WESLACO — Weslaco High quarterback Andres Sepulveda accounted for three touchdowns and the Panthers’ defense held Harlingen South to less than 150 total yards en route to a 24-6 victory over the Hawks during a non-district contest Thursday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.
The victory moves the Panthers to 2-0 on the year, while the Hawks fall to 0-2 with the loss.
“One game at a time,” Weslaco High head coach Roy Stroman said. “We’re going to take it one game at a time and not look ahead. We’re just going to try to improve on ourselves going forward. Still too many penalties today. At the end of the day, we have to take advantage. We’re 2-0. It is tough to win ball games in high school, especially versus a team like Harlingen South. I’m proud and happy, but we have a lot of room for improvement.”
Harlingen South struck first blood, recovering a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown during Weslaco High’s first offensive drive.
The first-quarter touchdown was all the Hawks put up on the night, with Weslaco High’s D-line wreaking havoc in the passing and rushing games. The Hawks finished with just 133 total yards and zero points on offense.
“We overcame adversity early after that blocked punt,” Stroman said. “I was kind of curious to see how our team was going to react. It didn’t phase our guys. Our defense came in and had a big game today. We put a lot of pressure this week on the D-line. It is going to be up to them how far we go this year. They came out, played and disrupted some things tonight.”
Finding space against Harlingen South’s defense proved just as difficult for Weslaco High’s offense, finishing the game with just 232 total yards.
The Panthers made big plays when it counted, however, led by the arm and legs of Sepulveda.
The senior QB scored the Panthers’ first touchdown during the second quarter, breaking a 23-yard run on fourth down to make it 9-6. A 15-yard touchdown pass to Ayden Moralez late in the second made it 17-6 heading into the break.
Sepulveda added one final touchdown pass during the fourth, connecting with Harley Rodriguez on a slant pattern for the 42-yard score to put the nail in the coffin.
The Panthers’ signal caller finished the night 11-of-19 for 161 yards and two touchdowns, adding one score on the ground.
“Coach (Israel) Gonzalez and that defensive staff did a tremendous job planning for us,” Stroman said. “They exploited our weakness, so those are things we need to work on. We adjusted and Andres found some things in the defense so there are some positives out of it.”
Weslaco High looks to keep its hot start going at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8, against Edinburg High (0-2) at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.
The Hawks will look to snap their mini losing streak when they take on Brownsville Hanna at 7 p.m. next Friday at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen.
