footballgal
10-09-2007, 01:56 PM
It’s time to get down to business now
By ARMANDO GARZA
Oct 8, 2007 11:54 pm
Now, it’s time to see who the top dogs in 32-3A are because it’s district time.
And what better way to start than two of Cameron County’s three great teams going at it to open the league loop Friday night?
La Feria will host Port Isabel in a game of monumental proportions.
The Lions (4-1) come in playing solid football and winners of its last three games. La Feria enjoyed an open date last week in preparation for district play.
When you talk about the Lions, you talk defense.
Head coach Elifonso Esquivel was the defensive coordinator at La Feria the past seven seasons before taking the reins, and his Lions’ D hasn’t missed a beat.
Spurred by talented defenders Luciano Rodriguez, Eloy Almanza and a quick secondary, the Lions are as stingy as they come, allowing only 212 yards per game.
Offensively, the Lions came into the year wishing to pass the ball more. And while an injury to starting quarterback Eleazar Esquivel in the second game sort of derailed those plans, the Lions showed they could still run the ball.
Running back Randy Rodriguez has been stellar, rushing for 664 yards including back-to-back 200-yard games coming in.
Meanwhile, Port Isabel comes in as one of the most talented 3-2 ballclubs around.
The Tarpons easily handled Zapata last week on the strength of running back Nolan Nunez’s Player of the Week performance. He now has 826 yards on the year.
But this is the time of year coach Monty Stumbaugh’s club raises its level of play.
Let’s not forget the Tarpons are defending district champs.
PI is led offensively by Nuñez and quarterback David Alaniz, who has a good corps of receivers to throw to.
The “Seawall Defense” is also right in the thick of things as well, ranking third in the district in yards allowed at 170 per contest.
Expect an exciting, hard-fought game at Lion Stadium, no doubt about it.
LUCKY SEVEN?: The Rio Hondo Bobcats continue to roll. The St. Joseph’s Bloodhounds were their latest victims in a 61-0 shellacking as the Cats improved to 6-0.
An ankle injury to quarterback Joseph Vela in practice last week kept him out of that game and perhaps at least two more.
Rio Hondo opens district at Progreso on Friday.
But props are in order to the rest of the Cats, who picked up the slack and will continue to do so.
Quarterback Lorenzo “LoBo” Bocanegra ran the offense effectively last week, accounting for 133 yards and four touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 passing). He was 3-for-3 passing for 54 yards.
The rushing tandem of Jacob Martinez (84 yards, 2TDS) and Trevor David (95, 2 TDS) is in high gear behind a gritty offensive line for Coach Gus Cavazos’ club.
The Valley’s top-ranked defense is also pretty good.
The Cats allow a Valley-low 108.2 yards per outing, and have shown a knack for getting turnovers.
As one of only two Valley unbeatens, it will be interesting to see if the Cats can keep it going.
SMOOTH SAILING: Hidalgo is looking mighty good these days, too.
The Pirates are 5-1 after their 35-7 win over Raymondville last week and will take this week off before traveling to Rio Hondo for a huge district showdown.
Coach Jorge Pena’s squad has made its living running the football and also playing some salty defense under new coordinator Roy Peen.
First and foremost, the Pirates start with quarterback Oscar Perez, who’s rushed for 907 yards this season. He had 184 yards and two scores against the Bearkats. Hidalgo averages a district-best 401-6 yards per game.
After a down year last season, it’s good to see the blue and gold back in the thick of things.
GRIDIRON GREATS: Here are the standout performances from Week Five in 32-3A:
Nuñez had 274 yards and 5 touchdowns on only 11 carries in PI’s big win over Zapata.
Hidalgo’s Perez had the 184 yards and two TDs against Raymondville.
Rio Hondo’s Bocanegra, David and Martinez combined for 258 yards and six touchdowns in the Bobcats’ win.
Armando Garza covers District 32-3A for the Valley Morning Star. He can be reached at 956-430-6255 or at armandog@valleystar.com
http://www.rgvsports.com/sports/yards_667___article.xml/
By ARMANDO GARZA
Oct 8, 2007 11:54 pm
Now, it’s time to see who the top dogs in 32-3A are because it’s district time.
And what better way to start than two of Cameron County’s three great teams going at it to open the league loop Friday night?
La Feria will host Port Isabel in a game of monumental proportions.
The Lions (4-1) come in playing solid football and winners of its last three games. La Feria enjoyed an open date last week in preparation for district play.
When you talk about the Lions, you talk defense.
Head coach Elifonso Esquivel was the defensive coordinator at La Feria the past seven seasons before taking the reins, and his Lions’ D hasn’t missed a beat.
Spurred by talented defenders Luciano Rodriguez, Eloy Almanza and a quick secondary, the Lions are as stingy as they come, allowing only 212 yards per game.
Offensively, the Lions came into the year wishing to pass the ball more. And while an injury to starting quarterback Eleazar Esquivel in the second game sort of derailed those plans, the Lions showed they could still run the ball.
Running back Randy Rodriguez has been stellar, rushing for 664 yards including back-to-back 200-yard games coming in.
Meanwhile, Port Isabel comes in as one of the most talented 3-2 ballclubs around.
The Tarpons easily handled Zapata last week on the strength of running back Nolan Nunez’s Player of the Week performance. He now has 826 yards on the year.
But this is the time of year coach Monty Stumbaugh’s club raises its level of play.
Let’s not forget the Tarpons are defending district champs.
PI is led offensively by Nuñez and quarterback David Alaniz, who has a good corps of receivers to throw to.
The “Seawall Defense” is also right in the thick of things as well, ranking third in the district in yards allowed at 170 per contest.
Expect an exciting, hard-fought game at Lion Stadium, no doubt about it.
LUCKY SEVEN?: The Rio Hondo Bobcats continue to roll. The St. Joseph’s Bloodhounds were their latest victims in a 61-0 shellacking as the Cats improved to 6-0.
An ankle injury to quarterback Joseph Vela in practice last week kept him out of that game and perhaps at least two more.
Rio Hondo opens district at Progreso on Friday.
But props are in order to the rest of the Cats, who picked up the slack and will continue to do so.
Quarterback Lorenzo “LoBo” Bocanegra ran the offense effectively last week, accounting for 133 yards and four touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 passing). He was 3-for-3 passing for 54 yards.
The rushing tandem of Jacob Martinez (84 yards, 2TDS) and Trevor David (95, 2 TDS) is in high gear behind a gritty offensive line for Coach Gus Cavazos’ club.
The Valley’s top-ranked defense is also pretty good.
The Cats allow a Valley-low 108.2 yards per outing, and have shown a knack for getting turnovers.
As one of only two Valley unbeatens, it will be interesting to see if the Cats can keep it going.
SMOOTH SAILING: Hidalgo is looking mighty good these days, too.
The Pirates are 5-1 after their 35-7 win over Raymondville last week and will take this week off before traveling to Rio Hondo for a huge district showdown.
Coach Jorge Pena’s squad has made its living running the football and also playing some salty defense under new coordinator Roy Peen.
First and foremost, the Pirates start with quarterback Oscar Perez, who’s rushed for 907 yards this season. He had 184 yards and two scores against the Bearkats. Hidalgo averages a district-best 401-6 yards per game.
After a down year last season, it’s good to see the blue and gold back in the thick of things.
GRIDIRON GREATS: Here are the standout performances from Week Five in 32-3A:
Nuñez had 274 yards and 5 touchdowns on only 11 carries in PI’s big win over Zapata.
Hidalgo’s Perez had the 184 yards and two TDs against Raymondville.
Rio Hondo’s Bocanegra, David and Martinez combined for 258 yards and six touchdowns in the Bobcats’ win.
Armando Garza covers District 32-3A for the Valley Morning Star. He can be reached at 956-430-6255 or at armandog@valleystar.com
http://www.rgvsports.com/sports/yards_667___article.xml/