MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
The Rio Hondo Bobcats are into the area round of the playoffs for the third straight season, and just like the two prior seasons, they face a daunting task against a regional power.
Last year, the Bobcats lost 56-0 to the eventual Class 4A-DII state champion Cuero Gobblers and in 2017, they were routed 71-44 by Geronimo Navarro Panthers, the same team they will face in tonight’s area round matchup, slated for 7:30 p.m. at Buc Stadium in Corpus Christi.
The Bobcats are looking to block out the underdog talk and focus on the Xs and Os this week, which focuses primarily on stopping Navarro’s Slot-T rushing attack.
“This week’s practices have gone great,” Rio Hondo coach Rocky James said. “We’ve been very spirited, but it has been very difficult to mimic (Navarro’s) offense — it’s difficult to emulate in practice. I think our kids did the best job they could at emulating it and we prepared the best we could prepare, and we have to let the chips fall where they may.”
There will be no surprises for Rio Hondo (6-4) tonight as Navarro (11-0) will run the ball after completing just nine passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns all season, but rushing for 4,500 yards and 54 scores.
The Navarro attack is led by senior running back Euler De Leon, who has rushed for 1, 621 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season, followed by Moise Sims (89-842, nine TDs) and Johnny Alegria (62-711, seven TDs).
That will be a tough test for a Bobcats offense that recovered eight fumbles, recorded 20.5 sacks and 109 tackles for loss.
Despite a heavy ground attack, James and company are prepared for Navarro to score in bunches, as it averages more than 42 points and 428 yards per game.
“When we lost to (Navarro), we lost 71-44, so they are able to put up points really fast even in that type of offense,” James said. “I know it’s crazy, but it’s a very difficult offense when you don’t face it too often. We have played a team that runs a little bit of that offense, so we’re looking forward to this matchup.”
Rio Hondo comes into tonight on a three-game winning streak and is averaging 43 points per game in wins over Progreso (56-14), Port Isabel (27-15) and last week’s 48-6 bi-district win over Orange Grove.
The Bobcats’ attack focuses on its young players, starting with junior quarterback Matthew Trevino, who has passed for 1,149 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 269 yards and three more scores.
Around Trevino are some solid options such as sophomore rusher Ethan Jeradiah (115-829, nine TDs), sophomore receiver Ismael Rodriguez (22-418, three TDs) and junior wideout Efrain Lopez (29-447, two TDs).
While the Bobcats don’t pack seniors with huge numbers like the 2017 team, which featured a 3,000-yard passer in Tyler Bush and a 1,600-yard receiver in Erik Pizzaro, James believes in his younger squad
“We had a really high-powered offense (in 2017),” James said. “But it was really not a lot of guys that you would consider offensive weapons. This year, I have a lot of guys that I would consider offensive weapons, they’re just younger guys. We’re a lot younger than when we played (Navarro) in 2017, but these guys that are seniors right now are able to talk talk to the younger guys and explain the way this game is going to go.”