‘Hounds drop 14-7 heartbreaker at Los Fresnos

By Armando Garza
Special to the NEWS

LOS FRESNOS — In big games, it’s always the little things that make the difference.

On Friday night at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium, it was those small things that did in San Benito as the ’Hounds dropped a 14-7 heartbreaker to Los Fresnos.

A block here, a tackle there, run through one gap instead of the other, a kick a little more to the right. Things went this way for the ’Hounds in a game which turned out to be the knock-out, drag out slobberknocker that many had predicted among two of 32-6A’s frontrunners.

Hard hits were plentiful throughout the contest, but offense and sync was not early on.

As the teams felt each other out, neither could get much going out of the gate. On the game’s first drive, San Benito (3-2 overall, 1-1 district) was the apparent victim of a lost down on what many felt was an officiating snafu. It encapsulated a night in which the ’Hounds just didn’t play to their normal capabilities.

With the ’Hounds punting on their first four possessions and garnering two first downs, Los Fresnos broke the ice first.

The Falcons (5-0, 2-0) went on a 13-play, 93-yard voyage to get their first score on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Rene Ortega to Evarardo Garate. Garate took a pass in the flat, broke a tackle and scooted into the end zone. The point-after was missed to give the home team a 6-0 lead with 7:28 left in the second quarter.

Late in the first half, San Benito got going with big plays on the ground from J.R. Gaitan. With under a minute and no timeouts, Gaitan guided War Dog down inside the Falcon 5. But a handoff was stonewalled at the goal line at the buzzer and the ’Hounds came away with no points.

After intermission, Carlos Estrada picked off Ortega to end Los Fresnos’ first drive, but San Benito punted it back.

Then on the Falcons’ next possession, it was Smiley Escamilla’s turn to record an interception, which fired up the good crowd on hand.

This time, the ’Hounds made good on the INT, when Gaitan hit a streaking Mando Medrano on a 57-yard touchdown bomb. Alejandro Lugo nailed the PAT to give San Benito a 7-6 lead with 6:52 to go in the third quarter.

Later in the period, San Benito was poised to add to the lead, but a field goal went astray and it came up empty. Though Los Fresnos punted, it got the go-ahead score a short time later.

In a drive that lasted just two minutes, the Falcons went 80 yards, culminating with a 36-yard touchdown from Ortega to Pete Perez. Ortega then found Isaiah Zepeda for the conversion and a 14-7 advantage with 8:20 left in the game.

After shutting down the Falcons on fourth down to get it back, San Benito had an opportunity to knot things up with under five minutes left. Starting at their own 21, Gaitan hit Xavier Martinez for 12 yards, and then hit Medrano for 10 up to the 47. Then Jonathan Gutierrez went for 20 yards down to the Falcon 26 followed by a seven-yard run by Gaitan down to the 17. But on the next play, the Falcons hit hard, forcing a fumble to get the ball back and put the game on ice.

San Benito now goes into the Battle of the Arroyo next week at Harlingen needed a win to keep chase in the 32-6A race. The Cardinals are set to take on Hanna Saturday night at Sams Stadium.