By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
RIO HONDO, TX—The Bobcat Varsity Football Team is not hosting its home opener at Bobcat Stadium because of ongoing construction, including the installation of new playing turf.
“Due to unexpected delays in installing our new turf, our home stadium will not be ready in time for our season opener on August 27, when the Rio Hondo Bobcats host Brownsville Pace,” said Rio Hondo ISD Director of Athletics Rocky James. “The safety of our players, students, and fans remains our highest priority.”
According to Rio Hondo ISD officials, football season tickets for each home game will be available for purchase at the stadium gate.
James is affected in two ways by these turn of events, since he is also the Bobcats’ longtime head coach on the gridiron. His players are playing their first three games away. They will be in Brownsville on August 28, then Port Isabel on September 4, followed by Edcouch-Elsa on Sept. 11.
The season opener against Pace is being held at Chargers’ Stadium on the campus of Veterans Memorial High School at 4550 U.S. Highway 281.
The Bobcats are not playing their first home contest until Thursday, September 17, when they take on the St. Joseph’s Academy Bloodhounds in a homecoming game.
This season, RHHS will host Bishop (October 9), Progreso (October 23), and Raymondville (November 6).
All of the Bobcats’ games start at 7 p.m.
According to RHISD, Bobcat Stadium is among three athletic playing surfaces and facilities that received upgrades at a cost of $6 million.
The others were the baseball and softball fields, with construction beginning near the end of the school year.
RHISD Superintendent Raul Treviño said the Sports Complex Renovation Project was an idea he proposed to the school board and had been budgeted for the past fiscal year.
Both times, the action item was discussed during either the regular February or the special March RHISD Board of Trustees meetings, and elected officials unanimously approved spending the available funds.
SAN BENITO SEASON TICKETS
At present, the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District’s Athletic Department has football season tickets on sale to the public through August 21.
Each season ticket costs $40.
The Greyhounds have five scheduled home games, the first on August 28 against Edcouch-Elsa, then September 18 versus Harlingen South, followed by District 32-6A foes Brownsville Veterans Memorial on October 9, PSJA North on October 23, and Harlingen on October 30.