Cards shut out Bobcats, 39-0

HARLINGEN — Dr. Doom!!!!

Even at less than 100 percent, Mingo Rincon is as good as they come.

Rincon missed practice all week with a stomach virus that landed him in the ER earlier in the week.

All that didn't matter once game time arrived.

Rincon – known affectionately as Dr. Doom – recorded four sacks and the Harlingen Cardinals defense recorded its first shutout of the season as Big Red cruised past Edinburg, 39-0, at Boggus Stadium on Friday in the VMS Game of the Week.

Cards head coach Manny Gomez said Rincon was a game time decision.

"That showed a lot of character on his behalf," Gomez said. "He said he wanted to play and help the team win."

His four sacks brings Rincon's season total to 13.

Rincon said there was no way he was going to miss the game.

"It all depended how I felt and I felt sick," Rincon said. "But I had to suck it up. I wasn't going to miss because of a stomach virus. It's my senior year and last year playing Cardinal football. I was gonna play."

He might have inspired his mates as the Cards (5-0, 2-0) held Edinburg to a mere 90 yards of total offense including 81 on the Bobcats (2-3, 1-1) last drive of the game late in the fourth.

It was a drive that saw the blue and red reach the Harlingen five.

But a fumbled center-QB exchange that was recovered by Nick Aviles secured the shutout.

Edinburg QB Steve Guererro was sacked at least seven times as Tipper Ramirez got his paws on Guerrero twice and Aviles once.

"It's not as important as a win but it feels good to get that shutout," Rincon said.

On the other side of the ball, Pablo Garza rushed for a season-high 169 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries.

Garza scored on runs of 41, 15 and 25 yards.

Garza's big night comes after a disappointing showing last week at Edinburg North, where Garza rushed for only 25 yards.

Garza said he couldn't wait to get back on the field.

"I just wanted to play but not so much for me," Garza said. "The coaching staff emphasized teamwork all week and all credit goes to the offensive line and the receivers. When you've got receivers and the O-Line blocking like this, you can't stop a running game."

Or the passing game.

Cards QB Mack Sanchez threw for 166 yards and one TD. Anthony Reyna caught six passes for 84 yards and one 33-yard TD.

Luke Lucio caught five passes for 38 yards.

"We wanted to spread the wealth," Gomez said. "We wanted to look more balanced on offense. Even we as coaches can develop tendencies and we wanted to get away from that."

Harlingen scored on four of its first five possessions.

Sanchez punched it in from one yard with 5:41 in the first for the first score.

On the next drive, Garza broke free for a 41-yard TD run to give Harlingen a 14-0 advantage with the Chris Arellano PAT.

After a fumble ended Harlingen's third possession, Sanchez wooed the Harlingen faithful with one of the most amazing plays this season.

Facing a fourth-and-14 from the Edinburg 33, Sanchez took the snap and scrambled about 20 yards back eluding several Bobcat defenders.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sanchez made his way upfield and looked in good shape to pick up the first down.

Instead, the heads-up Sanchez stopped on a dime and tossed a bomb to Reyna, who was waiting at the one-yard line and dove in for the score.

Garza added a 15-yard score to make it 27-0 at halftime.

Garza would score on a 25er in Harlingen's opening drive of the second half and Sanchez added a five-yarder with 5:37 left in the third.

"Like I told the guys, we got whooped," Edinburg head coach Joey Caceres said. "They have a tremendous team and tremendous talent. But I tip my hat to Manny Gomez and his coaching staff. Anyone can have all this talent. But it takes a good staff to utilize it. No. 5 is a playmaker, No. 20 is a heckuva runner and No. 90 is a handful."

Eladio Jaimez covers District 31-5A for Valley Freedom Newspapers