By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Another Friday night, another win for the Rio Grande Valley’s top-ranked San Benito Greyhounds.
The Greyhounds remained undefeated at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in District 32-6A with a 49-21 victory over the Rivera Raiders (1-5, 0-3) at Sams Memorial Stadium.
San Benito led 28-0 after one quarter and 42-0 at halftime. The Greyhounds took a 49-0 lead into the final 12 minutes.
San Benito made substitutions on a large scale beginning early in the third quarter.
The Greyhounds’ defensive lapses in the final period that allowed the Raiders to score three times didn’t set very well with San Benito coach Dan Gomez.
“All the things we did wrong (were what stood out to me),” Gomez said. “We got some (reserve) players in there in the second half. Usually when you make mass substitutions like that, some things go the way you wouldn’t want them to go, but we were able to give playing time to some of our guys, and that’s what is important.”
The Greyhounds, who scored on six of their first seven possessions, went ahead by four touchdowns to lead 28-0 in the opening period thanks to a pair of scores each by running back Tyrone Harper and wideout Isaiah Trevino.
First, Harper took a handoff and sprinted 46 yards down the left sideline to the end zone and then caught a short swing pass from quarterback Erick Retta and took off to complete a 32-yard run-and-pass scoring play to make it 14-0.
Later in the first quarter, Trevino got the ball on an end around and went 29 yards to the end zone. He then caught an 18-yard scoring pass from Retta in the right corner of the end zone for a 28-0 advantage.
In the second quarter, Jacob Cavazos and Brandon Valadez scored on runs of 18 and 28 yards, respectively, to boost the lead to 42-0 by intermission.
The Greyhounds took advantage of good field position. After taking the opening kickoff and starting at its 35-yard line, San Benito started its next six drives inside Rivera territory, including one first-quarter drive that began at the Raiders’ eight.
It became 49-0 with 8:53 showing in the third period when San Benito’s Jason Navarro plunged across the goal line from 1 yard out.
Fernando Perez was good on all seven of his extra-point kicks for the Greyhounds.
Ariel Gonzalez replaced injured Rivera starter Nico Blanco at QB in the second quarter. Gonzalez repeatedly faced a fierce pass rush from the Greyhounds, just like Blanco had faced, but was able to finally get the Raiders’ offense to start clicking in the last period as he threw TD passes of 22 yards to Elian Hernandez and 82 yards to Pablo Ruiz.
In between, Gonzalez scored on a 1-yard QB keeper.
The Greyhounds were coming off a 44-21 win at Weslaco East, while Rivera was coming off a 45-20 setback at Harlingen High.
When asked how it felt for his team to remain undefeated with Friday’s victory, Gomez said, “We don’t count the wins at our place. We just (move on and) get ready for the next week, especially in this district. You have to put your Friday night win away and get ready for the next one.”
District 32-6A action continues next Friday as San Benito plays host to Harlingen South and Rivera visits Weslaco High.