Strong second-half pushes Chargers past Diamondbacks
BROWNSVILLE — The Brownsville Veterans’ defense pitched a second-half shutout, and the offense poured on 24 second-half points as the Chargers downed the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks 45-21 on Thursday at Chargers Stadium in Brownsville.
The victory moves the Chargers to 4-2 heading into district play, ending their non-district slate with back-to-back wins. The Diamondbacks fall to 4-2, with loss snapping a four-game winning streak.
“We came out a little sloppy in the first half,” Brownsville Veterans quarterback Storm Montoya said. “We just had to make some adjustments. We finished hard and that’s all that matter. The defense played lights out the second half. The offense did what we had to do. That was all that mattered.”
Both teams ground attacks were on full display during the first half, each amassing over 200 yards and three touchdowns on the ground during the first two periods.
The Chargers got the explosive first half going with a nine-yard touchdown run by quarterback Storm Montoya during the first quarter, taking a 7-0 lead with just 2:44 remaining in the opening period.
The fireworks followed in the second quarter, with Marcus Perales tying the game for the Diamondbacks on a 12-yard touchdown run.
Back-to-back touchdown runs by fullbacks Cesar Belmontes and Alvin Trevillion put the Chargers up 21-7 with 5:12 remaining the opening half.
The Diamondbacks countered the Chargers’ onslaught before the break, however, tying the game before the half on touchdown runs of 50 and 51-yards by quarterback William Goodloe and running back Dylan Tijerina, respectively.
After a back-and-forth first half, the Chargers took over in the second half, outgaining the Diamondbacks 300-108 over the final two periods en route to a 24-0 scoring advantage and the win.
“Our coaches just told us to forget about everything at the half,” Trevillion said. “We came out and played like it was 0-0 and a whole new game. We forgot about all the mistakes and just executed during the second half.”
Belmontes, Trevillion and Montoya led the offensive charge during the second half, with the trio combining for 238 rushing yards and three touchdowns over the final two periods to secure the win.
Trevillion finished with a game-high 209 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, while Belmontes added 146 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.
Montoya chipped in 12 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns, including the game sealing score late in the fourth quarter which vaulted him into No. 1 all-time in program history in touchdowns scored. He also added 119 yards through the air.
“Storm came into today one touchdown behind our former touchdown leader,” Brownsville Veterans head coach JC Ramirez said. “We’re a relatively new school, but we’ve had some big names play here from Gustavo Velasquez to Bryan Chavez. He had nine touchdowns in one game, and he just eclipsed that kid. It’s pretty special and it couldn’t have happened to a better kid.”
The Chargers and Diamondbacks both finish non-district play with 4-2 marks, each team gearing up for the start of league play in their respective districts next week.
Brownsville Veterans opens 32-6A play at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Harlingen High at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.
Sharyland Pioneer hosts Alice at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Richard Thompsons Stadium in Mission to begin 15-5A DII play.
