By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
A pair of Lopez juniors made sure its season didn’t end for its seniors against Pace.
The Lobos got a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Alex Ramirez to receiver Jose Echavarria to take an early lead that they wouldn’t relinquish in a 21-10 win over the Vikings in the final District 32-5A game of the season for both teams Saturday night in Week 11 at Sams Memorial Stadium.
“It was really important (to play well), it was all for the seniors, it’s their night,” Echavarria said. “We’ve said since the beginning of the season, before we started, our goal was the playoffs. It’s all about our heart and passion.”
Ramirez finished with 139 yards through the air and Echavarria finished with six catches for 100 yards to lead the way and Lopez (7-3, 5-2) clinched the final postseason berth in District 32-5A. Lopez will face a yet to be determined team in the postseason next week.
“It feels good, I’m happy for these seniors,” Lopez coach Jason Starkey said. “To be completely honest they’ve faced a lot of adversity in their time with us … they preserved, they’re a testament to the resilience. I couldn’t be more proud of their work ethic and their commitment to the program.”
The Lobos’ defense was suffocating, it held Pace (3-7, 3-4) to 195 yards of offense, including just 50 in the first half. The unit got four sacks and an interception from Marcos Solis down the stretch to fend off the Vikings.
Lopez scored on its first drive to take an early lead. Ramirez hit Echavarria on a 21-yard touchdown pass to give the Lobos a 7-0 edge with 9:10 left in the opening quarter.
Lopez fumbled on its next possession, but Pace couldn’t capitalize on the mistake and were forced to punt.
The Lobos took a 14-0 advantage with 54 seconds left in the first quarter after Ramirez hooked up with Echavarria once again, this one a 34-yard pass play.
Pace struggled offensively and was forced to punt four times in the first half. The Vikings missed a field goal as time expired in the first half as Lopez held a 14-0 lead at the break.
“The offense didn’t show up in the first half, if they do it’s a little different,” Pace coach Bill Deen said. “We put ourselves in position to get back in it or go ahead (in the second half). It was tough.”
The Vikings rallied in the third quarter. Randy Aguilar hit Victor Vilano on an 11-yard strike to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 5:29 left in the third. Pace kicked an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff and recovered it at the Lopez 46-yard line.
The Vikings’ offense stalled and settled for a 43-yard field goal by Pedro Perez to make it a 14-10 game with 2:46 left in the third.
“I give an enormous amount of credit to Pace,” Starkey said. “They had a lot of momentum in the third and fourth quarter. (Coach Deen) has done a great job leading that program; he’s been like a mentor to me. I have a lot of love and respect for him and I’m proud of the way the Vikings played against us.”
Pace again tried an onside kick and failed this time. Lopez took over and used a long, methodical drive to wind the clock down and sealed the game with a 1-yard run by Angel Sandate to push the lead to 21-10 with 5:14 left to play.
“The turning point was getting the ball (back),” Starkey said. “We settled down and executed our offense. That’s exactly what we needed and I think it shifted back in our favor.”
The loss was hard for Deen and his team who had put themselves in a position to make the playoffs after struggling earlier in the season.
“It lets these kids know they’re capable and they have every right to be on this football field with any team in the Valley,” Deen said. “I’m proud of them, they never quit. We have a lot of young guys coming back so I’m excited.
“We’re looking forward to next year.”
For Lopez it’s the first time in Starkey’s tenure to earn a trip to the postseason.
“It means you can win at Lopez Early College High School,” he said. “You can succeed when you go to Lopez. That it’s a place that breeds opportunity, not only athletically, but also academically. This is a testament on the football field what we already knew inside our campus walls.”
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.