Published Nov. 6, 1961
HIGH AND LOW – Robert Cortez (26) and Marlin Mabry (31) team up to bring down Weslaco ball carrier Don Mills (64) in the San Benito-Weslaco football game Friday night. The Greyhounds of San Benito clinched at least a tie for the district 16-AAA championship with their 39-0 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 Weslaco Panthers.
San Benito News
WHOA – San Benito’s Jim Helms hauls Jimmy Vittitoe (10) down from behind for a one-yard gain Friday night at Greyhound Stadium. The Hounds won their ninth straight game, 39-0, this season and upped their district 16-AAA record to 5-0, good enough for at least a tie for the league title. (Staff photo)
San Benito’s Greyhounds assured themselves of at least a slice of the district 16-AAA championship pie Friday night when they buried the Weslaco Panthers, 39-0.
THE HOUNDS stand at 9-0 for the season and, more importantly, 5-0 in district play. The only other team that has a crack at a share of the title now is Rio Grande City.
But the Rattlers served notice when the two contenders meet two weeks hence. RGC took the measure of Falfurrias, 20-6.
After the dust settled Friday night, San Benito was on top of the district heap with Rio Grande City hanging in with a 3-1 league mark. All other teams in the district have lost more than one district game.
FRIDAY NIGHT’S win was the fourth shutout victory for San Benito this season. The Hounds have allowed 12 points on defense in five district games to lead the league in that department.
While San Benito will enjoy an open date next week, Rio Grande City will tackle the same Weslaco team. The Nov. 17 San Benito-RGC showdown will be in Rio Grande City.
The defeat Friday night sent Weslaco’s season record down to 1-7. The hapless Panthers, with mostly juniors and sophomores on the squad, are 1-3 in district 16-AAA play.
AFTER BUILDING up an easy 20-0 halftime lead, San Benito reserves played most of the fourth quarter and some of the third period.
San Benito scored in every quarter while holding Weslaco at bay all night.
The Hounds, although gaining only 44 yards in the air, threw a record number of times this year. The Hounds threw 10 times, completing two.
Jim Helms wrapped the game up for San Benito with less than two minutes gone when the junior flash galloped 50 yards on an off tackle slant with 10:05 left in the first quarter.
Helms’ run came right after fullback Jim Lewis had raced 53 yards up the middle and across the Weslaco goal line. The play was called back, though, after a clipping penalty.
HELMS HEADED to the left side after taking the handoff, squirted up the middle and went across the Panther goal unchallenged. Eddie McKaughan came on to kick the first of three successful extra points for the night to make the score San Benito 7, Weslaco 0.
Then midway through the first quarter, Marlin Mabry staked the Hounds to their second scoring chance as he intercepted a Panther aerial on the Hounds 36-yard line.
The interception came after San Benito had lost the ball on a fumble to Weslaco’s Richard Cortez at the Hound 47. Marbry’s grab came three plays later.
FROM THEIR 36, it took the Greyhounds eight plays to score while they picked first downs.
A tight 6-2-1-2 defense by Weslaco forced the Hounds to gamble on a fourth down and needing two situation along the way. The payoff, though, came when Don Uptegraph tossed to Robert Cortez on a 40-yard scoring play.
Cortez made a fine catch of Upty’s heave in the left flat as he had to come back a little for it. The sophomore snared the ball at the Weslaco 25 and rambled in untouched from there for the second touchdown of the night.
McKaughan again booted true and San Benito was in command, 14-0, with 1:13 left in the first quarter.
ANOTHER PASS interception set up San Benito’s lone second quarter score. Helms this time picked off a Panther pass on his own 45-yard line and returned it to Weslaco’s 39.
From there, San Benito scored in eight plays. Uptegraph, on a rollout to the left side, went the last 14 yards as he barely got into the end zone at the flag with 9:38 left before halftime.
McKaughan missed on the extra point try for the first time of the night and scoring was over for the first half with San Benito leading by 20-0.
The Hounds threatened late in the half as they drove as far as Weslaco’s 25-yard line before time ran out.
San Benito’s edge in the first half is revealed in the statistics for the first two periods. The Hounds gained 191 yards on the ground to only seven for Weslaco and picked up nine first downs to only one for the Panthers.
IT TOOK San Benito almost all of the third quarter to find the scoring range again.
After a Weslaco punt to the Panther 41, San Benito scored on four plays. Lewis gained one and after an incomplete pass, McKaughan dashed 29 yards to the Panther 12.
On the first down, Helms skirted the left side for the touchdown with 1:32 left in the third period. McKaughan’s kick was wide to leave the score at 26-0 in favor of San Benito.
After Weslaco drove as far as San Benito’s 2-yard line early on the fourth period, the Hounds marched 80 yards in six plays.
The big gainer was a 40-yards jaunt by Cortez up the middle.
It was McKaughan, though, who went the last 27 yards on a rollout to the left side to put the Hounds in front at 32-0 with 5:11 left in the game. McKaughan kicked good on the extra point try for a 33-0 lead.
RAY SALDAÑA set up his own touchdown run less than a minute later when he covered a Weslaco fumble on the Panther 29-yard line.
Two plays later the swift halfback went around the left side from 13 yards out to cap scoring for the night with 4:37 left to play.
McKaughan’s kick was blocked to bring up the 39-0 final score.
Weslaco drove back down to San Benito’s 27 before a fumble killed the threat. This time Raul Saldaña pounced on the loose ball at the Hound 27.
The game ended three plays later.
1 comment
You can see how reporting has changed throughout the years. The article is so detailed, it’s like reading a book. It’s like you are there. Details how the pass was caught, describing the defensive formation or how close the player was from the endzone etc. I look forward every Saturday to reading these 50 year old articles. Very nice.