STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
PORT ISABEL— For the third straight year, Raymondville defeated Port Isabel in convincing fashion, as the defending District 16-4A Division II champions rolled to a 63-7 victory Friday night to put a damper on the homecoming festivities at Tarpon Stadium.
The Bearkats (7-1, 2-0 16-4A DII) wasted no time quieting the home crowd. ZaRaivion Armendarez rushed for a 63-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage to put the visitors on the scoreboard 25 seconds into the contest.
“We just came well-prepared,” Raymondville coach Frank Cantu said. “We were firing on all cylinders on offense and defense. We got on them early, and our big thing was, don’t (let) up. All honor and all glory to God. … I’m so thankful.”
The first of Justin Cantu’s three rushing touchdowns came at the 8:10 mark of the first quarter to give the Bearkats a 14-0 lead over the Tarpons (3-5, 1-1 16-4A DII).
Cantu struck again from 1 yard out to put Raymondville ahead by three scores with 2:15 remaining in the first quarter. He was set up on the previous play after he took the snap and handed off to Armendarez on a reverse. Armendarez rolled out and threw to wide-open quarterback Jayson Cantu (who had been shifted out wide as a receiver) for a gain of 20 yards.
“They’re everywhere,” Frank Cantu said of his big three skill position players. “It’s hard to put a finger on who you want to stop. We’re very fortunate to have those kind of options.”
Justin Cantu’s third touchdown, an 85-yarder, put the Bearkats up 35-0 with 2:22 to go in the second quarter.
Armendarez also had three rushing touchdowns, including a 5-yarder with 22 seconds left in the first half and a 45-yard touchdown run with 5:07 to play in the third quarter.
Justin Smith also added his name to the scoresheet with a 35-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter and a 12-yard touchdown with 1:15 to play in the third quarter.
Sophomore Victor Oviedo tacked on a 4-yard rushing touchdown for the Bearkats with 3:23 to go in the fourth quarter. Frank Cantu said he designated the final period for his squad as an opportunity to rest starters and give backups and third-stringers extra repetitions as the team gears up for a playoff run. Freshman Diego Gutierrez also got an extended look under center.
“Our seconds and thirds, those guys work hard,” Frank Cantu said. “They gave us everything they had. … They did a good job.”
Port Isabel’s early struggles in the field position battle were Raymondville’s gain, and continued to be a problem for the home team during the second half. The Tarpons were unable to generate a sustained attack, punting on their first three drives. Each of the Tarpons’ drives that ventured into Raymondville territory was stalled due to unforced errors, including botched snaps and false starts. Mac Strunk’s 99-yard kickoff return with 59 seconds left in the third quarter ended the Bearkats’ shutout bid.
“(Strunk) is a great kid, I’m happy for him,” Frank Cantu said. “He had a hell of a run, and that’s an awesome job on his part.”
Next week, Raymondville plays host to Progreso at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Port Isabel will visit Rio Hondo, where kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday.