Bobcats turn back Tarpons to clinch 32-3A crown

RIO HONDO — Before their game against Port Isabel, the Rio Hondo Bobcats didn’t even know if they’d be in the playoffs.

But when the night was over, they got all of the answers they wanted…and then some.

Paced by a stellar effort from the Valley’s No. 1 defense and a 130-yard rushing game from R.J. Vega, Rio Hondo turned back Port Isabel 35-21 at Bobcat Stadium on Friday night.

Coupled with Grulla’s win at Zapata, the 32-3A district championship trophy goes to the Bobcats and they won’t share it with anyone.

“This is awesome!” Rio Hondo head coach Rocky James said. “We were hoping Grulla would win and they did. This is what we wanted when we started the season and I’m just proud of our kids.”

As the No. 1 seed, he Bobcats (7-3, 4-1 district) will square off with Lyford (6-4) in bi-district next week. The Tarpons (6-4, 3-2) get 31-3A champ Orange Grove (7-3) next week. Grulla (7-3) will face Raymondville (6-4).

PI did not play its best game Friday, furthering the Cats’ efforts. The Tarpons had several momentum-killing penalties and two costly turnovers.

“We can’t have those kinds of mistakes—turnovers and penalties against a good team like Rio Hondo,” PI head coach Monty Stumbaugh said. “They (Rio Hondo) made us pay for it. They deserve to be the champs and my hat’s off to them.”

In front of a packed house, the teams, which shared the title last year, traded blows and battled to a scoreless first quarter, setting the tone for what some thought would be a defensive battle.

But with quarterback Juan Puga (13-20-2, 184 yards) back and in top form, the Cats finally broke through in the second quarter when he hit Jorge Bermudez on a pretty 7-yard fade pass in the end zone. Jesse Lopez’s PAT made it 7-0 Cats with 6:54 before half.

But back came Port Isabel.

After forcing a Bobcat punt, Big Blue moved down the field and then put on a little trickery to get a score they desperately wanted.

On a third-and-long, Isaiah Martinez threw to Roger Villarreal, who found a wide open Jacques Guillot for a 32-yard gain down to the Bobcat 3. On the next play, Jacob Losoya ran it in to tie it at 7 and it stayed that way at intermission.

In the third quarter, the good plays and momentum shifted over to the black & gold.

After PI fumbled its opening possession of the half, Hernan “He-man” Guerrero zipped around left end for a 25-yard score.

Disaster struck when the Tarpons fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Cats cashed it in when Vega darted in for a 7-yard TD, making it 21-7 with 5:33 left in the third.

PI’s Alan Barrera turned in a 15-yard interception return for a TD that caused the Tarpon side to erupt as he closed the game to one score with 11:19 left in the game.

But Rio Hondo answered when the ever-elusive Puga rolled out and found an open Jacob Garza for a 15-yard TD strike, extending the lead back to 27-14 after a blocked PAT.

PI marched down the field and Matt Martinez’s 11-yard scoring run capped a quick drive to make it 27-21 Cats with 6:38 left and the atmosphere was certainly electric.

That’s when Vega rushed five straight times to set up a Puga-to-Josh Mata 21-yard diving TD. Shawn O’Brien dove in for two for the final margin.

“He’s been playing well for us and he’s a workhorse,” James said of Vega. “He runs tough and hangs on to the ball. He did a great job.”

The Tarpons couldn’t mount a comeback as Phillip Adames and the Bobcat stoppers suffocated the visitors.

“We knew if Puga was back he’d get our offense going,” James said. “And I knew we could play defense. We worked on a package for them (PI) and it worked.”

For the Tarpons, all is not lost. They’ll take on Orange Grove next week and they’re hoping the mistakes of Friday are behind them.

“Tonight, they (Rio Hondo) played better than we did,” Stumbaugh said. “We’ll learn from tonight and not do those things next week.”