Predicting a winner for the Edcouch-Elsa and McAllen football game was shaking a Polaroid picture, you’re just going to have to wait until the end for things to clear up. As the Yellowjackets defenders peeled off the pile, and the play came into focus, quarterback Joaquin Valdez was found at the bottom, short of the goal line. The Yellowjackets secured a 17-14 win over the Bulldogs with a huge defensive stand late in the fourth quarter.

“It’s an emotional victory… It’s a big statement win for us. We went into the half down, and we came back proud, we showed a lot of resilience,” Yellowjackets’ head coach Victor Cardenas said.

Resilience aptly describes the Yellowjackets’ victory tonight. Most teams are able to manage the ebb and flow of the game, but the ‘Jackets seemed almost snake-bit as they could not cash in on opportunities  early. For example, the opening kickoff was bobbled by a McAllen returner, but the ‘Jackets were held at the 7-yard line on fourth down.

The ‘Jackets were not only resilient, but patient. After a Brandon Morales’ 29-yard run that got them inside the Bulldog 35, they fumbled. They finally settled for a 23-yard field goal from Jesus Ramirez. Ramirez would account for 9 of the ‘Jackets points connecting from 25 and 39-yards.

“Our kicker has been going through some adversity. We put him into some tough situations in Donna where he went 1-4, and today, he came through,” Cardenas said.

The ‘Jackets scored their only touchdown with 5:24 in the fourth quarter. Elijah Trevino tumbled into the pylon on an 11-yard scamper that ultimately gave the ‘Jackets the lead, 17-14.

“It was a twisted game; we struggled to put up points in the first half. Coach gave us a great speech, and we came out and executed,” Trevino said.

The Bulldogs struggled to get on track in the beginning after the fumbled kick return. They turned the ball over twice before finally taking the lead 7-3. On their fourth possession, the Bulldogs found a spark in the passing game as Valdez connected with Tristan Keith. Keith turned short screen passes into gains of 13, 14, 5. Keith’s success drew the defense’s attention and set up the grift. As it seemed Keith would be catching his 4th pass of the drive, Talan Garcia darted past the secondary for a 27-yard touchdown pass.

Garcia’s touchdown provided some security as the Bulldogs held the lead at half 14-6. Both defenses got stingy in the second half, and offenses suffered through punts and turnovers. Drives were plagued with penalties and miscues, and both teams seemed pretty even. Even when it seemed like the ‘Jacket offense broke through the lull, the Bulldogs held fast allowing only a field goal.

When it was 14-9, there was a sense in the stands that Bulldog fans hoped the clock would just run out. The Bulldogs recovered a fumble at their 22-yard line, and the offense was back on the field. And then it happened. Valdez rolled left but was tripped up for a big loss of 13. On the next play, the snap from center sailed over Valdez’ head. As Valdez gathered the ball in the end zone, he smartly chose to concede only a safety and ran out the back of the end zone, 14-11.

With 5:18 left in the game, the Bulldogs found hope. Valdez, Garcia, and Keith drove them to within inches of securing the win, but ultimately, the ‘Jacket defense held on fourth down.

“We knew it was a tough game, tough environment. The kids did everything we asked them to do all week as part of their preparation, and they did that…Every play has a life of its own, and unfortunately, it didn’t go in our direction,” McAllen head coach Patrick Shelby said.

Every two years, district realignment reshapes the RGV football landscape. Old matchups get bumped in favor of a more fluid schedule, and sometimes, new matchups emerge. Sharyland Pioneer took charge of the third edition of this matchup with a 31-14 win over Edinburg North on Thursday night in a non-district football game.

“We schedule teams like this, they’re a quality ball club… we have a long preseason, and we want to schedule teams that will get us better for our district season. They’re a well coached and tough team, and a long preseason allows us to get quality reps,” Pioneer head coach Eddie Galindo said.

With a month until their first district game, the Diamondbacks looked sharp. They have a plethora of weapons led by quarterback, William Goodloe. Goodloe, a former receiver, commanded the offense with confidence. His 35-yard strike to Matthew Maldonado set the Diamondbacks up first-and-goal at the 10. On the next play, Goodloe bounced his way through the Cougars’ defense with a 10-yard touchdown for the first score. It capped a 7-play, 62-yard drive. Two possessions later, Goodloe and Maldonado connected again, but this time Maldonado found the end zone on a 68-yard catch. Despite the tight coverage, Maldonado was able to win the one-on-one matchup and outrun his defender.

“We worked for this all week, it was a team effort. The line was blocking, the receivers were catching, everything just flowed together,” Goodloe said.

Everything was flowing for the Diamondbacks. Running backs Marcus Perales and Dylan Tijerina added to the rushing threat already imposed by Goodloe. Weapons-a-plenty, Goodloe connected with Luis Orozco on a 51-yard touchdown as he streaked through coverage virtually untouched.

“It was just a great team victory, I’m proud of them. I’m proud of my defense too,” Goodloe said.

The Diamondbacks’ defense cannot go unnoticed. They had their hands full with the Cougars backfield, quarterback Jose Ramirez and running back, Angel Rodriguez. The Diamondbacks were like weeds in the wind, bending but never breaking. They allowed an early score, but then proceeded to shut down a 15-play, 78-yard drive short of the goal line. Cornerback Evan Rodriguez stymied Adrian Maldonado at the edge of the goal line on fourth and goal for a momentum-killing stand that may have led to a Cougars 14-13 lead. The Diamondbacks defense held tough and shut the Cougars offense two more times on fourth down.

“The defense is the heart of our team, we have a lot returners…I’m proud of them, they’re playing hard,” Galindo said.

The Cougars kept pushing the Pioneer defense to its breaking point. Osmar Alanis drew the game even at 7 when he shot around the right side for a 66-yard jet sweep that landed him in the end zone. Alanis was an all-around threat for the Cougars. Alanis returned kicks and was the go-to receiver for Ramirez; he consistently found holes in the defense and converted third downs that kept drives alive.

“Offensively we moved the ball, but things weren’t running on all cylinders. They did a job of doing things that put us in bad situations,” Cougars head coach Damian Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez also has a month before his first district matchup, so the lessons found in such losses are not lost. Gonzalez found solace in his young quarterback’s passion at the end of the game as Ramirez addressed the team.

“He’s done an admirable job of stepping in and leading his team…he’s learning. He’s learning how to read defenses, he’s learning how to lead young men and learning how to own up to the mistakes he’s making…it’s says a lot about him,” Gonzalez said.

 

When crosstown rivals like the Edinburg Bobcats and Vela SaberCats collide, it’s hard to escape the overplayed clichés of sibling rivalries. This game is bigger than that. Vela staked their claim for city superiority during the latest battle Friday with a 44-13 win over the Bobcats.

The Bobcats and SaberCats are two perennial playoffs teams always in the mix for a district title in their respective districts. They schedule each other to ensure they are testing and challenging the best teams in the Valley; the fact that they share the same zip code is mere coincidence.

“It was going to be a tough ball game, crosstown rival. That’s a playoff team we played, but we did what we had to do tonight. We can be very explosive and we played good defense tonight,” Vela head coach Ernesto Alonzo said.

Explosive may be an understatement. On the third play of the game, Geoffrey Lefevre opened the scoring for the Sabercats with a 70-yard touchdown pass to June Garza. Lefevre’s strike up the left side found Garza, who out raced the defender. They connected a second time on a shorter but impressive pass in the back of the end zone.

“He has a lot of reps under his belt and a great quarterback; he’s fun to watch. From the cerebral standpoint, he knows the offense like the back of his hand,” Alonzo said.

Lefevre stood tall in the pocket with the confidence of an experienced quarterback. He was calm even with Bobcats defenders bearing down on him. On his 21-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Rodriguez, Lefevre was smothered and taken down while still delivering the most delicate of passes.

The Bobcats defense matched the energy. They forced turnovers and wreaked havoc early. They were led by their big man, Diego Gonzalez. After recovering a fumble at the SaberCats 41-yard line, the offense pounced. Quarterback JT Santa Maria invaded the Vela secondary while Oscar Jasso carried the offense into the red zone. The Bobcats called a timeout to rethink a 34-yard field goal attempt and lined up in the ‘Swinging Gate’ offense. Jude Vega scrambled out of the unorthodox formation and found Orly Martinez for a 16-yard touchdown pass.

“We had a great game plan, but we have to execute better. They were clicking on all cylinders, and we can’t make mistakes in big ball games…we made too many of them,” Bobcats’ head coach Rene Guzman said.

By the end of the first quarter, the Edinburg powerhouses were tied at 7. Each defense held serve through most of the second. The Bobcats proved their mettle and held the explosive SaberCats at the 2-yard line. Later, they held again and forced a 23-yard field goal. Again, Gonzalez ruled the middle and swarmed Vela’s Jonathan Flores on goal to go situations.

Even though Vela’s offense struggled early, there was a sense they were finding their rhythm. Flores is like an old man’s pocket knife, sharp and versatile. His razor cuts got the team 8 yards when they needed 1, and his ability to bounce off tacklers like a pinball created challenges for the defense. Flores shrugged off a tackler, spun and sprinted for a 21-yard touchdown. Later, he rocketed past defenders seemingly untouched for a 41-yard touchdown.

“He’s got big shoes to fill. He runs really well and doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He’s a special back and is finally getting his opportunity,” Alonzo said.

BY ADRIAN F. TREVINO

SPECIAL TO RGVSPORTS.COM

With each team’s logo adorning opposite end zones, the Battle of Conway could not be more clearly defined: the Vets logo fills the east side, and the Eagles’ mascot flies in the west.

Friday, the Mission Eagles claimed their dominance with a 23-21 win over crosstown rival Mission Veterans Patriots off an 18-yard field goal by freshman Angel Gabriel Leyva.

Even though the stage was set for another rivalry, this year’s matchup was delayed because of lightning. While everyone’s patience was tested, head coach Daniel Longoria and the Mission Eagles held fast.

“Today’s character lesson was patience: be patient with yourself when you make mistakes, be patient with yourself and control your emotions; it’s a very emotional game, and I think our boys did a fantastic job making plays when we needed to. Our expectation was to play good, sound football and let the score take care of itself,” Longoria said.

The lesson of the day may have been patience, but the Eagles’ defense seemed eager to make their mark on the game. Even though the opening kick off sailed into the end zone, there was a violent clash that leveled a couple Vets players on kickoff coverage. Four plays later, the Eagles’ defense captured their first turnover of the game, a fumble by a Vets receiver.

The Eagles would have to wait for their second possession to score the first points of the game. Senior quarterback, Diego Salinas, threw a quick screen off the right side, and Shelby Sital turned it into a 59-yard scamper for a touchdown.

Vets bounced back on its third possession with a healthy dose of quarterback Cameron Sarinana and running back Benjamin Martinez. Martinez was solid all night, adding a 16-yard run to the drive that Sarinana ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Rodriguez.

Vets head coach David Gilpin framed the loss through a lens of positivity. “Our quarterback is a junior, and he did so many good things…he really threw the ball with consistency,” Gilpin said. “Benji (Martinez) had a really good game tonight, he showed he was capable to be our RB1.”

Both teams put together impressive drives that highlighted the last three minutes of the first half. The Eagles used a six-play, 57-yard drive to take the lead as Christopher Kirk snagged a 37-yard touchdown pass putting the Eagles ahead 14-7.

Unfazed, Sarinana found Robert Sharp for a 27-yard pass that set up a first and goal. Julian Guerra scored with a one-handed catch and Hector Perez added the point after, and the teams went into halftime tied at 14.

The Eagles relied heavily offensively on their senior leadership. While many others offered contributions, the work of Salinas, Kirk and running back Thomas J. Aparicio carried the offense. Salinas’ experience and game management kept the Eagles on track offensively. His 75-yard bomb to Kirk in the third put the Eagles ahead 20-14 after a missed extra point. Aparicio ran tough and seemed on the verge of breaking a long run. He was relied on heavily to seal the game in the fourth.

The Patriots would not relent. In the fourth, they drove 74 yards to take the lead 21-20. Sarinana connected with three different receivers, and Martinez added a 16-yard run that crossed midfield. Rodriguez split the Eagles defense for a 38-yard touchdown.

With 7:33 left, the Eagles drove to the 1-yard line and set up Leyva’s game winning field goal.

“Senior leadership helped dig us out of that hole we dug. We don’t give up,” Aparicio said.