KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — In what was one of the more odd endings to a game fans could see, Weslaco East picked up a gut-check 7-0 victory over Harlingen High on Friday night at Boggus Stadium.
With less than two minutes to go, Cardinals wide receiver Joe Reyna took a 50-yard punt return for what looked to be the potential tying touchdown.
The officials overturned the call, saying Reyna did not have full possession of the ball when he crossed the goal line. The call ended up in a touchback, giving East the ball at the 20-yard line.
“It is a bang-bang play,” Cardinals coach Manny Gomez said. “But I will go in and watch the film, and watch that play over again.”
The Cardinals’ offense was stymied all night. It generated two solid drives, one during the first quarter and one on its final drive of the first half.
Weslaco East’s special teams came up with a blocked field goal and kept the Harlingen High offense outside of the red zone for the rest of the first half.
“You got to give credit to Weslaco East,” Gomez said. “They play hard and that is what they do, they pound the ball. I told the kids you have non-district games for a reason, and we play certain teams for a reason and that is to make us better.”
The game’s only score came on a 2-yard touchdown run from quarterback Vladimir Cedeno that put East up 7-0 with 6:37 remaining in the first quarter.
East (1-2) picked up its first win of the year and next meets Donna North in Week 5. Harlingen High (2-1), meanwhile, will regroup and hit the road for a Saturday matchup at Midland High.
“We did not slow (East) down enough, but it is what it is and that is how their offense works. That is the whole thing about facing an offense like that, you overshift one way and something can happen, but, hey, that’s football,” Gomez said.