By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Just when it seemed Del Rio was back on track, another injury may have derailed the team again.
Starting quarterback Jayden Mendoza, who returned last week versus LBJ after missing the last three and a half games due to an ankle injury, suffered another lower body injury on the Rams’ first drive of the game. He would eventually return but did not play in the second half of Del Rio’s 48-14 loss to Laredo Alexander Thursday night.
Mendoza, who was visibly limping when he returned to the game in the second quarter, played in Del Rio’s second to last possession of the first half before sitting for good for the remainder of the game.
Del Rio’s running game was firing on all cylinders on the Rams’ first drive. Zane Hughes picked up 26 yards on his first carry. After Fermin Rodriguez got the Rams to Alexander 14, Mendoza called his own number and got down to the one-yard line before being brought down. It was on that play that Mendoza was injured, bringing in Casimiro Cardenas to hand off to Rodriguez for a one-yard touchdown run that gave Del Rio a 7-0 lead.
Alexander nearly tied the game on its first offensive play of the game when Jose Fernandez III busted through the right side of the line and had only space and artificial turf between him and a touchdown. However, Del Rio’s Jacob Ortiz caught Fernandez from behind and punched the ball out of Fernandez’s arms. The loose ball rolled into and out of the end zone for a touchback and Del Rio was given the ball at its own 20-yard line.
The Rams eventually punted, and this time Alexander found the end zone when Julius Vaughn found Rickey Carson for a 55-yard touchdown to help tie the game at 7-7.
After another Rams punt, Alexander took the lead on a four-yard Fernandez touchdown run with just under two minutes left to play in the first quarter. The extra point put the Bulldogs up 14-7.
Things went from bad to worse for the Rams when a bad pitch resulted in a fumble. Alexander’s Frankie J. Fuentes scooped up the ball and returned it about 27 yards for the defensive score and a 21-7 Bulldogs lead early in the second quarter.
History repeated itself on Del Rio’s next drive when a toss from backup quarterback Casimiro Cardenas to Hughes bounced behind the speedy back and Alexander was able to recover it at the Rams’ 30-yard line.
Four plays later, Vaughn hit Jayden Gonzalez for a 32-yard touchdown pass that made it a three-score advantage for Alexander, 28-7.
Mendoza returned on the next Del Rio drive, and gained 11 yards on two carries, but Del Rio punted the ball back to the Bulldogs and Mendoza’s night was done.
Alexander needed four plays to return to the end zone, thanks to a 49-yard touchdown pass from Vaughn to Luis Blanco for a 35-7 advantage, and then the Bulldogs’ Ismael Cavazos recovered the ensuing kickoff at the Del Rio 24 after it fell short of Del Rio’s returners.
With less than three minutes left in the half, the Bulldogs used three runs by Fernandez and a 14-yard pass from Vaughn to Gonzalez to get to the Rams’ one-yard line. Fernandez did the rest, taking a direct snap and punching it in for a 42-7 Bulldogs lead with less than 30 seconds left in the first half.
Alexander’s final score of the game came on the team’s first possession of the second half. Aided by a pass interference penalty against the Rams, Alexander’s Brennan Kisslinger was able to find running room around the right side of the defense and scored on a 28-yard run. The extra point was blocked, leaving Alexander with a 48-7 lead.
Del Rio’s final score came in the fourth quarter when linebacker Juan Hernandez picked off Vaughn and returned the turnover about 20 yards for the score. Tamez’s kick was good, helping make the final score 48-14.
The Rams will host the Laredo United Longhorns Friday, Oct. 11 at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
