By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
With Week 4 being a bye week, it helped many teams get extra rest and time to heal players that have been banged up this season.
Several teams have experienced season-ending injuries to key players, so for those with less serious injuries, the bye week was a perfect time to heal the bumps, bruises and sprains that come with the football season.
Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Lopez were no exception. With the week off, each team eased its players back into practice without having to hurry them into drills to get ready for a game later in the week.
The Chargers welcomed back Kevin Fischer and Rey Garza, senior defensive backs who have played sparingly this season.
Brownsville Veterans is third in defense in District 32-6A, but with Los Fresnos, San Benito, and Harlingen High, who each average around 400 yards per game offensively, Fischer and Garza will be needed even more.
Injuries have been an issue the past couple of years for the Chargers.
“We have some bumps and bruises, but we are relatively healthy compared to years past,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said.
The Lobos have struggled on offense this season — less than 200 yards per game — without the full health of their wide receivers, particularly Cristo Garcia.
With Lopez playing only half a game against Pace in Week 3 due to weather and the off week, all players should be ready to go.
“I’m excited to get back our full complement of wide receivers for the first time (this season),” Lopez coach Jason Starkey said.
Garcia is expected to be the top pass catcher for Lopez this season. But Starkey was making sure his return was slow and calculated since the district season will comprise seven straight weeks with a game.
“We just to make sure he’s in shape and ready for the rest of our season,” Starkey said. “(District) is the toughest part of our schedule.”
OFFENSE NEEDED: Rivera has played decently on defense, but without much offense the Raiders haven’t found the win column yet this season.
The Raiders have averaged nine points and 208 yards of offense, and the defense has allowed 35 points and 327 yards per game this season.
Last season, Rivera scored nearly 25 points and had 296 yards of offense, and the defense allowed 22 points and gave up 242 yards per game, the best in the district.
The Raiders are going to have to find balance if they hope to once again compete for a district title.
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.