FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer
In District 16-4A DII, Port Isabel is at it again, climbing up the AP 4A polls to number 18 this week. Up from 19th last week, the Tarpons will be hoping to inch further up the state polls after facing Hidalgo this Friday at Tarpon Stadium.
Last week the Tarpons took care of business, beating Rio Grande City 36-27 in a game in which they had three players rushing for more than 100 yards each. Quarterback Trey Mock had 101 yards with two touchdowns on eight attempts, Jaime Gonzalez carried the ball 17 times for 104 yards and a TD, and Alex De Los Santos led the team with 110 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.
BATTLE TIME: It’s Cotton Bowl time again for Lyford and Raymondville. The annual event comes early this year after the UIL realignment put the two in different districts.
While the 2014 Lyford season has gotten off to a bumpy start, there are plenty of positives to keep the Bulldog faithful with their heads up.
Junior QB John Rivera keeps showing that if given the time he can put up big numbers through the air. Last week Rivera passed for over 300 yards to keep the game within reach, but turnovers proved to be decisive in the loss.
Just down the road in Raymondville the story is a bit different. With a record of 1-1, the Bearkats got into the win column after beating Grulla 33-7 behind a strong running game. Senior quarterback Christopher Trevino has rushed for 225 yards in the first two games while teammate Miguel Tristan has 262 yards on the ground as well.
BACK IN ACTION: Santa Maria is coming off a bye week and looks set to face Kingsville Santa Gertrudis, which has accumulated almost 800 yards in its first two games.
“Our young men are eager to get back on the football field this Friday night,” said head coach Mark Aguero. “They have worked hard all last week in preparation for Kingsville and it’s carried on over to this weeks practice.
“Defensive coordinator Frank Muir has implemented some new schemes on the defense side of the ball, but it will come down to our players staying in their areas of responsibilities.”
The Cougars got their 2014 campaign off to the good start with a win over MMA, but the Lions will be a tough to get by.
BATTLE OF THE CATS: In District 16-4A DI, La Feria faces rivals Mercedes this Friday. The Lions are coming off a big 51-0 win over Santa Rosa while the Tigers are also coming off huge 39-12 victory over McAllen Rowe.
The Lions come into the contest 2-0 whereas the Tigers come in at 1-1 with their only blemish coming from a loss to Corpus Christi Calallen in Week 1.