JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
LAREDO — You always remember your first time.
So will McAllen High’s Adrian Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, a sophomore placekicker, hadn’t attempted a field goal all season. His debut came in dire circumstances for the Bulldogs. The team trailed Laredo Alexander 14-13 with 11.7 seconds remaining in Thursday’s Class 6A bi-district game at Bill Johnson Student Activity Center.
Facing a fourth-and-nine with the season on the line, McHi coach Kevin Brewer pegged Rodriguez, whose name wasn’t even on the roster sheet, to extend the team’s postseason run with a 44-yard field goal attempt.
“I knew that when Coach called my number that my brothers would believe in me,” Rodriguez said. “I knew I could make it.”
And make it he did, by mere inches, just inside the right upright at the south end of the stadium. The successful conversion effectively sealed the win for McHi, which secured a safety on the last play of the game to win 18-14.
“We have another kicker, but (Rodriguez) has a better leg,” Brewer said. “It was a dandy.”
Rodriguez, once a nameless figure on the sideline, was immediately propelled to celebrity and was hoisted into the air by his teammates.
“Just to have the guts to be so cool, calm and collected like that and to push us to the second round of the playoffs like that, it’s an awesome feeling,” McHi quarterback Fred Hover said.
Rodriguez’s score capped off a 10-play drive that began on McHi’s 40-yard line with two minutes left on the clock.
“It’s kind of ironic,” Hover said. “Because we work two-minute drills in practice every day, and it’s ball on the 40, two minutes, two time-outs and that’s exactly the situation we had.”
Hover worked the sideline, completing throws to junior receiver Randy Ivie and senior Ryan Puente, notching eight yards here and six yards there. Puente led McHi with 74 receiving yards on eight receptions.
Though McHi came away with a win, the offense was inconsistent throughout the game. Where the unit looked unbeatable on clock-killing drives which ended in scores, they seemed out of rhythm on four drives which ended in three-and-outs.
The biggest reason for McHi’s offensive woes was lack of an effective running game. Team-leading rusher Rick Rodriguez was held to just 21 yards on 19 carries.
“(Alexander) schemed for him,” Brewer said. “They loaded the box and frustrated him all night.”
Another scare for McHi came in the third quarter when Hover was sidelined for two drives after aggravating an injured ankle he suffered against McAllen Memorial three weeks ago. Backup Caleb Youngblood filled in before Hover’s eventual return in the final quarter.
“(The ankle) feels good,” Hover said after the game. “It got rolled on and got tweaked, but if feels pretty good.”
Hover’s status was uncertain heading into Thursday’s contest. The quarterback looked refreshed and healthy in the early going however, scoring on a 34-yard run late in the first quarter to give McHi a 7-0 lead. Hover finished the game with 182 passing yards on 20-of-35 attempts and a pair of interceptions. Hover also lost a fumble on the team’s first drive.
“We have some things we still need to work on,” Brewer said. “We have to protect the ball more.”
McHi’s defense performed well despite the extra possessions gained by Alexander. Aside from a pair of rapid-fire Alexander drives which resulted in scores in each half, McHi forced five punts and held Alexander quarterback Aaron Swain to 151 passing yards on 11-of-23 attempts.
“The defense played outstanding today,” Hover said. “They gave us a lot of chances on offense.”