Edinburg High beats PSJA High in OT after decision fails

EDINBURG - PSJA High coach Mel Rios knew he was taking a chance. Not a big chance mind you, but a chance nonetheless.

But the running game (49 rushes, 269 yards) that had been so good all night long for the Bears suddenly collapsed, and it left the Bobcats an opening they had sought

It all led to a 33-32 Edinburg High overtime victory in District 31-5A action on Thursday night at Cats Stadium.

“We were getting whipped all game but the defense stepped up and made a big play,” Bobcats coach Joey Caceres said. “This is going to give us the confidence we need. It’s going to get us over the hump.”

In the fourth quarter, the Bears led 26-23 with just more than three minutes left with that fourth down on its own 29. PSJA was facing a brutal wind and Rios decided to go for the first down instead of going for a punt, figuring the field position wouldn’t be much better.

The Bobcats dropped workhorse running back Gilbert Espino for a yard loss and Edinburg took over and tied the game with a 19-yard field goal by Jaime Juarez with 14 seconds left.

“It was a good move by Mel to go for it,” Caceres said. “A punt against this wind wasn’t going to do any good.”
Offensive lineman Kenneth Henriksen recovered a fumble by Aaron Gonzalez in the end zone for Edinburg in overtime. Juarez converted an extra point that sealed the game.

PSJA High scored first in overtime on a 9-yard run by Osvaldo Cantu, but the Bobcats’ David Guevara blocked the extra point to leave the Bobcats room for the win.

Espino had been a beast all night. He finished with 162 yards on 25 carries. He had converted on a big fourth down that led to a touchdown two possessions before.

Edinburg improved to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in district. PSJA High fell to 1-5 and 1-2.

“It was a calculated risk,” Rios said. “(Edinburg) played it well and we forced them to make a field goal. We had to take some chances. It was the right call because we had been moving the ball on them.”

After Edinburg took a 15-12 lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by Jaime Sauceda on the opening drive of the second half, PSJA High answered with touchdowns by Cantu and Espino on their next two possessions to go ahead, 26-15.

The Bobcats chopped that lead to 26-23 when Steve Treviño hauled in a 7-yard pass from Steven Guerrero with 5:05 remaining in the fourth quarter.