By MARK MOLINA
Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — The log jam in the 32-6A standings make things interesting for not only the top four teams tied for first, but also for both the Harlingen South Hawks and The Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles.
With three games to go, their district contest tonight at Boggus Stadium is already a game with playoff implications.
With a win, South (2-4, 2-2) can move themselves into a tie with Brownsville Veterans, who lost their second game in a row after falling to Harlingen Thursday night, and any other teams in the district with two losses by the end of Friday night.
The Hawks end the year with games against San Benito and Harlingen, but before they can make those games meaningful, they must get by Hanna.
“The district is tight and it happens; you can’t look ahead,” said South head coach Lanny Wilson. “To get to big games, you have got to win games. This game with Hanna is huge for us, because it gives us a shot mathematically to get in the playoffs. Hanna is better than last year and coach (Rene) Medrano is a good coach.
“We’ll have to play a good game, watch turnovers and other mistakes to win.”
Hanna (3-4, 1-3), is a game behind South in the standings and is coming off their first district win of the year after dismissing Brownsville Lopez 31-21 last week.
A win would leave them a game out of fourth place with contests against Rivera and Los Fresnos remaining.
The odds for a Hanna playoff berth are not good, but they are not insurmountable either.
“The kids know it’s a giant game. The winner has life and the loser obviously doesn’t really have a chance,” Medrano said. “It’s a playoff game before the playoffs even begin. We realize where we’re at. South is on a roll right now and we have to win.
“Our kids are confident and if things go right and we play our game, maybe we can be successful and hope for more.”
Hanna will rely, like it has all season, on its passing game.
Quarterback Andy Lopez leads District 32-6A with 1,737 yards and is coming off a game where he exploded for 305 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
He also scored a touchdown on the ground.
The one negative from last week was two lost fumbles and Medrano knows that can’t happen against a much-improved South defense.
“We can’t give teams extra chances,” Medrano said. “We can’t make turnovers or foolish mistakes. We have to play a perfect game to have a chance; that’s what it boils down to.”
South’s defense has played better in recent weeks (309 ypg allowed), but knows it’s no easy task slowing down the Eagles.
In fact, keeping them off the field is key for Wilson and the Hawks.
“Their quarterback is exceptional and their receivers are exceptional,” Wilson said. “Our thing is points. We want to be a bend but don’t break defense. Hanna is going to complete passes and make plays, but we need to be able to control the football, score and generate turnovers.”
The South offense, which has hung tough with some of the district’s best offenses and average 369 yards per game, has the tools to control the game’s tempo and will look to its playmakers to do so.
Quarterback Brandon Villarreal had another big game for the Hawks, tossing a touchdown and running for another, while receiver Alec Garza hauled in a touchdown and racked up 143 yards in a 42-8 win over Rivera.