A rewarding win

The Alexander Bulldogs defeated their rival the United Longhorns 24-14 on Friday. It was Alexander's first win over United since 2017.

By Garrett Kroeger

Alexander head football coach Edwin Garcia felt the energy in the air on Friday.

He knew the Bulldogs were due for a win.

“It had been too long,” Garcia said.

For the past six seasons, Alexander had struggled against its heated northside rival the United Longhorns. The closest the Bulldogs came to upending the Longhorns during that time was a 15-12 loss in 2020. But on Friday, everything finally clicked for the Navy & Gold and for the first time in seven years – 2,555 days, Alexander defeated United, winning 24-14.

The Bulldogs defeated the Longhorns thanks to the legs of senior running back Joe Fernandez and their defense, which has been arguably the most dominant unit in the Gateway City this season.

Entering this year, Garcia hyped Fernandez as probably the best athlete in Laredo. And while Fernandez has lived up to such expectations all season long, he continued to show why his head coach held that belief as he rushed for 256 yards and two scores on 41 carries. He had a catch for 24 yards and a score, too. He outgained the entire United offense on his own.

“It feels amazing,” Fernandez said of the win. “Ever since I was a freshman, I had been wanting to beat them. It’s an all-around great feeling beating them.

“I was confident. I was definitely confident that we had the ability to beat them. That’s what we came and did.”

Fernandez finished the regular season with 1,422 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He would have probably ended with 1,600-plus yards, but he has missed one game this year.

While Fernandez powered Alexander’s offense, its defense flexed its muscles like it has all year long.

The Bulldogs’ defense did a solid job limiting what had been an explosive United offense. Alexander held the Longhorns to under 200 total yards and even limited stud receiver Colt Lozano to a mere one catch. Entering Friday’s matchup, Lozano had been dominating defenses, totaling 78 catches for 1,126 yards and 13 scores.

“I’m so proud of the boys,” Garcia said. “Everything we went through this season prepared us for this moment. Everything we had to go through, all the struggles, got us ready for this moment.

“This was for everybody. This was for 3600 East Del Mar. I just saw it and felt it. The vibe from

our boys this past two weeks had been nothing but intense. Our coaching staff did a great job at getting the boys ready.

“Finishing 4-2 in our district is great. We have set the foundation. It’s now time for us to start our own streak.”

This season hasn’t been what the Bulldogs had hoped for. Entering this year, Alexander eyed a district title. It felt it had the necessary talent to accomplish such a dream. However, injuries to key players derailed such aspirations.

Although the Bulldogs didn’t win a district championship on Friday like it had envisioned it would do earlier in the season, the win was still a memorable moment for the Navy & Gold.

Prior to Friday’s result, Alexander had last beaten United when New Rules by Dua Lipa, Humble by Kendrick Lamar and That’s What I Like Bruno Mars dominated the radio. Prior to Friday’s win, the Bulldogs had last defeated the Longhorns when Star Wars: The Last Jedi was in theaters and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was just a rookie. That’s how long Alexander went in between wins.

Friday was a rewarding moment for the Bulldogs. Although they didn’t win a district title this year, to snap their six-game losing streak to United made this season worth it to the Navy & Gold. It was a moment that reflected all the hard work Alexander has put in this year. And now, with a fresh new win over the Longhorns under their belt, the Bulldogs hope to build their own winning streak over their heated rivals for years to come.

“It's a great win,” Fernandez said. “It’s a rewarding moment. It gives us confidence going into the playoffs. It puts us with great confidence heading into the playoffs, which is what we need.

“I definitely believe this will be the start of a new streak.”