The Brownsville St. Joseph Bloodhounds, Rio Grande Valley sub-5A football’s escape artists, have pulled off masterful comeback victories this season in TAPPS District 3 DII.
The latest Bloodhounds escape, their most improbable comeback, came at the expense of Austin St. Michael’s on Friday in Austin. Brownsville St. Joseph trailed 28-0 before escaping with the 29-28 win.
“Definitely makes it exciting for the fans,” Brownsville St. Joseph head coach Tino Villarreal said. “It feels great from a coaching standpoint to know that our kids just never give up. They are resilient and play with a lot of heart.”
Bloodhounds senior quarterback Ethan Gallegos found receiver Claudio Torres from 24 yards out as time expired. Gallegos ran in the 2-point conversion, giving St. Joseph the walkoff win.
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football named Villarreal the private school Week 8 coach of the week for the victory.
“I wish our team would have gotten team of the week,” Villarreal said. “I have never been a big accolade person myself. I will take it on behalf of the team and the coaching staff. Really, it is their heart and their resilience. I wish I could take the credit for an award that goes to our team.”
The Bloodhounds’ other fourth-quarter comebacks were against Victoria St. Joseph in Week 5 and San Antonio Christian in Week 6.
Brownsville St. Joseph scored the go-ahead touchdown against Victoria St. Joseph with 2:29 left in the 47-40 victory. The Bloodhounds scored a touchdown with 27 seconds left to beat the San Antonio school 41-37.
Brownsville St. Joseph (5-2, 3-1) faces Austin Hyde Park Baptist (6-1, 3-1) at 6 p.m. Friday at Canales Field. Both teams’ only district loss is to Austin Regents.
District 16-2A DI Battle
The La Villa Cardinals and Santa Maria Cougars meet in one of the most important sub-5A football games in the Valley in Week 9.
Both teams come into the game 5-2 on the season. The Cardinals are 2-0 in district, and the Cougars are 1-1. Santa Maria lost to Freer 12-7 to open district but bounced back against Riviera Kaufer 38-0 in Week 8.
Cougars quarterback Chris Ibarra and running back Esiah Gracia lead the team offensively. Ibarra has 845 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, 532 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns this season. Gracia has 646 rushing yards on 84 carries and six rushing touchdowns.
Like the Cougars, the Cardinals are led on offense by their quarterback and running back combination.
Cardinals quarterback Brandon Felix has 841 passing yards, 769 rushing yards and 21 combined touchdowns in the air and on the ground. Running back Rey Perez has 828 rushing yards on 80 carries and eight rushing touchdowns.
Santa Maria takes on La Villa at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Cougar Stadium in Santa Maria.
Standing Out
Lyford’s Osmar Martinez and Raymondville’s Hunter Posas, both with great supporting casts around them, have been standout performers in the Valley’s sub-5A football landscape.
Posas, a linebacker and ball carrier for the Bearkats, puts in a shift every time he steps on the field. The Bearkats’ senior rushed for two touchdowns and finished with 21 total tackles, including a forced fumble during a 20-17 Week 8 win against Port Isabel.
Posas is second in the Valley in total tackles with 97, has six sacks and two forced fumbles. He also has 422 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 269 passing yards and three passing touchdowns.
Martinez, the Valley’s leading rusher going into Week 9, continues to solidify himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the Valley. The dual-purpose quarterback has 922 passing yards, 1,198 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns.
In Lyford’s 36-20 victory over San Diego in Week 8, Martinez finished the game with 316 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 142 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
Lyford (6-2, 1-1) faces Santa Gertrudis Academy (4-3, 0-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville. Raymondville (3-4, 1-0) takes on Grulla (1-6, 0-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Burnett Stadium in Raymondville.
Rio Hondo’s Rising
The Rio Hondo Bobcats started the season 0-4, three of those defeats came at the hands of some of the top sub-5A schools in the Valley: Raymondville, Port Isabel and Hidalgo.
Rio Hondo have quietly won three straight games, including two District 16-3A DI games. The Bobcats are coming off a big win against Santa Gertrudis Academy from Kingsville 28-21.
The Bobcats are coming up to a tough part of their schedule starting with Falfurrias today. Rio Hondo finishes the season against San Diego and Lyford.
Rio Hondo will be in action today against Falfurrias at 7 p.m. today at Jersey Bull Stadium in Falfurrias.