Port Isabel/Hidalgo UPDATES

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Will post 'em as soon as I get 'em.

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Hidalgo 7
Port Isabel 0

Hidalgo QB keeps it and runs it in from 9 yards out.

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Port Isabel's first play from scrimmage is an 85 yard TD run by Ralph Valdez.

Hidalgo - 7
Port Isabel - 7

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Hidalgo fumbles the ball away and PI recovers.

Tarpons now driving.

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

PI forced to punt, should be able to pin Hidalgo deep in their own territory.

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Hidalgo and Port Isabel seem to be trading turnovers now.

PI stops Hidalgo on 4th down, then fumbles the ball away back to Hidalgo.

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Correction on PI's TD run.

85 yarder was by super soph. Diego Garcia. Not Ralph Valdez as originally reported.

BTW, PI gets pass interference called on them, Hidalgo is driving @ 23 yard line in PI territory.

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

TD Hidalgo

1 yard run by RB Jesus Olvera

Assuming PAT is good

Hidalgo - 14
Port Isabel - 7

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

PAT no good

Hidalgo - 13
Port Isabel - 7

According to an RGVSports poster from Hidalgo who is at the game, Hidalgo is moving the ball with ease.

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Port Isabel fumbles the ball away AGAIN.

Hidalgo is in Port Isabel territory threatening to score again.

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Hidalgo kicks a FG

Hidalgo - 16
Port Isabel - 7

Good defensive stand by Port Isabel to hold them to a FG after the turnover.

About to hit halftime

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Tarpons get the ball to open the 2nd half, and right off the bat, Ralph Valdez scores on a 67 yard run

Hidalgo - 16
Port Isabel - 14

Early 3rd quarter

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Hidalgo fumbles deep in their own territory and PI recovers. On the first play, a TD pass to RJ Villarreal.

Hidalgo - 16
Port Isabel - 22

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Touchdown Port Isabel

40 yard TD pass from Alaniz to Nolan Nunez. PAT is good.

Hidalgo - 16
Port Isabel - 29

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Touchdown Tarpons!

Ralph Valdez with a 25 yard TD run.

Hidalgo - 16
Port Isabel - 36

7:00 left in the 4th

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Quick note...

The ENTIRE Rio Hondo football team is in Port Isabel watching the game. They're sitting on the Hidalgo side of the stands. (smart of them)

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

Port Isabel TD

QB Alaniz on a 20 yard keeper.

Hidalgo - 16
Port Isabel - 43

1:00 left in the 4th.

[shankbear]

Great job Tarps.

[footballgal]

No. 10 Port Isabel picks up seventh consecutive win

BY MIKE GONZALEZ
The Brownsville Herald

October 28, 2006 — You can add 2006 to the famous billboard that hangs at Tarpon Stadium which fea-tures the years Port Isabel has made the playoffs.

The Tarpons’ 43-16 thumping of Hidalgo clinched PI a playoff spot for the 29th time in the last 33 years. Port Isabel’s opponent in the playoffs is not known yet, but it will be a District 31-3A team. Next week, the Tarpons (3-0 in District 32-3A, 7-2 overall) attempt to win the district title outright in what should be a heavyweight battle against unbeaten Rio Hondo (2-0, 8-0), which had a bye this week. For now, PI coach Monty Stumbaugh will gladly take this come from-behind-playoff clincher.

“I’m happy for the kids,” Stumbaugh said. “It was one of the goals we set, and I’m happy for them.”

That goal looked awfully bleak when the two teams entered the dressing room with the Pirates leading 16-7 at halftime. It was a half dominated by Hidalgo (0-2, 4-4) in which it controlled the clock for over 19 of the 24 minutes, converted nine points off two PI turnovers and held the ’Tarps to only three first downs.

With a snap of a finger, the Tarpons turned the game into a rout by scoring 22 third quarter points and 14 more in the final period. Running back Ralph Valdez immediately set the tempo on the very first play as he stormed for a 70-yard touchdown to cut the margin to 16-14.

Quarterback David Alaniz (2-for-4, 41 yards, two touchdowns) went to work as he threw two touchdown passes with the first to big 6-foot-2 tight end Raul Villarreal and the second to Ruben Lopez, also a tight end.

Villarreal’s score gave the Tarpons their first lead at 22-16 after Alaniz scored on a two-point conver-sion while Lopez’ score came on a 4th and 16 from the Hidalgo 28-yard line late in the third quarter. The always-gambling Stumbaugh called the play, and Alaniz delivered to Lopez into double coverage in the back of the end zone.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Alaniz said. “It was a prayer, and (Lopez) just caught it.”

By then Port Isabel had the Pirates on their heels and the game was then given to the “Seawall De-fense.” After two quarters of frustration the Tarpons got things rolling, led by linebacker Gustavo Alva-rez. The Pirates were only able to culminate four first downs after getting 13 in the first half and only 78 total yards.

The unit also forced three second half turnovers that led to 15 points and added one more score after holding Hidalgo on downs early in the fourth quarter. For Alvarez, who the team calls “The Bus” because he loves to run over people, it was just a sense of urgency the team faced and came through.

“We gave up too many yards in the first half, and we had to get three and out,” said Alvarez, who some key stops along with a fumble recovery. “The coaches told us they can’t stop us. We just stopped our-selves.”

The offense, which had only 131 of total yards in the first half, racked up 262 in the final two quarters. It was a 360-degree turnaround which Hidalgo coach Jorge Peña couldn’t believe.

“We just fell apart,” said the second-year head coach. “I can’t explain it. (When they were down) we had to keep pressure on them, and we didn’t do that in the second half.”

Running back Jesus Olvera led the Pirates with 106 yards while quarterback Greg Gonzalez was also effective with 83 but was held to minus-2 in the second half.

While 1,000-yard rusher Valdez had his typical night in the office, Diego Garcia came up huge with 130 yards on seven carries, including an 81-yard touchdown on the Tarpons second possession of the game. Valdez ended the night with 191 yards rushing and two touchdowns. A three-year starter, the senior knows all too well the kind of torch that’s carried at Tarpon land.

“It’s Port Isabel. It’s tradition,” Valdez said.http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/images/uploads/PORTISABELvHIDALGO.jpg