WESLACO — McAllen Rowe and San Benito both made the trip to College Station by qualifying for last summer’s state 7-on-7 tournament.
There was only room for one Saturday, however, as the Warriors and Greyhounds faced off in the state qualifying round of the Mid-Valley State Qualifying Tournament at Weslaco East High School, with the winner earning its spot at state.
McAllen Rowe proved to be too much to handle, claiming a 27-7 win over San Benito to punch its ticket to College Station for the eighth time in program history.
The 2023 7-on-7 state tournament is scheduled for June 22-24 at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station.
“We knew they’re a good, fast team, so we had to come in here and keep our cool, play without emotion and take it play by play,” Rowe quarterback Lance Salinas. “We have a lockdown defense, our offense was moving the ball — it was great all-around. Every game, we got better.”
Salinas connected repeatedly with offensive weapons Sammy Femat, Isaiah Mata and Isaiah Sanchez to move the ball.
San Benito quarterback Aaron Corona threw a touchdown pass to Atticus De Leon on a crosser for the Greyhounds’ only points. The Warriors’ defense played lights out with a three-and-out to start the game and a goal-line stand late in the first half to build a two-score halftime lead.
The SQT round game was McAllen Rowe’s second in as many weeks after the Warriors lost 20-13 against PSJA North at the Snake Pit Classic last Saturday for a spot at state. Now, the Warriors will have to make reservations of their own for their trip to College Station in two weeks.
“It made us push a lot harder. It’s our senior year, and we put in a lot of work to get here,” Femat said. “We showed out the way we’re supposed to do.”
The Warriors join four other Valley teams heading to the 2023 7-on-7 state tournament.
La Feria, PSJA High, PSJA North and Weslaco High each punched their tickets to the state tournament last week.
The Lions went 4-0 during the Battle at the Bay SQT, picking up wins over Yoakum (14-6), Hidalgo (28-6), Raymondville and Port Isabel (26-7) to secure a return to state after a one-year hiatus.
PSJA High, PSJA North and Weslaco High each earned bids by winning their respective brackets at the Snake Pit Classic last week.
The Bears defeated San Benito 35-13 to qualify for the state tournament for the first time in program history. Meanwhile, the Raiders are set to make their second straight appearance after defeating McAllen Rowe 20-13.
Weslaco High is the most experienced of the RGV’s five state qualifiers, making its seventh appearance at the state tournament.
The Panthers defeated Laredo United South 13-6 in the qualifying game at Mission Veterans High School to advance to the state event for the first time since 2017.