Every two years, district realignment reshapes the RGV football landscape. Old matchups get bumped in favor of a more fluid schedule, and sometimes, new matchups emerge. Sharyland Pioneer took charge of the third edition of this matchup with a 31-14 win over Edinburg North on Thursday night in a non-district football game.
“We schedule teams like this, they’re a quality ball club… we have a long preseason, and we want to schedule teams that will get us better for our district season. They’re a well coached and tough team, and a long preseason allows us to get quality reps,” Pioneer head coach Eddie Galindo said.
With a month until their first district game, the Diamondbacks looked sharp. They have a plethora of weapons led by quarterback, William Goodloe. Goodloe, a former receiver, commanded the offense with confidence. His 35-yard strike to Matthew Maldonado set the Diamondbacks up first-and-goal at the 10. On the next play, Goodloe bounced his way through the Cougars’ defense with a 10-yard touchdown for the first score. It capped a 7-play, 62-yard drive. Two possessions later, Goodloe and Maldonado connected again, but this time Maldonado found the end zone on a 68-yard catch. Despite the tight coverage, Maldonado was able to win the one-on-one matchup and outrun his defender.
“We worked for this all week, it was a team effort. The line was blocking, the receivers were catching, everything just flowed together,” Goodloe said.
Everything was flowing for the Diamondbacks. Running backs Marcus Perales and Dylan Tijerina added to the rushing threat already imposed by Goodloe. Weapons-a-plenty, Goodloe connected with Luis Orozco on a 51-yard touchdown as he streaked through coverage virtually untouched.
“It was just a great team victory, I’m proud of them. I’m proud of my defense too,” Goodloe said.
The Diamondbacks’ defense cannot go unnoticed. They had their hands full with the Cougars backfield, quarterback Jose Ramirez and running back, Angel Rodriguez. The Diamondbacks were like weeds in the wind, bending but never breaking. They allowed an early score, but then proceeded to shut down a 15-play, 78-yard drive short of the goal line. Cornerback Evan Rodriguez stymied Adrian Maldonado at the edge of the goal line on fourth and goal for a momentum-killing stand that may have led to a Cougars 14-13 lead. The Diamondbacks defense held tough and shut the Cougars offense two more times on fourth down.
“The defense is the heart of our team, we have a lot returners…I’m proud of them, they’re playing hard,” Galindo said.
The Cougars kept pushing the Pioneer defense to its breaking point. Osmar Alanis drew the game even at 7 when he shot around the right side for a 66-yard jet sweep that landed him in the end zone. Alanis was an all-around threat for the Cougars. Alanis returned kicks and was the go-to receiver for Ramirez; he consistently found holes in the defense and converted third downs that kept drives alive.
“Offensively we moved the ball, but things weren’t running on all cylinders. They did a job of doing things that put us in bad situations,” Cougars head coach Damian Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez also has a month before his first district matchup, so the lessons found in such losses are not lost. Gonzalez found solace in his young quarterback’s passion at the end of the game as Ramirez addressed the team.
“He’s done an admirable job of stepping in and leading his team…he’s learning. He’s learning how to read defenses, he’s learning how to lead young men and learning how to own up to the mistakes he’s making…it’s says a lot about him,” Gonzalez said.
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