Tarpons use classic formula to top upstart Chargers

PORT ISABEL — It was classic Port Isabel Tarpon Football on Friday night.

And because of it, they’re 3-2 going into what’s expected to be a salty District 32-3A race.

The Tarpons got their running game going plus an 88-yard kickoff return for a TD by Kenny Herrera to hold off a determined Brownsville Veterans Memorial team 31-15 on Friday night at Tarpon Stadium.

PI rushed for 228 yards and an improved defensive effort is what also pleased head coach Monty Stumbaugh.

“I challenged our front seven to play better and they bent a little bit, but our kids did a good job,” Stumbaugh said. “That’s a good football team over there. They’re big and tough.”

Veterans Memorial (3-1) lost its first game during this independent season, but coach Mark Guess was pleased with his young team’s play.

“We’d had a good run to start our program, and all good things must come to an end,” Guess said. “But that’s why we scheduled those guys (Port Isabel). We knew it was gonna be our toughest game. They’re a great football team year in and year out.

“But our kids played hard and I’m very proud of them. We’ll learn from this and live to play another day.”

The Tarpons, who open 32-3A play next week at home against Zapata, got on the board on their first possession when Juan Aguilera (6 carries, 54 yards) dove in from three yards out. Edgar Garcia’s point after made it 7-0 Tarps.

After forcing a Veterans punt, PI’s Matt Martinez took a handoff, made a couple of shifts and outran the Chargers defense for a 65-yard TD. The PAT made it 14-0 Tarpons with 2:08 left in the first quarter.

But the Chargers, expected to be in Class 4A next season, got back in it when quarterback Marco Munoz (133 yards, 2 TDs) snuck in from a yard out. Christian Salazar nailed the PAT to cut the deficit in half and seemingly gave the Chargers the momentum.

Seemingly.

That’s when Herrera took the ensuing kickoff and sprinted to the end zone to push the Tarps back up by two TDs and the play dashed any hopes of a Charger rally.

“Kenny’s kickoff return was huge,” Stumbaugh said.

Herrera’s gem put PI up 21-7 and it stayed that way going into the locker room.

Coming out of it, Stumbaugh wanted his squad to assert itself and grab a hold of the game.

They did just that when drive 79 yards in six plays capped by a 20-yard scoring pass from Isaiah Martinez to Erick Trevino. The two had hooked up earlier on the drive on a nice 43-yard pitch-and-catch, which keyed the march.

“We told the kids that in the third quarter we needed to get the ball and go score,” Stumbaugh said. “We moved the ball well and were able to get it.”

The Tarpon defense got back-to-back interceptions of Charger QB Munoz by Alan Barrera and Luis Aguilera. The second pick set up a 35-yard field goal from Erick Ovalle to make it 31-7 Tarps with 10:21 left in the game.

Veterans closed the scoring on another one-yard TD from Munoz and an impressive diving two-point run from Alexis Palacios.