By ANDREW CRUM, MARK MOLINA AND ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
LOS FRESNOS (7-3, 5-2 DISTRICT 32-6A) AT EDINBURG HIGH (6-4, 5-2 DISTRICT 31-6A)
When & Where: 7 p.m., tonight at Richard R. Flores Stadium, Edinburg
How They Got Here: Los Fresnos — It opened the season with a loss to Edcouch-Elsa, defeated McAllen High and McAllen Memorial in consecutive weeks before losing to eventual District 32-6A champion San Benito to open district play. After the 2-2 start, the Falcons went 5-1 the rest of the way, including winning 3 of its last 4 to clinch a postseason berth. Los Fresnos only loss during that stretch was a 10-7 defensive battle on the road against Hanna, who also playoff bound. The Falcons best win came against Harlingen High in Week 9, a game in which they trailed 20-3 before making a comeback that included tying the Cardinals by halftime and shutting them out in the second half. Los Fresnos scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter; Edinburg High — It started out the season 0-2 to eventual playoff teams McAllen Rowe and Lopez before turning it around going 6-2 to finish the season. The Bobcats only two losses in district play were to the top two teams in District 31-6A, unbeaten Edinburg Vela and PSJA High, who finished 8-2. After losing to PSJA High in Week 8, Edinburg High won three straight to finish the season and clinch its playoff spot.
Analysis: The Falcons are strong on both sides of the ball, the offense averaged 327 yards and nearly 27 points per game. Led by senior quarterback Charles Chapa, who threw for 1,583 yards and 10 touchdowns with just four interceptions on the season. His favorite target, sophomore receiver Nico Valencia finished the season with 52 catches for 719 yards and seven touchdowns. Chapa was also the team’s top runner with 644 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. The Edinburg High defense, which allows 296 yards and 22 points per game, will look to contain or limit Chapa, although that’s been tough for most of the Falcons opponents this season. The Bobcats had 15 sacks and three interceptions and held teams to 14 points or below in four games this season and will need to keep up the pressure on Chapa to give themselves a chance. Edinburg High, who averages 303 yards and nearly 25 points per game, counters with a run-heavy offense led by junior running back Hearlin Benavides. The junior led District 31-6A in rushing with 1,417 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Los Fresnos’ defense will certain have its hands full trying to contain Benavides. The Bobcats don’t throw the ball as much, but junior quarterback Matt Cruz finished the season with 770 yards and four touchdowns. The Falcons defense was quite stingy, it allowed 270 yards and less than 15 points per game. The unit also had 12 sacks and 12 interceptions on the year and getting takeaways against Edinburg High could be a key in this game.
Quotable: “We haven’t blown anyone out and all of our games have been close. I’ll take those ugly wins over beautiful losses any time. Probably the most important one for us was the Harlingen game where we were down 20-3 … no one panicked and everyone got it together and we came back and won that game. If we do get down in this game, I don’t think our kids will flinch. Our coaches won’t flinch because we’ve been there before and we’re confident.”
— Los Fresnos head coach Patrick Brown
Prediction: Los Fresnos 27, Edinburg High 17
Hanna (7-3, 5-2 district 32-6A) at Edinburg Vela (10-0, 7-0 district 31-6A)
When & Where: 7:30 p.m., Friday at Richard R. Flores Stadium, Edinburg
How They Got Here: Hanna — The Golden Eagles opened the year confident that they had what it took to compete in District 32-6A and proved it by going 7-3 overall, including 5-2 in district play. After a Week 1 loss to Edinburg Economedes, Hanna bounced by winning six in a row. During that span, they upended Weslaco 38-35 on the road and Los Fresnos 10-7 at home After falling to San Benito 51-27, Hanna bounced back with a statement 32-6 win over Harlingen High. it was their first win over the Cardinals since 1993. Hanna has lost two of it’s last three coming into bi-district; Edinburg Vela — Edinburg Vela ran through the regular season with ease, going a perfect 10-0 to capture the District 31-6A title. Vela averaged 48 points per game this season. The Sabercats’ average margin of victory was 34 points per game, with their closest win coming in a 34-20 over Brownsville Veterans. Vela scored more than 50 points in half its game this season, including a 70-22 drubbing of an 8-0 PSJA High team win Week 10.
Analysis: Hanna brings a power running game and a playmaking defense. On offense, Cesar Mancias eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark last week and finished the regular season with 1,048 yards and nine touchdowns, while Victor Campos has played well at quarterback with 999 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air. The defense has come up with 38 sacks and 21 turnovers. In the secondary, Alcee Flores and Matthew Garcia have a combined seven interceptions. The unit will be tested against a Vela team averaging 422 yards of offense per game thanks to a well-balanced offensive attack. Vela quarterback Nathan Garcia leads the Sabercats, completing 69 percent of his passes for 2,235 yards and 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Aaron Alvarez and Sam Valenzuela lead the run game with 648 and 554 yards, respctively and a combined 23 touchdowns.
Quotable: “It’s a place we expected to be and the kids are upbeat about it because we’ve proved everybody wrong. We were picked second to last in the district and here we are in the dance. We just want to do the best we can to make sure we move on to the next round.”
— Hanna head coach Mark Guess
Prediction: Edinburg Vela 42, Hanna 28
Lopez (8-2, 5-2 District 32-5A) AT Mission Veterans Memorial (9-1, 7-1 in District 31-5A)
When & Where: 7:30 p.m., Friday at Tom Landry Stadium, Mission
How They Got Here: Lopez — It opened the season with six straight wins, including a 3-0 start in District 32-5A before losing back-to-back games to Brownsville Veterans Memorial, the eventual district champion and Mercedes, who finished second. The Lobos rebounded for back-to-back wins against Edcouch-Elsa and Pace and their second consecutive postseason berth. Lopez’s 23-14 win against Edcouch-Elsa not only avenged a tough 33-6 loss on the road last season in the “Black Hole,” but it knocked the Yellowjackets out of the playoff mix; Mission Veterans — It has played every game technically on the road this season after work being done to Tom Landry Stadium this season, but it still started the season 8-0, including a 6-0 mark in District 31-5A. The Patriots only blemish was a 48-42 district loss to Sharyland High where it couldn’t reach the end zone despite having the ball inside the 10-yard line with less than a minute to play. Mission Veterans regrouped and won in Week 11 to clinch a share of the district crown with Sharyland High and Laredo Nixon.
Analysis: The matchup between the stingy Lopez defense and the potent Mission Veterans offense is one between what each team does best. The Lobos’ defense allows 224 yards and less than 16 points per game. The Patriots average 502 yards and score 39 points per game. Junior quarterback Landry Gilpin leads Mission Veterans with 2,566 yards passing and 23 touchdowns and 1,547 and 20 touchdowns on the ground. Lopez must find a way to limit Landry as other opponents have had trouble doing this season. The Lobos are aggressive, use a lot of blitz’s and like to keep the pressure coming at the quarterback, so if they can rattle Gilpin and get him to force a few turnovers, it may be the tide that can turn this game for Lopez. On the other side of the ball, the Lobos average 314 yards and nearly 30 points per game. Senior running back Jose Echavarria reached the 1,000-yard plateau this season and scored eight touchdowns. But Lopez has a few other backs as well that helped the team pile up over 2,200 yards on the ground. If the Lobos can control the line of scrimmage, that also might help them to continue to move the chains and put points on the board. Mission Veterans isn’t as strong defensively as Lopez, but it only allowed 269 yards and less than 23 points per game. While the Patriots have been better against the run this year, they’ve given up more through the air than nearly every team in their district. If the Lobos need to throw it, they can with over 900 yards passing this season between quarterbacks Alex Ramirez and Marcos Solis.
Quotable: “Last year against Laredo Nixon, we felt like we should have won that game. That disappointment drove us through our offseason and our regular season to get us to this point. Our goal was to never make the playoffs; our goal was to win a playoff game. We believe that defense wins championships; we hang our hat on playing an aggressive style of defense. I’m excited to see how our defense performs against their offense. It’s a classic matchup … the best offense in the Valley versus one of the top defenses in the valley.”
— Lopez head coach Jason Starkey
Prediction: Mission Veterans 28, Lopez 20
Sharyland High (8-2, 7-1 DISTRICT 31-5A) at Pace (5-5, 4-3 DISTRICT 32-5A)
When & Where: 7:30 p.m., Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium
How They Got Here: Pace — After losing at home to Mercedes, 61-21, on Oct. 14, the Vikings put together a three-game winning streak with victories against Donna North (34-27), Edcouch-Elsa (34-17) and Donna High (35-31) that enabled them to clinch their first playoff berth since 2011. The Vikings never led until the final minute or so in defeating Donna North and Donna High, both games at Bennie LaPrade Stadium. With the win against the Redskins on Nov. 3, the Vikings, behind first-year head coach Danny Pardo, clinched a spot in the postseason, so it didn’t matter all that much that Pace lost to fellow playoff qualifier Lopez, 14-7, in both teams’ regular-season finale; Sharyland High — The Rattlers’ high expectations quickly took a big hit in their season opener on Sept. 1 when they lost at Weslaco East, 62-0. But the Rattlers rebounded starting the next week and won five straight District 31-5A games. Then came their only district loss, a 49-14 setback at home against Laredo Nixon on Oct. 27. After that, Sharyland High won its final two regular-season games against Mission Veterans (48-42) and Rio Grande City (32-24) to end up as a 31-5A tri-champion with Laredo Nixon and Mission Veterans. Sharyland High is accustomed to qualifying for the postseason and this year has been no exception.
Analysis: On paper, this game certainly looks like it could be a shootout as both teams have put up points in bunches many times this season. Conversely, in three of their games earlier this year, the Rattlers have allowed 62, 49 and 42 points. Pace gave up 61 points against Mercedes and its defense has been somewhat porous at times. Nonetheless, the Vikings have made stops at the most timely of moments. Pace’s offense is piloted by senior quarterback Randy Aguilar, who has thrown for 1,661 yards passing and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Top receiver Gabriel Zapata (46 catches, 802 yards and nine TDs) is out for the season with an injury, but the Vikings still have capable receivers in Carlos Pulido, Misael Monsivais, Ilijah Solis and Brandon Zapata. Last week, Sharyland is directed by QB Oscar Valdez, who threw for 197 yards and three TDs in the win against Rio Grande City. The Rattlers have at least three capable receivers in Blake Klein (37 catches, 647 yards), Ruben Davila (39 for 385) and Gabriel Tamez (28 for 373). Each of them has hauled in five touchdown passes. Friday’s winner faces Alice or Floresville in the area round.
Quotable: “We’re all excited because Pace hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2011. None of us have been here before. It’s all for these coaches, especially coach (Art) Cantu (who died in August during a scrimmage against PSJA Memorial). It’s for everybody.”
— Pace senior quarterback Randy Aguilar
Prediction: Sharyland High 38, Pace 34
John Paul II (2-8, 0-7 TAPPS Division I, District 1) at St. Joseph Academy (6-4, 2-0 TAPPS Division I, District 2)
When & Where: 11 a.m., Saturday at Canales Field
How They Got Here: St. Joseph — It’s been an up-and-down season for the Bloodhounds, but they came through when it mattered most by winning their two TAPPS district games. SJA started the year 1-3 before winning four straight against Port Isabel (62-20), Hidalgo (42-10), Marine Military Academy (56-16) and Central Catholic (San Antonio) (45-21). After a 42-8 non-district loss at powerhouse All Saints Episcopal (Fort Worth), the ‘Hounds upended Antonian Prep (San Antonio) 55-31 that clinched a long-awaited district title for SJA and rewarded it with a home contest to start the postseason. John Paul II — The Cardinals are directed by first-year coach George Teague, a former player for the Dallas Cowboys. In September, John Paul won its second and third games of the season against Legacy Christian (Frisco) (28-24) and Grace Prep (Arlington) (41-7), but haven’t won since. In going 0-7 in district competition, the Cardinals were outscored 383-44 in an eight-team district.
Analysis: SJA has learned in the past that opponents from North Texas may have losing records, but often turn out to be pretty strong. That is likely the case again for the Bloodhounds. While John Paul is doing the traveling, SJA can expect a test from its northern visitors. The strongest part of John Paul II’s team may be its defense. Standout players include MLB Julio Ontiveros and FS Adam Barnes. On offense, RB Jackson Garrett is a player to watch. He leads the Cardinals with 707 yards rushing and seven TDs. SJA is led by four-year starter at QB Kai Money, who has passed for 2,026 yards and 29 TDs this season while rushing for 1,279 yards and 10 TDs with an 8.7-yard average per rush. RB Anthony Cantu is the next best rusher with 759 yards and seven TDs. The SJA receiving corps has some good ones and is led by Pablo Zolezzi with 30 catches for 687 yards and 11 TDs and Andres Martinez (30 for 516, 10 TDs).
Quotable: “If we can jump on them early, we should be OK. If we don’t, we may find ourselves in a big dogfight. They love to run and throw the ball vertically, so we have to be ready for that. I see John Paul II as being the same caliber of team as San Antonio Central Catholic (which is our big district rival).”
— St. Joseph Academy coach Tino Villarreal
Prediction: St. Joseph 31, John Paul II 24
Laredo Nixon (8-2, 7-1 DISTRICT 31-5A) vs. Brownsville Veterans Memorial (9-1, 7-0 DISTRICT 32-5A)
When & Where: 6 p.m., Saturday at Alice Memorial Stadium, Alice
How They Got Here: Brownsville Veterans — The Chargers’ only hiccup came in a 34-20 Week 3 loss to Edinburg Vela. After that, the Chargers they rattled of seven straight wins en route to an undefeated District 32-5A title. It was Brownsville Veterans’ first-ever outright championship in school history. Led by senior quarterback Gustavo Vasquez and a stingy defense, the Chargers emerged as the class of the district with wins over Edcouch-Elsa and Lopez in consecutive weeks. The Chargers finished the season with three straight shutouts, which is a school record. Brownsville Vets seeks its first playoff win since 2012 when it beat Weslaco East 21-18; Laredo Nixon — Like the Chargers, the Mustangs also went on a but of a run following a 34-13 Week 1 loss to Edinburg Vela. The Mustangs earned a share of the District 31-5A title by winning eight of their next nine games, falling only to Mission Veterans Memorial 48-17 in Week 7. In that span, Nixon picked up a couple impressive wins as they defeated 6A Laredo Alexander 19-14 in Week 2 and routed Sharyland 49-14 in Week 9.
Analysis: It’s no secret the Chargers’ offense goes as Vasquez goes. The senior QB led the team in rushing with 1,307 yards and 21 touchdowns and passed for 956 yards and six scores. Running back Alexis Gomez has picked up some of the slack since a leg injury shelved starter Abel Martinez. Martinez is cleared and will be available to play after full-speed practices this week. BVM’s defense has been a force this season and is coming off three consecutive shutouts. They have forced 16 turnovers this season and sacked the quarterback 11 times. They will have their hands full against a Nixon running game that has racked up more than 2,600 yards on the ground, led by Emil Olivia’s 947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Nixon has shown the ability to get to the quarterback this season, recording 34 sacks on the year, which should prove for an interesting matchup with BVM’s Vasquez.
Quotable: “I don’t think anyone is satisfied with what we’ve accomplished this year. Veterans hasn’t won a playoff game since 2012. it’s important to us that we go out there and play to win. I feel (Nixon) is hard-nosed and I feel we’re hard-nosed, so it should be a good clash.”
— Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu
Prediction: Brownsville Veterans 38, Laredo Nixon 31