By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Port Isabel has been rolling and hopes to continue that momentum against Raymondville.
The Tarpons look to clinch a postseason berth when they battle the Bearkats in a District 16-4A Division II showdown in Week 10 in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night at Tarpon Stadium in Port Isabel.
Port Isabel (7-1, 2-1) and Raymondville (3-5, 2-1) along with Orange Grove are knotted in second place behind district leader Rio Hondo, and each is looking to clinch at least a playoff berth, but the district crown is still within reach.
Both coaches didn’t shy away from how important this game is.
“It’s a huge game. A win puts us in the playoffs. So it’s a big game,” Port Isabel coach Monty Stumbaugh said. “We’ll worry about the rest later, but we’re still in the hunt for a championship.”
Raymondville coach Frank Cantu agreed on the sentiment.
“The winner will be 3-1 and need some help (for a district title),” he said. “It’s a must win game for us to keep our season going and hope for a co-championship.”
The Tarpons boast the district’s best ground attack with nearly 2,800 yards through eight games P.I. is led by Omar Silva, who has 1,398 yards and 15 touchdowns for an offensive unit that averages 401 yards per game.
“Our main thing defensively is stopping the run,” Cantu said. “Port Isabel gets the football and are known to keep other offense’s off the field with long drives. We have to figure out how to cut some of those drives shorter and stop Silva.”
The Bearkats do a little of both, establishing the run and throwing the ball to keep the opponent’s defense guessing while averaging 311 yards and 24 points per game.
“They mix it up pretty good with the run and the pass,” Stumbaugh said. “They try to keep you off-balanced.”
For Raymondville, it needs to give itself chances, but Cantu said the game could decided in the trenches.
“We have to create turnovers and give ourselves some opportunities to score,” Cantu said. “Whoever can win up front will come out successful in the end. They’re a very good, a very tough football team and its going to take a great effort to go in there and do the things we need to do to come out with a victory.”
Stumbaugh said the key for Port Isabel will be a combination of what it has done well all season: Running the football and playing great defense. The coach added that avoiding mistakes will also be vital if his Tarpons hope to come out on top.
“We’re going to have to take care of the football and do the little things,” he said. “We’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game, that’s for sure.”
Port Isabel will use its potent running game to try to get a fast start. Raymondville can also run the ball, although the Bearkats will throw it around, too, to move the chains. The Tarpons’ defense is the difference and should help them win another district game.
PREDICTION: Port Isabel 27, Raymondville 21
Thursday’s Game
District 32-5A
DONNA NORTH AT BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL
WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Donna North (2-6, 1-4); Brownsville Veteran Memorial (6-2, 4-1)
GAME NOTES: Donna North was shutout by Donna High in Week 9. … The Chiefs’ offense prefers to run and rarely throws the ball, they average 256 yards and score 20 points per game. Running back Mark Gutierrez leads the way with 315 yards and a touchdown on the ground. … The Donna North defense allows 411 yards and 27 points per game. … Brownsville Veterans Memorial defeated Porter 23-9 in Week 9. … The Chargers’ offense is the second best in district with an average of 336 yards and 27 points per game. Gustavo Vasquez and Abel Martinez are among the top five rushers in district and have combined for 1,774 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground. … The Brownsville Veterans’ defense allows 280 yards and nearly 18 points per game. … Brownsville Veterans has a three-game winning streak and looks to stay in the hunt for a district title. Donna North is looking for its second district win. The Chargers and Chiefs are both going to run the ball and it will be on the defense for each squad to decide the outcome.
PREDICTION: Brownsville Veterans Memorial 28, Donna North 14
— Andrew Crum
Friday’s Games
District 32-6A
RIVERA AT LOS FRESNOS
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium, Los Fresnos
RECORDS: Rivera (1-7, 0-5); Los Fresnos (4-4, 2-3)
GAME NOTES: Rivera lost to Weslaco East 62-14 in Week 9. … The Raiders have struggled on both sides of the ball this season. The offense averages 203 yards and less than 12 points per game; the defense allows 391 yards and less than 46 points per game. … Jaden Endsley is the leading rusher for Rivera with 337 yards and a touchdown on the season. Quarterback Nicholas Blanco has thrown for 354 yards a pair of touchdowns and run for 174 yards and three touchdowns. … Los Fresnos was defeated by Harlingen High 56-21 in Week 9. … The Falcons’ offense averages 336 yards and nearly 29 points per game. Quarterback Mark Mata leads the way with 1,109 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground and 811 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. … The Los Fresnos’ defense has struggled at times and allows 341 yards and more than 30 points per game. … Los Fresnos is tied for fourth in district and still in the hunt for a postseason berth. The Falcons should be able to bounce back from their loss in Week 9 and add to Rivera’s woes.
PREDICTION: Los Fresnos 35, Rivera 14
— Andrew Crum
District 32-5A
DONNA HIGH AT PACE
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Donna High (3-5, 2-3); Pace (2-6, 2-3)
GAME NOTES: As they say, anything can happen. The winner of this game stays alive for a shot at the playoffs, although it may be a longshot. Pace is coming off a 47-7 setback at Edcouch-Elsa last week, while Donna High defeated neighboring rival Donna North 20-0 last week. The Redskins are seeking their third straight victory … When the two teams played last season, the Redskins won 42-7 in Donna … The two teams have played just twice in the past 10 years or so and Donna High has won both matchups … The Donna High offense is directed by QB Hector Guerrero, who on the season has completed 31 of 80 passes for 525 yards and three TDs with four interceptions. The top rusher for the Redskins is Noel Perez with 53 carries for 492 yards and four TDs. He averages 9.3 yards per carry. Guerrero’s top receiver is TE Anthony Compean with nine catches for 192 yards and a pair of TDs … Offensive leaders for Pace weren’t immediately available … The final regular-season game for the Vikings is against Lopez on Nov. 5. Donna High’s final regular-season game is Nov. 3 at home against Brownsville Veterans Memorial.
PREDICTION: Donna High 24, Pace 17
— Roy Hess
DISTRICT 32-5A
PORTER AT MERCEDES
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Mercedes
RECORDS: Porter (0-8, 0-5); Mercedes (4-4, 4-1)
GAME NOTES: Mercedes has clinched a postseason berth and is now eyeing a district title. … The Tigers are coming off a 24-21 loss at Lopez, which snapped a four-game win streak and mudied the top of 32-5A. Lopez and Mercedes are now each 4-1 in 32-5A. … This is Mercedes’ regular-season home finale. … Porter has been outscored by an average of 22.9 points this season. … Mercedes is the district’s second-best defense, allowing 255.6 yards per game. … Porter’s only threat is RB Johnathan Gonzalez. He has compiled 1,094 yards and seven touchdowns on 209 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per tote. … Mercedes’ running game still has not gotten on track, but its passing game remains productive behind QB Zach Gomez and WRs Matt Ledesma, Joe Garcia, Marc Ledesma and Richard Urbina. The passing game accounts for 57.6 percent of Mercedes’ total yardage.
PREDICTION: Mercedes, 28, Porter 0
— Dennis Silva II
DISTRICT 32-5A
LOPEZ AT EDCOUCH-ELSA
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Benny Layton Sr. Memorial Stadium, Elsa
RECORDS: Lopez (6-2, 4-1); Edcouch-Elsa (5-3, 3-2)
GAME NOTES: Neither of these teams have clinched a playoff spot yet, but, barring disaster, expect them to be playing beyond Week 11. … Lopez is tied with Mercedes for first place in 32-5A. Edcouch-Elsa has a chance to seriously put a dent in the Lobos’ district-title hopes while keeping its own title hopes alive. … The district’s best offense in Edcouch-Elsa (averaging 36.5 points on 435.8 yards per game) goes up against the district’s best defense in Lopez (allowing 13.5 points on 222.3 yards per game). … Lopez is coming off a big win against Mercedes last week. … RB Ivan Olivo paces the Lobos. He has amassed 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns and averages 7.2 yards per carry. That doesn’t bode well for an E-E defense giving up 223 rushing yards per game. … Lopez will need to move the chains methodically and control possession against an Edcouch-Elsa offense that features three of the Valley’s top playmakers in QB Marco Aguinaga (695 rushing yards, 5 TDs; 1,510 passing yards for 20 TDs) and WRs J.J. Flores (673 receiving yards, 12 TDs) and A.J. Rodriguez (420, 6).
PREDICTION: Edcouch-Elsa, 21, Lopez 14
— Dennis Silva II
TAPPS Division I District 2
ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY AT SAN ANTONIO ST. ANTHONY’S
WHEN: 2 p.m., Saturday
WHERE: Lang Field
RECORDS: SJA (6-2, 0-1); SA St. Anthony’s (5-2, 0-1)
GAME NOTES: Each team is looking for its first district win after last week’s setbacks. SJA lost 37-31 at SA Central Catholic, while St. Anthony’s was edged 18-15 at home by SA Antonian .. When the Bloodhounds and Yellowjackets played last year in San Antonio, SJA won 58-0 … St. Anthony’s last win in its series with SJA came in 2009 when the Yellowjackets triumphed 14-0 in Brownsville … RB Mario Garcia was a standout for the Bloodhounds last week against Central Catholic as he rushed 16 times for 137 yards and two TDs. He’s averaging 10.1 yards per carry … After Saturday’s contest, SJA plays its final regular-season game at home Nov. 4 against SA Antonian. St. Anthony’s plays its final regular-season game the same day at Central Catholic.
PREDICTION: SJA 35, SAN ANTONIO ST. ANTHONY’S 21
— Roy Hess
Saturday’s Game
District 32-6A
HARLINGEN HIGH AT HANNA
WHEN: 2 p.m., Saturday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Harlingen High (6-2, 5-0); Hanna (3-5, 2-3)
GAME NOTES: Harlingen High defeated Los Fresnos 56-21 in Week 9. … The Cardinals’ offense averages 322 yards and 30 points per game. The unit is led by quarterback Jesse Castro who is second in the district with 1,429 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing nearly 58 percent of his passes on the season. … The Harlingen High defense allows 281 yards and 18 points per game. … Hanna lost to San Benito 49-21 in Week 9. … The Golden Eagles’ offense averages 278 yards and 20 points per game. It is led by the top rusher in the district, Jaime Gonzalez, who has amassed 1,149 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground this year. … The Hanna defense allows 322 yards and less than 29 points per game. … With a big game next week against San Benito, one could argue Harlingen High could overlook Hanna this week, but with Manny Gomez at the helm, that’s unlikely. It should be a good matchup between the Cardinals’ passing game and Hanna’s secondary. The Eagles should be able to run the ball, but it might not be enough against a tough Cardinals’ squad.
PREDICTION: Harlingen High 28, Hanna 17
— Andrew Crum