BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — Not only did Weslaco High have to play perfect to win the game with less than a minute on the clock, but the Panthers won by driving down the field against Weslaco East’s vaunted defense.
The Panther’s offense got the ball back with three minutes left, and immediately, Weslaco High coach Michael Salinas saw the path to victory.
“We figured it would take us about three minutes to score,” Salinas said. “We had two timeouts, so we knew we didn’t have to worry too much about clock management.”
The Panthers got the ball down to the five, and senior kicker George Martinez was called upon to hit the biggest kick of his career. As Martinez lined up the 22-yarder, his mind was clear.
“We are putting up 50 in practice, so it is normal to me,” Martinez said. “I just kicked through, just like practice.”
When the ball went through the uprights, the feeling of relief and joy enveloped the Panthers’ sideline.
“I was just thinking ‘thank God,’ honestly,” junior running back Peyton Knaub said. “As a kid you dream of that. You watch it on TV. You just hope when the time comes, it’s in your favor. Tonight, it was.”
Weslaco High junior quarterback Jacob Cavazos was the difference in the game, as the Panthers (8-1, 4-1) topped Weslaco East (5-3, 4-1,) 23-21 in the seventh Tinaco Bowl on Friday at Bobby Lackey Stadium.
“This win meant a lot to me,” senior linebacker Marco Noriega said. “Since my injury I have had to fight to make it back. I love all my guys. They fought, they never gave up. The coaches gave us a plan, and we came out and executed.”
Noriega was injured just before the district season started, and he returned in Week 7. Noriega acknowledged he has been playing through quite a bit of pain; all for his teammates.
“I knew that they needed me,” Noriega said. “I just went out there and tried to do all that I could. The scoreboard shows it. I am just so proud of my guys, and the coaching staff.”
Weslaco East struck first, in a first half that was all about field position and defense. Junior Ramsey Vasquez took the ball at the 5, and charged into the end zone to give East the lead.
Just before the half, Martinez hit a 21-yard field goal to cut the East lead to 4.
Weslaco High’s third-quarter performance was the difference, as the Panthers scored 14 unanswered to put tremendous pressure on an East offense, which passed for -2 yards.
“Props to their defense. Their defense is physical and fast. They like to finish plays,” Noriega said. “On our part, we just wanted to prove the people right who have been on our side since day one. That’s what we did tonight.”
Cavazos finished the game 8 of 15 for 94 yards. He rushed for another 91 yards.
It was Cavazos’ hands, of all things, that sparked the third-quarter rally.
On a third-and-five from the 14, Cavazos handed off to Knaub on what looked like a normal running play, but Knaub suddenly paused, turned his body and unleashed a pretty pass to Cavazos who caught it and ran it in for six.
Knaub said he hasn’t played quarterback since middle school.
“We have been practicing that one for a couple weeks,” Salinas said. “Peyton was willing to do whatever we asked of him, and he got it done tonight.”
The touchdown pass was Knaub’s second completed pass of the night. In the second quarter, Knaub unleashed a 41-yard bomb to junior receiver Jay Granados.
“I felt great,” Knaub said. “Just to see the corner bite on it, and just get it out, it was a great feeling.”
The takeaways from the Weslaco High defense were a big factor. Seniors Roy Trevino and Axel Camarena each had an interception, and Trevino also recovered a fumble at the Panthers’ 40 and returned it the whole way to put the Panthers up 17-7.
East got back-to-back touchdowns from Vasquez, who was a one-man wrecking crew all night, in the fourth quarter to take the lead.
The game-winning drive for the Panthers featured just one pass, as time melted off the clock. Cavazos carried the ball four times for 27 yards on the drive. Knaub and senior Jeremy Coronado also got carries on the drive. Coronado also caught the lone pass of the drive, a beautiful 23-yarder over the middle to get the Panthers within field goal range. From there it was all about milking the clock, and setting up the game-winning kick.
“We always go over two-minute drills, every day with the offense,” Noriega said. “I knew that this would be another easy series for them. They came out and clutched it for us.”
The Panthers matched East’s physicality and every player stepped up to the occasion for Weslaco High. Now, the Panthers retain bragging rights for the next calendar year, and move on to a big-time playoff opportunity.
“We told ourselves this is what we worked for all week, this is what we worked for all offseason,” Cavazos said. “We have a motto: ‘make up for last year.’ So we just put it in our heads that we could beat anybody. We stuck together. East has a great team and it took everything we had to beat them.”