By CONSTANCIO
MARTINEZ, JR.
This past Thursday the Port Isabel Tarpons and Lyford Bulldogs opened the season with a dogfight. Lyford got on the board first with a 77-yard catch-and-run TD play by Osmar Martinez, as the Bulldogs led 6-0 two minutes into the game. On the Tarpons ensuing drive, PI used their rotation of running backs to slowly move the ball downfield. They managed to reach midfield but were forced to punt.
Starting from their own 26-yard line, the Bulldogs were on the move again as they faced a 4th and 14 at the Tarpons’ 28-yard line. The QB kept the drive alive with a 27-yard completion. Two plays later, Martinez scored, but was called back due to holding. Unable to recover from the infraction, they turned the ball over on downs.
On PI’s ensuing drive, RB Cross Martinez had a nice run for 23 yards. QB, Rudy Barrera followed that up with a 68-yard touchdown run. A successful extra point kick put the Tarpons up 7-6 with 11:06 left in the second quarter. The Bulldogs answered right back as they went on a 4-play, 66-yard touchdown drive capped by a 31-yard TD pass by QB, Aiden Olivas. The two-point try failed once again as Lyford retook the lead 12-7 with 9:32 left in the first half.
Lyford got a big break as the PI returnman fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff. From the Tarpons’ 30-yard line, Lyford’s Martinez had a big 21-yard pass play. A few plays later, the Bulldogs were threatening to score once more, but the “Seawall Defense” tackled Martinez for a 4-yard loss as the ball was turned over on downs.
The momentum started to change in favor for PI as they marched down the field on a 10-play scoring drive capped by a 6-yard TD run by RB, “AJ” LeBlanc. With a successful extra point kick, the Tarpons headed into halftime with a 14-12 lead.
The Tarpons opened up the second half with a 17-yard kickoff return by Cross Martinez. Two plays later, QB Rudy Barrera picked up 14 yards on a quarterback keeper. Unfortunately, he went down by the sidelines with cramping issues. The offense struggled without Barrera and fumbled the ball away a few plays later. Lyford’s offense didn’t fare much better as they went 3-and-out. Unfortunately, during the punt return, PI ended up with a third muffed ball as the Bulldogs jumped on the ball.
Given great field position at the Tarpons 20-yard line, the Bulldogs scored in three plays, but the TD was called back due to a holding call. On the next play, PI’s Anthony Garcia picked off the Lyford QB in the endzone as the “Seawall Defense” rose up to the occasion once again. With QB, Barrera back at the helm, the Tarpons marched down the field 75 yards for the touchdown as the Tarpons now led 21-12.
On their ensuing drive, Lyford went 3-and-out and punted from its own 34-yard line. The ball only went 28 yards, but PI did not have a returnman as the ball bounced an extra 22 yards. Tarpons’ RB, Martinez busted up the middle for a 48-yard gain. Five plays later, the Tarpons scored again on a 13-yard TD run by RB, Tristan Garcia. The Tarpons now led 28-12 in the top of the 4th quarter.
The Tarpons defense held once again and forced the Bulldogs to punt. On the Tarpons’ ensuing drive, RB LeBlanc put the moves on five would-be tacklers as he scrambled for a 35-yard TD run. The score put PI comfortably up 34-12 with 8:31 left in the game. On its ensuing drive, Lyford forgoes it passing game as it sticks to the ground game and it paid off as they went on a five-play scoring drive. A failed two-point play made it 34-18 PI.
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