By MARK MOLINA | STAFF WRITER
In arguably the biggest game of the District 32-6A season, the Hanna Golden Eagles looked outmatched and like a team without answers facing the undefeated San Benito Greyhounds.
More specifically, against District 32-6A’s top rusher Tyrone Harper.
Harper and the San Benito offense moved the ball at will as they coasted to a 51-27 District 32-6A victory over the Eagles Saturday night at Sams Memorial Stadium.
The Greyhounds’ no-huddle offense was off and running from the get go and scored on five of seven first-half possessions, putting Hanna in a 30-point hole at the break.
“I saw that the kids are playing fast,” San Benito head coach Dan Gomez said. “It’s real simple: One goal, play hard and play fast. In 32-6A, every team in the district is the best team and that’s our approach … but there is always work to be done.”
Harper racked up 224 yards from scrimmage, 163 of which came on the ground, and four touchdowns in eight possessions of work.
“We just practiced hard all week,” Harper said. “We went over the defenses and the coverages. The offenses line executed well and opened the holes so we can just push it in. We knew this was a good team and we were going to have to play hard and play fast like we usually do.”
Hanna did come out strong, scoring on its first drive on a Cesar Mancias 10-yard run, but things would snowball from there.
“We knew (San Benito) posed problems for everybody in all three phases of the game,” Hanna head coach Mark Guess said. “They scored quick and then we get it back and scored pretty quick, too. We just couldn’t get them off the field early on. We dug a hole and tried to catch up, but we couldn’t.”
“San Benito is a great ball club and they are the No. 1 team in the Valley for a reason.
The win improves San Benito to 8-0 (5-0 in district) and ends a six-game winning streak for Hanna (6-2, 4-1).
After San Benito and Hanna exchanged scores in the first quarter, Harper went to work later in the quarter scoring on runs of 13, six and 65 yards on three of the next four possessions.
Harper mixed it up a bit late in the half when San Benito quarterback Erick Retta hit him for a 21-yard catch-and-run to make it 37-7 with a little more than four minutes to go in the half.
San Benito’s longest scoring drive of the first half was five plays. Hanna had five first downs and punted five straight times before the half.
The Golden Eagles showed some life to open the second half, marching down for an 82-yard drive, capped off with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Victor Campos to Rolando Ramirez.
Like the first half, both ball club’s exchanged scores as San Benito’s Jason Navarro found the end zone from a yard out to make it 44-14 midway through the third.
The Greyhounds would play their reserves the rest of the way and score just once more.
Hanna added a pair of late fourth-quarter scores with the game well out of reach. One came on a 74-yard run by Mancias and 63-yard catch and run by Joe Cavazos III.
Mancias was one of the few bright spots for Hanna, rushing for 217 yards and two scores. Campos threw for 144 yards and two scores.
San Benito quarterback Erick Retta passed for 182 yards and a score on a 13-of-19 night.