While Comfort High faced some challenges in last Friday’s football game against Brady, the bigger obstacles may have been off the field.
Last Friday’s game at Bobcat Stadium was delayed several times because of lightning and forced the teams to keep adjusting their schedule and routines. When the squads finally resumed after 9 p.m., Comfort found a way to win, 32-29.
Comfort coach Jay Rieken said he was pleased with how his team handled both the game and the offthefield distractions. “There were a lot of different challenges for the first game of the year,” he said. “We had weather delays and didn’t go through our normal pre-game routine and then had a five-minute halftime and didn’t get off the field until close to midnight, about 11:30 (p.m.)” Rieken said overcoming so many interruptions to their schedule early in the season is something they can store in their memory bank.
“This is something we can fall back to later on, how to get ready for a game,” Rieken said. “They really responded and kept battling with all the challenges and stepped up and did what we needed to do.”
Rieken hopes to take some of those lessons into Friday’s game at Crystal City. The Javelinas dropped their season opener last week to Cotulla, 28-0, but Rieken said Crystal City is known for being a rugged team.
“They were shutout, but they always battle. There was a team that used to play (Crystal City) and took them off the schedule, and I asked the coach why, and he said, ‘because Crystal City is mean and they get after you,’” Rieken said. “That’s what I want, it’s a constant fight, but I’d rather fight than anything.”
Rieken’s biggest question heading into last week’s season opener with Brady was how his offensive line would hold up against a big Brady front four. He said they held their own.
“They did better than expected; we had some problems up front, but the guys fought,” he said. “One of the kids I was worried about is going to get Offensive Player of the Week because he fought and he took it personally that it was his job to protect the quarterback.”
Last Friday’s game had four lead changes and the Bobcats had the final one to win the game that came down to extra points. After missing their first extra point, the Bulldogs kept chasing that point and went for the 2- point conversion on every touchdown after the first one.
Rieken said one thing they must improve on is making stops on first contact.
“We have to tackle better; they’re not as big as Brady, but everybody is going to be bigger than us,” he said.
Offensively, the Bobcats haven’t passed much in recent years but have the personnel to do it this year. Omar Rivera completed 9 of 15 passes for 166 yards and a TD and also ran 10 times for 117 yards and two TDs.
Gabe Gonzalez ran for 38 yards and a score and also caught a 38-yard pass, while Jared Valadez had a great night receiving and hauled in six passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.
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