By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
RIO HONDO, TX—Loser go home!
That’s the mantra for which every team in the Class 3A playoffs competes if they don’t triumph at this point of the football season.
With the Rio Hondo Bobcats (8-2 on the season) having earned the District 16-3A title, it’s the reason they will now face a lowly London Pirates (5-5 overall) team that finished fourth in their own district.
The bi-district game between these two foes is Friday at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
The Corpus Christi-based team is the 10th different first-round opponent Rio Hondo will face dating back to the 2011 season. That year the Bobcats defeated Lyford in bi-district and then lost to Sweeny in the second round.
In fact, Rio Hondo reached the second round three consecutive times from 2017-2019. The past two years, however, the Bobcats lost to bi-district opponents Edna (49-10) and Goliad (60-10).
Those teams, including London, are joined together and part of a competitive district Rio Hondo Coach Rocky James and the players are all too familiar with.
They will not take a London team lightly because of their shabby season record.
“We prepare the same way we have all season. A lot more is riding on this game because it’s win or go home but preparation doesn’t change,” James said. “Our team understands that (District) 15-3A has some really good teams, and we must play our best to get a win.”
Come playoff time, it’s the offense that receives many of the accolades, but this year’s Rio Hondo team has a defense that can’t be overlooked.
It enters this game with four straight shutouts. In London’s five losses, its offense was held to single digit scoring three times.
Earning a postseason shutout will be difficult, but Rio Hondo could be the fourth team to keep London from scoring in double digits.
Among the Bobcats to lead in defensive tackles per game are senior Jahlion Williams (8.7), senior Gavin Perez (7.3), and sophomore Rolando Pastrana (7.3). Sophomore Noe Leos leads the defense in sacks with seven-and-a-half, followed by Perez’s five, and sophomore Matthew Sanchez three-and-a-half.
Interceptions leader is senior Rene Farias with seveb. Pastrana and senior Devin Rodriguez each have two INTs.
“Well, in Rio Hondo we have always taken pride in playing tough-nosed defense, year in and year out, but four consecutive shutouts has been pretty special,” James said. “Our guys are fired up to see that goose egg on the scoreboard at the end of the game.”
No teams have come close to emulating the four season shutouts. In Coach James’ 17 years, four different teams each had two shutouts in their respective seasons.
On offense, senior quarterback Ruben Atkinson needs to continue his effectiveness through the air against London. In 10 games, he has 1,676 yards passing, completing 58 percent of his throws. He has earned 21 passing TDs against three INTs.
Atkinson targeted around a dozen different receivers this season, including senior Nathaniel Sosa (50 completions, 710 yards, 10 TDs), Sophomore Emmanuel Perez (29-395 yards) and Gavin Perez (10-172 yards).
All these players have competed in all 10 Rio Hondo games.
Sophomore running back Mario Lopez has rushed for 836 yards on 109 carries in nine games. Quarterback Atkinson has added 296 yards on 66 totes.
“We knew this was going to be a really good football team because of the senior leadership,” James said of his 19 upperclassmen. “Being 8-2 has been a blessing especially after losing our best football player (senior) Keyan Lopez with a torn ACL in the second week. Others had to raise their play. We have stayed fairly healthy throughout the season, which helps our success.”
Among the seven bi-district opponents Rio Hondo faced beginning in 2019 and beyond were Orange Grove (won 48-6), Ingleside (won 37-20), Aransas Pass, Sinton, Yoakum, Cuero and Zapata.
A year before James became head coach, Rio Hondo finished with a 10-3 record in 2008, beating Ingleside and Devine and losing to Giddings.