The Edinburg Vela SaberCats were a unanimous selection at No. 1 in the RGVSports.com Top 10 Poll entering Week 1. The defending District 31-6A champions return 15 starters from a season ago and will receive a boost from Chase Campbell, their new starting quarterback. The SaberCats are set to open the regular season against McAllen Memorial at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen.
Mercedes comes in at No. 2 after receiving three second-place votes. The Tigers high-flying offense led by quarterback Michael Cisneros, running back Miguel Jimenez and receiver Tyrell Treviño has its eyes on a District 16-5A DII title, while the Mercedes defense brings back a loaded group led by linebacker Roan Galvan.
Harlingen High starts the year at No. 3 in the top 10 after reaching the area round of the playoffs a season ago. The defending District 32-6A co-champion Cardinals are poised for another big year in 2021.
McAllen Memorial has 17 starters back in the fold and come in ranked No. 4 in the RGVSports.com Top 10 Poll. Although former head coach Bill Littleton retired during the offseason, expect first-year head coach and former defensive coordinator Moses Patterson to have the Mustangs prepared to pick up where they left off.
PSJA North rounds out the Top 5, returning 11 offensive starters, including senior running back Isaac Gonzalez, who led the RGV in rushing yards last season, and quarterback Ale Aparicio, who will look to build off a breakout freshman campaign. The Raiders eye a return to the postseason after being knocked out during the area round due to a positive COVID-19 case within the program.
Weslaco East sits at No. 6, coming off its eighth straight postseason appearance under head coach Mike Burget to extend the team’s streak to 14. Despite returning only four starters on each side of the ball, Burget has the Wildcats primed for another postseason appearance, with quarterback Javi Garza (297 total yards) and running back Jay Vasquez (371 all-purpose yards) stepping into starting roles.
Mission High opens at No. 7 in the preseason poll after coming up a two-point conversion short of advancing to the third round of the postseason last year. The Eagles are retooled and ready for another postseason run, led by first-year head coach Danny Longoria and quarterback Kevin Guerra, a Rio Grande City transfer.
McAllen High and Mission Veterans follow the Eagles, ranking No. 8 and 9, respectively. The Bulldogs will look to earn their first postseason berth under third-year head coach Patrick Shelby, while the Patriots eye a return to the playoffs after their first losing season since 2011.
Brownsville Hanna rounds out the Top 10, returning 12 starters from last season’s District 32-6A co-championship squad. All-state honorable mentions Anthony Ambriz, a defensive back and Humberto Garcia, a defensive lineman, will lead the defense, while running back Kriz Peña serves as the focal point on offense.
RGVSPORTS.COM TOP 10
The following are the teams in the RGVSports.com top 10 poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through 1 point for a 10th-place vote. The five votes are the writers and editors who cover RGV high school football for AIM Media’s three newspapers: The Monitor, Valley Morning Star, and Brownsville Herald.
Team Records Points Prv.
1. Edinburg Vela (5) 0-0 50 N/A
2. Mercedes 0-0 42 N/A
3. Harlingen High 0-0 41 N/A
4. McAllen Memorial 0-0 31 N/A
5. PSJA North 0-0 26 N/A
6. Weslaco East 0-0 23 N/A
7. Mission High 0-0 18 N/A
8. McAllen High 0-0 9 N/A
9. Mission Veterans 0-0 7 N/A
10. Brownsville Hanna 0-0 5 N/A