By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Outside of bragging rights, there wasn’t much at stake last year when Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer squared off.
Much of the ceremony surrounded the first head-to-head meeting in what is presumed to become a rivalry. But the matchup itself was decidedly lopsided, with Sharyland High winning 58-6 on its way to a third consecutive district title.
This year’s meeting figures to have much more on the line. Coming off disappointing losses in Week 8, both teams are in search of a win to reinvigorate their playoff hopes.
“We’re excited,” Pioneer coach Jason Wheeler said. “We feel it’s going to be a good game, like last week against Mission Veterans (coming down to the wire). It was a tough loss, but it was like a playoff game.
“This game (against Sharyland High) will be the same way. We’re going to be treating it that way.”
In Year 2, the Diamondbacks (6-2 overall, 2-2 in district) got off to a 6-0 start before losing to Edinburg Vela and Mission Veterans. Injuries have been part of the storyline the past couple of weeks, with starting quarterback Alejandro Ramirez ruled out for the year after tearing his ACL and MCL during last week’s 21-14 loss to Mission Veterans.
The margin for error is slim the rest of the way, with Pioneer trying to secure a postseason berth with two district games to go. The Diamondbacks remain postseason contenders, nonetheless, with their win total having doubled from their inaugural season. And while they continue finding their way, they figure to be more competitive tonight than they were a year ago.
“It’s a big game,” Wheeler said. “I don’t know about it being a rivalry (yet). Last year it was big brother vs. little brother, and this year it’s like it’s two big brothers going at it. I think both teams are evenly matched.”
Graduating a hefty senior class, Sharyland High entered the year as underdogs for the district title. Yet, the Rattlers came within a point of tying Edinburg Vela in the closing seconds, before beating Mission Veterans the following week. Their loss to Roma — playing without the district’s leading rusher in Ramon Espinoza — was a step back for the Rattlers, who now find themselves in unfamiliar territory: boasting a losing record heading into Week 9.
The Rattlers haven’t lost two district games since 2008, though they manage to rebound by finishing 10-3, including 5-2 in district, to advance to the area round. Lately, the Rattlers have been the gold standard, losing only once in the regular season in three years, while advancing to the regional quarterfinals each time.
“It’s like the roles are reversed now,” Sharyland coach Ron Adame said, referring to his team battling for a playoff berth. “The third (loss) may eliminate any chance we have for the playoffs. It’s like our playoffs started early this year because we’re fighting for our playoff hopes this week.”
“We’ve got three games left,” he added, “and we’re just going to have to take it one game at a time.”