BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
RIO GRANDE CITY — Coming into Friday’s game, the Grulla Gators knew the line of scrimmage would be a battle all night.
“Without a doubt (the line of scrimmage was a key focus),” Grulla coach Abel Gonzalez III said. “It was hard for us to run inside. That was something that they were going to take away from us. We just have to get better, and see how we can beat that type of defense the next time out.”
In the end, the size and strength of Orange Grove (2-2) overwhelmed the Gators (2-2), and the Bulldogs came away with the 36-21 win at Joe R. Sanchez Stadium.
“Orange Grove is a big team,” Gonzalez said. “They gave us some trouble up front. Defensively, they were athletic. They were able to kind of contain us. So we go back to the drawing board and get ready for next week against a tough Rio Hondo team.”
“They weren’t the best defensive line we have faced,” senior center Andrew Lopez said. “But, they were very quick off the ball, and they were really aggressive.”
Grulla sophomore running back Vidal Lopez had five first-half carries and was held to minus 3 yards. Despite the struggles of the traditional ground game, the Gators came out and punched the Bulldogs in the face to start the game.
On the Bulldogs’ opening possession, the Gators’ defense held the Bulldogs in the red zone and forced a turnover on downs.
Senior quarterback Dillen Salinas got the Gators on the board first with a 17-yard scamper into the end zone. The Salinas run capped off a drive that was sparked by a 71-yard end around run by junior receiver Jesse Garza.
“It was a good feeling,” Salinas said. “After getting ourselves into good position on the fourth play of the game, that gave us confidence. We knew we had a good chance to win the game at that point.”
The Gators maintained the advantage throughout much of the first half. Then came the stoppages. First, the lights went out, causing a 20-minute delay.
After the break, the Bulldogs scored to tie the game at 14. On the ensuing kickoff, an awkward kick came to the up man — senior middle linebacker and team captain Joe Ramos. Ramos used his speed to pick up 20 yards on the return, but as he came down, he felt agonizing pain.
“He felt his hip pop a little bit,” Gonzalez said. “It seemed to be out of place a little bit.”
“Joe Ramos, he is a hell of a player,” Lopez said. “It makes a big difference when he is not there, but it just has to be next man up.”
The injury was a severe blow to the Gators, who were already struggling with the size of the Bulldogs offensive line. Many Gators were emotional as they saw one of their captains carted off the field.
“We weren’t really concentrating as well as we should have, because of all the things that happened,” Lopez said.
“It killed our momentum at that point,” Salinas said of the back-to-back stoppages. “Joe getting hurt was a real blow for us.”
In stepped senior Ebenezer Cantu. Last year, Cantu was asked to fill in at running back, and he was a spark plug for the offense in the new role. Again on Friday, Cantu was moved from the secondary to Ramos’ linebacker spot.
“Bennie is one of our vocal leaders in there,” Gonzalez said. “He played hard all night. I am very proud of him.”
“That was really big from Ebenezer Cantu,” Lopez said. “He’s really quick and physical, and we have had him on the team for three years already, so he is pretty good.”
Cantu made several key plays, including a big tackle on third down that pinned the Bulldogs back deep with less than 5 minutes remaining in the game.
“(Ramos) is a real big part of our defense,” Cantu said. “I knew I was going in to play mike for him, so I did what I had to do. I am proud of myself, and hopefully, I can keep it going.”
Cantu’s stop gave the Gators new life, but between all the stoppages and all the scoring, the Grulla offensive line was just too worn down to give the offense room to work. Two desperation heaves from Salinas were picked off in the closing minutes of the game, sealing the Gators’ fate.
Still, the Gators remain confident as ever, focused on their biggest goal for the year: a 16-4A DI championship. With Salinas at the helm, Grulla has reason for optimism. Even in a hard-fought game, Salinas picked up more than 100 yards on the ground and in the air. Salinas was responsible for all three touchdowns Friday, throwing two and running in the opening score.
“We play tough teams to get ready for district,” Salinas said. “This is all just preparation to help us get that district title. It is a lesson learned for us.”
Despite the offensive line’s struggles in the power ground game and a bevy of holding penalties, the group remains self-assured. With seniors Andrew Lopez and Miguel Salazar anchoring the middle of the line, the Gators know they will be able to dominate the line of scrimmage against the teams in their district.
“This line is really good,” Lopez said. “I have a lot of confidence in these guys. I see them working out after school. We work hard every single day.”
The best news of all for the Gators came after the game.
“I just got an update. (Ramos) is back at home,” Gonzalez said. “They were able to pop his hip back in. He’s not at the hospital, which is a good sign. We will see how it goes moving forward.”