By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Del Rio started the 100th meeting against Eagle Pass with a bang, but it was the Eagles that soared on Saturday night.
Down 7-0, Eagle Pass (7-3, 5-1) scored 26 unanswered points on its way to a 34-13 win over the Rams (4-6, 3-3) at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium.
Both teams had already qualified for the postseason, but Saturday night’s game would decide who would play where and against whom in the Bi-District round of the playoffs.
Now the Rams travel to San Antonio Friday night to take on the Taft Raiders (8-2) at 7:30 at Gustafson Stadium. Ticket information has not yet been released.
It took Del Rio two plays to find the end zone against Eagle Pass. After a six-yard pass from Zack Taylor to Alan Dobbins, Taylor got the ball into the hands of Elian De La Paz. The junior running back hit the hole, picked up some blocks, and turned on the jets as he zoomed 73 yards to the end zone for the touchdown. Rodrigo Tamez added the extra point, and the Rams led 7-0 just 25 seconds into the game.
But Eagle Pass had an answer.
Quarterback Isaac Stanwick hit Wilfredo Fausto for a 30-yard pass, and then found Kyle Gloria for a 31-yard scoring strike. Alan Losoya’s kick then tied the game at 7-7 47 seconds into the game.
After the sudden offensive explosion from both teams, the Eagles defense came alive. They blocked a Corbin Farrar punt and recovered it at the Del Rio 2-yard line. On the next play, T.J. Mares scored and helped give Eagle Pass a 14-7 lead.
Del Rio was forced to punt on its next drive and the Eagles went back to work. Back-to-back pass from Stanwick to Frausto gobbled up 35 yards and put the Eagles at the Rams’ 29. A pass interference penalty against the Eagles moved the back to the 44, but then Stanwick found Dakota Kypuros for a 32-yard pass to the Rams’ 11.
Three plays later, Stanwick kept the ball and went in from one-yard out to make it a 20-7 lead. Del Rio’s Lonnie Green Jr. kept the score that way when he blocked Losoya’s point after try.
Del Rio ended its next drive with a punt and the Eagles looked to take advantage yet again, but the Rams’ defense stepped up.
First, Sammy Flores knocked away a pass intended for Frausto. Then came an illegal procedure penalty against the Eagles. Then on a scramble by Stanwick, Del Rio’s Oscar Duran was crumpled by an illegal block by the Eagles. The play resulted in back-to-back 15-yard penalties against the Eagles and killed the drive, forcing Eagle Pass’ first punt of the game.
Despite needing to be helped off the field, Duran would eventually return the game and showed no ill effects from the blindside block.
Both teams exchanged punts, as Eagle Pass’ next drive was derailed by Nathan Mayes’ strip of Stanwick that resulted in a four-yard loss for the Eagles, but the Rams’ Taylor absorbed a sack that sent Del Rio back inside its own 10-yard line.
Eagle Pass’ next drive benefited from a pass interference penalty against the Rams and an 11-yard run by Mares. But after two big defensive plays by Del Rio defensive backs Juan Peralta and Braden Ludemann, Eagle Pass set up for a 26-yard field goal.
Once again, Green made his presence known, blocking his second kick of the game and bringing his teammates and the fans to their feet.
The momentum didn’t last long as three plays later Eagle Pass’ Jake Zapata intercepted Taylor to give the Eagles the ball at Del Rio’s 41.
A Stanwick to Frausto pass moved the Eagles to the Rams’ 22 before the Rams’ Nathan Reyes broke up a pass. After two short gains, the Eagles went for it on fourth-and-1, but Del Rio dropped Stanwick for a loss and got the ball back.
Once again, a Taylor sack, this time by Eagle Pass’ Javier Santos, derailed Del Rio’s drive and the Rams went into halftime, down 20-7.
The second half started better for the Rams as they forced an Eagles punt, but the Eagles’ defense once again saved the day for Eagle Pass as Jesse James Martinez made a diving interception in the Rams’ backfield.
On the next offensive play for Eagle Pass, Stanwick aired another long bomb to Gloria who found the end zone for a 26-7 lead. The Eagles’ two-point try failed, and the Rams were down 19.
The Rams cut the lead to 13 on a one-yard touchdown run by De La Paz with 6:34 left in the third quarter. The drive was aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty against Eagle Pass and a 27-yard pass from Taylor to Farrar, who eventually got taken down at the one-yard line.
Eagle Pass’ final score came as the fourth quarter began when Stanwick hit Kypuros for a seven-yard touchdown. He then found Frausto for the two-point try and put the Eagles up 34-13, which stood as the final.
Eagle Pass’ win was the fifth straight in the series against Del Rio. They’ll face Marshall in the Bi-District round of the playoffs. Marshall already has a win against Eagle Pass this season as the Rams beat the Eagles 27-26 Sept. 3 in San Antonio.
—
Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
