DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Grulla’s second bi-district championship in four years didn’t come easily.

The Gators rallied from a 21-point deficit in the second quarter and held La Vernia scoreless in the second half Saturday afternoon, scoring 42 unanswered points in earning a 49-28 Class 4A bi-district playoff win in Alice.

The win marked the fifth in a row for Grulla, which plays China Spring in the area round Friday at Lehnhoff Stadium in Schertz, which is outside of San Antonio. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

Grulla (7-4) was down 28-7 early in the second quarter before closing it to 28-16 by halftime.

“We started sluggish,” Grulla coach Abel Gonzalez III said. “I felt after a big win for us last week (a district-title clinching win against La Feria), I thought that might have happened. It did. We got some momentum in the second quarter, closed the gap, and then we get the ball first in the second half. At that point, we felt good. Our senior leadership took over.”

Grulla made defensive adjustments to counter one-dimensional La Vernia, which relied solely on the run game. The Gators mixed and matched alignments and stopped over pursuing on La Vernia’s tosses. That enabled for better positioning for tackles.

Offensively, Grulla was dynamic with its own ground game. Fabian Anzaldua scored three touchdowns, and Dillen Salinas, Miguel Pena and Diego Mata each scored one TD.

The Gators only punted once in the second half.

“They ran a lot of man coverage and we ran the ball,” Gonzalez said. “We ran it well, and we felt going in we would do that with our outside jet sweeps and we executed. We blocked excellent and we controlled the ball.”

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — When her son was making a decision about where to play college baseball — UTRGV, Baylor, Houston, Corpus Christi, among others — Cindy Lopez reminded Noel Vela often of the following:

“No matter where you play,” she advised, “they will find you, whether it’s five miles away or 5,000 miles away.”

“They” is in reference to Major League Baseball scouts. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Vela has that kind of talent if he stays on the right path. Where he will hone that talent will be UTRGV.

The Mission Veterans Memorial senior left-hander signed his letter of intent Wednesday morning to play for the Vaqueros. He verbally committed after his sophomore year and never strayed from that decision.

“My visit was great,” Vela said of the initial meeting that took place after his sophomore season. “The players were real humble and welcoming. As soon as I stepped into the fieldhouse, they all greeted me without even knowing who I was. They had already made me feel a part of the team. I just knew I would fit in.”

Vela picked UTRGV over Baylor so that he could play close to home. During Wednesday’s news conference to announce his signing, Vela’s grandparents, parents, siblings, teammates, friends and girlfriend were all in attendance for his big day.

“It was a big factor knowing they can all come and watch me play,” said Vela, who gives every home run ball he hits to his grandfather. “That support is big. It would have been hard to have them all stay here at home while I go off somewhere else.”

Vela was The Monitor’s 2016 All-Area Player of the Year. As a junior last season, he hit .538 with 43 RBIs, six home runs and 44 runs scored. On the mound, he went 5-3 with a 0.89 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched.

When Vela attended a Patriots camp during his sixth grade year, Mission Vets coach Casey Smith remembered being impressed right away.

“I remember looking at him and thinking that this kid is going to be pretty good,” Smith said. “We knew he was talented his freshman year when he ended up being our No. 1 (pitcher) at the end of the year. By the second half of his sophomore season, you knew he was going to be a next-level guy.”

Vela liked that UTRGV is looking at him to hit and pitch. Over 97 games as a Patriot, Vela has hit .430 with 107 RBIs and eight home runs. He has a career 1.46 ERA with 291 strikeouts to 106 walks in 178 innings.

“Hitting and pitching are important to him,” Smith said. “A lot of schools want you for one or the other. Noel is extremely talented at the plate and on the mound. To be quite honest, I don’t know where the ceiling is on either one. I just know it’s high.”

Vela said he plans to study kinesiology and sports management in college. On the field this season, he expects to improve at getting ahead of counts and throwing fewer pitches.

He will be free to focus strictly on playing baseball instead of where his next chapter lies.

“It’s great knowing I can get this off my shoulders and get it out of the way,” Vela said. “It’s exciting. This day got here fast. I never thought it would get here, and soon enough, it’s here.”

Other local signings that marked National Signing Day:

>> Mercedes senior catcher Oliver Closner signed his letter of intent to play baseball at UTRGV. The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder hit .500 with 24 RBIs and three home runs last season. He had a .608 on-base percentage and .935 slugging percentage and only committed three errors in 117 total chances.

>> La Joya Palmview senior pitcher/infielder Leo Perez signed his letter of intent to play at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The 6-foot-1 Perez hit .489 with 10 homers and 33 RBIs last year, posting a .541 on-base percentage. He also went 9-3 as a pitcher with a 1.78 ERA and 123 strikeouts to 21 walks in 86.2 innings.

>> Edinburg North senior pitcher Giancarlo Servin signed his letter of intent to play baseball at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Servin hit .552 with 27 RBIs and two home runs last year. On the mound, he went 9-1 with a 0.67 ERA and 107 strikeouts to 26 walks in 62.2 innings.

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BY MARIO AGUIRRE, GREG LUCA, DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITERS

One week remains in the high school football regular season. McAllen Memorial has already clinched an outright district championship, but others remain up for grabs.

Meanwhile, many teams are simply hoping to keep playing beyond Week 11. A lot of fates rely upon games yet to be played.

Here are the scenarios for each Class 6A and 5A district moving forward.

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial is 5-0 and has clinched the outright district championship and the No. 1 seed in Division I.

McAllen Rowe and La Joya Palmview have secured playoff berths at 3-2. Palmview and Rowe will both compete in Division II. Either McAllen High, La Joya High or La Joya Juarez-Lincoln will claim the final playoff spot and take the No. 2 seed in Division I.

La Joya High is almost certainly in with a win against La Joya Palmview on Friday. The only scenario in which a win does not grant La Joya High a playoff berth is if McAllen Rowe loses to McAllen Memorial, and McAllen High wins against Mission High, and La Joya High’s win against Palmview is by only one point. La Joya High is out with a loss.

McAllen High needs help to reach the playoffs. The Bulldogs need to win and get either (A.) a La Joya High loss or (B.) a McAllen Rowe loss, and La Joya High’s win is by only 1 point. McAllen High is out with a loss.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln has an outside chance at the postseason, as they would advance from a four-way tie at 2-4 if McAllen High and La Joya High were to both lose. The Huskies have a Week 11 bye.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela (6-0) has secured at least a share of the district title. It can clinch outright with a win over Edinburg Economedes (4-2). If Edinburg High wins and Edinburg Vela loses, they share the title. Either way, they’ll be the two representatives in Division II, with Vela the No. 1 seed and Edinburg High No. 2.

The two remaining playoff spots will come down to Edinburg Economedes (4-2), PSJA North (4-2) or Edinburg North (3-3) in Division I. Econ faces Vela and PSJA North takes on Edinburg High. Even with a win over PSJA High (1-5), Edinburg North is not assured a postseason berth. If Econ and PSJA North win their respective games, Edinburg North is out.

If Econ and PSJA North lose and Edinburg North wins, the three teams would finish tied with 4-3 district records. In that event, Edinburg North would secure its berth via points (+2). The final berth then would come down to Econ and PSJA North, who are tied in points (-1).

If Edinburg North and PSJA North win and Econ loses, then Edinburg North would get in the playoffs because it beat Econ head-to-head. And if Edinburg North and Econ win and PSJA North loses, then PSJA North is in because it beat Edinburg North.

District 32-6A

Undefeated San Benito and Harlingen High meet Friday to determine the outright district champion. Both teams are already assured playoff berths.

The other two playoff spots will be decided by two Friday games: Weslaco High at Los Fresnos and Brownsville Hanna at Weslaco East.

Weslaco High, Los Fresnos and Weslaco East are all 3-3, and each can secure a postseason berth with a victory.

Hanna beating East would set up two possible tiebreaker arrangements to determine the fourth seed, which would go to either East, Los Fresnos or Weslaco High.

If Hanna defeats East and Weslaco High beats Los Fresnos, Weslaco High is the No. 3 seed. This sets up a three-way tie for fourth place at 3-4 between Hanna, East and Los Fresnos. In this scenario, Los Fresnos advances by virtue of head-to-head wins against both East and Hanna.

If Hanna defeats East and Los Fresnos beats Weslaco High, Los Fresnos is the No. 3 seed, setting up a three-way tie for fourth place at 3-4 between Hanna, Weslaco East and Weslaco High. In that scenario, Weslaco East advances if Hanna’s win against East is by 13 points or fewer, and Weslaco High advances if Hanna’s win against East is by 14 points or more.

Harlingen High will be competing in Division I. Every other seeding or divisional assignment hinges on Week 11 results.

District 31-5A

Laredo Nixon and Sharyland Pioneer have clinched playoff spots. Pioneer has clinched for the first time in its three years of varsity competition.

Nixon and Pioneer are each 6-1 in district and in line to share the district title. Nixon plays Laredo Martin (3-4) on Friday; Pioneer hosts Roma (3-4). Nixon will be a Division I playoff representative in 31-5A. Pioneer will be a Division II representative.

Sharyland High is third in district at 5-2. Mission Veterans Memorial and Rio Grande City are tied for fourth at 4-3 each.

If Sharyland High beats Rio Grande City next week, it clinches a playoff spot. If Mission Vets beats Valley View, it’s in. The only way Rio Grande City can make the playoffs is if it beats Sharyland High by 16 or more points.

Even if Rio Grande City wins by fewer than 16 points, the Rattlers are out based on positive points in a three-way tiebreaker should Mission Vets beats Valley View.

Going into next week, the positive points for the three teams look like this: Sharyland High at plus-14, Mission Vets at plus-3 and Rio Grande City at minus-17.

If Mission Vets wins, it has already set up its Division I bi-district pairing against Brownsville Veterans Memorial. The game would take place Nov. 11 in Brownsville.

District 32-5A

Mercedes, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Edcouch-Elsa have clinched playoff spots in District 32-5A. Brownsville Lopez has the edge on the final playoff berth at 4-2, but if 3-3 Brownsville Pace beats Lopez next week, Pace gets in on a head-to-head tiebreaker.

It’s possible Edcouch-Elsa, Pace and Lopez finish in a three-way tie, but the Yellowjackets would be fine since they beat Pace and Lopez this season.

Mercedes and Brownsville Vets are each 5-1 in district. Edcouch-Elsa is 4-2, but beat Lopez 33-6 on Friday.

Edcouch-Elsa and Mercedes will be the Division II playoff representatives in 32-5A, with Mercedes being the higher seed. Brownsville Vets will be the No. 1 seed in Division I.

BY DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — The first start of quarterback Edgar Longoria’s high school career will not be forgotten anytime soon by Sharyland High fans.

With his Rattlers team in a precarious situation in the District 31-5A playoff picture, needing to win out to control its own destiny and make it to the postseason, the sophomore produced a heck of a debut, completing 14 of 21 passes for 211 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 109 more yards on 17 carries to lead Sharyland High to a 42-28 win over Mission Veterans Memorial on Friday night in front of a Homecoming crowd at Richard Thompson Stadium.

“Beast, man,” senior defensive back Andres Tamez said of Longoria.“He’s a great leader. He was Mr. Cool the whole time. He was calm and composed, and I’m really glad he played the way he played.”

The stellar introduction happened to occur on Longoria’s birthday. He turned 16 years old on Friday.

“This win is the best birthday present,” Longoria said. “I didn’t want anything else. I dedicated it to all my seniors, being their last guaranteed home game, and they deserve it.”

If Sharyland High (6-3, 5-2 31-5A) beats Rio Grande City (6-3, 4-3) next week, it will go to the playoffs. If not, and Mission Vets (5-4, 4-3) beats Valley View, there will be a three-way tie between the teams determined by positive points.

Mission Vets, which beat Rio Grande City last week, could have clinched a playoff berth with a win against Sharyland High.

Laredo Nixon and Sharyland Pioneer is each 6-1 in district, followed by Sharyland High at 5-2, and Rio Grande City and Mission Vets at 4-3 each.

“Win and we’re in,” Mission Vets coach David Gilpin said. “That’s the situation we’re looking at. We’ve got work to do, there’s no doubt. But I don’t want to focus on the negativity of this game, where there was a lot we didn’t do well in the second half at all. We have to get back at it and find a way to get in.

“If we get into the playoffs, we get a chance to start over and that’s all you can ask.”

Mission Vets and Sharyland High were tied at 21 apiece at halftime Friday. The Rattlers fumbled the kickoff return to start the second half, and Mission Vets capitalized when Diego Hernandez found Roman De Leon from 13 yards out to go up by 7.

But that was the last that would be heard from the Patriots as Sharyland High did a better job putting pressure on Hernandez, the Rio Grande Valley’s most prolific passer, as the game wore on.

The Rattlers only sent three or four rushers at Hernandez, but Mission Vets’ offensive line was no match for the athleticism and speed. After gaining 220 yards in the first half, the Patriots, 31-5A’s second-best offensive unit, managed just 111 in the second.

“Early on, (Hernandez) was scrambling a lot,” said Tamez, one of the key rushers who produced big tackles on Hernandez behind the line of scrimmage. “We adjusted to make sure he didn’t extend plays anymore and were able to get a lot of sacks, a lot of tackles for losses.”

From there, it was Longoria’s show. After De Leon’s score, Longoria found David Medrano on a beauty of a 32-yard scoring play. After the defense forced a Mission Vets fumble and recovered, Longoria struck again, this time finding Miguel Pena from 32 yards out to go up 35-28.

Fernie Perez’s 43-yard rumble of a run up the middle with 18 seconds left in the third quarter capped the scoring.

“All this week, I’d prepared myself as if I was the starter,” Longoria said. “I just gave it my all. They were playing Cover 3 and we took advantage with a lot of quick outs to our outside receivers. It worked.”

The offense flowed just as if the starter was senior Alan Alvarez, the district’s third-best passer whom Sharyland High coach Ron Adame said was sidelined with a hurt shoulder.

Longoria connected with five different receivers, simply taking what the defense afforded him. When that wasn’t working, he threw it up to star receiver Edgar Alanis, who caught nine passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

“After that first TD to Edgar (with 9:11 left in the first quarter), all the butterflies went away,” Longoria said. “I played comfortably from there, knew my teammates had trust in me and went from there.”

Coming off two losses that put them in a dire situation to begin with, the Rattlers were happy to see a well-played game, not just the win. The running game returned, as Sharyland High amassed 248 yards on 39 carries (6.4 yards per carry), and Longoria filled in admirably for Alvarez.

Adame said he will wait and see before declaring the starter for next week’s big game at Rio Grande City. Either way, he has two solid options, he said, as well as big momentum.

“We’re hoping this win is going to carry over and get us something going into the last game of the year,” Adame said. “Nothing is a sure thing. Several things can factor out, but the bottom line is we can take care of it with a win next week.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — The Sharyland Pioneer football team’s goal chart consists of six categories, ranging from explosive plays to third-down conversions. The idea is to be on the plus side of each category coming out of every game.

At the top of the chart is turnover margin, the difference between a team’s takeaway total and its giveaway total. Since he was an assistant coach under Scott Ford at Los Fresnos in 2008, coach Jason Wheeler has become a student of the stat. He even conducted a clinic in Corpus Christi on its influence.

Wheeler studies college and professional teams and how turnover margin correlates to winning. For instance, Wheeler said it is not a coincidence that the top two college football teams in turnover margin (Washington at plus-14 and Western Michigan at plus-12) are undefeated. Washington State (5-2) and Colorado (6-2) also are in the top five in turnover margin.

He also doesn’t think it’s random that the Dallas Cowboys are enjoying a successful season, with a plus-4 turnover margin through six games, after posting a minus-22 last season.

“What I started realizing is plus-15 and above is where you need to be to have a great year,” Wheeler said.

This season, the Diamondbacks (6-2, 5-1 District 31-5A), who are in line for at least a share of the 31-5A title heading into Friday’s game at Laredo Martin, are a plus-17. They have 27 takeaways to 10 giveaways.

“Turnovers are big for us,” said senior defensive back Anthony Jimenez, who leads the team with four interceptions. “It’s a big factor. Plus-17 … we want to get it higher. We want to go deep in the playoffs, and winning the turnover battle will get us there. They change the momentum of the game. It brings everybody up. We get a turnover, the offense comes out and scores and gets us back on the field. It keeps us all energized.”

Wheeler aims for a plus-2 advantage in turnover margin every game. Entering this season, he had a team with speed and quickness but not as much size, so he changed the defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 to accommodate personnel.

The Diamondbacks still run the same coverages under the different alignment. And with an experienced secondary led by Jimenez, Albert Ruiz, Tyler Bulthuis, Richard Mata and others, Pioneer is not susceptible to the big play. Pioneer defensive backs have 16 interceptions.

“They were a big reason we went to state in 7-on-7, and you could see their confidence just grow from there,” linebacker Jesus Sanchez said of the defensive backfield. “But even before that, they were working out together, always talking, always around each other, and they just have that bond of having been there.”

Wheeler said that experience is critical.

“We’ve got three or four kids that have played since they were sophomores, so when you play a lot of football and you’re comfortable with your position, that’s when you create turnovers,” he said. “Everyone reps creating turnovers, but the teams that actually do that during games have players that are comfortable with what they’re doing.”

But as much as defense is central to turnover margin, offense plays just as big of a role.

Sophomore quarterback Jacob Rosales has done an impressive job of directing an offense that doesn’t turn the ball over much. Rosales has 15 touchdown passes to two interceptions and has also rushed for eight touchdowns.

He is a big part of a dominant rushing attack that had been nonexistent for Pioneer in the previous two years. Before, the Diamondbacks relied exclusively on defense. Now they have an offense that give defensive players rest and capitalize off opponents’ mistakes.

“Last year, we did a good job creating turnovers (plus-7), but just couldn’t get the ball into the end zone,” Wheeler said. “We didn’t get into the playoffs because we couldn’t score off turnovers. This year, because we have leads in games now, we can even be more aggressive with zone blitzes and really play all out.”

Pioneer has been able to get up early on teams. With that, the Diamondbacks run the ball and control clock, forcing opponents to panic and start throwing the ball even if they don’t want to.

Many of the Diamondbacks’ interceptions have come during the second half with teams trying to catch up. That’s when Wheeler has his defense drop into zones and only rush three or four players to the quarterback.

“We don’t go out there with the mindset of getting a turnover,” Sanchez said. “We just play ball. We read the offense and take what it gives us. As long as we rally and hustle to the ball, we’re doing our jobs.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

DONNA — The rap and techno music blares over the speakers at Bennie La Prade Stadium. What one could expect should be a quiet, if not underwhelming, Donna High football practice is relentlessly upbeat.

The Redskins have gone through a lot this season. As it was, only seven starters returned from last season. Then three tailbacks suffered season-ending injuries. A fourth one missed five weeks because of injury. Five players hardly ever miss a snap, playing both ways out of necessity.

But that pales in comparison to the tragedy that took place two weeks ago when first-year outside linebackers coach Jason Garcia passed away during a car accident in San Benito. Since then, however, and remarkably, the Redskins have played their best football, winning two straight games and keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.

Perhaps that’s why during Wednesday’s late afternoon practice, players bobbed to the music — a good sign, as coach Ramiro Leal allows music during the last hour of practices the week after a win — and the mood is relaxed. Spirits are high for a 3-5 team, 2-3 in District 32-5A.

“It’s sad to say tragedy can jell a team together, but what happened to Coach Garcia brought players out of their shells, they were openly emotional, and they really rallied around each other,” Leal said. “It’s a more united team that has more appreciation for the game.”

The Redskins persevered when they could have waned.

After a season-opening win over Valley View, Donna High lost five straight games. Two tailbacks went down during a 16-0 loss to La Joya High in Week 3. By the time district play rolled around two weeks later, the Redskins’ backfield was bare and Leal was forced to adapt. Defensive players started playing more on offense; talented free safety Noel Perez is the team’s top rusher.

“It’s been hard,” said junior quarterback Josh Mata, who missed two games with a sprained ankle. “It’s tough asking younger players to fill in for guys who are experienced and have adapted to varsity. It’s a big difference, but everyone is pulling through.”

A Donna High practice generally starts with offense going through drills on one side of the field while the defense is on the other. That goes on for 90 minutes before the team goes “live” 11-on-11 for the final 45 minutes.

Now, since the Week 6 game against Edcouch-Elsa, Leal has his varsity players go through an hour on defensive work and then an hour on offense. He also cut the offensive playbook down and structured the defense around a base alignment.

During last week’s win over Donna North, for instance, Leal said the Redskins used variations of just four plays.

“I told the coaches we’re going to have to give up on a lot of the things we do as far as complexity,” said Leal, who added the biggest thing he has learned this season is that it is OK to depart from one’s comfort zone. “We needed to get simpler, but get good at those things. We weren’t getting good at anything. Now we’re executing a lot better.”

Indeed, Perez, who has rushed for 492 yards and four touchdowns on 53 carries, has been a revelation. Mata (237 yards, four touchdowns) has produced as a ballcarrier. Hector Guerrero has improved at quarterback. Since two straight shutout losses to La Joya High and Mercedes, the Redskins are averaging 25.5 points over the last four games. The defense, a steady component all season long, has sustained quality play despite key players being used on the other side of the ball.

Donna High whipped Brownsville Porter 42-12 two weeks ago — four days after Garcia’s accident; the Redskins essentially played on emotional adrenaline after having one true practice during the week — and shut down the rival Chiefs 20-0 last week.

For the third straight game, the Redskins will trot out the same starters Friday against Brownsville Pace as they did the previous game.

“We’re finally executing as a team,” Perez said. “We’re all feeling more comfortable. We’re all doing our jobs and we know who’s going to be out there. That’s a big difference.”

Leal said his team is no longer locked in on always trying to win. Garcia’s loss offered bigger, and better, perspective. Early on, the Redskins dealt with the pressure of being defending 32-5A champs. The expectations of players and coaches, as well as the community, were overwhelming.

Things are different now. The players are not as focused on the result of games, but on their effort and play. Interestingly enough, the new mindset has birthed the first winning streak of the season.

“It’s impressive how this team has kept moving forward,” Perez said. “We’re doing great things right now. We’ve stuck together and hung in there, and we’re winning games. Everything we’ve gone through, it’s tough. But we’ve done well going through all this pain, going through all this adversity.

“With Coach Garcia’s tragedy, it opened our eyes in telling us that the next day is not a given. You have to work for today.”

A life lesson learned, Leal is pleased, if not relieved.

“For the first time,” he said, “they’re taking their own identity and they’re trying to enjoy themselves and things are outright working out better.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

There’s a popular saying around the Edcouch-Elsa fieldhouse: Winners don’t wait for chances, they take them.

“That sums up Nate,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said.

“Nate” is senior strong safety Nathaniel Rodriguez, one of the leaders of the Yellowjackets’ defense. Rodriguez is second on the team in total tackles, with 107, and also has an interception, fumble recovery and a fumble caused to go with seven tackles for a loss.

“He’d be up there with being one of the more athletic kids we have,” Marichalar said. “It was just a matter of time before he started having big-time games.”

Marichalar said Friday night, when Edcouch-Elsa romped Brownsville Pace 41-7, was a perfect indicator of Rodriguez’s talent.

The 5-foot-8, 170-pounder had 17 total tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and a fumble caused.

“He’s a hitter,” Marichalar said. “He loves contact and he’s very aggressive and is very physical. He wants that. If opponents fall into it, they cater into what he likes. He’s a fighter.”

A first-team all-district pick at his position last season, Rodriguez is taking more risks and is more accountable this season under second-year secondary coach Victor Cardenas.

“His style of play was visible last year,” Marichalar said. “You can easily mistake him on film for a linebacker. He likes to creep up and stay close to the box. He thinks he can take on the world. He’s got that mentality.”

EMERGING

Mission Veterans Memorial’s defense has not been without its issues this season, allowing 32.3 points on 434.9 yards per game, but it also has not been without bright spots.

One of those is sophomore linebacker Joey Garcia. A converted receiver/quarterback, Garcia is averaging 9.9 tackles and has a sack and fumble caused. He leads the defense with 14 quarterback hurries.

“He’s got a good burst and he’s got a nose for the ball,” Mission Vets coach David Gilpin said. “He’s got good football sense. I always thought linebacker would be his best fit. He had a great spring and he really took off and earned a varsity spot.”

Garcia has started all season for the Patriots, who entered 2016 with one returning starter. Gilpin said Garcia has great feet and a feel for the game beyond his years.

Gilpin said Garcia does well getting to the point of attack, but has a tendency to miss some tackles.

“He’s young, so he makes mistakes,” Gilpin said. “He can take plays off sometimes, but he’s starting to eliminate those things. When he gets to playing every play at full speed, he’ll be more and more effective.”

RUN, RUN D-BACKS

Defense has always been a staple for Sharyland Pioneer since it started varsity football in 2014.

This season, as the Diamondbacks are all but assured of their first postseason berth, the offense has finally matched up.

The Diamondbacks are averaging 245 rushing yards, complementing a stingy defense that has 16 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries with an offense that moves the chains and controls the clock. Pioneer averaged just 103 rushing yards last season.

“Anytime we rush for over 200 yards, I think we have a chance to beat anybody,” Pioneer coach Jason Wheeler said. “The running game is more consistent to an offense. When I was a younger coach in Austin, (former UT coach) Mack Brown walks into our room during a clinic and told us there’s a lot more Earl Campbells than Roger Staubachs. He told us you better run the ball or stop the run.

“The run game has given us a big momentum swing, and we know every time we get a turnover we have a chance to score touchdowns.”

The Diamondbacks have three capable ballcarriers in backs Christian Rivera and Michael Benavides, and quarterback Jacob Rosales. They have combined for 1,564 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The fact that the Diamondbacks have been successful running the ball even without No. 1 back Brandon Casas, who suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason, has made it all the more impressive.

Rivera, a former outside linebacker, is a downhill runner, while Benavides has quicker feet.

“Anytime you have competition at the running back position, it’s good,” Wheeler said. “I don’t care what level of the game. If they mess up, they know there’s always somebody there to fill in.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — If Mission Veterans Memorial was going to do something it had failed to do in its two previous District 31-5A games, both defeats, it would have to happen in its biggest game of the season so far.

The Patriots had put themselves in a precarious position by not closing out games in the fourth quarter against Sharyland Pioneer (Week 6) and Laredo Nixon (Week 7). A strong finish would certainly have to be in the cards Friday night against Rio Grande City in a game with huge playoff implications for both teams.

And, indeed, Mission Vets dealed, instead of being dealt.

With the game tied at 20 heading into the final 12 minutes, Mission Vets outscored Rio Grande City by 17 to earn a 51-34 decision in an intense back-and-forth affair at Tom Landry Stadium.

The win put Mission Vets at 4-2 in District 31-5A with games against Sharyland High and Valley View looming. The loss dropped Rio Grande City to 4-3 with a bye next week and a date with Sharyland High in Week 11.

“One of our focuses was winning the fourth quarter,” Mission Vets coach David Gilpin said. “We were there late with Pioneer, and they beat us. We were right there with Nixon, and they beat us. Tonight, we were there and we won the game.

“I don’t know, man,” Gilpin gleefully added. “I’m just happy tonight.”

And the pride of that joy was the play of the run game and defense, two much-maligned aspects of the Patriots this season.

Mission Vets saw the return of lead back Johnny Martinez pay off in the fourth quarter with ball-control runs of 10, 8 and 37 yards, the last leading to quarterback Diego Hernandez’s 16-yard scramble that put Mission Vets up 44-34 with 1:33 left after Rio Grande City scored less than a minute earlier.

As for the defense, the Patriots recovered a fumble on a Rio Grande City kickoff return early in the fourth quarter deep in RGC territory that led to a Landry Gilpin TD reception. After Mission Vets’ Brayan Barrios had nailed a field goal 36 seconds earlier, that Gilpin score turned a tie game into a 30-20 Mission Vets lead 40 seconds into the final stanza.

And with the Rattlers threatening late, down 10 with about 90 seconds left, Jacob Garcia returned an interception 65 yards for the final score.

“We knew we had to win to control our own destiny, so we played desperate,” said Hernandez, who completed 36 of 47 passes for 392 yards and four touchdowns while running for two more scores. “That’s what we did. We fought and played until the end. We held ourselves together.

“We won that fourth quarter tonight, and it was our best of the game.”

Rio Grande City started strong when Israel Lambert took the opening kickoff 97 yards for a score. The game was 14-13, in the Rattlers’ favor, at halftime.

But Rio Grande City couldn’t keep up. Injuries occurred along the defensive line, and the Rattlers’ two giveaways during the second half were big considering Mission Vets did not turn the ball over and scored on all five of its second-half possessions.

Hernandez was the key. He completed passes to five different receivers and picked his spots well. Rio Grande City was not able to get pressure on him, and the Rio Grande Valley’s most prolific passer took advantage.

“We were chipping way and taking what they gave us, and that was the short stuff all night to the outside receivers,” Hernandez said. “Our receivers got open, our O-line did an amazing job protecting and we played all-around great.”

Gilpin was the beneficiary of the offense’s brilliance, catching 16 passes for 186 yards and scoring on catches of 26, 4, 19 and 28 yards, respectively. With the Rattlers’ attention geared toward the Patriots’ and the district’s No. 1 wideout Jacob Guerrero, who still caught eight passes for 81 yards, Gilpin was free to roam.

“It’s like when people try and cover Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams is open,” Hernandez said. “It all works out.”

While the loss significantly hampered the Rattlers’ postseason hopes, it did not end them. Rio Grande City needs help. It needs Laredo Nixon to beat Sharyland High on Saturday, and Mission Vets to beat Sharyland High next week. If that happens, it sets up a showdown in two weeks between both Rattlers teams. If Rio Grande City wins, it is in and Sharyland High is out.

“Our boys showed a lot of character. Mission Vets is a good team,” Rio Grande City coach Aaron Garcia said. “We’re not out of it yet, not mathematically. There’s still hope that we have one more game for a playoff spot. We have to hang on to that.

“This season hasn’t gone how everyone thought it was going to go, no one even picked us to be in this position, so we have hopes that it will happen for us.”

As for the Patriots, they’re not securely in the playoffs, but went a long way in getting there with Friday’s result.

“We knew our playoff backs were against the wall,” Gilpin said. “We came out swinging and that was our mentality tonight. In our seven years as a coaching staff going into this season, we’d only missed the playoffs once. So we challenged our kids. How do you want to be remembered? Do they want to be the second bunch that misses the postseason?

“I think they gave us a resounding ‘no’ tonight. We’ve got ourselves in position now to get there.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Donna High coach Ramiro Leal gathered his junior varsity and varsity players and went to Brownsville on Friday to attend the funeral of former outside linebackers coach Jason Garcia. Garcia, a Brownsville native praised for his “energy” and “positivity” during his first year as a coach with the Redskins, passed away last Monday in a car accident in San Benito.

The Redskins’ coaches and players were in Brownsville from 9:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., getting back to Donna just five hours before kicking off against Brownsville Porter.

“I didn’t even know how they were going to play, but they played very inspired football,” Leal said of Donna High’s 42-12 win over Porter. “They played the game like they’ve never played it. They overachieved because of the inspiration for the coach. I can’t even put it into words.”

It’s been a trying year for Donna High (2-5, 1-3 District 32-5A). Friday’s win was just the Redskins’ second of the season. The varsity roster consists of only 32 players. Many kids are playing both ways; the starting tailback is also the starting safety and the backup tailback is the starting cornerback.

But things are moving forward. Leal said Friday, he saw his team execute better than it has all season, coming off the emotional morning and a week that included no practice on Tuesday after the team learned of Garcia’s passing.

“We’re running the same plays as last year, but the execution was so much better,” Leal said. “A lot of times this season, we’re running a play and a guy or two misses a block or we can’t get to the edge. This time, these kids got to that edge. They played above and beyond.”

Leal said players are finally in shape to play both ways. For the first time this season, the team left the field after a game injury-free on Friday.

Also, for the first time, the Redskins will have the same starters on the field for the second straight game this Friday against rival Donna North.

“We’ll take one game at a time,” Leal said. “We have to play every game like we played Friday. We showed what we’re capable of. We just want to see everything continued on a consistent basis.”

TIGERS MAKING STRIDES

Valley View is getting more comfortable in offensive coordinator Rick Valdez’s new spread offense. It showed last week.

The Tigers put up 34 points on a program-best 528 yards during last week’s win over Laredo Cigarroa.

“The kids are believing in our program,” interim coach Eli Esquivel said. “The spread takes time to develop and now they’re comfortable with what we’re doing. They used to run, run, run. Now we’re throwing all the time. So the timing, the throwing, the catching … it all takes time. These kids are working hard, and we’ve won more games this year than the two previous years.”

Indeed, the Tigers (2-5) have improved upon 2015’s 0-10 mark and 2014’s 1-9 standing. And they have a lot to build on with a young roster.

Valley View started five sophomores on Friday night. Dual-threat quarterback Adam Solis is a senior, but key playmakers like Richie Sanchez and Jesus Acosta are juniors.

It’s been a process. The Tigers ran the slot-T under previous coach Ubaldo Peña. Passing was a foreign concept. Now Valley View is playing an entirely different style of football and seeing all the hard work pay off.

“All we’re asking is for them to work hard, play basic defense and execute on offense,” Esquivel said. “Let’s get better every week. We’re very young, but if we play hard good things will happen. Sure enough, that’s what’s happening right now.”

BIG GAME LOOMS FOR UNDERMANNED VETS

Mission Veterans Memorial likely won’t be at full health for this week’s big game against Rio Grande City.

Receiver Buda Gonzalez is out and will be re-evaluated Monday. No. 1 receiver Jacob Guerrero is a game-time decision, but has not practiced in pads yet. Running back Johnny Martinez is also a game-time decision, but hasn’t participated in contact practices.

As coach David Gilpin said, “It is what it is.” But “it” is dire, particularly going into a game that will have significant bearing upon Mission Vets’ and Rio Grande City’s playoff fates.

Mission Vets is 3-2 in District 31-5A. Rio Grande City is 4-2.

“When you’ve got your back to the wall and you’re basically sitting in a playoff game in Week 9, it’s time to go,” Gilpin said. “There’s no waiting. It’s next man up and it’s time to play. If we win this Friday night, it puts us in pretty good position to make the playoffs.”

Gilpin said whoever loses Friday night cannot afford to finish in a tie with the other because the latter would have the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Right now, Laredo Nixon (4-1), Sharyland High (4-1) and Sharyland Pioneer (4-1) are good bets for the top three spots.

“It would be nice to be locked and loaded this week, but reality is it comes down to execution and winning the turnover battle in a game of this magnitude,” Gilpin said.

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MERCEDES — Mercedes was adamant that Friday’s 64th meeting with Mid-Valley rival Edcouch-Elsa was “just another game.” The Tigers pleaded it, saying it convincingly enough time and time again this week that it was hard not to believe them.

And then they went out and proved it. Mercedes’ methodical 27-12 win over Edcouch-Elsa at Tiger Stadium was like its previous three games: dominant defense, efficient offense and another District 32-5A victory.

Since starting the season 0-3, Mercedes has won four straight games, all in district play, and is in line to win its second district championship in three years. With Brownsville Lopez’s loss Friday night, the Tigers are the only undefeated 32-5A team remaining.

“Our No. 1 goal was to go 1-0 this week,” said Mercedes quarterback Zach Gomez, who completed 15 of 20 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 81 yards and another score. “Our ultimate goal is to go 7-0 (in district). Being 0-3 still drives us to this day and our thing is to keep going and keep winning.”

Each team committed three turnovers, but Edcouch-Elsa’s were more costly.

Two of those for the ‘Jackets came early during the second half. One led to a Mercedes score late in the half as the Tigers (4-3, 4-0 32-5A) improved upon a 20-12 halftime lead. The other helped drain clock and kept the ball out of the hands of the Rio Grande Valley’s second-best offense.

A relentlessly aggressive defense stunted “The Marco Aguinaga Show,” as Mercedes linebacker Roger Adame III called it. One of the Valley’s elite quarterbacks, Aguinaga completed just 4 of 15 passes for 22 yards and rushed for 121 yards and a score on 15 carries. He had little help. Joel Cardoza ran for 91 yards and score, but fumbled twice. The district’s top two receivers, J.J. Flores and A.J. Rodriguez, were held to a combined two catches for nine yards.

Boasting an offense that averaged 39 points on 454 yards per game coming in, the Yellowjackets (4-3, 2-2) managed 306 total yards, 4.4 per play.

“If we could keep him contained, we knew he couldn’t get around us and throw it up to J.J. or A.J.,” Adame III said. “We game-planned well and we did what we need to do, go 1-0 this week.

The first half was an offensive showcase.

Marc Ledesma caught a pass from Gomez less than four minutes in to open things. E-E running back Cardoza scored on a seven-yard run. Gomez, who played admirably in control and dictated tempo of the game, countered with a 3-yard run of his own, and Aguinaga got on the scoreboard with a 7-yard run.

Matthew Ledesma caught a 31-yard pass from Gomez not long before halftime.

E-E opened the second half by fumbling on its first play from scrimmage. Mercedes answered when Gomez threw an interception. The Yellowjackets, however, fumbled on their next series, and the Tigers then earned the score that put it away, a 5-yard Fabian Ledesma run 44 seconds into the fourth quarter.

“We had our moments, and for whatever reason, we didn’t seize the moment,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said. “And when it’s a game like this, the team that makes the least amount of errors is the team that’s going to end up on top.”

Marichalar fell to 1-3 against Mercedes as a head coach. Roger Adame Jr. improved to 3-0.

E-E still has a 32-31-1 all-time lead in the series, but Mercedes has won the last three, though not as demonstrative as Friday’s performance.

“We walked out here and someone said, ‘Coach, there’s about 10,000 people out there. This may not just be another game,'” Coach Adame said. “But these boys buy into what we’re selling and that’s a blue-collar mentality. There’s still a lot of football left.”

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