By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

The Lyford Bulldogs competed in the District 31-3A cross country meet Wednesday in Harlingen and had one athlete qualify for the Region IV-3A meet.

Nancy Correa earned a 10th-place finish in the varsity girls race to clinch a spot in the regional meet. The Class 3A girls are scheduled to run at 10:50 a.m. on Oct. 25 at Dugan Stadium at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

“It was super awesome that we got somebody to qualify for regionals,” Lyford coach Iannelli Ledesma said. “The competition that we have, there’s 10 teams including ourselves in the district, so we knew it was going to be a tough one today. These kids work super hard, so it was pretty exciting to get a representative to head out to Corpus in a few weeks. … We’re looking forward to regionals and trying to put ourselves back on the map. We’re hungry for more.”

The top three teams and top 10 overall individuals from each district meet qualify for the regional meet. Pharr IDEA swept the 31-3A meet, clinching the team district championships in both the girls and boys divisions. North Mission IDEA and Weslaco IDEA Pike were second and third, respectively, in the girls team standings. In the boys standings, Vanguard Rembrandt finished second and Weslaco IDEA Pike was third.

Lyford’s girls team finished seventh with 140 points. Aleyna Frias (13th), Savannah Chavez (38th), Iliana Garza (39th) and Lauren Silva (53rd) competed along with Correa for the Lady Bulldogs. Richard Herrera (34th), Julian Betancourt (49th), Rick De Luna (50th) and Lorenzo Cantu (51st) represented Lyford in the boys race.

“I think we fared pretty well. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t qualify as a team, but we’re super proud of all our kids, boys and girls,” Ledesma said. “It’s a tough sport to begin with, so I give a lot of credit to these kids for getting through the COVID year and then coming out and competing with the numbers that we have in our district. It’s awesome to see how resilient these kids are.”

The district certification deadline for cross country is Oct. 16. Regional meets will take place Oct. 25-26. At the regional meet, the top four teams and top 10 individuals not on a qualifying team in each class will advance to the state meet scheduled for Nov. 5-6 at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

It’s a busy week in the East Valley, with all 19 football teams officially participating in district contests and some races heating up.

Action begins Thursday with the Santa Rosa Warriors (1-4, 0-1 in District 16-3A Division II) heading to Taft to take on the Greyhounds (4-2, 0-2).

District 16-5A Division I returns after having a district-wide bye week. Brownsville Porter (1-4, 0-4) will travel to face the La Joya Palmview Lobos (2-3, 1-3) at 7 p.m. at La Joya ISD Stadium as the Cowboys chase their first district win. Brownsville Veterans Memorial (3-2, 3-1) takes on Brownsville Lopez (0-5, 0-4) at 7 p.m. at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The Brownsville Pace Vikings (2-3, 2-2) play host to No. 5 McAllen Memorial (4-1, 4-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

It’ll be another big week for District 32-6A. There’s a marquee matchup between ranked, unbeaten squads as the No. 4 Harlingen South Hawks (5-0, 2-0) travel to battle the No. 3 San Benito Greyhounds (5-0, 2-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium.

Also at 7 p.m. Friday, No. 6 Harlingen High (3-2, 1-1) will look to bounce back from a loss in the Bird Bowl when it faces No. 8 Weslaco High (4-0, 2-0) at Boggus Stadium, and Brownsville Hanna (1-4, 0-2) visits Donna North (1-3, 0-2) at Bennie LaPrade Stadium.

The East Valley’s Class 4A teams all play at 7:30 p.m. Friday. La Feria (3-1) begins its District 16-4A Division I campaign at Zapata (3-3). In 16-4A Division II, Raymondville (2-3, 0-2) plays host to Robstown (2-3, 0-2), and Rio Hondo (2-3, 0-2) plays host to Rockport-Fulton (4-1, 1-1).

The No. 9 Port Isabel Tarpons (5-0, 2-0) have a huge road game against the Sinton Pirates (4-1, 2-0) that carries title implications. Sinton emerged, arguably, as the 16-4A DII title favorite after defeating Rockport-Fulton last week. But the Tarpons have been rolling, accumulating more than 1,800 rushing yards and averaging 44 points per game, and would make a massive statement with a victory.

Lyford (4-2, 1-1) will aim to bounce back from its first District 16-3A Division I loss at 7:30 p.m. Friday when it plays host to Santa Gertrudis (2-4, 0-2). Santa Maria (3-2) begins District 16-2A Division I play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Ben Bolt (3-3).

Brownsville St. Joseph (3-2, 2-0) is chasing its third straight victory in a TAPPS Division II District 3 home game at 7 p.m. Friday against Boerne Geneva (2-3, 1-1). SJA senior quarterback Luigi Cristiano was voted the Texas Private School offensive player of the week after throwing for 401 yards and five touchdowns, and adding one rushing touchdown, during a Week 6 district win over Austin Brentwood.

Week 7 ends with a pair of Saturday night games. The Los Fresnos Falcons (2-2, 1-1) will clash with the Brownsville Rivera Raiders (2-3, 0-2) at 7 p.m. at Sams Memorial Stadium. Marine Military Academy (4-1) starts district play with a neutral site game against KIPP Generations Collegiate (1-3) at 6 p.m. at Corpus Christi John Paul.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — The Harlingen High gym was buzzing with intensity when the fifth set of a District 32-6A match between the Lady Cardinals and the visiting Brownsville Rivera Lady Raiders began.

Harlingen High, ranked No. 16 by the Texas Girls Coaches Association, was 7-0 in district play coming into the match. It only lost one set during the first round.

The Lady Cardinals won the first two sets against Rivera, but the Lady Raiders came roaring back to win the next two, forcing a fifth set. And when Harlingen High went up 4-0 in the decider, Rivera’s fighting spirit shined again.

Senior middle blocker Kimberly Chavez was tremendous at the net, recording blocks and slamming down kills to energize Rivera’s fifth-set win that capped a come-from-behind 22-25, 18-25, 29-27, 29-27, 15-11 victory.

“It feels so great. It’s my senior year, so it’s an amazing feeling to win and be one of the only teams to beat Harlingen,” Chavez said. “We had that fire, and it helped us win the game today.”

The Lady Cardinals looked poised to clinch their seventh sweep in district. Even with the Lady Raiders tenaciously fighting back from deficits to take leads in both sets with help from errors, Harlingen High responded.

Outside hitters Juli Bryant and Casey Vidal and middle blocker Aaliyah Gomez were swinging well from the opening whistle for the Lady Cardinals. Setter Juliana Valdez was able to mix up her hitters because of solid passing from the back row, led by libero Elena Aguinaga.

Bryant was clutch down the stretch during the second set to lift the Lady Cardinals to victory. Rivera held as large as a six-point lead midway through the frame, then Bryant took control. She sliced a kill down the line to give the Lady Cardinals the advantage at 16-15. From there, she didn’t look back, and she slammed down hard hits and defended tips well to lead her team to a 2-0.

Harlingen High quickly went up 5-0 in the third set and was firmly in control as Gomez played strong on the net. Gomez was a top contributor for the Lady Cards attack throughout the match and recorded several blocks and deflections. Rivera trimmed its deficit to 16-14, but then Gomez notched a kill to end the rally.

But the Lady Raiders didn’t go away. Rivera’s back row, anchored by libero Richelle Guerra and aided by defensive specialists Ashlyn Tapia and Darlyng Longoria, hustled to dig Harlingen High’s hitters and passed well to keep the Lady Raiders in system. That allowed Kimberly Chavez and Naylah Trevino to put down nice kills and spark an inspired Rivera comeback.

“Those first two sets were rough. We were right there,” Rivera coach Liz Avelar-Guerra said. “They started fighting back and they didn’t give up, and I’m so proud of them. They came together as a team, they refused to give up, and they got that win. They deserved it. It’s fantastic to see them play like that.”

Senior outside hitter Kenya Ibarra, an every-rotation player, had some timing issues with setter Clarissa Olivares early. Ibarra stayed composed and mixed heavy kills with well-placed tips to keep Rivera in the game.

Vidal and the Lady Cardinals tried to target Ibarra when she was playing defense, and they had some success early. As the match rolled on, Ibarra adjusted to the attack, helping the Lady Raiders’ improved passing efficiency and relentless back row effort that came up big in the comeback.

With the system running smoothly, Olivares got additional Lady Raiders involved in the attack. Chavez, Trevino and middle blocker Alondra Garza got better as the match went on, and they delivered timely kills and tips during the final two sets.

“They came together as a team. Instead of yelling at each other, they were talking, helping each other, and it was beautiful,” Avelar-Guerra said. “(Chavez) really came through with the blocks and (Garza) was hitting really good, too. Those two girls played really well, and (Trevino) came in and got some good kills when we needed them.”

Chavez notched five blocks during the fifth set and hammered down three kills. Ibarra had a hot hand late, too, and her back row defense was solid to help Rivera’s scrappy defensive specialists. The Lady Raiders hustled after everything, diving for short tips and chasing errant passes, and did well to force Harlingen High to commit a plethora of attack errors down the stretch.

“The support from my teammates (helped my performance). We were getting hype after every point we got, and the more hype it was, we just built it from there,” Chavez said. “After winning this game, we’re not satisfied yet. We’re still going to go back to practice and keep working hard for every other team.”

The thrilling upset lifts Rivera to 6-2 in district play and Harlingen High falls to 7-1, shaking up the title race with the second round of district underway.

“It is what it is, it happened, and we’re not going to dwell on it because we still have a goal and that is the district championship,” Harlingen High coach Joslynn Torres said. “Sometimes this has to happen, and that’s so cliché to say, but it does. This is going to put a fire under our butts. … The team that’s going to win the game is the one that wants it more, the one that’s going to fight harder. All the credit to Rivera.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

The three undefeated teams in the East Valley kept rolling in Week 6, and a couple of other teams picked up good wins as they crossed the midway point in the season.

Arguably the biggest game, and biggest victory, in the Rio Grande Valley during Week 6 was the Harlingen South Hawks earning their first Bird Bowl win since 2007. They defeated Harlingen High 28-21 and rose to the No. 4 spot in the RGVSports.com poll with a 5-0, 2-0 in District 32-6A record.

Hawks senior quarterback Xander Casarez threw for 119 yards and one touchdown to senior receiver Elias Ledesma, who was voted the game’s most valuable player. Ledesma had two receptions for 28 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown catch. Seniors Marcos Gonzales and Jeremiah Rivera each rushed for one score. Gonzales accumulated 73 rushing yards, and Rivera had 16 rushing yards and 57 receiving yards.

One of the biggest stats from the 29th annual Bird Bowl is that Harlingen South’s defense held Harlingen High to minus-16 rushing yards. The Hawks forced three turnovers, including a fumble recovery touchdown from Ethan Garza. The Cardinals, who fell to No. 6, did have success in the air, however, accumulating 201 passing yards.

The San Benito Greyhounds (5-0, 2-0) also made a jump to No. 3 in the poll after rolling past Brownsville Hanna 49-21 on Saturday. Sophomore running back Fabian Garcia had another huge game for San Benito, rushing for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Junior quarterback Rodney Rodriguez threw for 110 yards and three touchdowns, one to Ricky Perez (five receptions, 27 yards) and two to Jermaine Corbin (five receptions, 71 yards).

No. 9 Port Isabel rounds out the three undefeated teams in the East Valley. The Tarpons (5-0, 2-0) stayed perfect with another nice District 16-4A Division II victory, taking down Raymondville 40-22 on Saturday.

Port Isabel rushed for 259 yard and five touchdowns. Gilbert Medina led the way with 115 yards and one score. Derrin Valdez (20 yards) scored twice, and Cross Martinez (37 yards) and Jayden Lopez (49 yards) each had one rushing touchdown. Defensively, the Tarpons allowed 335 yards of offense to the Bearkats and snagged one interception.

The Los Fresnos Falcons (2-2, 1-1) bounced back from the previous week to pick up their first 32-6A victory of the season with a dominant 51-0 performance over Donna North. Senior quarterback Matthew Padilla only completed five passes on eight attempts but still racked up 138 passing yards and two touchdowns in the air. He added 135 rushing yards.

On defense/special teams, the Falcons had one fumble recovery and one blocked punt. Seniors Gregory Jones and Jayden Moreno led the team in tackles.

Brownsville St. Joseph picked up its second consecutive TAPPS Division II District 3 victory by outlasting Austin Brentwood Christian 55-34. Senior quarterback Luigi Cristiano dished out five touchdown passes in a 26-for-38, 401-passing yard performance.

The Bloodhounds (3-2, 2-0) racked up 569 yards of offense. Juan Pablo Vidaurri had one rushing and one receiving score with 122 yards on the ground and 50 in the air. Adrian del Pozo scored three total touchdowns and accumulated 223 yards. Nick Jackson and Santiago Vidaurri each had one receiving score.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — “Streak is over” and “This is our year” chants erupted from the Harlingen South student section, encompassing the importance of what happened Saturday at Boggus Stadium.

For the first time since 2007, the Harlingen South Hawks are kings of the city after clinching a 28-21 win over Harlingen High in the 29th annual Bird Bowl. The victory lifts the No. 5 Hawks to 5-0, 2-0 in District 32-6A, and further legitimizes their title hopes, while the Cardinals fall to 3-2, 1-1.

“It means the world to me to finally do this. Ever since middle school we’ve talked about it, winning our senior year. We were born for it,” Hawks senior running back Marcos Gonzales said. “We’re going to go take the district championship. We’re going to ride this momentum all the way to, hopefully, a state championship.”

Said Hawks coach Israel Gonzalez: “I’m not going to lie, this one’s special, first year at Harlingen South and knowing the rivalry. … We knew going into this it was going to be a battle, and we’re just blessed that we were able to prevail. Without God’s favor, we wouldn’t be here.”

Harlingen High came out on a mission to show why it has dominated the series since its inception. The defense forced the Harlingen South offense to go three-and-out on its first three possessions, and the Cardinals quickly took a 14-0 advantage during the first quarter.

Senior quarterback Joe Lopez connected with receivers Isaiah Perales, Aiden Sandoval and Zachary Sauceda to move the chains. Running back Izaiah Bell scored the first touchdown on a 3-yard carry to cap Harlingen High’s opening drive, which started on South’s 35-yard-line following a blocked punt by Cardinals linebacker JC Moradel. Then, Lopez found Sandoval for a 52-yard passing score.

The Hawks were not derailed by their slow start on offense, and they flipped the script during the second quarter.

“We knew we were going to face adversity. We knew if we stuck together, things would work in our favor, and the boys went out and did that,” Gonzalez said.

South came roaring back to tie the game at 14 at halftime, and the defense turned things up another notch to throw the Cardinals off their rhythm. Senior athlete Jeremiah Rivera was slippery on a punt return to start a Hawks drive in the red zone.

Senior quarterback Xander Casarez lobbed a pass to the deep left corner of the end zone, and senior receiver Elias Ledesma did his best Randy Moss impression for a 15-yard touchdown reception. Ledesma turned and leaped, catching the ball behind his defender’s head. He was named the game’s most valuable player by the Great American Rivalry Series.

The Hawks tied the game with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter. After a solo sack by junior Carlos Mossboss, the Cardinals’ punt was shanked and South’s drive started on Harlingen High’s 30. Casarez hit Rivera for a 28-yard gain, and then Gonzales scored on a 2-yard carry.

“It seemed like we got complacent because we were up 14-0,” Cardinals coach Manny Gomez said. “We’re still a young team in certain positions, and we learned the hard way. We learned that if you don’t take care of your business, that’s what happens. This is not going to define who we are.”

Both defenses controlled a scoreless third quarter. Moradel and Pedro Silguero made nice plays for Harlingen High. Mossboss and senior Caleb Anaya often busted through the offensive line for sacks and tackles for loss to lead South’s defense, along with senior linebacker Levi Ince. Ince recovered a fumble in the first half.

South took its first lead with 11:04 remaining on a 7-yard rushing touchdown by Rivera. Casarez connected with senior Ernesto Garcia, and Gonzales had a solid run to move the chains and set up the go-ahead score.

With the Hawks on the verge of snapping a 13-game losing streak to the Cardinals, their stingy and physical defense found another level. Senior Devin Montemayor notched an interception. Following a mishandled snap, junior linebacker Ethan Garza used a scoop-and-score to make it 28-14 with 3:49 to play.

Lopez returned under center after being sidelined by cramps and delivered completions to tight end Ian Solis, running back Kian Torres and Sauceda to set up a late Cardinals touchdown. Bell took a direct snap 3 yards to the end zone, making it a one-score game with less than two minutes remaining.

South sophomore Mikey Gonzalez secured the onside kick attempt. On third down, Gonzales broke away for a 24-yard run to seal the long-awaited victory for the Hawks.

“It’s over, thank God it’s over,” Gonzales said. “All the hard summers, all the long hours, it’s all worth it for this. It feels like we’re getting what we deserved. It just feels surreal.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

LYFORD — The thunderstorms that on Friday rolled into the Rio Grande Valley caused a lot of shifts in the Week 6 football schedule, particularly for games in the East Valley.

All five games that were supposed to be played in Cameron County ended up being pushed to today.

The Los Fresnos Falcons were the first East Valley team to announce a postponement Friday afternoon, citing “threatening weather and its extremely high probability of continuing” throughout the evening. Their District 32-6A game against Donna North was postponed to 4 p.m. today.

The other three 32-6A contests also were impacted by weather. The highly anticipated 29th annual Bird Bowl between No. 3 Harlingen High and No. 5 Harlingen South was postponed until 1 p.m. today at Boggus Stadium. The roads heading to the stadium were significantly flooded.

Brownsville Hanna’s bout with No. 4 San Benito will now be played at 11 a.m. today at Sams Memorial Stadium. Brownsville Rivera’s game against No. 9 Weslaco High was rescheduled to 11 a.m. at Bobby Lackey Stadium.

The District 16-4A Division II game between Raymondville and Port Isabel was pushed back to 2 p.m. today at Port Isabel.

Brownsville St. Joseph initially had to push back its kickoff time with Austin Brentwood Christian from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. because Brentwood was delayed on the road due to weather. Because of the long trip for the TAPPS Division II District 3 opponent, the Bloodhounds held off as long as they could in hopes of playing the game at Canales Field.

Continuous lightning in Brownsville kept delaying the potential kickoff time.

Eventually, Mother Nature won out, and with the clock nearing 9 p.m., St. Joseph officially postponed the game to 10:30 a.m. today at Canales Field.

Only two East Valley teams got to play Friday night, both participating in road games. Rio Hondo faced Corpus Christi West Oso in a 16-4A DII contest, and Lyford took on Corpus Christi London at Cabaniss Field. Lyford’s District 16-3A DI game was moved from Pirates Stadium to Cabaniss because of flooding near London’s campus earlier in the week.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

LA VILLA — The La Villa Cardinals were outsized when they played host to the Marine Military Academy Leathernecks on Thursday, but they certainly weren’t outplayed.

La Villa (4-2) played hard-hitting, explosive football to pick up a 40-7 victory in its final non-district tuneup and hand MMA (4-1) its first loss of the season.

“I was kind of nervous at the beginning, but we came out and played today,” La Villa coach Daniel Perez said. “We’re capable of playing that way, but we hadn’t done it. That’s one of the things I’ve been telling them, we haven’t played a complete game. Today was a complete game.”

The Cardinals dominated from the first whistle on offense and defense. Senior running back/defensive back AJ Contreras busted up the gut for big rushing gains to get the Cardinals into the red zone on their first possession. Junior quarterback Juan “JC” Ortiz scored on a 9-yard rushing touchdown with a nice move to change directions and hit the lane the offensive line created.

The Leathernecks responded with a strong kickoff return by junior quarterback Nathan Harvey to start their first drive in La Villa territory. But the Cardinals’ defense was stifling and didn’t let MMA run anywhere, quickly forcing a three-and-out.

La Villa took its second drive 90 yards for the score. This time it was senior running back/DB Christian Ortiz who did the damage in the run game. He picked up three first downs with his legs and capped the drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown. JC Ortiz connected with senior receiver Keanu Escobar for big gains to move the chains during both first-quarter possessions.

After another punt by the Leathernecks, the Cardinals’ offense was slowed down by a lengthy discussion over lightning on the horizon at the end of the opening quarter. The teams swapped punts, then La Villa regained its momentum.

Despite two penalties against the Cardinals, they extended their lead to 19-0 midway through the second quarter. JC Ortiz hit senior receiver Jacob Espericueta for a 31-yard gain, and then he found Escobar with a touchdown pass. But the score was called off due to a penalty for taunting.

The ball was placed on the Leathernecks’ 17 yard line, and after a sack by MMA junior linebacker John Shields, Christian Ortiz took a carry 19 yards for a touchdown. La Villa missed a PAT and failed to convert the 2-point attempt after the first two touchdowns, but junior lineman/kicker Jaime Elissetche made the PAT after the third.

MMA reached the red zone for the first time late in the second quarter. Senior running back Malik Rivers and Harvey had good runs to get to the 11. Christian Ortiz and junior D-lineman Joey Escobar led La Villa’s defense to force a turnover on downs to sustain the shutout at halftime.

The second half was defined by turnovers and the relentless run game of La Villa. Contreras followed the Cardinals’ offensive line comprised of Elissetche, Rene Reyna, Joe Rodriguez, Esteban Torres and Everardo Reyes to break off big runs and score two rushing touchdowns.

“Our offensive line didn’t do too good last week. But today, you could tell they were blocking their man and you could see the running backs just go through the lanes. Nobody was there,” Perez said. “Our coaches do a great job with those guys, and they’re doing a tremendous job.”

Contreras, Christian Ortiz and Brandon Felix were a few Cardinals who had plenty of success running all over the Leathernecks thanks to a stellar performance by the La Villa O-line that pushed around MMA. Keanu Escobar added a 7-yard rushing touchdown — La Villa’s sixth of the night — in the fourth.

MMA broke the shutout with 33 seconds remaining on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Benjamin Smith to Riley Porter. Smith, who replaced the injured Harvey, and Rivers had some good moments for MMA’s offense, but a slew of late turnovers prevented any comeback hopes.

Felix, Espericueta and Christian Ortiz each snagged an interception for La Villa during the second half, and senior Jerry Reyes recovered a fumble. Several players, headlined by Christian Ortiz and Contreras, excelled playing both ways in the impressive Cardinals victory.

“(Ortiz and Contreras) played awesome,” Perez said. “AJ is really, really strong, and his speed, he’s just improved so much. (Ortiz’s) quickness, you can’t teach that. He’s a little bitty guy, but he’s not scared on offense or defense. He goes all out. His heart, he’s fearless out there.”

Junior D-lineman William Webb was strong defensively for MMA. The Leathernecks notched two turnovers late on a pair of fumble recoveries, but overall they struggled.

“Being undefeated, the kids thought they were a lot better than they were, and they came in real complacent thinking they were going to beat them with no problem,” MMA coach Jim Morton said. “Hopefully they learned a valuable lesson. They can’t ever take anybody for granted. As coaches, we got to do a better job. We’re going to move some kids around, and we’ll have them ready for next week.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — The Bird Bowl has been a favorite in Harlingen for almost three decades, but this year’s contest is arguably the most anticipated in several years.

Harlingen High coach Manny Gomez and Harlingen South coach Israel Gonzalez are both emphasizing to their respective teams that this is just another District 32-6A game. But it’s not lost on anyone that the 29th Bird Bowl is a top-tier matchup.

The No. 3 Harlingen High Cardinals (3-1, 1-0) and the No. 5 Harlingen South Hawks (4-0, 1-0) will do battle at 7 p.m. today at Boggus Stadium. Both teams have impressed during the first part of the season and have legitimate district title hopes as they head into this game.

Harlingen South’s undefeated record, explosive offense averaging 38 points per game and tough defense that has only allowed 28 points all season has the Hawks confident they’ll be earning their first win in the series since 2007.

“I was there, I was, like, 4 years old, watching the game the last time the Hawks won. It would definitely mean the world to me, seeing that trophy come back to where it belongs,” South senior running back Marcos Gonzales said.

Harlingen High senior defensive lineman Nathan Huerta has no doubt the Cardinals, who lead the series 24-4, will continue their dominance.

“We are not intimidated by them at all,” Huerta said. “We are the Harlingen Cardinals. We play fast, we play physical and that’s just our standard. We play not only for ourselves but for the community, and to show who the real Harlingen is.”

Huerta is a long-time defensive standout and leads a stingy Cardinals defense. He said the defensive line, team bond and consistent growth of the Cardinals will help Harlingen High keep the winning streak alive.

“Every game has been a different test and we’ve been able to overcome adversity, and that helped us become a better team and better defense,” Huerta said. “My defensive line has really stepped up. We’re all working together, and we’ve grown up over the last few games and that’s what’s made us better. Our bond is really something else. We play for each other, we play because we love each other and we love this game.”

Gonzales feels the Hawks have the athletes they need to win 1-on-1 battles with Harlingen High’s defenders that will lead to victory. He raved about the improved team-first mentality brought on by the updated coaching staff and said “it’s a dream come true” to be playing on a team like this one in his final year at South.

“The coaching, I’d say, is ten-fold better. It’s what we’ve been praying for, a coaching staff that’s going to lead us,” Gonzales said. “Everyone’s always helping each other, and before that wasn’t preached as much. Now everyone’s for everybody and (our success is shared), and that’s definitely the biggest thing that’s going to help us.”

Senior defensive lineman Rene Reyna said South is equipped with a strong defensive line, good linebackers and a solid secondary to help the Hawks beat the Cardinals. He also credited the coaching staff for bringing a new energy to the team and keeping it focused on the game rather than the spectacle.

“Obviously, the energy and the hype will be around it, but to me it’s just another game,” Reyna said. “It’s going to be personal, but I think our game plan is really good and we’re ready for it. … Just getting another win on our belt is good, but a win in Bird Bowl would feel amazing.”

Harlingen High senior quarterback Joe Lopez likes the depth of the Cardinals’ offense and believes its plethora of playmakers will carry the team to victory. Running back Izaiah Bell and receivers Aiden Sandoval, Isaiah Perales and Zach Sauceda are a few of their talented athletes.

Lopez got hurt early in the non-district season and was sidelined, but he’s “fully recovered” now and excited to be QB1 in his first Bird Bowl and experience the rivalry under the lights.

“I’m looking forward to dominating with my brothers beside me. I know the standards, and I know what is expected of us as Harlingen Cardinals,” Lopez said. “Not playing those games makes me hungry. There’s nothing better than leading this offense and being with my brothers. We have great talent at every single position. …

“We feel we’ve dominated, so we’re confident. We won’t shy away at all. It means everything to me, and to my teammates as well,” Lopez added.

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — The 29th edition of the Bird Bowl between the Harlingen High Cardinals and Harlingen South Hawks will bring a new fold to the crosstown rivalry.

Harlingen High football coach/athletic coordinator Manny Gomez was a star linebacker for the Cardinals before graduating in 1990. After a college career, Gomez started coaching with the Cardinals in 1995. One of the players he coached was Israel Gonzalez III, Harlingen South’s first-year football coach/athletic coordinator.

Gonzalez, a 1997 Harlingen High graduate, played in the Cardinals’ secondary. Gomez later hired Gonzalez as a coach, and he spent 10 years with the Cardinals program.

The duo won every Bird Bowl they coached in together. They’ll be on opposing sidelines and going head-to-head for the first time when the No. 5 Hawks (4-0, 1-0) and No. 3 Cardinals (3-1, 1-0) battle at 7 p.m. today at Boggus Stadium.

“It’s like going against a family member,” Gomez said. “Usually you’re going up against somebody you respect, but he’s also a person that you love and you helped raise and shared some great times with. … I got the chance to coach him up a little bit on special teams, and then eventually I got him to come work with me. That’s where the relationship was built and grown.”

Gonzalez said he was surprised when Gomez got him coaching offense instead of defense, where he played. But he called it a beneficial decision, which led to Gonzalez serving two years as Harlingen High’s offensive coordinator before advancing to the head coaching ranks.

“(Gomez) was one of the first guys I knew personally that had gone on to play at the next level, so there’s no doubt he was somebody we looked up to in the program,” Gonzalez said. “He gave me my opportunity. Throwing me on the offensive side, little did I know he had a bigger plan, a bigger vision. … All those little decisions definitely had an influence on where I ended up.”

The Cardinals have controlled the series, winning 24 of 28 matchups, but Gomez doesn’t want Harlingen High to find too much comfort in that with a revamped South team lying in wait.

“I never liked history myself. We know that it’s not what happened yesterday, it’s what’s going to happen today and tomorrow. We just want to be the best we can be today,” Gomez said. “It’s going to be an exciting game, a very violent game. Should be a fun night.”

Gonzalez isn’t thinking about South’s losing streak. He just wants the Hawks to focus on getting “one step closer to winning a district championship.” Though he’ll be in a new set of colors this Bird Bowl, Gonzalez said there have been nothing but well wishes exchanged between himself and his former Cardinals associates, and he and Gomez both said this game is about making their communities proud.

“That staff on the other side of town, they’re an excellent staff with an excellent leader that I’ve got nothing but respect for. They do a tremendous job coaching and raising young men,” Gonzalez said. “Now, Harlingen South has the same thing, and ultimately the winner of this is the community of Harlingen. … It’s going to be a battle. I expect two programs to fight it out to the last whistle. We hope to put on a show and make everyone extremely proud in both communities.”

By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Santa Maria’s Week 6 contest against South San Antonio West Campus has been canceled.

The game was scheduled to be played at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi. Santa Maria coach Israel Gracia said the game was canceled Thursday morning due to a COVID-19 situation at West Campus. The West Campus Cougar Pride Foundation said on Twitter the decision was made “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

Because of the late decision and with the majority of teams already playing district games, Gracia said he doesn’t think it would be possible for Santa Maria to pick up a replacement game.

The Cougars (3-2) will begin District 16-2A Division I action next week at 7:30 p.m. at Ben Bolt.

According to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, two other games featuring UIL 11-man football teams have been canceled this week and seven were rescheduled due to COVID-19.