BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — One of Sharyland High coach Ron Adame’s fears was his team having an emotional letdown coming into Friday’s District 16-5A Division II game against Mercedes.
It’s an understandable fear. The Rattlers scooted by their rival Sharyland Pioneer on a 21-yard field goal with two seconds left in regulation last week. Rivalry games where the energy and emotions are at mountainous highs can lead to a drop off the following week.
“We were hard on our kids all week to avoid complacency,” Adame said. “After our first possession on offense and defense, I knew these boys showed up to play. They came out here to make a statement and I think they did tonight. I’m proud of them.”
Senior Gabriel Tamez, who was last week’s hero with a game-winning kick versus the Diamondbacks, made a 30-yard field goal to start the scoring for the Rattlers (6-3). Their defense, coupled with mistakes from Mercedes’ offensive line, scored two more on a Tigers safety.
Sharyland High received the ensuing punt and only required 2:44 of game time to reach the end zone. Senior running back Danny Escalera ran in his first of three touchdowns on the ground as the Rattlers downed the Tigers 45-7 at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.
“This (Escalera’s three touchdown runs) may have been a career night for him,” Adame said. “We’re talking about a young man that works extremely hard and is very unselfish. If he’s called onto block, he’s going to block his tail off. If he’s called onto carry the ball, he’s going to carry the ball with everything he’s got. He’s not one to complain about touches. His attitude is the epitome of our group this year: unselfishness. They want their team to succeed and not worry about individual accolades.”
Coincidentally, Mercedes (3-5, 2-2) came out flat on Friday night. They summoned the energy and late-game execution to defeat a six-win Valley View team in Week 8, but there didn’t appear to be any left for the Rattlers.
The Tigers’ first offensive drive ended with back-to-back penalties and an airmailed snap that sailed behind the end zone. The Mercedes offense ended the first half with zero first downs, compared to Sharyland High’s 15. The Rattlers led 33-0 at halftime.
“We came out flat and never got out of that. Sharyland (High) got on a roll and we couldn’t get back to what we wanted to do,” Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. said. “We made some plays here and there, but we couldn’t get anything to happen. When you play a good team like that, it’s hard to play from behind and try to come back.”
With the win, Sharyland High improved to 5-0 in district play while also clinching a playoff spot and at least a share of the District 16-5A DII crown. The Rattlers shared a District 31-5A title in 2017 with Mission Veterans and Laredo Nixon.
“We set our goals at the beginning of the season and one of them was being district champion and we’re still trying to do that,” Sharyland High senior quarterback Edgar Longoria said. “We have one more game left with Valley View next week. Obviously, Valley View is a good team, so we have to make sure that we focus and put a lot of effort into this week’s practices. But right now, we’ve clinched homefield advantage in the first round, so we’re also trying to embrace the moment.”
Sharyland High defeating Mercedes on Friday also marked the first time Ron Adame and Roger Adame Jr., who are cousins, are coaching against each other in the regular season. The two have met twice in the first round of the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. The Rattlers beat the Tigers in 2015, but Mercedes took care of business in 2016.
“Our families are tight, but he (Ron) is a bit older than me,” Adame Jr. said. “Football is a huge part of our upbringing with him playing it and my father coaching him. What I always remember is Ron being a competitor in whatever he wanted to do. As a player and a coach, I look up to him.”
“I remember coaching here in Sharyland and going over to one of Roger’s games to watch him play in the playoffs,” Adame said. “When he got the Mercedes job, I was just as excited as he was. He knows Mercedes Tiger football. To be leading his alma mater in his hometown is something I know he’s proud of every day. It’s tough when we do play, but in a way, I’m kind of glad that it’s in a district game. When it’s the playoffs, one of us has to go home. He’s family. How can we not love each other?”