had to scrap and claw for a second-place finish in District 32-5A.
But the big, strong and speedy Bowen is a difference-maker, and he proved that during Donna High’s district-opening 56-9 domination of PSJA Southwest on Thursday at PSJA ISD Stadium. Bowen compiled 176 yards and three touchdowns rushing, 46 yards and a TD receiving, and completed 2 of 4 passes for 72 yards in helping his team rout its 32-5A opener.
“From the first play of the game, I just wanted to make something big out of it,” Bowen said. “Not being able to play last year and having to watch us get beat by this team, it was tough. It was really hard.”
Aside from Bowen, Donna High was fueled by memory. It was Southwest (1-3, 0-1) that was on the winning side when the teams met to open 32-5A in 2014, essentially forcing the Redskins to win out to salvage a good postseason spot.
This time around, Donna High (2-2, 1-0 32-5A) did not mess around. The Redskins scored on all seven of their drives when starters were in and had four different players find the end zone. If it wasn’t Bowen running amok, it was fellow senior Edward Dougherty, who rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns.
“Personally, last year against them left a bitter taste in my mouth,” said Dougherty, who also completed 3 of 4 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown and caught a 63-yard pass from Bowen. “This is a sweet victory. It’s a good win, good statement and we get revenge while we’re at it.”
Neither Bowen nor Dougherty played the fourth quarter.
It took Donna High, which averaged 10.9 yards per play and totaled 522 yards, four plays and 1 minute, 15 seconds to score its first touchdown. And when Donna didn’t have the ball, its much-maligned defense forced punts, three-and-outs and a fumble.
Donna surrendered 301 total yards, 178 coming in the second half after building a 35-3 halftime lead.
“They had been struggling,” Donna coach Ramiro Leal said of his defense. “We had been making young mistakes, and tonight we were aligned right and we made the right adjustments. We covered our gaps and we kept them in front of us.”
Or as Southwest coach Jesus Reyes put it, succinctly: “They overwhelmed us. Good size, good speed. We just didn’t perform tonight.”
ANOTHER WEAPON
Senior running back Paul Guerra made his season debut after being held out the first three games with hamstring and back issues.
An 800-plus yard rusher last season, Guerra carried the ball five times for 31 yards and a TD, and caught one pass for nine yards. His first touch resulted in an 18-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.
“He looked great,” Leal said. “First carry, touchdown. It can’t get better than that. He’s been really patient. He’s wanted to play, but we’ve been holding him out for precautionary reasons. I’m really happy for him.”
ACOSTA PLAYS
Southwest’s top running back, senior Jesus Acosta, was back on the field Thursday after missing the previous game because of injury.
Acosta, playing with his left hand wrapped up, had 10 carries for 68 yards. But he also fumbled during a return in which he was used conservatively.
Acosta did not get his first carry until the second quarter. By that time, Donna High had a 14-3 lead.
“When he’s in there, you can see the difference,” Reyes said. “He’s got the punch, power, the second effort. He’s determined.”
UP NEXT
Donna High hosts Brownsville Pace at 7:30 next Friday night. Pace fell 54-0 to Mercedes on Thursday night and dropped to 0-4.
PSJA Southwest plays PSJA High next Friday at 7:30 p.m. PSJA High (0-3) is at Edcouch-Elsa tonight to open its district slate.