The McAllen Rowe Warriors used a solid rushing performance from their three-headed monster in the backfield, and a strong night from quarterback Jonas Ortiz on the ground, through the air and on defense as they topped the Laredo Alexander Bulldogs 42-28 on Saturday night at the Student Activity Center in Laredo.
“It was a tough game. We were down 21-14 at half,” McAllen Rowe head coach Bobby Flores said. “We were able to come back, swing momentum and play well the second half.”
Rowe’s huge offensive night was powered on the ground by the team’s trio of talented backs in Lorenzo Lopez, Joey Partida and Nick Meehan, as the three ran all over Alexander all night.
Lopez tallied three rushing touchdowns to have another banner day after rushing for his personal best this season in Week 11. Ortiz also played a big role in the running game for the Warriors but was even more lethal through the air.
The senior signal caller threw three touchdown passes in the contest, hitting Joey Partida for a pair of scores and Mike Gonzalez for another. Ortiz also played a crucial role in converting on must have third- and fourth-down situations for Rowe, which helped the team extend drives.
Between the Warriors’ ability to consistently find the end zone and pound the ball on the ground, they were able to control the time of possession and keep the Bulldogs’ offense off the field.
Defensively, Rowe struggled early on to control one of Alexander’s top athletes and playmakers in wideout Iker Jaimes.
“They had some explosive players, too,” Flores said. “We had a hard time containing No. 6 (Jaimes) in the first half and did better in the second half.”
The Warriors defense played a stout second half, surrendering only seven points and forcing multiple turnovers. Ortiz and Anthony Reyes both snagged interceptions for Rowe en route to the win.
The win marks the first bi-district round playoff win for Rowe since 2007, when the team topped Eagle Pass 28-27. The Warriors (7-4, 3-4) will play Weslaco East (8-3, 6-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“East is a good team and Coach Burget does an outstanding job, so we need to continue to get better,” Flores said. “We need to play good defense and stop the big plays. Offensively, we need to be able to extend drives and score.”