DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MERCEDES — Rene Presas has only been playing quarterback for five years.

Before that, he was a baseball star, more comfortable on the diamond than the gridiron. He was a laser-throwing pitcher, and odds were he would end up on the RGVSports.com All-Valley baseball team than the football team.

“I was always ahead of everybody in baseball,” Presas said. “If we were in majors, I was playing with the older guys. My dad would always want me playing with the best. So every day we would train and train and train. We’d throw all over the diamond, as hard as I can and as fast as I can.”

Presas still throws hard and fast today, but instead of a baseball it’s a football. It’s that talent that has earned him the 2014 All-Valley Offensive Player of the Year.

Presas had a standout season this senior campaign for Mercedes, leading the Tigers to a District 32-5A championship while completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 2,448 yards and 22 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. He led the Valley in passing yards and touchdowns. He also ran for 169 yards and seven more touchdowns.

Presas switched from baseball to football his freshman year, because throwing a baseball was throwing off his accuracy in football. He wanted to commit himself to playing quarterback. In elementary and up until the eighth grade, he was primarily a defensive tackle and fullback.

He would still be taking advantage of his size — Presas stands 6-foot-1, 225 pounds — but at the game’s most important position.

In eighth grade, Presas started playing quarterback full-time. There, he caught coach Roger Adame Jr.’s attention.

“I knew Rene since he was in elementary school,” Adame said. “Coming through there, everyone knew he could throw the ball. He had a very strong arm. As a young kid, he could throw 40, 50 yards, easy.”

Adame was Mercedes’ defensive coordinator Presas’ first three years of high school before becoming head coach in February. Long before he built his offense around Presas, Adame was busy scheming against him during practices.

“Even in spring ball, in team scrimmages, it was tough,” Adame said. “You knew you’d better have some great coverage. He’d hit all the windows, and in zones he’d find all the windows. You try and send pressure too, and he can shake off sacks and still continue plays. And then you have whatever-and-short, and he can run over you for first downs. It’s hard to prepare. You can’t simulate what Rene does.”

Presas had a fine year his junior season, thrown into the starting quarterback role on the second day of August practices following the tragic car accident to then-quarterback Isaiah Garza. But he developed quickly, leading the Tigers to the playoffs and claiming All-Valley Newcomer of the Year.

But this season, Presas was let loose. Adame is a risk-taker, and that meant letting Presas free.

Presas was given the green light to change plays at the line of scrimmage, which he often did as his knowledge of reading defenses grew. He could throw bombs at any opportunity to loosen the defense. He wasn’t chided for interceptions or poor throws. Adame, who isn’t a fan of punting and loves going for it on fourth downs, knew his signal-caller would make up for any mistake.

More often than not, Presas did. With that, Adame said, the young man’s faith in himself went off the charts.

“The biggest thing is the confidence factor,” Adame said. “Last year, he was coming into a situation on the fly. Plays weren’t developed for him and his style of play. Then he gets confidence, we work our offense around him, and he becomes a leader.”

Adame’s no-holds-barred nature and a confidence that bordered on swagger opened the game for Presas.

“It comes down to believing,” Presas said. “‘Believe’ is a very strong word, and I use that for my own self.

“I don’t care what anybody says. Whatever I’m going to do is what I’m going to do, and it’s going to get done.”

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RENE PRESAS

MERCEDES HIGH, SENIOR, QUARTERBACK

6’1”, 225 POUNDS

61.4% PASSING

2,448 PASSING YARDS

22 TOUCHDOWNS-8 INTERCEPTIONS

169 RUSHING YARDS

7 RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS

Edcouch-Elsa’s Marco Aguinaga Season Highlights

BY DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ELSA – Sophomore Marco Aguinaga won Edcouch-Elsa’s three-man quarterback competition during August training camp because of his poise. He displayed a cool calm playing the sport’s most intense position.

But the game of football was just that to Aguinaga, a game. When he left the field, he often went home to take care of his siblings while his mother Daniella, a single parent, was at work. Or he was waking up on days he was free to work 9-10 hours in the grueling Valley heat.

That responsibility has been a trait of Aguinaga’s almost all of his life, the man of the house because of an absentee father. It’s what helped Aguinaga burst onto the varsity football scene by throwing for 1,108 yards and nine touchdowns while running for 818 yards and 12 more TDs in leading an inexperienced Edcouch-Elsa team to a 6-5 record.

That success is why Aguinaga is the 2014 RGVSports.com All-Valley Newcomer of the Year.

“You have to credit the home environment,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said. “His mom has him on a short leash. He’s a humble kid, very respectful. He has the worker’s mentality.

“He knows he needs to work to get something in return, and his mom has a lot to do with it.”

Aguinaga was born in Detroit, Michigan, but Daniella moved the family back to the Valley when Aguinaga was 9 following the divorce from his father. Daniella had family in the Valley, where she lived when she was little, and wanted a new start.

Marco aided that. He watches over his brother and sister when Daniella works and he has a job with a local landscaping business whenever he’s not playing football, basketball or competing in track and field for the Yellowjackets.

“He tells me, ‘Mom, don’t worry about it. I’ve got money,’” Daniella said. “He’ll buy his own school clothes, he’ll use it to hang out with friends. He’s just a good kid. He knows not to get into trouble because he knows how much he can lose and how much it would upset me.”

Aguinaga plays for Daniella. Despite living in the same city when Aguinaga was a child, his father never made an effort to build a relationship. Aguinaga’s father recently started to establish communication with Aguinaga because of his football prowess, Daniella said, but there is no question who remains the signal-caller’s priority.

“Growing up as a single parent, she raised four kids on her own,” Aguinaga said. “I look up to her, I look after her. Responsibility is a lot bigger at home. Taking care of my brother and sister while my mom is at work is a lot more work than playing high school football.”

That big-picture perspective eased Aguinaga’s confidence in playing the prime role for one of the Valley’s most storied programs.

It was a Week 3 overtime win against Edinburg North that Aguinaga broke through. His first touchdown of the game with 2:20 left in regulation snapped a scoreless game. Then Aguinaga scored the tying TD on a 25-yard run in overtime, and earned the win by running in the 2-point conversion following a dramatic 45-minute lightning delay.

“When that happened, it was like, ‘OK. We’re doing something right,’” Marichalar said. “That moment let everybody breathe a bit and we knew we were doing the right thing for the team.”

Aguinaga noted decision-making as the biggest improvement in his game, and now that QB1 appears to be his for good, he’s ready for the next chapter. Who knows what lies next for a young man who plays in the school’s varsity mariachi group as an extracurricular activity, as skilled with the violin as he is with the football.

“I just played my tail off,” Aguinaga said. “I didn’t care about anything else. I just wanted to show what I could do, and I’m proud of the outcome. I thought I could do even better, but I’m still just a sophomore. I’ve got two more years and I’ll step it up.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

The 2014 Associated Press Class 5A All-State team includes 13 players from the Rio Grande Valley, including three first-teamers.

Edcouch-Elsa had a pair of defensive stalwarts named to the first team. Senior defensive lineman Ray Dinnall-Guerra totaled 106 tackles (27 for loss), 16 sacks, and three forced fumbles, anchoring a young Yellowjacket defensive unit.

“It’s always been my goal since freshman year to be all-state,” Dinnall-Guerra said. “It was a dream. Ever since my freshman year, I would look at guys on varsity who made all-state and tried to do what they did.”

Edcouch-Elsa junior linebacker Sammy Alaniz was also named to the first team. The position has traditionally been one of strength for the Yellowjackets, and Alaniz stepped in as a fulltime starter and picked up where former all-stater Bucky Barrera left off.

Alaniz compiled 170 total tackles, three sacks and two interceptions.

“It doesn’t stop here,” Alaniz said. “I’ve got to keep working and get better. I knew coming into this season, there would be pressure on me because we lost a lot of key guys. I did what I could to help out the team, and I got it done.”

Sharyland High defensive back Sean Landez was the Valley’s other first-teamer after amassing 75 tackles and 10 interceptions.

“It means a lot. All the hard work paid off,” Landez said. “It just really meant a lot to be noticed at that level. Leaving high school with this award, it’s phenomenal to say you were one of the greatest athletes in the state of Texas that year.”

Mercedes senior defensive back Roel Garcia (105 total tackles, six interceptions, three fumble recoveries) was named to the second team. Garcia set the program record for career interceptions with 23.

The Valley placed nine players as honorable mention: Roma senior offensive lineman Ruben Hinojosa and senior running back Pedro Rodriguez; Mercedes senior receiver Joshua Garza, junior linebacker Fabricio Quintanilla, and senior linebacker Jorge Solis; Mission Vets Memorial senior defensive lineman Albert Garcia, junior linebacker Hugo Cabrera, and junior defensive back Kevin Liebano; and Edcouch-Elsa junior defensive back Victor Valdez.

In all, Mercedes named four players to the team. Edcouch-Elsa and Mission Vets Memorial each named three, and Roma named two. Sharyland High named one.

The AP 5A All-State team:

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
Linemen:
— ANDYOUS MASTERS, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Sr. — 94 percent grade, no sacks allowed on offense that averaged 50.4 points/game
— JONATHAN NICHOLSON, Abilene Cooper, Sr. — 97 percent grade, 57 pancakes
— DAVID SHIN, The Colony, Sr. — 92 percent grade, 72 pancakes, 43 cut blocks, no sacks allowed in three years
— JEREMIAH SODIA, Victoria West, Sr. — 98 percent grade, 91 pancakes, no sacks allowed
— ETHAN SULLIVANT, Cedar Park, Sr. — 154 knockdowns, 1 sack allowed, 80% grade in every game
Receivers/ends:
— AARON FULLER, Lucas Lovejoy, Jr. — 60-1,309, 20 TDs receiving; 2 TDs rushing
— KEY’ANDRE HEARVEY, Denton, Sr. — 79-1,185, 16 TDs receiving
Quarterback:
— CHASON VIRGIL, West Mesquite, Sr. — 154-226-2,202, 34 TDs passing; 8 TDs rushing
Running backs:
— TRAVIS BRANNAN, Austin Vandegrift, Jr. — 202-1,820, 29 TDs rushing; 21-499, 4 TDs receiving
— KIERRE CROSSLEY, Everman, Jr. — 198-2,123, 26 TDs rushing
— ISAIAH DUARTE, N. Richland Hills Birdville, Sr. — 224-2,052, 29 TDs rushing
Kicker:
— TRE HONSHTEIN, Georgetown East View, Sr. — 10-13 FGs, long-51, 55 PATs, 54 touchbacks
Offensive Player of the Year: Travis Brannan, Austin Vandegrift
___
FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

Linemen:
— RAY DINNALL-GUERRA, Edcouch-Elsa, Sr. — 106 tackles, 27 TFL, 16 sacks, 3 FF, 2 FR
— JALEN GOSS, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Sr. — 91 tackles, 24 TFL, 15.5 sacks, 4 FF
— MARVIN TERRY, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Jr. — 105 tackles, 20 TFL, 12 sacks, 3 FF, 2 FR
— DARIUS WATSON, Corsicana, Sr. — 104 tackles, 11 sacks, 5 passes defended, 5 FF, 6 FR
Linebackers:
— SAMMY ALANIZ, Edcouch-Elsa, Jr. — 170 tackles, 8 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 INTs
— TROY BURNETT, Fort Bend Elkins, Jr. — 149 tackles, 2 INTs, 2 TDs, 14 TFL, 5 sacks, 4 FF
— THOMAS HUTCHINGS, Cedar Park, Sr. — 120 tackles, 24 TFL, 3 FF, 2 sacks, 7 PBU, 1 INT for TD
Defensive backs:
— JOHNATHAN DURHAM, Aledo, Jr. — 31 tackles, 5 INTs, 15 pass deflections
— SEAN LANDEZ, Mission Sharyland, Sr. — 75 tackles, 10 INTs, 4 TFL
— KENDALL SHEFFIELD, Fort Bend Marshall, Sr. — 39 tackles, 2 INTs, INT return for TD, 7 PBU, 3 FR, 2 FF, 3 blocked FGs
— JAKORYIAN WALKER, Longview, Sr. — 40 tackles, 8 INTs, 5 PBU, 2 defensive TDs
Punter:
— CAMERON DAWLEY, SA Alamo Heights, Sr. — 45.2 avg., 7 inside the 20
Defensive Player of the Year: Thomas Hutchings, Cedar Park
___
SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

Linemen:
— Grant Cervantes, Ennis, Sr.; Dontae Duff, Mesquite Poteet, Sr.; Erik McCoy, Lufkin, Sr.; Trendon Rolen, Ennis, Soph.; Landon Watkins, Sulphur Springs, Sr.
Receivers/ends:
— Deandre McNeal, Mesquite Poteet, Sr.; JF Thomas, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Sr.
Quarterback:
— Jamie Hudson, Austin Vandegrift, Sr.
Running backs:
— Warren Flye, Plainview, Sr.; Earnest Patterson, Brenham, Sr.; Jordan Stevenson, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Sr.
Kicker:
— Alex Del Valle, Saginaw Boswell, Jr.
___
SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

Linemen:
— Erick Fowler, Manor, Jr.; James Lockhart, Ennis, Sr.; Garron Nash, Wichita Falls, Sr.; Torain Williams, Fort Bend Ridge Point, Sr.
Linebackers:
— Conoly Koonts, SA Alamo Heights, Sr.; Eric Ogor, Richmond Foster, Sr.; DaQuan Patton, Cedar Park Vista Ridge, Sr.
Defensive backs:
— Roel Garcia, Mercedes, Sr.; Bryston Gipson, Tyler, Jr.; P.J. Locke, Beaumont Central, Sr.; Tyler Snell, CC Flour Bluff, Sr.
Punter:
— Grant Carlson, Fort Bend Ridge Point, Jr.
___
HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE

LINEMEN: Benjamin Cohen, SA Alamo Heights; Moises Garcia, Plainview; Nick Gerhard, Mansfield Timberview; Clay Greathouse, WF Rider; Hunter Harris, Aledo; Ruben Hinojosa, Roma; Colton Hostetler, Burleson Centennial; Gerred Johnson, Mansfield Summit; Tim Meyers, Nacogdoches; Chris Minter, Temple; Dalton Montgomery, Lake Dallas; Keenan Murphy, Crosby; Castin Neumeyer, Wylie; Zach Pare, Georgetown East View; Jorge Rios, Port Lavaca Calhoun; Nico Russolillo, Frisco Heritage; Michael Shogbonyo, Mansfield Summit; Lake Smith, Angleton; Parker Sorge, WF Rider; Jared Spivey, Bryan; Kameron Stubblefield, Dallas South Oak Cliff; Judd Terry, Denton; Broderick Washington, Longview.
RECEIVERS/ENDS: Aaron Anderson, Abilene Cooper; Keegan Brewer, Lake Dallas; Bear Christianson, Austin Vandegrift; O.J. Clark, Wichita Falls; Keke Coutee, Lufkin; Jaquay Cross, Brenham; Davion Davis, Hutto; Kevin Dewitt, CC Flour Bluff; Derrick Dick, A&M Consolidated; Aaron Dilworth, CC Flour Bluff; Myron Gailliard, Mansfield Timberview; Joshua Garza, Mercedes; Jo’Vanta Grimble, Georgetown; Apollos Hester, Georgetown East View; Evan McHugh, Lubbock Cooper; Ryan Newsome, Aledo; Paxton Segina, Austin Vandegrift; Jerminic Smith, South Garland; T.J. Vasher, WF Rider; Hutch White, Kerrville Tivy.
QUARTERBACKS: Ben Bottlinger, Georgetown; Cade Dyal, Kerrville Tivy; Gamarquis Girdy, Victoria West; Deion Hair’Griffin, FW Arlington Heights; Tyler Herrick, Hutto; Caleb Hill, Brenham; David Johnson, Dallas South Oak Cliff; Justin Maese, EP Ysleta; Geo McCollister, Tyler; Steven Montez, EP Del Valle; Chad President, Temple; Bowman Sells, Lucas Lovejoy; Brett Taff, Canyon Randall; Malik Walker, Frisco Heritage; Tracin Wallace, FW South Hills; Devin Williams, Mansfield Timberview; Brennen Wooten, Marble Falls.
RUNNING BACKS: Rakeem Boyd, Houston Stratford; Remus Bulmer, Fort Bend Ridge Point; Mulbah Car, Austin Reagan; Kierre Crossley, Everman; Matthew Dickson, CC Tuloso-Midway; Wyatt Garton, Canyon Randall; KeeKee Johnson, Bryan; Clement Jones, Austin McCallum; Ronald Jones, McKinney North; Anthony McLain, Amarillo Palo Duro; Alex Mermea, Floresville; Tylan Miller, Longview; Pedro Rodriguez, Roma; Xavier Scott, Denton; Steven Starcher, Gregory-Portland; Taylor Thompson, Ennis; Coronado Tolbert, Nacogdoches; Trayveon Williams, Houston King.
KICKERS: Grant Carlson, Fort Bend Ridge Point; Luis Duran, Tyler; Cole Martin, Temple; Samuel Rodriguez, Angleton.
___
HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE

LINEMEN: Taaj Bakari, Mansfield Legacy; Joseph Broadnax, Dallas Adams; Tyler Corn, Burleson Centennial; Sean Foreman, Kerrville Tivy; Albert Garcia, Mission Veterans; Tony Green, Hutto; Antonio Harris, Terrell; Dacion Harris, Mansfield Timberview; Kingsley Keke, Richmond George Ranch; Drake Kuehn, Ennis; Pierre Leonard, Tyler; Justin Madubuike, McKinney North; Karbohn McAdoo, Longview; Fentrese Milligan, Elgin; Ronan Profetta, Kerrville Tivy; Dee Spencer, Mesquite Poteet; Josiah Tauaefa, Lake Dallas; Nathan White, Crosby.
LINEBACKERS: Deion Amerson, FW Polytechnic; Reece Barrett, CC Calallen; Nainoa Bean, Gregory-Portland; Hugo Cabrera, Mission Veterans; Spencer Choka, Bryan Rudder; Hunter Donnelly, Burleson Centennial; Ke’ldre Flowers, Ennis; Josh Hight, CC Calallen; Jaylon Jackson, Longview; Malik Jefferson, Mesquite Poteet; Coleman Johnson, Bryan; Trenton Jones, Plainview; Kenneth Mann, Burleson; Kendell Mays, Mansfield Timberview; Ty McCorckle, Temple; Blaine McRay, Burleson; Osaze Ogbebor, Frisco Heritage; Isaiah Pouncy, Beaumont Central; Fabricio Quintanilla, Mercedes; Johnny Roa, FW South Hills; Jorge Solis, Mercedes; Augustine Tambe, Cedar Park; Jake Turner, Ennis; Jessie Velasco, Canutillo.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Bryce Balous, McKinney North; Bo Brooks, Canutillo; Jared Carmona, Frisco Liberty; Frederick Carter, FW Polytechnic; O.J. Clark, Wichita Falls; Justin Cegielski, Crosby; Clint Cole, Temple; Adrian Contreras, Georgetown East View; Treyvionne Edwards, Ennis; Deshon Elliott, Rockwall-Heath; Kevin Liebano, Mission Veterans; Prentice McKinney, Dallas South Oak Cliff; Jordan Owens, Tyler; Rajah Preciado, College Station; Prince Robinson, Houston North Forest; Victor Valdez, Edcouch-Elsa; Bryan Ward, Bryan; Khalil Williams, Longview.
PUNTER: Luis Duran, Tyler.

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ROMA — All that needs to be known about Roma senior linebacker Roger Lozano is this: since fracturing a bone in his hand during a Sept. 26 game against rival Rio Grande City, the diminutive punisher has not missed a play.

Not during practice. Not during a game. His brother, sophomore strong safety David, said Lozano told him he was in pain. But he also told him he didn’t care.

That, in a nutshell, defines Lozano, whose team needed every snap from him for a 7-6 win over the Rattlers. It, too, defines the make-up of the Gladiators, who have reached historic proportions heading into Friday’s Class 5A area playoff game against Gregory-Portland.

“Most kids would have folded, would have said they’re done,” defensive coordinator Frank Villarreal recalled. “But not him. He didn’t want to miss a play. He’s true to himself.”

Lozano perseveres because of what he plays for.

This season, he has amassed 107 total tackles (64 solo, 14 for losses), 11 sacks, one fumble caused and one fumble recovery. But he wouldn’t care if he had all zeroes in those categories, as long as team results were the same.

Roma, for the first time in program history, is in the playoffs. And Roma, for the first time in program history, is a bi-district playoff champion.

“I’m not just playing for this team or myself,” Lozano said. “I’m playing for past teams, because we know they wanted to reach what we reached this year. I’m playing for the whole community, playing for everyone who’s ever played with me.”

‘THE PERFECT LEADER’

Lozano comes from a football family. Not only is younger brother David following in his footsteps, but older brother Enrique, a 2010 Roma graduate, left an impressionable mark as a linebacker.

Lozano has learned well from Enrique.

The brothers grew up telling stories about one day playing football for Roma. Not just football, either, but defense. Roger and David saw Enrique star on the field for the Gladiators, wearing the red and white proudly.

“My older brother taught me a lot, so it means a lot to go to the playoffs and win our first playoff game,” Lozano said, smiling. “I have bragging rights. With my whole family, it’s always been about being the best you can be in anything you do.”

A three-year starter, Lozano is a leader. Emotionally, physically, vocally. The grounds of Gladiator Arena are his.

“It’s easy to follow a guy like Roger,” Roma coach Max Habecker Jr. said. “There’s no ego. There’s no flash. He’s workmanlike. He does his job.

“He won’t pump his chest, he won’t yell and scream. People gravitate to that.”

David, certainly, is one.

“He’s the perfect leader,” David said. “He motivates people, he pushes people and he does everything he can. We see him doing the best he can, and it makes us want to do the same. His attitude towards the game and the way he wants it so badly … it makes the difference.”

When talking about Lozano, Habecker often refers to his play on the scout team.

Defense has been Roma’s calling card this season. Lozano is the leader of that defense. The benefit has been the offense.

With Lozano leading scout team defense during practices, the offense has been challenged every day, and now it’s paying off at the right time.

“When this year started, all I had to do was tell him, ‘Hey, man, we’re real young. We need high competition in practice,’” said Habecker, whose Gladiators start 10 sophomores. “And I just had to tell him once. That was it.
“It’s guys like that, who’ve driven themselves to win when they could be on the sideline taking it easy on scout team, that shows why we’re here.”

REACHING FOR MORE

While much of his success comes from ambition, there is no doubting Lozano’s ability.

He is small, nor is he overly strong. But he is quick and elusive, and has a knack for beating opponents to spots.

As Roma’s outside linebacker, it is Lozano’s job to put pressure on the quarterback. He does, early and often.

“Nothing fazes him,” Habecker said. “He has a lot of natural gifts, like his want to get to the ball.

“We can get these guys physically tuned and teach them to play their positions all we want, but some guys are born with it and he has it.

“He just gets to the ball.”

Lozano has started for the Gladiators since he was a sophomore. He has had a front row seat for plenty of heartbreak.

A loss to Mercedes during his sophomore season cost Roma a playoff berth. Roma winning three straight to close last season before again falling short of a postseason visit, losing out on positive points.

But for all of that, he is here now, with his team, with his brother, still playing football in late November.

Of course, it’s not enough. Lozano is not the type to be content. And because of players like him, Roma is not that type either.

“It’s been a special year for me, for this team,” Lozano said. “We’re not a football town, and we’re making it a football town. We’re starting a tradition now. But making the playoffs was just one goal we have.

“We have to reach for more.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Donna High coach Ramiro Leal and Mission Veterans Memorial coach David Gilpin, opponents for Friday’s Class 5A bi-district playoff game at Tom Landry Stadium, are believers in momentum.

The Patriots (7-3) have won four of their last five games, for example, but Gilpin doesn’t harp on that. He stresses on the one loss, an underachieving 39-12 defeat last week to Edinburg Vela.

“My thought process, maybe a month ago, was I thought this would be a game we’d be favored in going up against maybe PSJA, PSJA Southwest,” Gilpin said of previous potential playoff matchups. “Now we’re coming off a tough loss to Vela and (Donna) is coming off a nice pressure win at Edcouch-Elsa. That tells you what kind of roll they’re on.”

The Redskins are 6-3, but Leal couldn’t care less. He cares about the team’s four-game winning streak, including last week’s do-or-die win that kept the Redskins from the outside looking in.

“Football is as much mental as it is physical,” Leal said. “When you win and win, you start believing you can win and it gets contagious. When teams start to win, the confidence gets up, momentum starts carrying, and then you get Amonte Bowen back … things start falling in place.”

Ah, yes, Bowen. Momentum is also nice when it comes with the return of a familiar face.

The junior quarterback was a potential district MVP candidate before he broke his collarbone during the team’s last scrimmage in August. He made his return to the field last week and looked like he didn’t miss a step, amassing 121 yards and two touchdowns off 17 carries despite not playing the fourth quarter.

Bowen adds another physical runner and/or blocker to Donna’s power I offense. The Patriots faced some big, quick runners last week against Vela and didn’t fare so well, giving up 264 rushing yards and 6.1 yards per carry. The Redskins average 273.8 rushing yards.

“If we don’t do a better job of tackling, we may be looking at the same type of thing like what happened against Vela,” Gilpin said. “It’s a concern, we have to tackle better. They have the same big backs we faced against Vela.

“We’re going to have to play well in the box.”

Leal said his game-plan tonight is easy. Keep the ball away from Mission Vets senior quarterback Santos Villarreal, one of the Valley’s most electric signal-callers who has passed for 1,959 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for 541 yards and seven more TDs.

Mission Vets is desperate to establish a tradition like Donna’s. Making the playoffs for the fifth time in sixth years is a good start, and actually beating the Redskins would be a better one.

“Momentum is big in athletics,” Gilpin said. “Not even just over the course of the season, but in a game, too. It’s huge. It’s two-fold for us … the momentum of a four-game winning streak before being crushed by a loss last week. Now they’re coming in on their own four-game win streak.

“Momentum is on their side. Those types of things are what make sports so interesting and fun.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Not many athletes would pass up a full scholarship from Texas. But not many athletes are Sabina Peña, and to Peña no school is like TCU.

The Sharyland High senior signed Wednesday afternoon to play golf for the Horned Frogs. The decision was as easy as a 10-foot putt.

“A week and a half ago, I was leaving for a tournament in Florida and I got a call from the coach at UT,” Peña said during her signing ceremony at The Club at Cimarron, the course she grew up playing. “He offered a full ride, but I turned it down. I know my golf game and me belong at TCU.

“That’s where I’m hopefully going to develop into a professional.”

Peña started playing the sport at 10 years old, taking it up because she felt “left out” watching her older brother Jose star at it. She developed into a natural, gifted with a dominant swing. It is her ball-striking that attracted TCU coaches.

TCU first saw Peña at the Class 5A state tournament in 2013, where she finished in a tie for fourth, and then offered her in March of this year. That’s when Peña verbally committed, and then was confident putting pen to paper after her official visit last weekend.

“The treatment I got by their coach and how everybody welcomed me, I knew that’s where I wanted to be,” she said. “It was just so friendly. That’s an environment I want to be in.”

Peña was Sharyland High’s top player as a freshman and sophomore before she left the program after the pre-district tournament last season.

During that tournament, Peña’s mother Lucero said coaches from opposing schools chastised her daughter for playing ahead of the other girls and penalized her strokes for throwing her club.

“Coaches were going after her that last tournament,” Lucero said. “In the middle of the fairway, a coach went to Sabina and told her to wait for the other girls. It was unnecessary. She wasn’t in their way, she was just ahead. But we didn’t see support from her coach at Sharyland. The Sharyland coach did not do anything to stop it and we felt kind of betrayed. We decided it was enough.”

That tournament was the breaking point for Peña. Lucero said it was one of Peña’s teammates that turned her in for throwing the club. It was not the first time they felt a lack of support from coaches and teammates.

“Everyone was going against me because I was so good,” Peña said. “I wasn’t going to stick around for that. So I decided to leave.”

Carlos Espinosa, Peña’s mentor who attended the tournament as a parent and spectator, advised Peña through the situation. Lucero said the only support they received from Sharyland administrators was from athletic director Richard Thompson.

“I wish things would have been handled differently,” Espinosa said. “She’s done a fantastic job moving forward from adversity, and my hats off to her and her mom for the way they have handled it.”

Peña will not compete at Sharyland High this year. Instead, she plans to participate in six AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) tournaments, and hopefully win one, before going to TCU next year.

Peña credits the national tournaments, which she has competed in throughout her high school career, for exposing her to colleges like TCU, Texas and Arkansas, among others.

“I knew I would sign somewhere,” he said. “I just didn’t know where. Golf was a game that came naturally. I would just play and I’d practice. When you’re good, it’s hard to get better because it’s just a couple of strokes. It takes time. It’s a lot of hard work.

“And now all that has paid off. The first step is done.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — With his team 2-2 and coming off a 21-7 district-opening home loss to Edcouch-Elsa in late September, PSJA High coach Steve Marroquin had a decision to make.

He could stick with junior Andrew Castaneda at quarterback and let the promising talent grow through his mistakes. Or he could go with Troy Flores under center, a senior who always seemed to inspire the best out of his teammates.

Marroquin knew whatever move he made would dictate the rest of the season. With his team suffering a heartbreaking regular season finale loss the year before, costing the Bears a playoff berth, this was no time for a big-picture perspective.

He went with Flores.

“Looking back on the team, the coaches and I evaluated things and we noticed that every time Troy went into the ballgame, it seemed our kids played at a different pace, a different level,” Marroquin said. “It just seemed because he was a senior, things picked up a bit.”

It was the right move. The Bears have gone 4-2 since then and an offense that was in District 32-5A’s cellar the first four games is now surging heading into Saturday’s Class 5A bi-district playoff game against Edinburg Vela.

Without Flores as the main man under center early — when Marroquin often used four quarterbacks, including Flores, during games — PSJA High averaged 13.3 points. With him, it’s averaged 29.

“I did what I had to do,” said Flores, who has completed 51 of 95 passes for 765 yards and six touchdowns while running for 282 yards and four more TDs. “I wasn’t really expecting the switch, and it came out of nowhere. But I feel like I handled it right and did my best to get this team moving forward.”

It’s a domino effect. Because Flores is a dual-threat, more lanes open for the running game. Because the run game is now diverse, the passing game benefits.

“He makes the right reads, he can run out of the pocket and his speed opens up everything for all of us,” running back Andrew De La Cerda said.

Receiver Nathan Sifuentes has taken advantage. Early in the season, defensive backs stuck to the electric Sifuentes because the Bears’ offense was so stagnant. But now, plays last longer and that allows Sifuentes, who has scored in each of the last two games, freedom to get open.

“Troy’s done well, and everyone has fed off that,” Sifuentes said. “Our blocking has been better. The receivers are where they’re supposed to be on jets and sweeps.”

While Castaneda has the stronger arm, Flores, who started the season as a starting safety, is able to extend plays because of his athleticism. That has opened Marroquin’s playbook.

“It all starts with the quarterback,” Marroquin said. “The offense will exemplify what the quarterback is, and what Troy is is a great leader and someone who can manage a team. The kids respect him and they love playing for him. Those are intangibles you can’t really coach.

“At the end of the day, it’s about him making plays, and that’s what he’s been able to do.”

Those intangibles are what separate Flores. Teammates respond to him. Whether it’s because they’ve grown up together or because his play justifies his workmanlike intensity, it works.

“They know when I’m out there, I mean business,” Flores said. “They know I’m here to win. If they’re not with it, they know they shouldn’t be here. They always know where I’m coming from.”

Flores does not put pressure on himself to perform. He didn’t when he was inserted as a starting quarterback against PSJA Southwest, a 27-0 win that got the Bears rolling, and he doesn’t now.

But he admits the offense has undergone a drastic change. His no-nonsense approach has played a big part.

“I just stick to my game-plan,” Flores said. “I don’t think about what I’m going to do in a game. I just go out and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Isaac Vela is back. So is Mercedes’ run game.

Since Vela returned from a knee injury two weeks ago, Tigers coach Roger Adame Jr. made a point of emphasizing his running attack. Last week against Brownsville Porter, for instance, Mercedes ran 35 times to nine pass attempts. Vela had his best showing since coming back, running for 79 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

“We’ve eased him back in and I like the way he looks,” Adame said. “He’s had good practices. Getting him in the end zone was important, not only for this team but for his confidence.”

A healthy Vela will be big for Friday’s bi-district playoff game versus Roma. The Gladiators are a ground-and-pound, defensive-oriented team. A strong run game for Mercedes, which was non-existent during the five games Vela missed, is important for the Tigers to get off to the fast start they’re accustomed to.

Mercedes averages 21 points in the first quarter.

“We want to start fast,” Adame said. “We want to score quick, as often as we can. That’s been our thing all year and we want to continue that.”

Adame said just making it to the playoffs doesn’t cut it anymore for Mercedes.

“Expectations are always high, but there’s a sense we need to go out and make some noise,” Adame said. “I think the big thing is these kids have always had potential; we’ve just needed to get it out of them. They’re playing with a confidence and physicality that was missing before.”

BOWEN’S STRONG RETURN

With junior quarterback Amonte Bowen’s successful return from injury last week, Donna High coach Ramiro Leal said he will continue to “play it by ear” as to how he will handle reps between Bowen and Edward Dougherty under center.

“We’ll see where we can use him,” Leal said of Bowen. “He’s had a great couple days of practice.”

Bowen had 121 yards and two touchdowns last week against Edcouch-Elsa, his first game since breaking his collarbone during a scrimmage in August. Leal said he would like to use Bowen more at receiver to get him and Dougherty both on the field.

Either way, the Redskins have another dynamic weapon heading into Friday’s bi-district playoff at Mission Veterans Memorial.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen him play,” Leal said. “But I just remember thinking that that’s the guy I remember. He just finds holes. We don’t even have to block perfectly; he finds creases. I don’t know how he does it.

“He’ll take a 3-4 yard run and make it nine or 10 yards. He’s just very elusive. “

OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE

Going into Saturday’s bi-district playoff game against Edinburg Vela, PSJA High coach Steve Marroquin is confident in what his team has to do.

It’s the offensive power SaberCats against the defensive power Bears. And it comes down to execution.

“It goes back to being aligned properly and playing assignment football,” Marroquin said. “It goes back to fundamentals and knowing what we’re supposed to do, communicating and playing together.

“If we’re able to do those things, we can match up well.”

The SaberCats average 397.3 yards. The Bears give up an average of 181. Marroquin said Vela’s offense is similar to Mercedes, which also boasts a versatile array of offensive weapons. The Tigers beat the Bears 28-14 last month.

“We got a good test with Mercedes,” Marroquin said. “They came in here and tested our secondary, got some plays on us and I thought we held our own. The defense kept us in the ballgame.

“I’m expecting more of the same on Saturday.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Sharyland High senior Rene Guillen wanted to make an impact this season. So he dedicated himself this summer to more training.

“I wanted to make every day count, and that was the biggest difference,” Guillen said.

It paid off. After capturing his first district title weeks ago, Guillen was the Valley’s top individual finisher in any class at Saturday’s UIL state cross country championships in Round Rock, finishing seventh in Class 5A.

“I didn’t know what to expect. It was my first state meet,” Guillen said. “I was pretty satisfied with how I did. I just focused and I reassured myself that I was going to do well. I relied on the training.”

Guillen was not the only Valley runner to stand out.

Mission Veterans Memorial’s boys team finished fourth in Class 5A, while the Progreso boys finished seventh in Class 4A.

“Overall, this was a team success,” Mission Vets boys coach William Proctor said. “Our focus was getting back here and getting up on that podium (to medal the top three teams), but it didn’t work out that way.

“But we improved upon last year, after finishing sixth, and we’re happy about that.”

The Patriots finished 10 points behind third-place Georgetown in a swan song for seniors G.J. Reyna (19th, 16:19.77) and Martin Garcia (68th, 17:14.64). The duo has been vital in establishing a foundation of success for the program.

“Both of them were the main reason we’re here, as far as bringing the program to this level,” Proctor said. “They were our champions this year, have been here all four years and helped put this program on the map.”

Progreso capped off a strong season with another strong showing. The Red Ants were led by Omar Anguiano, Everardo Esparza and Jesus Salazar, who all finished in the top 70 individually.

“We knew we could do well,” Progreso boys coach Margarito Jimenez said. “We had a goal, and it was to finish better than last year. Last year we were 12th, so we did what we wanted to do.”

Anguiano (42nd, 17:23.51) and Esparza (55th, 17:35.85) are freshmen.

“They’re doing very well,” Jimenez said. “We’re very lucky to have them. We have a great middle school program, with coaches who help year-round with runners, and these two kids are really outstanding. By the stats, they were the No. 1 and No.2 freshmen in the state in Class 4A.

“For the next three years, they’re going to be runners to look out for. The future is very bright for our team.”

Other standouts individually were PSJA Southwest’s Victor Pedraza (11th, Class 5A), Sharyland Pioneer’s Isabel Mendoza (11th, Class 5A), Hidalgo’s Moises Campos (14th, Class 4A), Edinburg North’s Beth Ramos (20th, Class 6A) and Weslaco East’s Albert Herrera (24th, Class 6A), Edinburg IDEA Quest’s Valery Tobias (24th, Class 3A), Edinburg Economedes’ Emily Suarez (28th, Class 6A) and Sharyland Pioneer’s Lizette Chapa (29th, Class 5A).

Team standouts also included Sharyland Pioneer girls (12th, Class 5A), Edinburg Vela boys (14th, Class 5A) and Mercedes boys (14th, Class 5A).

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — Friday’s District 32-5A finale between Donna High and Edcouch-Elsa meant everything for the Redskins and nothing for the Yellowjackets.

It showed.

Needing a win to control their own destiny for a postseason berth, the Redskins dominated the Yellowjackets 34-7 at Benny Layton Sr. Memorial Stadium. The reward is at least one game, as the Redskins play Mission Veterans Memorial in their 5A bi-district play-off next Friday at Tom Landry Stadium in Mission.

As if Donna High (6-3, 5-2 32-5A) needed any more motivation than a win-or-go-home conquest, the Redskins had additional inspiration with the return of junior quarterback Amonte Bowen. Bowen, returning from a broken collarbone suffered in August, entered the game in the second quarter and proceeded to burn the ‘Jackets with 121 yards and two touchdowns off 17 carries.

Donna High coach Ramiro Leal said Bowen didn’t want his first game of the season to be his last of the season. He played that way.

“Once I took the first hit, I knew I could do it,” Bowen said. “I was given a lot of encouragement during this entire process. I think we all had the spirit that we needed, to play for this community and come out with that ‘W.”

Edcouch-Elsa’s playoff fate was already set — an anticipated first-round affair with Sharyland High next week at Thompson Stadium in Mission. But it didn’t come away with the momentum coach Joe Marichalar desired heading into that game.

“Give credit to Donna,” Marichalar said. “Their backs were against the wall and they needed to win and that’s exactly what they did.”

A Redskins offense that was averaging 56 points and more than 400 rushing yards the last two games picked right up where it left off, compiling 350 rushing yards, with all five of its touchdowns via the ground game.

Donna High ran, ran and ran some more, and E-E had no answer, even with a formidable senior defensive front. The Redskins scored on their first three possessions of the game, while the Yellowjackets (6-4, 5-2) had turnovers on two of their first three possessions on a bitterly wet night.

“The weather was in our favor,” said Redskins defensive back Efrain Tijerina, who collected one of Donna’s two takeaways. “Their quarterback, the way he threw the ball, you could tell the weather had an affect. We were able to come up with big plays.”

The Redskins were led by Paul Guerra with 194 yards and three TDs. Donna High also didn’t hurt itself. It did not turn the ball over and had just three penalties to Edcouch-Elsa’s eight.

“The kids have paid the price,” Leal said. “We started 1-2 in district. They knew they’d have to win four straight. They knew they’d have to come here and win.

“I’m really happy for them.”

LOOKING AHEAD

By the numbers, E-E had a fine offensive night with 338 total yards. But false starts killed promising drives and the ‘Jackets looked out of sorts more often than not.

Marichalar said it’s possible his kids were looking ahead to Sharyland already.

“You don’t want to say that, but in the back of your mind you know it’s there,” said Marichalar, who stressed his team needs a lot of work in “the mental game.” “I thought we kept them focused all week long about the task at hand, and that was Donna. It didn’t turn out that way.”

AGUINAGA STANDS OUT

E-E sophomore quarterback Marco Aguinaga had trouble passing (7-for-15 for 78 yards and two picks), but helped E-E’s offense late.

He had the ‘Jackets’ only TD and finished with 156 yards on 21 carries.

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