By FREDDY GONZALEZ
Staff Writer
It’s known by many names. The Battle of Willacy County, the Cotton Bowl, or the Willacy County Cotton Bowl, but one thing is for sure; Lyford and Raymondville are at it again.
In a rivalry that has withstood the test of time, diehard loyal fans will flock to Burnett stadium tonight for the annual event and for lifelong Raymondville resident Rocco Cantu there isn’t any other game like it.
“(It’s) always the biggest game of the year for both schools,” said the longtime resident. “There was never any real animosity between us. Most students and citizens from both towns are friends, but for that week it’s taken seriously.”
“(Raymondville‘s) Burnett Stadium has 6000 seats and it will be sold out with hundreds more standing.”
This year’s matchup is no different. While there’s no district complications at stake, the rivalry hasn’t lost any meaning.
“We’re really excited, this is something that the kids wait for all year long,” said Raymondville head coach Frank Cantu. “They’re all big games, but this one holds some special value since it’s so close and some (players) have friends and family on that side (Lyford) and there’s bragging rights at stake.”
“Its not a district game so I try and keep things in perspective, but it would be a nice win to put under our belt”
Just down the road in Lyford the feeling is mutual, because in a game like this you can throw records out the window.
“It’s a big game within the county itself,” said Bulldog head coach Jaime Infante. “Being and inter county rivalry our kids will play to a higher level than they did last week and I think it’s a great game to get us ready for some of the tough games we’re going to have in our district.”
“Obviously we want to win the game and we want to improve on the way we played last week and I think we have.”
The Bearkats will be counting on rushing leaders Christopher Trevino and Miguel Tristan to spear the attack. Quarterback Trevino comes in the game with 225 yards rushing and 175 passing yards while teammate Tristan has 262 yards on 24 rushing attempts.
“Those two guys tough and they are a real nice combination,” said Cantu. “You throw in 255 pound fullback Matthew Nieto and now you think ‘Do I key on him or do I key on Tristan’ so it gives us some nice combinations.”
On the other side of the field the fans will get a first hand look at running back Jaedon Taylor who was approved to play for Lyford Wednesday afternoon. Last years district 32-5A leading rusher adds a different dimension to Bulldogs attack.
“Anybody that has the talent that Jaedon does is going to come in and make an impact regardless of what team he plays for,” said Infante. “Obviously we’re glad to have him and I think he’s got enough grasp of the offense to play tomorrow night.
Another weapon that coach Infante will use is junior quarterback John Rivera who has passed for 454 yards this season, with 300 of them coming just last week. There’s no question that Rivera can distribute the ball effective if given the time.
“They (bulldogs) come out and they love to pass and coach Infante has done a great job of that year in and year out,” said coach Cantu. “They’ve got a quarterback that can pass and they have excellent route runners. Coming in you always want to prepare for everything, but you want to emphasize a little more on the pass than you do on the run.”
“With a legitimate runner like Taylor you can’t take as many chances, we feel like we’re tough against the run and we’re going to have our test.”