No. 7: Edinburg Vela
2016 record: 9-2, 7-0 in 31-6A; bi-district qualifiers
Of note: Last year, Edinburg Vela cruised to an undefeated district season, earning the SaberCats the District 31-6A title in their first year as a 6A school.
Vela had a lot of key offensive weapons leave the program, but one who will be returning plays the most important position. Nathan Garcia will again be the starting quarterback in his senior season. Last year, Garcia threw for 1,809 yards and 22 TDs.
In 2016, Vela’s defense wasn’t its strong point, but the team compensated by averaging 48 points per game. New coach John Campbell has put an emphasis on defense, and with a large group of returners on that side, the group could become the strongest on the team.
7. EDINBURG VELA
8. SHARYLAND PIONEER
9. MISSION VETERANS
10. BROWNSVILLE VETERANS
RGVSports.com will reveal its preseason Top 10, one team per day, leading up to the start of the 2017 football season on Aug. 31.