By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Lopez steps up in big win
After a tough loss to Brownsville Veterans Memorial in Week 8, Lopez bounced back last week. The Lobos built a double-digit lead against then-district leader Mercedes and held the visitors off down the stretch to move to 4-1 in District 32-5A. The win created a three-way tie at the top of the standings with Brownsville Veterans and Mercedes with just two games left in the regular season. The Lobos got it started with defense, scoring the first points of the game on a blocked punt that was recovered in the end zone by Josue Lucio. Along the way the unit racked up a robust seven sacks, an interception and held the Tigers to just 210 yards. The offense capitalized as running back Ivan Olivo ran for 135 yards and two scores on the strength of stellar play from the offensive line as Lopez took a 24-7 advantage through three quarters. The Tigers scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth to get close, but the Lobos held on to crowd the top of the district standings. The satisfaction will be short-lived for the Lobos, however, as a road game against Edcouch-Elsa looming. But Lopez should go with plenty of confidence. “We have to turn the page because (Edcouch-Elsa) and that 4-3 defense (are waiting) … we have to go to the black hole next week,” Lopez coach Jason Starkey said after the Week 9 win. “We’ll go there in a better place than we were a week ago (Friday).”
Port Isabel takes care of business
Port Isabel used its combination of power running and stingy defense to take care of Progreso and move to 2-1 in District 16-4A, Division II. The victory also created a three-way tie for second place as everybody is chasing Rio Hondo, which sits at 3-0 and defeated the Tarpons in a Week 7 showdown. Omar Silva continued to fuel the Tarpons with four touchdowns on the ground, all in the first half, and finished with 83 yards. The senior has back-to-back games with four touchdowns and now has 15 touchdowns and more than 1,300 yards on the season. The Port Isabel defense was stout again; it allowed just 128 yards and a late touchdown against the Red Ants. Port Isabel takes on Raymondville, who also sits at 2-1 in district play, this week in another tough test with postseason implications at stake. A victory over Raymondville clinches a playoff berth for Port Isabel.
Brownsville Veterans keeps pace in District 32-5A
Brownsville Veterans Memorial kept winning in District 32-5A with its triumph over Porter. The Chargers have now won three straight and have done what was necessary to keep themselves in the chase for the district championship. Brownsville Veterans was led by its other running back, Abel Martinez, who ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns. The junior also caught a pass for 54 yards and another score to help the Chargers claim the district W. With most teams making a concerted effort to stop the Chargers’ Gustavo Vasquez, the leading rusher in District 32-5A, Martinez made sure the Cowboys felt his presence with an offensive output that was enough to hold off a valiant effort by Porter, who trailed by just one score with 8:14 to play. Martinez sealed the deal with a 33-yard run to pay dirt with 2:58 to go to quell any chance of a rally by the Cowboys. “Abel got loose as a receiver, as a running back and made some big plays,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “It may have been they were worried about Gustavo a little bit, but Abel had to come through and do his part and he did.”
Porter turns a corner
Porter may have lost its District 32-5A game to Brownsville Veterans Memorial, but it proved that the rebuilding process might not take that long after all. The Cowboys held their own and trailed by just a touchdown in the fourth quarter Thursday night. The defense held the Chargers in check for the most part, allowing 291 yards and 23 points, both of which were below Brownsville Veterans’ season averages. While the offense didn’t produce as much as needed, the defense carried some of the burden and played its best game this season. “Our defense played lights out,” Porter coach Tom Campos said. “I know they got some yards, but anytime you hold these guys to 14 points on offense (through three quarters), in our eyes they did a great job.” The Cowboys are still looking for their first win this season, but they have to be feeling confident after the game against the Chargers about the promise of a brighter future. Porter is loaded with youth, so what it lacks in experience, it is building in depth to get back to a higher level.
Los Fresnos, Hanna fall behind
Both Los Fresnos and Hanna had tough tasks on Friday against the top two teams in District 32-6A. The Falcons lost to Harlingen High and the Golden Eagles fell to San Benito, dropping both teams to 2-3 in district play. The teams and Weslaco East are now tied, fighting for the fourth playoff berth behind Weslaco High (3-2) in third. Harlingen High and San Benito are even and unbeaten at 5-0. Los Fresnos plays host to Rivera in Week 10 and Hanna welcomes Harlingen High on Saturday to Sams Memorial Stadium. With only two games left and two games behind the co-leaders, each game becomes a must-win to stay in the postseason race in one of the toughest districts from top to bottom in the Valley this season. The final week of the regular season doesn’t get any easier as the Falcons finish the season at home against Weslaco High while Hanna hits the road against Weslaco East in Week 11.
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.