By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Rivera doesn’t like what it sees in the standings. It’s tough to be excited about a winless record after four games.
However, the Raiders began the season one year ago with the same record and won four of its six final games to clinch a playoff berth.
This year, though, the Rivera offense hasn’t been consistent as it was last season.
“It’s just offensively, and our offense knows that,” Rivera coach Tom Chavez said. “We’ve made some mistakes. They need to work hard and put that together.”
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders are exactly where they want to be.
“Our defense is playing outstanding,” Chavez said. “We shored up our kicking game. That was evident last week, and that helped a little bit.”
The Raiders’ defense has allowed one offensive score the past two games.
The offense hasn’t done its part, averaging nearly 17 points per game, but it is just shy of nine-point average in the past two games.
“Offensively, we have to be able to move the chains and score,” Chavez said. “When we’re in the red zone, we have to score points. We had our chances (against Harlingen High).”
The Raiders were tied with the Cardinals until an interception was returned for a touchdown by the Harlingen High defense late in the fourth quarter to steal away a win.
Chavez hasn’t lost hope just yet.
“I feel good about the season. I still have faith in what we’re doing, faith in our guys,” he said. “We’re still working hard, we just have to get it all together.
“There’s still plenty of football to go. It’s not how you start, its how you finish.”
CHARGERS SHOWING MATURITY
Brownsville Veterans Memorial has only lost once in four games this season. But coach David Cantu doesn’t think the team is doing anything different than last year, with one notable exception: experience.
“Our kids are a year older,” he said. “A lot of them were able to gain valuable experience on the varsity last year.
“It means a lot to have (more) experience.”
Cantu says having a greater number of players with experience this season has aided in the team’s preparation and film study of opponents.
“I’m proud of our team, they refuse to get complacent. They’re very hungry to keep getting better,” he said. “We realize to get where we want to get, its going to take a great effort. We don’t feel we’ve played our best game yet.”
WIDE OPEN DISTRICT
This season, District 32-6A has shaped up as though it might take the full district season to decide its four postseason berths.
“It’s going to be extremely challenging, week in and week out,” Cantu said. “There are a lot of quality teams in our district.”
Last year through four games, it was quite different.
Harlingen High (3-1) and Harlingen South (4-0) were atop the district and remained there all season. The Cardinals didn’t lose again until the postseason. The Hawks remained unbeaten until a loss to Harlingen High and did not lose again until the postseason.
This season, the teams are a combined 3-5 as each has struggled at times on both sides of the ball.
Los Fresnos and Brownsville Veterans (both 3-1 overall, 1-0 in district) sit atop the standings heading into Week 6. San Benito and Harlingen High (both 2-2, 1-0) follow in a tie for second.
Hanna (1-2, 0-1) and Harlingen South (1-3, 0-1) are behind the top four, and Rivera and Lopez (both 0-4, 0-1) are trying to get the first win of the season and get into the mix.
“I think there is a great deal of parity in our district,” Cantu said. “The majority of teams can beat each other. I don’t see any one team that can run the table, so to speak.”
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.