McALLEN — The McAllen Rowe Warriors entered Friday’s contest needing at least a five-point victory over McAllen High to move up from fourth place to second in the district.
Holding a two-touchdown lead with 11:07 left in regulation, the Warriors took over possession, looking to secure the No. 2 seed.
Led by senior quarterback Mateo Llanas, the Warriors sliced their way through the Bulldogs’ defense en route to a 16-play, 91-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a 12-yard plunge into the end zone by Llanas, as the Warriors cruised past the Bulldogs 27-7 on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in The Monitor’s Game of the Week.
Llanas orchestrated a near-perfect drive for the game-sealing score, chewing up over eight minutes of the final quarter, while completing three-of-five passes for 25 yards, adding 46 yards and a touchdown on six carries.
“We just needed that drive,” Llanas said. “That drive was the killer and we got it. The defense was giving us the middle so that’s what I was taking. It worked out pretty good.”
“Coach (Shaun) Tarantola and the offense did a good job at half time telling the kids the adjustments,” McAllen Rowe head coach Robert Flores said. “We just had to make sure they went out and executed.
“The kids really bought into it, and we were able to put that drive together. We were able to make some big plays. Coach Tarantola called a good game down the stretch. He was looking for what the defense was giving us.”
Llanas was surgical for the Warriors’ offense all night, carving the McHi secondary for 295 yards and a touchdown through the air, while adding 84 yards and two scores on the ground.
Running back Christopher Zavala provided hard-nosed runs to move the chains, while giving Llanas a weapon in the passing game, accounting for 167 total yards of offense and one score.
“Zavala is a kid we can count on to do anything,” Flores said. “We’re blessed to have him because he gets those tough yards, but he’s also a good receiver. We can motion him out and get it to him in space. He’s just a grinder. He’ll do whatever it takes for our team.”
Defensively, the Warriors stifled the Bulldogs’ offense, holding them to 243 total yards, including 78 yards during the second half.
The Warriors’ secondary came away with two interceptions of McAllen High quarterback Hunter Curl, while linebacker Yahir Garcia forced the punt leading up to the Warriors’ final drive, sacking Curl for an eight-yard loss on third-and-10.
“Our defense was able to contain their No. 16, which is Curl,” Flores said. “We knew we needed to stop him. Then, their running back, he plays both ways. He’s a speedster. He’s tough. But I’m proud of the kids and proud of our coaches.”
The Warriors’ offense opened the contest on fire, scoring touchdowns on three of their five first half possessions. Llanas opened the scoring for the Warriors, connecting with a streaking Jason Neal down the middle of the field for a 44-yard touchdown run.
Following a 55-yard touchdown toss from Curl to junior wideout Christian Echazarreta, the Warriors responded with a pair of touchdown runs by Llanas and Zavala, taking a 21-7 advantage into the break.
Curl finished with 126 yards and one touchdown through the air, while Echazarreta led the team with two catches for 71 yards and one score before leaving the game due to an apparent leg injury following his score.
With the win, the Warriors move to second in District 16-5A DI, earning them a home playoff contest to open the postseason.
“It means the world to me as a head coach,” Flores said. “You know it was a grind for these to get here. In this district, week-in and week-out we could have been out. But our guys didn’t give up. We had a must win last week at Weslaco East. Then we came out here and we knew it was going to be tough, but our kids stepped up in all phases.”
The Bulldogs (8-2, 7-2) drop to No. 3 in the district, preparing to hit the road and take on Gregory-Portland Wildcats at a time, date and location to be determined. Meanwhile, the Warriors (7-3, 7-2) will host the Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Hornets at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium with the time and date to be determined.