STAFF REPORT
The Roma Gladiators were on the brink of dropping their second road district game of the season, but junior quarterback Jonathan Rios wouldn’t let it happen.
Down 10-3 with 49 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Rios found Esteban Barrera for a touchdown pass that helped tie the game and force overtime. In the extra period, the Gladiators (2-5, 1-2) stuffed Laredo Cigarroa on defense and then won the game on a rushing touchdown by Roel Villarreal. Roma scooted past the Toros 17-10 at Shirley Field in Laredo.
“Our defense played lights out and our offense came through when we needed them to come through,” Roma coach Frank Villanueva said.
The Gladiators win on Thursday marked the second time Roma traveled west and downed the Toros in two seasons. Like 2017, Roma’s win over Laredo Cigarroa was their first in district competition.
“I’m just glad we got our first win (in district play),” Villanueva said. “It doesn’t really matter who we played to get it, but it felt good. The kids deserved it. They worked their butts off. The coaching staff deserves it. We all deserve it. Hopefully, this win will roll us into our bye week and into our next game against Edcouch-Elsa.”
EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 42, DONNA NORTH 0: At Edinburg, Econ senior quarterback Albert Guerra got rolling early, and Jeremy Fernandez was a good target for him to lift the Jaguars (4-3, 1-2) to their first District 31-6A victory of the season, beating the Chiefs (0-7, 0-3) on Thursday at Richard R. Flores Stadium.
Guerra and Fernandez connected on the Jaguars first score from 22 yards out. Then Guerra found Fernandez for a huge 62-yard pass to set up the Jags’ third score, a 1-yard run from Guerra.
Jonathan Martinez scored to put the Jaguars up 14-0 earlier in the first quarter.
After half, Marco Plata scooped up a fumble at midfield and took it to the house to kill North’s momentum and build the lead to four scores, effectively icing the game.
The Jags tacked on a few short-yardage rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to close out the game.