By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

The final week of the regular season saw several teams from the East Valley pick up important wins.

Brownsville St. Joseph (5-5, 4-3) outlasted Corpus Christi John Paul II 49-48 to secure its spot in the TAPPS playoffs. The Bloodhounds rebounded from three-game losing skid to win final their final two contests, going from sixth to third in the district.

Senior quarterback Luigi Cristiano had another phenomenal game, dishing out seven passing touchdowns on 32 completions for 468 yards. His top target was Adrian Del Pozo, who scored four receiving touchdowns with a team-high 253 yards on 13 catches. Santiago Vidaurri led the defense with 14 tackles.

Santa Maria (4-5, 1-3) defeated Riviera-Kaufer 34-20 to clinch the final playoff spot in District 16-2A Division I. Quarterback Chris Ibarra led the team with 72 rushing yards, three passing touchdowns with 136 yards, and one receiving score.

Cougars sophomore running back Esiah Gracia threw and caught one touchdown. Santa Maria spread the ball around and had five different players score. Jerry Morales had a team-best 68 yards on four receptions with one touchdown. The Cougars’ defense held Riviera-Kaufer to 150 yards of offense.

Harlingen High (7-3, 5-2) beat Brownsville Hanna 38-7, and San Benito (8-2, 5-2) took down Weslaco High 26-3 to secure playoff trips for the Cardinals and Greyhounds, respectively.

The Cardinals recorded three turnovers to slow down the Eagles, including a pair of interceptions by Albert Vasquez.

Atticus De Leon served as San Benito’s quarterback for a second straight game and was 5-for-11 for 53 yards and one passing touchdown. Senior athlete Jermaine Corbin led the ground game with 126 yards and scored twice, once rushing and once receiving. Sophomore standout running back Fabian Garcia scored two rushing touchdowns with 101 yards. The Greyhounds’ defense recorded five sacks and three turnovers.

Lyford (7-3, 4-2) got a lot of athletes involved in its 46-3 rout of Progreso. The Bulldogs racked up a whopping 757 yards of offense with 510 yards coming on the ground. Five different Bulldogs scored rushing touchdowns, led by senior Mark Marroquin’s two scores with 89 yards.

Four Bulldogs quarterbacks combined to complete 11 of 14 passing attempts and targeted eight receivers. Adrian Cruz had a team-high 56 receiving yards. Defensively, Lyford recorded two interceptions courtesy of Diego Guerra and Isaias Gonzalez.

Harlingen South (10-0, 7-0) completed a perfect season with a 29-10 victory over Los Fresnos (6-3, 5-2). Both teams are in the postseason. Rio Hondo (4-6, 2-5) sent its senior class out with 34-29 win over Robstown. Brownsville Veterans Memorial (7-3, 7-2) defeated Brownsville Pace (3-7, 3-6) and heads into the postseason on a two-game winning streak.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

BEEVILLE — San Perlita and San Isidro both earned area round sweeps Saturday in Beeville to advance to the Class 1A regional quarterfinals.

The Lady Trojans got the afternoon started with a 25-12, 25-9, 25-19 sweep over Medina 25-12. They leaned on their experience to control the match from start to finish and used dynamite serving to rattle the Lady Cats, clinching a trip to the third round for the third straight season.

“We have a really good bunch of seniors, and they’ve led the team really well,” San Perlita coach Criselda Rubalcaba said. “They know the pressure that comes with win or go home, and they came out here and did what they needed to do.

“I always tell them, ‘Serving is going to win us the game or lose us the game.’ We spend at least half of our practice serving. They did come through today with the serves.”

Senior middle blocker Aliyah Garcia was a force to be reckoned with to lead San Perlita. She put down sharp kills and recorded several blocks as she patrolled the net and showcased her abilities from multiple pins.

San Perlita kept Medina out of system with solid serving throughout the match. The Lady Trojans recorded more than 10 aces and forced several shanked passes, including a handful that went straight to the net and allowed Garcia to pound down a kill on the overpass.

“I’m so proud. I was a little worried coming in, but I came in here strong, my team came in strong, and we worked together and pulled through. It was awesome,” Garcia said. “That’s my favorite thing to do, block and hit and be up at the net. … There’s time when we get a little bit frustrated, but we really came together today. We were like glue.”

The serving execution played a big role in the opening set, putting San Perlita on top from the first whistle to the last. But during the second set, the Lady Trojans committed unforced errors and found themselves in a 5-0 hole.

Senior Jasmine Rodriguez notched a kill to get San Perlita going, then a block by Garcia gave the Lady Trojans their first lead at 8-7. Great defense from senior libero Yazmine Rincon and Co., along with back-to-back aces and strong serving from senior setter Elyssa Nieto, sparked a 13-0 run to help San Perlita cruise to a 2-0 advantage.

Junior Arabella Rodriguez notched hard kills and sophomore Summer Terry recorded a string of clutch digs with precise passing to put San Perlita in control during the clinching set. With its season hanging in the balance, Medina played its best volleyball in the third frame, but the Lady Trojans stayed composed and answered every blow.

Junior middle blocker Daniella Ramos was solid in the front row, and San Perlita’s passing was efficient as the back row took advantage of an abundance of free balls from Medina. Nieto did a great job mixing up the offensive attack and delivering on-point sets to keep the Lady Trojans in control. San Perlita will face Utopia in Round 3.

“I have to give credit to my setter. (Nieto) was doing everything she could to give Aliyah the opportunity to knock it down,” Rubalcaba said.

The San Isidro Lady Tigers earned a quick and dominant 25-6, 25-15, 25-13 sweep over Leakey. Senior outside hitter Mia Alvarado played a key role in the victory with her powerful swing and solid defense.

“It feels really good that we got to come out here and win,” Alvarado said. “I’ve been playing varsity since freshman year, and every year we wanted to take it further. We’re taking it game by game to hopefully get to the state championship. We want to take everyone down along the way.”

Alvarado said the team was feeling “iffy” coming into the match because they’re a humble group. But after a convincing performance during the first set, the mentality changed. Alvarado was tremendous hitting and blocking, and senior setter Nicole Delgado was a rock at the service line. She served San Isidro from trailing 3-1 to leading 22-3.

“Nicole (has) always been my consistent server. She’s always given us at least 10 to 15 points every match,” Lady Tigers coach Elva Smith said. “(The first set) pretty much told us where we were going to be and what we needed to do. When we move it fast, we know we’ve got control of the whole thing.”

Delgado ran a dynamic offense and got a number of hitters involved. Fatima Perez teamed up with Alvarado to form an unstoppable 1-2 punch, and Melissa Machuca and Alex Garcia were among the top contributors.

Libero Emma Garcia anchored a sound Lady Tigers defense and aided their attack by reading Leakey’s defense. Delgado’s serving continued to be a huge advantage for San Isidro throughout the sweep. Next up, it will play D’Hanis in Round 3.

“The communication that I asked my libero to do (was a key). She let them know where the open holes were so the hitters could target that area,” Smith said. “They worked really hard all season. They perform well, and they have this sisterhood bond. I’m very proud of them, and I think we’re ready to take it as far as we can.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

The cross country season ended this week, with several East Valley runners competing at UIL and TAPPS state meets.

Brownsville St. Joseph’s boys were the state runners-up at the TAPPS 5A meet Monday. The Bloodhounds recorded a score of 108, led by sophomore Jorge Albores and senior Pedro Cardenas finishing sixth and seventh. Alejandro Ramirez (14th), Juan Gonzalez Trevino (34th) and Mauricio Gonzalez Trevino (57th) contributed to the team score.

The Brownsville IDEA Frontier boys had the best team outing of any UIL school, claiming a fourth-place finish in Class 3A. Carlos Zavala led the way with a 32nd-place finish, followed by Aaron Aguirre (45th), Jose Medina (50th), Juan Jimenez (78th) and Jose Blanco (83rd) contributing to the team score of 156. Alejandro Maldonado and Edgar Ortiz also competed. With the entire team returning next season, coach Alberto Alanis said the Chargers “are coming for that trophy next year.”

La Feria’s girls and boys teams advanced to state and competed Saturday. The Lionettes earned fifth place with a team score of 170. Sophomore Liana Navarro recorded a top 10 finish at her second consecutive state meet, taking seventh place with a time of 11 minutes, 33.5 seconds. Mia Trevino (53rd), Leandra Fernandez (56th), Lindsey Cantu (67th) and Cierra Garcia (83rd) were scored. Mia Cerda and Jasmine Villagomez finished 103rd and 142nd.

The Lions placed ninth. Evan Torres (12th), Joshua Marquez (58th), Christopher Velazquez (80th), Brandon Salinas (90th) and Tomas Navarro (130th) contributed to the team score. Noah Rosales (135th) and Julio Cruz (139th) also competed.

San Perlita’s boys competed Friday in Class 1A and claimed a 14th-place finish. Diego Ortiz was the top Trojans finisher, crossing in 58th. Jose Lozano (73rd), Ethen Romo (116th), Ely Terry (123rd), Eloy Zamorano (127th), Mike Molina (130th) and Nathan Chavez (146th) also competed.

Brownsville St. Joseph’s girls finished 15th on Monday. The Lady Bloodhounds were represented by Valeria Bazan (47th), Zoe Voreis (66th), Kylee Voreis (91st), Eloisa Hinojosa (96th), Amanda Hinojosa (102nd), Lucia Gonzalez (116th) and Alejandra Gonzalez (117th).

Among individuals, Harlingen High’s Geovany Cisneros and Dominic Luna finished 16th and 49th in the Class 6A boys competition. Brownsville Veterans Memorial sophomore Naia Gracia placed 84th in the girls Class 5A race.

Lasara’s Victoria Velazquez and Selissa Gonzales finished 28th and 70th in the girls Class 1A race Friday. Santa Maria’s Mia Picazo finished 37th in the Class 2A girls competition, and Juan Morales was 45th in the boys race.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — Perfection was achieved Friday at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium as the Harlingen South Hawks traveled into enemy territory and defeated the Los Fresnos Falcons.

With the 29-10 victory, the No. 2 Hawks completed an undefeated season, going 10-0, 7-0 to clinch the District 32-6A championship. “Undefeated” chants echoed throughout the stadium as the clock wound down, followed by cheers as the Hawks hoisted the championship trophy.

“I’m just grateful. I give all the glory to God, and I thank all the coaches that came in and helped us turn this program around,” South senior quarterback Xander Casarez said. “The talent has always been here. We just needed the right leaders to take us in the right direction, and that’s what these coaches did. (They) came in and showed what Harlingen South’s really about.”

The district title showdown was just as competitive as expected. The No. 9 Falcons (6-3, 5-2) were looking for their sixth straight win to claim a share of the championship and the No. 1 playoff seed. Los Fresnos’ defense and special teams have been stellar during the winning stretch and showed up again in the regular season finale.

The first half was dominated by defenses that kept the offenses contained. Los Fresnos kept the Hawks off the board until the final minute of the first half. Defensive lineman Vicente Rocio and linebackers Greg Jones and RJ Limon helped Los Fresnos stifle South’s run game, and defensive backs Rex Halford and Ethan Gonzalez led a shutdown secondary.

Los Fresnos had good starting field position on most first-half drives, but the offense couldn’t get going. The Falcons took a 3-0 lead on a 40-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Jose Contreras early in the opening quarter, but turnovers kept them from extending it.

South’s Andrew Luna forced a fumble with a sack and senior linebacker Levi Ince jumped on the loose ball to stop one Falcons drive. Senior Devin Montemayor reeled in an interception to stop another and set up a score.

With less than two minutes on the clock, the Hawks went up-tempo and drove 80 yards to jump on top. Casarez found senior athlete Elias Ledesma all alone for a 35-yard touchdown. Los Fresnos blocked the PAT, making it 6-3 at halftime.

“They did shut us down a little bit in the first half, but our coaches adjusted. They’re probably the best coaches in the RGV,” Ledesma said.

Both teams came out firing during the third quarter and scored on their opening possessions. Casarez found the end zone on a 20-yard scamper. Los Fresnos answered with a 27-yard passing touchdown from senior quarterback Matthew Padilla to senior receiver Hector Muniz.

South cashed in another interception, this one from Jayden Galindo, to extend its lead as Casarez and Ledesma connected again for a 21-yard touchdown. With momentum on their side, the Hawks dominated the remainder of the game.

Carlos Mossboss and Gilbert Lerma were solid defensively to prevent any big plays from Los Fresnos. Senior running back Marcos Gonzalez ran hard to keep the chains moving, and Casarez orchestrated an efficient offense. The Hawks scored 10 points during the fourth to seal the victory, first with a 3-yard run by Casarez and then on a 37-yard field goal by senior Joaquin Ovalle.

“My coaches came and told me, ‘I need you to have that swagger that you have.’ And I trusted in them and the play calls, and executed what I had to do,” Casarez said.

Ledesma played both ways and made countless plays to headline the big win.

“My friend Jeremiah Rivera, he’s a star player and he went down with an ankle injury. They needed somebody to step up, and I’m glad they chose me,” Ledesma said.

First-year coach Israel Gonzalez was grateful and proud of his players after the win. Mostly, he was emotional about the late Monty Woodall, his mentor who came with him to the South program nine months ago.

“I’m thinking about Coach Woodall, about how excited we were to come over and make a change in this program. I know he’s smiling down on us now,” Gonzalez said. “He helped us out this whole season. I wish he was here to experience it in the flesh, but we know there’s a party going on in heaven and he’s leading it.”

Jayden Moreno, who recovered a fumble, and Samuel Burton played tough to aid the Falcons defensively. They’ll aim to bounce back from the loss and reset their focus on the postseason.

“It’s going to hurt tonight, and it should hurt,” Falcons coach David Cantu said. “We all walked on the field tonight and really expected to win. But we faced an opponent that was better than we were tonight.

We just couldn’t get it going offensively, and that’s on me. Our kids did everything they could. We played hard to the very last second. These kids really wanted to win a gold ball, but you know what? They have another chance next week.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

KINGSVILLE — The Lyford Lady Bulldogs’ season came to an end in the area round of the Class 3A playoffs Thursday.

Lyford lost to the Bishop Lady Badgers 25-13, 25-14, 25-12. The Lady Bulldogs showed plenty of fight to go on small scoring runs and compete against a talented team, but they couldn’t execute their offensive system and committed too many errors to extend their season.

“I don’t think we’d been hit that hard the whole year. That was tough,” Lyford coach Rebekah Perez said. “I’m glad these kids didn’t get too rattled. They were playing it out. It was a good display of sportsmanship from the team. It makes me super proud.”

Bishop jumped out to early leads during the first and second sets as middle blocker Katie Winters showed her quick-hitting abilities. The Lady Badgers had a handful of powerful hitters, including outside hitters Bella Borchardt and Sarah Dupont, which setter Jaydee Zamora did a good job of mixing up as she delivered precise sets from all over the court.

Lyford’s back-row defense was a high point for the Lady Bulldogs in the match. Senior libero Mia Wetegrove, senior defensive specialist Damaris Bermudez and senior setter Emily Gonzalez handled Bishop’s offense well, getting under hard hits and hustling to pick up stray balls.

Wetegrove’s defense and the productive junior duo of middle blocker Clarissa Salazar and outside hitter Marley Perez sparked a solid scoring run during the opening set, trimming Lyford’s deficit to 15-12. Salazar recorded a block and sent down sharp kills to keep her team fighting, but the lack of a consistent attack sunk the Lady Bulldogs.

“The seniors really stepped up and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to get back out there and battle.’ They showed it in the first set, getting to 15-12. We hung in with them,” Rebekah Perez said. “I told them, ‘You deserve to be here. You won a game just like they did.’ Doesn’t show that much in the score, but I think they’re proud of the performance they put in tonight.”

Lyford took its only lead of the match during the third set, going up 2-0 behind a pair of aces from tough-serving senior outside hitter Alyssa Garcia. Bishop responded with a 10-0 run, taking advantage of the lack of hitting to execute its offense and slam down kills. Borchardt carried the Lady Badgers offensively in the clinching set.

The Lady Bulldogs had some strong offensive moments from Salazar, Marley Perez and Garcia, but they were too scarce to build any momentum. Lyford’s setter struggled with ball control issues, resulting in bump sets that weren’t always accurate. The Lady Bulldogs sent over free balls and blasted hits long too often as they struggled to stay in system.

Salazar and Marley Perez’s strong performances are positive things going forward for the program. Rebekah Perez said with a good group of freshmen incoming and the leadership from those two juniors, the next few years should be “pretty good” for the Lady Bulldogs.

“Clarissa was rocked a little after the (bi-district) game. She didn’t really have a good showing. She wanted to do better, and I told her your time to shine will come,” Rebekah Perez said. “She really stepped up. That’s a kid that hasn’t even practiced in the past two days because she was at state for band, so to see the mental toughness and the confidence from her excites me a whole bunch. And Marley, that’s definitely our kid. She leads on and off the court. To have both of them come back next year is exciting.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

LA FERIA — Success in cross country is nothing new for the La Feria Lions and Lionettes, but this year, both teams took the running tradition to new heights.

The girls and boys each won the District 32-4A championships with perfect scores, meaning all five scored runners placed first through fifth. Both teams were again victorious at the Region IV-3A meet, bringing home the girls and boys team titles for the first time as a set.

“I think it says a lot for both of our teams to win. It brings a lot of attention to La Feria, and I’m really proud of us,” Liana Navarro said. “It’s amazing to be a part of this team. Coming this far, we’re already really proud of ourselves, and we just want to cross the line and do our best (at state).”

The Lions and Lionettes will be competing at the UIL Class 4A state meet Saturday in Round Rock. The girls will run at 10 a.m., followed by the boys at 10:30 a.m. The meet begins with other classes today.

Navarro, a sophomore, is the only member of the girls team — comprised of Mia Trevino, Leandra Fernandez, Lindsey Cantu, Cierra Garcia, Mia Cerda and Jasmine Villagomez — who has run the Old Settler’s Park course at state. She has been headlining the talented bunch, winning the individual district championship and finishing second at the regional meet.

Navarro earned a 17th-place finish last year. She’s using her previous experience to help prepare her teammates and believes she can perform even better this season because of the improvement she’s made.

“Last year I was just starting out, so I was just running and seeing where I was,” Navarro said. “I’ve been working to improve my times from last year. My times have shown a great difference. I’m feeling really good. I think we can do really well at state.

“I’m trying to explain (the course) to them as best as I can, telling them where the hard parts are, the turns and everything. Just trying to give a detailed description so they’re prepared.”

Fernandez, a junior, said she’s looking forward to experiencing cross country at the highest level. She credited the team’s tight-knit bond and strong coaching from Graciela Campos for making it as successful as it is.

“We are a young team, but we feel very good. We practice every single day,” Fernandez said. “We chose to be a family. We’re very close. … The first meet we saw how much potential we had and we kept going from there, kept adding and adding more hard work, and it paid off. I hope everyone crosses the line happy and healthy.”

Evan Torres, Julian Dominguez, Joshua Marquez, Christopher Velazquez, Brandon Salinas, Tomas Navarro and Noah Rosales comprise the boys team.

Marquez, a senior, competed at state as a sophomore and is the only Lions runner with experience on the state course. He’s sharing some advice, but knows the family ties in La Feria cross country run deep, so many teammates have watched older siblings compete in Round Rock.

Winning the regional meet was a pleasant surprise for Marquez, and he knows the Lions have earned respect this season.

“The main goal was to get to state, we weren’t necessarily looking for a win. But we got the job done. It was a really good feeling,” Marquez said. “All I’m looking for this time is a great experience with my team. The training’s been good, the times are good. This team didn’t look like the strongest team that we’ve had early on, and we definitely proved everyone wrong.”

Dominguez won the boys individual district title and finished 10th at the regional meet, behind sixth-place finisher Torres. Dominquez is a junior and will use his experience at the track & field state meet to attack the race Saturday. He wants each of his teammates to leave their very best on the course, because the Lions feed off each other’s energy and he doesn’t want anyone to have regrets.

“We’re all pretty close, and we have that ability to push each other and push past our expectations. Even in practice, when one of us pushes, the other pushes harder,” Dominguez said. “It feels really good to help the team. This is not an individual sport, it’s a team sport. And being there to help the guys means a lot. …

“I want everyone to go out there and do their best,” he continued. “Not going out your best and thinking, ‘What if I’d gone faster?’ is the worst. Going to do your best is the best you can do.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

The Brownsville IDEA Frontier cross country program has had plenty of successful seasons, but none compare to what a young group of Chargers is doing this year.

Frontier’s team — comprised of Carlos Zavala, Juan Jimenez, Aaron Aguirre, Alejandro Maldonado, Jose Blanco, Jose Medina and Edgar Ortiz — will be competing in the Class 3A state meet in Round Rock at 10:30 a.m. today.

The Chargers won the District 32-3A championship Oct. 13 with a perfect score, claiming the top seven places. It was the program’s fifth consecutive title, but the first perfect score and 1-7 finish. They built on that momentum to win the program’s first Region IV-3A championship Nov. 5 with a score of 74, with four runners clinching top 25 overall finishes.

Now, the Chargers are feeling like legitimate state title contenders as they prepare to make their state debut.

“We’re coming,” Juan Jimenez said. “We’ve stayed strong, and now for state we’re going in stronger. We proved a lot of people wrong. We made history for the school, and it’s a really good feeling to be a part of this team.”

Jimenez, one of five sophomores on the team, earned 11th place at the regional meet and sixth at district. Aguirre, Maldonado, Medina and Ortiz comprise the rest of the 2024 class that coach Alberto Alanis knew would be “a special group of runners.”

“That group’s been running together since seventh grade. When they got to eighth grade, they were winning a lot of the local meets. … Then COVID hit,” Alanis said. “They came (to varsity) a little out of shape, and we didn’t do as well as we wanted to (last year). But I knew coming into this year, as long as they put in that work starting right after track, they were going to be fine.”

With juniors Zavala and Blanco providing the veteran leadership, the Chargers did get to work throughout the summer. They put in countless hours and strengthened their team bond, leading to the historic season.

“The summer’s really important for cross country. It really builds you up as a team but also as an individual. It sets you up for the season,” Jimenez said. “This team has gone through a lot, but we’ve gotten through those hard moments. Through the season, we’ve grown as a team.”

Zavala echoed that running together in the summer made the team closer and stronger. It’s a supportive yet competitive bunch that takes turns coming out on top. Zavala has been the team’s top finisher during the past three races, including winning the individual district championship with a time of 18 minutes, 39.13 seconds, then trimming his finish to 17:47.44 to finish eighth at the regional meet.

“It was amazing (winning at the regional meet),” Zavala said. “We went in not planning to win, we were just trying to get a spot at state. The excitement on everybody’s face brought tears to our eyes, all of us. We’re seen as more of an academic school, so us being able to make it to state and be district and regional champs helps people to see that we’re the real deal.”

Alanis is in his ninth year coaching Frontier cross country. This is the fourth team he’s taking to state. The Chargers had a strong week of practice before their state departure with a lot of personal bests at the three-mile course on campus. But they’ll be attacking the course at Old Settler’s Park blind.

“It’s been raining a lot over there, so they’re not going to let us walk or jog the course. None of these kids have seen the course, so it’s going to be very exciting,” Alanis said. “I’m very, very proud of this group. The work ethic they have is amazing. The academics here are very tough, so having them balance it is such a huge thing. They don’t get enough attention on how difficult it is to be an athlete at a college prep school.”

The Chargers will have former Frontier state-qualifiers in attendance to support them at the meet. Zavala hopes to show them and everyone across the state what he and his team are capable of.

“I want to make a lot of noise at state and be able to get a good placing for our school,” Zavala said. “It’s definitely nerve-wracking knowing that it’s our first year running there, but we’ve made a name for ourselves. … We’re all coming back next year, and I hope people know we’re going to be there then, too.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

East Valley teams will play their regular-season finales during the next three days, with many contests having significant implications.

The action kicks off at 7 p.m. Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium with a pair of District 32-6A teams chasing their only district win of the season. Brownsville Rivera (2-7, 0-6) has been playing tough all season but falling short against top district competition. The Raiders will face Donna North (1-7, 0-6), looking to send off their seniors with a win in this pride battle.

All other 32-6A games will be played at 7 p.m. Friday. The No. 2 Harlingen South Hawks (9-0, 6-0) and the No. 9 Los Fresnos Falcons (6-2, 5-1) will compete in a district title showdown at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium. Both postseason-bound teams bring stout defenses adept at forcing turnovers and offenses that can score in spurts. A Hawks win will clinch a perfect season. A Falcons victory means they’ll share the title and Los Fresnos will take the No. 1 seed.

No. 8 Harlingen High (6-3, 4-2) and Brownsville Hanna (3-6, 2-4) will face off at Boggus Stadium. The Harlingen High Cardinals can seal the No. 3 seed with a win. No. 7 San Benito (7-2, 4-2) travels to Bobby Lackey Stadium to take on Weslaco High (5-3, 3-3). It’s a key district matchup, with the fourth postseason spot going to the victor.

Three East Valley District 16-5A Division I teams will play at 7 p.m. Friday. Brownsville Veterans Memorial (6-3, 6-2) and Brownsville Pace (3-6, 3-5) will face off at Sams Memorial Stadium. Brownsville Porter (2-7, 1-7) visits Donna High (2-6, 2-6) at Bennie La Prade Stadium.

Brownsville Lopez (0-9, 0-8) will close the RGV season at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sams Memorial Stadium, looking to capture its first win against La Joya Palmview (3-6, 2-6).

Port Isabel (7-2, 4-2 in District 16-4A Division I) hits the road to face Rockport-Fulton (8-1, 5-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Both teams have clinched playoff spots, but a win for Port Isabel — currently fourth — could shake up seeding. Also at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Raymondville (3-6, 1-5) travels to play Corpus Christi West Oso (2-7, 2-4), and Rio Hondo (3-6, 1-5) plays host to Robstown (2-7, 0-6).

Lyford (6-3, 3-2 in District 16-3A Division I) plays at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Progreso (0-9, 0-5). The Bulldogs are playoff bound. In District 16-3A Division II, Santa Rosa (2-6, 1-3) will close its season against Hebbronville (7-1, 4-1) on the road.

The Santa Maria Cougars (3-5, 0-3) will be fighting for a playoff spot against Riviera-Kaufer (1-4, 0-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Santa Maria needs to pick up a win on the road to advance as the fourth seed in District 16-2A Division I.

Brownsville St. Joseph (4-5, 3-3) plays host to Corpus Christi John Paul II (3-6, 3-3) at 7 p.m. Friday. A win will put the Bloodhounds in the playoffs as the fourth seed out of TAPPS Division II District 3.

The Marine Military Academy Leathernecks (8-1, 4-0) received a first-round bye in the TCSAAL playoffs as the No. 2 seed. They will play in the state semifinal next week against the winner of Houston KIPP Sunnyside and Houston KIPP Northeast.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

The first round of the UIL volleyball playoffs was a success for six East Valley teams that advanced to the area round.

Three teams out of District 32-6A picked up bi-district victories. No. 22 Harlingen High swept Edinburg North 25-17, 26-24, 25-17 on Tuesday to set up a date with Northside Warren in Round 2. The Lady Cardinals will play at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial.

Brownsville Rivera beat Edinburg Vela 13-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-14 on Monday and will play Northside O’Connor at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Corpus Christi Ray.

Los Fresnos defeated Edinburg High 25-22, 18-25, 25-15, 25-22 on Tuesday. The Lady Falcons will be taking on No. 12 Laredo United at 7 p.m. Friday at Roma.

In Class 3A, Brownsville IDEA Frontier swept Donna IDEA 25-12, 25-16, 25-19 on Tuesday, picking up the first playoff volleyball win in school history. The Lady Chargers are moving on to battle No. 25 Goliad at 6:45 p.m. Thursday at Santa Gertrudis Academy. No. 21 Lyford will face Bishop — also tied for 25th — at 7 p.m. today at Kingsville King.

San Perlita received a first-round bye in Class 1A and will face Medina in the area round at 3 p.m. Saturday in Beeville. Brownsville St. Joseph plays Frassati Catholic from Spring at 1 p.m. Saturday at San Antonio Incarnate Word in the opening round of the TAPPS 5A playoffs.

Several teams’ seasons came to an end Tuesday. Harlingen South was swept by District 31-6A champion PSJA High. No. 25 Brownsville Veterans Memorial fell in four sets to McAllen High, and Brownsville Pace lost in four to McAllen Rowe in the Class 5A bi-district round. In Class 4A, La Feria was swept by Alice, and Raymondville lost in straight sets to No. 22 Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway.

Brownsville IDEA Riverview battled against District 31-3A champion North Mission IDEA but came up short 15-25, 18-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-9. In Class 2A, Santa Maria lost to Falls City in four sets.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — It was an all-around team effort displayed by the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons on Tuesday in the opening round of the volleyball playoffs.

Los Fresnos played its most consistent match in coach Anissa Lucio’s eyes as it defeated Edinburg High 25-22, 18-25, 25-15, 25-22 to advance to the Class 6A area round.

“That was great, we needed that,” Lucio said. “It was good for us. Our girls played good and consistent. We’ve been waiting to play this consistent, and it came at the right time.

“It’s great knowing we have a young group, and a group that’s growing together. … They just wanted this so much. I want to give my girls credit for what they did tonight. They had that determination to get it done.”

Both teams got off to a bit of a slower start, committing unforced errors and struggling to get the hitters rolling during the early part of the first set. Los Fresnos sophomore middle blocker Savannah Smith was the first attacker to find her stride and sparked a 6-0 run midway through the opening frame that led to the Lady Falcons taking a 17-11 lead.

The Lady Bobcats came clawing back with help from a bevy of ball-control errors committed by Los Fresnos. Edinburg High’s Natalie Hernandez and Mia Dominguez hit with power, and Samantha Saenz contributed good digs to make a run and tie the set at 22.

Los Fresnos’ every-rotation sparkplug, Olivia Parra, and Smith came up big to close out the opening set victory.

Edinburg High middle blocker Jazmin Cuellar dominated the second set, teaming up with Dominquez, Hernandez and Emily Carranco to help the Lady Bobcats tie the match.

Los Fresnos struggled with ball control, particularly at the setter position, and when it failed to stay in system and attack consistently, Edinburg High took advantage. The Lady Bobcats mixed hard hits with well-placed deep tips to rattle the Lady Falcons, and libero Arriana Guerra anchored their back row.

Smith and fellow middle blocker Dakota Martinez played exceptionally well during the final two sets to lead the Lady Falcons to victory. Smith was active and aggressive at the net with her blocking, firing up her team and her home crowd by stuffing Edinburg High’s hitters. Martinez ripped down sharp, booming kills from the middle position and was particularly productive in the clinching set.

“Attitude-wise, we really stepped it up because the first sets didn’t look so good,” Smith said. “We just decided we needed to fix our attitude, and we needed to be better as a team and work hard together. I worked so hard to be here, and only being a sophomore, this is great for me.”

Los Fresnos setter Jenna Rios rebounded strong after being called for double touches often during the opening sets. She stayed composed and distributed the ball with precision across the net, getting every piece of her deep arsenal of hitters firing rockets by the end of the match. Mia Brown and Parra were strong from the outside, and Shiloh Jones hit efficiently from the opposite pin. Rios also recorded several aces and was strong at the service line.

“This is (Rios’) first year setting,” Lucio said. “We converted her into a setter my first week here, saw her and how athletic she was, and I knew right away we wanted her to be a setter. She took on that role, and now she’s really shown so much progress and she’s an awesome leader. I can’t say enough good things about her.”

Lady Falcons libero Caydence Castillo, defensive specialist and tough-server Cory Reyes, and Jennica Leal were quick in the back row and increased their passing efficiency as competition went on. Los Fresnos played better and better as it got on a roll, and played with consistent energy.

Edinburg High didn’t go down quietly. After being overpowered during the third set, the Lady Bobcats fought hard to keep their season alive in the fourth. Cuellar, Carranco and Dominguez played well in the front and continued to swing with all their might in long, intense rallies.

Guerra’s defense was superb against Los Fresnos’ powerful hits to tighten things in the fourth. She helped the Lady Bobcats fight off three match points, but an attack error ended a lengthy rally and sealed the victory for Los Fresnos.

The Lady Falcons will take on the winner of Laredo United and Northside Stevens in Round 2 at the end of the week.

“It feels great. We worked really hard to achieve this,” Smith said. “We’ve had a couple losses along the road, but right now, we’re super pumped and we’re going to Round 2. I’m really proud of my team, especially my coaches.”