By PETE BANDA
RGV FOOTBALL PREVEIW
RIO HONDO, TX—After years of dominating at the 4A level, the Rio Hondo Bobcats suffered a major setback when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. In addition to losing an entire season of games, Rio Hondo opted for a youth movement when football returned in 2021.
A jump down to 3A ball last season saw the Bobcats regain their glory, finishing as co-district champions of district 16-3A DI, posting a 4-1 district mark. Rio Hondo coach Rocky James will have his most experienced roster in years when the new year kicks off, leading the ’Cats to be an early favorite to repeat as district champions.
Junior quarterback Ruben Atkinson will be entering his third year as a starter with some explosive weapons at his disposal. Despite having the second lowest scoring output of any team in their district last year, expectations for Atkinson are sky high.
“We turned to these young guys early on and I think we’re going to see all that experience really pay off this season,” said James. “We had some success towards the end of the year last year, so we expect to see continued development and bring some excitement to the community.”
Atkinson has allowed the Bobcats to rely more on the passing game than they have in the past. This year will be no different as the young signal caller will have two stud receivers on the outside with both Keyan Lopez and Gavin Perez expected to be impact players. With only four starters returning on offense, Rio Hondo will have many holes to fill if they want to advance past the Bi-District round for the first time since 2019.
The defense is in slightly better shape as seven starters will be returning, though the unit allowed nearly 300 points in just 11 games last season.
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