With the 2014 regular high school football season in the rear view mirror, its time to say goodbye to the past and hello to the future.
Even if it means a bi-district playoff date with Cuero, who returns 14 players from last year’s squad that reached the quarterfinals before losing to Sinton 26-19.
Last the year the Bobcats made the playoffs before losing to Zapata in their bi-district clash. However this year could be different.
“The morale’s been great. I’ve got a great group of kids,” said Coach James. “The kids are very excited, fired up and looking forward to the contest and they didn’t really care who we played.”
“Now that it’s rained so much we’ve had a chance to show them a lot of film and their very excited to play against this team.”
The Bobcats are riding a wave of momentum and a change of mentality that has taken them from last years 4-7 record to this years 8-2 district runner-up.
Offensively Rio Hondo has been able to deploy a two quarterback system when needed. Between senior Eli Pitones and junior Joshua Gonzalez the duo has passed for 915 yards from 63-143 attempts but have also rushed for another 716 yards.
However, Marco Garate has been the heart of the offense, rushing for 1241 yards behind 211 carries the speedy senior has relieved some of the pressure off the quarterbacks.
Defensively, the team has been the best in the valley allowing an average of just 172 yards per game, with over 60 sacks and 8 interceptions.
This week the team faces, perhaps, their toughest task of all season in Cuero who have offensively rushed for 2486 yards and passed for another 1329.
Take the majority of the work load has 6’3” UTSA commit D’Anthony Hopkins who has rushed for 2050 yards on 213 carries.
“On film he looks really good, but its going to have to be one of those things where we’re going to have to gang tackle him,” said Rio Hondo head coach Rock James. “Teams that have done well against him have gang tackled where everybody gets to the ball and that’s exactly what our defense does, we’re very good about everybody flying to the ball.”
“If we can get to him I think we’re going to have a good night, but if can’t it’s going to be tough because he’s very fast.”
Kickoff is set for tonight at 7:30 in Cabaniss field in Corpus Christi.