By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR.
Special to the PRESS
On Friday, Nov. 1, the Port Isabel Tarpons clinched a share of the district title by a combination of their 54-0
win over the visiting La Grulla Gators and the Kingsville King Brahmas 49-33 win over the La Feria Lions. All
three teams finished the regular season tied with identical 2-1 district records. Utilizing a points system for playoff seeding, Port Isabel ended up as the number-one seed followed by Kingsville and La Feria.
The game had an unusual start of 6:30 p.m. which might have led to more empty seats than usual, but those in attendance saw the Tarpons put on an all-around solid effort.
The Tarpons’ first successful scoring drive came after their return-man, Christian Smith, caught the ball at
midfield and ran it back to the Gators’ 28-yard line. Five plays later, running back [RB] Luis Ramos ran it in
untouched for a six-yard touchdown run as the Tarpons took an early 7-0 lead with 4:54 left in the first quarter.
The Tarpons’ “Seawall Defense” held the Gators to a three-and-out including a sack and force fumble by
defensive tackle, Ryantino Martinez. La Grulla was forced to punt and PI’s Cleveland Smith picked up 17 yards on the returns.
It only took the Tarpons one play to score on their next possession as RB Ramos broke free for a 42-yard TD
run. Port Isabel now led 14-0 with 2:51 left in the first quarter.
After another defensive stop by the Tarpons, return-man Ch. Smith returned the ball for 18 yards as the PI
special teams showed signs of improvement. In previous games, the returnman played too cautious and let the ball bounce which often set the Tarpons further backwards.
La Grulla could not stop the Tarpons’ offense as Port Isabel went on a seven-play scoring drive capped by a one- yard TD run by RB Edward Garza. Garza had a highlight play earlier in the drive as he rumbled for 21-yards, shedding several would-be tacklers. A botch extra point try made it Port Isabel 20, La Grulla 0 with 10:17 left in the second quarter.
The Tarpons executed a “pooch” kick during the kickoff which the Gators ended up fumbling away. Two plays
later, RB Dylan Green bobbed-‘n-weaved through the Gator’s defense for a 35-yard TD run and the rout was on as PI took a 27-0 lead.
With the pedal to the metal, Port Isabel scored again in their next possession, this time on a 73-yard TD run up the middle by RB Green. Port Isabel extended their lead to 34-0.
PI QB Grayson Estes went in with the rest of the reserves and the Tarpons proceeded to go on a five-play
scoring drive, capped by a six-yard TD run by RB Anthony Aguillon. The highlight of the drive was a 40-yard run by RB Agustin Laguna. At this point, the score was Port Isabel 40, La Grulla 0.
On their ensuing drive, Port Isabel’s RB Miguel Perez escaped for a 50-yard TD run as the Tarpons jumped out to a 47-0 lead at halftime.
As the second half resumed, the Gators had their best drive yet. However, it stalled at the Tarpons’ 25-yard line.
Meanwhile, the Tarpons managed to score once more in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard TD run by RB Laguna.
The second half went by quickly as the game clock was set to run continuously with the Tarpons winning the
game, 54-0.