SANTA MARIA — Play hard, run fast, reduce turnovers and do not give up the big play. Those were the keys to the game set forth by Santa Maria head coach Steve Flores for tonight’s contest against the Progreso Red Ants.
On the heels of a two-game win streak, the Cougars look to extend that winning streak when they host the Red Ants (0-3) in the teams’ final non-district game of the season.
A fresh start to the season with a new head coach has yielded positive results for the 3-2 Cougars. Wins over Monte Alto (12-7), Benavides (35-7) and Agua Dulce (47-33) has given the Cougar faithful plenty to root for.
One bright spot for the Cougars has been the emergence of quarterback Jesse Ortiz.
“We’ve tried to rally around our new quarterback,” said Flores of Ortiz. “He’s a sophomore, but he was kind of thrown into the fire against Corpus Christi John Paul II. Fortunately for us, the team has rallied around him and has supported him as we work together toward a common goal.”
The Cougars lost 36-14 to the Centurions, however the score line did not paint a full picture of the contest. Miscommunication and bad exchanges of the ball cost the Cougars three to four turnovers inside the 10-yard line.
This week, the Red Ants present a new challenge for Santa Maria as this will be the first time this season that the Cougars play an opponent that is two classifications higher.
The Red Ants come into the contest at 0-3 with losses to Lyford (21-18), Santa Rosa (21-18) and Hebbronville (50-6). In those games Progreso was outscored 119 to 38.
Defensively, the Cougars will have to contend with Progreso offensive standouts like Josh San Roman, Jose Medrano and Aldo Martinez. Roman has passed the ball for 210 yards and two TDs with most of the passes going to senior wide receiver Martinez, who has 192 yards receiving. Junior running back Medrano has carried the ball for 211 yards rushing and two TDs.
