By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers continued their winning ways early in the 2019 football season with a 49-6 District 16-5A Division I victory over the Lopez Lobos on Friday night at Sams Memorial Stadium.
The Chargers improved to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in district with the win. The Lobos fell to 0-2 and 0-1.
“Our team showed it has the ability to make big plays on both sides of the ball tonight,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “Lopez did a good job running the ball, so that’s something we have to work on. Lopez played hard.
“Now we have a short week to get ready for our next game,” Cantu added. “We realize we have a big game ahead of us (Thursday against defending 16-5A Division I champion Mission Veterans Memorial).”
It didn’t take long for Brownsville Veterans to get going Friday.
The Chargers built a 21-0 advantage during the first quarter and increased their lead to 35-0 by halftime.
It became 8-0 on the third play of the game when Chargers quarterback Liam Longoria scrambled 79 yards for a touchdown with only 58 seconds gone. There was a Lopez penalty on the extra point, so the Chargers’ Marlon Montelongo ran in the conversion for two points with 11:02 showing in the opening period.
Montelongo’s 1-yard TD run at the 7:02 mark of the period made it 14-0. The score was set up by a 23-yard return of a Lopez fumble to the Lobos’ 1-yard line.
Brownsville Veterans’ Thomas Pena recovered a blocked Lopez punt in the end zone for a touchdown with 5:16 to go in the opening period, and it was 21-0 following Pablo Pena’s extra point.
The second quarter was more of the same for the Chargers. Montelongo scored on a 48-yard run at the 6:54 mark of the period before a wide-open Mauricio Garza caught a 49-yard TD bomb from Longoria with 3:46 left in the half. Pena added both extra points.
It was 35-0 at intermission.
The lead soon became 42-0 as the Chargers’ Elijah Masten caught a 7-yard TD pass from Longoria at the 8:51 mark of the third period. Pena again added the conversion.
Lopez took its second possession of the third quarter and marched 79 yards in 13 plays to score a TD and make it 42-6 when Chris Reyes went in from 3 yards out with 1:36 to go in the period.
Masten scored Brownsville Veterans’ final TD for a 49-6 cushion when he was on the receiving end of a 66-yard scoring pass from Longoria with 1:19 left in the third quarter. Pena’s kick made it 49-6.
The Lobos found some positives with their running game thanks to QB Jose M. Cruz and running backs Frankie Alvarado, Jesus Serrata and Reyes. Lopez drove to the Chargers’ 4-yard line at the end of the first half and got to the Brownsville Veterans 18 at the end of the game, but came away with no points each time.
During season openers last week, the Chargers rallied to beat Rivera 26-21 and the Lobos suffered a 49-7 loss against McAllen High.
When the Chargers and Lobos met at Sams last year, Brownsville Veterans won 32-12.
District action continues for both teams next week. Brownsville Veterans plays host to Mission Veterans on Thursday at Sams, and Lopez is at Rio Grande City on Friday.