Mercedes to face familiar opponent in Port Lavaca Calhoun

MERCEDES — Not much should surprise the Mercedes Tigers when they face Port Lavaca Calhoun on Saturday at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville.

The Tigers (8-3) and Sandcrabs have faced off twice in the last two years. The Tigers know pretty much everything about their opponent. They know the Sandcrabs are a physical and disciplined team with a potent running game. They know that the Sandcrabs have emerged as one of District 30-4A’s dominant teams, in the playoffs for a fourth-straight year.

Actually, in the past two meetings, the Tigers haven’t yet figured out the most important thing: how to actually beat the Sandcrabs.

To start the 2008 season, Mercedes was routed 56-20 at the Alamodome as turnovers and big plays plagued the Tigers. In this season’s opener, the Tigers once again had trouble holding onto the football in a 28-17 loss at Calallen.

Mercedes coach Michael Uribe, though, sees a positive trend from the Tigers’ meetings with the Sandcrabs.

“We closed the gap in the second game and hopefully we can get past them in this game,” Uribe said.

Getting past the Sandcrabs tonight would be an historic moment for the Tigers. Not since 1957 have they gotten past the second round of the playoffs.

A win tonight then would be another accomplishment for this team, one that has won seven straight games, won at rival Edcouch-Elsa and came within one game of a District 32-4A title.

It would also bring some revenge on the Sandcrabs, though that obviously isn’t the main objective.

“It’s not revenge. It’s getting to the next level. We set our goals, regardless of who the opponent was, to get to the area round and that’s actually our second-to-last goal,” Uribe said. “It’s irrelevant who our opponent was. We are up to the challenge against Port Lavaca.”

The scene at tonight’s game should also feel familiar to Port Lavaca Calhoun. In the area round last year, also at Javelina Stadium, the Sandcrabs beat a streaking District 32-4A team led by one of the Valley’s best quarterbacks and supported by a passionate fanbase.

And, like the two meetings with the Tigers, the Sandcrabs hope the result from that game, a 48-28 win over then-undefeated Edcouch-Elsa, repeats itself.

Like Mercedes, the Sandcrabs aren’t worried about the prior meetings or revenge. They know that those games weren’t in the postseason but only Week 0, games that wouldn’t end anybody’s season.

“Why would revenge be a part of any playoff game?” Sandcrabs coach Richard Whitaker asked. “Right now, everybody’s wanting to win to get to the next level.”