MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Cesar Chapa entered this season understanding his opportunities could be scarce playing behind quarterbacks Diego Chrysler and Lance Madden.
So the third-string quarterback seized the moment when his named was called midway through the second quarter, scoring on his first drive and putting Sharyland High ahead for good in a 59-28 non-district win over McAllen Memorial at Richard Thompson Stadium.
The senior completed 2 of 4 passes for 35 yards and tallied 54 yards on eight rushes, scoring two touchdowns in his varsity debut.
“I think I did good. We did good,” Chapa said. “This should prepare us for the season. I’m so proud of my teammates. We need to keep this up.”
Chapa entered the game in the second quarter, after Chrysler threw an interception that led to an eventual McAllen Memorial touchdown and 21-all score.
That’s when coach Ron Adame plugged in Chapa, who played on the junior varsity team last year after transferring from Mexico. The senior went to work instantly, scrambling for 21 yards and scoring moments later on a 2-yard run that gave Sharyland a 28-21 edge with 2:26 to play in the half.
“We knew Cesar had that ability. He’s a gamer,” Adame said. “He’s a big kid and he’s got nerves of steel and he did a good job.”
Later in the third quarter, Chapa went in again, after Madden came down with cramps following an end-zone dive that was called back because of a holding penalty. Chapa connected with Robbie Gonzalez on a 15-yard pass before rushing 12 yards on his own.
Gonzalez’s 10-yard scant then set up Chapa’s 1-yard TD down the middle, as Sharyland put the game away, going up 42-28 with 28 seconds left in the third.
“They executed better than we did,” Memorial coach Bill Littleton said. “They executed in all three phases of the game better than we did.”
SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES
Before taking its first snap, Sharyland led 14-7, thanks to a kickoff return and fumble. The Rattlers trailed momentarily after Mustangs quarterback Jonathan Sanchez scored on a 1-yard run. But Sharyland countered with an 86-yard kickoff return from James Cole followed by Raul Garcia III’s 55-yard fumble return.
Garcia recovered the lost ball on the Memorial first play following the Cole score. Garcia ran to the end zone unscathed as Sharyland pulled ahead with 3:12 to play in the opening quarter.
“I look at balance. If you look at the first quarter, our offense didn’t get on the field and we had 14 points to show for it,” Adame said. “I guess what we take away from that is, the team that has the potential to be balanced is something that we stressed. Special teams is very key. James Penbrook does a real good job as our special teams coordinator and our boys buys into that because they know it’s a free play. Special teams is a big part that could win or lose you a game.”
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Mustangs running back Trevor Speights rushed for 254 yards on 26 carries, scoring three touchdowns. But McAllen Memorial had 15 penalties for 94 yards in addition to two interceptions and two fumbles that slowed the Mustangs’ attack.
“They couldn’t stop us. We stopped ourselves,” Speights said. “Five turnovers. That should’ve been our game. We know that.
“(The offensive attack) was working, but I guess we got tired and fell apart from there.”
STREAKING
Sharyland hasn’t lost a regular-season game since Oct. 14, 2011, when it fell to — guess who? — McAllen Memorial. That was the last year the two were district foes, and the Mustangs pulled out a 28-14 victory, snapping a Sharyland win streak that spanned three years in district.
On Friday, the Rattlers won their 24th consecutive regular-season game, including their 21st straight under Adame.