By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Edcouch-Elsa quarterback Marco Aguinaga ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as the Yellowjackets took advantage of Pace’s five turnovers and defeated the Vikings 28-14 in District 32-5A action Thursday night at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Aguinaga moved the team down the field and finished the Yellowjackets’ first two drives with touchdown runs. He scored on a 5-yard run to open the game and followed that with a 6-yard scamper to give Edcouch-Elsa a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
“I thought the defense played pretty well. (Edcouch-Elsa) had some help with penalties. It wasn’t like they were sticking it to us,” Pace coach William Deen said. “After that, I felt comfortable with the offense, I wasn’t even nervous on fourth-down plays. I felt like we could do what we wanted to do. We didn’t plan to throw the ball as much, but we put ourselves in a tough position so we had to do that.”
The Vikings struggled to move the ball against the Yellowjackets’ defense early, finishing the first half with three punts, a turnover on downs and a late interception by Arturo Vilano.
Pace didn’t do itself any favors with penalties. The Vikings were flagged a handful of times during the first half, including a few that erased a first down and put them in second- and third-and-long situations.
Later, Aguinaga hit Chon Hernandez on a 42-yard strike for another touchdown to give the Yellowjackets a 21-0 lead at the half.
Pace finally got its offense going and got on the board during the second half. Vilano hit Christian Resendez on a 30-yard strike for the Vikings’ first touchdown and later connected with Luis Rodriguez on a 19-yard pass for another score.
Aguinaga ran for his third score of the game, a 3-yard run during the third quarter, to give Edcouch-Elsa (6-3, 5-1) a 28-7 lead.
“Marco is a heck of a quarterback, a heck of an athlete, but he’s young and still learning,” Edcouch-Elsa coach Joe Marichalar said. “He gets a lot of help from the supporting cast, and he’s able to feel more comfortable out there.”
Aguinaga ran for 41 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns, and he completed 7 of 15 passes for 87 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Yellowjackets.
The Vikings (3-6, 2-4) had opportunities down the stretch, but turnovers again doomed them in the late in the game. Pace finished with five turnovers — three interceptions and two fumbles, four of which occurred in the second half.
“It takes momentum away and put us in a tough situation,” Deen said.
The game wasn’t without a bit of drama. The intensity of the game finally came to a boiling point during a late skirmish in which three players from Edcouch-Elsa and one from Pace were ejected.
The Yellowjackets came away with what they wanted: a win and a playoff berth.
“I’m proud of our guys for coming out and playing ’Jacket football,” Marichalar said. “I’m glad our kids kept their composure through the end and we came out of here with a victory because Pace is a good team.”
Vilano completed 19 of 32 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. He also ran for 13 yards on nine carries for Pace.
Despite the loss, Deen was proud of his senior class for never giving up in the second half.
“A year ago, we could have never crawled back, 15 of these kids started three years ago,” he said. “I’m proud of each and every one of them. I told them I couldn’t be more proud as a football coach the way they played the second half.
“I’m so proud of the way my kids played, I just wish I could have given them a victory today.”
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.