Second-ranked Harlingen High’s 29-22 victory over No. 10 San Benito and Rivera’s 28-7 triumph over No. 9 Pace means that Los Fresnos is expected meet Rivera next Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville with a playoff spot on the line on the final weekend of the regular season.
“My understanding is that the winner of our game with Rivera would be in (the playoffs),” Ford said. “I’m disappointed with our loss tonight, but we’ve said all along in this district that if you go into Week 10 with a chance to get in, that’s all you can ask for. Now it looks like we have that opportunity, so I’m pleased with that.
“We feel lucky to have that chance,” he added. “It could have easily
worked out tonight that we were spit out (of the playoff race).
That didn’t happen, so we’re lucky in that regard.”
At Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium on Friday night, the Falcons came
up against a talented South team that continues to build momentum
despite forfeiting a game after using an ineligible player earlier
this month.
The Hawks, now 4-2 in 32-5A and 6-3 overall, scored 21 points in
each half behind quarterback Peter De La Garza and running back
Bobby Moreno. De La Garza passed for 261 yards and three
touchdowns, while Moreno rushed for 209 yards and three scores.
“When we throw and catch, we’re not bad,” South coach Jim Helms
said. “When we get hot like we did tonight, we can move the ball.
We work on that in practice. When we execute, we can score points.
We’ve gotten better every week.”
While Los Fresnos (4-2, 7-2) now faces a crucial game against
Rivera, the Hawks have an equally important contest on tap next
week against cross-town rival Harlingen High (5-1, 7-2). The Hawks
can earn a share of the 32-5A title with a win. With a South and
Los Fresnos victory, the Falcons can also earn a share of the
district title.
“We wanted it (showdown against Cardinals) to be for something
very important, and I think it is,” Helms said.
After scoring on their first play from scrimmage in a 34-28 win
over Pace last week, the Hawks needed three plays for their first
touchdown against Los Fresnos. The Falcons quickly found
themselves in the position of trying to catch up and they were
never able to generate the same type of momentum that carried them
to an emotional 45-44 win over San Benito last week.
“South is an outstanding team,” Ford said. “They played at a high
tempo, and we just couldn’t match that tempo really on either side
of the football. We just got taken out to the woodshed, and when
that happens, you just have to admit that you got beat by a better
team and give them all the credit. There’s not much else to say.”
On South’s third play from scrimmage, De La Garza hooked up with
wide receiver Ben Alaniz on a 39-yard scoring pass. Daniel Zamora
booted the first of his six extra points on the night to make it
7-0 with 11:01 showing in the first quarter. De La Garza and
Alaniz would combine for two more TD passes before the game was
over.
Los Fresnos pulled into a 7-7 tie on Jeremy Springer’s 10-yard TD
reception from Falcon quarterback Brandon Kretz with 6:02 left in
the opening period, but South went up 14-7 on a 2-yard run by
Moreno at the 6:19 mark of the second quarter.
After stopping the Falcons on a fourth-down play at the South
40-yard line, the Hawks took over and scored on another De La
Garza-to-Alaniz pass with 57.4 seconds left in the half. The play
covered 34 yards and gave the Hawks a 21-7 cushion at halftime.
Los Fresnos looked as though it might get back into the game by
driving 80 yards in 10 plays to open the second half. Springer’s
5-yard run from the quarterback position brought Los Fresnos to
within 21-14 with 8:16 to go in the third period.
But South responded by scoring its fourth TD less than two minutes
later on a 30-yard pass from De La Garza to Alaniz. South then led
28-14 with 6:05 left in the third period.
South increased its lead to 35-14 on Moreno’s 9-yard run with 37.9
seconds remaining in the third quarter.
In the final period, Billy Walsdorf caught a 3-yard scoring pass
from Kretz as the Falcons made it 35-21 with 7:47 left.
Moreno’s third TD run came with 5:11 to go on a 37-yard jaunt up
the middle, accounting for the final score of 42-21.
De La Garza completed 17-of-28 passes for 261 yards with no
interceptions. Alaniz finished with six receptions for 127 yards
and Moreno’s 209 yards came on 34 carries.
For Los Fresnos, Kretz completed 22-of-37 passes for 193 yards and
a pair of interceptions. Walsdorf had five catches for 55 yards,
while teammates Luis Campos (55 yards) and Danny Garcia (41 yards)
also had five receptions each.
Luis Campos was Los Fresnos’ top rusher with 27 yards on 12
carries.
rhess@brownsvilleherald.com