By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
With the non-district games complete, now the Rams’ focus shifts to the games that truly matter.
Del Rio (1-3) opens play in District 30-6A Friday night against the Laredo LBJ Wolves (2-2). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium.
Laredo LBJ opened its season with a 34-6 win over Laredo Martin before losing back-to-back games to Laredo Nixon and Weslaco.
In their last game, the Wolves knocked off Mission Veterans Memorial, 34-20.
Del Rio opened its season with a tough 43-36 loss to Kerrville Tivy before beating San Antonio Warren 24-17 for the Rams’ first win of the season.
But after scoring at least 24 points in their first two games, the Rams dropped their next two games to New Braunfels and San Antonio Davenport 31-14 and 35-10 respectively.
Del Rio defeated LBJ 24-9 last season, but this year’s Wolves look a little different. They scored three touchdowns in about three minutes against Veterans Memorial to help propel themselves to the win. Now the team is getting back some of its injured players and head coach Leo Mireles has the Wolves trending in a positive manner.
LBJ’s defense is a big part of its success. The Wolves picked off Veterans Memorial twice, with both turnovers leading to scores, and recovered a fumble. That kind of performance should give teams cause for pause.
Offensively, quarterback Vicente Robles isn’t afraid to call his own number and push the team down the field. He gets plenty of help from players like running back Ivan Gonzalez who can not only work out of the backfield as a ball carrier but who can also serve as a receiver when the time arises.
Del Rio gets its own big name back this week as week one starting quarterback Jayden Mendoza makes his second start of the season. He suffered an ankle injury in week one against Kerrville Tivy. He missed the next three games, but he’s healed and ready to return.
Mendoza’s return is a big boon for the Rams. While backup quarterback Ivan Ramirez did well in Mendoza’s absence, picking up Del Rio’s only win of the season thus far, Mendoza’s experience under center cannot be ignored. He appeared in multiple games last season and was expected to make an immediate impact this season.
Whomever has been under center has held the keys to the a strong rushing game that’s featured 100-yard rushing performances from Fermin Rodriguez as well as Zane Hughes. Add to that contributions from Brian Natividad and Ivan Aguilar and it makes Del Rio’s run game very multifaceted and hard to key on just one runner.
Del Rio has been conservative in its play calling since the season began but that has been by design. As most coaches will tell you, opposing teams are always trying to get an edge and the less you show them early on the better advantage you’ll have when the two teams meet face to face. The Rams do have pass plays built into their running offense, and you can expect more of those sprinkled into the contests to keep opposing teams guessing.
Del Rio’s defense could be the deciding factor in tonight’s game. The Rams have shown they can shut teams down. They’ll need to be at their best now when the games matter most.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
