By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
There are plenty of things to do during an open week in football, such as allow injured players to recuperate, go back to working on fundamentals in practice or even determine whether a game played last Friday was actually a game.
That has all happened as the Brownsville public schools and Los Fresnos are enjoying an open date before beginning district play next week.
The only games on the schedule involving Metro-area teams this week find Port Isabel (2-0) at home against Valley View (0-3) and St. Joseph Academy (2-1) playing at Pharr Oratory (0-3) in another edition of the “Holy Bowl.” Both non-district games are at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Area teams taking a break before district play starts are Los Fresnos (3-0), Brownsville Veterans Memorial (3-0). Hanna (2-1), Porter (2-1), Pace (0-2), Lopez (0-2) and Rivera (0-3).
Along with all the routine aspects of this week’s open date for the majority of local teams, a question arose as to whether last Friday’s weather-shortened contest between Lopez and Pace at Sams Memorial Stadium should actually be counted as a game. The non-district matchup of city teams was halted with 2:54 remaining in the second quarter due to the threat of nearby lightning with Lopez leading 17-13.
Eventually, with lightning drawing closer and rain about to fall, the game was canceled with that amount of time left in the half and everyone left the stadium. Lopez, it was reported, was the winner.
A member of the Pace coaching staff complained this week, saying it should have not counted as a game.
When contacted regarding the question, Brownsville ISD athletic director Mark Guess said he’d contact the UIL to find out the official answer.
Guess spoke with a UIL official Wednesday and was told the UIL follows NCAA rules, which state a football game must reach halftime to count as an actual contest.
So the Lobos now say goodbye to what they thought was their first win of the season, while the Vikings are not charged with another loss.
When he learned of the ruling Wednesday, Lopez coach Jason Starkey said, “No worries. Everyone knows who was winning that game. It was canceled for a reason.”
Meanwhile, two local teams, Brownsville Veterans and Los Fresnos, are riding the momentum of 3-0 records with the most crucial part of their seasons just ahead.
“I am happy for an open week at this point,” Los Fresnos coach Clint Finley said. “With the injuries we have suffered over the course of this season, it gives us a chance to go and touch up on the fundamentals with the guys who have had to step in and play unforeseen positions, and really (it helps) the whole team. It allows us some time to let bumps and bruises heal so we can feel fresh once district starts.
“Some years I am happy with an open date, and other years I wish we didn’t have one,” Finley added. “It really depends on the overall health of the team. I’ll be excited to get a couple players healthy (this week) and back out there playing.”
The approach to an open date is much the same at Brownsville Veterans along with all other schools, actually.
“The open date allows our players a few things,” Chargers coach David Cantu said. “It gives them a chance to focus more on their grades, a time to heal up some injuries and a chance to recharge for the upcoming new season — district.”
Over at Porter, the Cowboys welcome their break before district as well.
“I think it’s perfect timing,” Porter coach Tom Campos said. “We’ve gotten the predistrict games under our belts with just enough action to make critical assessments on what or how we should perform from here on out. We get to rest up some sore and achy bodies, spending a little more time (focusing) on ourselves rather than an opponent. There’s plenty of film to dissect and keep our minds sharp.
“We do one of our most important community service events during our bye week, which is visiting the Brownsville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center,” Campos added. “It is a time to reflect on how fortunate we are and to understand the importance of taking advantage of the time we have been given here on Earth.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.