MARK MOLINA | STAFF WRITER
It has been a rough start for the Lopez Lobos after opening the season 0-3 (0-2 in District 16-5A Division I) and being outscored 167-32.
Heading into Week 3, all that goes out the window as the Lobos prepare to take on the Porter Cowboys in the annual Battle of Southmost, set for a 7 p.m. kickoff tonight at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Lopez head coach Armando Gutierrez said the team has had to overcome some adversity this season, but is expecting his team to be ready to play tonight’s rivalry game.
“(Morale) has actually been really good,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a year of teaching and retooling, but we don’t accept that. The expectations stay high, but there has always been a buzz around here between us and Porter for a while. At the same time, the kids are excited to play. They are cousins and guys they grew up with. It picks up the morale a lot and helps out with the practice.”
Despite the being winless, Lopez feels this week could be their week, as it has won the last three meetings with Porter.
For defensive end Luis Barrera, his feelings towards the rivalry have been intense and he views playful banter between the two schools as nothing more than bulletin board material.
Though it’s all in good fun, the defenseman believes it only heats up the annual clash.
“(The game) means a lot and shows who is actually better,” Barrera said. “Last year, it was a really close game, but we were supposed to win by a lot. Hopefully, we can this year. I know (Porter) has been talking, but we don’t do that. What we do is show it on the field — we’ll see what’s up.”
That fire has gone around, helping Lobos players to not hang their heads and use the Battle of Southmost as an opportunity to reset and start fresh with seven weeks to go.
“Every week has been rough, but every week we have to come with a different mindset,” offensive lineman Santiago Garcia said. “We just have to get better every day. This week is Porter Week and it’s the Battle of Southmost. Rivalries are always intense and they get you excited just to play the game, so we’re excited. We’re ready and we just want to go play.”
Lopez is fresh off a 69-19 loss at Rio Grande City, in which their defense allowed more than 400 yards of offense and gained just 227, including just 46 on the ground.
One bright spot in last week’s rout was quarterback Jose Cruz, who completed 11 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown to go a long with a rushing score.
Cruz is anxious to build off that performance and feels good about the matchup with the Porter defense.
“I’ve had the chills; I want to play already,” he said. “We just have to execute and go play by play. I feel we should do well. We’ve watched a lot of film on them and their defense and I feel like we’ve got it down really good. We won last year and I expect the same thing. I expect for us to have a good game and for everyone to be safe.”
Porter’s offense presents issues, specifically when it comes to quarterback Kevin Garcia, who has rushed for 326 yards and six scores in two games and has passed for another 267 and a score.
“Part of it is (the matchup with Garcia),” Gutierrez said. “We have to limit their opportunities on offense and we know (Garcia) won’t beat us with his arm, it’ll be with his feet. We’ve worked on a lot of things like that. Football is cyclical and we’re where Porter would be at and Porter’s where we would be at; it goes up and down. For this one, kids know that’s my cousin, that’s this or that’s that. I believe we’re on an even keel regardless what anybody says or regardless of the records. We’re just going to come play hard.”