SAN DIEGO, Texas — Surprising everyone in District 16 of 3A-DI is the Bishop Badgers (4-3, 4-0). Their next match-up against the San Diego Vaqueros (5-2, 3-1) is the Friday Night Fever Game of the Week for week nine.
San Diego has three of the last four district titles and become a consistent playoff team.
Now at 5-2 and 3-1 in District 16, the senior class is looking to go to their fourth straight playoffs. Coach Bo Ochoa said the seniors are the strength of the team.
“They done a great job demonstrating, practicing hard, getting ready for games, getting focused. And, all the other things besides football too, passing class and being role models," Ochoa said.
“Learning from the last year, losing in the first round it’s just going to pick us up more every year, so. My freshman year they went three rounds deep. We’re just trying to build off that and work from there,” Vaqueros senior quarterback Jayden Lozano said.
“We’ve just been putting that work in extra. Whether off-season, in-season we lift weights,” Vaqueros senior offensive and defensive lineman Kaleb Rodriguez said.
San Diego picked up a bunch of early injuries, but have slowly grown to full strength. However, they did drop their first district game to Rio Hondo. Now, the Vaqueros are unleashing all they’ve got.
“We kind of pushed a sense of urgency button early during district play since we lost our first game," Ochoa said. "So, we kind of set the tone that, hey we’re in the playoffs already, we can’t afford to lose another one.”
The Badgers were one of the Coastal Bend teams to change divisions returning to 3A-DI after spending the last two seasons in 4A-DII. Bishop is 4-3 and looked to be going down the wrong road once again after starting 0-3, but they’ve since gone undefeated in district play.
“We really maintained our composure, didn’t really just start freaking out. We just stayed as a team, trusted what we can do,” Badgers senior wide receiver and cornerback Emmatteo Pelagio said.
Coach Rigo Morales’ first two seasons in Bishop weren’t ideal finishing 6-6 and 2-8. But, he and the boys have flipped the script and found a way to lead the pack in District 16.
“The truth is they have a strong belief in what we’re doing and I think that’s kind of our culture right now, that’s our foundation,” he said.
“Probably started in the off-season. Kind of changed the off-season up a bit and just kind of remembering that feeling. It was not very fun losing eight games, but keeping that in the back of your heads and making sure that doesn’t happen again,” senior offensive lineman Rylee Martinez said.
Martinez is leading an offensive line that has helped produce big plays. He's the lone senior among four sophomores on the line.
"Those guys are my best friends. Seeing them kind of grow, like how I grew coming up, it's been exciting to watch them," Martinez said.
This one is going to be a battle for first in the district heading afterwards into the final two games of the year.
It's homecoming in San Diego. The game begins at 7 p.m. at Vaquero Stadium. Highlights and the Thomas J. Henry Trophy Presentation can be seen on the Friday Night Fever on KRIS 6 News at 10.
3A-D1 District 16
Bishop 4-0
Rio Hondo 3-1
San Diego 3-1
Lyford 2-2
Raymondville 2-2
Falfurrias 1-3
Santa Gertrudis Academy 1-3
Progresso 0-4
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