Archived Story
Sept/20 spts. PI, LF make
Highway 100
a battle zone
#About 25 Los Fresnos parents and cheerleaders shivered together on an
unseasonably cold December morning. The group could have been a few blocks
away in a warm gymnasium watching outstanding high school basketball.
#Instead, they lined Highway 100 to greet Port Isabel's busses as they rolled
through town on their way to a football playoff game against Sealy. The Los
Fresnos residents cheered as the Tarpons and their fans passed, wishing them
well.
It was a classy move that demonstrated the friendly side of this rivalry
between neighboring towns.
Don't expect such open displays of neighborly affection when the Battle of
Highway 100 is waged Friday night in Los Fresnos. It's a game both 2-0 teams
want desperately to win. Regardless of how their coaches might feel.
Publicly, at least, PI coach Tony Villarreal and Los Fresnos coach Jesus Amaya
say they'd rather play Valley Christian this week (or words to that effect).
They'd prefer not to haul out the "district is more important" speech.
"Against Los Fresnos, I don't have to tell them anything and they'll be sky
high," Villarreal said, seeming almost to be complaining. "Then I'll have to
try to get them pumped up for Rio Hondo the following week."
The Highway 100 series was dominated by Los Fresnos back in the days when
Amaya was an honorable mention all-district center. After the Falcons' 1971
playoff team graduated, the pendulum swung to PI.
Los Fresnos raised the stakes in the Highway 100 series in 1992 when it won
13-12 in Port Isabel. The win ended 21 consecutive PI victories. The Tarpons
won 39-27 in Los Fresnos last year and the Falcons rallied to within 27-14.
"From a community standpoint, it wasn't a rivalry when we were in school,"
said Amaya, a 1970 graduate. "I think it came about when Port Isabel won
19,000 games in a row. The fans and the community wanted to stop that."
This year's Falcons have leveled Pace (53-6) and Lyford (41-8).
"This is probably the best Los Fresnos team I've seen and I've been here six
years," Villarreal said. "They have all that speed and a lot of size. Even
their linemen can run. They're definitely one of the better teams I've seen.
They're as big as Edcouch-Elsa and as quick as Raymondville."
Port Isabel, ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll, may be without its
marquee player, Gilbert Verduzco. Villarreal said he expects Verduzco to miss
Friday's game because of a dislocated shoulder sustained against Raymondville
last week.
Villarreal said the Tarpons will spread the offensive load around against Los
Fresnos. Experience tells me Verduzco will play and be used on some passing
downs and when PI needs to shut down a Falcons receiver.
It says here the key to victory will be how Port Isabel's offense fares
against Los Fresnos' defense. When the Tarpons' attacking defense shares the
field with the Falcons' explosive offense, you have the irresistible
force-immovable object dilemma.
The Tarpons have been inconsistent offensively and haven't established a
passing attack. The Falcons defense has kept opponents from scoring, but gave
up 295 yards against Lyford last week and hasn't been matched against an
offense with as much big play potential as the Tarpons.
Although the Falcons might seem to have more incentive, as an undefeated
underdog (Harris Ratings favor PI by 6) at home, don't underestimate the power
of PI's 18-game regular-season winning streak.
It's not the Super Bowl, as Villarreal chants like a mantra. It just promises
to be the best Battle of Highway 100 yet.
/To reach Mike Considine by phone or voice mail, call 982-6622./
