San Benito Greyhounds – San Benito News

(Photo by Mathew Zuniga)
Starting quarterback Christian Sierra warms up during afternoon practice for the San Benito Greyhounds on Tuesday.

By ANGELICA CHAVEZ
Special to the NEWS

Dan Gomez is the type of fellow who says what’s on his mind. So when asked about what fans could expect of the 2014 edition of the San Benito Greyhounds, the first-year head coach spoke plainly.

“We expect them to hit someone,” Gomez exclaimed.

That’s right. It is yet again the season of Friday nights spent in anticipation of victory from Bobby Morrow Stadium’s bleachers. Indeed, these are the days of halftime shows, cheering fans in purple and gold and exceeded expectations.

This year’s ’Hounds have been working hard and are being trained under a doctrine of focus and belief.

Leading the way into a new season is the annual Meet the Greyhounds community pep rally, sponsored by the San Benito Greyhound Quarterback Club, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 21 at the Bobby Morrow Stadium.

As it has been the case in years past, expect the San Benito High School varsity, junior varsity and freshmen cheerleading squads on-hand as well as the Belles and the Mighty Greyhound Marching Band.

The public is invited to fill the stands in honor and support of the ’Hounds before the new season kicks off with a scrimmage slated for 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22, against PSJA North at PSJA Stadium.

The fans will be exposed to a new year, a new look and a new head coach with a fresh new attitude, but the goal remains the same: win a district championship.

According to the coaching staff, there is youth and experience on this year’s team, and each individual has the potential to impress during this year’s campaign.

The ’Hounds will enter the 2014 season on Friday, Aug. 29, against Edinburg at home. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. This game marks the beginning of a new era in San Benito football, as the team will be competing in new-look 32-6A, which now includes old foes the Harlingen Cardinals, Harlingen South Hawks and Los Fresnos Falcons.

(Photo by Edward Cruz)
San Benito Greyhounds quarterback Cristian Sierra leaps over a PSJA North defender during the team’s sole scrimmage held at PSJA Stadium on Friday morning.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

PHARR – It may have been only a dress rehearsal for the Greyhounds, but after Friday morning, you can’t blame anyone for wanting to see the rest of the show.

San Benito got going early and never looked back as the ’Hounds defeated PSJA North 30-7 in their team scrimmage at PSJA Stadium.

The teams elected to play a “live” format scrimmage, meaning four, 12-minute quarters. Special teams were dead and coaches were in game mode on the sidelines. A good San Benito crowd liked what it saw and with good reason. However, the boys aren’t resting on any laurels whatsoever.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the Aug. 24 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

(Photo by Edward Cruz)
San Benito Greyhounds signal-caller Cristian Sierra is pictured during mid-pass at Friday morning’s scrimmage action against PSJA North.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

It truly is a new beginning for Greyhound Football.

With spring practices, offseason workouts and scrimmages out of the way, the time has come to pull the curtain back on a fresh start in San Benito as the ’Hounds host Edinburg High at Bobby Morrow Stadium on Friday night in their 2014 nondistrict season opener.

It will also be Parent’s Night for football players and their families.

The game will usher in the Dan Gomez era for San Benito, referring to the new coach who arrived last spring tasked with turning around a 3-7 season and two straight years of no playoffs. On a positive note, Gomez and his new coaching staff, including coordinators Gilbert Leal (offense), Haskell Buff (defense) and Alex Rosales (special teams), didn’t find a bare cupboard in terms of talent.

The ’Hounds (0-0) bring back a handful of starters and veterans who saw action last season. Among those is new quarterback Cristian Sierra, who moves over from running back. A supremely-talented group of wideouts led by Victor Gaitan, Armando Medrano and Javi Ortiz will be at Sierra’s disposal, as will RB Gabriel Vasquez and a solid stable of ball carriers.

Defensively, the edges will certainly be set with ends Pedro Coronado and Chris Padilla handling the duties. In San Benito’s lone scrimmage against PSJA North, both units had plenty of positives to take away. The offense showed promise with several big plays and good push from the offensive line while the ’Hounds’ stoppers was aggressive and in the Raiders’ backfield continuously, allowing just one late score.

The consensus on San Benito is that the ’Hounds will improve under the hard-working Gomez, but not all prognosticators aren’t convinced, as noted by some preseason polls and predictions. All which will deservedly get little attention from the team but definitely add a little fuel to their competitive fires.

On the other side, Edinburg (0-0) is also starting anew. Joaquin Escobar is the Bobcats’ new coach and unlike Gomez, did find a bare pantry in terms of experienced players. Escobar comes to Edinburg by way of Odessa Permian, Midland Lee, La Marque, Comanche, Athens and most recently Corpus Christi King, where he served as offensive coordinator and associate head coach for the Mustangs. He replaced Joey Caceres for a team that like San Benito, was forced to hit the reset button.

The Bobcats do not feature much experience, so they’ll all be learning Escobar’s spread, no-huddle attack together. The flagship Edinburg school won just five games over the past two seasons.

(Photo by T.J. Tijerina)
Running back Gabriel Vasquez put on a clinic for the San Benito Greyhounds on Friday, rushing for four touchdowns against the Edinburg Bobcats en route to a 53-7 shellacking.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

The San Benito Greyhounds didn’t exactly start the season with a bang.

KABOOM! was more like it.

After a 40-minute delay due to lightning in the area, the ’Hounds used big plays on special teams and a marvelous night from senior running back Gabriel Vasquez to pummel Edinburg 53-7 on Friday night at Bobby Morrow Stadium.

The Greyhounds (1-0) never broke a sweat as they used a surprise onside kick, blocked punt and interception to set up three scores before the Bobcats (0-1) knew what hit them. The right-left-right combination of punches was too much for the young visitors to handle as the boys in purple opened the Dan Gomez era with a rousing win. Ever the realist, Gomez was pleased with the win but knows his squad has work to do to get to where they want to be.

“The kids were ready to play tonight even with that rain stoppage,” Gomez said. “The kids were focused early, but we lost it there in the second half. We got some other guys some PT (playing time) and that’s important, but we expect our number twos to be as good as our ones, so we’ll come back to work tomorrow and get after it. We scored some points, so that’s good, but now we’ll move on to the next one.”

Although there was not much more than a slight drizzle and plenty of sunshine, lightning to the northeast prompted officials and administrators to delay the start of the contest by 30 minutes. Eventually, the teams were brought back out and kickoff was at approximately 8:20 p.m.

By 8:22, San Benito led 6-0. The ’Hounds used the surprise onside kick and subsequent recovery by Edward Alvarez to set the stage for a 67-yard touchdown from Vasquez as they paralyzed Edinburg in just 17 seconds. The extra point was missed.

Vasquez, one of the fastest players in the area, had his coming out party by racking up 154 yards and four touchdowns on just eight totes. Vasquez and many other starters played for just over a half and the senior rightfully gave plenty of credit to his offensive line and teammates for their efforts.

“It felt like a regular game for me,” Vasquez said. “I just went out there and played for the team. I saw all of the (holes) and they (offensive line) were doing their job and I thanked them for it and gave them all the glory because all of those good blocks.”

On Edinburg’s first possession, San Benito’s Ruben Reyes blocked a punt and Isaac Sanchez fell on it inside the Bobcats’ 10 yards line. Three plays later, Julio Pecina dove in from a yard away to make it a 12-0 advantage with still 9:14 to go. Then on the Bobcats’ first play, the Greyhounds’ Juan Hernandez recorded the first of two interceptions before Vasquez pushed the lead to 18-0 on a swift 16-yard scoring scamper.

Backup quarterback Efrain Borrego came on for the Bobcats on their third series and the junior was constantly harassed by a San Benito defense led by ends Pedro Coronado and Chris Padilla. The highlight of Borrego’s night came on a well-executed screen pass to Nathan Marez, who ran in for a 9-yard TD to close the gap to 18-7 with 10:21 left in the second.

Aside from that score, the long night for the Bobcats got a lot longer.

On a free play thanks to the Bobcats being offsides, wideout R.J. Atkinson hauled in a 43-yard scoring pass from Cristian Sierra and later the lead grew to 32-7 when Vasquez zipped 40 yards for his third TD with 7:33 left before intermission. Vasquez closed out his career night with a three-yard score with under three minutes before half.

“It does feel good to have this kind of game,” Vasquez said. “But this win says we’ve been working out butts off all summer and going hard all the time and not slacking off.”

More highlights came via J.R. Gaitan, who bobbled the opening kickoff of the second half, collected himself and then was off to the races for a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to deflate Edinburg further. Later in the fourth, Pecina completed the scoring with a touchdown run.

The Greyhounds will have a short week as they travel to take on 1-0 Weslaco East next Thursday night at Bobby Lackey Stadium.

(Photo by T.J. Tijerina)
Senior running back Gabriel Vasquez of the San Benito Greyhounds is seen looking for running room against the Edinburg Bobcats on Friday, Aug. 29.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

WESLACO — After opening the season with a resounding 53-7 win over Edinburg, many people’s ears perked up concerning the San Benito Greyhounds.

The ’Hounds (1-0) used a special teams barrage of an onside kick, blocked punt, blocked field goal and kickoff return for a touchdown to put their paws on the necks of the Bobcats right at the start. A career night from Gabriel Vasquez (8 carries, 144 yards, 4 TDs) fueled the fire to their first season opening win since 2012.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the Sept. 3 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

(Staff photo by Ray Quiroga)
San Benito Greyhound quarterback Cristian Sierra is seen launching a pass on Thursday against Weslaco East at Bobby Lackey Stadium.

WESLACO — The scoreboard doesn’t lie: There aren’t many ways to sugarcoat a 42-14 victory by Weslaco East over San Benito on Thursday night.

But despite the loss, which was not as distant as the final score indicates, there are some silver linings for the Greyhounds.

Plagued by turnovers and some costly miscues, the ’Hounds found themselves in a 21-0 hole before the cheese for the concession stand nachos was ready. An interception in the end zone became a 50-yard Alexis Cervantes touchdown while a fortuitous fumble bounced right to J.C. Vargas, who streaked 75 yards for a TD. After a conversion, East led 14-0 with 4:17 left in the first quarter. Then a San Benito punt gave it again to East, which drove 64 yards on 10 runs, culminating with a three-yard score from La Villa Cardinal-turned Wildcat Lupe Moron (157 yards, TD) for a three-TD lead early in the second quarter.

It was that punch (three, actually) to the mouth that stunned the boys in white and purple and it would be interesting to see how they’d respond on a dripping muggy night at Bobby Lackey Stadium: At that point, they could hang their heads or claw back into the contest.

“We did some growing up,” ’Hounds head coach Dan Gomez said. “We told the kids we were gonna find out what type of character we had when he got hit in the mouth. We’ve talked about not giving games away and making people earn it against us. They’re (East) a great team and always have been, but we gave them some opportunities so there was a little mixture of both tonight.”

“Let’s keep fighting and chip away!” coaches could be heard barking on the sideline as players nodded in agreement.

That’s when the axes came out.

The San Benito offense, which was for the most part superb as it racked up 445 total yards, began to march and answered with a 10-play, 71-yard scoring drive. On the possession, the ’Hounds averted disaster after QB Cristian Sierra (153 yards passing, 122 rushing) was blasted from behind and coughed up a fumble which East recovered. However, a holding penalty on the Wildcats negated the play and gave San Benito second life. Sierra later pounded in from two yards away to close the gap to 21-7 at the 7:28 mark.

Then, although a minute victory vs. a Wildcat team that ran the ball 50 times on the evening (for 425 yards) and passed just once on a trick play, the ’Hound defense forced an East punt. A good runback from fleet-footed J.R. Gaitan set up San Benito at the East 31. It took just three plays for burner Gabriel Vasquez (108 yards rushing) to dash in from 14 yards away and cut the deficit to seven with 3:55 left before half.

The fans were rowdy, the sideline was pumped and it carried over onto the field as San Benito forced another Wildcat boot with 1:07 to go.

Big plays from Vasquez (14-yard run), Sierra (17 yard run) and Vasquez again (26 yards) put San Benito at the East 38 with time ticking down. A couple of clock issues erased some precious ticks and the effort stalled as Sierra found Brandon Huerta, who charged for 23 yards down to the East 10 as time expired.

With the energy all on San Benito’s side, East knew it had dodged a bullet. That’s when coaches preached to get back to their style of football to put the game away.

“They (’Hounds) had the momentum and we came out and played East football. That’s all we asked em,” East coach Mike Burget said afterward. “Twenty-four minutes of East football and you saw what our defense was made of. Our guys can play (defense) and we always knew that.”

True to form, East side showed its “strong side” after intermission.

The boys in black capped a 66-yard drive when QB Darren Rivas burst up the gut for a 31-yard TD to open the second half. San Benito appeared prime to respond when Sierra rumbled 34 yards down to the East 1, but a fumble on the next play gave it back to the Wildcats, who seized the chance.

East embarked on a 16-play, 96-yard voyage which took almost eight minutes off the clock. On the drive, the Wildcats converted on four third downs and scored on a fourth-down play via a 5-yard run by Rivas with 10:44 left in the game. That made it 35-14 East, which would tack on another TD later when Angel Flores put an exclamation point with a 78-yard TD jaunt with two minutes to go.

There will be no time to sulk for San Benito, which entertains McAllen Memorial next Friday night at Bobby Morrow Stadium.

(Photo by T.J. Tijerina)
Shown speeding through the Weslaco East defense at Bobby Morrow Stadium on Friday is San Benito’s J.R. Gaitan, who has proven himself as one of many offensive weapons for the Greyhounds.

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
edi...@sbnewspaper.com

Trevor Speights and the McAllen Memorial Mustangs are coming to town after going on a 69-point scoring frenzy against Edinburg Economedes this past Friday.

The San Benito Greyhounds – fresh off a disappointing 42-14 loss against Weslaco East on Friday, Sept. 5 – will be looking to close out their non-district schedule on a good note before heading into their bye week, but they must first stop Speights’ ground game if they plan on succeeding.

Against Economedes, Speights rushed for nearly 300 yards and found his way into the endzone on two occasions. Memorial (1-1), themselves nursing a sobering 59-28 crushing defeat at the hands of No. 1 Sharyland the week prior, took Speights’ cue and cruised to a 69-38 victory over Economedes.

Prognosticators have the ’Hounds (1-1), and any team for that matter, likely struggling to contain Speights, especially after San Benito gave up 425 yards on the ground against East.

“The offense definitely runs through him,” ’Hounds head coach Dan Gomez said of Speights and Memorial. “He’s somebody you want to corral and keep him to minimal yardage.”

Concerning last week’s miscues, in which opening game turnovers helped contribute to a 21-0 deficit against East, Gomez identified character and maturity in the ’Hounds battling back to come within one touchdown by the first half.

“Last week was definitely my fault for not preparing my team to the fullest, and I take total blame for that,” Gomez said. “We weren’t ready to go mentally, but on a positive note the kids played through and that was one thing we were very happy about.”

Memorial has recently struggled defensively after giving up 97 points in two weeks, and being that San Benito has shown the ability to score some points (53 alone in its Week 1 win over Edinburg), the ’Hounds have more than enough weapons to keep up with the Stangs.

Take San Benito’s quarterback and running back tandem of Cristian Sierra and Gabriel Vasquez, for instance.

Vasquez, who has scored five touchdowns in two weeks in 100-yard rushing performances, also ain’t bad at running the ball. Sierra in last week’s game against East launched the ball for 153 yards passing and accounted for 122 yards on the ground.

“They are definitely one of the strongest teams here in the Rio Grande Valley, and I respect a lot of the programs here,” Gomez said of Memorial. “Going up against some traditional powerhouses like that only sharpens the knife. The strongest steel is forged from the hottest fires.”

San Benito will take on McAllen Memorial at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at Bobby Morrow Stadium. The ’Hounds will then enter their bye week before returning to action in their first game of District 32-6A play, in which they’ll face Brownsville Hanna at Sams Memorial Stadium Saturday, Sept. 27.

(Photos by Jessica Tijerina)
A rain-soaked and delay-heavy Friday night didn’t discourage San Benito Greyhound fans from attending Bobby Morrow Stadium to watch their ‘Hounds face the McAllen Memorial Mustangs. Pictured are some of the festivities from the evening.

Did you attend the game and take photos? Submit your pictures to the San Benito News by emailing them to edi...@sbnewspaper.com and we’ll use them in our next issue!

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

(Photo by Jessica Tijerina) Gabriel Vasquez (above) was one of the bright spots in the San Benito Greyhounds’ 42-28 defeat to McAllen Memorial at Bobby Morrow Stadium on Friday. The ’Hounds running back was at it again scoring on both offense and special teams for the purple and gold. For a photo gallery of the game, visit sbnewspaper.com.

(Photos by Jessica Tijerina)
Gabriel Vasquez (above) was one of the bright spots in the San Benito Greyhounds’ 42-28 defeat to McAllen Memorial at Bobby Morrow Stadium on Friday. The ’Hounds running back was at it again scoring on both offense and special teams for the purple and gold.

One thing that can’t be coached is heart.

Faced with a bruising McAllen Memorial running game, three weather-related delays and a 22-point halftime deficit, the San Benito Greyhounds could’ve packed it in and looked ahead to their open date next week.

Not this team.

For the second straight week, the ’Hounds showed plenty of fight after being down early and made a game out of it. But in the end, they came up short in a 42-28 loss to the Mustangs on Friday night at Bobby Morrow Stadium.

Memorial star running back Trevor Speights proved elusive as he racked up 226 yards and two touchdowns rushing to lead a Mustang attack which was hard to contain. It was the third 200-yard rushing performance for Speights in as many games this season. He was aided by quarterback Jonathan Sanchez (73 yards) while fullback Aaron Villarreal had 69 tough yards as well.

After two San Benito punts, the Mustangs got a 51-yard score from Speights and an eight-yard screen pass from Sanchez to Villarreal to go up 13-0 after a missed extra point with 2:17 left in the first quarter.

San Benito (1-2) mounted a solid drive and got a 42-yard field goal with plenty of distance from Alejandro Lugo to make it 13-3 with 11:22 remaining before halftime. At that point is when the rains began to arrive.

Memorial got a three-yard score from Villarreal and the ’Hounds’ Lugo answered with another 42-yarder as the score read 21-6 with 5:11 to go before half. The Mustangs added a 37-yard TD pass from Sanchez to D.J. Talamantez as the Stangs led 28-6 at half.

What began as a steady drizzle eventually became heavy rain and lightning, which forced a 30-minute delay during halftime festivities. A second delay was instituted before the third quarter finally got under way. But the reset was short-lived as a third break was called after just two plays. All of this came with Memorial up 22 points.

“We have more than just Trevor and our kids did a good job,” Memorial coach Bill Littleton said. “But you have to take your hat off to them (San Benito). They battled back that second half. They played hard and coach (Dan) Gomez has got ‘em playing real good.”

Eventually the game resumed and it was the Mustangs who came out sluggish while the ’Hounds responded and clawed back dramatically as Littleton alluded to.

A bad snap sailed over the Memorial punter’s head who alertly tried to boot the ball out of the end zone, but since the kick took place outside, the ’Hounds took the option of the ball at the 1-yard line and Julio Pecina crashed in for the score. Cristian Sierra’s two-point conversion run closed the gap to 28-14 with 10:13 to go in the third stanza.

Then a jarring hit by the Greyhound defense forced a Speights fumble and the ’Hounds took full advantage as Gabriel Vasquez continue his solid play with a 25-yard scoring sprint, making it 28-21 at the 4:05 mark of the third.

But San Benito got no closer as Speights cut back and scored on a nifty 47-yard run and then Sanchez dove in from a yard away as the Stangs went up 42-21 with six minutes left in the game.

The final score of the night came from San Benito as Vasquez’s 92-yard return for a touchdown electrified the Greyhound faithful who stayed until the end.

LOS FRESNOS 35, PSJA NORTH 34: At Pharr, Eli Cruz for mayor!

For the second straight week, Los Fresnos scored 35 points. And for the second straight week, the Falcons eked out a win. But this one was much more impressive.

Los Fresnos (2-1) fumbled six times in the first half on consecutive possessions and the Raiders cashed in to eventually break open a tie game and take a 34-14 lead at the half.

But after half it was all Falcons as they went on a 21-0 run and Cruz scored the winning touchdown from 20 yards away with 29 seconds left in the game. The all-important extra point gave the Falcons another dramatic win one week after a 35-31 victory at Edcouch-Elsa.

The Falcons are idle next week.

SINTON 35, RIO HONDO 7: At Sinton, the Bobcats gave it their all but came up empty against a good Sinton Pirate team.

Rio Hondo (2-1) trailed 14-0 early in the second quarter before a touchdown pass got them to within 14-7 against the defending Region-IV champions.

But the Pirates proved too much and scored 21 unanswered points to send the Bobcats home with their first loss of the season.

Rio Hondo faces Hidalgo on the road next week.

(Photo by T.J. Tijerina)
Quarterback Cristian Sierra of the San Benito Greyhounds looks for room to maneuver at Bobby Morrow Stadium on Friday, Sept. 12, against the McAllen Memorial Mustangs.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

As they take the week off to get ready for district next week, there are reasons for optimism concerning the San Benito Greyhounds despite their 1-2 record.

The ’Hounds stand at 1-2 after losses to two of the Valley’s more talented squads, Weslaco East and McAllen Memorial.

Here are five reasons why Greyhound fans should feel excited about the upcoming District 32-6A season:

The ’Hounds begin district play on Sept. 20 at Brownsville Hanna, which is 1-1. The potentially-rusty Golden Eagles will have not played a game since Sept. 5 after last Saturday’s game vs. Donna was cancelled due to weather.
District 32-6A is no gauntlet as of now: The district has no unbeaten teams and two teams are winless (Harlingen, Lopez).
A well-timed rest this week to fine tune the offense and defense to get ready for a district run.
San Benito can move the football. The ’Hounds cranked out 448 yards against Edinburg and against Weslaco East and currently average well over 350 yards per contest.
This team has heart. Trailing 21-0 against East, the ’Hounds battled back to make a game of it. Against Memorial, they trailed 21-3 and later 28-6 at the half. San Benito closed it to 28-21 before giving way.

Of course, moral victories aren’t counted in the standings, but this is a different team that has a good attitude and a certain “edge” to it. Stay tuned.

DON’T JUDGE A BOOK: After Rio Hondo lost 35-7 at Sinton last Friday, many felt that the Bobcats weren’t as good as advertised.

Think again.

The Cats trailed just 14-7 at the half against the defending Region-IV Division-II champions. On the night, a couple of fumble returns for scores did the Bobcats in against a good Sinton team.

Now Rio Hondo goes to Hidalgo to face a former district opponent. This too is a good measuring stick for the Cats.

FRANTIC FALCONS: Los Fresnos has certainly lived on the edge the first three weeks of the season.

The Falcons fell 19-16 on a last-second field goal to Edinburg North in Week 1, held on for dear life in a 35-31 win at Edcouch-Elsa and came back from way down to beat PSJA North 35-34 with under 30 seconds to go.

Coach Clint Finley will certainly take the two wins, but his heart rate might need to be checked. The Falcons have shown they can move the ball offensively with a steady run game and will open district with Lopez next Friday.

(Photos by T.J. Tijerina)
San Benito Greyhounds running back Gabriel Vasquez is seen leading a block for ballcarrier Javier Ortiz, a wide receiver. Handing off was quarterback Cristian Sierra in the Aug. 29 game against Edinburg.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

BROWNSVILLE – After dropping two games to two of the Valley’s better teams, a week off to recharge the batteries and get focused certainly didn’t hurt the San Benito Greyhounds.

The ’Hounds (1-2) were idle last week and used the time to assess and rest injuries and get ready for their district run. They’ll embark on their District 32-6A journey on Saturday night as they take on the Hanna Golden Eagles at Sams Stadium in Brownsville.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

(Staff photo by Ray Quiroga)
San Benito Greyhound quarterback Cristian Sierra is seen breaking a tackle during Saturday night’s game against Hanna in Brownsville.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

There’s no mistaking it: Friday’s game at Bobby Morrow Stadium between Los Fresnos and San Benito is HUGE for many reasons.

The neighbors, each 1-0 in district, tangle in a District 32-6A showdown that everyone will be watching closely. Friday marks the start of a barometer-like stretch for the ’Hounds, with dates against Harlingen and Brownsville Veterans on deck the next two weeks.

So while the season is certainly not riding on this sole contest, the winner would go to 2-0 in league play and be sitting pretty with a potential tie-breaker over the other. Both San Benito and Los Fresnos are expected to be in the mix for the district championship.

Plus, throw in a confidence boost and bragging rights for Friday’s winner at a great place to watch a ballgame and you’ve got all you need for what’s expected to be a top-tier game in Week 6 of Valley football.

Since the Falcons jumped to Class 5A in 2004, the teams have squared off each year for a total of 10 meetings. Los Fresnos has taken six of those to the ’Hounds’ four. Last season, the Falcons escaped with a 24-16 win in the season opener.

This year, Los Fresnos (3-1 overall, 1-0 district) come in streaking with three straight wins and their biggest came last week in a 62-0 drubbing of Brownsville Lopez. In that game, running back Eli Cruz went for 134 yards and four TDs in a game that was over by halftime. As a team, Los Fresnos rushed for a season-high 331 yards against the Lobos and has done most of its damage this way over the past several weeks.

Quarterback Pierce Ruiz has taken most of the snaps and has totaled 586 yards (340 passing, 246 rushing). Cruz leads Coach Clint Finley’s bunch with 292 yards and seven scores on the ground while junior Isaac Moreno has chipped in 217 rushing.

Los Fresnos has had a flair for the dramatic thus far, dropping a last-second 22-19 decision to Edinburg North in the opener, holding off a furious comeback effort by Edcouch-Elsa (35-31 win), and putting on a rally of its own by beating PSJA North 35-34 in Week 4.

However, Coach Dan Gomez’s squad (2-2, 1-0) also has a head of steam. The ’Hounds looked fresh in a 39-14 runaway win over Brownsville Hanna on Saturday night. Quarterback Cristian Sierra was on fire, amassing 375 yards offensively (291 passing) in a performance which made him an easy pick for San Benito News Player of the Week honors. San Benito racked up 584 yards on offense against the Golden Eagles, easily a season-best.

Running back Gabriel Vasquez quickly recovered from a minor injury believed to be more serious and had another 100-yard rushing game with 133 yards and two touchdowns. Both Sierra and Vasquez were the primary beneficiaries of a gritty offensive line performance as the boys up front battled a cut-blocking Hanna defense all night long.

Special to the NEWS

Every year, the Battle of the Arroyo between Harlingen and San Benito is a huge matchup, but this year means just a little bit more as both teams are tied atop District 32-6A with 2-0 records.

The 85th edition of the rivalry game will be played at Bobby Morrow Stadium next Friday. But before that, fans can grab a unique piece of memorabilia and help local athletes in the process.

The San Benito Quarterback Club will hold a drawing for a beautiful football helmet emblazoned with the Greyhound logo on one side and the Cardinal logo on the other. The one-of-a-kind helmet will go to a lucky winner at next week’s game.

Tickets for the special item will go for $2 each or three for $5, and San Benito athletic coordinator Ramiro Partida said the money will be put to good use.

“The Quarterback Club had this idea and it’s awesome,” Partida said. “The money will be used to help kids with scholarships and banquets, so it’s all for a good cause.”

Tickets will be sold at the Harlingen-San Benito freshman and junior varsity games this week as well as Friday’s varsity game.

Partida said the cooperation of Harlingen helped make the helmet truly special and a must-have for local football fans.

“When the idea came up, I called Coach (Manny) Gomez at Harlingen and he was all for it,” Partida said.

For more information on tickets or the drawing, contact the San Benito athletic office at (956) 361-6587.

(Photos by T.J. Tijerina and Jessica Tijerina)
San Benito Greyhounds quarterback Cristian Sierra is seen during Friday night’s matchup against the Los Fresnos Falcons. Also pictured is defensive lineman Chris Padilla making a key tackle that helped San Benito force a turnover on downs against the Falcons that sealed the win.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

Many wondered just how the San Benito Greyhounds would fare against the district’s best. Thus far, they scored two big wins and endured two double-digit losses.

But on Friday night against a tough Los Fresnos squad, the ’Hounds provided an answer loud and clear: This isn’t the Greyhound team of years past.

San Benito fought hard all night long and Alejandro Lugo’s 27-yard field goal proved to be the eventual game-winner as the ’Hounds held off the Falcons 17-14 in a thriller at Bobby Morrow Stadium.

With the win, the ’Hounds (3-2 overall, 2-0 District 32-6A) stay atop the league standings with Harlingen as the two square off next week in the 85th Battle of the Arroyo. Los Fresnos (3-2, 1-1), which had run wild in its three wins by way of a punishing ground game, sits a game back.

“Our defensive coaches did a helluva job all week long putting together a scheme and the kids executed it,” San Benito head coach Dan Gomez said. “Our kids are resilient and we’ve known that all season. They’ll fight to the end. We knew that if we had an opportunity at the end of the game, our chances to win would be high.”

The win didn’t come easy as the ’Hounds surged out to a lead and then held off an admirable Los Fresnos effort. It was a signature game for senior quarterback Cristian Sierra, who toughed out 101 yards rushing to go with 163 through the air. Wideout Victor Gaitan was his main target as he hauled in five passes for 102 of those yards.

“We’ve been working hard all week. We saw they (Falcons) were coming back after we let them get that first touchdown. They came back with the momentum; they’re a good team. But we’re a good team, also. I just talked to everybody in the locker room and told them to keep playing War Dog football and we’d win.”

San Benito (3-2 overall, 2-0 District 32-6A) got on the board first, scoring on its first two drives as the offense was in total sync. Sierra captained the ’Hounds on a 75-yard drive which ended with his one-yard TD, and then Armando Medrano took a reverse and sped for a 12-yard score to put the ’Hounds up 14-0 with 2:25 left in the opening quarter.

Los Fresnos appeared ready to claw back, but a 15-play march ended with a fumble inside the San Benito 20 yard-line early in the second. Then on their next possession, the Falcons missed a field goal to stay scoreless. All night, their running game which ran wild against Lopez last week was corralled by a strong San Benito effort.

It stayed that way until just over a minute left before half as the Falcons, who’d started slow in a couple of earlier games, found their rhythm. Near midfield, an interception by San Benito’s Juan Salas was wiped away by a penalty, giving the Falcons new life. Later, with seconds left before half, quarterback Pierce Ruiz heaved a pass into the end zone and found Miguel Garcia for a 35-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock to cut the deficit in half.

Late in the third, the Falcons’ Robert Lopez recovered a fumble near midfield and they’d make good on the turnover with a one-yard run from Eli Cruz. Martin Ornelas hit the PAT, knotting the score at 14 with 10:52 left in the game and sending the Falcon faithful into a frenzy.

The teams traded hard hits, punches and penalties before Lugo’s field goal to put the Greyhounds up by three with 2:05 to go in the game. On the drive, Sierra hit Gaitan for 29 yards, Javier Ortiz for 13 and ran for 18 more himself.

“I was real calm and focused on the drive. Just trying to help our team get down and score,” Sierra said. “We really wanted to score a touchdown, but we got that field goal which ended up winning the game.

With the ball and a timeout, Los Fresnos started at its own 13 and went backward to their 8. On 4th-and-15, Ruiz found Pete Perez for a 20-yard gain and first down, but the play was negated by an illegal man downfield penalty. The do-over fell incomplete, giving the game to San Benito as penalties (12 for 104 yards total) doomed the Falcons.

“Penalties made all the difference in the world,” Los Fresnos head coach Clint Finley said. “We shot ourselves in the foot and you can’t do that against a good football team. That’s a very talented football team (in San Benito).”

By JACOB LOPEZ
Staff Writer
repo...@sbnewspaper.com

As the 85th Battle of the Arroyo approaches, fans and athletes of both sides of this bitter rivalry – the San Benito Greyhounds and the Harlingen Cardinals – prepare for battle on the gridiron … and apparently storefronts.

Greyhounds cheerleaders and fans, along with those on the Cardinals’ side took a Monday evening to display their team pride on the windows of El Gallito Mexican Restaurant in San Benito.

Restaurant owner Peter Salazar of San Benito said that the goal was to get both cheerleading squads and members of the communities together and show their pride, calling it a “friendly rivalry.”

“It’s a yearly tradition,” said Salazar, “and it even counts more this year because it’s a district game.”

It also shows the competitive nature between the two cities while maintaining sportsmanship. Salazar’s goal was to bring both communities together in much the same way that his eatery enjoys. “We do business with Harlingen and San Benito, and I thought it’d be a good idea to get them both together … and get everyone excited for the Battle of the Arroyo,” he said.

Fred Perez, assistant principal of San Benito High School, said, “This … is a pretty big week for both of our campuses – the Cardinal campus and the Greyhound campus …”

“El Gallito was kind enough to let us come out here and decorate it,” Perez said of the window painting. “The kids are getting fired up over this game. On the students’ behalf, the sense of excitement really brings out the best in competition for these students.”

Perez added, “Friday, at the end of the game, they’re still going to meet at the 50-yard-line; they’re still going to shake hands; and…you know, they’re [the winner] going to have bragging rights for a year.”

Greyhound cheerleader Jeena Rhiann Ruiz said, “We’ve known that we were going to be decorating the city, and trying to make our Greyhound pride come out and let everyone know that we’re here and we’re serious about the Battle of the Arroyo.”

The most exciting part for her is “cheering on the sidelines and seeing the guys play – it’s a real adrenaline rush, because … you get to see what they’ve been practicing for,” explained Ruiz.

Edna Garcia, a parent whose son plays football for the Cardinals, said, “It’s been a battle that’s been on for many, many years. They’re (El Gallito) showing their spirit for both sides. It’s been a tradition since I was in school; it’s a friendly rivalry.”

Both teams meet at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10 at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

(Photo by T.J. Tijerina)
Quarterback Cristian Sierra, who was named the San Benito News Player of the Week for the second consecutive time, will lead the San Benito Greyhounds against the Harlingen Cardinals in the 85th Battle of the Arroyo at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito on Friday.

This is one week when words or motivational speeches aren’t necessary, spirit shirts are in high demand and pride is definitely all over the city.

It’s “Battle” week.

The Greyhounds host the Harlingen Cardinals Friday in the 85th edition of the Battle of the Arroyo game in what easily figures to be a sellout crowd at Bobby Morrow Stadium.

The neighborly grudge match is always a highlight of the football season, but this year there’s much more to the game than just bragging rights. Both squads come into the BOA with identical 2-0 records in District 32-6A, tied for the league lead with Brownsville Veterans.

This is obviously the first Battle for ’Hounds head coach Dan Gomez, but he knows the importance of the game to the community and most importantly, to his squad’s primary goal of a district championship. He said his squad is preparing for the Cardinals’ best shot regardless of season record.

“As a coach, you always want to be on the biggest stage and perform the best you can,” he said. “From a coach’s standpoint, it’s the next game on our schedule. We’re gonna prepare just as hard next week. We’re keeping our blinders on and focused on putting our kids in a good position on Friday night.

“Harlingen’s Harlingen,” Gomez added. “People may say they’re struggling, but we don’t see that. We see a team that’s aggressive and plays with pride and confidence”

Harlingen coach Manny Gomez will coach in his eighth battle and played in several during his prep days. That said, the intense coach said he is focusing solely on the field and not getting caught up in the abundance of hoopla surrounding the game.

“Every coach in Texas is playing to win a district title. This is our biggest game because it’s the next game and this year the district title goes through San Benito,” the Cards coach said. “I don’t worry about what I can’t control. I control what the Cardinals can and can’t do and right now that’s who I’m concentrating on.”

The Cardinals (3-2 overall, 2-0 district) comes off a 37-21 win over Brownsville Hanna last week. Harlingen started the season inauspiciously with two losses in non-district but has won three straight and seemed to find its footing. More importantly, the Cards are getting healthy, notably at the quarterback position. Starter Bowie Davis missed time earlier in the year as did backup Jesse Castro. Both are healthy now, and Davis started against the Eagles last week. Depending on the course of the game, both Davis and Castro could see action.

With the quarterback situation back to normal, the Harlingen run game flourished with sophomore Leo Tienda (111 yards, three TDs vs Hanna) and Rene Tijerina, both of whom see the bulk of the carries.

Defensively, the Cards defense has been a strong unit led by a super back end. Safeties Elijah DeLeon and Felix Reyna are certainly the backbone of the Cards defense while up front, sophomore defensive end Edwin Gasca has made waves as well.

Meanwhile, the ’Hounds (3-2, 2-0) got a huge 17-14 win over Los Fresnos last week and have won two straight to start district. San Benito got a gutsy effort from quarterback Cristian Sierra and a defense which clamped down on the Falcons run game to seal an important win.

Sierra, a terrific runner who is also a talented passer, has piloted a ’Hounds offense which averages 395.4 yards per game. The senior had 276 total yards (175 passing) against the Falcons and has 771 yards passing and 415 yards rushing on the year – earning him the San Benito News Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive time. Senior Gabriel Vasquez (512 yards, 7 TDs rushing) had his lowest total of the season against Los Fresnos but is still a premier homerun threat.

Serving as Sierra’s top targets are Armando Medrano (17 receptions, 159 yards this season), Victor Gaitan (11-159) who had five grabs for 102 yards against Los Fresnos.

San Benito’s defense is led by ends Chris Padilla and Pedro Coronado, who’ve been solid up front in run defense and pass rushing categories.

The winner of Friday’s game will be in prime position for a district title run. San Benito has a huge date next Saturday with Brownsville Veterans while Harlingen takes on Los Fresnos on the road.

(Photos by T.J. Tijerina and Karen Tijerina)
San Benito Greyhounds quarterback Cristian Sierra (No. 3) and wide receiver Armando Medrano (No. 4) are seen during Friday night’s epic Battle of the Arroyo matchup against rival Harlingen.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

Incredible? Nope.

Amazing? Nah.

Magical? Maybe.

Legendary? That might do it.

Webster himself couldn’t come up with enough suitable adjectives to describe the San Benito Greyhounds’ miracle comeback on Friday night.

Trailing Harlingen by 10 points with five minutes left in the 85th Battle of the Arroyo, all hope was lost and it appeared the Cardinals would win the rivalry game for the 60th time.

Not on this night.

Little by little, the never-say-die ’Hounds crawled back into it and Armando Medrano snagged a 29-yard touchdown from Cristian Sierra with 34 ticks left on the clock. The defense had to hold off a late Cardinal last-gasp effort to seal a 25-21 victory which will be talked about for a long time.

For some, Medrano’s catch was shades of 1995, when San Benito broke a 28-year winless streak against Harlingen thanks to a 44-yard TD catch by Jason Montemayor. Medrano’s catch wasn’t a streak breaker, but it capped one of the most incredible comebacks in Battle of the Arroyo (and Greyhound) history.

’Hounds head coach Dan Gomez could only smile afterward as his squad has just completed one of the most remarkable rallies one will see.

“We put ourselves in a hole and we knew we were gonna get a game out of Harlingen because that’s who they are,” Gomez said afterward. “But we showed who we were tonight.”

“Resiliency. That’s every kid (in San Benito). That’s why we coach high school football. As coaches, that’s why we do it. Because we see the resiliency in our young men and our job is to bring it out of ‘em.”

On the other side, Harlingen coach Manny Gomez was complimentary of the ’Hounds after what took place.

“That’s a good win for the San Benito program,” he said. “They made more plays than we did.”

From the get-go, it appeared it was simply not San Benito’s night.

The opening kickoff was fumbled to the Cardinals (3-3 overall, 2-1 district), which set up their first score, a 17-yard strike from Bowie Davis to Fidencio Gonzalez on third-and-long.

Three possessions later, the ’Hounds’ Alejandro Lugo booted a 32-yard field goal to make it 7-3 with 11:07 left in the first half.

Three possessions after that, an apparent touchdown by Cristian Sierra was ruled down at the 1, and the ’Hounds (4-2, 3-0) fumbled the ball away on the next play.

Harlingen didn’t convert and the score stayed the same at half as the Cards led with only 78 yards offensively.

Midway through the third, a San Benito fake punt attempt failed and fumbled. Harlingen got the ball at the ’Hounds 5. Harlingen’s Michael Allen Gonzalez dove in from a yard away to push the Cards lead to 14-3 at the 7:48 mark of the third.

Later in the quarter, R.J. Atkinson hauled in what appeared to be a 28-yard TD pass. But officials ruled Atkinson did not control the ball as he dropped it after crossing the goal line, giving the ball back to Harlingen.

Early in the fourth, San Benito drove down to the Harlingen 2, but penalties pushed the ’Hounds back and they eventually turned it over on downs.

That set up the Cards’ Gonzalez, who busted loose on a terrific 94-yard touchdown run to make it 21-3 Harlingen with 8:54 left in the game.

All hope seemed lost, but that’s when the ’Hounds got to work on the amazing comeback.

San Benito mounted a 12-play drive which ended with a 5-yard run by Gabriel Vasquez, a score that on the surface was no big deal, but it most certainly was. Matthew Yzaguirre then caught the conversion pass and the score was 21-11 Cardinals with 5:07 left.

Then the Greyhound defense, a bit dejected after allowing Gonzalez’s long run, forced a three-and-out as Harlingen ran it three times to chew clock.

Then with 3:25 to go, the ’Hounds worked their way down the field and Sierra lofted a pass and birthday boy Atkinson went up and made a superb catch for a 28-yard touchdown. The PAT was good and it was 21-18 with 1:08 to go.

Then it got really interesting as everything came down to the foot of Alejandro Lugo, who would attempt an onside kick.

Lugo hit a perfect dribbler up the middle as is somersaulted along the Bobby Morrow Stadium turf. A Cardinal made a go at it, but the ball squirted free and San Benito’s Skyler Garcia pounced on it at its own 44 yard line with 1:07 to go.

Sierra trotted out and two plays later threw an interception which many felt ended the game. But a pass interference penalty gave them new life.

A couple plays later, Sierra found Medrano for the glorious touchdown that will be talked about for years to come.

“I didn’t know it was coming. I just looked up and the ball was coming, so I had to catch it,” Medrano said. “I just had to find a play. I had confidence I would catch it. It was tough, I’m not gonna lie.”

The man of the hour shared the team’s sentiments on the big win.

“We got down when we had those two touchdowns taken away, but we had to come back somehow. This win means a lot to us,” Medrano said. “Just to get that Battle of the Arroyo trophy back, it means a lot.”

For Gomez, the significance was definitely there, but he was talking big picture.

“It means we’re 3-0,” he said of the win with a smile.

(Photos by T.J. Tijerina, Jessica Tijerina and Karen Tijerina)
The San Benito Greyhounds celebrated what may go down as one of the team’s most emotional and thrilling come-from-behind victories ever against the Harlingen Cardinals at Bobby Morrow Stadium on Friday. Pictured here are several scenes from the evening’s epic Battle of the Arroyo, including pre-game festivities, all the action, a bit of a skirmish that occurred following the game as well as the trophy presentation.

(Photo by Karen Tijerina)
Running back Gabriel Vasquez of the San Benito Greyhounds currently leads the team in rushing.

By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS

BROWNSVILLE – At around 10 p.m. on Saturday night, we’ll all know who is in the driver’s seat in District 32-6A.

A huge contest between the district’s only unbeaten teams headlines another Sams Stadium Saturday night special, as the San Benito Greyhounds go to Brownsville to face Veterans Memorial.

The ’Hounds (4-2 overall, 3-0 district) come off their remarkable, still-being-talked-about rally against Harlingen to take back the Battle of the Arroyo trophy, 25-21. The game was a roller coaster of sorts with touchdowns taken off the board, high drama and of course, the perfect comeback to take down the Cards.

Against Harlingen, San Benito racked up 494 yards offensively, most of those in the second half. Quarterback Cristian Sierra went for a team-best 127 yards on the ground while Gabriel Vasquez flashed his way to 123 more. Through the air, Sierra tallied 227 more yards, 107 of those going to Armando Medrano, who caught the eventual-game winning touchdown.

On the season, Vasquez leads the ’Hounds in rushing with 631 yards and eight touchdowns. Sierra is not far behind with 542 and four scores on the ground and passing-wise, Sierra has amassed 998 yards and five scores.

Leading wideouts for San Benito include Medrano (24 catches, 266 yards, 2 TDs), R.J. Atkinson (14-255, 2 TDs) and Victor Gaitan (12-185).

Defensively, end Chris Padilla was almost unblockable vs. Harlingen, and he got great help all around from a defense which allowed just one big play and forced multiple turnovers.

Coach Dan Gomez and the staff will certainly be asking the ’Hounds to come off the high a bit and stay level-headed as they travel to face the Chargers on their home turf. San Benito has experienced two high-intensity, emotional games at home and must now do the same on the road.

Veterans Memorial (5-1, 3-0) has league wins over Harlingen South, Brownsville Rivera and Brownsville Hanna, the latest a wild, 51-42 win over the Golden Eagles last Saturday.

The Chargers, led by coach David Cantu, have been solid on both sides of the ball, led by QB Marcus Castillo, RB Derrik Rodriguez and a plethora of weapons. Against Hanna, Castillo connected with Rey Garza on a 50-yard TD bomb. Also, Carlos Garza recorded a 33-yard TD, while Castillo added scoring runs of 3 and 5 yards. Beto Treviño booted a 22-yard field goal while Rodriguez dashed 75 yards to paydirt.

Game time on Saturday night is set for 7 p.m. at Sams Stadium in Brownsville.

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
edi...@sbnewspaper.com

Michael Rodriguez

I don’t want to live in a world where Manny Gomez has to apologize for his intensity, or where it becomes front page news for that matter.

After reading a story published in another local newspaper on Friday about coaches from San Benito and Harlingen atoning for remarks that neither warranted a public apology or deserved such placement (A1 no less), my first reaction – after laughing – was to step away from what I had just read and attempt to make sense of it all. Alas, I could not.

O.K., the aftermath of last Friday’s Battle of the Arroyo ignited some drama. So stop the presses why don’t ya? This is an annual grudge match between two proud high school football programs – the Harlingen Cardinals and San Benito Greyhounds – which is so intense that it’s known state-wide as one of the more bitter rivalries in Texas. Fans from both communities have thrown rocks and spat at each other, coaches have displayed obscene gestures on the field, and property has been vandalized all in the name of this game.

Yet a couple of coaches show a little passion, barely raising their voice in the process, and we suddenly blush as if to say, “How dare you.” Where was this outrage the last several decades when pre- and post-game antics would have, at those times, genuinely justified such attention?

Think about what really happened after the game last week. Greyhound Offensive Coordinator Gilbert Leal was accused of “antagonizing” the Cardinals’ coaches by supposedly pounding his chest and exclaiming “this is our house.” If true, then I see no fault in the man other than letting his emotions get the best of him. That sort of thing happens from time to time, especially when you’re a high school football coach whose team just scored 22 unanswered points in about 8 minutes, securing what may go down as the most thrilling comeback victory in a longstanding rivalry’s illustrious history. Besides, Bobby Morrow Stadium – where this year’s “Battle” was played – is our house.

Then, in an on-camera interview, Cardinals Head Coach Manny Gomez repeatedly said, “Are you freakin’ serious,” when asked by a reporter if the loss “hurt” – this just moments after suffering what may be one of the toughest losses of his career. Understand that while the reporter was not necessarily at fault when considering his intention to inspire a candid interview, it’s also important to consider the coach’s frame of mind during that particular moment. We at the San Benito News often instruct young reporters and sports writers who cover high school football games to be conversational and empathize with coaches, win or lose, when conducting interviews.

For instance, I guarantee that Coach Gomez would have given a better interview if the question was posed differently. From Scott Ford to Mario Peña, the following is a method I’ve used on many coaches out of respect for their plight when they’ve lost big games: “Hey coach…tough loss, but you guys played your hearts out. Now I don’t want to take up much of your time, so tell me the positives you took from tonight and explain why losing this game hurts more than others.”

Anything else might be considered asinine, and the stuff from which “Are you freakin’ serious” memes are born.

Yes, I understand these men are in leadership positions where, in the eyes of their players anyway, they’re responsible for setting an example. Still, after considering all that was said and done, it was only important for the coaches to explain themselves to their players. As adults, however, we need no apology from grown men who did nothing besides display passion for a game that has the potential of becoming the pinnacle or the nadir of their career. I expect nothing less from them, but I expected more from my fellow journalists, who milked this story one week later only to hurt the teams and coaches involved. Take to heart the words of Greyhound Head Coach Dan Gomez, who when questioned about these “Battle” scars, if you will, offered a sobering, “We’ve moved on.”

Maybe that’s what everyone should do.