By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
For the first time in three years, the San Benito Greyhounds won an opening-season game, a 20-14 home win over the Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets last Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium.
The ‘Hounds secured their non-district victory with a defensive turnover on their side of the field late in the game.
Following a San Benito punt by senior Francisco Barrientos, the desperate ’Jackets started their final drive at their own 19-yard line with 1:31 left.
Four of the five ’Jackets’ offensive plays were through the air, culminating in junior wide receiver Jacob Uvalle, Jr. securing the final pass. But it was his extra effort to gain valuable yards after catching the pass at the San Benito 35-yard line that caused him to turn the ball over.
‘Hounds junior safety Juan Gonzalez punched the ball out behind a moving Uvalle at the 22 yard line, and senior safety Henry Quiroz pounced on the loose football at the 18 with 27 seconds remaining.
“Sometimes we got beat on coverage in the game, and it happened on the last play, but our defense kept at it,” Quiroz said. “We’re taught not to give up on plays, and it worked for us.”
This was a back-and-forth game, especially in the first half. Then the ’Hounds took the lead for good in the third quarter.
On their opening second half drive from their own 19, the offense only needed seven plays to move ahead on the scoreboard. The team didn’t commit any penalties on the drive with senior running back Axel Hernandez putting the exclamation point on a 35-yard tote with 4:02 left in the third quarter.
Barrientos’ point-after attempt gave SB a 14-10 advantage.
The ‘Hounds took the sting out of the ’Jackets’ offense as their next three drives ended in punts and a turnover.
SB exploited the sudden E-E lull as Barrientos connected on a 27-yard field goal halfway through the fourth quarter to end all scoring at 20-14.
In the first quarter, the ‘Hounds used a balanced offensive attack to score on the game’s first drive.
Of the 11 plays that started at the SBHS 28-yard line, only one went for negative yardage, and four others were pass plays.
The crowning moment came at the 6:37 mark when senior quarterback Albert Gonzalez ran a sweep to the right, receiving solid blocking by his outside receivers along the way.
Barrientos’ PAT gave the ‘Hounds a 7-0 lead that would not hold long.
Nevertheless, the ’Jackets received a heavy dose of Gonzalez through the use of his arm and footing.
By game’s end, Gonzalez rushed for 88 yards on 13 carries, many of the plays designed with him in mind. He also passed for 78 yards on 8-of-19 completions.
Unfortunately, he was carried off the field by athletic trainers after being injured on a 21-yard gain, with the outcome still in question with just over two minutes to play in the game.
Gonzalez helped his team gain more than 260 yards of total offense. Hernandez had 83 yards, most of his 14 carries in the second half.
In fact, it was the second half when SBHS took the lead for good after trailing 14-10.
“If it wasn’t for my team blocking and getting in on their assignments, I wouldn’t have been able to get going,” Hernandez said. “When they put me in, I was ready to go and try to do what I could to get us the win.”
JACKETS GET OFFENSIVE
E-E’s first score came on its second offensive drive, and it was highlighted by Devin Amaya’s 31-yard punt return to the SB one-yard line.
Senior running back Ayden Mercado’s run put his team on the scoreboard, with kicker Alejandro Pineda tying the game on a PAT with 4:14 left in the opening quarter.
The ’Jackets took their lead after Gonzalez was intercepted at the ‘Hounds’ 15-yard line.
It took E-E two plays by Mercado to get into the end zone, his score on a 1-yard tote. Pineda’s PAT gave his team a 14-7 advantage.
The ‘Hounds responded with a mammoth 18-play drive that began at their own 39. They overcame two self-inflicted penalties that kept moving the ball back.
It finally ended with Barrientos booting a 34-yard field goal with 2:17 left and a 14-10 deficit to work with.
‘HOUNDS GET DEFENSIVE
In response, the SBHS defense gave up a big run play of 60 yards to E-E senior QB Jason Pena with under two minutes.
With little room for the ’Jackets to execute inside the red zone, the ‘Hounds were relentless in forcing the drive to go down to the wire.
E-E players left empty-handed thanks to defenders like Ramon De Los Santos and Ezra Lozano forcing Pena to make an incomplete pass, and on the final play of the half, Peter Buenrostro and Pedro Suarez stopping the runner Mercado inside the one-yard line.
The SB defense had a bevy of stops for negative yardage and, in other instances, quarterback pressure.
The defense included Heber Hernandez, Austin Najera, Christian La Bell, Joziah Davis, Gonzalez, and Castillo.
Among those who hurried the E-E signal-caller to throw early incompletions were Ezra Lozano, La Bell, Castillo, and De La Rosa.
Among the ‘Hounds’ backfield defenders to get in on pass reflections or solid man-to-man coverage were Santiago Cruz and Buenrostro.
Josh Castillo earned the ‘Hounds’ lone quarterback sack in the third quarter.
In the final quarter, La Bell recovered a fumble in the E-E backfield. Quiroz was also in on an interception with 3:07 left in the game.
In fact, on a ’Jackets’ offensive drive in the first quarter, Quiroz made four consecutive tackles, almost getting an interception on a different play.
“I thought we could have played better defensively at the beginning of the game, but we picked it up in the second half,” Quiroz said. “We really got after them to get the win.”
NEXT OPPONENT
SB now travels to Edinburg to take on the Vela Sabercats, who will have their home opener on Friday at 7 p.m. at Flores Stadium.
Vela lost on the road to the Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial Eagles, 10-7.
The Sabercats earned nearly 250 yards of total offense, most of it by senior quarterback Caidyn Hoover. The team also had three sacks defensively.