Nathan Lambrect/The Monitor Los Fresnos' Esia Rivera runs the ball through the PSJA defense during the second quarter of their playoff game in Pharr last month. The Falcons will go for their 13th straight win tonight against Austin Westlake.

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

VICTORIA - Los Fresnos head coach Scott Ford is aware of what's at stake this week.

On the surface, a win over today's opponent, 9-2 Austin Westlake, would advance the Falcons (12-0) to the regional final next week.

The two square off at Victoria's Memorial Stadium in a Class 5A Division I regional semifinal this afternoon at 2 p.m. The winner of this game will face either Laredo United (11-1) or San Antonio Reagan (8-4) in the regional final.

But besides a would-be huge win, a Los Fresnos victory would be a coming-of-age of sorts for Rio Grande Valley high school football, which in Class 5A has not advanced past the third round in seven seasons.

But it won't be easy.

Austin Westlake is well known for its football. The Chaps boast alumni including New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Tyler Campbell, son of former University of Texas and Houston Oiler great Earl Campbell.

Ford said he and his team discussed the Chaps' vaunted history together early in the week, and then quickly closed the book on the subject.

"We talked about all the things about Westlake," said Ford, who has faced Westlake in the past during his stint as offensive coordinator at Killeen Ellison. "After that we didn't talk about that anymore. Because if you spend time talking about Westlake, you might as well be shoveling your own grave because you're taking the focus off what's important."

And that means zeroing in on the 2006 Westlake team.

The Falcons, who won District 32-5A, have been nothing but focused, and they come into the contest after taking care of La Joya 55-28 at home.

Jeremy Springer, arguably the best quarterback in the Valley, was on fire against the Coyotes, tossing six touchdown passes and running for two more.

On the season, Springer, in his first full season as a starter, has tossed for 3,187 yards and 40 touchdowns. The lefty can run, too, as displayed with his 483 yards and 14 TDs.

Westlake coach Derek Long said he and his Chaparrals are well aware of Springer and his capabilities.

"He looks like a Division I prospect to me. He's an outstanding quarterback and he has the record to back it up," Long told The Brownsville Herald. "I've already told a few (college) scouts they might want to come see this game."

With two high-octane offenses, many are expecting a lot of points and a lot of yards.

"It could be a track meet," Long said. "It'll be fun and exciting. The kids (from both schools) are making a lot of memories."

Springer's got big weapons at his disposal, and there may not be a better receiver corps around than the Falcons, who have made plenty of memories of their own.

Senior Esia Rivera (53) and junior Jorge Mata (47) have combined for 100 catches and over 2,000 yards receiving.

Mata has an astounding 1,167 yards and 19 touchdowns while Rivera adds 926 yards and 9 scores.

Stepping in for injured running back Luis Campos has been tailbacks Siriboto Rareba and Danny Mendez, who have combined for 328 yards in the two games Campos missed.

Offensively, the Falcons crank out 468.5 yards per game, tops in the Valley and should have their chances against a Westlake team that allows an average of 363 yards per outing.

On the other side, the Chaparrals, the third-place team in District 25-5A, have some firepower of their own, averaging 427 yards per game.

Quarterback Nick Foles directs the Chaps' offense and he has been superb, gunning for 2,247 yards and 20 touchdowns. He has already verbally committed to Arizona State.

Running the ball is Max Minor and Bron Hager, son of former UT-great Britt Hager. The duo has combined for 1,382 yards and 20 TDs.

The Chaps' offense does not show very many cracks, Ford noted.

"They don't have any weaknesses," Ford said. "They've got a good offensive line and two good backs. They're very balanced.

"They're willing to run the ball 50 times a game if they need to," he continued. "Or like they did against San Antonio Jay, they can come out and wing it all over the field."

Against Jay last week, the Chaps used a quick-strike attack to blitz Jay 60-20.

"They're gonna do what they think they need to do, which is the sign of a well-coached football team," Ford said.

With a win, Los Fresnos would become only the fourth team in Valley 5A history to win three playoff games. The other three are Harlingen (1989) Mission (1990) and Edinburg High (1999).

Dec 02, 2006 - 00:55:30 CST