For the first time this season, The Monitor’s Game of the Week will travel outside the Rio Grande Valley for a tilt in the area round of the Class 6A Division I Texas high school football playoffs between the Mission High Eagles and the Laredo United South Panthers.
Mission (5-1) enters after winning District 31-6A’s south zone title and downing the San Benito Greyhounds in the bi-district round of the 6A DI playoffs Friday night at Tom Landry Stadium in Mission.
Laredo United South (3-3) comes into this game after winning its bi-district game via forfeit after the team’s first-round opponent, San Antonio Harlan, was forced to cancel the contest due to COVID-19.
This matchup between the Eagles and Panthers should feature two of the top 6A football programs along Texas’ southern border and several standout individual players, too.
Mission will be led by junior quarterback Jeremy Duran, who owns statistical leads in every passing category for 6A Valley quarterbacks this season, while Laredo United South’s Brian Benavides has earned a reputation as one of the most prolific running backs across South Texas.
The Eagles are 0-1 in The Monitor’s Game of the Week appearances this season after losing to Edinburg Vela 24-7 in the District 31-6A championship game.
Mission High head coach Koy Detmer will also be looking to pick up his first area-round playoff win as a coach at Mission after coaching the Eagles to his first career playoff win at his alma mater.
The Eagles and Panthers are set to kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at the Johnson Student Activity Center Stadium in Laredo.
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