Tigers aim to upset the Panthers in district opener

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  • Snyder’s Seth McGrew (left) blocked Deric Garcia during practice at Tiger Stadium Monday. The Tigers will be on the road to face Fort Stockton at 7 p.m. Friday.
    Snyder’s Seth McGrew (left) blocked Deric Garcia during practice at Tiger Stadium Monday. The Tigers will be on the road to face Fort Stockton at 7 p.m. Friday.
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The bye week is over and the Snyder football team (0-4) is recuperated and ready to return to action.
The Tigers head into the District 1-4A Div. II opener at Fort Stockton (5-0) at Panther Stadium with kickoff set for 7 p.m Friday. The Tigers had several players banged up following the pre-district schedule. According to head coach Wes Wood, they spent the bye week getting healthy and getting back to basics as they prepared for district play.
“One day, we did straight individual (drills) and kind of got back to the basics and some of the things that you feel like you don’t have time for in a regular week,” he said. “We kind of built on the back track to make sure we are solidifying the little things that add up and matter in a game.”
Friday’s game will be the Tigers first taste of what district play is going to be like. Wood said that outside of No. 4 Midland Greenwood, he thinks his team can compete with every team in the district.
“It is definitely not an easy district. Fort Stockton is better than they have been and Pecos is better than they have been,” he said. “Sweetwater and Monahans look to be a little bit down, but those are quality programs and they are always going to bring a good fight. I think we will have a chance in all those games. I think there are quality games every single week, but that is why you play the game.”
Wood said he has been telling his players that every game from here on out matters and that the level of intensity has to change.
“We honestly feel like we could’ve been 2-2. As far as Littlefield and (San Angelo) Lake View goes, we had a shot in both those games and we could’ve, would’ve, should’ve won those games,” Wood said. “I told the kids, ‘does that change how you prepare?’ It shouldn’t. It doesn’t matter what our record was up to this point, those were practice games. I don’t feel like any of those games define what quality of a football team we have. I am really pounding on them about the energy and the fresh start this week, because everything matters now.”
Fort Stockton’s strength lies in the trenches, as the Panthers boast an offensive line anchored by two-year starters Donnie DeLaCruz, a 5-foot-8, 170 pound lineman, and Edward Prieto, a 6-foot-4, 255 pound lineman.
Derek Hernandez is the team’s primary receiver, as well as one of their better secondary players on defense. Jesse Franco gives quarterback Iram Villareal another option in the passing game and Gabe Calzada will handle the bulk of the rushing load.
Defensively, Villareal is the Panthers’ leader, with 123 tackles and three sacks from the linebacker position a season ago. Josh Hernandez recorded 51 tackles and four sacks on the defensive line and Derek Hernandez recorded 50 tackles and an interception in 2018.
Wood said he and his team will have to adjust to what Fort Stockton does offensively and be ready for the Panthers’ running game.
“We like our defensive game plan that we have made up for them. We have to stick to it and adjust when they adjust to what we are doing,” he said. “They run the ball very well. They have two big linemen that they will move around and they will run outside zone with those guys. They’ll also run counter and power back away from them. They like to run behind those guys. They are aggressive. They fly to the ball. We have to bring the fight to them first.”