At no point during the previous six seasons has Brownsville Lopez been this encouraged about its potential.
The Lobos are 4-1 after defeating a short-handed Hidalgo squad 28-14 on Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville — the final tuneup before a bye next week and the District 16-5A Division I opener Oct. 10 at PSJA Southwest.
Through the first four weeks alone, Lopez laid claim to its highest-winning season since 2017. It beat La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, La Joya High and Grulla — losing only to La Joya Palmview.
Not since 2017 have the Lobos won more than two games. That year, they posted an 8-3 overall record, including 5-2 in district to finish third. It marked coach Jason Starkey’s fifth and final season with the program.
One coach since removed, Tarantola has Lopez in position to have its first winning season since ’17. Two wins in the final five games would secure that, though the Lobos have their sights set much higher than that. They have PSJA Southwest, Mercedes, Brownsville Porter, Brownsville Pace and Edcouch-Elsa, respectively, left on their schedule — all district games.
As Tarantola sees it, his players are willing — and more importantly, capable — of contributing in ways that were much more unlikely when they were underclassmen. They’re able to win one-on-one battles, he said, and play to their strengths.
“They’ve been through the ringer, they’ve been through adversity and in tough situations in terms of fielding a competitive program,” said Tarantola, now in his third season. “They stuck with it and now they’re more mature, mentally and physically, and they have the talent.”
That was evident, for one, with Lupe Ramirez, who threw for three touchdown passes Thursday — two to Gabriel Rios — to ignite the Lobos’ 28-0 run. Ramirez also found Eliazar Iruegas on an 18-yard scoring strike. And during the ensuing two-point conversion, Ramirez connected with Rios once again.
Teammate Sebastian Hernandez scored on a 1-yard run to help Lopez regain the lead, 7-6.
“Both of them are dynamic players,” Tarantola said of the Ramirez-Rios connection. “Lupe, he can throw the ball and put it in a lot of tight windows. He’s grown a lot as far as his understanding of the game. He’s been calm and collected. And Gabe Rios is an extraordinary talent. … He can catch the ball and is extremely fast, quick. He’s capable of making a big play at any moment.”
Not all is rosy for the Lobos, however. Like any team, they are dealing with injuries to key players. Eddie Slovak, the team’s lead running back the past three years, is nursing an injury from a Week 3 game against La Joya Palmview. His status remains uncertain.
The same holds true for Adal Garza, the team’s leading tackler who hurt his shoulder the previous outing.
As such, the respite comes as a much-needed time for the Lobos, who played their third Thursday game in a row. The short week, Tarantola explained, has taken Lopez away from fundamentals and drills, instead focusing on that week’s game plan. The week off should also help them find a long snapper, an area that hampered them Thursday with field goals and punting situations.
“I’m very happy right now, but tomorrow it’s ‘how do we get better?’” Tarantola said. “I’m proud of our guys so far, but there’s a challenge ahead. The toughest road is still ahead, but we’re excited.”
Hidalgo (0-4), which fielded 21 players Thursday, remains in search of its first victory since Oct. 5, 2022, when it defeated Kingsville King 41-7. It finished that year 5-5, including 2-4 in district.
After going 0-10 last year, the Pirates opened this season with losses over Brownsville Pace (44-21), La Feria (27-14) and Rio Hondo (53-22). Last week’s contest against Port Isabel was called off due to lightning.
Next week’s game against Rio Grande City marks the Pirates’ final non-district tilt before their District 16-4A DI opener against Tuloso-Midway on Oct. 11. After that, they face Zapata, Corpus Christi Calallen and Valley View, respectively.
Among the bright spots was Ian Szczuroski connecting with Ethson Fonseca for a 10-yard score to open the game. That was the Pirates’ only lead at 6-0.
Then with the game out of reach, Anthony Warren scored on a 4-yard run and then caught a two-point conversion from Szczuroski for the final margin.