Published October 2, 1961
HOUNDS AFTER FUMBLE – Three San Benito Greyhounds close in on this fumbled ball in the third quarter of the San Benito-Edinburg football game Friday night. Greyhounds are Domingo Ramirez (87), Jim Helms (21) and Tommy Goode (82). Ramirez covered Helms’ fumble on the Edinburg 22 as the Hounds later scored their third touchdown in a 32-8 victory. (Staff photo)
Editor’s Note: In observance of the 50th anniversary of the 1961 San Benito Greyhounds, the San Benito News will feature in each weekend edition the story that covered the game of that week 50 years ago. This is the game featuring the San Benito Greyhounds vs. the Edinburg Bobcats.
San Benito News
UPTY BREAKS LOOSE – San Benito’s Gene Uptegraph (12) with ball, tears away from a would-be Edinburg tackler Friday night in the third quarter of the San Benito-Edinburg contest. Upty gained three yards on the play. San Benito went on to whip the Bobcats, 32-8, for its fourth straight win of the season without a loss. (Staff photo)
It took almost all of the first half for San Benito to figure out a tricky, stunting
Edinburg defense Friday night, but once they caught on, the Greyhounds had smooth sailing to their fourth straight victory of the season, 32-8.
The game was the last non-district affair of the season for the Greyhounds who have built their perfect 4-0 record against class AAAA clubs. The defeat was the second in a row for the Bobcats of Edinburg, dropping them to a season 2-2 mark.
Edinburg had San Benito’s number though all of the first quarter and held on until the last three minutes of the first half when the Hounds broke loose for two touchdowns within a minute-and-a-half to erase any doubt with a 14-0 lead at intermission.
So tenacious was the Bobcat defense at the start that the Hounds in the first quarter. The Hounds dropped the ball four times during the game, losing the first two in the first period.
Edinburg, though, obliged by losing its only two fumbles of the night.
After they once broke the ice, the Hounds seemed to have almost no trouble finding the scoring range. Starting late in the second quarter when they scored their first touchdown, the Greyhounds moved for scores each of the next five times they had the ball.
The San Benito defense, meanwhile, was able to keep the Bobcats at bay until barely more than a minute remained in the game when Edinburg counted its only touchdown of the night.
San Benito’s Jim Helms, squad scoring leader for the year, scored two touchdowns for 12 points to increase his season’s total to 38 points in four games.
Gene Uptegraph, however, while scoring only six points, was the Hounds’ best ground gainer, picking up 104 yards on 16 carries.
The Hounds next action, the district 16-AAA opener, comes next week against Mercedes. The game will be at Greyhound Stadium.
Both teams seemed to concentrate so much on defense in that tight first quarter that neither could muster a scoring drive.
Edinburg, however, drove down to the San Benito nine-yard line late in the period after the squads slugged it out in midfield during the first 10 minutes of the initial stanza.
With the first quarter almost gone, Edinburg’s Jesus Luna pounced on the first San Benito fumble at the Greyhound 38-yard line. From there quarterback Tommy Cook and big fullback Tommy Blair moved the Bobcats down to the San Benito 17 for a first and 10 from there.
The Hound defense got rugged, though, and four plays netted the Bobcats only eight yards to the nine and San Benito took possession there. The quarter ended a play later.
After two plays, including a 17-yard scamper by fullback Jim Lewis, the Hounds fumbled and the second time of the night as Edinburg’s Danny McQuay fell on the loose ball in the San Benito backfield at the Greyhound 42.
San Benito’s Rene “Frogman” Lerma, though, returned the favor two plays later as he hawked an Edinburg fumble on the Hound 42.
But again San Benito couldn’t move against the shifting Bobcat defense and the teams exchanged punts.
Both teams had their defensive wonders in the first two-thirds of the first half.
For San Benito, Lerma, Jerry Crow, Virgil Garcia and Tommy Goode were leading the way.
Edinburg’s stalwarts up front were Luna, Blair and Rene Alaniz.
Midway through the second quarter, San Benito’s Marlin Mabry provided the Greyhounds with the break they needed to get on the scoreboard.
After Edinburg has moved down to the San Benito 32, Mabry gobbled up a Bobcat fumble for a first and 10 for the Hounds at the 32.
From there it took the Hounds just six plays to score as a pair of running pass completions from Helms, first to Goode and then to G. Uptegraph gained, 26 yards along the way.
Biggest gainer of the march, though, was a 19-yard pass interference penalty against the Bobcats that give San Benito a first down on the Edinburg 29.
After a 12-yard Helms-to-Uptegraph pass completion to the 17, an incomplete pass preceded a 17-yard scoring jaunt by fullback Jim Lewis.
Lewis headed straight up the middle, tore away from three Edinburg would-be-tacklers at the 12-yard line and went into the end zone with 2:44 left in the half.
Lewis’ number was again called on the extra point try and again the junior power runner came through to give the Hounds an 8-0 lead.
Edinburg couldn’t move after the kickoff and was forced to punt from its 33. Domingo Ramirez, however, crashed through from his defensive end post to block the punt and give San Benito the ball at the Bobcat 19-yard line with only two minutes left before intermission.
On the first down, Helms swept the right side on a delayed hand-off and went the distance untouched for the touchdown. Quarterback Eddie McKaughan carried the ball to the left side where Helms had flanked, handed it to the swift halfback, and Helms did the rest.
The Hounds dominated play in the third quarter, using up more than 10-and-a-half minutes of the period while driving 86-yards for their third touchdown. In that third quarter, Edinburg was able to run only two plays from scrimmage.
That marathon 86-yard drive by San Benito took 20 plays and four times the Hounds had to come through on fourth down situations to keep the march alive. The drive included five first downs.
Longest gainer was a 24-yard ramble by Helms on the second play that carried from the San Benito 16 up to the 40.
Facing fourth down from the three yard stripe, Helms bulled his way into the end zone on a dive play to the right side with only 1:39 left in the third quarter.
Once again the extra point try was no good and San Benito led by 20-0.
A pass interception by Mabry set the Hounds in motion for their fourth touchdown on the first play of the last quarter. He snagged a Bobcat aerial on his own 32 and returned it to the Hound 49.
Yardage came in big chunks from there as G. Uptegraph ran for 17 and a Helms-to-Good pass worked for 30 yard and a first and 10 on the Edinburg 13.
After a penalty back to the 28, Upty picked up 17 yards in two trips before McKaughan fired an 11-yard scoring toss to Goode who caught the ball on the goal.
Again no extra points were made and San Benito led by 26-0 with 9:21 left in the game.
After an Edinburg punt, Helms dashed 60 yards to the Edinburg goal, but the play was called back and Edinburg was given a first and 10 at its 40 after a roughing-the-kicker penalty.
Then three plays later, Robert Cortez intercepted a Bobcat pass on the San Benito 43 and went all the way to the Edinburg goal only to have the play called back to the Edinburg 33 after a clipping penalty.
From the 33, though, it took the Hounds just three plays to score with G. Uptegraph carrying each time. He first picked up 32, then none, then one for the touchdown with 5:25 left in the game.
No extra points were made to leave San Benito ahead at 32-0.
Edinburg’s lone scoring came as Alonzo Garcia skirted right end up for three yards and a touchdown with 1:07 left in the game and then went three yards again for two extra points as the game ended a 32-8.
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