By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Hanna running back Jaime Gonzalez wasn’t about to let his team get shutout against Rivera.
The senior ran for 153 yards and three touchdowns in the second half as the Golden Eagles scored 26 unanswered points to complete the comeback against the Raiders in a 26-12 victory in the District 32-6A opener for both teams Saturday night in Week 5 at Sams Memorial Stadium.
“We got more motivated in the second half,” Jaime Gonzalez said. “We couldn’t let these guys beat us. We wanted to start off (District 32-6A) 1-0. In the second half, we came out fired up and I tried to run harder … I just kept going.”
Trailing 12-0 at halftime, Hanna finally got on the board with 3:35 left in the third quarter when quarterback Ernesto Benavides found Chris Cardenas on a 9-yard strike for a touchdown. And then Jaime Gonzalez got to work. After Rivera fumbled the ensuing kickoff return, the senior running back gave the Eagles the lead for good with a 9-yard scamper and a 14-12 lead.
Jaime Gonzalez added two more scores a little later. With 13 seconds left in the third quarter, the senior went 18-yards for a touchdown and put Hanna up 20-12. And with 1:34 left in the game, he broke free for a 75-yard run for another score to seal the game for Hanna (2-2, 1-0) and a victory to start District 32-6A.
“The kids never quit playing,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said. “Eventually the dam broke and we ended up getting some scores. I think (the offense) got tired of not scoring, they buckled down and got it in the end zone.”
The Hanna defense did its part, it forced Rivera to punt on every possession in the second half until an interception by the Eagles’ Joe Cavazos ended any rally by the Raiders (1-3, 0-1).
“We made some mistakes that put them in a position to get ahead,” Rivera coach Tom Chavez said. “Momentum played a big part on both sides. I told them one or two mistakes changed momentum and that’s what happens. We just have to make plays when we need to and we didn’t do that.”
Hanna had a miserable first half on offense and trailed 12-0 at the break. The Rivera defense forced three turnovers — an interception and two fumbles — and held the Eagles inside the 5-yard line on three straight downs before halftime.
“A lot of credit to that Rivera defense,” Guess said. “Coach (Juan) Cavazos does a great job with those guys and you never know what you’re going to see against those guys when they line up on the defensive side of the ball. Eventually we figured it out and the ending was the way we wanted it to be.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Rivera got an interception by David Pena and the offense converted with 8:44 to go in the first half. Quarterback Oscar Gonzalez hit Nicholas Blanco on a 13-yard strike for a touchdown and the Raiders took a 6-0 lead.
After a Hanna fumble on its next possession, Rivera extended its lead as Oscar Gonzalez found a seam and scored on a 4-yard run to put the Raiders up 12-0.
But as good as Rivera was in the first half, it didn’t get going in the second half, allowing Hanna to come back.
“We have to learn how to win and finish a game,” Chavez said. “To play that well in the first half and come back in the second half with momentum after that (goal line) stop before halftime. We have to keep on working and learn that. They have to come out of their shell and do it.”
Guess was happy to start district play on a good note.
“This district is a buzz saw. It’s tough from top to bottom and you can’t take anyone lightly,” he said. “Every week is going to be a battle. Hopefully it will build a little bit of confidence in that second game. We have to get our minds right and make sure we’re clicking on all cylinders next week.”
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.