MISSION — Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer traded blows during the first half of their District 16-5A DII rivalry game with each team landing significant strikes.
The Rattlers went up two scores during the first quarter, but the Diamondbacks took a two-point lead into the locker room at the half.
Then, Sharyland flipped a switch.
The Rattlers offense, defense and special teams each took turns making plays to lift Sharyland High over Sharyland Pioneer 35-22 in the ninth edition of the Snakeskin Classic and RGVSports.com Game of the Week at Richard Thompson Stadium. The Rattlers (5-4, 4-0) clinched a share of the District 16-5A DII title and the district’s No. 1 seed. The Diamondbacks, who already secured a playoff spot, dropped to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in district.
“We talked about stepping up on the defensive side of the ball and making plays. In the first half, I thought we were in good positions a lot of times, we just didn’t make the plays,” Sharyland High head coach Craig Krell said. “We started the third quarter, turned the ball over twice, but our defense stepped up both times and held them until our offense got rolling again in the third quarter and the fourth and that was the difference.”
Sharyland recovered the opening kickoff after Pioneer failed to field the kick. Three plays later, Alan Guerrero was in the end zone to give the Rattlers a 7-0 lead. The Diamondbacks turned the ball over on downs on their next possession. Alan Gonzalez then took a wide receiver screen for a 51-yard touchdown and a 14-0 advantage.
The Diamondbacks ripped off the next 16 points after a safety and touchdown runs from Joseph Graham Jr. and Julian Valdez.
Sharyland started the second half with two fumbles, but the Rattlers defense was able to prevent Pioneer from turning them into points.
“They had some turnovers offensively and we didn’t capitalize in the second half and that’s the name of the game. You got to capitalize and take advantage of your opportunities and we didn’t capitalize,” Pioneer head coach Eddie Galindo said.
The Rattlers forced a turnover on downs after a Pioneer miscue on a punt. Diego Diaz scored on an 11-yard jet sweep, Bo Krell hit Alan Gonzalez for a nine-yard touchdown and Santiago Longoria returned an interception for a 40-yard touchdown to surge past the Diamondbacks and clinch a second-straight District 16-5A DII title for Sharyland High.
“It all comes with practice. Since Monday, we started this journey and studied them very hard,” Longoria said. “For us to come out and show them what we really got, it means a lot to us.”
“It just came down to believing in our guys,” Sharyland’s Alan Gonzalez said. “They had the momentum going into the half. In Valley football, the winner is usually the one that’s mentally prepared. We were there at halftime and made sure we were all on the same page, that we were all going to do our jobs, and with all that coming together, we knew that we were going to come out on top.”
Sharyland High closes district play against PSJA Southwest (1-8, 1-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.
Sharyland Pioneer will face PSJA Memorial (4-5, 1-3) in its district finale at 7:30 p.m. Friday at PSJA Stadium
