By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

Playoff spots and seeding will be on the line in some Week 10 games as the end of the football season draws near.

The San Benito Greyhounds (6-2, 3-2), tied for sixth in the latest RGVSports.com top 10 poll, visit Brownsville Rivera (2-6, 0-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium to kick off the District 32-6A slate.

All other teams will play at 7 p.m. Friday. No. 2 Harlingen South (8-0, 5-0) takes on Weslaco High (5-2, 3-2) at Boggus Stadium. The No. 8 Harlingen High Cardinals (5-3, 3-2) face Donna North (1-6, 0-5) at Bennie La Prade Stadium. Los Fresnos (5-2, 4-1), tied at No. 10, plays Brownsville Hanna (5-3, 2-3) at Sams Memorial Stadium.

District 16-5A Division I action also starts at 7 p.m. Thursday with Brownsville Porter (2-6, 1-6) and No. 4 McAllen Memorial (7-1, 7-0) squaring off at Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s mini stadium. At 7 p.m. Friday, Brownsville Veterans (5-3, 5-2) faces Donna High (2-5, 2-5) at its mini stadium, and Brownsville Lopez (0-8, 0-7) travels to take on McAllen High (7-1, 6-1), also tied for sixth in the RGVSports.com top 10. Brownsville Pace (2-6, 2-5) plays La Joya Palmview (3-5, 2-5) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The La Feria Lions (6-1, 3-0) will aim to clinch the District 16-4A Division I championship when they play host to Hidalgo (3-4, 1-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in their regular-season finale.

In District 16-4A Division II, all three East Valley teams play at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Rio Hondo (3-5, 1-4) travels to Sinton (7-1, 5-0), Raymondville (3-5, 1-4) plays host to Ingleside (7-1, 4-1) at Burnett Stadium, and Port Isabel (6-2, 3-2) will play West Oso (2-6, 2-3) at Tarpon Stadium, looking to secure a playoff berth with a win.

All sub-4A East Valley teams are playing Friday. Santa Rosa (2-6, 1-3) plays host to Skidmore-Tynan (4-3, 1-3) at 7 p.m. in a District 16-3A Division II contest. In TAPPS Division II District 3 action, Brownsville St. Joseph (3-5, 2-3) takes on Austin Hyde Park (0-8, 0-5) at 5 p.m. at Canales Field, needing a win to stay in the playoff hunt. Marine Military Academy (7-1, 3-0) plays host to Brooks Academy at 5 p.m. in the final regular season game before the playoff qualifying round next week.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — The No. 25 Harlingen High Lady Cardinals already had at least a share of the District 32-6A title clinched heading into Tuesday’s regular-season finale.

With a win over Brownsville Hanna on the road, the Lady Cardinals could secure the championship — their first in 15 years — outright. Behind strong performances from outside hitter Juli Bryant and setter Juliana Valdez, Harlingen High got the job done with a 26-24, 25-16, 29-9 sweep over Hanna to finish the district season 13-1.

“We had our eyes on this prize, and the fact that we get to open (the trophy box) and do everything we wanted to do since we talked about it last year is amazing. Super proud of these girls,” Harlingen High coach Joslynn Torres said. “It means a lot. Hard work should pay off, and it paid off here. Look what we did. I love it.”

The Lady Eagles, playing in their final match of their season, showed good fight and a lot of hustle as they battled the powerhouse Lady Cards. They kept Harlingen High out of sync during the opening set with scrappy play led by senior libero Rihanna Trevino.

Harlingen High had some early timing and ball control issues, with hits sailing long and lacking its usual gusto. Bryant, Valdez and Casey Vidal created some cushion for the Lady Cards, but Hanna came fighting back. Marlen Gutierrez and Aliyah Castillo were strong at the net to get Hanna within two and fought off four set points, but Harlingen High took the slim win.

The Lady Cardinals made some adjustments in the second set and rode the hot hand of Bryant to close out the win during the second and third sets. Bryant, playing at the middle pin instead of her usual outside position, was pounding down hits and working around the Hanna block to rack up 25 kills.

“I think Juli Bryant kind of took it into her own hands, like, ‘Hey, we need to settle down and get this over with,’” Torres said. “Juli plays where she’s comfortable. She’s a great outside hitter and a great middle blocker. So today, she went middle. That’s where she was feeling it, that’s where she was hot, so we’re going to go until they know how to defend it.”

Along with Gutierrez and Castillo, Carolina Mendez and Gallilea Andrade played tough up front for Hanna. They got touches with the block and used a good mix of hits and well-placed tips to keep the Lady Eagles fighting. Alyssa Rios contributed some nice back-row defense and notched good digs.

Closing her Hanna career in front of a home crowd, Trevino shined and surpassed 500 digs in the district season. She was tough at the service line and hit well in the back row. Trevino used tireless defense and solid passing to fire up her team, diving for digs and getting under hard hits to elongate rallies and keep Hanna fighting. She’s one of several seniors Hanna coach Ansgar Hagemann praised for setting an example of hard work and dedication.

“(Trevino) did what she does best,” Hagemann said. “She’s an amazing libero, and she has a really high game IQ. She’s the complete package as a player, very unrivaled from the liberos I’ve had in this program.

“This has to be one of my best groups, even if they didn’t finish in the playoffs. I’m very pleased with the way they developed technically and the heart they put out there throughout the season.”

Valdez recorded 40 assists and got Harlingen High’s offense producing more efficiently as the match went on. She was also strong as a server and played solid defense, hustling around the court to get the Lady Cardinals in system.

“It feels great. It’s crazy, but we did it. We’ve worked so hard and we’ve come a long way,” Valdez said. “My girls, they’re all amazing players. And the coaches pushed us a lot. We’ve proven ourselves to a lot of people that didn’t think we could make it this far. We’re so ready for playoffs.”

Valdez said the Lady Cards have worked a lot on the mental side of the game, and they’re feeling prepared for whatever’s coming in the postseason. Torres likes the consistent level of play her team has shown, even with a target on its back, and feels the team is trending the right way for playoffs.

“The consistency throughout the entire district play is exactly what we wanted, exactly what we needed. We look amazing heading into playoffs,” Torres said.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

The Los Fresnos Falcons made their season debut in the RGVSports.com poll tied at No. 10 following their double overtime 36-28 victory at No. 8 Harlingen High.

Senior quarterback Matthew Padilla scored four total touchdowns — two on the ground in a 101-yard rushing performance, and two in the air as he passed for 115 yards. Edsson Picazo hauled in both scores and had six receptions for 91 yards. Defensively, the Falcons (5-2, 4-1 in District 32-6A) were aggressive and recorded three turnovers, three sacks and nine tackles for loss.

Rio Hondo and Santa Rosa snapped losing skids to pick up their first district victories Friday.

The Bobcats (3-5, 1-4 in District 16-4A Division II) battled for a 27-24 win over Raymondville, ending a five-game losing streak. They were led by freshman quarterback Ruben Atkinson, who went 12-for-19 with 269 passing yards and two total touchdowns. Senior running back Ethan Jerediah added one touchdown and 80 yards on the ground.

Santa Rosa (2-6, 1-3) earned its first District 16-3A Division II victory of the season with a 47-6 rout of Monte Alto. Sophomore running back Diego Cruz ran well and played hard, scoring one rushing touchdown and notching one interception. Senior Jonathan Terrazas added a pair of interceptions as the Warriors’ defense shut down Monte Alto.

The No. 6 San Benito Greyhounds (6-2, 3-2) got back into the win column after dropping back-to-back games with a 56-0 rout of Donna North. Fabian Garcia and Aaron Garza both surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark in the contest.

Garza led the team with 12 carries and 168 yards, adding one touchdown. Garza had 104 yards on nine carries with two scores. Jermaine Corbin had 100 total yards of offense, and scored one rushing and one receiving touchdown.

Also in 32-6A, No. 2 Harlingen South (8-0, 5-0) stayed unbeaten with a 38-3 win over Brownsville Rivera. Senior Marcos Gonzales led a solid run game with 154 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. Senior quarterback Xander Casarez had another efficient performance, going 11-for-16 with 165 passing yards.

Caleb Anaya, Carlos Mossboss and Ethan Garza were strong to help the dangerous South defense force three turnovers. The Hawks are outscoring opponents 296-80. Coach Israel Gonzalez was named the Texas High School Coaches Association coach of the week.

La Feria (6-1, 3-0) beat Kingsville King 43-14 and is one win from an undefeated District 16-4A Division I championship.

Senior quarterback Aaron Trevino has been spectacular and had another big game to lead the victory. Trevino threw four passing touchdowns, completing 15-of-23 passes for 248 yards. He added one rushing score and 112 yards on the ground. The Lions notched three interceptions, two from senior Elijah Vela.

The Lyford Bulldogs (6-3, 3-2) defeated Bishop 38-20 to secure a playoff berth in District 16-3A Division I. Quarterback Osmar Martinez was 7-for-12 with 124 passing yards and two touchdowns, and he had 186 rushing yards with two scores on the ground. Alex Rosas accumulated 131 rushing yards on 12 carries. Senior athlete Diego Guerra added a pick-six to aid the victory.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

Brownsville Veterans Memorial coach Lisa Mares asked her team during their match with Brownsville Pace, “Do you want to share it, or do you want it for yourself?”

She was talking about the District 32-5A championship, of which the Lady Chargers had already claimed at least a share before the Saturday match. A win over the Lady Vikings would clinch the title outright.

Pace didn’t make it easy, but Brownsville Veterans pulled off the comeback 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12 victory to improve to 13-0 in district, out of reach with one game remaining in the regular season.

“We clinched the title, and it’s a great feeling. Very intense. It’s great to be in this kind of an atmosphere, getting ready for playoffs,” BVM coach Lisa Mares said. “Pace did a heck of a job taking us to five sets, blocking and digging well. Made some switches, had some adjustments and it worked out in our favor. The girls gave it their all. It’s really exciting.”

Pace senior outside hitter Ashley Gonzalez did well to rebound from early hitting struggles to anchor Pace’s first-set win. The Lady Vikings trailed 16-10 following consecutive attack errors, prompting coach Daya Venegas to put Mariza Tijerina in for Gonzalez for one rally. The move immediately paid off as Tijerina notched a kill that sparked a five-point run, putting Gonzalez and Pace in position to close out the set strong.

Brownsville Veterans rallied during the second as several “supporting” Lady Chargers had huge performances. Montserrat De Los Santos made an impact at every hitting position and at the service line. Gladis Espinoza was efficient swinging from the outside down the stretch and put down the final kill to tie the match.

“Some of my hitters were off in the beginning, and that kind of affected us. But other girls stepped up,” Mares said. “Throughout the season, I’ve had eight players injured. It’s been the worst year for injuries. Different lineups all the time, going through that adversity, has really helped us, and this team has come together.”

The third set started like the others, with teams exchanging points and finding themselves tied often. Pace managed to create some cushion, opening a three-point advantage several times during the frame as middle blockers Andie Lozano-Lomeli and Luz Martinez led an impressive block to give Brownsville Veterans trouble.

The Lady Chargers erased the lead four times, fighting back with strong serving and great back-row defense from Alexa Torres. Middle blockers Elise Fourt and Carrington Lane, and outside hitter Gracia Avila were solid at the net as BVM battled.

But the Lady Vikings held the lead when it mattered. Setter Dyllan Lozano-Lomeli recorded two consecutive aces to close the set and go up 2-1. She was Pace’s top server throughout the match.

Fourt was dynamic to lead the Lady Chargers to victory in the fourth, slamming down kills around and off Pace’s tough block to put her team up by as many as seven points — the largest deficit of the match.

Good serving from Pace libero Bryanna Narvaez — who had a stellar game leading the back-row defense — and booming kills from Lozano-Lomeli brought the Lady Vikings all the way back to trailing 23-22. Fourt sliced a kill inside the 10-foot line to secure the win and force a fifth set.

Brownsville Veterans’ defense was tremendous in the clincher, led by Fourt and De Los Santos at the net and Andrea Chapa in the back row. Chapa took over at libero after the third set and brought the passing efficiency up, helping the comeback victory. She was a standout at the service line throughout the match. De Los Santos had two huge blocks to tie and take the lead in the fifth.

“We knew we had to come here and win district. Even though we beat them in the first round, we knew we had to play hard because they were coming at us the same way,” De Los Santos said. “I had to push myself to be my best to help the team win, and we won and I feel great about it.”

Pace outside hitter Natalisha Torres played extremely well and was particularly dangerous with her line shot. The Lozano-Lomeli sisters, Martinez’s consistency on the block and Gonzalez’s attack gave Pace a chance during the fifth set, but the comeback fell short. The Lady Vikings are now 10-3 in district, tied for second with Edcouch-Elsa.

“It was a good game, it was just the simple mistakes at the end. I couldn’t be prouder of the girls,” Venegas said. “Being here for only three months and seeing the improvement in these girls, that means a lot. They kept fighting. They’ve been working hard.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

The final week of the regular season will begin Monday for East Valley volleyball teams.

Some districts have pretty clear playoff pictures, while others have things still to be determined.

In District 32-6A, the postseason representatives are set, but seeding has potential to change. No. 25 Harlingen High improved to 12-1 in district after defeating Donna North on Saturday. The Lady Cardinals will face Brownsville Hanna on Tuesday with a chance to clinch the outright district title, of which they’ve secured at least a share.

Brownsville Rivera (11-2) sits in second after beating San Benito in straight sets Saturday. Los Fresnos (10-3) swept Hanna on Saturday and is third. Harlingen South (7-6) defeated Weslaco High and looks set as the No. 4 seed.

Rivera faces Donna North and Los Fresnos plays Harlingen South on Tuesday in the regular-season finales to pin down seeding.

Brownsville Veterans Memorial (13-0) clinched the outright District 32-5A championship by defeating Brownsville Pace (10-3) on Saturday. Brownsville Lopez earned a win over Mercedes.

Pace is tied for second with Edcouch-Elsa (10-3), which swept Brownsville Porter. Pace closes the season Tuesday at Weslaco East, and Edcouch-Elsa will face Brownsville Veterans. Those matches will determine the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Donna High will be fourth.

The Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats defeated Raymondville on Saturday, improving to 9-0 in District 32-4A. They’ll look to cap their first district title in program history with a perfect record when they play host to Hidalgo on Monday.

Also on Saturday, La Feria beat Hidalgo to improve to 6-3 in 32-4A. The Lionettes are holding firm in second place with a finale against Port Isabel upcoming Monday. Raymondville is in the playoff picture.

The Lyford Lady Bulldogs are 17-1 in District 31-3A. They have a pivotal match with North Mission IDEA, the current unbeaten No. 1 team in the standings, coming Tuesday on the road. If Lyford wins and beats Pharr IDEA in the regular-season finale Friday, a seeding/title match is expected to be played next Saturday.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Forty-eight minutes of regulation wasn’t enough to decide the District 32-6A battle between the Los Fresnos Falcons and the No. 4 Harlingen High Cardinals on Friday at Boggus Stadium.

Neither was one round of overtime.

With the game tied at 21 during the first overtime session, Harlingen High scored first on a 7-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Joe Lopez to receiver Aiden Sandoval. Los Fresnos answered with a first-play, 25-yard rushing touchdown from senior quarterback Matthew Padilla. A clutch penalty-stretched PAT from Jose Contreras made it 28-28.

During the second overtime, the Falcons got the ball first. Padilla hit senior receiver Edsson Picazo for a 24-yard score, and then he found senior receiver Cody Taylor for the two-point conversion, making it 36-28.

With the game on the line, the Los Fresnos defense came up big, as it did all game. Junior linebacker RJ Limon and senior defensive lineman Omar Mendiola recorded back-to-back sacks. After an 18-yard pass from Lopez to Ian Solis, senior defensive back Luis Lucio broke up a fourth-down heave to the end zone, sealing the thrilling double-overtime victory for the Falcons (5-2, 4-1).

“I don’t have words. I’m really excited,” Limon said. “I knew we could come out here and beat them on their homecoming, and that’s what we did. Offense started going at the end, and defense just came through. I practice with these guys every day. Those are the people I love. We just have to keep going from here.”

The Cardinals (5-3, 3-2) jumped on top first thanks to an interception from Albert Vasquez. On their first play after the turnover, Lopez found Solis for a 23-yard touchdown during the final minute of the opening quarter.

The Falcons had issues getting the offense firing on all cylinders for much of the first half. But defense and special teams carried the weight, making play after play to spark the offense and earn a 14-7 lead at halftime.

Following a fumble recovery by Limon — who also blocked a Cardinals field goal attempt during the first quarter— Padilla and Picazo connected on a 34-yard touchdown. Not long after, the Falcons cashed in another turnover after senior Hector Muniz reeled in an interception. Junior running back Jonus Gonzalez scored on a 1-yard carry.

“We had so much adversity early on. It looked like we weren’t going to get a first down the whole game,” Falcons coach David Cantu said. “(Our defense) kept giving us chance after chance, and so many times we weren’t able to capitalize. But they stuck with us, and they were giving us motivation. Our defensive captain, Greg Jones, in the locker room, did nothing but pump up the offense and give us the confidence and belief that we could get it done.”

Harlingen High was without top running back Izaiah Bell during the first half. The junior was used for a few series in the second half and ran well to help the Cardinals regain the lead. Lopez and Solis connected for a 66-yard touchdown late in the third. The pair hooked up for several key gains throughout the contest.

After an interception by Ray Castillo and two big receptions for Solis, who dragged defenders for yards after catches, Bell scored on a 1-yard rush. He did not return for health reasons, according to Gomez.

Los Fresnos tied things again one minute later on a perfectly executed quarterback sneak by Padilla from 10 yards out.

Limon, senior linebacker Greg Jones, junior D-lineman Vicente Rocio and senior linebacker Jayden Moreno were among the Falcons’ defensive standouts that kept Harlingen High off the board during the final seven minutes to force overtime. The Cardinals missed two field goals during the fourth quarter.

“I’m extremely proud of the way our kids competed and fought. We fought back and gave ourselves a chance, but eventually they made more plays than we did,” Cardinals coach Manny Gomez said. “They made some spectacular plays in overtime. My hat’s off to Coach Cantu. He’s a dude that I got nothing but love and respect for, and he’s doing great things at Los Fresnos.”

The win is a signature moment in Cantu’s first year leading his alma mater and puts the Falcons solely in second place in the district standings.

“I’m speechless. I’m so proud of our guys,” Cantu said. “Those are the Harlingen Cardinals. We have the utmost respect for them. They’re one of the elite programs in the state of Texas. I’m just so proud of the whole coaching staff and our seniors. Nothing but heart. Boys in Los Fresnos have nothing but heart. I love it.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

DONNA — The Donna High Redskins picked up an exciting District 16-5A Division I victory over Brownsville Pace on Thursday.

Donna High (2-5, 2-5) used a hat trick of interceptions during the fourth quarter to cruise to a 21-9 win over the visiting Vikings (2-6, 2-5) at Bennie La Prade Stadium.

“It feels great. Always, getting a win is great,” Donna High coach Mike Gonzales said. “We came out a little flat in the first quarter, and we came out to play the second half. We got to fix some things, but I’m proud for these guys and I’m proud for the community of Donna for sticking with us the whole season.”

It was a frustrating night for Brownsville Pace, which struggled from start to finish to get anything going offensively. The Vikings started their first possession on Donna High’s 30-yard line following a turnover on downs. Junior defensive lineman Julian Vasquez had a tackle for loss, and then senior linebacker Jorge Rodriguez busted through the line for a fourth-down stop. Pace failed to capitalize, turning the ball over on downs.

After quickly forcing a punt, senior receiver Alexander Agado used a good return to again give Pace prime field position, starting on Donna High’s 24. Junior quarterback Brandon Narvaez capped the short drive with a 3-yard rushing touchdown, but the PAT was missed.

Both offenses had issues with consistency as the first half rolled on, but they put together nice scoring drives just before halftime.

Late in the second quarter, Donna High took the lead thanks to its quarterback duo of junior Jake Garcia and freshman Geoffrey Lefevre. Lefevre, the big passing QB, hit senior receiver Armando Rangel for a 48-yard gain into first-and-goal. Garcia, the powerful running QB, trucked his way to the goal line and scored on a 1-yard keeper. Francisco Belmares’ PAT made it 7-6 with 1:43 on the clock.

“Using both of them gives us a different dynamic, and it’s hard for teams to game plan around that,” Gonzales said. “They’re not selfish, they share the limelight, they’re leaders. They’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders, and I’m so proud of those two guys.”

The Vikings went up-tempo and used two clutch fourth-down conversions to jump back on top. Narvaez rushed for one, then found senior tight end Chase Morales for the second. Narvaez hit junior receiver Nathan Herrera to get to the 10, and then junior kicker/defensive back Emilio Cahuiche made a 21-yard field goal as time expired, making it 9-7 Vikings.

The Redskins controlled the second half, turning to Lefevre to direct the passing game and move the ball consistently. Garcia capitalized on his touches as the duo cashed in on defensive stops.

Lefevre directed a 91-yard scoring drive that ate a lot of clock to retake the lead early in the fourth quarter. He connected with junior receiver Luis Silva several times and junior Marc Zamorano once to get rolling. Once in the red zone, Garcia used three consecutive runs to make it 14-9 on a 3-yard, direct snap carry.

“(Lefevre) gives us the long ball, passing ability,” Gonzales said. “(Garcia) came to me on the sideline and said, ‘Coach, give me the ball.’ I was proud of him for stepping in and pounding the rock. He’s a big boy, he’s hard to take down, reminds me of a Derrick Henry type. He does a great job.”

Donna High recorded interceptions on Pace’s next three drives. Senior do-it-all playmaker Francisco Contreras snagged the first, then junior defensive back Brian Juarez got the next. Junior defensive back Victor Sandoval hauled in the third interception and ran it approximately 25 yards for a pick-six, putting the game out of reach with three minutes remaining.

“It was big time to come up with those big plays,” Gonzales said. “(Pace) had some athletes out there, and game-planning for those guys was real tough. We thought they were going to have to come out throwing the ball to score, so those guys did a great job in the secondary.”

Pace’s defense forced a punt late, giving the Vikings chances to cut into the deficit. But with top running back Ivan Gonzalez sidelined by an injury sustained early in the third quarter and the Redskins’ defense fired up, Pace couldn’t get across the 50.

Vasquez and senior linebacker Jonathan Lerma played well to lead Pace’s defense. The Vikings completed a fake punt as Cahuiche passed to Agado for first down, but nothing came from the play.

“We had our chances, we just couldn’t convert. We had a lot of penalties, missed blocking, things like that,” Pace coach Danny Pardo said. “We’re trying to come out with something to get it going. But when we start getting a roll, something happens and stops us, somebody goes down. The defense is only going to hold so long, and eventually we’re going to give up a score. That’s just the way it goes.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

There’s another full slate of action in Week 9, and East Valley teams will be participating in some important district contests.

Three of the area’s District 16-5A Division I teams will be in action today. The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers (5-2, 5-1) will travel for a 7 p.m. battle against the No. 5 McAllen Memorial Mustangs (6-1, 6-0) at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in a pivotal contest with a shot at the district title on the line.

Brownsville Pace (2-5, 2-4) faces Donna High (1-5, 1-5) at 7 p.m. at Bennie LaPrade Stadium in Donna. The Brownsville Lopez Lobos (0-7, 0-6) will play host to Weslaco East (4-2, 4-2) at 7 p.m. at Sams Memorial Stadium. At 7 p.m. Friday, Brownsville Porter (2-5, 1-5) visits McAllen Rowe (4-3, 4-2).

All District 32-6A games will be played at 7 p.m. Friday. Arguably the biggest matchup in the bunch will be the battle between second-place teams Los Fresnos (4-2, 3-1) and No. 4 Harlingen High (5-2, 3-1). The Los Fresnos Falcons, riding a three-game winning streak, will travel to Boggus Stadium to face the Cardinals, who are riding high after notching a shutout win in the Battle of the Arroyo.

No. 2 Harlingen South (7-0, 4-0) will put its undefeated record on the line with a road game against Brownsville Rivera (2-5, 0-4) at Sams Memorial Stadium. No. 8 San Benito (5-2, 2-2) plays Donna North (1-5, 0-4) at Bennie LaPrade Stadium, aiming to end a two-game losing skid. Brownsville Hanna (3-4, 2-2) faces Weslaco High (4-2, 2-2) at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.

The No. 10 La Feria Lions (5-1, 2-0) will visit Kingsville King (1-6, 0-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a District 16-4A Division I game. In District 16-4A Division II action, Raymondville (3-4, 1-3) and Rio Hondo (2-5, 0-4) will clash at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bobcat Stadium. Port Isabel (6-1, 3-1) travels to Ingleside (6-1, 3-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in another important road test between playoff contenders.

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Lyford (5-3, 2-2) plays host to Bishop (2-3, 1-2) in its final home game of the regular season, looking to remain in the playoff picture in District 16-3A Division I. The Santa Rosa Warriors (1-6, 0-3) will be chasing their first District 16-3A Division II win at 7 p.m. Friday at Monte Alto (0-7, 0-3).

Santa Maria (3-4, 0-2) has a tough District 16-2A Division I road contest against La Villa (5-2, 1-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

In non-UIL action, the Brownsville St. Joseph Bloodhounds (3-4, 2-2) will look to end a two-game losing skid in TAPPS Division II District 3 at 7 p.m. Friday as they travel to Austin Regents (7-0, 4-0). Marine Military Academy (6-1, 2-0) continues its pursuit of a TCSAAL district title against Pro-Vision Academy at 3 p.m. Saturday at home.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — There was a lot on the line during the District 32-6A match between the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons and Harlingen High Lady Cardinals on Tuesday.

Los Fresnos, playing with a rowdy home crowd and trying to create a tie atop the standings with a win, came out on fire.

The No. 25 Lady Cardinals, playing to solidify their position as district title favorite, quenched that fire. Harlingen High bounced back from an opening-set loss to defeat Los Fresnos 25-27, 25-21, 25-10, 25-18.

The Lady Cards improved to 11-1 in district and remained in sole possession of first place with two games remaining. Los Fresnos fell to third place at 9-3, behind 10-2 Brownsville Rivera, which defeated current four-seed Harlingen South on Tuesday.

“We knew they were going to come with it. Completely different match than the first round,” Harlingen High coach Joslynn Torres said. “Going down that first set, man, it was hard to take. But the message was, ‘Hey, the momentum is going to be in waves. They’re going to get it, we’re going to get it. We have to ride the wave correctly mentally.’ They did so good in the sets after that to do that and come out on top.”

Los Fresnos played with relentless effort and hustle to win the first set. Olivia Parra was strong as an every-rotation player and shined particularly bright up front to lead the offense from the outside pin.

Los Fresnos used its block to stifle Harlingen High’s offense for stretches. Shiloh Jones, Savannah Smith and Dakota Martinez executed at the net with blocks and kills. In the back, libero Caydence Castillo and defensive specialist Cory Reyes were superb to pick up everything the Lady Cardinals sent over.

Harlingen High fought off three set points and put itself up 25-24, but Smith, Jones and Parra were clutch to seal the win.

Harlingen High junior Juli Bryant was strong during the second set to help even the match. She sparked a run that took the Lady Cards from down three to leading by two.

The teams swapped small scoring runs throughout the tight second set, hustling after tips and stray passes to keep rallies long and intense. The back row defenses were dynamite on both sides of the court throughout the match. Harlingen High libero Elena Aguinaga slid across the court like a vacuum. Castillo and Reyes were solid for Los Fresnos.

Harlingen High outside hitter Casey Vidal and middle blockers Aaliyah Gomez and Alana Rouquette were solid to seal the second-set win.

The third set was dominated by Harlingen High, led by Bryant’s determination to reach a goal she set as a freshman. She entered the match needing 17 kills to reach 1,000 in her career, and she hit that milestone early in the third frame.

“I asked how many kills I had when I went to the bench the first time. They said I had, like, four, and I said, ‘Oh I really need to step it up,’” Bryant said. “When I realized in a timeout that I needed two more, I was, like, ‘It’s about to happen.’ And then I did it and I got overwhelmed with joy. I just started crying. It feels amazing.”

While the Harlingen High fans revealed a poster celebrating the achievement, Bryant continued rifling off kills to set the tone for the largest set victory of the night. She finished with 24 kills.

“(Bryant) just got the best of both worlds,” Torres said. “I’m so, so proud of her for being able to accomplish this as a junior, with a COVID season. She killed it today.”

Los Fresnos showed some fight during the fourth set, but the intense match had taken its toll. The Lady Falcons looked gassed, and smelling blood in the water, Vidal, Bryant and Gomez went on the attack.

“Who’s going to make less errors when we’re this tired? It was conditioning and the reps we’ve gotten, the scrimmaging we do in practice. That’s what got us through,” Torres said. “(Vidal and Bryant), they were going to go and put the freaking nail down. So, so beyond proud of all of them because the hustle was there.”

Vidal finished with 29 kills and five aces, and Gomez added six blocks to help Harlingen High overpower Los Fresnos and complete the comeback win.

“We never got down on each other. We were able to battle through it,” Bryant said. “I think the biggest difference was we had Casey Vidal step up tremendously. I’ve never seen Casey play that hard before, and to see her stomp there, it was amazing.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

Playoff pictures are starting to take shape after teams picked up key district wins in Week 8.

No. 2 Harlingen South remains atop the District 32-6A standings after defeating Donna North 49-7. The 7-0, 4-0 Hawks are one of only 16 Class 6A teams still boasting an unblemished record.

Harlingen South’s defense continues to shine and held Donna North to less than 100 total yards of offense, allowing 58 passing yards and just 19 rushing yards, forcing two turnovers. It was South’s fourth game holding an opponent to single-digit scoring. Overall, opponents are averaging 11.28 points per game against the Hawks.

South senior quarterback Xander Casarez had another efficient performance, completing 12 of 14 pass attempts for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Three Hawks running backs found the end zone — senior Marcos Gonzales scored twice, Lucas Gonzalez once and sophomore Jacob Cano added another with a team-high 54 rushing yards. Cano was also 4-for-5 with 38 passing yards as the backup quarterback.

Los Fresnos (4-2, 3-1) picked up its third consecutive victory by defeating Weslaco High 44-21. Senior duo Matthew Padilla and Hector Muniz have been pacing the Falcons offensively and played key roles again Friday. Muniz rushed for two scores and caught two touchdown passes, one from starting quarterback Padilla and another from backup QB/receiver Rex Halford.

On defense, the Falcons recorded six sacks and two turnovers. Senior Jayden Moreno had two sacks and helped junior linebacker standout RJ Limon lead a strong defensive effort.

Los Fresnos and No. 4 Harlingen High (5-2, 3-1) are tied at second in 32-6A. No. 8 San Benito (5-2, 2-2), Brownsville Hanna (3-4, 2-2) and Weslaco High (4-2, 2-2) are tied for fourth and fighting to stay in the playoff hunt with three weeks remaining. Brownsville Rivera and Donna North are 0-4 in district.

The La Feria Lions are tied at No. 10 in the RGVSports.com poll after defeating Grulla 51-34, improving to 5-1, 2-0 in District 16-4A Division I. They’re halfway to another district title. Senior quarterback Aaron Trevino tossed two touchdowns and averaged 20 yards per pass against the Gators.

The Lions surpassed 300 rushing yards during the contest. Justin Rodriguez had a team-high 129 rush yards and two scores, and Trevino added three rushing touchdowns on 110 yards. Seniors Elijah Vela and EJ Serna led the defense with 18 tackles each to aid the comeback victory.

In 16-4A DII, Port Isabel (6-1, 3-1) got back in the win column with a tight 27-24 victory over Rio Hondo (2-5, 0-4). The Port Isabel Tarpons surpassed the 2,000-rushing-yard mark in the win. Junior quarterback Rudy Barrera only had two passes in the run-heavy offense but accumulated 81 passing yards and one touchdown to Danny Zamarron.

Port Isabel remains in the playoff picture in 16-4A DII, sitting in a three-way tie for second. Also in the district, Raymondville (3-4, 1-3) is in sixth.

With three District 16-5A DI games to play, Brownsville Veterans Memorial (5-2, 5-1) remains in the title hunt and has the best chance of the East Valley teams in the bunch to make the postseason.

Lyford (5-3, 2-2) sits third in District 16-3A DI. In 16-3A DII, Santa Rosa (1-6, 0-3) is tied for sixth. Santa Maria (3-4, 0-2) is on the playoff bubble in District 16-2A DI. Brownsville St. Joseph (3-4, 2-2) will need a strong close to the season to make the postseason in TAPPS Division II District 3 as it is in a three-way tie for fourth.

Marine Military Academy (6-1, 2-0 in TCSAAL) picked up its second straight shutout win in district action, defeating KIPP Houston 55-0.