Coogs escape with win over Wolverines for final playoff spot
EDINBURG --- The expression on Edinburg North coach Roy Garza’s face sure said a lot after Friday night’s game against PSJA Memorial. A relieved and somewhat disappointed Garza knew that nothing came easy for his team during its 28-21 victory. But at the end of the night the only that mattered was the win.
Garza and his team can breathe a huge sigh of relief after the Cougars clinched District 31-5A’s final playoff berth, escaping a relentless Wolverines team at Cats Stadium. With the win, the Cougars clinched a third consecutive postseason appearance for the first time in school history.
“They came and they got after it,” said Garza of the Wolverines, who led 21-14 lead at halftime. “Coach (Cavazos) does a good job working with the kids that he has. We just couldn’t execute and couldn’t make that play. We just stopped ourselves in the first half.”
The Cougars (6-3, 4-2) watched the Wolverines take the lead into the lockeroom after Memorial converted two costly turnovers into touchdowns, including Gilbert Gutierrez’s 17-yard reception from quarterback Louie Gonzalez with 18 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
The Cougars played keep away from Memorial in the second half, limiting the Wolverines (3-6, 1-5) to only 31 yards and allowing less than eight minutes in time of possession.
North tied the game at 21 after marching 86 yards in nine plays on the first drive of the second half, which was capped off by a 6-yard run from running back Simon Edwards. On the ensuing kickoff, Memorial committed its first and only turnover of the game it fumbled the ball away after mis-timing the catch. The Cougars converted that into a touchdown two plays later when Jordan Quiroz scored on a 28-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Munoz to take a 28-21 lead with 6:09 remaining in the third quarter.
Munoz totaled 326 yards with two scores and one interception, including 202 yards passing. Edwards led North with 141 rushing yards and two TDs, while teammate Quiroz had six receptions for 113 yards.
The Cougars had several opportunities to make the game a two-score lead, advancing into Memorial territory on its final three possessions, but they came up short each time.
“We were just never able to get back on track,” Wolverines coach Gus Cavazos said. “We had a couple of costly penalties that cost us first downs. We had a couple of drops here and there. But overall, we just got to give them credit. They’re a playoff team, they’re a good team and they just went in there and made the adjustments.”
