STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
Coming off of a bye week, Rio Hondo and Raymondville have a chance to make a significant statement in their District 16-4A Division II opener when the Bobcats (3-3) host the Bearkats (5-1) at 7:30 p.m. tonight.
Rio Hondo coach Rocky James is wary of the bevy of offensive weapons Raymondville boasts, including ZaRaivion Armendarez, Justin Cantu, and Justin Smith. But he plans to counter the Bearkats’ speedy skill players with more speed of his own.
“Friday night, we’re going to try to get our fastest guys on the field defensively,” James said. “We know they’ve got a really fast football team so we’re going to try and get a little bit faster.”
One of those adjustments will be to shift sophomore offensive tackles Matthew Lopez and Rogelio Garza to defensive tackle. Lopez said the experience has made him a more well-rounded football player and improved his ability to read and react based on his knowledge as an offensive lineman.
“When I’m playing DT, I can tell when the (offensive line), is pulling,” Lopez said. “Throughout the game, if they pull, they usually change out their stance a little bit, and I try to fire off the ball as fast as I can and follow them and it leads me to an easy tackle.”
While his roster is youthful on paper, James said that midway through the season, his players have gained plenty of experience in a lengthy and challenging non-district slate.
“There are no more young guys on this team,” James said. “Everybody’s a seasoned vet now. Now we’re finally starting our district run, it’s time to put up.”
James said he is confident in quarterback Matthew Trevino and has been pleased with his performance since filling in for Zechariah Rios after his injury.
Trevino was playing quarterback while Rios was playing receiver when the injury occurred, James said. The shift will also affect the Bobcats defensively.
“(Trevino) does a great job,” Rocky James said. “He’s been a quarterback his whole life. (But) when he’s at quarterback, I lose a linebacker.”
Rios’s athleticism allowed him to be deployed at receiver, where his absence will be felt, but mitigated by weapons like the Bobcats’ leading receiver, Smiley Rodriguez, Efrain Lopez (who had two catches for 87 yards in a loss to La Feria) as well as running back Ethan Jeridiah (76 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns against La Feria) and wideout Jonah Ortega.
With just four games in district, James said his team cannot afford to fall behind. But he cited recent history – Raymondville’s 27-14 win to knock off Rio Hondo after a 6-0 start in 2018 as a reminder that anything can happen when the Bobcats and Bearkats square off. Rio Hondo is 12-5 in the last 17 meetings between the two programs.
“Really in these grudge matches, you can throw out the records,” James said. “We’ll see where we fall. I think it’s gonna be a great game.”