Mid-October, a slight breeze…. definitely nice football weather for a game. However, I don’t think the teams got the memo, as the game ended up being a tad lopsided between the visiting Fabens Wildcats, and the Riverside Rangers.
Riverside’s Jose Guardado got the scoring started just under the 8 minute mark with a 59 yard run, and with the extra point, the Rangers led, 7-0. Almost 4 minutes later, he was able to get into the painted grass, on a 2 yard run, and just before the clock hit zeros to end the first quarter, Angel “Speedy” Muñoz got in from 18 yards out, making it 21-0.
Guardado scored again in the first half on a 12 yard run, right before the 6 minute mark of the 2nd. It looked like the half was about to end, but the Wildcats fumbled and Riverside’s “Fredo” Sigala scooped up the ball & return it 3 yards, to make the score 35-0 as the teams went into the locker room at the half.
In the 3rd, Guardado got the scoring started again, and scampered in from 4 yards out for his fourth touchdown of the game, at 10:01 mark, to make it 42-0. With the Rangers building a big lead, kicker Jonathan Reyes showed his accuracy from the hash marks as well and split the uprights from 24 yards out (although it would’ve easily been good if another 30 yards were tacked on), and the Rangers led 45-0. Fabens was able to get on the board at before the 3rd quarter ended on an Erick Ortiz 11 yard pass to his Tight End, Derreck Navar, but the 2 point conversion was not good, so the score was 45-6.
In the 4th quarter, Fabens running back, Isaac Urrutia broke free and rumbled 67 yards, all the way for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion failed, and the score was 45-12 with 11:12 left. Yet, on the ensuing kickoff, Frank Luna took the kickoff and went untouched for 70 yards to make it, 52-12. The Rangers were able to get one more in with 6:38 left in the game, as Muñoz hooked up with Dereck Nevarez from 3 out, and with the great leg of Reyes (who was 8 for 8), the final score was….Riverside 59, Fabens 12.
The Rangers, 7-1 (2-0, District 1-4A) travel to the den off of east Montana, to play the Mountain View Lobos who fell to the Clint Lions 53-35, and the Fabens Wildcats, 1-7 (0-2, District 1-4A) host the San Elizario Eagles who were idle, this week.
Paul Torres Reporting