Tradition runs deep between the Harlingen High and San Benito football programs.
Dating back to 1913, the Cardinals and the Greyhounds have met on the gridiron 109 times, including a pair of meetings during the postseason in 2009 and 2010.
From bragging rights between the cities to district title implications, the annual meeting between the programs is must-watch action. Both teams going into the game with identical 7-0 overall and 2-0 District 32-6A records intesifies an already fierce feud.
“This is a rivalry beyond any rivalry, and I watch all sports,” former Harlingen High assistant coach Bobby Lucio said. “I’m going to say we’re more Hatfields and McCoys than we are Yankees vs. Red Sox or Dallas Cowboys vs. the world. This is family. We love our family members from San Benito. They love their family members from Harlingen. But for this one week and this one game, gosh, we can’t wait to beat them.”
Lucio is more than familiar with the Battle of the Arroyo, catching his first glimpse of the rivalry in 1963 at 3 years old.
Later he became the first member of his family, a long line of Greyhounds, to suit up for the Cardinals following a move to Harlingen after his dad took a job with the Harlingen Fire Department.
He still recalls his first time playing in the Battle of the Arroyo in 1976. Lucio, Harlingen High’s starting safety then, remembers a play in which Harlingen High pretended to be confused on the kickoff before he kicked the onside attempt.
“I kicked the ball and caught them by surprise to open the second half, and we recovered the onside kick,” Lucio said. “It worked. It hadn’t worked in practice all week. Our coach, Ruben Elizarde, a former Cardinal just like Manny, said we’re going to try whatever we can because in the Battle of the Arroyo you do whatever it takes to win the game.”
Lucio has since become a staple of the Harlingen football community and the Battle of the Arroyo. He spent countless years on the sidelines as an assistant coach for the Cardinals during his coaching career, which spans more than 30 years.
He’s been on both sides of the rivalry during that time, mostly wins but not hearing the end of it from his San Benito family when the Greyhounds win. Lucio also had the chance to coach his son, Luke, who played receiver for the Cardinals from 2008-2010, and watch his daughter play the role of ball girl for Harlingen High, and also suit up for the Cardinals’ girls soccer team from 2009-2012.
While he no longer coaches at Harlingen High, retiring from the job in 2020, Lucio, along with a throng of other Harlingen and San Benito faithful, will flock Friday to Boggus Stadium for the 110th meeting between the rivals.
“I’m fortunate because we have a game at 5 o’clock at Bowman Stadium with MMA, our homecoming, but we should be through in time,” said Lucio, who is now athletic director at Marine Military Academy. “I’m going to go jump the fence and watch the Battle of the Arroyo because that is must-see for anybody in the Valley.”
Kickoff for the 2022 Battle of the Arroyo is set for 7:30 p.m. in Harlingen.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Friday’s matchup marks the 110th meeting between Harlingen High and San Benito, with the Cardinals holding a 72-27-10 series advantage.
Since Cardinals head coach Manny Gomez took the helm in 2007, Harlingen High has amassed an 11-6 record against San Benito, including a pair of postseason wins in 2009 and 2010.
San Benito head coach Dan Gomez is responsible for four of those losses — and wins — tallying a 4-4 mark against the Cardinals since his arrival in 2014.
Harlingen High enters the game riding a three-game winning streak against San Benito, including a 17-0 victory over the Greyhounds last season.
DISTRICT RACE
The Battle of the Arroyo isn’t the only 6A contest featuring huge district title implications, with Edinburg North (5-2, 2-0) and PSJA High (3-4, 2-0) putting their undefeated District 31-6A records on the line.
The matchup features the district’s top offense and defense going head-to-head, with PSJA High’s high-octane offense clashing with Edinburg North’s ball-swarming defense.
The Bears enter the contest averaging 344.9 yards per game, including 283.1 yards through the air. They’re led by junior quarterback Jaime Lopez (1,852 yards, 16 touchdowns) and sophomore wideout Caleb Salas (718 yards, nine touchdowns), who rank first in the Valley in passing and receiving, respectively.
The Cougars, meanwhile, are allowing just 297.1 yards per game, anchored by defensive back Keyshawn Garcia (49 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions) and linebacker Eli Cardenas (39 total tackles, two sacks, eight tackles for loss).
Kickoff between the Bears and Cougars is set for 7 p.m. tonight at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.
