SAN ANTONIO — Harlingen High and Dripping Springs seemed headed for a dogfight through one quarter during their Region IV-6A DII semifinal matchup Friday, with the Cardinals trailing by just one score.
Then, Kyle Koch made his impact felt.
The Tigers’ junior wideout erupted for three first-half touchdowns, putting Dripping Springs up big and never looking back, ending the Cardinals season 45-0 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
The Cardinals finish the year with a 12-1 overall mark, capturing the District 32-6A title and a pair of playoff wins along the way.
“I truly believe God really blessed us this year,” Harlingen High head coach Manny Gomez said. “He blessed us with a lot of perseverance, even today. It is an eye-opener for a lot of these kids as far as what is out there. We say everybody has a Goliath. That is part of it that we emphasize to these kids. At the same time, we have a lot of people out here, fighting until the end because that is who we are. Cardinals spirit never dies; it just multiplies. Today we came up short, but I guarantee you these kids are going to be successful when it is all said and done.”
Harlingen High’s defense held its own against Dripping Springs during the first quarter, forcing a fumble and a punt after allowing a touchdown on the Tigers’ opening drive.
The Cardinals were unable to capitalize on the Tigers’ mistakes, punting on each ensuing possession.
The Tigers erupted following Harlingen High’s third punt of the day, scoring on their next three drives, also adding a defensive touchdown, to take a commanding 35-0 lead into the break.
“In games like this, you have three phases. We had a little bit of issues in one,” Gomez said. “That is usually what happens when you have lopsided victories. Don’t get me wrong, nothing but respect and love for Dripping Springs and what they did. They were able to expose some things we did and weren’t ready for.”
Koch accounted for two touchdowns during the 28-point, second-quarter outburst, scoring on plays of 22 and 87 yards.
He finished with 189 total yards and three touchdowns, including a 23-yard touchdown run with 6:38 left in the first to get the Tigers on the board.
The Cardinals struggled offensively, mustering just 204 total yards after averaging 388.4 per game during the regular season.
Workhorse running back Izaiah Bell accounted for 115 of those yards, toting the rock 23 times for 99 yards and adding a reception for 16 yards. Bell finishes his senior season more than 1,700 total yards and 33 total touchdowns.
“I don’t think I’ll ever play for a group as good as these guys,” Bell said. “They did everything our coaches ever asked for them and then more. They blocked their butts off for me even when stuff got hard. This is probably the best group of guys I have ever been with. We came together as a family. It wasn’t just a team. It didn’t end how we wanted to, but we played a great team. Hopefully they make a deep run in the playoffs and good luck to them.”
Elsewhere, the San Benito Greyhounds saw their season come to an end in the Region IV-6A DI semifinals, losing to Austin Westlake 44-7 at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio.
The Greyhounds had no answer for Westlake’s Jack Kayser during the first half, with the junior running back finding the end zone three times to make it 24-0 at the break.
San Benito got on the board with 9:30 left, with senior defensive end Tayshawn Corbin collecting a loose ball and taking it 60 yards to make it 31-7.
Westlake junior quarterback Brett Skinner sealed the win with a pair of short touchdown runs during the fourth.
The Greyhounds end the season 11-2, finishing second in District 32-6A behind the Cardinals.
