SINTON, TX — When Sinton QB Quincy Bess and Gregory-Portland QB Carter Dominguez take the field on Friday they'll go from friends to rivals.
The two gunslingers go back to playing peewee football together as kids. The two have carried on a friendship through the years and now will be on opposite sides of an high-powered rivalry.
"Every since then I haven't played against him," Dominguez said. "It's exciting to get to play against him again and hopefully win."
It's a bond that goes beyond football. When Dominguez's grandfather, Marcus, was recently in the hospital with health issues, it was Bess who supported his longtime friend.
"We found out the news and were devastated for what happened" Bess said. "We visited Marcus in the hospital as much as we can and stayed there for Carter and letting him know that God is there for him and his family."
Now the two will go head to head in a matchup that pits two 3-0 teams against each other. Last year Gregory-Portland fell to 0-4 after losing to Sinton 42-27. The Pirates were 4-0. This year each team has found success on both sides of the ball.
"Defense is confident, our offense is confident, we're just gonna go out and have fun," senior safety Camren Garcia said. "We're just more ready for this game than they are."
The Wildcats are averaging 40 points a game offensively while the Pirates average 37.7 points per contest. The matchup could come down to which team can get a stop or turnover on a crucial possession.
But regardless of personal ties it's certain that when the sun sets on Pirate Stadium and the ball is kicked off, both teams will do whatever it takes to stay undefeated.
"You know when you step on that feel Quincy knows he's a Sinton Pirate," head coach Michael Troutman said.
The game begins at 7:30. You can follow our coverage on Facebook during the game and tune in to KRIS 6 News at 10 for live coverage from Pirate Stadium.
