DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — During three seasons of varsity football, Sharyland Pioneer has desperately searched for that marquee win that could not only earn it some respect, but also help it turn the corner toward its goal of the postseason.
Thursday, the Diamondbacks may have gotten it.
Pioneer outplayed and roughed up Mission Veterans Memorial in a big District 31-5A showdown, taking an intense 30-14 win at Tom Landry Stadium. The Diamondbacks (3-2, 2-1 District 31-5A) handed the Patriots (4-2, 3-1) their first loss in district and put themselves in the title picture in the process.
“We feel this is a win that can put us over the top,” senior linebacker Jesus Sanchez said.
The win didn’t start well because of Sanchez and the defense, but it certainly finished well because of it.
The Diamondbacks gave up a 42-yard touchdown reception by Jacob Guerrero on the game’s first play from scrimmage. But Mission Vets, averaging 30.4 points on 424.4 yards per game coming in, was held to one touchdown the rest of the way and finished with 286 total yards.
The Patriots turned the ball over five times, including three times in the second half when the Diamondbacks held Vets to 77 yards and scoreless. Sanchez and cornerback Anthony Jimenez collected two interceptions, and Mission Vets lost three fumbles.
“The turnovers were key, because we’re not going to shut that offense down,” said Pioneer coach Jason Wheeler, who was confident his 3-4 scheme would be a perfect matchup for Vets’ spread attack. “They’ll get their yards. We didn’t give up any more big plays after that opening drive. We tackled better, ran to the ball more.”
Offensively, the Diamondbacks manhandled the Patriots. Pioneer totaled 449 yards, 342 on the ground. If it wasn’t quarterback Jacob Rosales using his size and speed to run over and through defenders, it was junior running back Michael Benavides and sophomore running back Christian Rivera having their way.
Rosales completed 15 of 29 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns, but ran 13 times for 139 yards and a score. Benavides ran for 124 yards. Rivera ran for 84 yards and a touchdown.
The Diamondbacks attempted just eight passes in the second half as they wore down the Patriots, running the ball 37 times, and 60 in all.
“This was a big game,” said Rosales, a sophomore. “We’ve never really felt we’ve played to our full potential. We called this our ‘pump game.’ We’ve been looking forward to it. This really showed how fast we are, how physical we are, how good we are.”
While Rosales and company were sustaining drives, moving the chains and chewing clock, the Patriots never got much going.
If Vets wasn’t turning the ball over during the second half, it was going three-and-out four times as the Diamondbacks kept receivers blanketed and forced quarterback Diego Hernandez into scramble after scramble after scramble.
“They shut us down,” Mission Vets coach David Gilpin said. “Give them credit. They got pressure on us and we weren’t able to get guys open and get separation. They have some good athletes. I feel they’re the most athletic team in the district and they showed it.
“We just didn’t have the flat-out speed Pioneer has.”
Wheeler called it the best defensive effort he’s seen during his three years at the helm of Pioneer. He’s hoping to also call it the turning point for a young program hungry for the playoffs.
“This shows how good we are,” Wheeler said. “We have a chance to be really good. This will be a huge confidence-builder. To be good you have to beat someone good, and we did that.”
The Patriots, meanwhile, now prepare for Nixon, which is undefeated in district at 3-0. Nixon already has a win over Pioneer.
“It’s a disappointing loss, but we’ve got to get ready to go down to Laredo next week and stay in that district championship hunt,” Gilpin said. “Our goals are still in place. So, yeah, it’s tough tonight, but they deserved to win. They played with more passion than we did.”