By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer
The Hanna Golden Eagles and Rivera Raiders will clash in a critical District 32-6A matchup with heavy playoff implications at 7 tonight at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Hanna (3-4, 2-3 in district) has been on the edge of elimination the past few weeks, but wins against the Harlingen South Hawks and the Lopez Lobos have kept the Eagles in the running. They will need another big win to keep the playoff hopes alive.
“(The kids) know what kind of game it is,” coach Rene Medrano said. “We need to try to control the ball and not make any foolish mistakes.”
The Eagles have a productive offense, which ranks third among District 32-6A teams in yards per game with 326. However, it will be tasked with penetrating a tough Raiders defense, one that ranks first in the district, allowing only 250 yards per game.
Quarterback Andy Lopez has completed more that 70 percent of his passes and uses his efficiency to lead the pass-heavy Hanna offense.
The unit relies on Lopez’s favorite target and one of the district’s top receivers, Lucas Olivares. Olivares was instrumental during last week’s 17-14 win over the Hawks, catching seven passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns.
“I expect it to be a physical game,” Medrano said. “I hope we can move the ball. (Rivera) has been playing well, but our team has had a good week at practice.”
Rivera (3-5, 3-2) has been riding high in recent weeks, stringing together three consecutive wins to salvage its season. Week-to-week momentum has helped the Raiders, and coachTom Chavez has seen growth during recent games.
“I think momentum helps a lot,” he said. “But these guys still need to keep their focus and be ready to go.
“We did a great job last week. We’ve got to play the way we’ve been playing the last three games. (Hanna is) a very good team, too. They’ve got a lot of good players on offense. We’ve just got to be focused.”
Though the Raiders’ defense has stepped up of late, its offense hasn’t slouched. Rivera features two receivers in Edward Rubio and Sammy Orive who have combined to catch 60 passes for 928 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.