By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
After a tough defeat last week against Leander, the Del Rio Rams football team is going to have to dust itself off and welcome East Central to town Friday night for another chance to earn its first win of the season.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium. Fans can purchase tickets online at https://gofan.co/app/school/TX22694 or through the GoFan app on their cellphones.
The Rams (0-3) had their best offensive game of the season Sept. 9 against Leander. They scored 32 points, all but seven in the fourth quarter and overtime, only to come up short on the final play of the game to fall 34-32 in triple overtime. It was a tough pill to swallow, but there were positives to come out of the game.
The first positive thing was that the offense came around even without playmaker and deep threat Alan Dobbins who missed the game due to injury. In his absence sophomore Zane Hughes was called upon to shoulder more of the load as a pass catcher. He still returned kicks and was Del Rio’s primary running back, but he made an impact on the receiving end, too, catching three passes for 77 yards and a score. He also rushed for another touchdown.
Senior Corbin Farrar also had a big game for the Rams. His acrobatic catches kept the Rams’ drives alive multiple times. He led the team with nine catches for 141 yards and a touchdown
Jovahn West, Angel Martinez, Ethan Vasquez and Ethan Matherne also contributed as quarterback Zack Taylor completed passes to six different receivers on the night.
Another positive was the play of kicker Rodrigo Tamez. The sophomore was successful on every kick he attempted including a 25-yard field goal that sent the game into double overtime.
Defensively, the front line had its moments. From sophomore George Avalos to senior Lonnie Green Jr., both of whom come from families rich in Rams football tradition, the group made life tough for Leander for lengthy stretches.
However, with the good comes the bad.
Penalties absolutely wrecked the Rams’ chances at a win. Del Rio was called for 12 penalties, all but one was accepted by Leander, including a critical blindside block on the final kick return of regulation that wiped out a Hughes return that would have put the Rams inside the Leander 30-yard line with time for at least one more offensive play.
Del Rio’s defense also got gouged by Leander’s RPO plays, or run/pass option plays. The Lions were able to exploit weakness in the Rams’ front line and linebacking corps and hit those spots for big gains.
But all of that is in the past as the East Central Hornets (1-2) are next up for Del Rio.
The good news is that East Central’s last game was a 45-7 shelling against powerhouse Smithson Valley. The bad news … the Hornets’ only win this season was a 34-22 victory over Roosevelt, the team that beat Del Rio 43-21 in the season opener.
The last time Del Rio and East Central met was in 2015. The Rams suffered a tough loss at the Hornets’ stadium, 31-27.
This year’s East Central team is a very run-oriented squad. Kenyon McClure leads the team with 44 rushing attempts and 162 yards, but it’s Austin Vivier (31 attempts, 142 yards) who is the touchdown leader with five. Vivier is also the team’s starting quarterback, so he’s not afraid to pull the ball down and take off if he feels he needs to or if his number is called.
Passing hasn’t been the Hornets’ strong suit. Vivier is 10-for-35 on the season for 202 yards and zero touchdowns. The bulk of his passing yards have gone to Avery Cane, who leads the team with four catches for 106 yards.
Cane is one of four Hornets to have at least one catch this season including Cameron Sheppard (2 catches, 55 yards), Samuel Padgitt (3 catches, 37 yards) and Quincy Brown (1 catch, 8 yards).
East Central is somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde team. They scored 34 points against Roosevelt including four touchdowns by Vivier and one on a blocked punt by Jayden Diaz, but they managed just seven points in losses to Smithson Valley and Harlan. In their two losses, both touchdowns came in the first half.
The key to beating East Central will be discipline and a hot start for the Rams. If the offense can get going early, and the defense can clamp down on the Hornets’ run game and force Vivier to try and beat them with his arm, then Del Rio could be in line for its first win of the season.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
