LA VILLA — La Villa moved one step closer to claiming a third straight district title with a 30-19 win over Santa Maria on Friday night in La Villa.
La Villa, 3-0 in District 16-2A DI, has not lost a district game in 12 straight games and has a meeting against Premont and Freer remaining.
Cardinals head coach Daniel Perez praised his team’s strength and conditioning, one of La Villa’s greatest strengths, as a determining factor in the win. La Villa outscored Santa Maria 22-12 in the second half.
“These last couple of games it showed at the end,” Perez said. “They could not catch our guys, they were pretty tired. That is a big factor in why the wins are coming this way.”
Cardinals running back Rey Perez put the game away with a 1-yard touchdown run halfway through the fourth. Perez gashed the Cougars during the second half with chunk plays.
“I did not start the first half, but coming out in the second half it was just all a mental game and so I had to be mentally prepared,” Rey Perez said. “I had to what had to be done in the second half and get the victory for my team. Today we came out victorious and I did my part.”
Santa Maria’s Esiah Gracia helped get the Cougars back in the game after going down in the fourth with a 61-yard touchdown run to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 24-19.
Brandon Felix scored twice in the second half, first on a 3-yard run and next on a 20-yard pass to Rey Perez to give La Villa a 24-13 lead.
“I saw it coming, we executed very well and scored,” Rey Perez said.
Cougars quarterback PJ Alaniz found a teammate for a 33-yard pass to help set up a 4-yard touchdown pass a few plays later to go up 13-8 early in the third.
The Cardinals went into the half up 8-7 after picking up a safety late in the second quarter. La Villa turned the ball over at the goal line the play prior.
Santa Maria started strong when it recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff. Gracia found the end zone with a 29-yard run.
La Villa (6-2, 3-0) takes on Premont at 7:30 p.m. next Friday in Premont. Santa Maria (5-3, 1-2) faces Ben Bolt at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Ben Bolt.
“We got two tough games,” Perez said. “Premont, they have a good team … Coach Cantu does a good job with them. They have that power offense over there and big boys. Freer, we barely beat them last year, it was a close game. Hopefully, it is between us and them in the last game here at home.”
