Published Nov. 20, 1961
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 Rio Grande City Rattlers.
20-YARD GAINER – San Benito’s Jim Helms (21), with ball, breaks away from a Rio Grande City defender for a 20-yard gain in Friday night’s San Benito-Rio Grande City football game. Helms went to the RGC 13-yard line on this play in the second quarter and later scored San Benito’s third touchdown. (Staff photo)
San Benito News
RIO GRANDE CITY—Warming up for their bi-district game this week, San Benito’s Greyhounds buried the Rio Grande City Rattlers in the last district 16-AAA game for both teams here Friday night, 49-0.
THE VICTORY gave San Benito a perfect 10-0 record for the regular season. The Hounds Friday night take on Port Lavaca in Port Lavaca in a bi-district affair.
Port Lavaca whipped Beeville, 30-6, to end its regular season with a 6-3 record.
San Benito’s 49 points Friday night marked the highest total the Greyhounds have scored this season, topping by a single point the 48 scored against Mercedes in the first district game this year.
San Benito had already claimed all the marbles in 16-AAA before Friday night’s game, but Rio Grande City had lost only one game before running into San Benito and the game had been figured reasonably close.
WITH THEIR star quarterback, Charles LaGrange, back in action, the Rattlers were supposed to give San Benito big trouble on their home field.
The Hounds intercepted three passes and held LaGrange in check all night to win easily, however LaGrange ended up with no yards gained on 10 carries as he was forced to take several losses on passing attempts in the last state.
In addition to that alert defense that was holding the Rattlers powerless, a fleet set of Greyhound backs ran almost at will behind the crisp blocking San Benito line led by Jerry Crow and Jesus Yanes.
Time and again the Greyhound forwards opened gaping holes in the Rio Grande City defense that had been billed as one of the toughest in the district.
ALL–STATE candidate Jim Helms raced for three touchdowns and scored four extra points for the night to up his session scoring total to 102 points.
An overflow crowd of about 5,000 watched the district final
It was the 15th straight victory for Head Coach Jake Helms. His Hounds won their last five games of the season last year to go with the 10 victories in this campaign.
Rio Grande City ended its season with a 7-2-1 record and a 3-2-1 district mark, good for only fourth place in the final district standings.
Behind San Benito in a tie for second place in the final standings are Pharr-San Juan-Alamo and Mercedes with identical 4-2 records.
THE RATTLERS showed what was probably their best offensive punch after receiving the opening kickoff. With LaGrange and fullback Alonzo Rodriguez doing most of the damage, Rio Grande City moved from its own 24-yard line down to San Benito’s 38 where Helms pulled the old stolen ball gimmick to give the Hounds the ball.
Rodriguez, after a three yard gain to the 35, held the ball a little too far in front of him and Helms snatched it away and dashed back to the 41-yard line in Rio Grande’s end of the field.
A personal foul penalty there moved the ball back to San Benito’s 44.
After two ground plays up to the Rattlers 48, halfback Robert Cortez headed to his right on the run-to-pass option and tossed an aerial to Helms at the 35. Helms worked his way all the way to the eight-yard line for a net of 40 yards on the play.
After Helms gained five more to the three, fullback Jim Lewis pounded over for the first touchdown with 6:13 left in the first quarter.
Quarterback Eddie McKaughan kicked good on the extra point try for a 7-0 Hound bulge.
LESS THAN two minutes later, San Benito was back on the scoreboard.
McKaughan picked off a LaGrange pass on the Rattler 28 and carried it all the way back for a touchdown with 4:43 remaining in the first period. He again kicked true for a 14-0 San Benito lead.
Then in the second quarter, Helms capped a 44-yard march when he cracked over from four yards out for San Benito third touchdown.
Helms added two extra points and San Benito led by 22-0 with 10:08 left in the first half.
Helms intercepted another Rattler pass late in the half, but a penalty killed a brief Hound drive. McKaughan put the Rattlers in a deep hole when he uncorked a 54-yard punt just before intermission. It died on Rio Grande City’s nine-yard line.
IT TOOK the Hounds less than two minutes to find the scoring range in the third quarter.
On the sixth play after the start of the second half, Helms went 33-yards down the left sideline after being almost stopped at the line of scrimmage.
Helms again pushed over two extra points for a 30-0 score with 10:17 remaining in the third quarter.
Helms scored his third touchdown of the night five minutes later when he ended a 50-yard San Benito drive by scoring from two yards out with 5:45 left in the third quarter.
McKaughan’s attempted kick for extra point was blocked and San Benito had a 36-0 advantage.
Late in the same period, San Benito tacked on another touchdown and extra point.
THIS TIME it was Don Uptegraph who took honors on a 31-yard scoring scamper on a rollout to the right side. He was almost dragged down at the 25, but he kept his balance to go all the way.
McKaughan added a single extra point for a 43-0 San Benito lead 24 seconds left in the third period.
With reserves playing most of the rest of the game on offense, the Hounds were to score one more six-pointer.
Still early in the fourth quarter, halfback Frank Reyes pushed over from the one-yard line with 9:04 remaining in the game.
THERE WAS no extra point to leave the score at 49-0 in San Benito’s favor.
The Rattlers marched back down to San Benito’s 27 in the remaining minutes, but McKaughan intercepted his second pass for the night at the Hounds’ 16 to kill the threat.
Hounds reserves brought the ball back up to the San Benito 41 before time ran out.
Helms Pushes Season Scoring Total To 102
Halfback Jim Helms Friday night scored more points than any single Greyhound back has in any game this year against Rio Grande City when he scored three touchdowns and four extra points for a 22-point total.
The fleet halfback also led runners in rushing yardage with 8 yards on 11 carries.
The previous individual high scoring mark was set this season by Gene Uptegraph when he accounted for 158 points against Mission.
The 22 points Friday night pushed Helms over the century marking scoring with 102 points in the 10 games played this season. His 81 yards Friday night brings his 10-game season total to 1, 085 yards on 127 carries.
Quarterback Eddie McKaughan accounted for nine points Friday night on a touchdown and three extra points. He gained 12 yards on two carries for the night.
Jim Lewis, Don Uptegraph and Frank Reyes each scored six points with a touchdown apiece.
Following Helms in rushing yardage was Lewis with 34 yards on 12 carries. He was the busiest Greyhound ball carries of the night.
Halfback Robert Cortez picked up 12 yards on five carries while all other Greyhound ball toters gained a total of 66 yards.
On the passing side of the ledger, Cortez had a hand in both of San Benito’s two completions of the night. In the first half he threw a running pass to Helms good for 40 yards and then was on the receiving end of a nine-yard pass from McKaughan in the last half.
The Greyhounds completed two passes out of five attempts.
McKaughan had a good night kicking, getting off punts of 41 and 54 yards in the first half and a 29-yarder on the final half.
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