ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

When Lopez and Brownsville Veterans Memorial clash this week, it’ll mean a little more at this point in the season.

Both the Lobos and Chargers are unbeaten at 3-0 in District 32-5A play, and the winner will move a step closer toward the district championship in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

“It’s going to be a heavyweight, 12-round bout between two very well-coached teams with great kids,” Lopez coach Jason Starkey said. “I’m very proud of Brownsville football this year and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.”

Lopez (6-0 overall) and Brownsville Veterans (5-1) both come into this game with plenty of momentum. The Lobos don’t have a blemish on their record yet thanks to a suffocating defense and an opportunistic offense, while the Chargers have lost just once, a 34-20 setback to undefeated Edinburg Vela in Week 3

Lopez has rolled through the district thus far, but got a test from Donna High last week. The Lobos didn’t play as well offensively as they would have liked, but its defense did its part. And, the unit is expecting a big challenge from a Brownsville Veterans offense that averages 347 yards and 29 points per game. Chargers senior quarterback Gustavo Vasquez leads the way with 892 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

“Our defense has their work cut out for them this week,” Lopez coach Jason Starkey said. “We need to focus up front on trying to contain one of the more dynamic players (Vasquez) we’ve seen in a few years in Brownsville. He plays at a high level, but his teammates play at a high level. They do a great job over there as a team to put themselves in a position to be successful.

“Ray Charles could see that we have our hands full this week … playing the toughest opponent we’ve faced this year.”

Brownsville Veterans is confident coming in after taking care of Mercedes and Edcouch-Elsa in Week 6 and 7, respectively.

“Lopez is just as strong and as hungry as the last two teams we’ve faced,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “We were able to beat two extremely strong football teams … it leads us to believe if we’re in it in the fourth quarter, we’ll have a chance to come out on top.”

Lopez averages 396 yards and 39 points per game and allows just 166 yards and 11 points.

The Chargers are ready, but don’t plan to change what they do best.

“They’re the number one offense and the number one defense … so very challenging, challenging to come up with a game plan,” Cantu said. “But we’re going to stay the course … we are who are. What they’ve seen is what they’re going to get.”

Brownsville Veterans, which surrenders 301 yards and 22 points per contest, has steadily improved on defense each week and have stepped up to the challenge, especially during the last two weeks.

“Limiting Lopez in regards to the big plays,” Cantu said. “Try to keep (Lopez running back Jose Echavarria) in check … it’s going to be a huge challenge, but in the same sense they’ve done a good job throwing the ball too.”

Echavarria is third in the district with 840 yards on the ground and six touchdowns. Senior quarterback Alex Ramirez has thrown for 474 yards and 11 touchdowns, including eight of those during the past two weeks.

With two very good offenses on both sidelines, it seems that it could come down to which team’s defense makes the most plays. But Starkey said the kickers could decide this game, too.

“They’re so dynamic offensively,” Starkey said. “I think we’re going to have to score some points to win this dag gum thing. They’re good; it’s going to take our best effort. We have to create turnovers; we have to win the turnover battle.

“I think the kicking game will play a key role … special teams could possible sway this game one way or another.”

Cantu envisioned a low-scoring affair with defenses being a big factor, but he feels the game could be won or lost in the trenches and decided by which team handles the big-game atmosphere.

“The defense could be a surprise on Saturday night,” he said. “Lopez’s defense has been strong throughout and ours has gotten better behind 10 senior starters. We have to withstand the storm at the beginning … we know both teams are going to come out emotionally charged, sometimes that can work for you, but sometimes it can work against you.

“Whomever deals with adversity better will be 4-0 (in District 32-5A) at the end of the night.”

Both teams come into this game unbeaten during District 32-5A and it should be a battle on both sides of the ball. Lopez is the top ranked offense (396 yards per game) and defense (166) while Brownsville Veterans is fourth offensively (347) and fifth defensively (301). While both teams can light up the scoreboard, but it might come down to which defense can force the most turnovers and limit the others offense. If the defenses control the game, points could come at a premium. The Chargers have improved on defense as of late, but the Lobos are pretty stingy and don’t allow much, just 11 points per game. It comes down to a defensive battle, Lopez gets the slight edge.

PREDICTION: Lopez 17, Brownsville Veterans 14

Thursday’s Game
District 32-5A
DONNA HIGH AT PORTER
WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Donna High (2-4, 0-3); Porter (0-6, 0-3)
GAME NOTES: Donna High lost to Lopez 21-7 at home in Week 7. … The Redskins’ offense averages 173 yards and 14 points per game. Senior quarterback Hector Guerrero is a dual threat as he has thrown for 285 yards and two touchdowns and has rushed for 86 yards and a score. … The Donna High defense is allowing 295 yards and 21 points per game. … Porter lost to Donna North 38-21 in Week 7. … The Cowboys’ offense averages 253 yards and 16 points per outing. Freshman quarterback Kevin Garcia leads the Cowboys offense with 436 yards passing and two touchdowns. He is also the team’s top rusher with 343 yards and five touchdowns. … The Porter defense surrenders 422 yards and just under 40 points per game. … Both Donna High and Porter are looking for their first district win. … Each team has struggled on both sides of the ball this season.
PREDICTION: Donna High 21, Porter 17
— Andrew Crum

Friday’s Games
District 32-6A
LOS FRESNOS AT HANNA
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Los Fresnos (4-2, 2-1); Hanna (5-1, 3-0)
GAME NOTES: Los Fresnos held off Weslaco East 17-14 in Week 7. … The Falcons’ offense averages 340 yards and 29 points per game. Senior quarterback Charles Chapa is a dual threat as he has thrown for 789 yards and five touchdowns and has rushed for 277 yards and four touchdowns. His favorite target, sophomore receiver Nico Valencia, has 32 catches for 282 yards and three touchdowns. … The Los Fresnos defense allows 305 yards and less than 17 points per game. Junior defensive back Johnny Cadengo had two interceptions last week, including the latter one late in the fourth quarter to seal the district victory in Week 7. … Hanna outlasted Harlingen South 21-17 on the road in Week 7. … The Golden Eagles’ offense averages 331 yards and 31 points per game.
PREDICTION: Los Fresnos 24, Hanna 21
— Andrew Crum

RIVERA AT WESLACO HIGH
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Bobby Lackey Stadium, Weslaco
RECORDS: Rivera (1-5, 0-3); Weslaco (1-4, 0-3)
GAME NOTES: Rivera and Weslaco High sit at the bottom of district 32-6A. On paper, Weslaco’s offense looks slightly better (in one fewer game) than the Raiders, as they have gained 301 yards per game to Rivera’s 265. Weslaco is still platooning at quarterback with Jacob Cavazos as the mobile specialist and Marco Leal as the threat through the air. Both QBs have had struggles, Cavazos with fumbles and Leal with picks…. Matt De Santiago is nearing 500 yards rushing on the season for the Panthers with four scores….Nico Blanco has been a mixed back for the Raiders. He has thrown for 590 yards and seven TDs, but there’s also five interceptions to his name so far. Both teams will look to pass the ball more than running the football but the more balanced offense should have the edge.
PREDICTION: Weslaco 21, Rivera 10
— Nathaniel Mata

District 32-5A
PACE AT DONNA NORTH
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Bennie LaPrade Stadium, Donna
RECORDS: Pace (2-4, 1-2); Donna North (1-5, 1-2)
GAME NOTES: The winner of this game keeps its hopes alive for one of four playoff spots available in 32-5A … The loser is not eliminated from playoff contention, but faces a much tougher scenario … Pace is coming off last week’s 61-21 home loss against Mercedes while Donna North won its first game of the season against Porter 38-21 while playing at home … the two teams played in Brownsville last year with the Vikings winning 36-29 … The first time they met was 2014 with Pace winning 23-7, so the Vikings hold a 2-1 edge in the brief series between the two teams … The Chiefs rely on RBs Tony Gomez and Juan Jaramillo to fuel their rushing attack as both of them average around 5 yards a carry.
PREDICTION: Pace 27, Donna North 21
— Roy Hess

Non-district
ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY AT MARINE MILITARY ACADEMY
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Bowman Stadium, Harlingen
RECORDS: St. Joseph Academy (3-3, 0-0); Marine Miliary Academy (2-4, 0-0)
GAME NOTES: St. Joseph was idle in Week 7, but topped Hidalgo 42-10 in Week 6. … The Bloodhounds’ offense averages 486 yards and nearly 41 points per game. Senior quarterback Kai Money is a dual threat as he has thrown for 1,318 yards and 18 touchdowns and has rushed for 783 yards and seven touchdowns. His favorite target, junior receiver Pablo Zolezzi, has 21 catches for 464 yards and seven touchdowns. … The St. Joseph defense allows 24 points per game and has 12 sacks and three interceptions on the season. … MMA defeated Premont 33-22 in Week 7. … The Leathernecks’ offense averages nearly 23 points per game. The team started the year with a pair of wins, but have lost four straight games since. … The MMA defense allows less than 34 points per game.
PREDICTION: St. Joseph 42, Marine Military 21
— Andrew Crum

District 16-4A DII
ORANGE GROVE AT PORT ISABEL
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Tarpon Stadium, Port Isabel
RECORDS: Orange Grove (3-3, 1-0); Port Isabel (1-4, 0-1)
GAME NOTES: Orange Grove visits Port Isabel in a game of two teams on two seperate paths. … Port Isabel has lost three games in a row and are coming off a 48-27 loss at Rio Hondo. … The silver lining for Port Isabel is that their 27 points against Rio Hondo were its highest of the season. The Tarpon offense is averaging 20.8 points per game this season. … Sophomore Bryan Medina had another big night running the ball last week, recording 123 yards on 10 carries. On the season, Medina has a team-high 459 yards and has eclipsed the century mark three times and has four touchdowns. … Jeremy Martinez was up in the quarterback roulette last week, play his first game under center since last month. He threw for 154 yards on 8 of 13 passing with a touchdown and two picks. … The Tarpons average 301 yards of total offense per game.
PREDICTION: Orange Grove 35, Port Isabel 20
— Mark Molina

By ANDREW CRUM | The Brownsville Herald

Pretenders or contenders?

Four teams — Los Fresnos, Hanna, Lopez and Brownsville Veterans Memorial — are all coming off district wins in Week 7, although none of those teams had it easy. In District 32-6A, Los Fresnos outlasted Weslaco East 17-14 with a huge defensive effort and Hanna had to comeback to top Harlingen South 21-17 on the road. In District 32-5A, Lopez held off Donna High 21-7 on the road and Brownsville Veterans slipped by Edcouch-Elsa 21-19. It may be just three games into district play, but these four teams are about to show whether they belong in the race for the district title and/or a postseason spot with a month before the playoffs begin. In District 32-6A, Los Fresnos (4-2 overall, 2-1 in district) is on the road against Hanna (5-1, 3-0) on Friday and in District 32-5A, Brownsville Veterans (5-1, 3-0) faces Lopez (6-0, 3-0) at Sams Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Each team hopes to prove its status during its Week 7 matchup and prove if it is indeed a contender in the postseason races in either District 32-6A or District 32-5A. In a few short days, we’ll get our answer.

Falcons’ defense saves the day

Los Fresnos knew it had a good defense coming into this season and during the last two weeks, it has proved it. Two weeks ago, the Falcons’ defense allowed just a touchdown and defeated Harlingen South 35-7. In Week 7, it was the defensive unit again that stepped up when it needed to. Junior defensive back Johnny Cadengo had two interceptions, the latter on the final Weslaco East drive late in the fourth quarter and it sealed a 17-14 victory over the Wildcats. The defense also scored a touchdown on a punt block and return by Mathew Ortiz that was Los Fresnos first score of the game and helped it gain momentum that propelled them to the district victory. The Falcons know they’ll be tested on both sides of the ball against Hanna, but if the defense can continue its production against the Golden Eagles, it takes the pressure off the offense and give the unit confidence with games against Harlingen High and Weslaco High still on the horizon.

Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s defense shines, too

Brownsville Veterans’ offense usually makes the headlines, but the defense has been stellar as of late as well. In back-to-back weeks, the Chargers’ defense has made a statement. Against Mercedes on the road, the unit held the Tigers on their last two possessions — it forced a pair of turnover on downs — in the fourth quarter and held on to a 24-17 win. Last week against Edcouch-Elsa, the defense stopped a two-point conversion with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter and later in the final quarter, senior defensive back Sammy Chapa intercepted a pass to seal the 21-19 district win. The Chargers’ defense is fourth in the district in total defense, but with efforts like the past two weeks, Brownsville Veterans has to be confident heading into its District 32-5A showdown with Lopez and another step toward a possible repeat for the district title. The Lobos have the top offense in the district, so the Chargers will have their hands full, but it looks like they’ll be up for the challenge this week.

Hanna shows some grit ahead of key District 32-6A tilt

In Week 7, Hanna started slow against Harlingen South on the road, but regrouped to tie it before halftime and used an early third quarter as the difference in a 21-17 victory over the Hawks. The Eagles have now won five straight games, including their first three District 32-6A contests and have put themselves at the top of the district with San Benito and Harlingen High at this point in the season. We’ve learned a lot from Hanna’s win and its winning streak. The Eagles are third in District 32-6A in offense and fourth on defense and both units have stepped up at various times during the last five games to keep earning W’s in the win column. Heading into a huge test against Los Fresnos this week, a game like Hanna had against Harlingen South was probably welcomed (again). The Eagles were tested similarly the week before against Weslaco High. Hanna trailed early and had to comeback in the third quarter to take the lead. In both games the past two weeks, the Eagles’ defense has withstood any rally and has held on to get the win. Its experience like that will be crucial in a game against Los Fresnos, a playoff-type game that is pivotal in the District 32-6A race.

The Vikings are suddenly facing in a must-win situation in District 32-5A

At times this season, Pace (2-4, 1-2) has looked like it can beat anyone. Unfortunately, the Vikings have had moments where they look like they’re still learning and growing. At times, the offense has looked sharp and has the ability to keep up with anybody, but it has had its struggles with turnovers as well. The defense has looked stout at times and other times haven’t been able to put the clamp on strong running teams. The roller coaster ride of the season thus far has put Pace in a tough situation. The Vikings find themselves in a must-win situation to stay in the hunt for a postseason berth. Pace travels to Donna North this week before a home game against Edcouch-Elsa. The Vikings finish the season with a return trip to Donna to face Donna High and end the season at home against Lopez. If Pace wants to end its playoff drought, it must start with a win against the Chiefs and hopes it continues the momentum over the next month.

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | The Brownsville Herald

Pace fell behind early and couldn’t match the firepower of Mercedes.

The Vikings’ found themselves down in the first quarter and could never match the Tigers’ offensive output in a 61-21 loss to Mercedes during a District 32-5A game on Saturday in Week 7 at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Pace (2-4, 1-2) had its struggles all evening on offense — it finished with 286 yards, but had four turnovers — three fumbles and an interception. Senior receiver Gabriel Zapata had five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown and junior running back Brandon Zapata added 75 yards on the ground and a score.

“A mistake here and when they gave us opportunities we couldn’t take over,” Pace coach Danny Pardo said. “They capitalized on the things we did wrong … that’s what a good team does.”

Mercedes (4-2, 2-1) piled up 550 yards of offense as senior quarterback Mark Ledesma threw for 302 yards and a pair of touchdowns to junior wide receiver Leeroy Garcia, who finished with four catches for 126 yards. Ledesma also ran for a pair of scores as the Tigers finished with 241 yards on the ground, including 60 and a pair of touchdowns from senior running back Matthew Gracia.

“We wanted to make a statement,” Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. said. “You know how good teams do, they come out and respond. We wanted to come out and play Tiger football … the way we’re capable of playing. I don’t think we’ve played our best football yet; it’s still out there.

“These guys were determined to get back on track.”

Mercedes got off to a quick start and scored early and often. The Tigers sophomore running back Sonny Vela got a 2-yard run for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 10:54 left in the opening quarter.

Pace fumbled on its first drive and Mercedes capitalized as senior running back Matthew Gracia found the end zone after a 15-yard run for a 14-0 edge with 2:12 left in the first.

After a Vikings punt, the Tigers added a 28-yard field goal by senior kicker Luis Munoz to extend their lead to 17-0 with 9:31 to go in the second quarter.

Pace got on the board when it answered a minute and a half later as Brandon Zapata found a seam and went 68 yards for the score to cut it to 17-7 with 7:54 left in the second.

Mercedes got a short field after a Vikings punt and Ledesma hit Garcia on a 7-yard touchdown pass to build a 24-7 advantage with 1:46 left in the half.

Pace pulled within 24-14 after senior quarterback Randy Aguilar hit sophomore receiver Ilijah Solis on a 13-yard touchdown pass with just 23 seconds left in the half.

The Tigers needed one play to answer — a 70-yard bomb from Ledesma to Garcia — with just seven seconds left in the half to push the lead to 30-14 at the break.

After halftime, Mercedes continued its offensive break out. The Tigers scored 21 points in the third quarter, two rushing touchdowns by Ledesma and another score on the ground by Gracia to put the game out of reach.

In the fourth quarter, junior running back Alex Ramos scored on a 29-yard run and Munoz added a 29-yard field goal for Mercedes.

Pace also scored a touchdown midway through the final quarter as Aguilar hit Gabriel Zapata on a 20-yard pass play, but in the end it wasn’t enough.

Adame Jr. was happy the way his defense played. But he thinks his team is still improving.

“We hadn’t had a turnover in two games, we challenged them in practice (to force turnovers),” he said. “We knew we were playing a tough, improved Pace with some playmakers and we knew we had to get some takeaways against an offense like this.

“Credit to Pace, but there’s more potential there (for our team) and we’re going to find it. We have to go back to work and we’ll have to be firing on all cylinders next week against Edcouch-Elsa.”

For Pace, too many mistakes against a good Mercedes team was its undoing.

“They’re a good team,” Pardo said. “They were a better team than we were (Saturday). That’s just the way it goes sometimes. We have to regroup and make sure we don’t make the little mistakes that we made this week. Those are the ones that cost you and against a team like this, they’ll expose you pretty quick.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

LOS FRENOS — Much like last year, Los Fresnos’ defense stepped up against Weslaco East.

Falcons junior defensive back Johnny Cadengo had two interceptions, his second coming with 15 seconds left in the game to seal a 17-14 victory over the Wildcats in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week on Friday at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium.

“It felt amazing … our defense came through in the last seconds,” Cadengo said. “Our offense was a little slow, but the defense made up for it in the end and that’s all that really matters.

“It was just a great team effort.”

Leading 17-14 late in the fourth quarter, Los Fresnos threw an interception at the Weslaco East 8-yard line with 2:30 left to play, giving the Wildcats one last chance. Weslaco East then drove inside Falcons territory with less than 30 seconds to play. A deep throw toward the end zone was snatched by Cadengo just past the goal line for a touchback and Los Fresnos breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’ve hung our hat on our defense all year long,” Los Fresnos coach Patrick Brown said. “When we threw that ball near the end of the game (an interception) we were trying to win the game. If we throw a pick it’s the equivalent of a punt … we do that so we’re going to let our defense win the game for us … I was so proud of our defense.”

The Falcons’ defense shut out the Wildcats in the first half and added a sack, and it rose to the occasion when it needed to after the break to help Los Fresnos (4-2, 2-1 in District 32-6A) win its second straight district game. Weslaco East (3-3, 1-2) got a strong showing from quarterback Richard Lefevre, who finished with 92 yards passing and a touchdown and added 95 yards on the ground, but the Wildcats missed three field goals on the night and that made the difference.

“Our kids have overcome a lot,” Weslaco East coach Mike Burget said. “They’ve lost eight starters and they played their butts off. It wasn’t a tough night … we played really good football … Texas football. I’m not going to blame (anyone) … our kids played really good.

“We got stopped. (Los Fresnos) did a great job.”

After a scoreless opening quarter, Los Fresnos broke through just 20 seconds into the second. The Falcons blocked a Weslaco East punt attempt and junior defensive end Mathew Ortiz returned it 20 yards for a touchdown to give Los Fresnos a 7-0 edge.

Neither team could get much going from there until Falcons senior quarterback Charles Chapa found Robert Ramirez on a 49-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown to extend the lead to 14-0 with 1:04 left in the half. That score would hold until halftime.

Weslaco East scored touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters. Lefevre hit Ramsey Vasquez on a 7-yard touchdown pass in the third with 6:19 to go to cut the deficit in half.

“I thought they had a really great game plan for us and that quarterback (Lefevre) played his tail off,” Brown said. “He gave everything he had.”

Los Fresnos answered as kicker Adrian Torres connected on a 23-yard field goal to push the Falcons’ advantage to 17-7 with 3:34 to play in the third.

In the fourth, the Wildcats got a 1-yard scoring run by Derick Ybarra to pull the visitors to within 17-14 with 10:54 left to play. But unfortunately for Weslaco East, it couldn’t overcome its first half deficit and its rally fell just short late in the game.

Afterward, Burget was upset about some alleged errant whistles in the crowd and felt like that was hurtful to his team. But he refused to use that as an excuse.

“We lost to a good football club,” he said. “We’re going to bounce back and we’ll try to get the next one.”

Los Fresnos was happy to continue its momentum with another big game on the horizon next week. The Falcons are on the road against Hanna (5-1, 3-0).

“I thought this was a huge game for us,” Brown said. “When Weslaco East and Los Fresnos play it gets ugly a little bit and we get after each other and it always comes down to a point or three. Next week is a huge game, but we’re 2-1 (in district) and San Benito is out of the way. If we keep playing hard and we win out, it possibly could be a three-way tie for the district championship.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

LOS FRENOS — It’s a new year, but once again Los Fresnos faces Weslaco East in a crucial point of the season.

Last year, Los Fresnos slipped past Weslaco East 17-16 on the road and the victory propelled it to four wins in the team’s last five games and a postseason run that went three rounds deep.

The Falcons (3-2, 1-1) play host to the Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium.

Los Fresnos expects a game similar to last year’s, a bruising contest that could be won or lost in the trenches.

“Weslaco East prides themselves on being physical, especially on the offensive and defensive lines,” Los Fresnos coach Patrick Brown said. “They want to run the ball and establish their physicality up front. It was a physical game last year and I don’t expect anything less this week.”

And just like last year, the matchup could mean a lot for the race to the postseason.

“Every district game is important, so it’s a very important game for us,” Weslaco East coach Mike Burget said. “We know our kids are going to play hard, so we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

The Falcons defense is in the middle of the pack in District 32-6A, allowing 305 yards and 17 points per game. Brown said it will be crucial for the Falcons to contain the Wildcats’ ground game. Weslaco East averages 38 points and 391 yards per game on offense, 236 that come from running the football.

“We’re going to have to stop their running game,” he said. “We have to take away their run game as much as we possibly can.”

But the Wildcats can also throw the ball pretty well. Quarterback Richard Lefevre is second in the district with 701 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air.

“We have to find a way to better move the ball,” Burget said. “We’ll probably throw the ball almost every play this game and see if Lefevre can handle the pressure. We’re looking forward to airing it out.”

Offensively, Los Fresnos is also capable of moving the chains. The Falcons average 364 yards and nearly 32 points per game.

Senior quarterback Charles Chapa has thrown for 667 yards and four touchdowns, the majority going to top target and sophomore receiver Nico Valencia, who has 30 catches for 256 yards and three scores.

Brown said Chapa would need to keep the Weslaco East defense honest when Los Fresnos has the ball.

“I think we need to throw the ball downfield and really stretch their defense out,” he said. “If we can have some success throwing the ball, we’re going to have success in the game.”

It will be a tough task facing the second best defense in District 32-6A. The Wildcats allow 280 yards and less than 19 points per game.

Even though Weslaco East is slightly banged up, Burget said his young guys are ready to step up and could be the difference in this game.

“I think our defense has played great all year,” he said. “We just went back to the fundamentals of football, tackling, wrapping up (in practice this week). The team that wins the turnover battle, causes turnovers and makes the least amount of mistakes will probably be the team that walks off the field winners.”

Regardless of who is playing on each sideline doesn’t matter to either team. In District 32-6A, every week is a tough game.

“From week-to-week, anybody can beat anybody … I know that sounds cliché, but it’s true in our district,” Brown said. “The kids have to know that every week has a sense of urgency. I think Weslaco East is going to be a playoff team, so if we want to be a playoff team we have to beat those teams.

“This is a very big game for both teams.”

Both Los Fresnos and Weslaco East can put the points on the board. The Falcons have a dangerous combination on offense — quarterback Charles Chapa to receiver Nico Valencia — but the Wildcats do as well, in quarterback Richard Lefevre and receiver J.C. Vargas. Each team is pretty stingy on defense too. Los Fresnos allows 305 yards and 17 points per game. Weslaco East allows slightly less — 280 yards and less than 19 points per game. The teams are very similar on both sides of the ball, so it could be similar to last season’s close game. It may come down to which team wins the turnover battle or comes up with a key turnover or stop down the stretch.

PREDICTION: Los Fresnos 31, Weslaco East 27

Thursday
District 32-5A
EDCOUCH-ELSA AT BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL
WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Edcouch-Elsa (4-1, 2-0); Brownsville Veterans (4-1, 2-0)
GAME NOTES: The Chargers and Yellowjackets meet in a showdown of District 32-5A powers … BVM seeks another big win after defeating Mercedes 24-17 on the road. … Chargers QB Gustavo Vasquez is coming off a big game in which he totaled 254 yards and two touchdowns, the second coming late in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winning score. The team as a whole recorded 334 yards, all coming on the ground. … The Chargers will be without running back Abel Martinez, who sustained a knee injury at Mercedes and indicated on Twitter that his season could be over. … Edcouch Elsa defeated Donna 27-7 at home last week. … Yellowjacket running back Jorge Gomez is coming off a big night against the Redskins, rushing for 144 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
PREDICTION: Brownsville Veterans 21, Edcouch-Elsa 17
— Mark Molina

LOPEZ AT DONNA HIGH
WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday
WHERE: Bennie La Prade Stadium, Donna
RECORDS: Lopez (5-0, 2-0); Donna High (2-3, 0-2)
GAME NOTES: Lopez jumped on Donna North early in its Week 6 blowout victory. After recovering a fumble, senior running back Jose Echavarria scored on a 30-yard touchdown run 16 seconds after the Lobos gained possession. … Echavarria added 11 carries and ran for 138 more yards and another touchdown for the Lobos. … Quarterback Alex Ramirez threw for 217 yards and four TDs. … The Donna High defense is going through its toughest stretch of the season. Donna allowed 60 points in its first three games of the year against Valley View, PSJA North and La Joya High. In two district losses to Mercedes and Edcouch-Elsa, Donna has given up 62 points. … Donna senior QB Hector Guerrero has rushed for a touchdown in four of his team’s five games this season.
PREDICTION: Lopez 29, Donna High 10
— Nate Kotisso

Friday
District 32-6A
SAN BENITO AT RIVERA
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: San Benito (5-0, 2-0); Rivera (1-4, 0-2)
GAME NOTES: It just doesn’t get any easier for the Rivera Raiders. One week after falling 45-20 to Harlingen High, the Valley’s No. 3-ranked team, the Raiders go against the Valley’s top-ranked Greyhounds, who are coming off a decisive 44-21 triumph at Weslaco East … When the Raiders and Greyhounds played last year in San Benito, the Greyhounds won 70-6. … The last time Rivera beat San Benito was a 42-35 win in 2014 … So far this season the Greyhounds are averaging a district-best 411 yards a game on offense and have shown themselves to be quite a force offensively and defensively with RB Tyrone Harper leading the way on offense as he has rushed for 747 yards in five games and is averaging 7.0 yards per carry with 10 TDs.
PREDICTION: San Benito 42, Rivera 17
— Roy Hess

HANNA AT HARLINGEN SOUTH
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Boggus Stadium, Harlingen
RECORDS: Hanna (4-1, 2-0); Harlingen South (1-4, 0-2)
GAME NOTES: The Harlingen South Hawks are in much need of a win. South is 0-2 in district play after loses to Harlingen and Los Fresnos. South will lean on its rushing attack led by Jorge Alicea. Defensively the Hawks will depend on defensive end Brandon Bennett and Sky Tatum to provide a pass rush. Brownsville Hanna has been on a roll with a 2-0 district record. Hanna is led by quarterback Victor Campos. In last week’s win against Weslaco High, Campos went 4 for 9 through the air with 99 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Joe Cavazos finished with 181 yards on nine carries and three scores. Hanna’s offense is average 33.4 points per game this season while Harlingen South has managed just 19.2 per contest.
PREDICTION: Hanna 26, Harlingen South 17
— Kevin Narro

District 32-5A
PORTER AT DONNA NORTH
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Bennie La Prade Stadium, Donna
RECORDS: Porter (0-5, 0-2); Donna North (0-5, 0-2)
GAME NOTES: Porter at Donna North is the only district matchup this week featuring two teams who haven’t won a game this season. … Porter allowed Pace to score eight touchdowns on nine offensive possessions in a 56-34 loss in the lone Saturday game of Week 6. … On the flip side, the Cowboys’ 34 points were a season-high. Porter alternated between scoring seven or 14 points in their first four games. … QB Kevin Garcia ran for 144 yards and a TD while throwing for 108 yards and another score. … Donna North continues to hang its hat on a running game headlined by senior Tony Gomez and freshman Juan Jaramillo. Jaramillo is the club’s leading rusher with 329 yards. Gomez is right behind Jaramillo with 295 yards on the ground.
PREDICTION: Porter 23, Donna North 11
— Nate Kotisso

District 16-4A DII
PORT ISABEL AT RIO HONDO
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Bobcat Stadium, Rio Hondo
RECORDS: Port Isabel (1-3, 0-0); Rio Hondo (3-1, 0-0)
GAME NOTES: The Bobcats are off to an impressive start behind quarterback Tyler Bush. The senior QB has impressed this season with 964 yards passing from 64 completion on 106 attempts, with most of them going to his two top targets: Erik Pizarro (588 yards) and Frank Hernandez (194). On the ground, Bush also leads the team with 444 yards on 51 carries. … For Port Isabel, the season hasn’t gone as good as many would have hoped for. A combination of injuries and a new system have seen the Tarpons go 1-4 this season. This season, the Tarpons have seen five quarterbacks take snaps under center for a combined total of 490 yards passing. On the ground, the Tarpons have rushed for 597 yards with Bryan Medina leading the pack with 336 yards on 41 carries.
PREDICTION: Rio Hondo 35, Port Isabel 14
— Freddy Gonzalez

Saturday
District 32-5A
MERCEDES AT PACE
WHEN: 7 p.m., Saturday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Mercedes (3-2, 1-1); Pace (2-3, 1-1)
GAME NOTES: Mercedes lost to Brownsville Veterans Memorial 24-17 in Week 6. … The Tigers’ offense averages 342 yards and 21 points per game. Quarterback Marc Ledesma is a dual threat as he has rushed for 366 yards and six touchdowns and thrown for 673 yards and four touchdowns. … The Mercedes’ defense allows 274 yards and 21 points per game. … Pace defeated Porter 56-34 in Week 6. … The Vikings’ offense averages 333 yards and 28 points per game. Senior quarterback Randy Aguilar leads the way with 790 yards passing and eight touchdowns. His favorite target, Gabriel Zapata 24 catches for 430 yards and five touchdowns on the season. … The Pace defense allows 336 yards and 24 points per game.
PREDICTION: Mercedes 34, Pace 28
— Andrew Crum

By ANDREW CRUM | The Brownsville Herald

Hanna continues rolling, impressing

Facing a first-half deficit, Hanna regrouped at halftime and held off Weslaco High 38-35 in a District 32-6A thriller in Week 6. Not lost in the back-and-forth contest was that the Golden Eagles were impressive on both offense and defense and continued their great start on the season, pushing their record to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in District 32-6A. The Hanna offense received a spark to begin the second half as senior receiver/running back Joe Cavazos III made his presence felt with 181 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns, the latter put his team in front for good. But he wasn’t the only one that made an impact, sophomore quarterback Victor Campos continued to show his maturity with three touchdown passes, each to a different target. The defense made its mark as well. The unit forced five turnovers — one fumble and four interceptions — the last pick sealed the 3-point victory as Weslaco High had one last shot to try and tie the game or win it in the final minute. With a complete game effort, Hanna showed how much it has improved from last season and how much of a threat it is to earn a postseason berth. Anything can happen in the next five weeks, but the Eagles look like a team on a mission this year.

Ramirez blossoms in Lopez’s offense

It feels like a broken record to consistently repeat the continued dominance of the Lopez defense. Once again the Lobos’ defense shined after it allowed just 148 yards and 10 points to Donna North in a District 32-5A victory. This season, it’s been the Lopez offense that has shown the most growth. In the Lobos’ 54-10 win, the offense continued to showcase its weapons. Probably most impressive was senior quarterback Alex Ramirez. He was 10 of 15 for 217 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for 42 yards. Ramirez’s breakout game shows how dangerous the offense can be. The unit already averages 423 yards and nearly 43 points per game, but the ground game has been its biggest weapon with senior running back Jose Echavarria leads the way with 797 yards and six touchdowns. The Lobos (5-0 overall, 2-0 in District 32-5A) have averaged 319 yards per game on the ground and there’s nothing that has slowed that down just yet. But the further emergence of the passing game, makes the Lopez offense that much tougher to stop.

The Chargers’ Vasquez has guts

Brownsville Veterans Memorial needed someone to step up after it trailed by a touchdown in the early fourth quarter on the road at Mercedes. The Chargers senior quarterback Gustavo Vasquez answered the call and the Tigers’ defense couldn’t stop him as the senior scored a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter to claim a 24-17 District 32-5A victory and stay unbeaten in district play. The last score was with just over a minute to play as Vasquez finished with a monster outing, 254 yards on 30 carries and a trio of touchdowns. In fact, the Chargers’ offense finished with 334 yards of offense and every bit was from their ground game. Brownsville Veterans (4-1 overall, 2-0 in District 32-5A) attempted just four passes and were without a completion. The Chargers’ running backs Abel Martinez and Alexis Gomez were held in check for the most part, combining for 80 yards on 9 carries by the Mercedes’ defense. But the Tigers couldn’t stop Vasquez down the stretch and the senior quarterback kept Brownsville Veterans on the path toward another district title, although there are a few obstacles still in the way during the next five weeks.

Porter freshman makes an impact

Porter has had a tough season thus far. The Cowboys are winless through the first half of the season, but elements of their potential continue to show through. Porter dropped to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in District 32-5A with a 56-34 loss to Pace (2-3, 1-1). Freshman quarterback Kevin Garcia put up some impressive numbers against the Vikings and continues to show his team and District 32-5A how much better the Cowboys can be with him under center. Garcia made the most of his opportunities with 144 yards on the ground and a touchdown and 108 yards through the air and another score. While only a freshman, Garcia hasn’t played like one, handling the pressure during his first varsity season. The 34 points weren’t enough for the victory, but Porter has to optimistic with its highest point total of the season. Likewise, the offensive output didn’t lead to a win, but if Garcia can continue to put up similar numbers, Porter is going to break through and get that first victory of the year sooner than later.

After tough loss to San Benito, Los Fresnos takes flight again with convincing victory

After opening District 32-6A with a tough loss to San Benito, Los Fresnos needed to bounce back. The Falcons (3-2 overall, 1-1 in District 32-6A) did just that, getting a 35-7 victory over Harlingen South. Los Fresnos senior quarterback Charles Chapa made sure of that and made a statement in the process: the Falcons were down, but not out and are ready to compete for both a postseason berth and in the mix for a district title. Chapa led an offense output with 38 yards on the ground and three touchdowns and he threw for another 107 yards through the air. Backup running back Matthew Medina filled in for an injured Alberto Banuelos and made a name for himself with 159 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. The Los Fresnos defense did its part by yielding just one touchdown, but that wasn’t until midway through the final quarter. The Falcons still have a few tough tests over the next five weeks, but it seems that Los Fresnos is ready to prove to the rest of District 32-6A that it will be a force to be reckoned with.

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Hanna, which trailed at the break, needed a jumpstart in the second half against Weslaco High.

Senior receiver Joe Cavazos III provided that spark, scoring a pair of touchdowns to give the Golden Eagles the lead for good and the defense held stout in the end in a 38-35 win over the Panthers in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week on Friday night at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The victory gave the Eagles their second District 32-6A win.

“We just believe in the system and believe in our players,” Cavazos III said. “It feels great, it’s an amazing start and my team and I are going to be confident going into the next game.”

Cavazos III totaled 181 yards on nine carries and scored on a 47-yarder and then an 80-yard gallop for another touchdown to give Hanna a 24-21 lead with 9:48 left in the third quarter.

The Eagles (4-1, 2-0) never trailed again.

Weslaco High (1-3, 0-2) tried to rally in the fourth quarter after trailing 38-21. The Panthers got a 3-yard touchdown run from Matthew De Santiago with 7:03 left to play and when Hanna fumbled on its ensuing drive, Seth Sanchez returned it 82 yards for a score to cut the deficit to 38-35 with 3:06 remaining.

Hanna was forced to punt on its last drive and the defense sealed it with an interception by Andres Sustaeta to quell the Weslaco High comeback.

“We love every one of our guys, I wouldn’t trade them for the world,” Weslaco High coach Michael Salinas said. “I’m a little disappointed in the outcome, but as a head coach, I take responsibility and have to do a better job. A couple breaks here and there, maybe the outcomes different … but we’re faced with adversity and I’m fully confident our kids are going to respond.”

The Eagles defense finished with four interceptions, a forced fumble and a sack and Hanna needed every one of them to hold off the Panthers.

“We felt we had the momentum (going into halftime) and we felt we just had to play,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said. “We had to execute, score when we got the ball on offense, get the lead and get some stops and that’s pretty much what happened.

“I said early in the week that the defense that plays the best is going to win this game … I guess I was very prophetic.”

Weslaco High got on the board first in the opening quarter. Senior running back Matthew De Santiago capped off the first drive of the game with a 2-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 lead with 9:23 to go in the first.

After Hanna threw an interception, the Panthers took advantage after senior quarterback Marco Leal threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Jay Granados and a 14-0 edge with 7:01 left in the first.

Weslaco High then threw back-to-back interceptions — both picked by junior cornerback Alcee Flores — but Hanna couldn’t capitalize, punting on one drive and threw an interception of its own on the next possession.

The Eagles got on track and sophomore quarterback Victor Campos connected with senior receiver Rolando Ramirez on a 19-yard strike for a touchdown to cut the deficit in half with 5:52 to go in the second quarter.

After another Weslaco High interception — this one by junior linebacker Isaac Iracheta — the Eagles got a 34-yard field goal by Miguel Payan as time expired in the first half to make it a 14-10 ballgame.

“Getting that field goal right before the half ended up being the difference in the ball game,” Guess said.

With the momentum to end the first half, Hanna took advantage early in the third quarter. Cavazos III scored on a 47-yard run to hand the Eagles a 17-10 lead with 10:39 left in the quarter.

Weslaco High answered to retake the lead at 21-17 after a 69-yard burst by sophomore quarterback Jacob Cavazos.

Hanna responded just 12 seconds later as Joe Cavazos III scored on an 80-run to retake the lead 24-21. The Eagles extended that lead after a fumble recovery as Campos found Christian Cavazos in the end zone after a 5-yard pass to push the lead to 31-21 with 6:42 left in the third.

On their next drive, Campos found Christopher Cardenas on a 46-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 38-21 just eight seconds into the fourth quarter before Weslaco High tried to rally.

Campos finished with three touchdowns to go with 99 yards through the air. Junior running back Cesar Mancias ended his night with 43 yards on the ground.

Jacob Cavazos finished with 96 yards and a touchdown on the ground and De Santiago added 93 yards and two scores for Weslaco High.

“Hats off to Hanna, but I feel like we let one slip away,” Salinas said. “As the head coach, that’s my fault. I told them we loved them and we’re going to go back to work … when it doesn’t go your way and you’re faced with some adversity, you have to work a little harder.”

Hanna stayed unbeaten in District 32-6A, but knew it wouldn’t going to be easy coming into the game.

“It’s a big win because Weslaco is such a great team,” Guess said. “We knew it was going to be a dog fight, but credit to them, they played their tails off. In the end we just made a few more plays than they did and it’s big because it gets us to 2-0 in district.

“Nothing else really matters right now.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

It took just a few moments into the game for Lopez to set the tone against Donna North.

After the Lobos’ defense forced a fumble on the Chiefs’ first play, it took just 16 seconds for senior running back Jose Echavarria to capitalize after he scored on a 30-yard run. Echavarria added another touchdown on his next carry to set the tone as Lopez remained unbeaten with a 54-10 victory over Donna North in a District 32-5A game Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Echavarria racked up 168 yards on 12 carries and the two touchdowns and Alex Ramirez threw for 217 yards and four touchdowns as the offense found its rhythm early and continued to light up the scoreboard as Lopez improved to 5-0, 2-0.

“It all starts with a good drive, once we get the ball we know we have to execute,” Echavarria said. “It’s all thanks to the O-line … all the credit to them.”

The Lobos’ defense continued its dominance as it forced three turnovers, got a safety and held the Chiefs (0-5, 0-2) to 148 yards of offense.

Lopez wasted no time getting on the board. After the Chiefs’ fumble, Echavarria needed one play to score — a 30-yard run for a score — to take a 7-0 lead with 11:44 left in the opening quarter.

Donna North drove to the Lopez 22-yard line on its next drive, but settled for a 39-yard field goal by Christopher Flores to cut its deficit to four with 6:40 left in the first.

On the Lobos’ next drive, Echavarria took a handoff 37 yards for another score to extend the lead to 14-3 with 5:10 left in the first.

“We prefer to start like that, but we have experience not starting that way too,” Lopez coach Jason Starkey said. “I think we took the next step to playing cleaner football, that’s all. We have respect for our opponent and we work our tail off and that’s how we respect them. Really, we’re 1-0 (this week) and in 24 hours we’ll be 0-0 (again).”

Another Donna North fumble gave Lopez the ball back and it took advantage. The Lobos capped off a drive with a 2-yard run by junior running back Christian Gamez for another score to take a 21-3 edge with 1:39 left in the first.

“We started off the game and gave them short fields,” Donna North coach Mathew Rokovich said. “They have an explosive enough offense and when you give them something like that, they’re going to capitalize on that … they’re a good football team.”

Lopez then got it done through the air in the second quarter as senior quarterback Alex Ramirez found senior receiver Leo Alaniz on a 25-yard touchdown pass and later hit senior running back JD Diaz on a 31-yard catch and run for another score and pushed the advantage to 35-3 at the break.

In the second half, it was more of the same for Lopez. The Lobos got a two more touchdown passes from Ramirez, one to Cesar Trevino from 1-yard out and a 67-yard screen pass for a score by Diaz. Baltazar Cerda added a 36-yard field goal and Lopez added a safety on a ball that Donna North snapped out the back of the end zone on a punt attempt.

The Chiefs scored their lone touchdown on a 2-yard run by Tony Gomez with five minutes left in the game. Otherwise, Donna North struggled to move the ball with consistency against the Lopez defense.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Rokovich said. “We have to get back to work and correct our mistakes. There’s always right and wrong … we have to look at the good things we did and get better at those and fix those things that we need to fix.”

Lopez piled up 502 yards of offense on the night and took a 47-3 lead into the fourth quarter. But Starkey wasn’t exactly enthusiastic by the how the team played with a big lead.

“I’m happy with how we started, but I’m not happy with the way we finished to be completely honest,” he said. “We had kids mentally out of the game and it’s a four quarter game … young guys and veterans weren’t in the game.

“I’m happy we won, but we haven’t played our best ball yet.”

The Lobos coach knows that his team can play better and will need to with some tough district games coming up.

“There are a lot of things we have to get better at,” Starkey said. “I’m blessed to have a great coaching staff and kids that come to work and focus on those things. That’s the reason we’re experiencing success because they haven’t forgotten where they’re from and what it took to get here.

“Greatness is an all the time thing, not a some of the time thing … it’s everything they put their name on. They have to take pride and do it the right way and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

In District 32-6A, every game is important and every win is a step closer to a postseason berth.

It may be just the second game of district play, but Hanna and Weslaco High know how important a victory is in regards to the playoffs, even early on.

The Golden Eagles (3-1, 1-0) play host to the Panthers (1-2, 0-1) in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Hanna comes into the game after winning its last three contests, including a 35-0 triumph over Rivera to open District 32-6A in Week 5. Weslaco High has lost two straight following a 35-7 setback to Weslaco East last week. The Eagles have the momentum coming in, but the Panthers know they just need to play well to get back on track.

During Hanna’s winning streak, the defense has been a big reason as the unit allows less than 12 points per contest.

“Our defense has stepped up and put the clamps down on some of these offenses that had been lighting up the board,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said. “The defense has been a really big impact.”

For the season, the Eagles’ defense allow 269 yards and less than 14 points per game. They’ll have to contend with Weslaco High quarterbacks Marco Leal and Jacob Cavazos, who have combined to throw for 401 yards and Cavazos (210 yards and three touchdowns) and Matt De Santiago (165 yards and a score) lead the ground game.

“They have several different weapons,” Guess said. “We just have to make sure we’re playing good fundamental defense.”

Weslaco High’s offense averages 279 yards and 18 points per game, but has struggled at times.

“We’ve been trying to fix the things that need fixed,” Weslaco High coach Michael Salinas said. “We’re trying to control what we can and get better as a ball club. We’ve run the ball more than we’d like, but we haven’t had that execution we’d like on offense.

“Our defense is playing good football … we just need to play better and more consistent on offense.”

The Panthers’ defense allows 363 yards and a little less than 26 points per game and will certainly have its hands full with the Hanna offense, which averages 361 yards and 32 points.

Junior running back Cesar Mancias leads the way with 414 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and sophomore quarterback Victor Campos has thrown for 388 yards and four scores. Campos is under center after Joe Cavazos III was injured early in the season. Cavazos III returned last week and played wide receiver, the position he played for the past two seasons, and caught a touchdown pass. Cavazos III’s return gives the Eagles another viable option on offense.

“Wherever we put him, he’s going to make plays,” Guess said about Cavazos III. “With Mancias and Campos, we have a lot of weapons … we just need to keep these weapons healthy.”

For Weslaco High to get back in the win column, Salinas said his team has to take care of the ball.

“We have to play cleaner, eliminate some penalties and be better fundamentally,” he said. “We’re playing a team that’s riding high … we’re going to have our work cut our for us. We have to go out and execute our game plan. It’s going to take a team effort to win on Friday … we have to play well in all three phases and eliminate turnovers and penalties to have a chance to come out on top.”

Guess feels the game could come down to defense.

“We’re going to have to make some stops,” he said. “But the more our offense keeps the defense off the field, the better off we’re going to be. We’re going to have to put some points on the board. I think the team that plays the best defense is going to come out on top … both offenses have a lot of weapons and can score at any time.

“But someone has to get a stop at some point or a turnover and that could make the difference.”

Both the Hanna and Weslaco High offenses can move the ball and put points on the board. The Eagles average 361 yards and score 32 points per game, while the Panthers average 279 yards and 18 points per game. Hanna junior running back Cesar Mancias leads the way on the ground and sophomore quarterback Victor Campos leads the passing attack. Plus the Eagles have receiver Joe Cavazos III back from injury. The Panthers counter with quarterbacks Marco Leal and Jacob Cavazos. Cavazos is a dual threat and along with Matt De Santiago lead the ground game. The defense could decide this game, whether its stops or coming up with a few turnovers and ultimately could be the difference in the final score.

PREDICTION: Hanna 28, Weslaco High 21

Thursday
District 32-5A

DONNA NORTH AT LOPEZ
WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Donna North (0-4, 0-1); Lopez (4-0, 1-0)
GAME NOTES: Donna North lost to Edcouch-Elsa 41-10 to open District 32-5A … The Chiefs’ offense averages 215 yards and 10 points. The unit is led by freshman running back Juan Jaramillo, who has 316 yards and a touchdown on the ground this season. … The Donna North defense allows 324 yards and 40 points per game. … Lopez defeated Porter 35-7 in the district opener for both teams in Week 4. … The Lobos’ offense is the top unit in the district, averaging 403 yards and nearly 40 points per game. Senior running back/receiver Jose Echavarria leads the way with 629 yards rushing and four touchdowns. … The Lopez defense is once again leading the district allowing just 166 yards and less than 13 points per game. … Lopez defeated Donna North 31-0 last season, one of two shutouts last year.
PREDICTION: Lopez 35, Donna North 10
— Andrew Crum

Friday
District 32-5A

BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL AT MERCEDES
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Mercedes
RECORDS: Brownsville Veterans (3-1, 1-0); Mercedes (3-1, 1-0)
GAME NOTES: The Chargers and Tigers meet in a highly anticipated District 32-5A matchup that could put the winner in the 32-5A driver’s seat. … Brownsville Veterans is looking to go 2-0 in district play after a 27-14 win over Pace. … Chargers QB Gustavo Vasquez is coming off a big game against Pace in which he racked up 173 yards and a TD and passed for 82 more. He has rushed for at least 116 yards in all three wins this season. … As a defense, the Chargers held Pace’s offense to 226 yards. They also forced two turnovers. Mercedes has won three straight. … The Tigers are led by their own dual threat quarterback in senior Marc Ledesma. Ledesma leads the Tigers in rushing with 314 yards and five touchdowns on 37 carries. He also has passed for 499 yards and three scores on 29 of 63 passing.
PREDICTION: Mercedes 38, Brownsville Veterans 35
— Mark Molina

District 32-6A

RIVERA AT HARLINGEN HIGH
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Boggus Stadium, Harlingen
RECORDS: Brownsville Rivera (1-3, 0-1); Harlingen (3-1, 1-0)
GAME NOTES: Harlingen High continues to chug along in 2017. … It feels like light years ago when Mission Veterans beat the Cardinals in Week 1. … Since then, Harlingen has won three straight and is fresh off a 36-7 drubbing of Harlingen South. … The Raiders dropped their district opener 35-0 to Hanna in Week 5. … Harlingen will lean on its linebacker duo of Garrison Medley and Eladio Flores while quarterback Daniel Ramirez continues to sling the rock to Ethan Martinez and Joe Reyna. … Look for Harlingen’s defense to force some turnovers and Reyna to have another big night. … Harlingen High is averaging 26.25 points per game while the Raiders counter with 21 per contest.
PREDICTION: Harlingen 42, Rivera 6
— Kevin Narro

Non-District

ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY AT HIDALGO
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Bill Pate Stadium, Hidalgo
RECORDS: St. Joseph (2-3); Hidalgo (0-5)
GAME NOTES: St. Joseph is coming off a drubbing of Hidalgo coach Monty Stumbaugh’s former team, Port Isabel. SJA won 62-20. … The win was only its second of the season after being been matched up tough in the early going. … The Bloodhounds look to senior QB Kai Money to lead the offense. Money has completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,127 yards and 15 TDs to six interceptions. Money has also run for 665 yards, the most on the team. … The team’s second leading rusher is senior Anthony Cantu who has 451 yards and five touchdowns on the season. … Hidalgo has gotten much of its offense from junior RB Bryan Aleman, who has found a home in Stumbaugh’s run-heavy scheme. Aleman has carried 89 times for 347 yards and a four touchdowns.
PREDICTION: St. Joseph 49, Hidalgo 23
— Saul Berrios-Thomas

District 32-6A

HARLINGEN SOUTH AT LOS FRESNOS
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Harlingen South (1-3, 0-1); Los Fresnos (2-2, 0-1)
GAME NOTES: This is a matchup between two teams eager to bounce back after losing their 32-6A openers last week. Harlingen South suffered a 36-7 setback against Harlingen High in the 25th Bird Bowl, while Los Fresnos was defeated by the Valley’s No. 1-ranked San Benito Greyhounds 43-33 in San Benito … South upended Los Fresnos 21-14 last year in Harlingen after the Falcons triumphed 39-21 over the Hawks in Los Fresnos in 2015 … The two teams have played each other as district opponents every year since 2012 with South winning three times and Los Fresnos winning twice … The two teams staged quite a shootout in 2013 with South winning 59-48 in Los Fresnos as the Falcons and Hawks each advanced two rounds in the Class 5A playoffs that season.
PREDICTION: Los Fresnos 31, Harlingen South 21
— Roy Hess

Saturday
District 32-5A

PORTER AT PACE
WHEN: 7 p.m., Saturday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Porter (0-4, 0-1); Pace (1-3, 0-1)
GAME NOTES: Pace looks to snap a three-game skid, while Porter just looks to get something going in each team’s second District outing. … Pace fell to Brownsville Veterans 27-14 last week and gained just 230 yards of offense. … QB Randy Aguilar struggled, passing for 112 on 8-of-15 passing with an interception. It was his third straight game with an interception and second without a TD. … On the ground, the Vikings ran for 118 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns, led by Dylan Barron’s 61 on three carries. He also had a touchdown. … The Viking defense are coming off a game in which they allowed 357 yards of offense to the Chargers, but they have a favorable matchup this week against the Cowboys. … Porter has been outscored 146-41 in four losses.
PREDICTION: Pace 35, Porter 10
— Mark Molina

By Andrew Crum | The Brownsville Herald

Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s offense is on the rise

Brownsville Veterans Memorial is known for its ground game — it has already rushed for more than 1,000 yards through four games for an average of better than 250 per game — but its passing game has continued to improve. The Chargers’ offense added dimension would only make them harder to defend throughout District 32-5A. Brownsville Veterans (3-1, 1-0) started district play with a 27-14 win over Pace on Saturday and it was the multi-dimensional attack that kept the Vikings off-balanced all evening. The Chargers’ offense racked up 357 yards, including 266 on the ground, but it was senior quarterback Gustavo Vasquez (7 of 8 for 82 passing yards) that kept Pace guessing. Three passes were caught by senior receiver Cristian Chapa, who finished with 71 yards and along with his receiving corps, spread the field out and make to Brownsville Veterans’ offense even more dangerous. Vasquez ran for 173 yards and a touchdown and senior running back Abel Martinez added 56 yards and a score as BVM continued to show its well-rounded offensive strength. If the Chargers can continue their offensive output, especially with a options on the ground andthrough the air, they will give defensive coordinators fits as they continue to pursue a district crown.

Hanna is looking dangerous

After Hanna dropped its season opener to Edinburg Economedes, it has won three straight, including its District 32-6A opener against Rivera 35-0 last week. The Golden Eagles (3-1, 1-0) haven’t just been good on one side of the ball; they’ve looked sharp on both sides. The Hanna offense piled up 424 yards, including 258 yards on the ground with junior running back Cesar Mancias leading the way with 139 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Victor Campos threw for 134 yard and a score to senior receiver Joe Cavazos III, who was slated to be the starting quarterback to open the season and just returned from an early injury. While the offense is clicking, the defense is doing its part too. Senior defensive end Sebastian Diaz already has five sacks and a fumble recovery and senior free safety Matthew Garcia has a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns. Through three games, the Eagles were third in District 32-6A allowing just 272 yards per game and allowed just 259 against Rivera last week. The Eagles have some tough district matchups coming up, but they certainly look like a team that could be in the postseason mix.

New week, same story for Lopez

Lopez remained unbeaten on the season with a 35-7 win over Porter to start District 32-5A. The Lobos (4-0, 1-0) were the top defensive unit last season in district, but their offense has made strides as well. Through three games, Lopez’s offense led the district with 406 yards and 41 points per game. Against the Cowboys, the Lobos totaled 395 yards, including 317 on the ground. Senior running back/receiver Jose Echavarria continues to carry the load with 629 yards and four touchdowns to lead the team. The Lopez defense may be even better than last year’s version. Through four games the Lobos have allowed just 166 yards and less than 13 points per game. With the heart of its schedule coming up next week at Donna High, playing host to Brownsville Veterans in Week 8, at Mercedes in Week 9 and playing host to Edcouch-Elsa in Week 10, Lopez has its challenges ahead. The Lobos will be tested in the next few weeks, but if they can continue to play as well as they have on both sides of the ball, Lopez will be not only fighting for a playoff berth, but in the mix for the district title.

Los Fresnos looked formidable in defeat

Los Fresnos fell just short at San Benito, 43-33, in the District 32-6A opener for both teams in Week 5, but the Falcons could have easily come out on top in the back-and-forth thriller. Los Fresnos (2-2, 0-1) got within three points with less than four minutes left, but the Greyhounds scored a touchdown with just a minute to play in the game to keep the Falcons at bay. It’s no shame to lose to unbeaten San Benito on the road, but Los Fresnos’ response will show where it stands. The Falcons came into the game with plenty of momentum with a pair of victories over McAllen High and McAllen Memorial, but couldn’t overcome a potent Greyhounds’ offense last week. The Falcons may be down, but they’re certainly not out and remain of the toughest teams in a tough district. Los Fresnos is near the top of both offense and defense in the district and if it continues to do so, will certainly remain the hunt for a district title, or at the very least a postseason berth. The Falcons will look to rebound this week against Harlingen South and get back in the mix.

A trio of teams are shooting themselves in the foot

Three Metro-area teams, Rivera, Porter and Pace, have each experienced their struggles in the early part of the season. Rivera (1-3, 0-1) has been explosive on offense at times, but when the offense makes mistakes or hurts itself with penalties, the defense hasn’t been able to make up the difference. After a big offensive output in a Week 1 win, Rivera has slowed its progress. In Week 2, the Raiders tried, but couldn’t keep up with Brownsville Veterans in a 43-28 loss. A week later, Rivera struggled in the first half and although it rallied in the second half, the damage was done in a 37-21 loss to PSJA High. The Raiders had more trouble last week and dropped the District 32-6A opener to Hanna 35-0. Porter (0-4, 0-1) hasn’t been able to get quick starts and it’s been costly. In all four losses, the Cowboys have fallen behind early and the offensive production hasn’t been enough to catch up, averaging just better than 10 points per game. Penalties have also been the detriment for the Cowboys, usually on offense, often taking away good offensive plays. Pace opened the season with a shutout, but has fallen short during the last three weeks. The Vikings (1-3, 0-1) have fallen behind and rallied, but it hasn’t been enough to overcome some of their deficits. Pace has plenty of weapons on offense, but its miscues early on in games have played a part in all three losses. Each team hopes to regroup as district games have begun, but it won’t be easy in either district.

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.