By Andrew Crum | The Brownsville Herald
1. Aguilar leads Pace to emotional win
With an impressive showing by senior quarterback Randy Aguilar, the Pace Vikings (1-0) shut out PSJA Southwest in Week 1 at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville. Aguilar was 11 for 19 for 177 yards and three touchdowns through the air and also ran for another 18 yards and a score to lead the Vikings to an emotional victory over the Javelinas just three weeks after the sudden death of defensive line coach Art Cantu. Aguilar connected with three different receivers for touchdowns, including Gabriel Zapata, who stood out with four catches for 81 yards, including a 38-yarder for a touchdown. Pace’s running attack wasn’t bad either, as the Vikings gained 147 yards on 44 carries. Matthew Cuellar’s 77-yard performance was the highlight of the backfield Saturday night. Pace’s defense did its part as well, as it allowed just 75 yards of total offense and a measly three first downs.
2. St. Joseph Academy, turnovers don’t mix
In a Week 1 surprise, St. Joseph Academy (0-1) struggled with three turnovers in the first half, two fumbles and an interception and that led to a 16-0 hole at the break. The Bloodhounds up-tempo offense didn’t get going until the second half, but the first-half deficit was a detriment, and St. Joseph dropped its Week 1 game to Grulla 38-22. The Bloodhounds got three touchdown passes from senior quarterback Kai Money after halftime, two of those to Pablo Zolezzi, who finished with seven catches and 81 yards. But the first-half turnovers and Grulla matching St. Joseph with 22 points of its own in the second half, the Bloodhounds fell to 0-1 in the new season. Money finished 14-24 with 186 yards and three scores, but it wasn’t enough to make the comeback.
3. Rivera’s offense shines bright
Rivera’s offense showed its balance and produced on the ground and through the air against Porter in a 35-14 win Thursday during Week 1 at Sams Memorial Stadium. Senior quarterback Nico Blanco hit senior receiver Oscar Lozoya for three touchdowns, including a pair in the fourth quarter that helped the Raiders (1-0) pull away from the Cowboys (0-1). Blanco was 7 for 11 for 119 yards and three scores, all going to Lozoya. On the ground, Quintae Smith-Barrett led the way with 187 yards and found the end zone twice. Lozoya and Smith-Barrett each scored in the first quarter to give the Raiders a 14-0 cushion and Porter wasn’t able to make up the difference.
4. New year, same great defense for Lopez
Picking up where it left off last season, the Lopez Lobos defense played very well on the road Friday, giving its offense opportunities while holding the Port Isabel Tarpons (0-1) in check during a 35-13 Lopez victory. Lopez (1-0) sported the best defensive unit in District 32-5A in 2016 set its sights on repeating that success prior to this season. Lopez is on the right track, as it looked just as good as ‘16’s unit, holding the Port Isabel offense to just 93 yards. The Lobos added a pair of sacks and forced a couple of fumbles along the way, pressuring the Tarpons for 48 minutes. Port Isabel is operating under a new offensive system with more balance under first-year head coach Jaime Infante and it looked the part at times, struggling under the pressure of the Lopez defense.
5. Brownsville Veterans Memorial dishes out a dose of déjà vu to Edinburg North
With expectations high after sharing the District 32-5A crown with Mercedes in 2016, the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers (1-0) may have been disappointed with the way their season began in the first half of Friday night’s road matchup with Edinburg North. Brownsville Veterans Memorial (1-0) started the game on its heels, as it faced a 14-0 hole after the first quarter and trailed 21-10 at halftime. Senior quarterback Gustavo Vasquez’s 11-yard touchdown run got the Chargers’ offense started in the second quarter, and the visitors carried that momentum into the second half. Brownsville Veterans would ultimately outscore the hosts 39-7 after its early deficit, including a 29-0 showing after halftime to stun the Cougars. Vasquez finished with 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground and threw for another 92 yards and senior running back Abel Martinez added 102 yards and two more touchdowns as the Chargers racked up a robust 253 rushing yards during the 39-21 comeback victory. The result was likely a bit of déjà vu for the Cougars, who watch the Chargers rally from a 14-0 halftime deficit to escape with a 17-14 victory in last year’s opener.
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.