BY ARMANDO GARZA |
RAYMONDVILLE — One step closer.
That’s the mantra for the Rio Hondo Bobcats, who were slow out of the gate but regrouped for a 35-13 win over Raymondville on Friday night at Burnett Stadium.
The victory puts the Bobcats (6-2, 3-0 district) in the catbird’s seat heading into next week’s 16-4A Division-II showdown at Orange Grove (5-3, 2-1) in JimWellsCounty. A win on the road would clinch the outright district championship for Rio Hondo, its first in four seasons. However, taking care of business at Raymondville was priority.
“Tonight went really well, we started slow but our offense picked up pace and we were able to put up points,” Rio Hondo head coach Rocky James said. “We played great defense all night long and were able to shut down their running game, so we played lights out most of the night.”
Rio Hondo was slowed by penalties, which negated two touchdowns on the evening. However, Danny Vasquez’s 15-yard score in the first quarter got things started.
The Bearkats (3-5, 2-1) got a 22-yard score from Marcus Capetillo, but the extra point was botched to keep it 7-6 Bobcats with 7:58 to go before halftime.
Later, Rio Hondo’s Ruben Hernandez returned a Raymondville fumble to the 1, before Jesse Atkinson punched it in to make it 14-6 ‘Cats. Then just before half, quarterback Tyler Bush took to the skies and hit favorite target Eric Pizarro on a 21-yard TD play, pushing the lead to 21-6 going into intermission.
In the second half, Bush dove in from a yard out and then connected with Pizarro on a 40-yard bomb, putting the ledger at 35-6 with 4:25 left in the third. Capetillo added a score late in the fourth to close out the scoring.
With the Bearkats in the rearview mirror, the Bobcats now zero in on the Bulldogs, who’ve been a thorn in their sides as of late.
“It’s been three years in a row with them, playing for a district title against Orange Grove,” James said. “But it’s a real big game for us and we know our kids want the title outright. They’re hungry for it and we’re expecting a great ballgame.”
