| Result |
|---|
| (W) 35 - 14 |
(L) 43 - 28 |
| (L) 37 - 21 |
| (L) 35 - 0 |
| (L) 45 - 20 |
| (L) 49 - 21 |
| (L) 72 - 0 |
| (L) 42 - 7 |
| (L) 28 - 14 |
| Preview Gam |
(Ed.'s Note: We don't know if local blogger Jerry McHale was writing tongue-in-cheek, but his McHale Report.blog has decided that Rivera High School football coach – and Brownsville Independent School District trustee "Coach" Joe Rodriguez's protege – has earned top plaudits from the shadowy STJA as the Athletic Director for 2017.
Now, Jerry (AKA The Peerless Observer) being a loyal sort (as the Irish are capriciously so), we imagine that it is a tip of the hat to Coach Joe, a man who took both Chavez and Jerry under his now-feeble wing. Rodriguez has called Chavez the "winningest coach" in Brownsville football and paved the way for him in the BISD and when Jerry was in hot water with his Rocinante rag Coach Joe would step in and calm the roiling waters.
Now, with Coach Joe tottering to and fro, it may be Jerry's salute to his benefactor.
We can respect that, we guess, but it would be hard to ask that from the Rivera student body or the parents and staff of the River 9 to stand up and cheer the dismal 1-8 record. After all, the one victory was against lowly Porter High School (with a 0-9 W-L record) down Highway 48 toward Matamoros. From there on it has been downhill fast.
This calls into question whether the millions that Coach Joe has thrown Chavez's way in the form of a $2.5 million 3/4 size indoor football practice field and state-of-the-art indoor training facility complete with expensive weight room have done any good. Now Rivera is getting one of four soccer fields outfitted with the fake turf for nearly $1 million.
But Rivera's next opponent may be the silver lining Coach Chavez has been waiting to vindicate his reputation and proven performance as football coach. Both teams have a 0-8 records so it should be a pretty even match, a cliffhanger and nail biter, to be sure. Coming off drubbings by Weslaco (72-0) and Weslaco East (42-7), Rivera fans could be in for victory over fellow basement dweller Harlingen South. Chavez should shine. Chavez will have to dip into his treasury of vast gridiron experience and pigskin guile to pull off the upset.)