Opener — Despite their best efforts, San Benito fell in the Greyhounds’ season opener for the second consecutive year, this time by a 49-14 margin. San Benito hopes to rebound this week, at home. (Courtesy photos/ Hector Avila)
By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
PHARR, TX—In the first two weeks of the football season, the San Benito Greyhounds are once again going up against some of the top teams, if not the top teams, in the Rio Grande Valley and the state.
Last week, the ’Hounds lost their season opener on the road against the P-SJ-A North Raiders, 49-14. They took on one of the Valley’s most heralded teams that last season in the Class 5A Division I playoffs, and barely lost a high-scoring, third-round game to New Braunfels by three points.
It took two drives and about nine minutes of the first quarter clock for North to lead, 14-0. San Benito stymied the Raiders the rest of the quarter and much of the second quarter.
In fact, San Benito only trailed by a 14-7 score when junior quarterback Albert Gonzalez ran in a 22-yard keeper, and junior kicker Francisco Barrientos made a point after attempt with 1:59 left before halftime.
North went on to earn three more TDs spread out between three more quarters before the ’Hounds scored again late in the game. Junior Axel Hernandez jaunted down the right side of the field for a 75-yard run. Barrientos’ PAT made the score 35-14.
The San Benito defense allowed two North runners, senior Ethan Guerra (194 yards, 4 TDs) and sophomore Isaiah Garza (103 yards, TD), to produce most of the offensive yards. On the flip side, North’s defense had five sacks of various San Benito quarterbacks and two interceptions.
On Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium, the ’Hounds host the Austin Westlake Chapparals, who are 29-22 losers of a road game to the Prosper Eagles. Last year, Westlake lost the Class 6A state final to North Crowley, 50-21.
Unfortunately for San Benito, starting the season 0-2 is familiar to the team, and it’s something it does not want to repeat in consecutive seasons. Still, it’s going to be a mighty difficult task. Westlake also has a two-game losing streak dating back to last year. In the Chapparals’ game against Prosper, they too were trailing 27-7 before halftime. They made a game of it, scoring twice more.
Westlake had three different players score TDs via the run, including senior quarterback Rees Wise and leading sophomore rusher Jarren Lopez. Wise was 12-of-22 for 158 yards in pass completions; he had two interceptions.
In 2024, the ’Hounds lost to North, 49-22, and Westlake, 63-7.
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