By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The Hanna Golden Eagles played a scrimmage with some important momentum changes Friday against PSJA Memorial at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Fortunately, the momentum changes went mostly all the Eagles’ way as they enjoyed a solid tune-up in preparation for next Thursday’s season opener against Edinburg Economedes.
The Eagles scored on their first five possessions to lead 5-0 against PSJA Memorial during the controlled portion of the scrimmage before the Wolverines came back to narrow the gap to 5-3 prior to halftime.
The two teams then played two quarters of game-situation action. The Eagles found the end zone with 8:15 remaining to seal the scrimmage victory, 6-3, on a fairly pleasant, breezy evening compared to the torrid days of past week or so.
“We got off to a great start and we put in our second group pretty quick,” said Hanna coach Mark Guess, who is returning to the sideline after serving as the Brownsville ISD athletic director. “We were trying to find out if any of those guys (from the second group) can help us. We saw some good things tonight.”
Hanna built its 5-0 advantage thanks to a 1-yard keeper by quarterback Ernest Benavides, a 60-yard scamper down the right sideline by running back Cesar Mancias, a 10-yard burst around the left side by Mancias, a 23-yard scoring pass from Benavides to a wide-open Joe Cavazos and a 29-yard touchdown pass from reserve QB Miguel Payan to Randy Delgado, who was also wide open in the end zone.
“Hanna scored on its first five possessions and they shut us out on our first five possessions,” said Wolverines coach Mike Uribe, who is taking over a PSJA Memorial team that went 2-7 last season. “We could have hung our heads, but we didn’t. That’s what we need to do (is battle back like that).”
“Hanna has a really good team, and I was really proud of our team (for coming back),” Uribe added. “Our guys kept on fighting. We know we have a lot of work to do, but ultimately, the goals we’ve set for ourselves we feel are achievable.”
The Wolverines’ three first-half TDs came on a 5-yard scramble around left end by QB Orlando Munoz, a 12-yard sprint up the middle by running back Roel Martinez and a 9-yard TD pass into the end zone from Munoz to Michael Walder.
Hanna tailback Jaime Gonzalez, who rushed for more than 100 yards on the night, tallied the only TD of the second half on a 5-yard run in game-situation action with 8:15 to go after PSJA Memorial couldn’t score, having gained a first down at the Eagles’ 4-yard line.
Benavides kicked the extra point after Gonzalez’s TD to cap a successful outing for the Eagles, who are coming off a 4-6 season.
“We saw some good things from our younger players, and our guys on the first group did a real good job on both sides of the ball,” Guess said. “We still have some things we have to correct, but in the short term, they’ve picked up a lot of things (in the brief time that I’ve been the new head coach).”