By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
To win in the postseason, a good defense is a must.
So it’s no coincidence the two remaining Metro-area teams in the playoffs, Los Fresnos and St. Joseph Academy, each have a solid defense, even if both units are often overlooked by opponents.
The Falcons and Bloodhounds are better known for their potent offenses, but their defensive squads are a big part of why they’re still standing in the postseason.
Los Fresnos (7-4) faces San Antonio Southwest (8-3) in a Class 6A Division I area game at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio. St. Joseph (9-2) battles Dallas Bishop Lynch (6-5) in the TAPPS Division I regional game, also at 1 p.m. on Saturday, at Harlandale Stadium in San Antonio.
As the old adage goes, defense wins championships. Both teams are taking that to heart and relying on it to carry them forward.
The Falcons were very good defensively down the stretch, as Los Fresnos won its final two games, including a shutout in Week 11 to clinch its postseason berth. The defense allowed just seven points in the two victories.
Last week in a bi-district game against Edinburg North, the Falcons were down 14-13 with 5:15 left in the third, but the defense held the Cougars to just a field goal the rest of the way. The defense helped its cause by forcing two turnovers — a fumble and an interception — that allowed the offense enough chances to take the lead and hold on for the win.
“(The defense) saved us,” Los Fresnos coach Patrick Brown said after the game. “I’ve been saying all year long we have a special defense. If we come to play (this) week, I like our chances.”
The Los Fresnos defense started to come together when the rest of the team did in a decisive win against Weslaco East in Week 7. The team won five of six and with each win, its confidence grew.
“We always knew we had a good defense,” Los Fresnos defensive coordinator Jose Horner added. “It’s starting to show.”
And the Falcons are beginning to believe in themselves.
“We’ve been one or two people away from being a great defense all year,” Los Fresnos linebacker Sebastian Gonzales said. “At the end we’ve hit our stride. We’re playing well because everyone is doing their job right now.”
The defensive unit doesn’t mind the dirty work. Brown compared the Falcons’ defense to a fire department.
“We’re here to put out fires,” Horner said in regard to Brown’s comparison. “Regardless of the situation, if it’s a big fire or a small fire, we have to put it out.”
The defense is OK with the offense hogging the glory, as the unit has accepted its role as an under-the-radar contributor.
“We know we take care of the dirty work,” Los Fresnos defensive back Alex Garcia said. “To put out fires, do what we’ve gotta do and get off the field and let the offense roll.
“That’s what we’re here for.”
The Falcons know they’re in for a physical game against SA Southwest, but it’s nothing different than what they faced in District 32-6A from top to bottom.
San Antonio Southwest likes to run and Los Fresnos is ready to stop it.
“I think we’re fairly confident, but it’s going to take all three parts of the game,” Horner said. “We’ve come together and we’re peaking and it’s the perfect time to do that.”
St. Joseph was much better defensively than it received credit for this season. The defense allowed 21 points per game, but in four of contests allowed less than 10.
During the Bloodhounds’ final district game and playoff game, the defense was the difference. Against San Antonio Antonian in Week 11, St. Joseph stopped a powerful run game, got an interception and allowed just a touchdown after halftime that helped the offense pull away for the win.
Last week, the Bloodhounds’ defense allowed 22 points to Fort Worth Nolan in the first quarter, but tightened up and gave up just 13 points the rest of the way. They blocked an extra point to keep the game tied late and gave the momentum to the offense to drive down the field. Kicker Jose Kauachi ultimately booted a 22-yard field goal to take the lead for good, and the defense sealed the victory with an interception in the closing seconds.
While St. Joseph doesn’t typically field a shutdown defense, its defenders have taken some of the pressure off of the offense.
“We hang our hat on turnovers,” St. Joseph coach Tino Villarreal said. “We’re not getting the turnovers like last year, but we’re more aggressive. Coach (Raul) Maraboto is a little more aggressive. Our play calls resemble that. We blitz a little more, take more risks.”
Maraboto took over for Christian Putegnat as defensive coordinator this season and used a similar scheme as last season, only more aggressive and at times leaving more room for error. But the unit has responded with a blue-collar work ethic.
“The number one rule is do your job,” St. Joseph defensive end Javier Gonzalez said. “If we do our job individually as a unit we’ll execute (the game plan).”
The Bloodhounds’ defense is happy, though, to work outside of the spotlight.
“The publicity of our defense doesn’t matter to me,” St. Joseph defensive tackle Ricardo Miner said. “The opposing teams know what they’re going against. They know we can play, know we can hit hard.”
Maraboto described the defensive unit as unsung heroes.
“The guys we have on defense are so unselfish that it doesn’t faze them,” he said about his defense remaining rather anonymous. “They come week in and week out and perform for us, no matter what. I would line them up against anyone in the Valley, that’s how much confidence I have in them.”
Maraboto said the difference in his defense couldn’t be measured in usual statistics.
“A lot of things are measured in football, but they don’t measure heart,” he said. “Our defense plays with a tremendous amount of heart and spirit. I think that’s what keeps us going, that’s what motivates us and that’s the motor for the defense.”
Dallas Bishop Lynch likes to run the ball and the Bloodhounds know they have their work cut out for them. They’re ready for the challenge.
“We have to play like we did against Nolan in the second half, but for four solid quarters,” Miner said. “And no mistakes.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.