MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — The Harlingen Cardinals did not come out on top in their opener, but they gave the heavily favored San Antonio Reagan Rattlers all they could handle and much more.
The Cardinals (0-1) led by double digits at one time in the second quarter, but a huge Rattlers second half proved too much for the Cards as they fell 42-28 Friday night at Boggus Stadium.
Harlingen running back Leo Tienda put the Cards up 21-7 on a 68-yard scamper late in the first half, but a Kellen Mond 5-yard touchdown pass to wideout Matt Roberts as time expired in the first half started a slew of 35 unanswered points for the Rattlers (2-0).
“It’s the first game for us, but you have to give credit to Reagan; they adjusted in the second half,” Harlingen head coach Manny Gomez said. “I think our effort was tremendous and our conditioning showed there in the second half. In the end we just ran out of gas. Kids started cramping up and things started to fall apart.”
Three Cardinal defense men went down during a Rattler scoring drive in the second half with cramping, as did quarterback Jesse Castro.
Castro did not return, but Gomez isn’t worried and says the cramping and overall conditioning will be better.
“The cramping can be corrected through conditioning and it’s all going to get better. It’s tough when you don’t have a game under your belt; game conditioning is hard to simulate,” Gomez said. “For a first game against a high-caliber team, we were able to get after them. However, we didn’t finish; they did.”
The Cardinals defense stopped the Rattlers on a couple of fourth-down plays in the first half, forced a two fumbles and intercepted a Mond pass. Harlingen scored 14 points off those turnovers.
On the night, the Cardinals forced four turnovers on defense and special teams.
“We were trained for this. Coach Gomez has been all about preparing for this game,” said Harlingen DE Edwin Gasca. “We believed in each other and that’s what happens— we’re going to get a lot better after this.”
Down 7-0, Harlingen got on the board on a 7-yard run by Tienda, which was setup by a fumble on a punt return by Reagan’s Vince Hunter early in the second quarter.
On the ensuing Reagan drive, Harlingen safety Laraun Ambrose picked off Rattler QB Mond, setting up a 9-yard run by Michael Allen Gonzalez to give Harlingen its first lead of the night.
Harlingen scored 21-straight points before Mond’s touchdown pass at the end of the half sent the game into the locker room with the Cards up 21-14.
During the second half, Mond threw for a touchdown and ran for another, helping Reagan blow the game open.
Tienda ended Reagan’s run in the fourth with a 15-yard run and finished the night with three trips to the end zone and 214 yards on 27 carries behind consistent play in the trenches by the offensive line.
“Leo is a little monster with a big heart and an offensive line, which is a pivotal part of our team,” Gomez said. “It’s definitely a team effort, but there are things we’re going to correct.”
Harlingen faces McAllen next week. Kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.