Bloodhounds fall in regional finals to Houston Second Baptist

SAN ANTONIO —Brownsville St. Joseph saw its season come to an end in the TAPPS DII regional round Friday, losing 29-10 to the Houston Second Baptist Eagles at Central Catholic’s Benson Stadium in San Antonio.

The Bloodhounds finish the year with a 11-1 overall record, capturing the TAPPS DII District 3 title and an area championship along the way.

“I felt we had a great game,” Brownsville St. Joseph head coach Tino Villarreal said. “I feel the kids played their hearts out and that’s all we can ask them to do. We had a couple of turnovers that put us in situations that were unfamiliar. The kids fought so hard. I’m so proud of them. Second Baptist is a phenomenal team. When you get to be in a game with them, that means our guys played their hearts out. That’s what they did today. Obviously as a community you’re disappointed. We had high hopes for tonight, but we’re definitely not disappointed in the effort by these boys.”

The Bloodhounds jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Eagles during the second quarter behind a field goal from Ezequiel Escamilla.

A touchdown run by senior athlete Claudio Torres added to Brownsville St. Joseph’s lead during the second, running it into the end zone to give the Bloodhounds a 10-9 lead at the break.

Brownsville St. Joseph do-it-all athlete Claudio Torres carries the ball during a TAPPS DII regional contest against Houston Second Baptist on Friday at Central Catholic’s Benson Stadium in San Antonio. (Victor Dominguez | Special to RGVSports)

The Eagles responded in the second half, scoring a pair of touchdowns during the final two periods while keeping St. Joseph off the board to secure the win.

The loss marks the end of high school football for a loaded group of seniors, including Torres and UTEP commit Diego De La Cruz.

“These seniors are amazing,” Villarreal said. “They’re going to be a hard class to replace. They’re all personalities. They’re all amazing. It isn’t just one or two of them. It is all of them. Each individually and they’re the backbone of this team. It is a tough goodbye, but they leave a legacy and have taken this program to the next level.”

Brownsville St. Joseph season featured several big wins for the program, including a defeat of Brownsville Veterans early in the year.

In total the Bloodhounds finished with a 6-0 mark against UIL competition, including a 2-0 record against 6A team.

“It is something to build off of,” Villarreal said. “It lets the younger kids know we can play with the best of the state. We can play ball with the 6A and 5A schools. We can play ball with the Houston and Austin schools. The future for St. Joseph is phenomenal and it starts with the way this senior class led us through it.”

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