HARLINGEN — In their first meeting, visiting Odessa High showed no signs of fatigue against Harlingen South.
Quarterback Trey Smith hit Tyrone Canfield on the Bronchos’ first play for a 60-yard strike, setting the tempo for the afternoon, and running back Josh Lara added two scores during the second half as the Bronchos cruised to a 44-17 win over the Hawks on Saturday at Boggus Stadium.
“ It was a long drive, that is for sure,” Odessa High coach Danny Servance said. “It was a great experience, though, coming down to the Rio Grande Valley. It is a good experience for the kids so they can know how to travel and all the things that go with traveling to play a football game.”
The Hawks fell behind the eight-ball early in the first quarter, trailing 21-3.
“ We talked to the kids about coming out of the gate fast, and we were able to do that,” Servance said. “We knew at some time in the game that the humidity would have an effect on us and it did in the middle of the second quarter, but our guys came out fast like we wanted them to.”
After using a fake punt to keep the drive alive, South’s David Torres hit Cristian Cortez in the flat for a 5-yard score, cutting into the lead at 21-10 midway through the second quarter.
“ The kids’ effort is there,” Hawks coach Brian Ricci said. “The kids came out and performed well. We had some turnovers in the first half that hurt us.”
Odessa High outscored the Hawks 23-7 during the second half.
Harlingen South wraps up non-district play with a 2-3 record and heads into its bye week before playing host to the Los Fresnos Falcons in their District 32-6A opener.
“ We got better as a team,” Ricci said. “Early in the year we were making some costly mistakes, but we have grown as a team and that is what I think it will take to make the playoffs.”
