Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Defensive play proves winner for 2-0 Sinton

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Tuesday, September 14, 1999

Defensive play proves winner for 2-0 Sinton
Interception sends Pirates past Bishop
By Stu Duncan

Caller-Times

Sinton's football team is a perfect 2-0 this season.
   The Pirates can thank their defense for that.
   Adrian Alaniz's 34-yard interception return for a touchdown and Javier DeLeon's extra point proved to be the difference for Sinton during the Pirates' 21-20 victory against Bishop last Friday.
   Sinton limited Bishop quarterback and SMU signee Cody McCarty to 83 yards passing and one TD pass, though Pirates coach Brent Davis said the Badgers tried to run the ball more during the final three quarters of play to counter Sinton's defensive scheme.
   "The defense won the game for us," Davis said. "Our secondary and our pass rush did a great job. (McCarty is) a legitimate Division I player."
   Davis said the Pirates somewhat inexperienced offense has been plagued by penalties this season. He said, "we've basically killed ourselves," after amassing 115 and 96 penalty yards respectively in its two victories against Mathis and Bishop.
   "Don't get me wrong, we'll take 2-0 any day," Davis said. "But we've got to get a lot better to compete in the district that we're in. The teams in our district (District 30-3A) have been dominating the other 3A teams around the area (in non-district games thus far)."
   The Pirates have injuries in the linebacking corps heading into Friday's game at George West. Davis said inside linebackers Tony Diaz, a starter, and Cody Clint have sore necks and he wasn't sure yet whether either would play in Friday's non-district game.
   A SEARCHING FOR OFFENSE: Though 2-1 on the season, the West Oso Bears football are still looking for that offensive spark.
   The Bears blanked Falfurrias, 14-0, two weeks ago but fell short against Laredo Cigarroa, 7-6, this past Friday at home.
   Behind fullback DeAndre Fillmore's 132-yard effort, West Oso rushed for 180 yards on 40 attempts against the Toros, but the offense didn't have many scoring chances inside the Cigarroa 20-yard line.
   When the Bears did have opportunities, they didn't take advantage. The Toros blocked a field goal in the second half, which contributed to West Oso not starting the season 3-0.
   The Bears' offense has been hampered due to injuries in its offense line and to running back Steven Fillmore. West Oso coach Joe Sendejar said Fillmore strained his quadriceps muscle and has a lower abdominal injury; his playing status is week-to-week.
   "What's wrong with us is we're an eight-cylinder engine going on four," Sendejar said. "We're really having trouble getting our offensive game synchronized. And we've been forced to move some personnel around on the offensive line. The unit is not up to par."
   The Bears defense is playing well, however.
   West Oso held Cigarroa to 100 rushing yards on 42 carries and shut out the Toros' offense for the opening three quarters.
   West Oso defensive end Joseph Pena set up the Bears' lone score - DeAndre Fillmore's 3-yard second quarter TD run - when he recovered a fumble and returned it 80 yards.
   "Our defense is playing great," Sendejar said. "The defense helped keep us in our first two games and our athletic ability helped us win those ballgames. We made too many miscues and had too many missed assignments during this last game."
   The Bears continue non-district play Friday when they travel to Port Lavaca to play Calhoun at 7:30 p.m.
   A ON THE BOARD: Calallen hung on for its first victory of the season after a bizarre second half during last Saturday's non-district football game against San Antonio Clark. Calallen prevailed in the game, 13-11, at Gustafson Stadium.
   The Wildcats special teams committed two turnovers on punt return attempts, gave up two safeties on a blocked punt and a bad snap on a punt and missed an extra point.
   "We made a lot of mistakes, and we can't do that against a good football team," Calallen football coach Phil Danaher said.
   Calallen's defense proved up to the task, however, as the Wildcats shut down the Cougars in the second half to improve to 1-1 on the season.
   After picking up three first downs in the first half, the Wildcats' offense came out of the locker room energized.
   Calling pitchouts to running back Victor Price - who scored the game-winning TD on a 5-yard run - proved effective, as the Wildcats scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 13-7 lead.
   Quarterback Clint Miller put Calallen on the board 3 minutes, 16 seconds into the third quarter. Miller's 51-yard completion to Jason John set up his 23-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Justin Pusley. Miller was leveled by an oncoming Cougars pass rusher after he released the ball, but he still managed to complete the over-the-middle pass to Pusley.
   "The route was wide open," Pusley said. "I just saw the ball fall right into my hands. Clint threw a good pass."
   Calallen will continue non-district action Friday when the Wildcats host Ray (1-2) at 7:30 p.m.
   The Texans fell to Alice, 35-0 last Friday.
   "There were a lot of strange plays that happened in that football game," Danaher said of the Alice-Ray game. "Ray's a much better football team than what they have been."
   A ROBSTOWN COACH APPOINTED: Robstown High School assistant football coach and special education teacher Aaron Bonds has been appointed by the Nueces County Commissioners Court to serve a two-year term on the Intergovernmental Commission on Drug & Alcohol Abuse.
   Pat Eldridge, a Corpus Christi Police Department management assistant, said the commission meets once a month and its purpose is to "assist local governmental agencies on programs and methods to combat drug and alcohol abuse among citizens of Nueces County."
   Bonds said of the opportunity, "I was glad. We're dealing with kids and I feel every educator should be drug tested from A through Z."

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