Greyhounds, Falcons face of on new field

By ARMANDO GARZA
armandog@valleystar.com
956-421-9874

SAN BENITO -They've always been neighbors, but now they're becoming rivals, too.

The San Benito Greyhounds and Los Fresnos Falcons will square off for only the seventh time tonight. It will be a game for District 32-5A supremacy as well as neighborly bragging rights.

This also marks the first-ever contest for San Benito at its new home field, Bobby Morrow Stadium, located behind the high school.

San Benito coach Mario Peña said he feels the new venue will be filled to capacity at game time.

"I guarantee you we're gonna fill (the stadium) up," Peña said. "We expect 12,000 (fans) or more."

His counterpart, Los Fresnos' Scott Ford, agreed.

"They're by far the best team we've played," Ford, who is 2-1 in his games against the Greyhounds, said. "It's an honor for us to get to play in the first ball game that's ever gonna be played there."

The series between the two squads is relatively young. Their first meeting was in 2000. To top it off, the series is tied at three games apiece.

Last year was the most competitive game between the two. The Falcons and Greyhounds were in a back-and-forth battle before Los Fresnos beat San Benito 45-44 at Greyhound Stadium.

In 2001, the teams battled in Los Frensos and needed overtime to decide the game. San Benito pulled out a 28-27 win that year.

This year's matchup pits the 5-0 Falcons against a 4-1 San Benito team.

"I'm very impressed with Los Fresnos; they're one of the best teams in our district and in the Valley," Peña said. "We're going to have to bring our best game in order to beat them, there's no doubt."

The San Benito offense is much improved under new coordinator Claude Bassett. Quarterback Raymond De Los Santos leads the troops along with running back Abel Aguirre and receivers Greg Castillo, Angel Martinez and Leroy Zamora.

Statistically, the Greyhounds have the district's top-ranked defense and allow an average of only 49.5 yards rushing per game. Leading the unit is 2005 all-state selection Joey Nuñez along with a strong secondary filled with talent.

Ford said he knows the challenge at hand for his Falcons.

"They are going to create some havoc on the other side of the ball, and they're going to make some plays; that's inevitable," Ford said. "We have to stay patient. They present a whole bag of challenges."

Leading the Falcons on offense are the district's leading passer, Jeremy Springer, and the district's leading wide receiver, Esia Rivera, who leads a quintet including Danny Gonzalez, Jorge Mata, Carlos Hernandez and Charlie Rivas.

Luis Campos returns for his third season at running back and leads the Los Fresnos rushing attack.

Los Frensos' offensive line has also played a big role in their success so far.

Defensively, Jeremy's twin brother Justin is a standout at linebacker for the Falcons.

The winner of the contest will likely have the inside track at the 32-5A title after Friday, with only four games remaining on the season.

Oct 13, 2006 - 01:55:26 CDT