2012 RAMS FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS – 3Friday, November 16, 2012

PLAYOFFS | Page 2

Semifinals for the first time in school history.Awaiting the Rams was a trip

to the Alamodome in San An-tonio and a match-up against the 13-0 San Antonio Clark Cougars.Del Rio had no answer for

Clark’s triple option offense and saw its historic playoff run come to an end, 35-14.In 2010, Del Rio matched

the previous best streak of playoff appearances by quali-fying for the postseason three consecutive years.Once again the Rams were

scheduled to face the Mis-sion Sharyland Rattlers, but this time it would be at He-roes Stadium San Antonio.The Rattlers struck early and

often and the Rams bowed out of the playoffs, 34-7.In 2011, Del Rio set a new

city record by making its fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs.Awaiting the Rams, once

again, were the Donna Red-skins.Playing at Shirley Field in

Laredo, a field at which the Rams had already won a pair of games that season, Del Rio ran past the overmatched Redskins and rolled to a 34-7 victory to move to the Area round for the second time in three years.The Area game pitted the

Rams against the top team

in the valley - the 11-0 state-ranked Harlingen Cardinals.With both the home and vis-

itors sides at San Antonio’s Comalander Stadium packed with fans, the two teams trad-ed touchdowns and highlight reel-worthy plays for four quarters before Harlingen pulled out a 37-34 win over the Rams.While the loss ended Del

Rio’s season in the second round of the playoffs, it sparked a renewed determi-nation to return to the post-season and pick up where the 2011 team ended.This season Del Rio was

picked by several experts to contend for a district cham-pionship.Armed with an experienced

backfield and a defense loaded with heavy hitters, Del Rio won its first district championship since 1993 and claimed the district’s No. 1 seed in the Division II brackett.Their reward was a Bi-Dis-

trict playoff game against the Edinburg Economedes Jag-uars Saturday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m. at Lehnhoff Stadium in Schertz.Will Del Rio reach the Area

round for the first time in back-to-back seasons or will the Jaguars pull off an upset?We’ll know the answer to

that Saturday night.

Photo by Brian Argabright, file | Del Rio News-Herald

The first captains of the season for the Rams, which opened their season Aug. 31 in Kerrville against the Tivy Antlers, were, from left, Jorge Fernandez, Claudio Arizpe, Gus Sandoval and Reymundo Gonzalez.

Photo by Brian Argabright, file | Del Rio News-Herald

Del Rio Rams defensive back Claudio Arizpe (2) leaps and blocks a field goal attempt by the Carlsbad Cavemen during the first half of a game played Sept. 7 in Carlsbad, N.M. Arizpe, a senior, was a pre-season pick for District 29-5A Defensive Player of the Year.