HARLINGEN - If Harlingen defensive back Frank Robles doesn't run another wind sprint for the rest of the season, he earned it with the sprint he made on Friday night against Los Fresnos at Boggus Stadium.

With the Cardinals leading 28-21 and Los Fresnos at the Harlingen 12-yard line with about 20 seconds left, Robles ran almost the width of the field to sack Falcons' quarterback Brandon Kretz for an eight-yard loss to knock the Falcons back to the 20 and take precious seconds off the clock. The Falcons still had two plays left, but the sack seemed to take the wind out of them and Kretz's next two passes were incomplete, including the final pass of the game that was knocked down by a whole host of Cardinal defenders in the end zone.

"That was the play of the game for us," said Harlingen head coach Randy Cretors, after the Cardinals handed Los Fresnos its first loss of the season. With the win, Harlingen moves to 2-1 in District 32-5A and 4-2 overall. Los Fresnos falls to 2-1 and 5-1.

"All game long, I had been lining up in man coverage over their second receiver," Robles said. "We gave them that look again and I just took off after the quarterback and they didn't get me. I just ran as hard I could and was glad I got to him."

After the first half, it didn't look like Harlingen would have to hold on as the Cardinals seemed to run the ball at will against the Falcons and moved out to a 21-0 edge. The Cardinals finished the game with 245 yards on the ground. Quarterback Robert Sanchez (23 carries for 113 yards, two touchdowns) and running back Justin Hernandez (17 carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns) carried the bulk of the load.

The Cardinals scored on their second possession of the game, going 78 yards in nine plays with Sanchez completing the drive with a 12-yard run to make it 7-0 with 3:25 left in the first quarter after the first of Johnny Guillen's four extra points.

Harlingen's defense, which was gritty and resilient all game, helped set up the Cardinals' second score after it stopped the Falcons on downs at the Cardinals' 35 at 8:02. Harlingen went 65 yards in nine plays with Hernandez going 22 yards to put the Cardinals up 14-0 with 4:19 left.

The Cardinals got a big break on Los Fresnos' next possession when Mitch Cretors recovered a Venus Martinez fumble to set the Cardinals up at their own 48-yard line with 2:48 left in the half. Behind a 22-yard run from Hernandez and an 18-yard pass from Sanchez (7-of-15 for 84 yards with one interception) to Guillen (four catches for 53 yards) as well as a nice 19-yard run from Sanchez, the Cardinals moved down to the Falcon five with time running down in the first half. With 15 seconds left Sanchez crashed in from the two to make it 21-0.

"We ran the ball well in the first half," said Coach Cretors. "They made some adjustments in the second half and we didn't run the ball as well. We still are having some problems with the passing game. We're missing open receivers and we need to go back to the drawing board."

If the first half belonged to the Cardinals, the second half was just about all Los Fresnos as Kretz (26-of-39 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and a rushing touchdown) almost willed the Falcons to the win.

"Kretz did a great job," said Cretors. "They went to a no-huddle in the second half and that gave us a lot of trouble. That changed the whole momentum of the game. "

The Falcons scored on their first possession of the second half with Kretz hitting Esai Rivera with a 19-yard touchdown pass with 9:33 left in the second half. Rivera had an outstanding game with 10 catches for 117 yards and the touchdown.

It looked like the Cardinals had iced the game as they closed out the third quarter with an 80-yard drive that was capped by Hernandez's second touchdown, which made it 28-7 with 11:53 left in the game.

But that was Harlingen's last real offensive flourish.

Kretz took the Falcons 80 yards in less than three minutes and capped the drive with a nine-yard scoring pass to Martinez, who also rushed for 131 yards on 20 carries, to make it 28-14. Harlingen turned the ball over on downs on its next possession at the Los Fresnos 40 with 7:06 left in the game and Kretz went in from the four, nine plays later to make it 28-21 with five minutes left in the game and set the stage for the closing drama.

Oct 08, 2005 - 15:14:19 CDT