By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Last year, Pace let one slip away against Mercedes.
The Vikings hope for a better outcome when they face Mercedes in the District 32-5A opener for both teams tonight at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Pace led in the first half of last year’s game, only to see that lead change hands during the third quarter. The Vikings got close but weren’t able to complete the comeback and lost on the road 27-21.
The loss was the first of three straight against district opponents and put the Vikings in a place from which they didn’t recover, failing to reach the postseason. Pace coach William Deen felt like a win against Mercedes last season could have changed their season and its outcome.
“We would like to do that,” he said of making up for last year’s loss. “But Mercedes is a good football team, and they’ve played some good teams to start off. It’s our district opener; it’s an important game. The coach’s rule is you always want to win your first district ballgame to set the tone for your season.”
The Vikings didn’t do that last year and will have their work cut out for them against the defending district champions. The Tigers have allowed just 203 yards per game to lead the district defensively.
“They’re very aggressive defensively,” Deen said. “They get to the ball carrier fast, they have a lot of speed on defense. They do a good job, they put a lot of pressure on you.”
Pace hasn’t been stellar on offense yet this season because of turnovers, and opponents have taken advantage. Deen feels that if his offense can wear down the Mercedes defense, it could become an advantage in a close game.
“We have to make first downs, move the football,” he said. “Control as much of the game as we can by keeping the football away from them. The best defense is our offense.”
Quarterback Luis Rodriguez is the second in the district in passing and the eighth best runner, and he’ll be looked upon to get things going for the Vikings against a stingy Mercedes defense.
If the Vikings can’t get going, it’s going to be a long night for the Pace defense.
“We can’t go three and out and let their offense get on the field and run the ball,” Deen said. “That’s hard on our defense.”
The Tigers’ offense hasn’t been overpowering this season, but it does prefer to use its ground game.
“Offensively, they run the ball well,” Deen said. “We can’t let them establish the run. If they establish the run, they can establish the pass. So we have to stop their run, they’re very good at it.”
Deen feels his team was able to regroup and refocus after an extra week for the bye last week. He said his team is ready for the challenge at hand to win the district opener.
“We’re working hard to get to that point, that’s what we want,” he said. “That’s what we’re working for, that’s what the kids are working for and we’ve set that expectation.”
Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. was unable to be reached for comment.
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.