No. 3 Sharyland tops Rio Grande City in wild 30-5A affair

RIO GRANDE CITY — Sharyland stands alone.

Third-ranked Sharyland defeated Rio Grande City 49-33 on Friday at Joe R. Sanchez to improve to 6-0 and, more importantly, 3-0 in District 30-5A where it is the only team without a league loss.

An RGC win would have thrown the district standings into chaos with five teams with one loss but it could not win the offensive showdown with Sharyland in a sometimes testy and sloppy game.

Sharyland produced 489 yards of total offense and, other than two fumbles and a turnover on downs in the fourth quarter, could not be stopped.

“Thank God they couldn’t stop us because we couldn’t stop them,” Sharyland coach Fred Sanchez said. “The turnovers gave them life, and they hung in there.”

Chris Zuniga fumbled the opening kickoff that led to an eventual Freddy Lopez 10-yard run that gave RGC an early 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing drive, Sharyland answered with an 18-yard TD run by Ricky Mata. After the TD, the snap for the PAT sailed long and was picked up by kicker Joey Martinez, who found Kyle Vale for a two-point conversion and an 8-7 Sharyland lead, one it would not relinquish.

It wouldn’t be the last of the heroics. Ricky Mata, who after a 57-yard catch and run on a screen pass, pitched the ball to a trailing Bobby Moran just as he was about to be tackled at the RGC 10. Moran scored from 13 yards out to give Sharyland a 29-21 lead at halftime.

“I just heard Bobby telling me, ‘Rick, Rick,’” Mata said. “At the last second, I felt the guy wrap me up so I just tossed it to him with both hands.”

There was a question as to whether Mata was down before he pitched the ball but the referees did not change the ruling.

“That was a playmaker making a big play,” Sanchez said.

RGC, which amassed 354 yards of total offense, tried its best to keep up with Sharyland, going blow for blow. Sixteen penalties for 106.5 yards didn’t do RGC (2-4, 1-2) any favors.

“They are that good,” Sanchez said about the RGC offense. “They execute extremely well. They have a real good ball club there is no question about it. It was an offensive battle back and forth.”

With the likes of Mata and quarterback Scottie Meyer (142 yards rushing, 170 passing), Sharyland won the battle.

“Our offense blocked extremely well tonight,” Mata said. “The holes were all there.”

Peter Rasmussen covers District 30-5A football for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com.