Port Isabel High School defended its home turf in a game originally not on the schedule.
The Tarpons defeated the Tomball Christian Warriors 34-7 in its first game at home Friday night at Tarpon Stadium in Port Isabel.
Port Isabel (2-0), without quarterback/running back Omar Silva due to injury, had complete control of the game in the first half. The offense gained 236 total yards in the first half and put up 28 points.
Penalties were all that could stop the Tarpons’ momentum in the first half. P.I. was tagged with 50 of its 90 total penalty yards in the opening half, with a holding call negating a 21-yard, second-quarter touchdown catch by Jorge Escobar.
“We played hard (but) we have to cut down on the mistakes,” Port Isabel coach Monty Stumbaugh said. “Mistakes cost us scores. We have to quit doing those things. The kids are playing hard, that’s one thing I’ll say. They play hard and they play for each other. We were out some kids out tonight, other kids stepped up and I was really pleased with their effort.”
Running back Ricky Gonzalez put Port Isabel’s first points on the board with a 21-yard run in space up the middle to cap an 89-yard drive with four minutes to go in the first quarter.
Defensive back Jeremy Martinez caught his first of two interceptions on the following drive, returning it 17 yards to give Port Isabel the ball in Warriors territory.
A 35-yard pass from Cesar Aguilera to tight end Jesus Saldivar on the first play of the Tarpons’ following drive help set up Orduna’s three-yard flip into the end zone as time ran out in the first quarter. P.I.’s failed two-point conversion made it a 13-0 ballgame.
“Kids always step up,” Stumbaugh said. “Someone always steps in. (Orduna) always comes in, just like he did last week. We moved him to J-back. He runs tough. I think he did a good job.”
Aguilera was involved in every one of the Tarpons’ 15 points in the second quarter. The quarterback scored on a 1-yard run and followed the score with a pass to Daniel Martinez for the two-point conversion. Aguilera threw a 31-yard pass to Daniel Martinez on Port Isabel’s final drive of the half to push the advantage to 28-0.
Tomball Christian (0-2) scored its only points of the game when cornerback Christian Vaughn picked off a pass and returned it 75 yards to the end zone.
Aside from that lone blemish, the Tarpons owned the night.
Port Isabel’s young offensive line cleared holes for a rushing attack that finished the game with 306 yards.
Orduna led P.I.’s run-happy offense with 143 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries against the Warriors. Travis Camacho had 77 yards on six carriers.
“The main thing was blocking,” Orduna said. “Getting our keys and executing the run.”
Aguilera and Brian Chavez combined for 133 passing yards and two touchdown passes, both caught by Daniel Martinez.
The Tarpon defense held the Warriors to 146 yards and forced four turnovers.
The Warriors braved a seven-hour trip to answer Stumbaugh’s call to fill in an extra open week his team had on its schedule.
“I thought (my team) played really hard … they fought tough,” Tomball Christian head coach Jack Frey said. “That’s something I always appreciate about guys is when you’re down 28 to nothing at the half and you come out and play hard in the second half. We put more points on the point board in the second half than they did. I’m happy that our guys didn’t quit.”
Tomball Christian quarterback John Hilley threw for 25 yards and ran for 23. Garret Harlan was the Warriors’ leading rusher with 25 yards on seven carriers.
Joshua McKinney covers high school sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @joshuabvherald.