SINTON, TX — Some Sinton fans might've panicked seeing starting quarterback Quincy Bess in street clothes on Friday night.
But senior running back Marcos Zapata quickly settled down any anxiety at Pirate Stadium.
The Pirates wore Orange Grove down with the running game, the defense pitched a shutout for three quarters, and Sinton defeated the Bulldogs 22-7 at home on Friday night.
"It hurt but we knew what Luke had and we knew Luke is on this team for a reason," Zapata said postgame when asked about Bess's injury.
Bess came out of the locker room pregame wearing a varsity jacket and a cast on his wrist. That meant sophomore Luke Villarreal stepped into the starting role.
"I stepped up, trusted my teammates, and I knew they'd have my back," Villarreal said.
They certainly had his back. Sinton called six straight running plays on the opening drive which ended with Zapata scoring and giving a 'settle down' hand motion in the end zone.
Junior kicker Blake Bordelon hit two field goals, from 35 and 37 yards respectively, to give Sinton a 13-0 lead at halftime.
On the other side, the Pirates' defense did not allow a first down for Orange Grove in the first half.
"We watch film all week, we prepare all week to play hard and play our best," junior Augie Castillo said.
And despite facing some adversity, the Pirates did play up to their standard in a game they had to win to keep control of UIL 3A-DI District 15.
Sinton will move on to host Aransas Pass on Thursday.
Orange Grove will look to bounce back against West Oso next Friday.
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