MISSION-Brownsville Rivera Raiders coach Tom Chavez almost proved his “genius” and “legend”,as his counterpart David Gilpen called him

The former Brownsville athletic director, who had been displaced earlier in the year, took over the coaching duties for the Raiders in late June and  has had little time to work out all the kinks in his personnel, but was almost able to pull out the Week 0 win against the Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots before falling short 20-14.

The Raiders started off the game like gangbusters, as running back Alfredo Torres took the first carry of the season for 53 yards, setting up quarterback Oseil Benavides 9-yd touchdown pass to fullback Juan Garza with Patriots defenders draped all over the both of them.

“We knew it was going to be tough (given the circumstances) but if we could have made the few offensive plays we needed to make the result would have been different,” Chavez said.

However, the Raiders could not muster any offense in the thrid  quarter which eventually led to punter Artemio Romero having a snap sail above his head. He subsequently kicked the ball out of the end zone, giving the Patriots their first score of the evening, cutting into the Rivera lead 7-2.

The Patriots than made quick use of the short field, which resulted from the ensuing free kick, and running back Victor Meza plunged in from a yard out for the Patriots first TD. Quarterback Santos Villarreal ran in the 2-point conversion and the Patriots held the first lead of the game at 10-7.

Villarreal would also cumulate the next Veterans drive with a 3-yd TD plunge, which put the Patriots up 17-7 with 3:43 remaining in the third quarter.

The Raiders however would not go quietly into the night as running back Alfonso Torres cut through the middle of the Patriots defense on a 47-yd TD jaunt with 5:13 remaining in the fourth quarter to cut the Patriots lead to-17-14.

With the game on the line Villarreal than connected with Alfredo Gonzalez, who made a spectacular one handed catch, on a 52-yd bomb that put the Patriots in field goal territory. Not wanting to risk a turnover the Patriots  milked the clock leading to Jorge Cavazos 32-yd field goal with 1:23 remaining in the contest.

The Raiders were able to pick up a couple of first downs on their final drive before the Patriots defense and time sealed the contest in favor of the home team. Torres finished the night with 114 yards on 20 carries with one TD and QB Osiel Benavides was 12-of-26 for 169 yards and one TD.

Villarreal who finished 19-for-33 for 196 yards, the contest was a total team effort for the Patriots.

“We started off slow, maybe because it was Parents Night, Coach (Gilpen) picked us up at halftime and reminded us that we need to be the team we are (capable of being),”  he said. “The O-line and defensive played well and I feel we’re going to be a good team going forward.”

For Patriots coach David Gilpen the win was satisfying, given that the Patriots squandered such close contest such as these when they went 2-8 last year.

“We’re going to be a good offensive team, the first half was embarrassing, that’s not who we are, “ he said empathically.  “I may not have the track record of Chavez but I’ll put my staff against anybody, anytime.  We want to be 10-0 and we can’t get there without going 1-0.”