Photo By Hector Avila
By PETE BANDA
Special to the NEWS
One of the most hyped football games of the season took place last week, and it more than lived up to expectations.
The annual Battle of the Arroyo (BOTA) rivalry game ended with three straight touchdowns from San Benito, giving the Greyhounds a 21-10 victory and snapping their four-game losing streak to Harlingen.
It was, without a doubt, the toughest bout of the season for the ’Hounds, who maintained their unblemished record despite falling behind 10-0 early in the third quarter.
It was clear from the start that this was not a typical Greyhound game, which have mostly ended in blowout wins for the Purple and Gold that were over by halftime. After an offensive penalty on the first play, San Benito running back Fabian Garcia busted up the middle for a 60-yard gain on his first touch. Despite the huge play, penalties continued to plague the ’Hounds, and their opening drive ended with an uncharacteristic Aaron Corona interception in the endzone.
That interception set the tone of the entire game as the first quarter saw a total of three first downs between the two offensive juggernauts.
There were only four minutes left in the first half when the Cardinals finally put together a solid drive on a series of quick screens and power runs from the quarterback which allowed Harlingen to march down the field all the way inside the Greyhound 10-yard line. San Benito, however, showed why it boasts the number one scoring defense in District 32-6A, holding the Cardinals to a field goal after five plays inside the red zone.
The first half ended with Harlingen gripping that slim 3-0 lead, but neither team gathered much momentum. Despite feeding Garcia his most carries of the season in the first half alone, San Benito faced its first deficit of the season heading into the second half.
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