RGVSPORTS.COM
Josh McGowen scored touchdowns rushing, receiving, on an interception and via kick return, spurring McAllen High to a come-from-behind 36-26 win against Mission High in both teams’ District 30-6A opener Thursday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“Josh did a great job for us tonight,” McAllen High coach Kevin Brewer said. “He did a great job of making plays when we needed big plays.”
Despite entering as a substantial favorite, McAllen High was trailing 26-14 after three quarters.
The Bulldogs cut the deficit to 26-21 with 10:42 to play when McGowen scored on a 28-yard run. A few minutes later, with 4:50 to play, McGowen scored on a 14-yard run to give the Bulldogs a 29-26 lead.
McGowen then iced the game with 35 seconds to play when he returned an interception for a touchdown.
“We needed some stops defensively that we weren’t getting in the first three quarters, and we did,” Brewer said. “We got some stops. And then we were able to put some drives together and put some points on the board.”
McGowen also found the endzone on a 28-yard catch during the second quarter, and on a 98-yard kickoff return on the opening play of the second half.
Despite McGowen’s success, McAllen High continued its trend of slow starts, being shut out in the first quarter and trailing 14-7 at halftime.
“I have no idea (why),” Brewer said. “I thought the energy level was good, and I thought the intensity was good to start with. For some reason, it takes us a while to get our motors running. We have to find an answer to that.”
District 31-6A
EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 32, PSJA MEMORIAL 24: At Edinburg, the Jaguars led by as many as 22 points, and held off a fourth-quarter rally to win their district opener and third straight overall.
District 32-5A
MERCEDES 54, BROWNSVILLE PORTER 0: At Brownsville, Fabian Ledesma rushed for 159 yards and four touchdowns as the Tigers cruised to a district-opening win over the Cowboys.
The Tigers gained more than 500 yards of offense while their defense limited Porter to just 79. Sophomore Zach Gomez threw for 142 yards and a pair of scores.
CLASS 4A
RIO HONDO 23, GRULLA 7: At Rio Grande City, Fabian Anzaldua was ejected for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties as Rio Hondo snapped Grulla’s two-game winning streak.
