GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — After Los Fresnos erased a 13-point halftime deficit to knock off Weslaco East, Falcons coach Patrick Brown felt his halftime message was better left unshared.
“There were some fairly strong words that were said at halftime,” Brown said. “I felt our kids and our coaches, we’re sick of losing games by one points or one touchdown. And I think that we just challenged our seniors, and they rose to the challenge.”
For the first 24 minutes, Weslaco East had been dominant, controlling the game on the ground and keeping Los Fresnos off the field. But Falcons quarterback Mark Mata took over down the stretch, finishing with 212 rushing yards and a touchdown as Los Fresnos picked up a 17-16 win on Friday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in The Monitor’s Game of the Week.
The win snaps a three-game slide — all by 8 points or fewer — for the Falcons, who now sit 3-3 and 1-2 in District 32-6A.
With the loss, Weslaco East drops to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in district. Every team the Wildcats have faced received votes in the latest RGVSports.com top 10 poll.
In district play, the Wildcats have now squared off against No. 1 San Benito, No. 8 Weslaco High and No. 9 Los Fresnos, with No. 5 Harlingen High looming next week.
“Our kids played hard, and that’s all I can ask,” Weslaco East coach Mike Burget said. “Those kids are still excited. They know we’re still in it. I know we’re 1-2, but a lot of people don’t understand the schedule we’ve got. We’ve been the game of the week every week. We’re playing some schools that are a lot bigger than us. But our kids continue to fight. It doesn’t matter what the score is. It doesn’t matter. We’re going to regroup.”
On Friday, East’s biggest problem was Mata, who picked up 155 yards and a touchdown on 12 second-half carries. He also finished the game 4-of-11 passing for 51 yards, making the start on Friday after sitting out last week’s 21-14 loss to Harlingen South for what Brown called “a learning situation.”
“It’s everything,” Brown said of the difference Mata makes for Los Fresnos’ offense. “He inspires confidence not only in our offensive line and our receivers, but our coaches as far as what we call and what we do. He’s a special athlete.”
Mata barley saw the field in the first half, as Weslaco East outgained Los Fresnos 223-92 and ran 37 offensive plays to the Falcons’ 18.
At the break, East’s Roy Pedraza had already carried the ball 23 times for a career-high 175 yards and two touchdowns, giving him nine total scores in the past five games.
East grinded away in the ground game, attempting just two passes before the break. Three of the Wildcats’ four first-half drives spanned 10 plays or more. Los Fresnos had meanwhile squandered its own scoring chances, ending one drive with a fumble and another with a punt after losing 15 yards on a botched snap.
“I thought we were in trouble,” Brown said.
In the second half, Brown said he switched to a four wide receiver set, which opened running lanes for Mata. The Falcons’ first possession ended with another lost fumble, but then Los Fresnos scored on three straight drives to take the lead.
John Salazar reached the end zone from 20 yards out with 2:37 in the third quarter to make the score 13-7. After East extended its advantage to 16-7 with a field goal, Mata ran left, juked back to his right and then beat a defender to the outside for a 70-yard touchdown scamper.
East then turned the ball over on downs near midfield, and Los Fresnos drove to East’s 16-yard line before stalling and facing a fourth down. The Falcons’ Alejandro Fragoso missed a 33-yard field goal, but East was whistled for offsides, and Fragoso converted from 28 yards for the 17-16 edge with 4:09 to play.
Weslaco East’s attempt at a comeback drive produced just two penalties and a turnover via fumble, all but assuring Los Fresnos’ win. After running for 223 yards in the first half, East gained just 40 more on the ground in the second.
“We have to bounce back from this,” Burget said. “This is a tough loss, but these kids will come back tomorrow, and we’ll get ready to play.”