By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The rivalry began in 2012, and so far, the Bloodhounds have won each matchup handily.
SJA (2-1) will try to gain its fourth straight victory in the series when the Bloodhounds travel to Pharr Oratory for 7:30 p.m. game Friday against the Ocelots (0-3).
The first three contests between the teams have gone in the Bloodhounds’ favor by scores of 65-6, 63-8 and 62-0.
“We treat this game just like any other game,” SJA coach Tino Villarreal said. “We want to go into it with the same intensity and same aggressive play that we’ve been searching for in all of our other games.
“It’s not so much about Pharr Oratory as it is about the Bloodhounds and our ability to try to get better regardless of the team we’re playing,” Villarreal added. “We want to be on the field against another opponent and improve. That’s our plan.”
After opening the season with a 55-45 loss at Raymondville, the Bloodhounds have bounced back and captured victories against Lyford (73-22) and La Villa (54-32). The Ocelots are still looking for their first win after losses to Bruni (70-0), Corpus Christi London (48-0) and Lasara (41-0).
Sophomore quarterback Kai Money continues to spark the SJA offense with his running and passing. He has rushed 48 times for 467 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 35 of 54 passes for 386 yards and seven TDs without an interception.
Teammate Anthony Cantu, a running back and also a sophomore, has rushed 51 times for 300 yards and six TDs.
Money’s top receivers are Dave Lapeyre (15 catches, 170 yards, three TDs) and Bernie de la Garza (9-110, three TDs).
Defensively, top performers for the Bloodhounds are Cole Conner (39 tackles), Andres Solis (38), Joey Navarro (32) and Lapeyre (28).
The Bloodhounds figure to face a much stronger opponent at home next Friday when they take on Port Isabel. It will be SJA’s final non-district game of the season.
“We were hit with some injuries early in the season, and we’re just starting to get some guys back,” Villarreal said. “Right now, our main concern is staying healthy. We don’t want to suffer any more injuries (this week).”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.