By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Del Rio is one step closer to being ready for a run at the District 30-6A crown, but first they have to deal with a feisty Southwest Legacy squad looking for another upset.
The Titans, which has only been playing football since 2018, stunned the Rams 11-8 last season thanks to a winning field goal in overtime.
The two teams meet again tonight at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium, and the Rams have revenge on their mind. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Del Rio enters the game on the heels of a 58-6 thrashing of the Laredo Martin Tigers. It was the perfect recipe for the Rams after a sluggish start to the season, which saw Del Rio drop its first two games by a combined score of 104-20.
So what changed for Del Rio? First were the struggles of the Martin football program, which returned just one player from last season. Secondly, Del Rio changed its defensive scheme, switching to a four-man front from its traditional three-man look. That helped close up running lanes on the interior more quickly and allowed linebackers to clean up the mess.
Del Rio’s offense also clicked finally. Led by junior Corbin Farrar and freshman Zane Hughes, the Rams were able to spread Martin’s defense thin and hammered the Tigers with a more physical offensive line and much speedier players on the outside.
But Southwest Legacy is not Laredo Martin, so it’s back to the grind for Del Rio.
Legacy comes into tonight’s game 2-1 on the season, posting wins against Medina Valley and San Antonio Burbank. However, their last game was a 44-41 loss to Floresville that saw the Titans lose on a 50-yard hail mary as time expired. Legacy had just taken the lead on a one-yard touchdown by Alex Garza with 31 seconds left to play before Floresville pulled off the miracle finish.
Like last year, the key to beating Legacy is to stop senior quarterback Zezar Tovar.
Tovar is a true dual-threat quarterback, but he prefers to stay behind his offensive line and inflict damage from there. He’s thrown for nearly 600 yards, but more than half of those came against Floresville. He’s thrown seven touchdowns against just one interception and is completing nearly 68 percent of his pass attempts.
While Tovar has spread the ball around, his primary target is senior Javier Murillo. While not physically imposing, the 5’ 8” pass catcher is as reliable as they come. Plus he runs a 4.6 40 meaning if he gets in the open field he can be a challenge to bring down. So far this season, Murillo has 18 catches for 422 yards and five touchdowns. No other Titans receiver has more than 10 catches or 100 yards receiving.
The Titans also have a balanced rushing attack with three of its ball carriers having rushed for more than 100 yards on the season already. Tovar leads the group with 173 yards and two scores, but Fernando Flores has 119 yards and Desmond Suarez has 106 yards and a score. Both Flores and Tovar are averaging more than five yards per carry.
Del Rio will need to contain Tovar and keep him under pressure to avoid allowing him to get comfortable and hitting his receivers at will. Murillo will get his catches, but smart tackling will limit the damage he inflicts.
The Rams also need to establish their running game early. Elian De La Paz and Bernie Esquivel have been shouldering much of the load since the loss of Emiliano Lopez after week one, but the emergence of Hughes has given the Rams a new weapon to work with. Hughes’ blazing speed was on display against Martin, and if the freshman can avoid getting lost in the chaos of a tougher varsity team, then the Rams will thrive.
Of course, the Rams need to become a more disciplined team. Penalties continue to be a problem for the team as are turnovers, but avoiding the little things like false starts or lazy penalties like holding will only help.
The Titans will be a good final challenge for Del Rio before their bye week next week. After that, the Rams begin a six-week march towards a district crown. If Del Rio can take down Legacy, then it will go a long way to making the Rams legit contenders for the crown. If the Rams stumble, it’s going to be a long 13 days before they’ll have a chance to right the ship.
Tonight is also Military/First Responders Appreciation Night. The special guests are invited to line up on the field and provide an entryway for the Rams as they take the field.
Tickets for tonight’s game are only available online. Visit https://www.vancoevents.com/us/book/sessions?eid=11686&embed=true to buy your general admission tickets. Adults are $6 and students are $3. This is for the home side only.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
