KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—-Senior cornerback Kike Alvarado is just about everything a coach would want in an athlete.

“Kike is athletic, he is long and makes plays,” South coach Brian Ricci said. “He is a good football player. You can just see him develop and him being able to recognize routes and being able to get a good jump on the ball. He is having a great year.”

The 6-foot-1 corner has had a solid career for Harlingen South and has been a mainstay for the Hawks defense over the last three seasons.

Alvarado started as a sophomore and broke on the scene with a two-interception game against McAllen High.

Since then, Alvarado has provided the Hawks secondary with stability and strong play.

Last season, Alvarado was a part of a deep secondary which featured Kaleb Solis and Issac Moreno. With Solis and Moreno lost to graduation, Alvarado has held his own. Alvarado’s game doesn’t stop on the football field. Earlier this year, Alvarado verbally committed to play baseball at Texas A&M International University in Laredo.

Alvarado is looking forward to his third Bird Bowl and hoping that the third time’s the charm for him and his Hawks.

“Three years went by so fast,” Alvarado said. “I’m already a senior, time flies,”

Alvarado’s first Bird Bowl came when he was a sophomore and, with two years under his belt, the corner feels the experience will help.

“It was just crazy,” he said. “I would go to the game as a kid and now, I’m playing in it. It is a dream come true. I remember watching my brother play in the Bird Bowl. The whole town is there it is a crazy atmosphere.”

Alvarado will have a tall order when he lines up against Harlingen’s Justin Galvan, creating a matchup that will be one to keep an eye on throughout the night.

“My sophomore year I was a twig,” Alvarado said. “Since then, I put some weight on about 15 pounds and I grew a few inches. I feel my footwork helps me out with my breaks.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—The Harlingen South offensive line has gelled quite well over the last few weeks.

The Hawks have four seniors along their offensive in Samuel Elizondo, Chance Jennings, Miguel Flores and Charles Mattingly.

Caleb Davis rounds out the offensive line as a sophomore.

Mattingly is the right tackle and protects the edge for quarterback David Torres.

Mattingly began his career at left tackle then got moved over to right tackle his sophomore year.

“There really isn’t a difference,” Mattingly said. “It is the same thing technique wise. It is the same position; I’m just on the other side. As a tackle you have to be able to read the defense, too.”

Sophomore running back Marcos Gonzales has benefited from his offensive line play and has rushed for over 100 yards in three straight games. After South’s win over Rivera last week, Gonzales referred to the Hawks offensive line as “the heart and soul of the team.”

“It makes us proud that we have a good running back and that he can trust us,” Mattingly said. “We block our hearts out and when we see our guys do well, it is a fun game when that happens.”

Mattingly is one of a handful of seniors who will take the field tonight for their third and final Bird Bowl.

“This senior group, a lot of them played as sophomores,” Hawks coach Brian Ricci said. “They have plenty of experience and this is their third Bird Bowl. This is a big deal and the environment is something you have to get used to because it can overwhelm you.”

Mattingly is eager to grab his first Bird Bowl win and feels the pieces are in play for South to snap that skid against their sister school.

“This week is fun leading up to the game,” Mattingly said. “But we are just focused on the game and that is the most important part. It is a great tradition to be a part of.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—-In just a blink of an eye, three years have come and gone. — more or less.

Harlingen South senior quarterback David Torres is in his final year and has guided the Hawks since his sophomore season.

Torres entered his first season as the back up quarterback.

After three weeks, the Hawks were 1-2 and needed a spark on offense.

After a bye week, Hawks head coach Brian Ricci elected to give the keys to Torres.

“It was a bye week and the coaches called me in and asked me if I was ready,” Torres said. “They asked me how I felt and I told them I felt good. Once they told me I was starting the Bird Bowl, my whole stomach just dropped. I hadn’t played much and that was going to be my first time on the field.”

Torres took the bulls by the horn and has started every game since his first start in 2017.

“I had so many emotions that night,” the Hawks QB said. “I was excited and I just wanted to go out there and prove myself. It all hit me when I walked out onto the field and saw the crowd; it was amazing.”

Torres is one senior that has been on the varsity for three years.

In his time, he has provided the Hawks with leadership on and off the field and is a student of the game.

“David is a great kid and student athlete,” Ricci said. “He leads by example and he is the first one in and the last one out. It is going to be tough coming out next year and not seeing him out there. He is a fixture and has been here for three years; he has done a great job. He is always learning and asking questions.”

Torres is 0-2 against Harlingen High but will have one last crack at redemption and hopes third time is the charm.

“Us and the Harlingen High guys have known each other for a long time and played football and baseball together,” Torres said. “We want to crack that losing streak. Everything comes into play and it is just exciting. Right now, we have a lot of energy and everyone is excited.”

Torres and the Hawks got their first district win last week against Rivera and are alive in the playoff race. The Hawks meet the Cardinals Friday at 7:30 p.m. in The Valley Morning Star’s Game of the Week.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

Week 9 will provide many answers for district 32-6A. The Rivera Raiders, who have been the surprise team this season, will look for their second district win in as many weeks when they travel to Boggus stadium to meet Harlingen South.

The Raiders are coming off an emotional win against Los Fresnos last week and are feeling confident behind first-year head coach Beto Leal. The win against the Falcons was their first district win in four years.

“Believe it or not, all year long the kids have been optimistic,” Leal said. “Our kids are out there and loving it and the excitement is there. Having our first district win in four years is even more exciting. We have the game plan in and we had our walk through today and hopefully the kids get a good night’s rest and will be ready to go.”

Tonight’s matchup will be magnified with Rivera sitting at 1-1 and South at 0-2 in district play. The winner will get back in the race for the playoffs. While a loss for South will put it well behind the eight ball, but a won’t erase them from the mix with a potential 1-2 record with two weeks to go.

“We are definitely not out of it this week and it is a must-win now,” said Hawks coach Brian Ricci. “We got ourselves into a corner now but we are excited about the game and we are excited to be back home. It has been a month since we last played at home and the kids are excited about that.”

With a cold front expected to sweep though the Rio Grande Valley, the weather just might have a factor in tonight’s game. The temperature at kickoff is projected to be clear with the temperature at 61 degrees with a northwest wind at 23 miles per hour.

“As far as the weather goes, we have lucked out as far as our games go,” Leal said. “We haven’t had any bad weather. I know it is supposed to clear up and we haven’t put too much thought into the weather we are going to do what we have to do.”

Despite the chilly conditions, it just may favor both the Raiders and Hawks, who both like to run the football. Rivera’s Ramio Vega ran for 133 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown last week against the Falcons, while South’s Marcos Gonzales had a career day running for a pair of scores on 16 carries and 170 yards.

“Rivera likes to the run the ball; they have a good running back and their QB is an athlete so they can throw the ball as well,” Ricci said. “They have a big target in the passing game too and can their receivers can catch we just need to be ready for that as well.”

The Hawks are looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Last week against San Benito, the Hawks feel there is plenty to build off of and with the 0-2 hole, Ricci remains upfront with the team and feels the pieces are in play to right the wrong.

“I think at this point the kids need to know what is at stake,” Ricci said. “We have a goal to make the playoffs and this is an opportunity for us to stay alive and archive that goal and I’m upfront with them and they know the importance of the game.”

The Hawks and Raiders are scheduled to kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

RAYMONDVILLE—The junior, senior combo of Justin Cantu and ZaRaivion Armendarez is described as explosive and fun to watch, while helping provide a spark for the Raymondville offense this season.

Both Armendarez and Cantu can play both sides of the ball, but on offense is where they make their money.

For Armendarez, a junior, and Cantu, a senior, their success is something they saw coming early in their high school career.

“Together we have come a long way,” Cantu said. “We have been wanting to play together and when we got the chance we balled out as brothers.”

During their junior high days, Armendarez remembers watching Cantu when he played on the eighth-grade team and figured one day he and Cantu would play a major role for the BearKats.

“We knew once we got to high school, we were going to have a chance,” Armendarez said. “We had guys graduate last year on offense, so we both knew this would be our year to help lead the way.”

The two have not disappointed.

Armandarez, who provides an all around game, has rushed for a team-high 1,011 yards and 15 touchdowns on 84 carries. Through the air, he has 14 catches with 369 yards and five more scores.

Armandarez has even thrown for a touchdown and has accounted for 21 total his season.

Cantu, meanwhile, has been a force on the ground, rushing for 683 yards and nine touchdowns on 72 carries.

Raymondville coach Frank Cantu, who has spent 26 years in Raymondvill, sees how special the duo is.

“Having those two guys makes us better,” Frank Cantu said. “We want them to touch the ball as much as possible and we want to move them around.”

The 2009 trio of Skylar James, Dustin Alejo and BJ Flores is one core that reminds Frank Cantu of this year’s duo.

“They are fun to watch; you catch yourself watching from the sideline,” Frank Cantu said.

Last week the ’Kats picked up a win at Rio Hondo and are in a position to win their second straight district title.

“We both work a lot in the weight room and we went through the 7on7 season over the summer. We used that to help build chemistry,” Armendarez said. “We have all worked hard. The last few years, we have put in the work.”

The ’Kats are shooting for a 2-0 start when they travel to Port Isabel this Friday. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—Harlingen South is heading back to the volleyball playoffs for a second straight season.

The Lady Hawks completed the season sweep over crosstown rival Harlingen High 25-13, 25-16, 25-21 on Tuesday night at Harlingen South.

The Lady Hawks received a strong performance from senior Mikela Mireles, who finished with a game-high 17 kills and added three aces and 10 digs. Fellow senior Mya Aguirre finished with 10 kills, 13 assists and 18 digs.

The senior duo has been a mainstay for the Lady Hawks during the past few seasons, and now the two are heading back to the playoffs one final time.

“My first two years we weren’t able to beat Harlingen, but we were able to beat them both times my junior and senior year,” Mireles said. “This was one of the more bigger games I wanted to win because of how big the rivalry is. It feels amazing knowing that we are able to clinch a playoff spot early rather than wait around like we did last year and having to win our last game to make it. It takes a lot of pressure off of us. We can go into next week and just play our game.”

Harlingen South is 6-3 and can still claim the second seed in the district depending on how Brownsville Rivera does during its final two games.

Last year, the Lady Hawks got hot at the right time and won their final match against Brownsville Hanna to clinch a playoff spot. They eventually won a playoff series against Edinburg High.

One year later, South coach Anissa Lucio feels the Lady Hawks are right where they need to be and have the momentum they need to make another playoff push.

“I do feel we are, we had a big win against Rivera on Saturday and they are a tough team, and Harlingen is a tough team,” Lucio said. “I think we are making good improvements right now, and we will take that into the playoffs.”

Harlingen South played flawless through the first two sets and picked apart the Lady Cardinals’ defense thanks to Mireles and Aguirre. Evelyn Yanez finished with a game-high 27 digs, and Zoe Garcia checked in 19 digs in the win.

Harlingen High falls to 3-6 with the loss, but the Lady Cards are still in the mix for the playoffs. Harlingen High remains in a tie with Hanna at 3-6 heading into the final game of the regular season.

The Lady Cardinals can clinch a playoff berth next Tuesday with a win over Rivera and a Hanna loss against South. If both Hanna and Harlingen High end up with the same record, there will be a play-in match for the final playoff spot in 32-6A.

“We know we have Rivera on our home court, and hopefully that will give the girls some fire,” Harlingen High coach Joslynn Torres said. “It could be their final home game. I’m hoping that the off time will help us, but I will get them prepared. It is just a matter of who will show up.”

Harlingen High’s Alexandria Ramirez finished with a team-high 13 kills and two blocks. Juli Bryant added 11 kills and seven blocks, Callie Cervantes had six kills and 34 digs, and Elena Aguinaga had 20 assists.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—The Harlingen Cardinals are one of the Rio Grande Valley’s hottest teams entering Week 8 of the season. Harlingen is fresh off a win against San Benito and will host Hanna on Friday night.

While the offense is clicking on all cylinders with senior quarterback Jaime Galvan and running back Rayden Berry, the offensive line has helped pave the way for Big Red’s offense, which is averaging 30 points per game through six outings this season.

Harlingen’s starting five are left tackle Hayden Mann, center Derek Aguilar, right guard Ruben Almendariz and right tackle Issac Martinez. Senior left guard Fernie Escamilla is a three-year letterman and has been a key for the Cards’ offensive line this season.

“Right now, we are 5-1, and we are excited,” Escamilla said. “I come to practice and we are all feeling good. I feel like I’m scoring that long touchdown when I see my guys score but it doesn’t bother to me at all. So long as they are scoring, I’m happy. After a score, they come straight to the bench and thank us and I feel like we are all celebrating together — it doesn’t matter who scores.”

Escamilla is one of three seniors along the offensive line and is described as a tour guide by Cardinals head coach and has had a big brother effect amongst his teammates.

“Fernie has been around the block and he knows the expectation,” Gomez said. “He has that big brother effect on his little brothers. Eventually, he will pass the torch to the little brothers and eventually, they will pass the torch and carry the family tradition and that is to play physical, smart and be aggressive.”

Escamilla, who was a second-team all-district guard last year in 32-6A as a junior, was unsure of his football future when he got to high school.

“I never thought of playing varsity ball,” Escamilla said. “I went to and played for Memorial Junior High, but after that, I wasn’t sure about playing in high school. I just wasn’t sure, but after a while, I liked the coaches here and they made me want to come out and play.”

Escamilla also endured a position change early in his career. He began at left tackle and played defensive tackle during his freshman year before making the switch to left guard.

“When I was on the offensive line, I was on the left side at tackle and guard, so I didn’t feel a difference,” Escamilla said. “But playing tackle, there is a lot more speed and at guard, there is a lot more action. I like being in the commotion; you can throw hits.”

Escamilla, who describes himself as a strong-minded individual, has bought into the team motto ‘IIWII’ (It is what it is). Escamilla sees it as a way to go about football and in everyday life.

“It honestly sticks out to me and I feel it makes me strong,” Escamilla said. “It is what it is goes through everything, when you are on your last rep — it is what it is. It is just a mindset and we have to go through it.”

Escamilla and company will square off against Brownsville Hanna Friday night at home in the Valley Morning Star’s Game of the Week. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

By KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

The Rio Hondo Bobcats 7on7 team is in uncharted waters right now.

The 2017 squad became the first 7on7 team in school history to qualify for the state tournament, which begins today in College Station.

But while the team may be a state newbie, members of the squad are not intimidated.

“We set a goal and that was to make state, and we achieved that goal,” said Bobcats quarterback Tyler Bush. “From day one of 7on7 we worked hard to qualify. The McAllen qualifier was tough and it had some great competition. We had a good start to the tournament and everything clicked for us.”

Team receiver Danny Vasquez was also confident the team had what it took to qualify for state and is now ready to prove that the Cats are for real.

“We knew we had the talent and chemistry to see it all unfold,” Vasquez said. “We have been clicking these past few weeks and, as a receiver, I continue to work on my routes and just mentally prepare for the tournament.”

In addition to Vasquez, Bush will have Erik Pizarro to throw to.

The Bobcats posted a 6-1 record in the Harlingen 7on7 league. At the McAllen qualifier, they defeated Rockport-Fulton, La Villa and Port Isabel in the semifinals to reach state.

“The experience is the best part,” said Vasquez. “We’re excited to see and compete against the best.”

Rio Hondo will enter the tournament as a Division II school and will play in Pool L along with Mineral Wells, Stafford and Kaufman, which is the defending Division II champion.

Pool play will begin at 2 p.m. with games also set for 4 and 5. All games will be played at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station.

By KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

Rio Hondo quarterback Tyler Bush recently attended the Blue-Grey Southwest Regional Combine at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Bush was one of six Rio Grande Valley athletes to take part in the combine, including Bush’s teammate Erik Pizarro.

The Valley Morning Star caught up with the Bobcats’ signal caller.

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Q: What was the combine like?

A: I did well at my last combine and got invited to this one, so it was a blessing to come back to another combine.

Q: What were some things you learned?

A: I learned a lot of different things and some of them I have never done before. I learned different techniques, like a drop-back drill was one of them.

Q: How many quarterbacks attended the combine?

A: There were at least 15 different QBs at the combine including myself, Jason Perez from Rio Grande City and Jean Salinas from McAllen Rowe.

Q: What was it like working out at AT&T Stadium?

A: It was crazy. I always watch the Cowboys so to be on the same field as the Cowboys was awesome.

Q: What was it like working with NFL coaches?

A: It was great. We don’t get that every day so I listened and took it all in. Being able to work one-on-one with them was a great experience.

Q: What stood out to you the most?

A: There is a lot of talent up north and it’s good to see all that talent. It’s great competition and it’s always great to meet new people.

By KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

With the high school football season just a few months away, many athletes participate in various camps and showcases as a way to prepare.

This past weekend La Feria running back Darius Hernandez took part in the 2017 South Texas Select Underclassmen Showcase in Corpus Christi. Hernandez was among 25 running backs from across the state and was awarded Most Outstanding Running Back.

In attendance was former University of Texas running back DJ Monroe, who served as an instructor.

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Q: What was the showcase like and how many other running backs were there?

A: It was a great experience to be able to participate in my first combine alongside 25 other running backs. I was able to learn new techniques and ways to improve my game.

Q: What was the competition like?

A: The competition was really good. Seeing these guys from all over the state of Texas and competing with them pushed me to work harder in everything that we were instructed to do.

Q: What were some things you learned?

A: A few things that I learned were to “trust my feet,” as Coach Monroe emphasized throughout the two-day camp. I also learned new ladder drills that helped me with trusting my feet and, finally, cone drills that involved making certain cuts in different situations in a game.

Q: What was it like working with DJ Monroe?

A: Working with Coach Monroe was an honor especially because he didn’t hesitate to help me with anything I needed. The way he coached and dedicated his time to make everyone a better player, on and off the field, was something that I carried with me after leaving the camp.

Q: Did he give you any tips?

A: Coach Monroe gave us a handful of tips to take home and work on, but one tip he told us was to always “trust your feet” because if we don’t trust our feet, the drills and cuts would be difficult when utilizing them during a workout or an actual game.

Q: How did it feel to be named the camp’s Most Outstanding Running Back?

A: Winning the award was such a blessing because I was nominated by Coach Monroe. To be chosen out of the many competitors that were there is just an amazing feeling, especially hearing my name called and walking up there to receive my award.