By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR.
Special to the PRESS
This past Friday night the Port Isabel ECHS Tarpons ran circles around the Hidalgo Pirates to the tune of 61-7. After starting the season with two losses, the Tarpons have now won its last two games to even their record to 2-2.
Entering the week 4 matchup against the Pirates, the Tarpons were coming off a 63-6 win over Valley View. Meanwhile, the still winless Pirates were coming off a 49-10 loss to Rio Hondo.
Hidalgo struck first as they went on a 10-play scoring drive capped by a 1-yard TD plunge into the endzone. The Pirates took an early 7-0 lead with 2:25 showing in the first quarter.
Port Isabel responded with a 6-play scoring drive of their own as RB Angel Domingez ran into the endzone from five yards out. Hidalgo led 7-6 after a failed extra point try with seconds left in the first quarter.
The Pirates managed to reach midfield on their next drive, but the Tarpons’ “Seawall Defense” held firm and forced them to punt the ball away.
Meanwhile, the Tarpons’ offense scored once again, this time on a 58-yard touchdown run by RB Luis Ramos (8 carries, 262 yards, 4 touchdowns). A successful QB keeper by Bryan Martinez on the 2-point play gave Port Isabel a 14-7 lead with 4:56 left in the second quarter.
Still in the second quarter, Port Isabel’s PR/RB Dominguez broke free for a big 44-yard punt return to the Pirates 8-yard line. Two plays later, RB Elijah Alvarez ran it in for the score as Port Isabel headed into the halftime break with a 21-7 lead.
As the second half resume, the Tarpons picked up where they left off and went on a 6-play scoring drive capped by 5-yard TD run by RB/LB Edward Garza. PI now led 28-7.
After the Pirates were pushed back to their own 16-yard line, they committed a backwards pass that hit the floor and was considered a fumble. That’s when an alert RB/LB Garza scooped the ball up at the 5-yard line and ran it back for the defensive score. A second botch extra point kick made it a 34-7 game.
The Tarpons’ “Tidal Wave Offense” struck again as they went on a an 80-yard scoring drive capped by a 32-yard TD run by Ramos with three minutes left in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the special teams continued to struggle as they committed a delay of game foul, then end up throwing an interception after another botched extra point try. But the rout was now on as PI now led 40-7.
After recovering a Pirate fumble, the Tarpons put more points on the board as RB Ramos broke free for a 76-yard TD run as Port Isabel extended their lead to 47-7 in the top of the fourth quarter.
The Tarpons weren’t done yet as they went on to score two more times, once more by RB Ramos (47-yd TD run) and a 72-yard TD run by QB Grayson Estes. The game started off competitively as the Pirates took an early first quarter lead, but then the flood gates opened as the Tarpons went on to score 61 unanswered points for a final of 61-7.
Port Isabel looked sharp on offense and defense, but struggled on special teams. The teams will only get harder from here on out, so the miscues will have to be cleaned up. The Tarpons will be back on the road for their next game as they take on the Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets on Friday, September 26, at 7 p.m.
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