Corpus Christi, Tx. – Just off the beaten path of County Road 43, football fans packed the stands Friday night to watch the first-ever meeting between Port Isabel and the C.C. London Pirates.
The sound of pom-poms – and a rocking Tarpon marching band – could be heard filling the air as everyone in attendance gave their all to will P.I. towards victory.
But even a two-interception game by Logan Bennett wasn’t enough as London’s Special Teams unit made some big plays early to help the Pirates (3-1) take control and beat the Tarpons in their district opener, 32-13.
First Half
Port Isabel (1-3) would attempt a play-action pass on their first play from scrimmage, but QB Grayson Estes (4/6, 36 yards) was met quickly by a swarm of defenders in the pocket to open the game with a sack.
After a nice burst up the left side by Alan Hernandez (1 rush 11 yards) to move the sticks on third down, P.I. would cough up the ball following a bobbled snap exchange at the 41-yard line.
The follies continued on London’s first play from scrimmage, when their center nearly took out a set of power lines after launching a shotgun snap into the stratosphere. QB Colton Wiseman (11/28, 163 yards, 2TD, 2 INT) would eventually chase down the ball and land on it for a net loss of 29 yards.
Facing a 3rd-&-39, Wiseman stepped back and launched a pass over the middle of the field that was intercepted by Tarpon ballhawk Logan Bennett. The senior returned the ball about 17 yards before stepping out of bounds to set up P.I. with a new possession at the 33-yard line.
Following a 15-yard completion from Estes to Bennett near the left sideline, RB Michael Finona capped off the drive with a powerful, 5-yard touchdown run, shedding a defender off of his torso in the process.
A successful PAT by Domenic Roustand put the Tarpons up 7-0 with 7:16 to go in the first quarter.
But the pitada was short-lived.
London return man Jay Lambert would answer back on the ensuing kickoff return by tight-roping his way down the sideline and into the endzone, untouched, to bring the Pirates back within one point.
A missed PAT left the score at 7-6 in favor of Port Isabel.
But P.I. would fumble another snap exchange on the first play of their next series and lose eight yards to dig themselves into an early hole, before going three-&-out and being forced to punt.
London dialed up a beautiful touchdown play on the following possession when Wiseman hit wide receiver Maddox Jennings over his back shoulder for a 26-yard touchdown reception to go up 12-7 with 1:34 remaining in the opening period.
Port Isabel would respond with a six-minute, eleven-play drive that saw five different ball carriers handle rushing duties before a big hit by a London defender popped the ball out of Estes’ hands as he tried to make something happen on third down.
The Tarpons had a chance of forcing the Pirates into a three-and-out on their next series, but Wiseman fired a laser to Ryan Martinez on a third down slant-route to keep the chains moving near midfield.
Following an impressive catch by WR Aiden Salinas to set up London with a first-&-goal, the Seawall Defense would tighten up and force a turnover on downs with about 3:30 to go in the half.
But P.I. would not help themselves much by orchestrating an awkward combination of plays on their next possession.
After a five-yard rush by Alvaro Rocha on first down, P.I.’s sideline took a second to contemplate their options. Well, seconds turned into minutes pretty quickly, and the Tarpons were forced to call a timeout as the play clock was winding down.
With 2:26 to go in the period, P.I. came out of the timeout and ran the ball for a two-yard loss, committed a false start, then ran a choppy pass play on third-&-long that never developed after a defender blitzed through the offensive line to apply pressure on Estes as he dropped back.
On the contrary, London would get the ball back with 1:30 to go and squeeze out nine plays with the remaining time. They mixed up their playcalling and executed big on a pair of third-&-longs, including a perfectly timed screen to RB Jake Casteneda for 23 yards to get the ball inside the 5-yard line.
Despite a tough goal line effort by the Tarpon D, London would score on third-&-goal after a QB sneak by Wiseman to send the Pirates into halftime with an 18-7 lead.
Second Half
Jay Lambert was not done making highlight-reel plays as he opened up the third quarter with a stunning 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown – his second on the night.
The Pirates were now up 25-7 just seconds into the period.
Then, in what’s become the norm over their last three games, P.I.’s offense went three-&-out multiple times to start the second half.
Due to the stalled drives, both of London’s third quarter possessions would start inside Tarpon territory. They took advantage of the short field and went on an eight-play, 40-yard drive as the third quarter came to an end.
It culminated in an 18-yard catch in stride from Wiseman to Salinas for a touchdown, putting the Pirates ahead comfortably, 32-7, with 2:04 to go in the third quarter.
Port Isabel would finish the game strong by stringing together a late fourth quarter touchdown drive. They moved the ball 80 yards down the field with a majority of handoffs being split between Miguel Arano (5 rush 32 yards) and Tristan Green (6 rush 43 yards).
Green would score from 10 yards out on the ninth play of the drive, giving the Tarpons something to hang their hats on as the final buzzer for the contest sounded.
Final Score: C.C. London, 32-13
Finona (7 rush 30 yards 1TD) matched his efforts in the rushing game by leading the team on defense with five tackles, followed by Jahi Vasquez (4 tackles) and Eli Alvarez (3 tackles).
On a side note, Logan Bennett has now tallied five interceptions through only four games this season.
P.I.’s offense finished the game with 217 total yards, including 181 on the ground. London’s defense was able to gain the upper hand early by figuring out how to time Port Isabel’s snap count. This left blockers and ball carriers at a disadvantage as Pirate defenders frequently shot through their gaps before offensive linemen could even leave their stance.
Safety/RB Tristan Green led P.I.’s rushing attack with 43 yards as he pulled double duty for the Tarpons – while multiple running backs sat on the sideline with injuries.
That list includes top rushers Jesus Ramos, Bryan Ramirez and Angel Dominguez.
QB Grayson Estes had his best game through the air by completing 67% of his pass attempts and making quick decisions with the football. He looked more poised while being able to focus on shorter routes. The senior completed passes of 15 yards, 10 yards, 8 yards, and a quick screen to Logan Bennett that netted three more.
It will be interesting to see if the Tarpons continue layering in more quick-release pass concepts as district play continues.
What’s Next
Port Isabel faces RGC La Grulla (0-4) at home next Friday before entering their bye week.
Provided their injury list, the rest-week could not come at a better time.
Despite their setbacks, there’s no time for the Tarpons to mope about the situation they’re in. The next six games will be a test to see how Port Isabel’s football team can respond to adversity.
Football has the power to make men out of boys. No matter the outcome of a game, or season, that should remain the ultimate goal.
Keep fighting, Tarpons.
P.S. – The hardest hits all night came from the Tarpon’s drumline! The whole marching band rocked out like it was 1999 till the final buzzer. Thank you, Tarpon Band, for the great jams week-in and week-out.
Once a Tarpon. Always a Tarpon. Go Big Blue.
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