KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
McAllen — Last year Harlingen South and McAllen Memorial had their scrimmage cancelled due to Hurricane Harvey.
This year, the Hawks and Stangs’ were able to hit the field for their final scrimmage of the season.
McAllen Memorial looked like a well oiled machine with junior running back Campbell Speights. The star back looked as sharp as ever with a 70-yard touchdown run that helped seal a 28-14 win in the controlled portion.
“They (McAllen Memorial) are a tough group, they have a lot of speed,” said Hawks head coach Brian Ricci. “It was a great measuring stick for us to see that speed and adjust to it. I’m proud of the way the boys went out there and played tough, and now we will prepare for next week against Edinburg. Practice is over, it’s time for the regular season.”
As for the Hawks, the offense took a nice step in right direction against a tough Memorial defense.
Junior QB David Torres was in sync with his wide outs. Junior Brady Bennett and Senior Derick Delgado had a strong showing in the live portions.
Bennett beat his man and hauled in a touchdown pass, showing off his soft hands and size.
Speaking of soft hands, Delgado made a couple of big plays as well.
The 6-foot-1 wide out hauled in a back shoulder fade that help set up a touchdown from Corbin Hendrick a few plays later.
“We have worked on our timing and routes all off season, and now it is paying off,” Torres said. “We were excited to come to McAllen and play them, they’re a great squad and they showed us what we need to do to prepare for the season.”
Senior running back Emilio Quiroz showed off his nifty moves and also had a strong scrimmage.
“He (Emilio) does a great job for us,” said Ricci. “We used a few different backs tonight and they got some touches and I liked what I saw.”
The Hawks will begin the regular season next Friday at Edinburg High, with the kickoff set for 7:30.