PSJA North gearing up for long area round trip to Eagle Pass

Match up PSJA North and Eagle Pass, and Raiders coach Bruce Bush doesn’t see much difference. They are about the same size and the speed advantage the Eagles possess is neutralized by PSJA North’s quickness.

Then there’s the home field advantage. And with tonight’s Class 5A Division II area playoff at the quaint 5,000-seat Eagle Pass ISD Stadium, the Eagles have it. There’s a sentimental element too because there’s a new stadium set to open there next season and tonight’s game will likely be the final one played at the facility, which opened in 1937. It’s also the first postseason game at Eagle Pass ISD Stadium since 1993 when the Eagles downed Corpus Christi Carroll, 26-7, in a bi-district playoff. All of that concerns Bush.

“It’s a long trip, and we’ll see how well we can keep our legs under us,” Bush said.

The Raiders begin their approximate 275-mile trip at 9 a.m. today with a stop off for lunch in Laredo. Bush plans on arriving at Eagle Pass at 4:30 p.m. when the Raiders will begin their game preparation.

The teams decided to flip home and home after they couldn’t decide on neutral sites. Laredo’s Student Activities Center was considered, but since Eagle Pass shares the same district with several Laredo schools, it was nixed by Bush. The  San Antonio area was eliminated from consideration too. So Bush decided to roll the dice and hope for the best.

“We wanted to give our kids the best opportunity to win,” Bush said. “We were planning on winning the flip, but we didn’t and it’s unfortunate. We talked to them about (traveling), and try to make it an adventure. It’s a business trip. We’re going to try to stay focused, have lunch in Laredo and go to the stadium.”

Once the Raiders make it that far, they’ll get a chance to advance to the third round of the playoffs and win 11 games in a season for only the second time in school history.

“Eagle Pass is certainly a solid football team,” Bush said. “I think it’s a good matchup. They have a good quarterback and run a lot of screens. Their receiver is real quick and running back has a lot of speed.”

Specifically, Bush was referring to quarterback Tommy Galvan, who has combined for more than 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns. Receiver Rolando Salinas has 28 receptions for 258 yards and running back Randy Garza has rushed for 1,267 yards and 13 touchdowns. Garza rushed for 176 yards and four touchdowns in Eagle Pass’ 28-21 victory against McAllen High in the bi-district round last week.

“We’re not going to do anything different,” Bush said. “We’ve been consistent all year. We’ve played at the same high intensity level all year around. They’ve been a little up and down. I think it’s going to come down to winning the kicking game and the team who makes the least turnovers.”

David Hinojosa covers high school sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442 or via e-mail dhinojosa@themonitor.com.