Revenge is sweet, and the Hidalgo Pirates dished out a big serving of it to spoil Rio Hondo’s homecoming Friday night.
Hidalgo dominated time of possession throughout the contest behind a sturdy offensive line that anchored the Pirates in their 35-17 win. Junior running back Zachary Carrera followed the big men up front to a huge night on the ground, accumulating 141 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
“It was a good game, the intensity was real,” Carrera said. “Last year they blew us out, but we got them this year. It’s a blessing. I couldn’t do anything without those linemen.”
Hidalgo’s senior quarterback Angel Lopez had a big night as well. He threw two touchdown passes — one to senior receiver Gus Sanchez and another to junior tight end Jonathan Trevino — and scored on a quarterback keeper from the half-yard line.
The Bobcats’ defense had a night to forget, as they only forced two negative plays against the starters. Hidalgo’s ground-and-pound offense lured Rio Hondo’s secondary in just enough times for Lopez to find an open receiver downfield for some change-of-pace gains.
“I knew they were going to be tough for us because they’re big, and we’re not,” Rio Hondo coach Rocky James said. “We knew that run game would give us problems, and it did. They have some good-looking athletes over there.”
Rio Hondo junior quarterback Matthew Trevino took over after the Bobcats’ opening drive, and James said he had a good game for his experience level. He made good throws late as his offense played catchup — including a 17-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Efrain Lopez — and powered out some good runs. Juniors Anthony Vega and Humberto Barrera also scored for Rio Hondo on a field goal and rushing touchdown, respectively.
The only true downside to Hidalgo’s game was drops. The Pirates had four would-be interceptions fall through the hands of defenders, and some of Lopez’s receivers failed to haul in some impressive throws he delivered.
“I’m really proud of our kids. They’re playing hard every week and they’re believing in what we’re trying to do, and that’s the main thing,” Hidalgo coach Monty Stumbaugh said. “We did well on defense. We ran the ball really well. Our lines did a fantastic job, and we just hope to get better every week.”
