By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
RAYMONDVILLE — The Valley Morning Star’s Game of the Week pits two of the best 4A schools in the Rio Grande Valley in La Feria and Raymondville in a clash of defending district champions scheduled to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. from Burnett Stadium in Raymondville.
La Feria coach Oscar Salinas is looking forward to the challenge, one he said will help prepare his team for district and playoff games down the road.
One could be forgiven for feeling that the game itself seems to have postseason hype around it, even if it is taking place on the penultimate night of August.
“There’s a lot of excitement,” Salinas said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity to come out and travel up to Raymondville and see where we’re at.”
The buzz around La Feria has been that the Lions are perhaps among the best teams in the entire Valley at any level. Bearkats coach Frank Cantu’s response? Bring it on.
“There are some crucial spots to fill,” Cantu said of his lineup, which will feature Thomas Zambrano shifting from defensive end to linebacker, among others. “And what a way to see where we’re at against somebody like La Feria, who’s very explosive and very quick and talented.”
Raymondville does have five returning starters on both sides of the ball, two of whom will be relied upon to be the go-to targets for junior quarterback Jarod Cavazos — running back Justin Cantu and junior wide receiver Zaraivion Armendarez.
La Feria’s biggest advantage on paper is its depth and experience, with nine returning starters on offense and seven on defense. The senior-laden Lions will be led by three-year starter Dorian
Hernandez, who will run their up-tempo offense under center.
Salinas is particularly fond of his defensive line, fronted by Andrew Rodriguez, who Salinas said had a strong camp and rebounded after an injury kept him out for part of last season.
“He’s got a great motor on him,” Salinas said. “He’s just a relentless kid, and we’re expecting big things out of him.”
The Lions’ defense will be a tough matchup for a young quarterback like Cavazos, which Cantu likens to a measuring stick for his squad to assess their progress at the beginning of the season.
“We still have enough weapons on offense to move the ball and move the chains and score,” Cantu said. “We’ve got a good offensive line, so we’re really excited to see how we can perform against a really tough defense in La Feria.”
Salinas is in a slightly more comfortable position, leaning on a secondary led by three seniors in corners Evan Avila and Isiah Vento and free safety Jaden Torres.
The two teams have played each other relatively closely in the last two seasons, with the Lions winning 17-7 in 2018 and the Bearkats taking the 2017 contest 22-12.
“Whether we’re in the same district or not, we take a lot of pride in (the rivalry),” Cantu said. “Just like they do. They’ve got a lot of numbers, we’ve got a lot of numbers, and it’s going to be competitive and something to watch.”