By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR.
Special to the PRESS
The (0-2) Port Isabel ECHS Tarpons suffered another setback after losing 35-22 to their old rival, the 3A Rio Hondo Bobcats, this past Thursday night.
Port Isabel entered the game looking to rebound from their Week 1, 13-12 overtime loss to the 3A Lyford Bulldogs. Meanwhile, the Bobcats came in strutting after their big 63-0 win over Valley View.
The Bobcats started the game with a big kickoff return to the Tarpons’ 42-yard line. From there, the Bobcats looked in midseason form as they marched downfield on a seven-play scoring drive. The Bobcats did most of the damage through the air, with the only negative play being a three-yard tackle for a loss by PI’s Jahi Vasquez. Rio Hondo took an early 7-0 lead with 8:02 showing in the first quarter.
The Tarpons started their own march downfield, gaining just 2-4 yards per play until Luis Ramos broke free for a 24-yard gain. Unfortunately, the drive stalled as Port Isabel could not recover from a pitched-ball miscue and was forced to punt the ball away.
Both teams’ defenses tightened up soon after, leading to more punts.
While facing 4th-and-22, Bobcats’ head coach Rocky James, confident as ever, decided to go for it. The call paid off, resulting in a 54-yard pass play. Two plays later, Rio Hondo punched it in from four yards out, taking a 14-0 lead with 6:27 showing in the second quarter.
The Tarpons continued to fight. From their own 49-yard line, offensive coordinator Mark Calvillo called a pass play as quarterback Bryan Martinez found Angel Dominguez open by the sidelines for a 15-yard gain. The Tarpons continued their march, reaching the Bobcats’ 4-yard line with 18 seconds remaining in the first half. Ramos was called, and he responded with a touchdown up the middle. Rio Hondo 14, Port Isabel 7.
As the teams returned from halftime, the defensive battle continued, with both teams punting on their first possessions.
Still in the third quarter, the Tarpons had one of their better drives on their next possession, going on an eight-play scoring drive capped by a 4-yard TD run by Eli Alvarez. The highlight of the drive was a 37-yard run by Alvarez. Port Isabel tied the game at 14-14.
The Tarpons’ celebration didn’t last long, as Rio Hondo quickly responded with a touchdown of their own. Running back Mario Lopez broke free up the middle for a 64-yard TD run, putting Rio Hondo ahead 21-14 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
The Bobcats then took advantage of a Tarpons’ fumble and went on a three-play, 43-yard scoring drive, extending their lead to 28-14.
The potent Bobcats’ offense struck again, covering 83 yards in three plays. Rio Hondo now led 35-14. The highlight of the drive was an 83-yard run by Lopez.
With less than five minutes left in the game, the Tarpons scored on a 13-yard TD run by Ramos to make the final 35-22 in favor of Rio Hondo. The highlight of the drive was a 35-yard pass from QB Martinez to RB Ramos.
This was the second loss in a row for the Tarpons against a lower-classification team. As teams have adapted to a more modern passing offense, it has given smaller teams a chance to upset bigger schools that still utilize predominantly run-based offenses, such as PI’s. These “old-school” offenses rely on eating up the clock with long drives. Unfortunately, the only time that gets eaten up is their own, as opponents can score much quicker.
The Tarpons’ next game will be against Valley View on Friday, September 12, at 7 p.m.
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