Port Isabel 35- Ingleside 25 FINAL

[big daddy russ]

Congrats, Tarpons. Great win and good luck the rest of the way. It sounds like you have a hell of a team. You know exactly where you want to go and showed it tonight. Wish I could've seen it.

To any Mustang players who might stumble across this thread... you guys gave us a great season. This is something that has only happened twice in 40 years (Ingleside going to the playoffs), and I enjoyed every bit of it. Losing by 10 points to the eighth-ranked team in the state, a team the caliber of Port I, is nothing to be ashamed of. For the seniors, thank you. And for the underclassmen, let's do it again next year.

[pirate44]

ditto here. you guys made south texas and especially district 30 proud.Looking forward to seeing yall back in the playoffs next season.

[SintonFan]

You Mustangs have nothing to hang your head about.
Congratulations on a wonderful season!
:clap: :clap: :clap:

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by SintonFan
You Mustangs have nothing to hang your head about.
Congratulations on a wonderful season!
:clap: :clap: :clap:

That is right! Good job Mustangs and if it is any consolation....you did beat us (rather severly)!:D

[PhiI C]

Congratulations to PI for winning a great game and best of luck the rest of the way. Congratulations to Ingleside for a great year and a tremendous turn around.

[SintonFan_inAustin]

Winning and making playoffs draws more kids into playing and maybe next year yall wont have kids playing both ways and be better shape to play 4 qtrs in a tight game. I look for next year for Ingleside to challenge for the district title. Good luck next year

[footballgal]

True, true, very true. PI has experienced this especially since Coach Stump has been at PI. It showed on the field starting last week, when they did the normal thing and moved up the JV, like they do every year. The big thing was that I was amazed as to how many kids are on the Varsity team now in the playoffs, there are 72 players!!! :eek: Filled up half the field when they were warming up.

[footballgal]

Tarpons continue playoff march

Kris Holland / The Brownsville Herald
http://www.valleystar.com/images/uploads/111904_PI-Ingle1.jpg

Port Isabel’s Johnny "Nitro" Nieto runs the ball during the Tarpons’ playoff game against Ingleside on Friday at Sams Stadium in Brownsville.


By BUDDY GREEN
buddyg@valleystar.com
956-430-6284

BROWNSVILLE — In another time, Monty Stumbaugh could have made a lucrative living as a riverboat gambler.

With ice water in his veins, the Port Isabel head coach took a huge chance Friday night that turned into a winning hand, a 35-25 Class 3A win over Ingleside.

Trailing 17-14 in the third quarter, the Tarpons faced a fourth-and-one from their own 30.

Lando Ochoa picked up four yards on a quarterback sneak.

"Coach Stumbaugh loves to gamble," said Ochoa. "He has faith in us. That was the turning point of the game as far as I’m concerned."

Said Stumbaugh, "We needed to do something. We had nothing to lose. I said ‘heck with it’ and we went for it."

The gamble turned gold for PI.

The Tarpons drove the field and got a stunning 11-yard touchdown run by Johnny Nieto to take a 21-17 lead with 4:36 left in the third.

Ingleside never led again.

Port Isabel (11-1) will next play Hallettsville (10-1) in the regional round.

The go-head drive for the Tarpons started with another huge play.

Mustangs’ quarterback Randy Webb scrambled from the pocket and picked up what would have been a first down at the Tarpons’ 20.

But Webb was stripped of the ball and Butch Martinez recovered for the Tarpons.

"That fumble really boosted us," said middle linebacker Frankie Herrera. "It gave us momentum. We really weren’t playing our game."

After Nieto’s TD run, Ochoa added scoring runs of 63 and 1 as the Tarpons blew out to a 35-17 lead with 2:47 left in the game.

The Mustangs tacked on a late score thanks to long kickoff return by Brandon Stacy to PI’s 11-yard line.

Ochoa played a magnificent game for the Tarpons.

The senior rushed for 239 yards and three TDs on 21 carries and made several key plays in the secondary. He sat out just two plays from scrimmage all night.:eek:

Nieto added 133 yards and two TDs on 20 carries.

The Tarpons rushed for 416 yards.

Ingleside totalled 289 yards, but only 56 came in the second half.

"We stepped it up in the second half," said Herrera. "The secondary really stepped it up."

Added Ochoa, "We knew we played like crap in the first half. :D I don’t they’ve seen a defense as quick as ours."

But early on it was the Mustangs’ quickness and speed that stole the show.

Stacy scored on a 61-yard run, taking a perfect option pitch from Webb on Ingleside’s first possession.

PI answered, getting a 2-yard run by Ochoa. Sergio Reyes gave the Tarps a 7-6 lead with the kick with 4:27 left in the first.

Webb’s 1-yard run and 2-point conversion put the Mustangs up 14-7.

Nieto tied the score and Ingleside got a 25-yard field goal for a 17-14 halftime lead.

The Tarpons made the adjustments at halftime and took over the game.

"We felt we could move the football," said Stumbaugh. "We just needed to stop them."

Ochoa put the second half turnaround in perfect Port Isabel perspective: "The second half was Tarpon football."