Perez, Silva brothers lead Panthers past Tigers in district opener

WESLACO — Weslaco High running back Jeremy Perez has been waiting for his moment for the past three seasons. That moment came Saturday, receiving his first start since his days on the freshman team.

The senior made the most of his first varsity start, toting the rock 20 times for 187 yards and a touchdown to lead the Panthers past Mercedes 25-0 on Saturday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.

“It’s a big moment. This is my first start since my freshman year,” Perez said. “It just means a lot. The O-line and the receivers blocked amazing. I was drooling at the holes made by the line. It was amazing. I’ve always dreamt of this moment, so it was really good to finally see it. But all my props go my whole team and to the O-line.”

Perez was just one of the Panthers’ playmakers Saturday, with brothers Devin and Gavin Silva coming up big on defense. The brothers, who start at the two safety positions for the Panthers, combined for four forced turnovers.

Gavin made arguably the biggest play of the night on defense. Following a deep pass by Mercedes’ quarterback Sebastian Villarreal to Ram Ayala, Gavin chased down the Tigers’ wideout and punched the ball out at the one-yard line to force the turnover and keep points off the board.

“That’s football IQ,” Weslaco High head coach Roy Stroman said. “Our defensive staff does a tremendous job of coaching those little things and not giving up. That’s something important. That play is one we’ll show for the rest of the season.”

Four plays later Perez rumbled his way through the Tigers’ defense for a 41-yard touchdown, giving Weslaco the lead midway through the second.

Gavin finished with a forced fumble and an interception, while Devin added a pair of fourth quarter picks, including the interception to secure the shutout with 1:34 left.

“I just read perfect and saw them coming up the middle,” Devin said. “I saw an opportunity I could take so I did what I had to do. But it’s not about me, it’s about our team. The defense did their part. We just connected. We made some adjustments because some plays weren’t working. Overall, we did our job and came to play.”

While the Panthers’ running game took centerstage Saturday, Weslaco High’s passing attack was efficient when called upon, with Andres Sepulveda and Landon Solis combining for 105 yards and a touchdown. Sepulveda finished 7-of-11 for 74 yards, while Solis went 2-of-2 for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Senior Dohnny Lincoln led the Panthers in receiving, reeling in five catches for 40 yards. Ryan Salazar was on the receiving end of Solis’ touchdown pass, hauling it in for the 21-yard score.

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Weslaco High wideout Dohnny Lincoln (1) reaches for the reception during a non-district game against Mercedes on Saturday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco. (Rick Rodriguez | Special to RGVSports.com) RICK RODRIGUEZ

The Tigers struggled to string together complete drives on offense all night, turning the ball over five times, while going 4-of-11 on third down. Ayala was one of Mercedes’ bright spots on offense, reeling in 6 catches for 147 yards.

“We challenged our kids all week,” Stroman said. “We weren’t very satisfied the way we played our scrimmages. The finger pointing and all that stuff, it’s not the type of football program we have at Weslaco. Tonight, it was a total team effort. From special teams to offense and defense.”

Weslaco High (1-0, 0-0) hits the road for their second non-district contest, taking on Harlingen South (0-1, 0-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at J. Lewis Boggus Stadium in Harlingen. The Tigers (0-1, 0-0) host Harlingen High (1-0, 0-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Tiger Stadium in Mercedes.

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