KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN— Friday night’s matchup between Harlingen South and Brownsville Rivera held playoff implications, with a calendar swap to November looming.
Harlingen South needed a win and got one to keep its playoff hopes alive, leaning on the defense and the legs of sophomore running back Marcos Gonzales, who scored three times to help lead the Hawks past the Raiders 36-15.
“We talked about it last week that we need three wins in a row,” South coach Brian Ricci said. “There is one down. We will enjoy this one tonight, but we will get ready to work and get ready for Harlingen (High).”
After swapping touchdowns early, South trailed 15-14 late in the first half. The Hawks recovered a fumble, giving the offense one more shot for the lead.
After converting on fourth-and-8, Hawks QB David Torres ran for a 11-yard score and converted the two-point conversion attempt, giving the Hawks a 22-15 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Raiders fumbled the ball back to the Hawks. South’s field goal attempt before the half was blocked, but the damage was done.
“Right before the half we got the touchdown and the turnover, and although we didn’t make the field goal we had the momentum,” Ricci said. “I think this is (as) close to a complete game (as) we have had. We had a few mistakes penalty-wise, but overall our defense played very well and I’m proud of them, and on offense we scored points when we needed to and we moved the ball different ways. It is a good start moving forward.”
During the second half, the Hawks’ defense put the clamps on the Raiders and pitched the shutout, forcing four turnovers on the night.
“We went into halftime and the kids felt good, but South did a good job on shutting down our offense,” Rivera coach Beto Leal said. “We did some adjustments, but they just took it to us. What can I say?”
During the third quarter, Torres hit Jacob Carreon on a pass. Carreon fumbled, but teammate Jonadam Bustamante picked up the loose ball and ran it in for the score, giving the Hawks a 29-15 lead late in the third quarter.
The knockout blow came from Gonzales, who dashed for a 37-yard touchdown, giving him five in his past two outings.
“Right now I feel tired, but throughout the week it was just a lot of work with our quarterback and just getting the mesh right,” Gonzales said. “All the credit goes to the offensive line. The team revolves around them, and they are the heart and soul of the team.”
The Hawks snapped a four-game losing streak and are now back in the mix for a playoff berth. South, Los Fresnos, Rivera and Hanna are at 1-2 in 32-6A and looking up at second-place San Benito, which is 2-1, and district leader Harlingen High, which is 3-0.
Harlingen South now shifts its focus to crosstown rival Harlingen High and the 27th Bird Bowl.
Rivera is still alive for the postseason but has the tough slate of Harlingen High and San Benito during the final two weeks of the regular season.
“It is going to be chaos these last few weeks, and it may come down to points and stuff like that,” Leal said. “We have the two-headed monsters up next in Harlingen (High) and San Benito. It is David and Goliath. I’m hoping the kids can go home and read that story, and if they still believe they will be at practice on Monday.”