MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Because of rain, Corpus Christi Ray and Sharyland Pioneer didn’t have much opportunity to warm up prior to Friday’s non-district collision.
The game was delayed by 30 mins, at which point Ray waited impatiently inside its locker room. Pioneer stretched in a covered area near its fieldhouse.
And just like that, at 8 p.m., both teams sprinted to their respective sidelines, going through the national anthem routine, and then hitting the field for what was a sloppy showing, especially early on. Ray won 37-8 in a game that was called off at the end of the third quarter, once rain started pouring heavily over Richard Thompson Stadium.
In the process, Pioneer (2-1) picked up its first loss of the season.
“I like the way they fought; they didn’t quit,” Pioneer coach Jason Wheeler said. “We showed some of our youth out there tonight, but I think we’ll be OK.
“Sometimes it’s good to have a game like this to know you have to keep working and keep improving. It’s not a make-or-break game. We just have to learn from it and bounce back.”
The Diamondbacks stopped Ray (3-0) on the opening series of the game, stuffing them on a 4th-and-1 situation. On the first play from scrimmage, Pioneer fumbled away the ball.
Ray quarterback Armando Garza threw an incomplete pass. On the second play, he threw an interception picked off by Pioneer’s Chris Villarreal.
Back and forth it went, with Ray making the most of its opportunities. It needed only three plays to score on the ensuing drive, with Garza taking a handoff back from Joshua Alvarez, sprinting 90 yards to the end zone.
Pioneer fumbled the ensuing kickoff at its 7-yard line. Ray scored two plays later and on diving play up the middle. The Texans took a 14-0 lead with 7:39 to play in the opening quarter..
“I think it was a good learning experience,” Ray coach Cody Simper said. “I think anytime you travel, you’re going to have to expect a little adversity. This is the first time that we’ve had to deal with delays due to weather. But it’s a delay both teams had to deal with. There’s no unfair advantage one side or another, so you just have to adjust and overcome.
“I think both teams came out a little sluggish and didn’t get off to the start that we had hoped for. But, you know, weather’s part of the game and you have to control the things that you can control. And we couldn’t control that.”
QB OPTIONS
Pioneer entered the season understanding that it had as many as three quarterbacks to call upon. Alejandro Ramirez, a junior, has gotten the nod so far. In two games, he’s completed at least 50 percent of his attempts, including a 13-for-22 night in Week 2 in which threw for 147 yards.
On Friday, however, Ramirez struggled to get in rhythm. He completed 5 of 6 passes for six yards. Two of those attempts were for no gain. He also ran once for a loss of nine yards.
Alec Garcia, who primarily plays at wide receiver, took over under center midway through the second quarter. The sophomore southpaw connected on 6 of 11 passes for 96 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown to Brady Mangseth late in the second quarter.
SHORT FIELD
Pioneer’s special team struggled Friday. The Diamondbacks fumbled the play on the their first offensive play and again on the second kickoff, leading to a Ray score. The third kickoff led in a Pioneer fumble. Although they recovered the loose ball, the Diamondbacks went punted on a three-and-out, giving Ray great position at midfield.
Ray scored after two plays, despite a 5-yard penalty. Garza hooked up with Matthew Moffitt on a 30-yard pass, and then connected with Myles Balderas on a 26-yard score that set Pioneer back 21-0 with 4:48 left in the first quarter.
“I knew their defense was good and I knew we were going to have a hard time moving the ball,” Wheeler said. “Defense got worn out and we got banged up a bit. But we’ll heal up and we’ll be OK.”