BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
PHARR — It took six quarters before the PSJA North Raiders punted the football this season, a side-effect of their efficient, high-scoring offense. But when quarterback George Olivarez booted the ball away for the first time against Brownsville Veterans Memorial, it was an ominous sign for the Raiders.
Before then, PSJA North scored on its first four drives. After that, it wouldn’t see the end zone again until Veterans’ eventual 49-31 win was assured.
“We were up 10 points there for awhile,” Raiders coach Jorge Peña said. “All of a sudden there was a 14-point swing to end the (first) half. After that, we just couldn’t recover.”
The opening moments of Saturday’s contest at PSJA Stadium fit the style of play the Raiders (1-1) are accustomed to playing, an up-tempo shootout where touchdowns are given out in the same way Oprah Winfrey gifts Pontiacs.
Brownsville Vets set the tone from the get-go, marching 79 yards in five plays and scoring on a 19-yard pass from senior quarterback Marcus Castillo to receiver Stephen Flores. The Raiders countered with a 62-yard drive of their own wherein Olivarez scored on a 32-yard keeper, tying the game 7-7 midway through the first.
The Chargers faltered on their ensuing possession when running back Carlos Garza turned the ball over on the 34-yard line, one of Brownsville’s rare blemishes of the evening. North capitalized six plays later when Bear Estrada (no, that’s not his real name) punched it in from three yards out to give the Raiders a 14-7 lead. The first quarter would end on a 14-14 tie after a 12-yard run from Castillo.
For most of the second quarter, the Raiders continued their hot streak. Jacob Rodriguez ended a nine-play, 61-yard drive with a 6-yard score to give North a 21-14 lead with 11:00 remaining in the half. A 27-yard field goal Raul Jerez gave the Raiders a 10-point cushion, their largest lead of the night.
But then the Chargers’ defense showed up. After giving up 210 yards — including 68 rushing yards and a touchdown from Olivarez — Veterans began loading the box and rendered North’s running game harmless. From the 2:02 mark in the second quarter until the final two minutes of the game, the Raiders punted four times, committed two turnovers and turned the ball over on downs.
“(The Chargers) came out with packages we used in practice,” Olivarez said. “But as the game went on, they started throwing different things at us that we hadn’t seen in practice at all. We weren’t able to adjust, and at that point it was too late.”
Things began to unravel at the beginning of the third quarter when Raudel Alvarez was stood up and stripped on the opening kickoff, giving the Chargers a free possession. From there, it was the Marcus Castillo Show.
Veterans coach David Cantu brags of Castillo’s ability to beat opposing teams with his right arm and his feet, and his quarterback demonstrated both skills in outstanding fashion. Before being rested late in the final quarter, Castillo completed 10-of-15 passes for 144 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, he collected another 173 yards and a pair of scores on 18 carries.
“This is his 22nd game as a varsity starter,” Cantu said. “The game is just so slow for him now. He’s very patient and allows the plays to develop, and if nothing is there, he doesn’t force anything. He’s as smart as he is talented.”
While Castillo flourished, Olivarez and the Raiders struggled, limping through one three-and-out after another. Where Olivarez went 6-of-7 for 145 yards through the air last week during a 78-26 rout of PSJA High, he finished a forgettable 6-of-20 for 78 yards and an interception Saturday. His only passing touchdown came with 2:00 left in the game, when the Chargers’ second-string defense was on the field.
But Peña knows the loss doesn’t hinge on one player, it takes an entire unit to win. One unit that needs attention is the Raiders defense.
“We missed a lot of tackles tonight,” Peña said. “We can’t do that. We’re not a very big defense. We’re built on speed. At times, one missed tackle can be too much for us. That showed up tonight.”
PSJA North will travel to Los Fresnos on Friday to play the Falcons (2-0) in Week 3.
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