ROY HESS | Staff Writer
LOS FRESNOS— The Harlingen High Cardinals continue to draw closer to the District 32-6A championship.
Friday’s 31-21 victory against the Los Fresnos Falcons at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium put the Cardinals one step closer to capturing the outright 32-6A crown in a mega-competitive district.
The Cardinals (7-1 overall, 3-0 district) can clinch at least a share of the 32-6A championship with their next victory.
“The district title is what we want,” said Nathan Huerta, a sophomore defensive lineman for the Cardinals who scored his team’s first touchdown against the Falcons. “We put in hard work every day, and we’re just trying to get better and win district.”
Huerta grabbed a Los Fresnos fumble out of mid-air four plays into the game and returned it 25 yards to the end zone with 10:01 showing in the first quarter. The extra point by Jacob Garza made it 7-0.
“The ball just popped out (from a Los Fresnos player) near one of my teammates, I caught it and headed to the end zone,” Huerta said. “It was amazing. (Scoring) with all my teammates around me, it was great.”
Still, the Cardinals had to rally and break out of a tie during the second half to get the win.
Los Fresnos, now 2-6 and 1-2, went ahead 14-7 during the second quarter before Harlingen High pulled to within 14-13, which was the score at halftime.
The Falcons scored their first touchdown to pull within 7-6 on a 2-yard run by Chris Resendiz at the 9:53 mark of the second quarter. The extra point was blocked, leaving Los Fresnos down one point.
A trick play helped the Falcons take the lead, 14-7, with 1:09 left in the second period. Los Fresnos’ Nico Valencia appeared to be taking a handoff around the right side of the line on a run when he pulled up and threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Cody Taylor, who had slipped past the Harlingen High defense.
Los Fresnos quarterback Adrian Longoria rushed for the two-point conversion to make it 14-7.
The Cardinals pulled to within 14-13 with 13.3 seconds to go before intermission.
The TD came on a 37-yard pass from Cardinals QB Jaime Galvan to Justin Galvan, but the extra point was blocked, leaving Harlingen High down a point.
It was tied at 21 late in the third period before the Cardinals tallied 10 points during the fourth quarter to pull away for the win.
Jaime Galvan threw a 4-yard TD pass to Joe Zuniga at the 8:13 mark of the third quarter as the Cardinals went ahead again 21-14. A two-point conversion pass was successful to provide Harlingen High a seven-point lead.
The Cardinals needed it because Los Fresnos scored on its ensuing possession on an 8-yard run by Resendiz to pull even at 21 thanks to Job Esquivel’s extra point. The Los Fresnos TD came with 2:23 left in the third quarter.
The Cardinals owned the fourth period by scoring on a 36-yard run by Jaime Galvan with 10:35 remaining and on a 37-yard field goal by Garza with 5:44 to play.
The 10-point scoring outburst during the final period was something Harlingen High coach Manny Gomez was glad to see.
“It’s a 48-minute game, and it’s games like this that make programs grow mentally, and things like that,” Gomez said. “It’s one of those things that it’s going to take every ounce of want-to and grit that we’ve developed (to win).
“It was definitely a great team effort on both sides,” Gomez added. “Los Fresnos played hard and showed a lot of resiliency because they’re well-coached over there. But the bottom line was we found a way to get it done in Cardinal Land.”
Harlingen High plays Harlingen South in the Bird Bowl next Friday and then closes the regular season Nov. 8 at Brownsville Rivera.
Los Fresnos is at Brownsville Hanna next Thursday and ends the regular season Nov. 8 at home against San Benito.
“We just had to readjust tonight and find what could affect us more (positively) and help us win,” Huerta said. “It was a great win.”