SAN BENITO — A lot of the talk surrounding PSJA North football over the offseason was about how the Raiders would look after graduating a strong senior class that earned statewide recognition and entered the 2024 campaign as winners of 20-straight regular season games.

This year’s Raiders answered any questions with a convincing 42-22 victory over the San Benito Greyhounds in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week on Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito.

In order to get past San Benito, PSJA North had to overcome two first quarter turnovers and two key injuries to returning starting offensive lineman Jordan Brewster and running back Ethan Guerra.

The new-look Raiders didn’t let the losses or giveaways bring them down.

Instead, PSJA North outscored San Benito 36-8 over the final two and a half quarters as players stepped into starting roles and delivered in their season opener for a 1-0 start.

“We had some of the guys coming back get hurt, then we had other people step up. Everybody’s done a good job of knowing their role and trying to fill those roles,” PSJA North head coach Marcus Kaufmann said. “We had other kids step into those roles and we almost didn’t miss a beat and kept right on going, so I feel pretty good about that.”

San Benito landed the first punch of the fight with a 3-yard touchdown run by Gabriel Covarrubias, then blocked a PSJA North extra point attempt after the Raiders’ first score to make it 7-6.

The Greyhounds kept their foot on the gas with another scoring drive capped off by an 11-yard touchdown run by Tommy Ramirez to extend the lead to 14-6.

The Raiders would respond again, however.

Facing a 2nd-and-20 at the San Benito 33-yard line, Raiders’ junior quarterback Daren Garcia dropped back to pass and took a hard hit that forced him out of the game for one snap.

In stepped backup quarterback Drayden Espinoza for the third down play and the freshman threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Guerrero for a PSJA North score. Garcia hit Guerrero on the 2-point conversion to tie it up at 14-14 at the break.

The Raiders’ rode their strong close to the first half to a better third and fourth quarter with 22 consecutive points.

PSJA North’s Garcia ran for two touchdowns and tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Darren Guerra. Running back Andrew Alvarado and Ethan Guerra finished with one rushing touchdown each.

“It was just making a statement right off the bat. We had two turnovers in the first half, but we regrouped as a team and came out here and got the victory,” Garcia said.

San Benito’s second half points came off a blocked and returned extra point attempt by defensive back Kian Jones and a 8-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Ruiz to Christian Estrada late in the fourth.

PSJA North senior linebacker Jesse Montez and the Raiders’ “Blackshirts” defense locked in after allowing two early touchdowns to stuff the Greyhounds’ ground game and shut down their spread passing attack. Montez intercepted a pass off a deflection late in the third quarter to set up Alvarado’s rushing touchdown.

“We matched their energy and played with intensity,” Montez said. “That ain’t the first time we got scored on, so we just had to keep fighting and keep moving.”

Next for PSJA North (1-0) is a rivalry game against PSJA High (1-0) scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at PSJA ISD Stadium in Pharr.

Meanwhile, San Benito (0-1) moves on to a non-district road matchup against state-ranked power Austin Westlake (1-0) at 7 p.m. Friday in Austin.

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PHARR — Brownsville Veterans needed just one offensive play to showcase the skill that led them to last year’s state semifinals.

The Chargers’ started the season with a bang as junior fullback Cesar Belmontes broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run on their first snap against PSJA Memorial and Brownsville Veterans never looked back in a 34-3 victory Thursday at PSJA ISD Stadium in Pharr.

“The kids came out and executed and did a great job with the challenge that we had in front of us. We didn’t get to scrimmage anybody this year, completely out of our hands, but it was our first chance to go against a different colored jersey and it showed,” Brownsville Veterans head coach J.C. Ramirez said.

Despite it being their first action of the 2024 season, Brownsville Veterans had it going early with 24 first-half points off touchdowns by Belmontes, a 9-yard run by senior fullback Alvin Trevillion and a 1-yard sneak by senior quarterback Storm Montoya that capped off a 91-yard scoring drive for a 24-3 halftime advantage

Montoya went on to toss a 38-yard touchdown to Calvin Trevillion in the second half as the junior back caught a pass over the middle and broke two tackles to hit paydirt. 

Chargers’ kicker Roman Reyna aided the scoring with a pair of successful field goals from distances of 48 and 28 yards out.

“Execution-wise, we have the benefit of having, in my eyes, the No. 1 player in the Valley without a doubt in Storm Montoya. He does what he needs to do to run our system and we’re extremely blessed to have him,” Ramirez said.

The junior Belmontes led the Chargers’ offense with 122 yards on 12 carries, Alvin Trevillion had 66 yards on seven carries and Calvin Trevillion finished with one touchdown catch for 38 yards and added 48 rushing yards on just two carries. Montoya finished with 37 passing yards, 14 rushing yards and two scores.

PSJA Memorial made a push to get in the endzone late but the Brownsville Veterans defense held strong inside their own 5-yard line to keep the Wolverines out.

Their only points came off a 50-yard Omar Garcia field goal midway through the first quarter after recovering a Chargers’ fumble in plus territory. Running back Emi Colunga led the Wolverines with 42 rushing yards, while quarterback Ryan Reyna threw for 35 yards and ran for 23 more.

The Brownsville Veterans defense finished with two takeaways on an interception by Tyson Rios and a fumble recovery by Mickey Rodriguez, and only surrendered two first downs across the game’s first three quarters.

“We’re lucky to have two coordinators right now that have a wealth of experience and it shows. Defensively, coach Benny Ellison comes in and has been around some really good programs, so we’re lucky to have him and the kids have bought into his style of our 3-3-5 stack,” Ramirez said.

Brownsville Veterans will aim for a 2-0 start to the 2024 season as the Chargers host Brownsville St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Brownsville Veterans High School in Brownsville.

PSJA Memorial, meanwhile, will look to bounce back in Week 2 with a non-district game against McAllen High scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen.

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Rio Grande Valley powers No. 10 San Benito and No. 1 PSJA North are set to collide in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week to kick off the 2024 season, but the entire Week 1 slate is lined with marquee matchups across the Valley.

BROWNSVILLE VETERANS AT PSJA MEMORIAL, 7 P.M. THURSDAY AT PSJA STADIUM IN PHARR

The reigning Region IV-5A Division I champion Chargers start their season with non-district action against a team on the rise in the Wolverines.

Brownsville Veterans returns key pieces from its fifth-round playoff squad a season ago who are looking for a repeat of last year’s success. That will take the Chargers coming together as they move up to the Class 6A level.

PSJA Memorial, meanwhile, started last season 7-0 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. The Wolverines have a chance to prove they can play with some of the Valley’s top teams as PSJA Memorial prepares for District 15-5A DI action in three weeks.

PSJA HIGH AT SHARYLAND PIONEER, 7 P.M. FRIDAY AT RICHARD THOMPSON STADIUM IN MISSION

Friday night’s matchup between the Bears and Diamondbacks pits two of South Texas’ top passing offenses against each other.

Both squads will have new quarterbacks taking snaps this season as PSJA High senior Myles Lopez makes his debut with the Bears after transferring from Edinburg Vela, and Sharyland Pioneer will have a new signal-caller behind center for the first time in four seasons. Both teams are coming off district titles in their respective districts and classes last season, so Friday night’s first look at the Bears and Diamondbacks sets up for an intriguing meeting.

MISSION VETERANS AT MISSION HIGH, 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY AT TOM LANDRY STADIUM IN MISSION

The Battle of Conway between the crosstown rival Eagles and Patriots will showcase quarterback play as three-year starter Diego Salinas leads Mission High against first-year starter Cameron Sarinana at Mission Veterans. The city of Mission has historically produced some of the Valley’s best passers, and these two are primed for big seasons leading their respective teams.

The Eagles hold a 3-2 advantage in their last five head-to-head meetings with Mission Veterans, emerging victorious in the previous two.

RIO GRANDE CITY AT ROMA, 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY AT GLADIATOR ARENA IN ROMA

This year’s Starr County Super Bowl is the first game of a new era for Rio Grande City as former Rattlers football great Abel Gonzalez takes over head coaching duties after 14 years at Grulla. The Rattlers will go from a ground-and-pound to a spread offense with Gonzalez at the helm.

Roma, meanwhile, is fresh off winning a share of its first district title in program history in 2023 and is looking to start this season on the right foot with a rivalry win over RGC. The Gladiators won last year’s matchup 36-22 to snap a three-game losing streak against the Rattlers.

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No. 1 Brownsville St. Joseph

The Bloodhounds lead off the RGVSports.com Sub-5A Preseason Poll at No. 1 with several key pieces returning in important positions for the 2024 campaign. Junior quarterback Gavin Cisneros accounted for over 2,800 total yards and 24 touchdowns last season and has two dangerous weapons to get the ball to in Claudio Torres (61 receptions, 793 yards, five touchdowns) and Andre Cristiano (42 receptions, 519 yards, four touchdowns). Senior offensive/defensive lineman Diego De la Cruz, who recently committed to play college football at the University of Texas at El Paso, moves bodies on the front line to set the tone on both sides of the ball. Emile Gonzalez also anchors the D-line to lead the Bloodhounds’ front seven while Torres  (58 tackles, seven tackles for loss) goes both ways to star in the St. Joseph secondary.

No. 2 Port Isabel

The Port Isabel Tarpons begin the year in pursuit of a third straight District 16-4A DII title, and with an experienced group that brings back 14 starters, a three-peat is a real possibility. Fifth-year head coach Tony Villarreal and the Tarpons finished with a 9-3 overall record last season and advanced to the area round. 

This season, Port Isabel looks to ride its Slot-T offense to another district title and hopefully past the area round.

The Tarpons are led by a pair of seniors in the trenches with defensive end Christopher Gonzalez anchoring the P.I. defense, while guard Steven Martinez leads the offensive line. Gonzalez was named 16-4A DII’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and earned Texas Sports Writers Association Class 4A Third Team All-State honors with 62 total tackles, 28 hurries, 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He’ll also see action at tight end to aid the offense. 

Look for running back Luis Ramos to lead the Tarpons backfield after posting 780 yards and nine rushing touchdowns on 85 carries last season with sophomore Bryan Martinez set for his second year starting at quarterback. Defensively, linebackers Edward Garza and Daniel Galvan both earned all-district honors and are expected to take another step forward.

No. 3 Rio Hondo

Rio Hondo is loaded with 13 returning starters and playmakers on both sides of the ball entering the 2024 season. The Bobcats have one of the Valley’s top quarterback-receiver connections in the form of seniors Ruben Atkinson and Keyan Lopez. Atkinson threw for 2,423 yards and 20 scores last season while Lopez caught 47 passes for 829 yards and 13 touchdowns. Lopez doubles as a linebacker after tallying 151 total tackles, four sacks and two interceptions in 2023, all team-highs. Seniors Nate Sosa and Gavin Perez also provide solid targets at receiver for Atkinson. The Bobcats will be a threat in 16-3A DI with their playmakers leading the way.

No. 4 Lyford

The Bulldogs round out the RGVSports.com Sub-5A top teams after finishing as runners-up in District 16-3A DI in 2023. 

The Lyford offense will have a new starter at quarterback for the third consecutive season but that hasn’t stopped the Bulldogs from putting up big numbers. Senior Adrian Chavez is set to take over quarterback duties after a standout junior season spent at receiver and safety. He posted 860 receiving yards, 188 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns. He’ll team with running back and linebacker Pedro Rosas, who rushed for 600 yards and five scores last season, to keep the chains moving. The Bulldogs also have some beef on the offensive line and front seven with two-way players Gael Silva, Aiden Rubalcaba and Alex Castro. Lyford has the tools to compete for another district title in a competitive 16-3A DI.

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SAN BENITO — The RGVSports.com Game of the Week kicks off the regular season with a top 10 matchup between the No. 1-ranked PSJA North Raiders and No. 10-ranked San Benito Greyhounds.

The action between upper and lower Valley powers is slated for 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito.

Both the Raiders and Greyhounds are known for playing a physical brand of football and their collision in Week 1 is set to showcase their smash-mouth style.

PSJA North is coming off a third-round playoff appearance and a 12-1 overall record in 2023. The Raiders bring back 12 starters including all-purpose runner Ethan Guerra (1,572 rushing yards, 21 touchdowns; 374 receiving yards, three touchdowns), offensive lineman Jordan Brewster and first-year starting quarterback Daren Garcia. Defensively, senior linebackers Steven Garza and Jesse Montez both recorded over 100 tackles last season and are ready to lead the “Blackshirt Defense.”

San Benito is gunning for its 11 straight playoff appearance after finishing the 2023 campaign in the area round with a 10-2 record. The Greyhounds return only seven starters but they’ll lean on the duo of Adam Cortez and Gabriel Covarrubias as versatile athletes to lead the way. Offensive linemen Ethan Ruiz and Zaylen Graham are a force up front while junior quarterback Tyler Ruiz, who transferred from Edinburg North, starts behind center to run the San Benito offense. Senior linebacker Armando Garcia and senior defensive back Kian Jones are set to spearhead San Benito’s “War Dog Defense.”

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PHARR — No team in the Rio Grande Valley has won more games over the last three seasons than PSJA North and its 35 victories.

The Raiders haven’t lost a regular season contest since Nov. 4, 2021, and while that streak may end, PSJA North is far from falling off despite graduating a strong senior class.

The Raiders return some of the RGV’s top players on both sides of the ball to start the 2024 season as the RGVSports.com No. 1 team at the 5A/6A level.

PSJA North finished last season with a 12-1 record and fell short of its goal of reaching the state semifinals and state championship game after losing in the regional semifinals against Brownsville Veterans by a score of 45-28. The Raiders’ season ended with a sour taste in their mouth as Brownsville Veterans charged on to the state semifinals, the Valley’s first team to do so in 20 years.

That motivated PSJA North’s returning group to get back to work in the offseason with hopes of putting together another deep playoff run in 2024.

“We’ve been working all summer and we have some guys back. We’re still a force to be reckoned with and I don’t think anybody should sleep on us,” senior offensive lineman Jordan Brewster said.

Offensively, PSJA North brings back five starters spearheaded by junior running back Ethan Guerra and the senior Brewster. 

The 6-foot, 4-inch Brewster cooked up 91 pancake blocks and graded 95% or better in every game last season. He’ll slide from right tackle to center this season to lead the middle of the PSJA North O-line alongside senior Matthew Pompa.

That bodes well for the Raiders’ all-purpose back Guerra, who has 4.6 speed and the ability to do damage on the ground and through the air. He finished with 1,572 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 153 carries last season, while also catching 13 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns.

“The only way we got here was through hard work and thanks to the teammates I’ve had,” Guerra said. “It’s the same expectation as every year and I think we’ll be good.”

Junior Daren Garcia is taking over starting quarterback duties after playing sparingly the last two seasons late in fourth quarters with PSJA North up big. He made the most of his opportunities, however, completing 15-of-25 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Senior athlete Diego Aparicio (236 rushing yards, two touchdowns) will also be leaned on as a Swiss Army Knife in different positions in PSJA North’s multiple pro style offense.

PSJA North’s “Blackshirt Defense” has been the RGV’s top defensive unit during their run and this year’s group shouldn’t be far off thanks to key returners in several positions.

Senior four-year starters Steven Garza and Jesse Montez star as the linebackers in the Raiders’ 4-2-5 scheme and play with their hair on fire. They’re fast, physical and can blow up plays in the running and passing game. Garza posted 109 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2023, while Montez recorded a team-high 114 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss and one interception.

The Raiders also have experience in the secondary with junior defensive backs Ethan Montemayor (72 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks) and Bryan Guerrero (56 total tackles, one interception) and seniors Devante Espinosa (25 total tackles, one interception) and Raul Isasi, who also starts at kicker. The top task for the Raiders defense will be filling holes on its defensive line to play next to senior Alejandro Villarreal.

“We play at 110% and we don’t give up,” Garza said of the Raiders’ defense. “We’re looking forward to having a better season than last season.”

PSJA North will be pushed in district play this year as they join the new look 15-5A DI which features nine teams, seven of which qualified for the postseason in 2023. The Raiders will lock horns with Coastal Bend powers Corpus Christi Flour Bluff and Corpus Christi Veterans in district, while also battling against hard-nosed RGV teams in Harlingen South, PSJA Memorial, Weslaco East, Donna High, Donna North and Brownsville Rivera.

The Raiders will have to fight for a playoff spot but possess the tools to finish as a top four team in 15-5A DI while also chasing a third consecutive district title.

“It’s a tough task but I think we have the capability to keep it up,” Brewster said.

PSJA North opens the regular season with a marquee matchup against San Benito at 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito. The Raiders then face rival PSJA High in the Tri-City Classic in Week 2 before kicking off District 15-5A DI action against Donna North in Week 3.

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EDINBURG — It was an offseason of change for the Edinburg Vela football program, but the goals remain the same for the SaberCats: compete for district titles and prepare to win in November.

Vela starts the season off ranked at No. 4 in the RGVSports.com 5A/6A Preseason Poll, as the SaberCats are in shape to contend for gold once again, this time in District 16-5A DI.

“We all got our goals already — we’re going to go after a district title and deep in the playoffs,” senior defensive lineman RJ De Leon said. “We have some pretty good opponents this year but we’re just going to take it week by week and execute each game.”

Head coach Ernie Alonzo is in Year 1 at the helm of Edinburg Vela’s football program and is ready to lead the charge after serving as defensive coordinator at McAllen High. He’s not the only new face with the SaberCats, however.

Senior quarterback Geoffrey LeFevre is set to take the reins of the offense after transferring from Donna High. He started two seasons at Donna and led the Rio Grande Valley in passing yardage last year with 3,324 yards and 24 touchdowns.

The SaberCats have had standout passers in the past, but they’ve also leaned heavily on their running game with an imposing offensive line and talented backs behind them. Vela only threw the ball about 170 times last season.

At Donna in 2023, LeFevre attempted 346 passes in one fewer game.

“We’re going to kind of keep the same mold as Edinburg Vela had but we might throw some new stuff in. That’s something for people to wait and see,” LeFevre said.

The SaberCats will have to find a new group of pass-catchers, but they do have some experience at running back as senior Jonathan Flores is Vela’s leading returning rusher after posting 527 yards and seven touchdowns on 44 carries last season. Senior offensive linemen Ronnie Ramirez, Jesus Cedillo and Angel Rios will help clear space in the running game.

Edinburg Vela’s defense brings back seven starters including three on the defensive line with De Leon (13 tackles in three games), Daniel Duberney (40 tackles, two interceptions, two sacks) and last season’s 15-5A DI defensive newcomer of the year Ethan Delgado.

“We’re just ready. We help each other and motivate each other, push each other,” De Leon said. “I’m just ready. It’s senior year so we’re just ready to go out there and do our thing.”

The SaberCats are also strong on the back end with 6-foot, 2-inch senior safeties Luis Garcia and Derek Rodriguez patrolling the secondary, while junior linebacker Noah Lopez is the team’s top returning tackler with 74 total stops a season ago.

Vela is slated to open its 2024 campaign with non-district rivalry games against Edinburg North and Edinburg High in Weeks 1 and 2 before colliding against Harlingen High in a marquee matchup Sept. 13 in Harlingen.

The SaberCats are scheduled to open District 16-5A DI competition Sept. 20 on the road against Mission High.

“We’re hungry. They (Vela) ended with a good season last year and we just want to keep that going,” LeFevre said. “It’s tradition at Robert Vela, you know? Just expect a lot of explosive plays. We got some dogs on offense and defense.”

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The 2024 high school football season is one week away from kickoff, and the RGVSports.com countdown of the top 30 returning RGV football players for the 2024 season continues with players No. 11-15.

Today’s list includes two powerful running backs from District 15-5A DII set to run wild, a PSJA High pass-catcher in a prolific offense, and defenders from Port Isabel and Sharyland Pioneer who are forces for their respective teams.

Be sure to check back Saturday and Aug. 28 as the countdown continues with the top 10 players and for the reveal of the top five players in the 2024 RGVSports.com Football Tab on Aug. 28.

Players No. 16-20 can be found here.

Players No. 21-25 can be found here.

Players No. 26-30 can be found here.

No. 11: RB Dylan Tijerina, jr., Sharyland Pioneer

2023 Stats: 175 car, 1,388 yds, 22 TDs, five rec, 77 yds

Notes: The Monitor’s 2023 All-Area newcomer of the year winner, Tijerina, smashed his way onto the scene with an impressive sophomore season. Pioneer’s offense has leaned on its passing attack in the past with dual-threat quarterbacks and receivers putting up impressive numbers, but Tijerina added an element of toughness to that equation with a team-high 1,388 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. The Diamondbacks will depend on Tijerina to get their offense going, and he’s shown he’s more than capable of keeping the chains moving.

No. 12: WR Ryan Vallejo, sr., PSJA High

2023 Stats: 65 receptions, 1,204 yards, 14 touchdowns

Notes: PSJA’s spread offense returns a trio of standout receivers, and Vallejo is back as the leader of the pack after finishing second in the Valley in receiving yards a season ago. He’s got 4.5 speed to beat defenses deep and route-running to get open at every level. Vallejo, who ranked first on the team in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns in 2023, is poised to put up numbers once again in the PSJA offense.

No. 13: RB Ediel Garcia, sr., Roma

2023 Stats: 117 carries, 1,141 yards, 17 touchdowns; eight receptions, 186 yards, two touchdowns

Notes: Roma had arguably the top tandem of ball carriers in the RGV in 2023, but now the backfield belongs to Garcia, the Gladiators’ returning leading rusher in the Slot-T offense. The senior running back showed big-play ability with 9.8 yards per carry and is a receiving threat out of the backfield. The Roma offense will revolve around Garcia’s ground game while opening opportunities for other skill players with defenses keying in on the Gladiators’ back.

No. 14: DE/TE Christopher Gonzalez, sr., Port Isabel

2023 Stats: 62 total tackles, 28 hurries, 15 TFL, seven sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery

Notes: Gonzalez returns to lead the Tarpons after earning District 16-4A DII defensive player of the year honors and Texas Sports Writers Association Class 4A all-state third-team recognition last season. The senior two-way player is expected to create space as a blocking tight end but does his most damage on the defensive line setting edges. Gonzalez constantly creates pressure on passes and blows up the running game with 15 stops behind the line of scrimmage last season.

No. 15: DB Andrew Rivera, sr., Sharyland Pioneer

2023 Stats: 76 total tackles, six interceptions, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery

Notes: Rivera is the definition of a ball-hawk at the safety position in the Sharyland Pioneer secondary. The senior’s seven interceptions last season led the RGV and his 76 total tackles ranked third on his team despite missing two games due to injury. Rivera returned to action with a cast on his right/hand wrist and remained a force for the Diamondbacks’ defense. His ability to impact the passing and running games of opposing offenses makes Rivera one of the top returning defenders in South Texas in 2024.

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