KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—Cardinal head coach Manny Gomez used one word to describe Justin Galvan, Jaime Galvan and Rayden Berry: Care.

The triplets of the Galvan brothers and Berry have helped mold and shape the 2019 Cardinal team on its way to an District 32-6A title.

Jaime Galvan, a senior, plays quarterback, Justin Galvan, a junior, plays wide receiver and Berry, also a senior, plays running back.

“They care and it is a simple word,” Gomez said of the trio. “They care about each other and care for their families and that is why they play and fight so hard, because they care and love each other. That is something we have added to the mix. We have played with physical toughness and now we are playing with emotional toughness.”

The trio’s work ethic is second to none and has set an example for the younger players in the program. Gomez described their work ethic as spreading like a wild fire and it has made an impact.

“These three guys, when it comes to competition, they are competitors,” Gomez said. “Justin has become who he is because of what his brother Jaime has done. When you have a brother balling out the way Jaime is, you can’t slow down — you have big shoes to fill. Rayden is a competitor and he loves the game.”

Harlingen won the district title with a clean 5-0 district record and finished the regular season 9-1 overall.

The road to the district title, however, began during the dog days of summer, when the trio spent most of their time working on strength and conditioning.

“All summer long, if you came by our school and saw three guys out there, it was those three guys,” Gomez said. “Those guys were always rolling together no matter how hot it was outside. They compete and it has helped them get to where they are now.”

Over the years, Harlingen has had some elite talent and teams that have left their mark on the program. The 1989 and 2011 team comes to mind. Then there are the 2019 Cardinals, a team driven by grit, physical play and a will to win.

The competitive nature comes from their fiery signal caller Jaime Galvan.

The south paw has put together his best year in his career with 1,968 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air to go along with 966 yards and 14 more scores on the ground.

“It is full respect for that we do and what we do for the team,” Jaime said. “It isn’t about just us; it is about everybody that has put in the work to help us get here. We knew after a 5-5 season we would have to work out butts off and just grind every day and that is something we do and we don’t forget where we started.”

In the Cardinal weight room there is a banner with the 2011 captains Kevin Ledesma, Randy Bermea, Daniel Ramirez and Nathan Prado. The banner reads “How do you want to be remembered.”

The banner carries weight in the field house and speaks to the players and for the triplets it spoke to them long ago.

“That banner has been there for a long time,” Jaime said. “When I was in eighth grade I saw it and it meant a lot to me and my brother.”

“Seeing all these banners and they mean a lot, it reminds me of these guys Rayden and Jaime,” Justin added, “It serves as a reminder to just keep working. I love playing with my brother. It is unique.”

Berry has put together a strong season out of the backfield and is a threat in the passing game along with his smooth running style. Berry has rushed for 952 yards on 185 attempts and 12 touchdowns. In the passing game, he hauled in 22 passes for 468 yards and four touchdowns.

“The bond is what makes this trio special,” Berry said. “When I first got here I clicked right away with these guys and our work ethic brought us close together.”

The 2019 Cardinal season has been one to remember with wins in the Bird Bowl and the Battle of the Arroyo, but when compared to the greats it comes down to championships.

“It is a clean picture when you have kids like that on what it takes to be successful,” Gomez said. “It is showing and the kids are gravitating to that. We have a lot of young kids who want to be like Berry and want to be like the Galvan’s. We have some young talent coming and they come and shadow their big brothers.”

The Cardinals will host Edinburg Vela Friday night at 7:30 in the class 6A DII bi-district round. The triplets will have at least one more opportunity to play in front of their home crowd and keep their season going.

“All the work we put in over the offseason is for moments like this,” Jaime said. “It is finally here. I’m glad to have been able to experience it with these guys, they work their tails off and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

The 2019-2020 girls basketball season starts Tuesday, and local teams are prepping for the new season.

Among East Valley squads, Harlingen High, Los Fresnos, Brownsville Veterans, Harlingen South all look to return to the playoffs.

Harlingen High is in position for a second straight district title under Ashley Moncivaiz. Last year, Harlingen High went 32-6 with a 10-0 district record and a trip to the third round of the playoffs.

While Big Red lost a few big names to graduation, Moncivaiz has six returners. Keep tabs on Callie Cervantes and Alexus Coto to make some noise for the Lady Cards this season.

“Our team is building off of last year,” Moncivaiz said. “A new group of players that we have added to this year’s team will help with depth. We are looking to compete in District 32-6A and advance further in playoffs.”

Harlingen South went 17-18 last year but checked in a solid 7-3 district record before bowing out to Edinburg Vela in the bi-district round. The Lady Hawks return nine players, with seven of them being seniors.

Seniors Laura Ramirez and Karla Reyes have the shooting ability to help South take that next step and compete in the competitive 32-6A. Defensively Allyah Guevara, Bianca Gonzalez and Julia Celis will have an impact.

“I’m excited about this group,” Lady Hawks coach Kelly Garrett said. “I know they can do great things, and they love the challenge that’s ahead. After seeing the RGVBCA preseason polls, they weren’t happy. They know they need to walk the walk, nothing is going to be handed to them.”

Brownsville Hanna (26-11, 4-6) reached the playoffs last season after another strong year from Mia Paz. With Paz lost to graduation, the Lady Eagles have three returners from last year’s squad.

Alexis Alvarez, Sam Ramos and Odalys Gonzalez will look to lead Hanna this season.

“We lost Mia to graduation, but we feel we can fill the void with a team approach,” Hanna coach Luis Gonzalez said. “We are expecting the returners to help us early on, and we are deep and balanced team.”

San Benito missed out on the playoffs last season after posting a 14-21, 4-7 record last season. Lady ’Hounds coach Abel Moreno will look to Karen Vega, the only returning starter from last year.

Retuning letterman are Aries Naranjo, Kayla Gaona and Alyssa Hernandez. Gaona and Hernandez will be the top guards on this year’s team.

“We are young, but we are working on getting back to the playoffs,” Moreno said. “We are looking forward to getting the new girls some experience and getting the Lady Greyhound program back to being a force in the Rio Grande Valley.”

Brownsville Veterans is under first-year coach Arnold Torres. The Lady Chargers went 12-15 last year and won a playoff game over PSJA Memorial.

This year, Lizzy Garza, Caitlin Esquivel, Julia Alvarez and Bryanna Buitureira all return to the court.

“We are a bit behind in where we want to be with the girls,” Torres said. “We have been working hard and have had a great attitude in practice. We want to play up-tempo and be aggressive on defense. We have some experience this year and hope for a great season.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — The Porter Cowboys will enter the offseason on a winning note and feeling optimistic about their future.

Junior quarterback Kevin Garcia led the Cowboys with a pair of rushing touchdowns and the defense came up with two key stops to help fuel a 21-14 win over PSJA Southwest in the final game of the regular season in the Rio Grande Valley.

“This is a huge win. They scored and we scored,” Porter coach Carlos Uresti said. “We got down and turned the ball over towards the end, and our defense, they bent but did not break. All the credit to them.”

The Cowboys ended their season on a three-game win streak, finishing 5-5 overall and 4-5 in district. Under Uresti, the Cowboys have shown signs of growth and will return multiple players on both sides of the ball, including Garcia, who will be back at the QB position.

“I have had Kevin since his freshman year, and aside from the last three games (of his freshman year) he has started every game for me since,” Uresti said. “And I have seen him mature throughout the years, and not just this year but these last few years, and he has been a leader for us since his sophomore year, and he is only getting better and is learning how to lead better, and has one more year and I’m excited to have him back.”

With Saturday’s win, this Porter club became the fourth team to record a non-losing record in the 44 years of the program.

“We had a goal in mind, Porter has had three non-losing seasons, and this is the fourth,” Uresti said. “We talked to the seniors about it, and our goal was to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, we are not there, but we finished strong and the kids bought into it and finished strong, and I’m happy for the kids and the seniors.”

Porter broke the scoreless tie in the second quarter with a Garcia touchdown run on the first play of the frame. PSJA Southwest’s Erik Malpica answered with a QB keeper and tied the game at 7.

The second half provided some fireworks. A 34-yard touchdown from Angel Hernandez gave the Javelinas a 14-7 lead.

From there, Porter rallied behind Garcia and the defense. Garcia tied the game with his second rushing score of the night. Brian Foranco followed with the go-ahead touchdown that gave Porter a 21-14 lead with 11:24 left.

PSJA Southwest had two opportunities to tie the score late. The Porter defense came up with a stop on fourth-and-9 with 5:32 left. On the next drive, PSJA Southwest recovered a fumble and had one final drive with 2:42 remaining that ended with a turnover on downs.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN— Entering the week, Harlingen South senior running back Israel Vasquez knew he was going to get a majority of the carries with sophomore running back Marcos Gonzales sidelined with an injury.

Vasquez answered the bell with a pair of second-half touchdowns, and the Hawks’ defense caused fits for Brownsville Hanna all night in a 24-14 win to end the regular season.

After a stop on fourth down while leading by three, Vasquez broke loose for a 30-yard fourth quarter touchdown that helped seal a victory that sends the Hawks to the playoffs for the second straight season.

The Hawks will play Weslaco East in the Class 6A DII bi-district round sometime next week.

“There is a lot of guts with that young man,” Hawks coach Brian Ricci said about Vasquez. “He is a true football player. He isn’t the biggest guy in the world, but he sure does run hard and he is a team player, and I’m proud of that kid.”

South held a 7-0 lead late in the second quarter. David Torres hit Alex Esparza with what looked like a 41-yard touchdown pass that would have given South a 14-0 lead, but the score was called back due to a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Esparza. The Hawks settled for a field goal and a 10-0 lead at halftime.

South held that lead until Hanna’s offense woke up. Victor Campos hit Ryan Trinidad on a flea flicker that put Hanna on the board. On the next possession, Campos found Ernesto Mendoza in the back of the end zone to give Hanna its first lead, 14-10.

“Football is a game of inches and those little inches come to play quite frequently in high school football, and if you don’t take advantage of the opportunities when they come you don’t win ballgames,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said. “You end up not getting in the end zone and don’t get the stops you are supposed to, but that is high school football. There is nothing like it.”

The Hawks trailed for the first time but didn’t blink. South quickly regained a 10-point lead on a pair of Vasquez touchdowns from 14 and 30 yards out.

“I had been ready to get my shot and make the most of it,” Vasquez said. “My offensive line, they blocked well. If they are doing good, we are doing good. I was a little nervous coming into tonight, but we went out there and executed and got the job done.”

The Hawks’ defense pitched the first-half shutout and managed to keep Campos at bay for a majority of the night. The final knockout punch came on a Jerimiah Rivera interception with 5:30 left in the game.

“That defense played tremendous,” Ricci said. “That was one of the best halves I have seen our defense play all year. They gave up a couple of big pass plays during the second half, but overall it was a great performance.”

The Hawks now must iron out the details for next week’s bi-district matchup. Weslaco East is no stranger to Harlingen South, as the teams were district opponents two years ago. The last time the Hawks played East was in 2017 at Bobby Lackey Stadium, with the Wildcats winning 49-21.

“It has been a while since we played Weslaco East. It is going to be fun,” Ricci said. “Like I told the kids, everyone’s records go out the window. We are in the state playoffs, and I’m proud of our kids.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—Tonight’s case is simple for both Harlingen South and Brownsville Hanna. The winner will clinch a playoff berth, the loser will wrap up their season.

One case that is sealed is the winner will enter the playoffs as a second seed Division II school. Harlingen High will be the Division II first seed while San Benito and Los Fresnos will enter the playoffs as Division I schools.

Both South and Hanna enter the final week of the regular season with 1-3 district records. South is coming off a loss against Harlingen High while Hanna fell to Los Fresnos. The winner will face either Edinburg Vela or Weslaco East in next week’s bi-district round.

“The keys to a win would be for us to finish drives,” said Hanna coach Mark Guess. “Especially in the red zone. We must take advantage of every opportunity we have offensively and keep the defense off the field.”

The challenge for South will be slowing down senior QB Victor Campos. The senior gunslinger has a knack for extending plays with his legs and has the arm to hit his receivers. Campos has thrown for 1,611 yards and 10 touchdowns. On the ground he has ran for 511 yards on 129 attempts with11 touchdowns.

“He is a great athlete and he poses a problem by the way he prolongs plays,” said Hawks coach Brian Ricci. “He finds a way to keep plays going and that makes it tough for your secondary to stay in coverage that long when he is able to get out of a tough spot.”

Campos has found a trusty target in junior wide receiver Ryan Trinidad. Trinidad is second on the team in catches with 29 with 357 yards and one score.

While a majority of the team was lost to graduation, the Eagles have played in plenty of big games this season. The first three weeks of the season helped prepare Hanna for a matchup like tonight. Hanna lost its first two games by a combined three points but was able to pick up a two point win against Weslaco East.

“We had a good week of preparation,” Guess said. “The kids know what’s riding on this game, and they know they have a great opportunity in front of them. They have been focused all week.”

As for Harlingen South, the Hawks will need to find momentum early and set the tone ideally through their power run game. Sophomore running back Marcos Gonzales is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s game. Senior Israel Vasquez filled in last week when Gonzales left the game.

Through the air David Torres will look to Brady Bennett who provides a big target over the middle and on the outside speedy Alex Esparza will look to stretch the field.

“I think the experience will play a big role and the kids will lean on that playoff experience from last year,” Ricci said. “This is a playoff game from here on out and the kids know that they have been talking about it and they are treating it like a playoff game.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—-Harlingen South is in a position to make the playoffs for a second straight season. While the 2019 season has been a roller coaster, the Hawks are in control of their own destiny when they hit the field Friday night.

The case is simple; win and you are in. The Hawks will need to put together a complete game effort if they want to continue playing in November. One player that South will need to step up is senior linebacker Ethan Gonzalez, who is one of the team captains and leaders on the Hawks defense.

Gonzalez, who leads the team in tackles, is eager to help his team reach the playoffs. Still, this could be Gonzalez’s final week of practice, but it is something the senior isn’t thinking about.

“We feel good right now and everything is coming together,” Gonzalez said. “We will be ready. We are not thinking of this being our final week of practice; we are preparing and hoping to make the playoffs. We are treating Friday’s game like a playoff game because if we lose, our season is done.”

South’s defense is as seasoned as they come. Gonzalez got moved up towards the end of his sophomore year and has become one of the leaders on the defense. Along with Gonzalez, is junior hybrid David Cortez and senior Kike Alvarado.

The three upperclassmen have been key cogs to the Hawks’ defense.

“Ethan does a great job for us,” said Hawks coach Brian Ricci. “Especially this year, he has played very well. He has played disincline, he reads his keys well and has had a couple big games. We are proud of him and he is a leader on this defense for sure.”

Gonzalez is built for the linebacker position and stands at 6-foot-1 with quick feet and a nose for the football.

“He is a big guy, he works hard and worked hard all summer and did some speed training,” Ricci said. “All that work is showing on the field. He his faster than you think; he is sneaky fast.”

Gonzalez, who also played a little bit of baseball, is all-in on football. A Harlingen-grown product, Gonzalez attended Coakley Middle School and eventually found his way to Harlingen South.

His younger brother Roland, who is an eighth-grader at Coakley is one reason why Gonzalez plays. Gonzalez plays for his younger brother, who admires him and will eventually play for the Hawks.

“He looks up to me a lot,” Gonzalez said. “He goes to my game and I go to his games; it is a lot of fun and he is going to be pretty good one day, too. He plays linebacker, too, but he might move to receiver. Still, I’m proud of him.”

Gonzalez also looks to his mom Julie Gonzalez as an inspiration to play the game. Football has always been in the Gonzalez family and Ethan is humbled to continue that trend.

“I play for my family,” he said. “Everyone played football and my uncle played here at South, too. My mom has done a lot for me to get me to where I’m at today. My mom has played an important role.”

Gonzalez and the Hawks will hit the field Friday night at 7:30 p.m. against Hanna in the Valley Morning Star’s Game of the Week.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN— Two years ago, when Harlingen South hired coach Anissa Lucio, the Lady Hawks were looking for a fresh start and hopeful that Lucio would bring a spark to a well-grounded volleyball program that had fallen off the map.

While her first year was rough and South missed out on the playoffs. Lucio kept the playoff vision in mind. Last year, South reached the playoffs and was the feel good story of the season.

In Year 3, Lucio and the Lady Hawks took another step forward, reaching the playoffs for a second straight year under Lucio. On Tuesday, the Lady Hawks showed their experience and dominated Edinburg North 25-12, 25-9, 25-10 for their second straight bi-district title.

The process that began two years ago has taken shape, and now with a pair of playoff wins under their belts Lucio and company have a rematch with perennial power McAllen High in the Class 6A area round, with the time and date to be determined.

“I think this was the mission we were on,” Lucio said. “It is something we talked about early on when they were sophomores, and we knew this was going to be a team that was going to pull it together. We were able to piece it together, and it is exciting to see it come together.”

There are seven seniors on the Lady Hawks’ roster. Senior Odie Vidana was one of the them, taking part in the rebuild and seeing the process pay off.

“We have always been talented,” Vidana said. “This year we worked together and coming into tonight we had a game plan, and we all knew what our job was and we played it well tonight. Coach saw what we had then and told us we would be good. We worked hard all this time, and now we are seeing it pay off. I felt a lot of emotion tonight but I was also nervous, but I knew my team would have my back.”

Harlingen South improves its record to 35-8. Last year, South went 20-17 and snuck into the playoffs. This year, the Lady Hawks continued to build and are out for much more.

“We have made a big improvement from where we started my sophomore year when Coach Lucio first got here till now,” Aguirre said. “So many things have improved and we have grown, and Coach Lucio has helped us grow as a team and individuals.”

Standing in their way is McAllen High. The Lady Bulldogs are led by longtime coach Paula Dodge. This year, McHi is 43-2, and are coming off a sweep against Laredo United South.

“They are an awesome team, hands down,” Lucio said of McHi. “We are excited for this match. We know it is going to be a high-intensity match.”

Against Edinburg North, South flexed its defensive muscles. Mikela Mireles paced the offense with 20 kills and 16 digs. Mya Aguirre followed with 16 kills, 16 digs and 18 assists. Zoe Garcia finished with 34 digs, and Evelyn Yanez had a team-high 37 digs.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE— It was a tale of two halves for the Lopez Lobos.

After a lackluster first half, the Lobos strung together a strong second half fueled by their defense and the senior duo of quarterback Jose Cruz and running back Luis Barrera.

Barrera scored two second-half touchdowns and Cruz threw for one score and ran in for another Lopez beat PSJA Memorial 31-18 on Saturday night.

Saturday marked the final home game of the season for the Lobos, and the win was their second of the year. Cruz, who was filled with emotion after the game, felt the adjustments made at halftime helped the Lobos complete the comeback.

“In the beginning of the game, we had some flags and there was miscommunication,” Cruz said. “But in the second half the coaches got on us, and us seniors, we knew we wanted it, and we wanted this win and we went and got it. This feels great. This is the best moment in my life to get a win here at home for the last time.”

The Lobos trailed 12-0 early and, after a field goal, went into the half trailing 12-3. After last week’s offensive effort put up 49 points, the second half was a much more balanced attack.

On their first drive of the second half, Cruz hit Jacob Cortinas down the sideline for a 37-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 12-10. On the ensuing kickoff, the Lobos recovered a fumble and took advantage. Cruz gave the Lobos their first lead of the night 17-12 on a 9-yard touchdown run.

“Part of it was adjustments,” Lobos coach Armando Gutierrez said. “But like I have always said all year, I’m proud of this coaching staff. We know what adjustments need to be made and we come together, and the Lobo community has been great. The kids (are) coming together week by week, and putting up offensive numbers and getting the younger kids going in the right direction.”

The Lopez defense forced two second-half turnovers and came up with a stop on fourth down as the Lobos outscored the Wolverines 28-6 in the half.

Barrera scored the final two touchdowns for the Lobos. After Barrera’s first score, the Lobos led 24-12 with 4:30 left. The Wolverines answered with an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown and cut the lead to 24-18.

Lopez wasn’t fazed and answered with another strong drive. The Lobos milked the clock and capped it off with a Barrera touchdown with 1:01 left in the game.

“We would like to get off to a better start,” Gutierrez said. “But our identity is we want to open up the passing game, but when that doesn’t work we have other weapons and we will make the adjustments, and we have the personnel to do that. So, credit to the coaches and the staff. We have been working hard all year.”

The Lobos (2-7, 2-6) wrap up their season next week at Mission Veterans Memorial. PSJA Memorial (0-9, 0-8) will look for its first win of the season when they take on the Donna High Redskins next week.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—Heading into the 2019 season, Harlingen High entered with the expectation to make it back to the playoffs.

At the start, one thing was certain and that was how the team would produce on the offensive side of the ball. The question was on defense, regarding who and when will someone step in and lead the charge.

With the calendar flipped to November, Big Red is clicking on all cylinders and sits at 7-1 overall and 3-0 in district play. While the headlines are mainly about the offense, it is the Cardinal defense that has emerged as one of the stingiest units in the Rio Grande Valley, allowing 21 points per game.

One key member to the defense is junior linebacker Ezvyn Zuniga. Zuniga is in his second year on the varsity and has made quite the combo with fellow linebacker Gabriel Martinez.

Against Los Fresnos in Week 9, Zuniga was all over the field, recording a season-high 17 tackles, including three for a loss.

“From the start of the year, it was real rocky, but that is how it always is,” Zuniga said. “As the season got going, we got going. Off the field, we grew closer and as a junior, we get excited when we see the younger guys step up.”

Zuniga is also gearing up for his second Bird Bowl. Last year, the then-sophomore took the field for his first Bird Bowl and did not disappoint, recording five tackles.

“My entire life I worked to get to where I’m at,” Zuniga said. “My first Bird Bowl I was in eighth grade and seeing the crowd and the players, I knew I wanted to be there. Seeing the environment made me want to be there and I have always played this sport.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—The 27th annual Bird Bowl is set to kick off tonight at Boggus Stadium and while the rivalry is one of the younger ones in the Rio Grande Valley, there are still plenty of memories to look back on.

The Valley Morning Star had a chance to catch up with former Harlingen Cardinals Brandon Garza, Randy Bermea and Kevin Ledesma as they shared their thoughts and memories from the Bird Bowl.

Garza was a 2014 graduate and played quarterback for the Cards for two seasons and was 18-6 as the starter, leading the Cards to two district titles, a pair of playoff appearances and a 2-0 Bird Bowl record in the process.

What is your best Bird Bowl memory?

Garza: My best Bird Bowl memory was my senior year when we were both undefeated in district. Both us and South were playing for the district title. The game sold out in hours, the stadium was packed and as loud as I had ever seen. To this day it is the best atmosphere I’ve ever played in.

What does the Bird Bowl mean to you?

Garza: Bird Bowl means a lot to us because it is the only game you will play and know every person on the other team. You grow up playing each other in pee wee and middle school so there is a lot of history behind the game.

Ledesma is currently on the Cardinal coaching staff and is a 2012 graduate. He spent three years on the varsity from 2009-11. Ledesma is most known for his play during the magical 2011 season that saw the Cards advance to the fourth round of the playoffs against San Antonio Madison. Ledesma went 3-0 against the Hawks.

Q: What is the best part of the Bird Bowl?

Ledesma: The best part about it is the atmosphere. The stands are packed, the fans are loud and the student sections are rocking. It is that one game a year you mark your calendar.

Q:What is your best Bird Bowl memory?

Ledesma: My best memory would be when I got my first start my junior year against the Hawks. We went on to win that game 75-21.

Randy Bermea graduated in 2012 and played in three Bird Bowls. Bermea, too, went 3-0 against South and left a strong impact on the Cardinal program. Bermea currently lives in San Antonio after attending the University of San Antonio. Bermea works at a productive company based out of the Valley called CiL Fresh, but works in the San Antonio office. Bermea also has a coaching business called Next Level Hurdle Academy, where he gives private coaching lessons in the San Antonio area.

Q:What does the Bird Bowl mean to you?

Bermea: It just gives the community an opportunity to see the types of young men that have been brought up by a community that cares so much about them.

Q: Best Bird Bowl memory?

Bermea: One of my favorite Bird Bowl memories in general is when my brother Gilbert got an interception and returned it for a touchdown. On film, you can see me running on the sideline with him as he ran in the endzone. I even ran out onto the field to celebrate with him too. It was one of the proudest moments I have on playing with my little brother.