DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
DONNA — Everything may be new about PSJA North, but it doesn’t look like it two weeks into the season.
Under a new head coach in Marcus Kaufmann, with a new system and new culture to abide by, the Raiders have started this season as if everything has been in place for a while. PSJA North has been impressive, following up last week’s 30-point rout at Mission with a 27-6 win against Donna High on Thursday night at Bennie La Prade Stadium.
The Raiders, who have yet to play a home game as they enter their bye week, scored on the third play of the opening series, when the game was only 61 seconds old, and never relinquished control. PSJA North looked like a well-oiled machine, running the ball at will and then setting up the pass for big plays downfield. The defense was stifling, all over the the Redskins’ playmakers early and often.
The Raiders’ only setbacks were a slew of false starts and other penalties (16 for 125 yards) and a lethargic second half that kept the game closer than it should have been.
Otherwise, however, the Raiders appear to be a team to be reckoned with.
“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised,” North senior running back Bo Adams said. “I have a high expectation level for myself and my team. We’re not there yet, but we’ll keep striving. There’s no doubt.”
After torching Mission High for 216 yards last week, Adams tallied 172 on 20 carries against a quality Donna High defense.
Adams burned the Redskins (1-1) with his speed and maneuverability. He scored that opening touchdown on a 77-yard burst down the Raiders’ sideline and added a 16-yard scoring reception in the second quarter for a 20-0 lead.
If it wasn’t Adams doing damage, it was fellow running back Rene Ramirez between the tackles or quarterback Darren Fuentes making plays. Ramirez had 51 yards and a touchdown and Fuentes completed 2 of 5 passes for 51 yards and a TD. Backup quarterback Randy Reyna completed his only pass for a 37-yard touchdown to Sammy Badillo.
“These kids are playing lights out right now,” Kaufmann said. “The coaching staff is doing what it needs to do, watching kids and not watching the ball like young coaches do. They’re coaching their positions and getting to work. I feel like we’re on the right track.
“Our kids came out with aggression and they came out focused on what they needed to do. But we got complacent, lost focus, and this is part of growing up and learning to put people away. They didn’t do a very good job of that, but they did do a good job of getting on them from the start.”
After a spanking of Valley View last week, Donna High looked like the team it was supposed to be: inexperienced, particularly at the skill positions, with a lot of work that needs to be done before it can compete with the top teams.
Still, Kaufmann and Donna High coach Ramiro Leal commended the Redskins’ fight.
Donna High played a strong second half, especially defensively as it held the Raiders to 81 total yards during the final two quarters behind stellar play from defensive end Homer Webber and linebacker JP Sandoval.
But offensively, the Redskins severely lacked the firepower to make the game a competitive one.
The Redskins had just 33 total yards at halftime, when it trailed 20-0, and finished with 134. In a bizarre result for a program built upon the I-formation, they finished with more passing yards (85) than rushing yards (49) and turned the ball over three times.
Only Guillermo Garcia’s 19-yard reception from Hector Guerrero with 40 seconds left prevented the shutout.
“That’s an experienced ballclub, and they’re good,” Leal said of North. “We made mistakes. We shot ourselves in the foot with two missed field goals, some turnovers. But a loss can be good if you learn from it, so we have to see how we respond. A game like this can put us in check.”
NOTE: Bags were passed around Bennie La Prade Stadium during Thursday’s game to collect money to support 16-year-old PSJA North sophomore Michael Contreras, who suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit during a game last week against Mission and underwent brain surgery. Contreras, a junior varsity player, is being treated at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg. “Michael’s a great kid,” Adams said. “We all love him. He plays the same position as me, so I was with him every day in practice. It’s been tough for us as a team. We’ve come together and we couldn’t be more united, but we’re playing for him. We love him and we want him back.”