By DAVE FAVILA
Staff Writer
HARLINGEN – There’s a lot on the line tonight when the Harlingen Cardinals host the Los Fresnos Falcons in the Valley Morning Star’s Game of the Week.
The Cards, who are ranked No. 2 in the Valley, need a win if they hope to remain undefeated in District 32-6A play and keep pace with San Benito, which is also a perfect 4-0 in the league.
As for the Falcons, who are ranked sixth, they need a victory in order to keep up with Weslaco High and Brownsville Hanna, which are all tied for second place at 2-2 and just one game ahead of both Harlingen South and Weslaco East.
While the Los Fresnos-Harlingen rivalry is not as old and fabled as the Bird Bowl or the Battle of the Arroyo, it has produced some very memorable contests, including a pair of non-district games in 2007 that the teams split. That year, the Cards beat the Falcons 30-13 in the teams’ season opener but the Falcons got revenge with a 22-21 overtime victory in the first round of the playoffs.
And since 2012, which is when the two began competing in the same district, the teams have traded punches every year with the Falcons winning in 2012 and 2014 and the Cards getting victories in 2013 and last year when they won 25-18.
OFFENSE: The Falcons are ranked second in the league behind San Benito and have been averaging 338 yards per contest. Meanwhile, the Red Birds are ranked fourth with 315 yards per game. Much of the Falcons’ offense comes courtesy of the run game as they’ve amassed 1,638 yards on the ground and just 727 yards through the air. As for the Cards, they’ve got a more balanced offensive attack as they’ve rushed for 911 yards and passed for 1,294.
DEFENSE: As is usually the case each year, the Cardinals’ D is the team’s cornerstone. Ranked fourth in district, the Cards are allowing just 275 yards per game and have given up only 751 yards through the air. The Falcons, meanwhile, are ranked second to last in the league – only ahead of Brownsville Rivera – and are giving up 337 yards per contest, including 1,503 yards through the air.
MATA VS. CASTRO: Falcons quarterback Mark Mata had one of his best passing performances of the season last Friday in a 34-31 win over Brownsville Hanna when he threw for 246 yards and a touchdown. However, despite last week’s arial attack, Mata is truly a running quarterback as he’s rushed for 1,024 yards of the Falcons’ above-mentioned 1,638. He is averaging an impressive nine yards per carry and has eight scores through six games as he sat out when the Falcons played at Harlingen South on Sept. 30. Cardinals QB Jesse Castro, on the other hand, is getting the job done this season with his arm. Ranked second in the league only behind San Benito’s Erick Retta, Castro has passed for 1,219 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. His main targets have been Hayes Duffy, who is second in the league in receiving with 335 yards on nine catches for four scores, and Riley Sauceda, who is right behind Duffy in the district standings with 282 yards on 22 receptions.
LOOKING FOR LEO: As a junior last year, Cardinals running back Leo Tienda rushed for 1,849 yards and 25 scores so, naturally, much was expected of him this season. However, his senior campaign hasn’t been quite as successful. So far he’s rushed for 334 yards on 79 carries for just three TDs. Tienda hurt his shoulder in the Cards’ season opener against Mission Veterans and was held out of the team’s next game against Laredo United South, although he did suit up. Since his Week 2 absence, Tienda has played in every game this season and has looked solid every time, however, he just always seems to be held in check by the opposing defenses. At Weslaco East last Friday, Tienda rushed for a paltry 29 yards on nine carries and did not play in the second half. His status for tonight’s game remains unclear.