MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Roma enters Week 10 in an all-too-familiar situation.
In 2011, the Gladiators needed to beat Mercedes in the final regular season game to get into the playoffs. Roma lost 35-28. The following year, it came up empty as well, dropping its last two games.
And last year, in what it believed would be a sure ticket in after beating PSJA Southwest, Mercedes and Valley View, Roma came away disappointed when point differential between the tying teams made its winning streak moot.
Fourth time’s a charm?
The Gladiators are hoping it will be when they host Sharyland Pioneer at 7:30 Friday.
“They’re hungry. They want it,” Roma coach Max Habecker Jr. said of his players. “They’ve been in this position before, and they want to go out making history.”
History for the Gladiators (3-4-1, 1-3) would come in the form of its first postseason appearance. The Diamondbacks (3-6, 1-4) are hoping for the same in their inaugural campaign.
“We’ve got a great opportunity on our hands,” Pioneer coach Jason Wheeler said. “We’re not putting any more pressure on ourselves. Both teams really have an opportunity to make history and we’re trying to do as a first-year school.”
The fourth postseason berth in District 31-5A has been open all year. In fact, four teams — all with one district win to their credit — entered Week 10 vying for that final ticket.
Pioneer and Roma coaches believe this matchup can decide the No. 4 seed — and for good reason. Rio Grande City faced Mission Veterans Memorial on Thursday, and Sharyland High is set to host Valley View tonight.
Barring any stunning upsets, either Pioneer or Roma can separate itself from the pack in tonight’s battle at Gladiator Arena.
“I think you go into every game saying, ‘This is an important game,’ but this is it,” Habecker said. “We need to win these next two games (against Pioneer and Valley View). We’ve been in position — now this is our fourth year — and we’ve got to knock the door down.
“We’ve won some big games in the past. Last year, we were 4-3 in a three-way tie for fourth, but it wasn’t enough. We want to take all those factors that have kept us out (of the playoffs) and we want to go in without help from anybody. Right now, we control our destiny and we want to keep it that way.”
Roma has six three-year lettermen who’ve been part of the recent late-season letdowns. Habecker’s banking on that experience to help the Gladiators get over the hump.
So far, they’ve shown the initiative. Habecker said that group — featuring center Juan Castillo, safety Diego Cantu, QB Robert Garza, right tackle Ruben Hinojosa, linebacker Roger Lozano, wide receiver Aldo Ramirez — has led practice this week in what could very well be the penultimate game this year for the Gladiators.
Pioneer has similar uncertainty. Beyond this week, the Diamondbacks aren’t guaranteed any more games. They’ll close out regular season with a bye.
The waiting period will be much more tolerable for Pioneer, if it can beat one of the better defenses in district. It’s a tall order, indeed, for a Diamondbacks program that has shown flashes of their potential. Putting together four quarters, Wheeler said, is one of the bigger challenges.
One shouldn’t expect a shootout. Quite the contrary. Both teams stand by their defense and hope for the best on offense.
Pioneer’s highest-scoring game resulted in its only district win to date — a 28-7 decision over Valley View. Roma hasn’t fared much better, scoring no more than two TDs per contest outside of a 24-6 non-district win over Laredo Cigarroa.
It’s about as even of a matchup that exists for fourth place in the 31-5A race.
“I just told the kids, if we can pull this off and win this game, we’re in the playoffs and basically start a new chapter and a new season,” Wheeler said. “It’s a great opportunity. I don’t know if it’s a game-defining moment. It’s the culmination of everything we’ve worked on from last spring until now.
“We’ve been through the fire. A lot of kids have gotten a lot of experience. I think we’re a closer-knit team and we’re going to need to be, if we want to win.”