Devine 42, Port Isabel 14 - final

[luvhoops34]

nm

[footballgal]

I was warned that Devine had a big and physical team, and they weren't kidding, but size alone is not what impressed me ( even though they looked like Nebraska :D ) it was their quickness despite their size. I think they had an awesome team, they didn't get too much of a running game going, but with their big passing plays, they didn't need it. Who ever plays them next, better have an EXCELLENT DB corp, especially to cover Muniz. He is big, very quick and doesn't drop any balls. Few Occacions, they had him covered very well, & couldn't been done any better, but he is so big, physical and would make great adjustments, plus he made a couple very nice diving catches. Defense was quick too, pretty much stopped our Speedy Mark Villarreal.


Congratulations to Devine, you have a very good team, and will for sure make some noise in region IV.

Good news for the Tarpons, we're only loosing 3 starters on both offense and defense. PLus a very talented freshman team coming up, that will no doubt make good contrbutions even next year.

Congrats Tarpons, way to turn the season around and make it to the palyoffs. See you next year Tarpons, already looking forward to it!! :)

[footballgal]

Fish out of Water

Devine ends PI’s season with 42-14 win
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/images/uploads/PI_v._DEVINE.jpg
By MIKE GONZALEZ
The Brownsville Herald

CORPUS CHRISTI, November 19, 2005 — The big plays proved to be the enemy for Port Isabel.

Devine had too much fire power offensively and ended the Tarpons’ season 42-14 in the Class 3A Division II playoffs Friday night at Corpus Christi’s Buccaneer Stadium.

Port Isabel ends its season at 5-7 overall but still managed to make the postseason after a 0-5 start.

“We started a little rough, but the kids didn’t give up, and we didn’t give up,” PI head coach Monty Stumbaugh said. “I thought we could at least make it to the third round. We came up a game short, but after the way (the kids) started and where they ended up, it’s a tribute to the kids and coaches.”

Friday night was a perfect example of the way the season went in one game. The Tarpons fell behind 28-0 in the first half but gave the Warhorses all they can handle in the final 24 minutes.

In the first possession of the second half, Stumbaugh opened his playbook hoping to change the momentum of the game. It worked as a halfback pass from running back Marky Villarreal to Manny Gonzales put the Tarpons on the board with a 40-yard touchdown, narrowing the margin to three touchdowns after the extra point from Juan Gonzalez.

After Devine received a 15-yard penalty for roughing the kicker the ball was put on the Devine 45. Stumbaugh went for another gamble, going for the onsides kick. On the boot, Israel Vasquez came through for the recovery at the Warhorses 31-yard line.

The Tarpons then came through with their best drive on the night, going the distance on a seven-play drive culminated by quarterback Carr Grienier’s six-yard scamper to narrow the margin in half.

After getting back in the game, Port Isabel shot themselves on the foot with penalties that included three separate unsportsmanlike calls. That momentum helped Devine put the Tarpons away for the season.

“I got on our kids. We don’t play like that,” Stumbaugh said. “There’s no excuse. We got a little frustrated.”

Part of that frustration may have come from a first half which featured questionable calls by the officials. Leading 14-0 in the second quarter, the Warhorses got a 32-yard touchdown catch from Chris West on man-to-man coverage.

Gonzales tripped on the coverage while he and West were going for the ball. Stumbaugh and the Tarpon faithful felt there was some interference on the play but no call was made.

To make matters worst with just over two minutes left in the half, Port Isabel looked as if it scored on a 70-yard pass from Grienier to Gonzales, but the officials called offensive interference on the Tarpons.

Though some calls didn’t go their way, the Tarpon offense just couldn’t get going. The Warhorses held PI’s multiple offense for most of the night and that’s where Stumbaugh believes the difference was.

“They had a good scheme,” Stumbaugh said. “We couldn’t move the football. They had a better defense than I thought.”

Devine’s offense wasn’t too shabby either. Devine quarterback Dustin Burleson was on target as he threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target was Kyle Muniz, who hurt the Port Isabel secondary for most of the night, capturing six passes for 161 yards and one touchdown.

The Warhorses (10-2) hurt the Seawall Defense with three separate third and long plays that kept drives alive.

A 40-yard reception by running back Juan Gonzalez set up Devine’s first score early in the first quarter. On the next play, Burleson scored from 14-yards out to put the Warhorses up 7-0. Throughout the half, Port Isabel attacked Devine with a variety of blitzes, but the Warhorses found a way to exploit it.

“They were gambling,” Devine head coach Chad Quisenberry said. “Pick your poison…They won some battles, we won some battles.”

It was a farewell for 16 seniors on the Tarpons squad led by three-year letterman Esteban Delgadillo. The tight-end/defensive lineman was happy he and the rest of the program were able to make it to the playoffs after a slow start to the season.

“I felt like if we kept on working on some things, we would go for a run,” Delgadillo said. “(The coaches/players) stuck with the team.”