PSJA Southwest head coach Abel Estrada earned coach of the week honors from the Hispanic Texas High School Football Coaches Association after the Javelinas secured their first win of the season 30-13 against rival PSJA Memorial on Friday.
The Javelinas improved to 1-5 on the year, and the one in the win column couldn’t have come at a better time as they started District 16-5A DII play 1-0.
“They know what’s at stake. They know what the process was all about. They know those first five games, we used them as practice games,” Estrada said. “It doesn’t look good on our record, but it doesn’t matter because the district is what matters and that’s what we’re working for. Right now, the vision and the mission that we have is to start 1-0 and we did. Now, that’s just the beginning. We want to continue doing what we’re doing. We’re getting better, getting more experience, playing better and understanding the game a little bit more, and that will hopefully put us in the right direction of getting to our mission and vision, which is to get into the playoffs.”
Angel Hernandez, a four-year letterman and team captain, threw one touchdown and ran for 150 yards and another score in the Javelinas’ win. Also, he was part of the first Southwest team to qualify for the playoffs in program history during the 2020 season.
“We’re expecting big things and to get into the playoffs. It was not an easy task to make the playoffs (in 2020), but we learned what it takes to get there,” Hernandez said during RGVSports.com Media Day.
Next for PSJA Southwest is a road game against Mission Veterans (3-3, 0-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Tom Landry Stadium in Mission.
RAIDERS, WARRIORS SET FOR BATTLE
McAllen Rowe (5-1, 3-0) and PSJA North (6-0, 3-0) are the last two unbeaten teams in District 15-5A DI. That will change after Week 8 as the Raiders and Warriors are scheduled to collide at 7:30 p.m. Friday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.
The Warriors are averaging 363.3 total yards per game and scoring 27.3 points per. Meanwhile, the Raiders lead 15-5A DI with 461.8 total yards and 39 points per game.
EX-OPPONENT
New England Patriots rookie fourth-round quarterback Bailey Zappe, a Victoria East alumnus, earned his first win as a starter in the NFL last Sunday with a 29-0 victory over the Detroit Lions.
During Zappe’s time at Victoria East, he played four games against three Rio Grande Valley high schools and went 2-2.
Edinburg Vela defeated Zappe’s Victoria East squad twice — 42-33 in the area round of the 2015 playoffs and 63-62 to kick off the 2016 regular season.
Later during the 2016 season, Zappe beat McAllen High 55-3 in a non-district contest and eliminated Edcouch-Elsa with a 48-0 win in the regional semifinal round of the playoffs.
Zappe threw for 497 yards, ran for 122 and accounted for seven total touchdowns in the 63-62 shootout against Vela. He recorded 203 passing yards, 52 rushing yards and five total touchdowns in the 42-33 loss to the SaberCats.