By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
PORT ISABEL — It may be too early to call Port Isabel‘s defense “The Blue Wall,” but that time may be coming soon.
Port Isabel used a balance of dominant rushing and stout defense to shut down Hidalgo 37-6 in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week on Friday night at Tarpon Stadium in Port Isabel.
The Tarpons (3-0) surrendered fewer than 10 points for the second straight game after a 34-7 drubbing of Tomball Christian in Week 2. For the season, P.I. has allowed just 27 points.
The Tarpons’ rushing attack, led by quarterback Cesar Aguilera and running back Travis Camacho on Friday, racked up 364 yards, and the defense did the rest in a non-district matchup of Class 4A schools.
“Our defense is playing well,” Port Isabel coach Monty Stumbaugh said. “We had some other kids in (on offense) and they rose to the occasion. If someone goes down, someone has to step up.”
The Port Isabel defense forced five turnovers — three interceptions and two fumbles — and sacked the quarterback four times while holding Hidalgo (1-2) to just 122 yards of offense.
“They’ve been playing really well and getting after it,” Stumbaugh said of a defensive unit that allowed an offensive touchdown for the first time this season. “They were physical, bringing the wood, so to speak.
“They’re effort has been great … we shut them down.”
Shawn Shrewsbury, Jeremy Martinez and Dante Damato all had picks for the Tarpons in another dominate effort.
Camacho totaled 130 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns and Aguilera, again filling in for the injured Omar Silva, finished with 39 yards on eight carries and two TDs to lead the Tarpons.
“Our line did a great job opening up the holes,” Camacho said. “I just saw open ground and took it and ran as fast as I could.”
Aguilera agreed that it started up front.
“Our line stepped it up,” he said. “I told them not to stop and we got into a rhythm on offense.”
Aguilera, a sophomore, found the end zone twice in the first half, scoring on a 2-yard run in the first quarter and from the 1-yard line in the second that gave Port Isabel a 12-0 lead. Camacho, a junior, added a 29-yard touchdown run with 1:56 left in the half to give the Tarpons a 19-0 advantage at the half.
Hidalgo opened the second half with its lone score of the game, a 12-yard strike to Marco Bella from quarterback Bryan Aleman to cut into the lead. But the Pirates couldn’t get much else going against the Tarpons.
“Port Isabel does a good job and they’re a physical team,” Hidalgo coach David Duty said. “We’ve got to get more physical, that’s the bottom line. We’ve got to respond.”
Almost as quickly as it got one back, Hidalgo’s defense couldn’t stop the Tarpons’ rushing attack as junior running back Omar Morales scored on a 43-yard burst through the line to give Port Isabel a 27-6 lead.
Camacho found pay dirt again on a 24-yard sweep with 1:11 to play in the third that put the hosts ahead 34-6. In the fourth quarter, junior kicker Peter Cesenes added a 22-yard field goal for the Tarpons.
Duty said Hidalgo would keep working.
“We have to do a lot of things better, but we’re going to work hard,” he said. “I’ve got a good nucleus of seniors that are doing good things. I give it to Port Isabel; they whipped us (Friday).
“We’re going to get better, we’re going to get back on the bicycle and keep pedaling.”
Stumbaugh said the Tarpons have a better core group than they’ve had in the past couple of years.
“I’ve been really pleased with their effort and their attitude,” he said. “They’re playing hard and playing for each other.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.