NON-DISTRICT
EDINBURG VELA AT PSJA MEMORIAL
WHERE: PSJA Stadium, Pharr
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Edinburg Vela (3-0); PSJA Memorial (2-1)
GAME NOTES: This matchup hinges on Edinburg Vela’s dynamic offense against PSJA Memorial’s stout defense. … Edinburg Vela’s offense is tops in a loaded District 31-5A, averaging 385.6 yards per game. Quarterback Ebher Lopez has 490 yards and a Valley-best 11 touchdowns this season. … PSJA Memorial has the defense to try to counter, leading District 31-6A by allowing just 218.3 yards per game this year, including just 235 total through the air. … Kevin Spears is the Wolverines’ best defensive player as a linebacker/safety hybrid, but Smiley Canizales and Vicente Rodriguez have also played well in the secondary. Coach Gus Cavazos’ defense isn’t very big, but it makes up for that with speed and quickness. … On offense, PSJA Memorial will try to control the ball with steady quarterback Michael Gonzalez and workhorse running back Jonathan Treviño.
PREDICTION: Edinburg Vela, 30-23
— Greg Luca
NON-DISTRICT
LAREDO ALEXANDER AT SHARYLAND HIGH
WHERE: Richard Thompson Stadium, Mission
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Laredo Alexander
(2-1); Sharyland High (3-0)
GAME NOTES: Sharyland High faces arguably its toughest challenge to threaten its 26-game winning streak, including 23 straight under coach Ron Adame, when it takes on visiting Laredo Alexander. … There’s history between the two teams, most recently with Sharyland traveling to beat Alexander 22-14 in non-district action last year. … Considering both share similarities in their game, this should be Sharyland’s best challenge to prepare for district. … Sharyland boasts the third-best offense in district and second-worst defense in terms of yards allowed, but the numbers can be a bit deceiving. The Rattlers pulled out a 28-0 win last week over Brownsville Rivera without an offensive touchdown. Look for the same type of effort on that side of the ball from Sharyland. .. Alexander is riding a two-game winning streak, having beaten Laredo Martin 33-6 and Laredo Nixon 43-0. The Bulldogs are led by QB Aaron Swain (822 yards, 11 TDs).
PREDICTION: Sharyland High, 28-21
— Mario Aguirre
NON-DISTRICT
WESLACO HIGH AT HARLINGEN HIGH
WHERE: Boggus Stadium, Harlingen
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Weslaco High (1-2); Harlingen High (0-2)
GAME NOTES: Two of the Valley’s premiere programs have come out of the gates struggling this season. … Harlingen High has had injury problems at quarterback but still moved the ball in its loss to McAllen High last week, thanks to a solid ground game by committee and a solid defense backing it up. … The Weslaco High offense is a ground-and-pound team, but scored just 7 points in its Week 3 loss. It faces a Cardinals defense this week that forced three turnovers last week. … Weslaco’s defense is also a formidable unit against the run with linebackers Brandon Michael Torres and Jordan Nichols in pursuit at linebacker, presenting big problems, if the Cardinals cannot launch a passing game. … The Cardinals can have success attacking a weak secondary, but the quarterback situation makes that hard to do.
PREDICTION: Harlingen High, 24-20
— Mark Molina
NON-DISTRICT
CORPUS CHRISTI CARROLL AT McALLEN HIGH
WHERE: McAllen Memorial Stadium, McAllen
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Corpus Christi Carroll (3-0), McAllen High (2-1)
GAME NOTES: McAllen High’s second matchup against a non-Valley team this year, part of coach Kevin Brewer’s effort to expose his team to different styles of play. … The first of those games didn’t go so well for the Bulldogs — a 35-7 loss to Odessa Permian. … Carroll is off to a 3-0 start this year after finishing last season 4-6. … Carroll should present the greatest passing threat the Bulldogs have faced this year. Quarterback Jesse Jones is 40-of-58 passing for 646 yards and nine touchdowns against one interception. … McAllen will be looking to get its own passing game going. Quarterback Fred Hover has been effective on the ground, rushing for 384 yards and four touchdowns this season. He hasn’t had as much success through the air, completing just 49.2 percent of his passes.
PREDICTION: McAllen High, 34-24
— Greg Luca
NON-DISTRICT
PSJA NORTH AT MISSION VETERANS
WHERE: Tom Landry Stadium
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: PSJA North (1-2); Mission Veterans (2-1)
GAME NOTES: It’s no secret PSJA North will more than likely run the ball than pass, with 512 of its 787 yards coming on the ground. Mission Veterans is known more for its passing game, though it has a relatively balanced attack. The Patriots have rushed for 474 yards while throwing for 686. … The isn’t the same PSJA North team that went 0-10 last season. Already, the Raiders have won a game. And although it came in the season opener, PSJA North was competitive last week in a 35-34 loss to Los Fresnos. … Mission Veterans has the second-best offense and defense in district. Santos Villarreal leads the aerial attack, passing for a district-leading 760 yards and 5 TDs, completing 51.2 percent of his attempts. John Garcia leads the Patriots’ running attack, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. … PSJA North boasts a middle-of-the-pack offense and defense, which Mission Veterans hopes to exploit in what will be its final non-district test.
PREDICTION: Mission Veterans, 28-14
— Mario Aguirre
NON-DISTRICT
PORT ISABEL AT VALLEY VIEW
WHERE: Valley View ISD Tiger Stadium, Hidalgo
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Port Isabel (3-0); Valley View (0-3)
GAME NOTES: Port Isabel may have graduated most of its top guns from last season, but the Tarpons have stayed afloat nonetheless, as one of the few remaining 3-0 teams heading into Week 4. … Valley View has largely struggled this year. It’s been blanked twice, including last week in a 28-0 loss to Laredo Cigarroa. It has an amebic offense, averaging a district-worst 166 yards per contest. Carlos Batiz has done his part, however, trying to shoulder the load. In the past two games, Batiz has totaled 163 yards on 30 carries, scoring once. … P.I.’s J.J. Gonzalez, the district’s top newcomer as a sophomore, has largely paced the running attack now as a senior. … Port Isabel also has one more opportunity to fine-tune things before district. Last year, the Tarpons won the district title handedly. This year, they’ll be challenged by Orange Grove, which also is 3-0.
PREDICTION: Port Isabel,
42-10
— Mario Aguirre
NON-DISTRICT
McALLEN ROWE AT LAREDO UNITED
WHERE: Bill Johnson Student Activity Center
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: McAllen Rowe
(1-2); Laredo United (2-2)
GAME NOTES: Laredo United’s second matchup against a Valley team this season after falling 28-23 to Sharyland on Sept. 5. … United’s offense is unlike any in the Valley. The Longhorns have thrown for 1,147 yards this season and run for just 215. … Rowe has faced one pass-heavy offense this season, during Week 2 against Mercedes. Tigers quarterback Rene Presas completed 19 of 28 passes for 230 yards as the Warriors lost 39-12. … Rowe can win any game if it gets the version of quarterback Hector Bosquez that ran for 196 yards and two scores and threw for 226 yards and three more touchdowns in a Week 1 win against Edcouch-Elsa. Since then, however, Bosquez has run for 49 yards and thrown for 108 without a touchdown in two games.
PREDICTION: Laredo United, 35-18
— Greg Luca
NON-DISTRICT
EDINBURG NORTH AT McALLEN MEMORIAL
WHERE: McAllen Memorial Stadium, McAllen
WHEN: Thursday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Edinburg North (2-1); McAllen Memorial (2-1)
GAME NOTES: A matchup of two running backs who led their district in rushing last season. … McAllen Memorial’s Trevor Speights was tops in District 31-5A last year with 2,099 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. So far this year he’s well on the way to leading District 30-6A in rushing, rushing for 774 yards and 9 touchdowns in three games. …. Edinburg North’s Matt Whitesides led District 30-5A in rushing last season with 1,219 yards and 14 touchdowns. He ranks third in District 31-6A so far this season with 340 yards and one score. … North is the more multidimensional of the two offenses. Martin Rodriguez has thrown for 449 yards, including 313 to Michael Cantu. …
PREDICTION: McAllen Memorial, 34-20
— Greg Luca
NON-DISTRICT
WESLACO EAST AT LA JOYA
WHERE: La Joya Stadium, La Joya
WHEN: Thursday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Weslaco East (3-0); La Joya (1-2)
GAME NOTES: Weslaco East’s unstoppable rushing attack, which has averaged 406.3 yards per game, faces a La Joya defense that has held opponents to a respectable 451 yards on the ground through three games this season. … East’s offense is led by running back Lupe Moron, who has racked up 625 yards and seven touchdowns in three games. … La Joya’s offense averages 150 yards per game less than East’s, but the Coyotes have actually been the more effective passing team this year. Quarterback Julio Garcia has 328 yards passing this year, while East’s Darren Rivas has just 55, completing his first two passes of the season last week. … This is
La Joya’s first meeting with a Weslaco school since the ISD split following the 2007 season. Weslaco East has played Juarez-Lincoln four times in that span, winning all four by a combined 159-36.
PREDICTION: Weslaco East, 52-6
— Greg Luca
NON-DISTRICT
EDINBURG HIGH AT MISSION HIGH
WHERE: Tom Landry Stadium, Mission
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Edinburg High (0-3); Mission High (1-2)
GAME NOTES: A young, banged up Edinburg High team has struggled mightily in its first year under coach Joaquin Escobar. … The Bobcats have the worst scoring margin in the Valley, having been outscored 126-13 through three games. … No team in a Valley 5A or 6A district has gained fewer yards per game than Edinburg’s 148, and no team has allowed more than Edinburg’s 432.3 per game. … Mission’s defense, always the calling card under coach Mario Peña, ranks second in District 30-6A with only 211.7 yards per game allowed. … The Eagles offense, which struggled mightily after losing quarterback Jesus Cuellar during the first half of Week 1, showed signs of life last week, scoring 23 points in the first half of a rain-shortened game against Donna North.
PREDICTION: Mission High, 16-0
—Greg Luca
NON-DISTRICT
LA JOYA PALMVIEW AT ROMA
WHERE: Gladiator Arena, Roma
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: La Joya Palmview (2-1); Roma (2-1)
GAME NOTES: Friday’s matchup pits two of the best defensive teams in their respective districts. La Joya Palmview surrenders 178 yards per game to Roma’s 147.6. … Palmview has the advantage with the second-best offense in district. Roma, on the other hand, produces an average of 256.6 yards per game on that side of the ball. That’s good for fifth-best in a seven-team district. … Palmview is led by running back Alfredo Villarreal, who trails only McAllen Memorial’s Trevor Speights (774 rushing yards, 9 TDs) in yards (568) and scores (eight). … Roma has its own weapon in Peter Rodriguez, who leads district with 477 rushing yards and a district-tying 6 TDs. … Ultimately, it’s the defense that should carry Roma, which has allowed only one TD per game outside of a late gaffe in a 14-6 loss last week to Uvalde.
PREDICTION: Roma, 17-7
— Mario Aguirre
NON-DISTRICT
EDINBURG ECONOMEDES AT LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN
WHERE: La Joya Stadium, La Joya
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Edinburg Economedes (1-2); La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (0-3)
GAME NOTES: Economedes’ two losses have been to McAllen Memorial and PSJA High, both of which figure to be playoff contenders. … Juarez-Lincoln has also lost to playoff contenders in Rio Hondo, PSJA Memorial, and Mission Veterans, but the Huskies haven’t been close in any of them. Edinburg High is the only team in the Valley with a worse scoring margin than Juarez-Lincoln’s -103. … Economedes has the second-best rushing offense in District 31-6A, picking up 624 yards on the ground behind a bevy of backs in its option attack. Juarez-Lincoln has the second-worst rush defense in District 30-6A, allowing 669 yards on the ground. …
PREDICTION: Edinburg Economedes, 42-6
— Greg Luca
NON-DISTRICT
SHARYLAND PIONEER AT LA FERIA
WHERE: Lion Stadium, La Feria
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer
(2-1); La Feria (2-1)
GAME NOTES: Sharyland Pioneer’s QB Alec Garcia comes into the match up with 427 total yards for the Diamondbacks. The sophomore quarterback has tallied 137 yards on 12 of 25 passing and has racked up 290 yards rushing on 26 carries. … La Feria’s Isaac Galpin has also combined for a total of 447 yards. The junior has passed for 320 yards on 24 of 50 attempts and has rushed for another 127. … Both teams struggled last week, under unfavorable weather conditions. Pioneer’s offense combined for a total of 80 yards against Corpus Christi Ray, while the Lions’ defense gave up 327 yards to Mercedes.
PREDICTION: Sharyland Pioneer, 24-14
— Freddy Gonzalez
NON-DISTRICT
RIO HONDO AT HIDALGO
WHERE: Pirate Stadium, Hidalgo
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Rio Hondo (2-1); Hidalgo (1-2)
GAME NOTES: Rio Hondo is averaging 27.7 points and giving up 16. Hidalgo is averaging 33.3 points and giving up 37.7. … The Pirates have plenty of weapons, led by QB Peter Quiroz, RB Adrian Ruiz and WR Eliud Castillo. They are as dynamic of a trio as is available in sub-5A Valley football, and offense is what has kept Hidalgo in games. … Each team played tough games last week. Rio Hondo was blown out by Sinton, and Hidalgo was blown out by Port Isabel. … Hidalgo is 0-1 at home this season. It lost to Sharyland Pioneer in Week 1. … The Pirates’ lone win was a blowout victory over Progreso in Week 2. … Rio Hondo has talented rushers in Alan Michael Alfaro (179 yards, 4 TDs), Joshua Gonzalez (148 yards, TD) and Marco Garate (139 yards, 3 TDs).
PREDICTION: Rio Hondo, 28-24
— Dennis Silva
NON-DISTRICT
RIO GRANDE CITY AT CORPUS CHRISTI KING
WHERE: Cabaniss Field, Corpus Christi
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Rio Grande City (1-2); Corpus Christi King (2-1)
GAME NOTES: Rio Grande City faces a stiff challenge after picking up its first win of the season in Week 3, beating La Joya Palmview 14-9. … Corpus Christi King has won two straight games after losing to Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 31-6 in its season opener. With road wins over Corpus Christi Moody and Weslaco High, the Mustangs should feel very much at home playing host to Rio Grande City. … The Rattlers have been deciminated by injuries, and it’s shown with an offense that produces 210 yards per contest (second-worst in district) and gives up a district-leading 350.3 yards. … RGC has as many as 12 players hurt, with a couple sidelined for the remaining of the year. … Despite the rough patches, RGC coach Carlos Longoria is encouraged by his resilient players, feeling his team can be very much competitive, especially with district a week away. … King, however, has shown few signs of any letdowns, and should take advantage of a limping Rio Grande City team.
PREDICTION: Corpus Christi King, 35-14
— Mario Aguirre
NON-DISTRICT
GRULLA AT LYTLE
WHERE: Pirate Stadium, Lytle
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Grulla (0-3); Lytle (3-0)
GAME NOTES: Inexperience and injuries have left Grulla off to a slow start. But coach Abel Gonzalez III believes his team is turning the corner. … Last week against PSJA Southwest, Gonzalez emphasized a run game led by QB Eddie Anzaldua and Troy Troy Trillayes. Anzaldua had 140 yards and two TDs off 19 carries. Trillayes had 154 yards and a TD off 19 carries. … Lytle, which is southwest of San Antonio, is athletic and similar to Grulla in style of play. … Grulla is still without leading receiver Leo Martinez, who is 2-3 weeks away from returning from a collarbone injury.
PREDICTION: Lytle, 31-27
— Dennis Silva II
NON-DISTRICT
LA VILLA AT SANTA ROSA
WHERE: Warrior Stadium, Santa Rosa
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: La Villa (1-2); Santa Rosa (1-2)
GAME NOTES: Both teams enter the game with 1-2 season records, but are at different sides of a momentum shift. … After losing its first two games by a combined total of 86-0, Santa Rosa found its offense and picked up their first win of the season against Progreso last week. Racking up 327 total yards, the Warriors defeated Progreso 22-6 and found their way into the win column. … La Villa on the other hand has lost its last two to Taft and St Joseph by a combined total score of 84-28. … If history holds true, La Villa can expect a victory. For the past five years the visiting team has won every contest in the series.
PREDICTION: La Villa,. 21-14
— Freddy Gonzalez
NON-DISTRICT
PHARR ORATORY AT ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY
WHERE: Canales Field, Brownsville
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Pharr Oratory (1-2); St. Joseph (3-0)
GAME NOTES: Pharr Oratory defeated Lasara 41-12 in Week 3 for its first win of the season. … The Ocelots had struggled offensively in the two prior weeks. They were held scoreless in losses to Bruni and Corpus Christi London before putting up 41 points against Lasara. … St. Joseph defeated La Villa 34-28 last week. … The Bloodhounds have averaged better than 400 yards on offense and nearly 37 points per game. Freshman quarterback Kai Money has led the offensive attack, putting up big numbers on the ground and through the air. … The Holy Bowl, as this game has been dubbed, has been vastly one-sided by St. Joseph. The Bloodhounds shouldn’t have a problem in this one either.
PREDICTION: St. Joseph, 42-10
— Andrew Crum
NON-DISTRICT
PROGRESO AT HEBBRONVILLE
WHERE: Longhorn Stadium, Hebbronville
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Progreso (1-2); Hebbronville (2-1)
GAME NOTES: Progreso has lost two straight games since opening the season with a 7-0 win over Brownsville Porter. … The Red Ants have scored 19 points since then and surrendered 69. … Hebbronville is 2-1 despite being outscored 116-73. … Hebbronville is considered the favorite to win District 16-3A, DII. … The Longhorns are led by QB Elias Alaniz, who accounted for 31 total TDs last season. Stop him, and you can stop Hebbronville, but that will be a tough task for a Red Ants defense that has broken down the last two games.
PREDICTION: Hebbronville, 28-7
— Dennis Silva II