GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
PHARR — When Edinburg Vela quarterback Ebher Lopez limped off in the third quarter after a dominant first half, the SaberCats proved they can get it done in the ground game, too.
Lopez continued his dominant start to the 2014 season on Friday, tossing four touchdown passes to lead Edinburg Vela to a 42-20 win against PSJA Memorial at PSJA Stadium. And, when Lopez went down, backup Sean Smith and running backs Anthony Arredondo and Robert Guerra moved the ball on the ground.
Lopez now has a Valley-best 15 touchdown passes this season, connecting with Eddie Luna for two, Elijah Reyna for a third and Arredondo for the final score. Reyna now has 7 touchdowns, the most on the team.
Lopez even contributed on the ground, rushing eight times for 65 yards. He limped off the field with about 5:30 remaining in the third quarter after taking a shot following a 25-yard gain. Lopez stood on the sideline and did some stretching for about 5 minutes. He put his helmet back on and looked ready to return to the game but never did, instead watching from the sideline as Arredondo and Guerra took over.
Lopez started slowly, missing on all three passes as Vela’s first drive stalled and ended with a missed field goal. His first pass of Vela’s second possession yielded much better results. Luna caught a screen to Lopez’s left, weaved his way through traffic near the sideline, reversed field and ran 67 yards for the score.
Luna caught his second touchdown of the night with 5:58 remaining in the second quarter. Then, with just 6.4 seconds remaining until halftime, Lopez found Reyna streaking wide open across the field, giving Vela a 21-14 lead heading into intermission.
Running backs Robert Guerra and Anthony Arredondo complemented Lopez’s performance with a solid rushing attack. Guerra gained 123 yards on 11 carries, and Arredondo added 116 on 15 attempts.
Arredondo did most of the heavy lifting on Vela’s first drive of the second half, carrying three times for 50 yards before taking a screen pass from Lopez 17 yards for a touchdown to extend Vela’s lead to 28-14.
Guerra finished the SaberCats next possession with a 23-yard touchdown run, and Smith added the final score with 9:08 left in the fourth on a 30-yard run of his own.
Vela’s offense entered Friday leading District 31-5A with 385.6 yards per game and looked as strong as ever against a strong a stout PSJA Memorial defense, picking up 575 yards, including 385 on the ground.
The SabertCats have scored at least 42 points in every game this season, and Friday’s 20-point margin of victory was their closest thus far.
The Wolverines defense had allowed just 218.3 yards per game entering Friday, tops in District 31-6A. Although Memorial generated excitement with plenty of big hits, Vela consistently moved the ball and kept possessions alive.
Jonathan Trevino continued to be the workhorse for PSJA Memorial’s offense, rushing 21 times for 104 yards and scoring twice before halftime. After each touchdown, Trevino brought his hands together and took a bow, the signature touchdown celebration of Houston Texans running back Arian Foster.
Wolverines quarterback Michael Gonzalez did his best to match Lopez stride for stride, completing 9 of 15 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. He enabled Memorial’s first touchdown drive with a 65-yard pass to Jay Bocanegra on third and 26 from the Wolverines’ 12-yard line.
Bocanegra finished with four catches for 131 yards, adding a 40-yard touchdown reception from Gonzalez on 4th-and-5 in the fourth quarter that cut Memorial’s deficit to the 42-20 margin that would become final.
WEATHER DELAY
Friday’s kickoff was delayed until 8:57 p.m. due to weather.
Players were about to begin warmups on the field just prior to 6:30 p.m. when they were forced back indoors due to lightning in the area. Heavy rains and lightning strikes surrounded the stadium until 7:52. The weather delay was officially lifted at 8:22.
UP NEXT
Edinburg Vela opens District 31-5A play with a bang next week, going on the road to face Sharyland High.
PSJA Memorial also opens district play next week, hosting Edinburg Economedes in a matchup of teams that figure to contend for a playoff spot in District 31-6A.