BY GREG LUCA AND MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITERS
McAllen High sophomore quarterback JR Cortez entered Thursday’s game against PSJA Memorial during the second quarter and helped spark a 28-0 win, but that hardly assures him the starting job going forward. Bulldogs coach Kevin Brewer said the battle between Cortez and senior Ruben Rodriguez will continue throughout the week.
“We’re still going to go with whoever has the better week of preparation,” Brewer said. “We’ll start out with that person on Friday night and see what happens.”
Cortez brings a very similar skill set to Rodriguez as a mobile game manager in what McHi hopes will be a quick-hitting passing attack.
Rodriguez played the entirety of Week 1, completing 10 of 13 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown while running 9 times for 45 yards in a 21-14 loss to Harlingen South. He struggled, however, out of the gate in Week 2, completing 3 of 8 passes for 32 yards and running 6 times for 24 yards before being pulled.
Cortez came on and completed 6 of 15 passes for 44 yards and an interception while running 4 times for 9 yards and a touchdown. McAllen High was scoreless before Cortez entered but proceeded to find the end zone four times with him under center.
“He didn’t set the world on fire, but we seemed to move the ball more consistently when he was in there,” Brewer said. “It really doesn’t change anything.”
Where McHi thrived was on defense, limiting Memorial to 118 total yards.
Pablo Alvarado (10 tackles) and Franky Gutierrez (9 tackles) have been the leaders on a unit that ranks as District 30-6A’s best through two weeks with 416 total yards allowed.
“They’re playing with a lot of confidence right now, and hopefully that carries over,” Brewer said.
ON THE MARK
PSJA High returned eight starters on the offensive side of the ball, and it’s shown through the first two games this season.
The Bears have generated the most-yards (912) in district behind Edinburg Vela (1,142), and they have an experienced offensive line and a thriving young quarterback to thank for that.
Sophomore Trey Guajardo, who was one of five players the Bears auditioned under center last season, has tallied the third-most rushing yards (353) and passing yards (210) among 31-6A teams, so far. He has also rushed for three scores and thrown for another, as the Bears (1-1) came away with a 36-33 win over Donna North and a 35-27 loss at Harlingen South.
“He’s just the quintessential quarterback that every coach dreams about working with,” Marroquin said of Guajardo. “He’s extremely humble young man, and he takes pride in everything he does. He’s got great preparation, both mentally and physically. He’s a leader out there. He’s determined. He wants to go above and beyond. He’ll do anything for his teammates. He’s the perfect quarterback for this system.”
HOT START
La Joya Palmview’s Tristan Myende entered the season with a modest goal of 400 receiving yards. In only two weeks, he’s almost halfway to hitting his mark.
Though Palmview has suffered one-sided losses to Roma and Economedes to open the season, Myende ranks as District 30-6A’s top receiver with 10 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown.
The Lobos’ offense in general has taken on a new look, with quarterback Jonathan Zeiske racking up 223 yards through the air compared to just 157 they’ve amassed as a team on the ground. Last season, Palmview ran for 3,367 yards and threw for only 773.