by Damaris Malave, Evan Alban, and Alexis Trevino
After mounting a near-comeback against Harlan, but falling just short and losing the season opener 24-13, varsity football is back and takes on the O’Connor Panthers today at 7:00pm at Dub Farris Stadium. Here’s what the coaches had to say about last week’s matchup with Harlan as well as today’s game:
Head Coach Juan Morales explains how the Harlan game helped them move forward and learn about this year’s team:
“During the first game, we started off a little slow. We had some issues we had to iron out, but we learned how to move forward. I think that once we had it all together, it made us smarter and it wound up being a really great game,” Morales said.
Morales on what fans should expect to see from O’Connor’s offense tonight:
”O’Connor plays really well and they know how to play against top notch teams,” Morales said. “They played against Steele and beat them, they have a great passing game, and have two offensive linemen that are recognized nationally.”
“Their defensive line is really good, but we are going to try and remain positive,” Morales said. “We won’t move backwards and we will cut the game in half by trying to concentrate on their defense.”
What can fans do to support the team?
“As long as they keep doing what they do, such as showing their support and enjoying being a part of the game, they can continue to have fun with the boys,” Morales said. “The boys are going to keep their heads up, win or lose, and they will continue to play just as hard.”
Are there any injuries that the fans should know about?
“We had one significant injury from our defense during the scrimmage. It was actually a blessing in disguise because we found two more players that can now take over Jose Martinez’s spot who was a linebacker,” Morales said. “In the end, we traded up two for one.”
Catch and Release: Senior receiver Joey Ortiz breaks a Harlan Hawk tackle after making a tough catch. photo by Madison Casanova