(Staff photo by Ray Quiroga)
San Benito Greyhound quarterback Cristian Sierra is seen breaking a tackle during Saturday night’s game against Hanna in Brownsville.
By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS
There’s no mistaking it: Friday’s game at Bobby Morrow Stadium between Los Fresnos and San Benito is HUGE for many reasons.
The neighbors, each 1-0 in district, tangle in a District 32-6A showdown that everyone will be watching closely. Friday marks the start of a barometer-like stretch for the ’Hounds, with dates against Harlingen and Brownsville Veterans on deck the next two weeks.
So while the season is certainly not riding on this sole contest, the winner would go to 2-0 in league play and be sitting pretty with a potential tie-breaker over the other. Both San Benito and Los Fresnos are expected to be in the mix for the district championship.
Plus, throw in a confidence boost and bragging rights for Friday’s winner at a great place to watch a ballgame and you’ve got all you need for what’s expected to be a top-tier game in Week 6 of Valley football.
Since the Falcons jumped to Class 5A in 2004, the teams have squared off each year for a total of 10 meetings. Los Fresnos has taken six of those to the ’Hounds’ four. Last season, the Falcons escaped with a 24-16 win in the season opener.
This year, Los Fresnos (3-1 overall, 1-0 district) come in streaking with three straight wins and their biggest came last week in a 62-0 drubbing of Brownsville Lopez. In that game, running back Eli Cruz went for 134 yards and four TDs in a game that was over by halftime. As a team, Los Fresnos rushed for a season-high 331 yards against the Lobos and has done most of its damage this way over the past several weeks.
Quarterback Pierce Ruiz has taken most of the snaps and has totaled 586 yards (340 passing, 246 rushing). Cruz leads Coach Clint Finley’s bunch with 292 yards and seven scores on the ground while junior Isaac Moreno has chipped in 217 rushing.
Los Fresnos has had a flair for the dramatic thus far, dropping a last-second 22-19 decision to Edinburg North in the opener, holding off a furious comeback effort by Edcouch-Elsa (35-31 win), and putting on a rally of its own by beating PSJA North 35-34 in Week 4.
However, Coach Dan Gomez’s squad (2-2, 1-0) also has a head of steam. The ’Hounds looked fresh in a 39-14 runaway win over Brownsville Hanna on Saturday night. Quarterback Cristian Sierra was on fire, amassing 375 yards offensively (291 passing) in a performance which made him an easy pick for San Benito News Player of the Week honors. San Benito racked up 584 yards on offense against the Golden Eagles, easily a season-best.
Running back Gabriel Vasquez quickly recovered from a minor injury believed to be more serious and had another 100-yard rushing game with 133 yards and two touchdowns. Both Sierra and Vasquez were the primary beneficiaries of a gritty offensive line performance as the boys up front battled a cut-blocking Hanna defense all night long.
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