By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Los Fresnos and Edcouch-Elsa aren’t shying away from a tough test in Week 1.
The top-tier programs will battle it out in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night at Leo Aguilar Stadium in Los Fresnos.
The Falcons and Yellowjackets both earned postseason berths last season. Los Fresnos shared the District 32-6A crown, but was upended in bi-district while Edcouch-Elsa advanced to the third round before bowing out in Class 5A.
“A lot of tradition, a lot of pride,” new Los Fresnos head coach Patrick Brown said of the two programs. “Two tradition-rich programs getting after each other.”
On the other sideline, Edcouch-Elsa coach Joe Marichalar expects the same.
“We are going to get tested really early,” he said. “They have great kids and a great staff with coach Brown. They’re going to be ready, bottom line.”
The Falcons expect to learn a lot about what their offense can do with a new quarterback under center, Mark Mata. The senior is making the transition from receiver and safety. Under Brown and new offensive coordinator Leigh McWhorter, the Los Fresnos offense is expected to remain fast-paced.
“We are finding our offensive identity,” Brown said of what he expects during the non-district part of the schedule. “We have some young kids, but we think they’re going to grow up quick. I’m anxious to see how we look.”
Edcouch-Elsa isn’t going to worry about its opponent as much as itself, but it knows it must be sound against the Falcons.
“We have to play ’Jacket football,” Marichalar said. “We have to play solid defense and be mistake-free on offense and have a great kicking game. We have to be mentally tough in tough situations.”
Both teams know this will be a good game to prepare for their district opponents down the road. After Edcouch-Elsa, Los Fresnos faces McAllen High and McAllen Memorial, all playoff teams. Likewise, the Yellowjackets face Edinburg Vela and follow that with La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, also teams that reached the postseason a year ago.
“I like to challenge our kids,” Marichalar said. “If we get used to that type of competition, it becomes the norm.”
The game though could be won or lost with the boys on the offensive and defensive line. Brown said his team must be physical to match the intensity from the Yellowjackets.
“You have to be physical up front,” he said. “If not the chances of winning a game are slim. I’m pretty confident those guys will play hard and give us a good chance to win.”
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.