DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — There is a superstition amongst cross country athletes. During a warm-up jog on a course before a meet, you never cross the finish line.

It’s the black cat of the sport. Some believe in it, some don’t. Edinburg North runners do. But freshman Beth Ramos doesn’t.

Last month prior to the UTSA Invitational in San Antonio, Ramos’ teammates dared her to cross the finish line during a warm-up the day before the meet. Ramos accepted.

“Her teammates thought she was crazy,” Edinburg North girls cross country coach Karla Hernandez said. “But they also told me after, ‘Coach, that’s why she’s so good. Because she knows whatever is going to happen is up to her.’”

“Fearless” is the word Hernandez uses to describe her star runner. And it’s that moxie that has carried Ramos to Saturday’s UIL state meet at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock after Hernandez finished third at the Class 6A regionals last week.

“I was working for it, so in a way, I guess I expected to be here,” Ramos said. “I want to see what’s out there. I want to compete. I want to have fun, enjoy it, but also learn because I want to be even better next year.”

Ramos is so good that Hernandez, a former Edinburg High standout who also ran for UTPA from 2003-2007, puts Ramos in the same class as McAllen Memorial’s Tricia Terry and La Joya Juarez-Lincoln’s Emily Perez, some of the finest runners the Valley has known.

Ramos has been running since the seventh grade, but it was last year when she really took to the sport. This past summer, while competing for the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF), she broke state records.

Hernandez recalls watching Ramos run in junior high and knowing she was seeing someone special.

“We knew right away she’d be a tough runner,” Hernandez said. “We knew right away she’d be a tough competitor. She’d lead everybody by 400, 800 meters.”

Ramos is cool and collected on the course, just as she is off it. She can’t tell you why she’s good or where she gets her impressive confidence. And nerves aren’t a foe. They are a friend.

“Nerves are good. They help me, especially at the start,” Ramos said. “It’s OK to get crazy before a race. One night we were going crazy, very energetic, and Coach Hernandez tells us to save it for the race. It’s true.

“It’s energy. Being nervous is good.”

Ramos even stands strong amidst adversity. Last weekend, Ramos’ idol, Edinburg High senior Alex Cruz, was disqualified for allegedly elbowing past Ramos late during the race.

Ramos still refers to Cruz as her competition, and Hernandez said it is because of Cruz that Ramos runs strong.

“We were toward the finish line,” Ramos said. “(Cruz) started running crooked, and she just pushed me. She elbowed me. By the time, we had already crossed the finish line. That was it. Nothing more than that.

“I look up to her. She’s the top runner and I want to be like her. She’s my competition. My goal was to run as good as her. I never thought she’d be disqualified. It just happened.”

Hernandez is hoping for at least a top 20 mark at state for Ramos. If Ramos accomplishes that, it means she started fast.

Her pacing is strong enough that when she starts well, which is almost always, Ramos keeps it up to where it is tough to pass her.

“She knows if she’s not going to kick it at the end, she has to kick it at the beginning and stay up there,” Hernandez said.

Ramos does not lack inspiration. She loves medals. So Hernandez has been showing off the state medal she won with the Bobcats in 2002, when they finished eighth as a team.

Ramos wouldn’t mind adding more to her trophy case.

“I just want to run. I just want to compete,” she said. “I want to see what I’ve gotten from all this training. This is where all the hard work is going to show.”

[email protected]
======================

Some Rio Grande Valley runners and teams to keep an eye on heading into Saturday’s UIL state cross country meet at Old Settlers Park Round Rock.

INDIVIDUALS

Emily Suarez, sr., Edinburg Economedes: Suarez finished fifth individually at Class 6A regionals. The multi-sport athlete posted a time of 18:37.8.

Krysta Martinez, jr., Edcouch-Elsa: Martinez finished second individually at Class 5A regionals. It is her third trip to state. She finished 12th last season.

Rene Guillen, sr., Sharyland High: Guillen finished fourth at Class 5A regionals. He won the District 31-5A championship two weeks ago.

Moises Campos, jr., Hidalgo: Campos finished third individually at Class 4A regionals. He finished 46th at state last season.

Valery Tobias, fr., Edinburg IDEA Quest: Tobias finished at 2nd at Class 3A regionals. She posted a time of 12:10.

TEAMS

Sharyland Pioneer: The girls team finished fourth at Class 5A regionals. The Lady Diamondbacks are paced by Isabel Mendoza and Lizette Chapa, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, individually.

Mission Veterans Memorial: The boys team finished second at Class 5A regionals. The Patriots are led by GJ Reyna, who finished eighth individually. Fabian Garcia finished 11th individually.

Edinburg Vela: The boys team finished third at Class 5A regionals. The SaberCats are paced by Adam Herrera (No. 10 individually), Isaac Arevalo (No. 14) and Mark Trejo (No. 15).

Mercedes: The boys team finished fourth at Class 5A regionals. The Tigers are led by Jonathan Reyes, who finished ninth individually.

Progreso: The boys team finished fourth at Class 4A regionals. The Red Ants are led by Everardo Esparza, who finished 18th individually. Omar Anguiano and Jesus Salazar also finished in the top 30.

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Donna High’s offense has run roughshod over opposing defenses the last two games, averaging 56 points and boasting three players in each contest with more than 100 yards rushing.

It will need every ounce of firepower Friday at Edcouch-Elsa. Despite a three-game winning streak, the Redskins (5-4, 4-2 District 32-5A) are still fighting for their playoff lives, needing a win at Benny Layton Sr. Memorial Stadium to punch their ticket to the postseason.

“It’s another playoff game,” Donna High coach Ramiro Leal said. “We’ve treated the last few games like that. We have to finish. If we don’t, there’s no next week.”

The Redskins will have some more help.

Junior quarterback Amonte Bowen, who broke his collarbone during the team’s last scrimmage in August and has been sidelined since, was cleared to return to contact play on Tuesday and will play tonight. Edward Dougherty is still the No. 1 quarterback, but Bowen will see reps at wide receiver, tight end and maybe spot quarterback.

“We’ll try and use him,” said Leal, who added Bowen will not be on a snap count. “He’s eager and the team wants him to play. He’s a good athlete, a good runner. He was having a great preseason. His presence in the huddle means a lot and the kids rally around him.”

Bowen, who is bigger than Dougherty but not as quick, joins an offense that is dominating, leading the district in total rushing yards despite playing one less game. The Redskins have rushed for more than 500 yards in each of the last two games.

Leal credits that to an offensive line that is finally coming around, allowing Donna High to use tailbacks as ballcarriers and not as extra blockers. That’s allowed more opportunities for tailbacks Paul Guerra and Mike Tamez, who are able to relieve some of the load off Dougherty. Dougherty was averaging 23 carries early in the season, but is now averaging 18.

“When we weren’t clicking earlier, we chose to use a back as an extra blocker to try to get some sort of rhythm,” Leal said. “But we’re clicking now. The O-line is making things go and that’s just opening things up.”

Edcouch-Elsa (6-3, 5-1) has yet to play a complete game, playing great in spurts and playing poorly in others. The M.O. is to accomplish that before heading to Sharyland High for next week’s anticipated bi-district tussle.

“We want to put everything together,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said. “I told the guys we’ve been doing some great things, but we’ve been doing it in two quarters. Imagine when we put it all together.”

Marichalar said the inconsistency was because of inexperience, but that is no longer an excuse.

“I think in nine games we can say they’ve experienced almost every possible scenario,” Marichalar said. “Now it’s a matter of being mentally ready for that moment. We have to seize that moment. I want to see more of our kids making plays and overcoming situations.”

As for the Redskins, Marichalar’s defense is second-best in the district against the run. Something’s got to give. But he expects an atmosphere that will be beneficial to his young team before the real deal starts up next week.

“It’s going to be a playoff atmosphere,” Marichalar said. “It will be good to get that feeling early. We can’t focus on next week. We have to focus on a tough, talented, Donna team.

“When you talk to the old-timers here, that was the rival game. It wasn’t Mercedes. There’s talk in town of how big of a deal this is for us, not just them.”

[email protected]

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Donna High has accomplished something the last two games that coach Ramiro Leal has never seen in his 26 years at the school.

In wins over Brownsville Porter and Donna North, three Redskins players each rushed for more than 100 yards.

Against Porter, Mike Tamez (16 carries, 146 yards, 2 TDs), Paul Guerra (16-113-1) and Edward Dougherty (14-118-3) each crossed the triple-digit rushing mark. Last week against North, Tamez (19-186-2) and Guerra (10-174-3) were joined by Edson Alvarado (8-107-1) in doing so.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Leal said. “I can’t remember anything like that happening. We’ve had some great rushers here at Donna, but not anything like that.”

Leal said he is not doing anything different offensively. The schemes are the same. He hasn’t moved players around. He credits the growth of an offensive line with just two seniors as the most significant reason.

“It’s just better execution,” Leal said. “We’re really clicking right now.”

Though they’ve played one fewer game than the rest of 32-5A because of a cancellation of their Week 3 game, the Redskins (5-3, 4-2 32-5A) lead the league in total rushing yards with 2,114, good for 264.3 yards per game.

SOUTHWEST SETS RECORDS

For the first time in its three years of varsity football, PSJA Southwest has a 1,000-yard season passer and rusher.

Senior quarterback Carlos Portales has thrown for 1,128 yards. Prior to this season, Portales had never thrown for more than 700 yards in a season. Junior running back Jesus Acosta has compiled 1,208 yards. Before this season, Southwest had never had an 800-yard rusher.

Southwest always hung its hat on running the ball thanks to its Wing-T offense. But Portales’ progress has been instrumental in giving the Javelinas balance.

“He’s making quicker reads, quicker throws,” Southwest coach Jesus Reyes said. “He’s making the right decisions. Overall, the confidence is there. It hasn’t always been there.”

It’s no coincidence that Portales’ and Acosta’s success have helped produce a banner year for the Javelinas. Southwest (5-4, 3-3 32-5A) had never won more than two games in a season before this one.

“We’re getting to the level we want to get to,” Reyes said. “This is beginning to become a program. The first couple of years here, football was like recreation. This is more of a team now, more of a community.”

But as the season winds down, the question is if the Javs have enough of those kids.

Coming off consecutive losses to Edcouch-Elsa and Mercedes, Southwest has seen its lack of depth rear its ugly head. The Javs carry only 33 varsity players.

That has cost them late in those games. Southwest lost by 12 to E-E and by 14 to Mercedes.

“It has taken its toll,” Reyes said. “We just have to overcome. We need more kids, and hopefully when you start building something like we have, more kids will come.”

PLAYOFFS

Mercedes (6-0) and Edcouch-Elsa (5-1) have punched their ticket to the playoffs. But there is still work to be done to clear the 32-5A postseason picture.

Donna High sits third in district at 4-2. PSJA High and PSJA Southwest is each a game behind at 3-3. The Redskins and Bears get in with wins Friday night; Donna against Edcouch-Elsa and PSJA High against Donna North.

Southwest gets in with a win over Brownsville Pace and a Donna High loss. Should that happen, there would be a three-way tie for the last two spots. PSJA High gets in off positive points, and Southwest gets in over Donna because the Javs beat the Redskins 21-14 last month.

Mercedes clinches the district title outright with a win over Brownsville Porter on Friday. The Tigers play either Roma or Valley View in the first round of the Class 5A, Division II playoffs. Roma and Valley View play Friday.

Edcouch-Elsa is locked into a Class 5A, DII first-round bout with Sharyland High. E-E coach Joe Marichalar and Sharyland coach Ron Adame will flip this morning to determine where and when the game will be played.

[email protected]

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

HIDALGO — Two days before last season’s Class 3A state meet, Hidalgo boys cross country coach Zeke Morales treated his team to quality dining.

At a dinner in Gruene, coaches and runners who had joined to support then-sophomore Moises Campos at state had steak and burgers. But not Campos. He had a salad.

On the eve of the state meet the following night, Campos ordered another salad at a pasta restaurant in Round Rock.

“We were looking at him, ‘OK, a salad?’” Morales said. “We’re at this nice restaurant, we’re eating good, and he wants a salad. All the coaches and runners thought it was funny.”

The careful eating didn’t help. Campos finished 46th at state after a runner-up finish at regionals, posting his worst time of the season.

“This year, he comes back, he tells me, ‘Coach, I think I know what I did wrong last year. I wasn’t eating,’” Morales said. “He tells me no more salads. Only good food. I was like, there you go!”

It’s a small, yet telling, story of Campos’ evolution as an athlete heading into this weekend’s Class 4A regional meet at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

This season, Campos is more aware. Since the start of summer workouts, he has studied every aspect of running: form, breathing, pacing. He is resting more. He is training better.

It’s why he is in position to be Hidalgo’s first cross country regional champion after finishing second last season, and with the graduation of last year’s regional champ, Luis Garza of Zapata.

“I was a young runner last year,” Campos said. “I didn’t know what I needed to do. I was kind of OCD about the race. I was so scared about eating unhealthy.

“But there’s a difference between taking care of yourself and eating healthy. I’ve come to know myself, what I can do or what I can’t do. What makes me feel good and what makes me feel bad.”

This year, Morales said he sees a small coach in Campos. He sees someone who has motivated others. It’s because of Campos’ leadership that Morales is taking a team to regionals for the first time in his five years at the helm.

“His approach at everything is different,” Morales said. “Going to state last year opened his eyes, and we’ve seen it the moment he stepped out here for practice. This year, there’s a little something about him. He has that chip on his shoulder. He knows he has to get back to state and make a statement.

“He’s working to be able to step up when the moment is there.”

Consistency and persistence is what makes Campos stand out.

During the rare afternoon when he has to miss practice for tutoring, Campos will follow up with a call to Morales to see what workout the team ran.

At 9 later that night, Morales knows what to expect: Another call from his star runner, this time telling him he completed the workout run, capping off an exhausting day that begins at 6 a.m. with seminary school for his church.

“He’s always been a very good athlete,” Morales said. “The difference is he’s taken ownership of his training.”

That accountability comes from Morales’ faith. He is Mormon. His brother Josue recently returned from his mission in Peru. His sister Lucila is on her mission in Honduras.

That commitment to something, Campos said, is exemplary of the dedication he gives to everything in his life. He knows no other way.

“They’re both very crucial in who I am,” Campos said of his religion and running. “My faith shows me how to be committed to something, how to be respectful of something.

“Both demand hard work and dedication, and faith shows me how to believe in myself, believe in the work I do.”

[email protected]

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

DONNA — Victor Pedraza and his cousin Jesus Moreno had dreams.

Moreno was going to make it to the NFL, Pedraza would make it to the Olympics. Together, they worked; Pedraza, then a sophomore at PSJA Southwest, helping Moreno, a PSJA North junior and member of the football team, lose weight, and Moreno, in turn, helping provide an ambitious distraction for all the struggles plaguing Pedraza’s life.

Goals were set. But tragedy struck March 30, when Moreno, 18, drowned swimming the waters in the Gulf of Mexico off South Padre Island.

And all of a sudden, their dreams became Pedraza’s.

So when Pedraza crossed the finish line Saturday morning at Donna North High School as District 32-5A boys cross country champion, he raised his hands to the sky, fatigued, worn and emotional.

In Moreno’s honor.

“He was my mentor. He was everything to me. He’s family,” said Pedraza, who finished with a time of 15 minutes, 46.13 seconds. “This was for him. He gives me the strength to work harder than I have before.”

It was Pedraza’s second district title in three years. It didn’t come without hardships.

“It was home, it was things at school. I was just struggling,” Pedraza said of the last year. “It was tough. But I got on the ball and I started doing a lot better. I put everything aside and concentrated on the goals I have for myself, the goal I promised my cousin.

“Running pulled me through it. I don’t need a car for anything. Running takes me where I need to go.”

Pedraza outlasted PSJA High’s Angel Montanez (16:23.63), who came in second, and Mercedes’ Johnathan Reyes (16:35.26).

PSJA Southwest’s Dante Gaona (16:40.98) and Mercedes’ Manuel Gonzalez (16:43.79) rounded out the top five. Mercedes’ Victor Gonzalez, PSJA Southwest’s Rolando Tenorio, Brownsville Porter’s Gerardo Perez, Donna High’s Alejandro Castillo and Brownsville Pace’s Simei Tovar completed the top 10.

The top 10 individuals and top three teams advance to the regional meet next month.

Mercedes won the boys team title with 41 points, followed by PSJA Southwest (46) and Donna North (90).

The Tigers were looking at a second-place finish until the last 200 yards or so, when they finally pulled away from the Javelinas. It was redemption for Mercedes, which finished second at district last year.

“We could have run smarter, but our guys had to fight,” Mercedes boys coach Pete Martinez said. “PSJA Southwest gave us a run for our money. It came down to our individual guys stepping up when they had to.”

On the girls’ side, nobody had a chance against Edcouch-Elsa junior Krysta Martinez.

The two-time state qualifier and now three-time district champ breezed through the competition, winning with a time of 18:36.52. That was 121 seconds better than second-place finisher Monica Izaguirre of Mercedes.

Martinez left her peers in awe. After the race, two Brownsville Pace runners went up to the Lady Yellowjacket and asked to have a picture taken with her.

“You’re amazing,” the Pace runners gushed. “You were so awesome.”

Yes, she was.

“I feel faster,” said Martinez, who wants a top-3 finish at regionals next month. “Last year, my time was 18:05. I feel I can break that still. I feel great. I’m pacing better, which I’ve been working really hard on. Pacing is something that’s really a big difference for me this year.”

Brownsville Pace’s Hope Ngo (20:43.64), Donna High’s Yvonne Sanchez (20:45.73) and Edcouch-Elsa’s Leslie Alvarado (21:00.03) rounded out the top five girls. PSJA Southwest’s Alma Villanueva, Donna North’s Daisy Abigail Acuna, Edcouch-Elsa’s Kelly Aguinaga, PSJA High’s Anna Sanchez and PSJA Southwest’s Olivia Aranda finished in the top 10.

Edcouch-Elsa won the team girls division with 41 points. PSJA Southwest finished second with 64, and PSJA High finished third with 100.

[email protected]

District 32-5A Cross Country Meet

At Donna North High School

Saturday’s Results

Boys

Team Results — 1. Mercedes, 41 points; 2. PSJA Southwest, 46; 3. Donna North, 90; 4. Edcouch-Elsa, 112; 5. PSJA High, 128; 6. Donna High, 141; 7. Brownsville Pace, 158; 8. Brownsville Porter, 177.

Individual Results — 1. Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest, 15:46.23; 2. Angel Montanez, PSJA High, 16:23.63; 3. Johnathan Reyes, Mercedes, 16:35.26; 4. Dante Gaona, PSJA Southwest, 16:40.98; 5. Manuel Gonzalez, Mercedes, 16:43.79; 6. Victor Gonzalez, Mercedes, 16:44.79; 7. Rolando Tenorio, PSJA Southwest, 16:45.12; 8. Gerardo Perez, Brownsville Porter, 16:55.43; 9. Alejandro Castillo, Donna High, 17:00.66; 10. Simei Tovar, Brownsville Pace, 17:00.74; 11. Joshua Perez, Donna North, 17:00.81; 12. Francisco Flores, PSJA Southwest, 17:07.39; 13. Christian Cavazos, Mercedes, 17:15.52; 14. Matthew Peynado, Mercedes, 17:17.99; 15. Erick Doria, Edcouch-Elsa, 17:19.42; 16. Daniel De La Cruz, Donna North, 17:26.22; 17. David De Hoyos, Edcouch-Elsa, 17:27.90; 18. Josiah Sepulveda, Edcouch-Elsa, 17:28.81; 19. Gabriel Magallan, Donna North, 17:29.72; 20. Jose Lara, Mercedes, 17:30.23.

Girls

Team Results — 1. Edcouch-Elsa, 41 points; 2. PSJA Southwest, 64; 3. PSJA High, 100; 4. Mercedes, 106; 5. Donna North, 111; 6. Donna High, 118; 7. Brownsville Pace, 142; 8. Brownsville Porter, 244.

Individual Results — 1. Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 18:36.52; 2. Monica Izaguirre, Mercedes, 20:37.68; 3. Hope Ngo, Brownsville Pace, 20:43.64; 4. Yvonne Sanchez, Donna High, 20:45.73; 5. Leslie Alvarado, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:00.03; 6. Alma Villanueva, PSJA Southwest, 21:01.66; 7. Daisy Abigail Acuna, Donna North, 21:05.14; 8. Kelly Aguinaga, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:09.85; 9. Anna Sanchez, PSJA High, 21:24.36; 10. Olivia Aranda, PSJA Southwest, 21:25.40; 11. Mailen Navarro, PSJA Southwest, 21:27.06; 12. Marisol Segovia, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:31.76; 13. Griselda Juarez, Donna North, 21:33.38; 14. Victoria Sanchez, PSJA Southwest, 21:36.81; 15. Araceli Salas, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:37.51; 16. Ivonne Soto, Donna High, 21:39.53; 17. Madelin Gonzalez, Mercedes, 21:42.38; 18. Dominique Ibarra, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:53.37; 19. Melanie Cordero, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:54.24; 20. Jazlyn Richie, PSJA High, 22:00.17.

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — Edcouch-Elsa seniors Alex Garza, Gabriel Rodriguez and Ray Dinnall-Guerra have played football together since they were 9 years old.

They were on the same youth team. The same junior high team. The same freshman team. And now they’re headliners of a dominant Yellowjacket defensive line.

Nobody knew what to expect from an E-E defense that graduated a slew of stalwarts that included All-State linebackers Robert Treviño and Bucky Barrera, and defensive back Bryan Valle. But Garza, Rodriguez and Dinnall-Guerra heeded coach Joe Marichalar’s call this summer to step up.

If Edcouch-Elsa, inexperienced and essentially in a reloading phase, was to stack up in a packed District 32-5A, it would have to be because of them.

A defense returning just those three seniors stands third in a defensive-oriented district, allowing just 19.3 points on 256.8 yards per game.

“We knew we wouldn’t have the defense like we had last year,” said Rodriguez, a 5-foot-10, 254-pound defensive tackle. “Now we’re the leaders. Since summer, Coach said it was on us. It was up to us to get this team to play together.”

STEADY FLASH

Rodriguez is the rock of the defensive front.

Most of the attention falls upon the 6-foot-2, 270-pound Dinnall-Guerra or the 6-1, 220-pound Garza, but it’s Rodriguez that constantly draws double teams, opening lanes for his other two line mates to do their thing.

Rodriguez takes his role as a leader to heart.

“The guys from last year taught us how to lead,” said Rodriguez, who averages 7.7 total tackles and has 6.0 sacks. “Guys like Robert Treviño. Guys like Bucky Barrera. They would get after us. They would hold us accountable. It made us grow up.”

Rodriguez refers to Edcouch-Elsa defense as one might reflect upon a life-changing experience. He holds a big-picture perspective.

“It’s a way of life,” Rodriguez said. “Playing defense at Edcouch-Elsa teaches you to be leaders, not followers. You’ve got to control what you love, which is defense and football.”

Garza is the speedster, quick on his feet and quicker making reads. In a year, he has transformed from a timid player to one who doesn’t think, just acts.

He does a little bit of everything, tallying 8.3 total tackles per game to go with 9.0 sacks, one interception and one fumble caused.

“I just have more experience,” said Garza, who skipped JV after playing freshman ball before joining varsity his sophomore year. “Last year, I was a first-year starter. I didn’t really know anything. Now everything’s routine. I see things happening before they do.”

When Garza talks about the Edcouch-Elsa defensive front, he speaks about a brotherhood. He gloats about a camaraderie birthed years ago, finally reaching its peak now.

“We’ve had a lot of time to get to know each other,” Garza said. “We’ve always been on the same team. It puts emphasis on big games, like when we’re faced with adversity … naturally, we just have each other’s backs.

“It’s all we’ve known.”

TACKLE OF ATTENTION

Dinnall-Guerra is the face of the Edcouch-Elsa defense. He’s big, he’s aggressive. He’s boastful, proud and ambitious.

He is the target of every opponent’s offensive line. Stop No. 68. For good reason, too.

Dinnall-Guerra averages 9.3 total tackles and has 11 sacks and 30 hurries.

“Since I was a freshman, all I had in my head was playing Division I college ball,” said Dinnall-Guerra, who has drawn interest from UTSA and Sam Houston State. “I had people tell me to worry about D-II or D-III. I didn’t like the sound of that.

“I’m trying to make my dream a reality.”

This summer, defensive line coach Martin Marichalar said, Dinnall-Guerra became a leader. He did not miss a workout.

That’s different from years past when he would come and go as he pleased.

“He always had the physical attributes,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said. “We knew he’d be something special. But a lot of credit goes to his defensive line coach, who is very structured, very firm. Ray needed that in his football career.

“He followed it, and he blossomed into the guy we want him to be.”

Dinnall-Guerra, however, has faced his share of critics. His style of play is punishing, and he will let opponents know it.

There was a particular hit during the Mercedes game two weeks ago in which Dinnall-Guerra slammed a linebacker to the ground so hard, the linebacker’s helmet flew off and he injured his jaw, requiring stitches.

It drew the ire of the Mercedes crowd, which saw it as a dirty play. But Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. looked at the film days after and saw a clean hit.

“You see a big kid like that, and his style of play … he’s very aggressive in nature,” Marichalar said. “We don’t promote nasty play. We promote aggressive, hard-nosed football, and that’s the way he plays. When he goes, it’s a damn monster coming at you.”

COMING THROUGH

Marichalar wanted to see his defensive line grow up, and grow up quickly. He knew the season largely rested upon their shoulders.

And what he thought he had all along has simply come to light as truth.

“When I talked to these guys in the summer about this being their team, about how they need to lead, they said they were ready,” Marichalar said. “They said, ‘Coach, we’ll get the job done.’

“And they have. They’ve done it all season.”

[email protected]

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

DONNA — Of course Tuesday’s match for the District 32-5A volleyball championship came down to the wire.

If there was ever a contest that so perfectly defined the league’s year, this was it. Back and forth, back and forth, all night long between Donna High and Edcouch-Elsa, until finally the Lady Yellowjackets prevailed in a hotly-contested affair, 22-25, 25-23, 25-23, 20-25 and 15-10 at Donna High to claim a share of the league title with the Bravettes.

“We wanted it more than anything,” E-E libero Dani Rivera said. “We needed it. We knew we had to step up.

“We went for every ball as if it was ours. We had to fight for every point. We had each other’s backs.”

It was the first district title for E-E since 2012, when it completed a string of five in a row before finishing second last year. It’s Donna High’s first title since 2004, capping off an impressive turnaround season after it finished a win short of the playoffs last season.

“We did want it outright, since it’s been awhile since a district championship was ours alone, but we also knew we were already in (the playoffs),” Donna High coach Cindy Viesca said. “But we were out of sync and Edcouch played really well. The girls feel bad, but we just have to learn from this. This will help us in the playoffs.”

As it has all season, Edcouch-Elsa (23-16, 13-1 32-5A) fought and scratched and clawed. The Bravettes (34-9, 13-1) have more talent, and overwhelmed early behind the towering play of middle blocker Yvette Tamez, but the Lady Yellowjackets never gave up.

Throughout the night, different players stepped up. Whether it was the formidable defense anchored by Rivera and middle blocker Ale Martinez, or the hitting of Crystal Hernandez and the late clutch play of Sam Martinez and Jaqueline Alvarado, E-E got what it needed when it needed it badly.

“We’ve never been a one-man show,” E-E coach Ofelia Griffith said. “Never. Ever. We have always emphasized team. That’s the only way you’re going to win, not just in district but in the playoffs.

“One person can only carry you for so long. And this team is a team. It’s a beautiful thing.”

The final game was tied at 10 before E-E rallied off five straight points for the win.

Hernandez had a dink to a gap to start things off. Ale Martinez added another dink. And the Bravettes didn’t help themselves with three unforced errors, miscues that plagued them all night.

“The girls’ confidence level was down at times and Edcouch stayed up the whole time,” Viesca said. “They knew they had to win to get a share of it, and they wanted it more.”

The Lady Yellowjackets started the season off slow, losing 10 of their first 16 games.

It’s a new, inexperienced group Griffith has this season. But it’s one that’s grown up considerably since August, one that can, even surprisingly to players themselves, call itself district champs.

“I’ve told my girls, from the first season I got here to now, I want to play the same from beginning to end,” Griffith said. “First point to the last point, first game to the last game. We go out there and we fight and we play all the way to the end. That’s when we’re at our best, and tonight we did it.

“I think that’s what’s gotten us to where we are.”

[email protected]

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

This time of year, with the end of the regular season quickly approaching, is when seniors step up. For inexperienced teams like Edcouch-Elsa, that means more than it does for other teams.

In last week’s 33-21 win over PSJA Southwest, Yellowjackets senior receiver Chon Hernandez caught four passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Then, with E-E cornerback Noe Rodriguez struggling, coach Joe Marichalar inserted Hernandez in the defensive backfield with a 12-point lead late in the fourth quarter and Southwest threatening.

Hernandez killed that momentum single-handily, snaring a key interception that put away a game with second place in 32-5A on the line.

“He’s a leader, he’s a captain and he got the job done,” Marichalar said of Hernandez. “We felt comfortable with him back there. We threw him in there for a series, and he gets a pick. The ball seems to find him.”

With offensive lineman Jarred Cantu and running back/receiver/defensive back Tay Valdez out with injuries, Marichalar needed someone to step up. Hernandez, among others, answered the call after an emotional 22-19 loss at Mercedes the week before.

“It was a good performance overall,” Marichalar said. “Good heart, good resilience. I was happy we could close the (Mercedes) chapter, have a short memory and move on.”

GARZA SOARS

As Mercedes (5-0 32-5A) has paved way toward a district title, it’s no coincidence that senior receiver Joshua Garza has stepped up his play as well.

The Valley’s top returning receiver, Garza has caught eight passes in four of the last five games. Over that span, he has seven touchdowns. His latest escapade was an eight-catch, 157-yard, 2-TD performance in a 28-14 win at PSJA High last week.

“He’s amazing. Unbelievable,” Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. said after the game. “We’re throwing it up there, and he’s got two or three guys swarming him, and he just goes up and gets it. Amazing.”

Garza is by far 32-5A’s top receiver with 42 catches, 751 yards and seven touchdowns. He averages 17.9 yards per catch. He has receptions of 41, 45, 48 and 56 yards, respectively, this season.

“I can’t even explain it,” Garza said after last week’s game. “I just go up and catch the ball. I just do my job.”

DOWN TO THE WIRE

After a string of games in which a previously lethargic offense had started to play brilliantly, PSJA High saw woes on that end again last week.

The Bears turned the ball over three times — two interceptions and a fumble — during a 28-14 loss to Mercedes. But coach Steve Marroquin said that was not so much a result of his team as it was a Tigers defense that ranks as the best in the district.

“They created a lot of problems,” Marroquin said. “That defense just gets after it. They’re always around the football, and they made it to where we just couldn’t execute.”

Whereas before he may have taken a look at a different quarterback — Marroquin played as many four signal-callers in games earlier in the season — that won’t be the case this time around. Senior Troy Flores is the Bears’ man.

Either way, now is not the time for drastic changes. Like last season, when the Bears missed out on the playoffs with a loss in the regular season finale, PSJA High’s season is coming down to the wire.

The Bears (2-3 32-5A) sit a game behind Donna High and PSJA Southwest for the fourth and final playoff spot. The Bears own the tiebreaker against the Javelinas, but not the Redskins.

PSJA High has Brownsville Porter (1-4 32-5A) and Donna North (0-5) remaining. Donna High has Donna North and Edcouch-Elsa (4-1 32-5A). Southwest has Mercedes (5-0) and Brownsville Pace (2-3).

“There’s a lot of football left, but we have to take care of our business,” Marroquin said. “That’s what we’re focusing on. These kids have been in this position before. I can see they’re hungry. I know they want it.”

[email protected]

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Everything is working as planned for Sharyland Pioneer girls cross country coach Sandy Guerrero.

Guerrero, a Sharyland High graduate who spent 11 years coaching for the Rattlers before moving over to Pioneer this year, has her girls train methodically during this inaugural year.

She did not want just any meet championship. She wanted the right ones.

“I told the girls that no one’s expecting much from a first-year school, but I am,” Guerrero said. “I was at Sharyland for several years, winning district titles and regional titles, and I told them I don’t expect anything less.”

The Lady Diamondbacks did get that first team meet win, and it came at the right time on Saturday morning, when Pioneer captured the District 31-5A title at Bentsen Palm Park in Mission.

Pioneer had 35 points. The next closest was Mission Veterans Memorial with 85 points. Valley View finished tied with Sharyland High with 89 points, but earned third place because the Lady Tigers’ sixth runner finished ahead of the Lady Rattlers’ sixth runner.

The top three teams and top 10 individuals earn a trip to regionals next month.

“You can win every meet, be champion of the Meet of Champs or whatever race, but the last three meets (district, regionals, state) are the ones that count,” Guerrero said. “Those are the three we’ve been training for.

“The girls performed excellent today. We ran tough, with a focus. I’m very proud.”

Pioneer has a team of just two seniors, and no juniors, and those upperclassmen were all it needed.

Isabel Mendoza took home first individually with a time of 19:02. Teammate and fellow senior Lizette Chapa finished second with a time of 19:39.

Both followed Guerrero to Pioneer after building up Sharyland’s program. Guerrero coached Mendoza and Chapa two years ago when Sharyland High won the regional championship.

“I’ve known them since junior high,” Guerrero said. “They know me and they know what’s expected. It was difficult at first with such a young team, because you’re still trying to mold them. It’s a different level. This isn’t junior high anymore. This is high school.

“Lizette and Isabel have been the glue. They know what’s at stake.”

Rio Grande City’s Ana Bautista (20:05) and Marlett Trevino (20:06), and Sharyland High’s Ana Candiani (20:18) finished out the top five. Valley View’s Monica Yanez, Mission Vets’ Maria Gonzalez, Valley View’s Ashley Artiaga, and Pioneer’s Brianna Garcia and Nadia Gutierrez wrapped up the top 10.

Going into Saturday’s meet, Mission Vets boys coach William Proctor had two goals.

One, he wanted to get his top five runners in the top 10. Check. Two, he wanted his team to score fewer points than it did at last year’s district meet. Check, again.

The Patriots took home the boys team title with 31 points. Edinburg Vela had 53 and Sharyland High had 83.

“We ran super,” said Proctor, whose team scored 43 points at last year’s district meet. “The boys stepped up and took care of business and we’re looking forward to regionals.”

In a bit of an upset, Sharyland High’s Rene Guillen overcame Mission Vets’ G.J. Reyna late to win the boys individual title.

Guillen had a time of 15:56. Reyna placed a 15:59.

“Towards the end, G.J. was there and the kid from Sharyland got him,” Proctor said. “We hadn’t seen the kid all year. He ran a hell of a race.”

Mission Vets’ Fabian Garcia (16:11), Sharyland Pioneer’s Jose Aleman (16:22) and Valley View’s Diego Monjarao (16:31) wrapped up the top five boys.

Edinburg Vela’s Issac Arevalo, Mission Vets’ Jesus Mata, Edinburg Vela’s Adam Herrera, Mission Vets’ Eric Chavez and Mission Vets’ J.R. De Ochoa rounded out the top 10.

[email protected]

District 31-5A Cross Country Meet

At Bentsen Palm Park

Saturday’s Results

Boys

Team Results — 1. Mission Veterans Memorial, 31 points; 2. Edinburg Vela, 53; 3. Sharyland High, 83; 4. Sharyland Pioneer, 84; 5. Valley View, 113; 6. Roma, 167.

Individual Results — 1. Rene Guillen, Sharyland High, 15:56; 2. G.J. Reyna, Mission Veterans Memorial, 15:59; 3. Fabian Garcia, Mission Veterans Memorial, 16:11; 4. Jose Aleman, Sharyland Pioneer, 16:22; 5. Diego Monjarao, Valley View, 16:31; 6. Isaac Arevalo, Edinburg Vela, 16:35; 7. Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans Memorial, 16:45; 8. Adam Herrera, Edinburg Vela, 17:01; 9. Eric Chavez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 17:02.14; 10. J.R. De Ochoa, Mission Veterans Memorial, 17:02.65; 11. Alyaro Mendez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 17:03; 12. Tacinto Garza, Edinburg Vela, 17:06; 13. Mark Trejo, Edinburg Vela, 17:21; 14. Isaiah Navarro, Edinburg Vela, 17:25; 15. Devyn Garza, Sharyland High, 17:27; 16. Ayden Rod, Sharyland Pioneer, 17:28; 17. Rudy Aranda, Sharyland Pioneer, 17:29; 18. Martin Garcia, Mission Veterans Memorial, 17:29.85; 19. Marcus Guajardo, Edinburg Vela, 17:31; 20. Brandon Ramirez, Sharyland High, 17:53.

Girls

Team Results — 1. Sharyland Pioneer, 35 points; 2. Mission Veterans Memorial, 85 points; 3. Valley View, 89; 4. Sharyland High, 89; 5. Edinburg Vela, 93; 6. Rio Grande City, 121.

Individual Results — 1. Isabel Mendoza, Sharyland Pioneer, 19:02; 2. Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 19:39; 3. Ana Bautista, Rio Grande City, 20:05; 4. Marlett Trevino, Rio Grande City, 20:06; 5. Ana Candiani, Sharyland, 20:18; 6. Monica Yanez, Valley View, 20:37; 7. Maria Gonzalez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 21:00; 8. Ashley Artiaga, Valley View, 21:01; 9. Brianna Garcia, Sharyland Pioneer, 21:04; 10. Nadia Gutierrez, Sharyland Pioneer, 21:07; 11. Melanie Cruz, Edinburg Vela, 21:08; 12. Beatriz Garza, Sharyland, 21:18; 13. Jenin Morales, Sharyland Pioneer, 21:22; 14. Lauren Garza, Sharyland Pioneer, 21:26; 15. Lupe Cruz, Mission Veterans Memorial, 21:35; 16. Cynthia Hernandez, Sharyland High, 21:37; 17. Joanna Alaniz, Edinburg Vela, 21:51; 18. Paloma Flores, Edinburg Vela, 21:56; 19. Alexa Ramirez, Mission Veterans Memorial 22:00; 20. Brianna De La Rosa, Edinburg Vela, 22:01.

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — All season, Mercedes senior cornerback Roel Garcia longed for the program’s career interceptions record. Nothing fueled him more, and when he had an interception taken away during last week’s affair against Edcouch-Elsa that would have tied it, he fumed.

So when he snared an errant PSJA High pass and returned it for a 35-yard score late in the second quarter of Friday’s 28-14 win at PSJA Stadium, Garcia had the record he worked so hard for, career interception No. 22, now one away from it being his outright.

“It was a lot of pressure,” a relieved Garcia said. “A lot of people were telling me, ‘Are you going to get it? Are you going to get it?’ Them taking it away against Edcouch was heartbreaking, but I got it here.

“I feel like it’s off my shoulders now. It’s hard work, it’s all the hours after practice.”

And with it, the Tigers had the playoff berth they have worked for.

The accomplishments went hand in hand as the Tigers (7-1 overall) improved to 5-0 in District 32-5A and remained the frontrunner for another goal of theirs, a league title.

“We clinched and we’re good to go,” said receiver Joshua Garza, who hauled in eight passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns, almost all coming amidst double and triple teams. “We’re ready for the playoffs.”

In a game the Bears desperately needed to boost their hopes of a playoff spot, the Tigers weren’t accommodating. PSJA High (4-4 overall) is now 2-3 in 32-5A with two games left. Donna High and PSJA Southwest is each 3-2.

The Redskins beat the Bears two weeks ago in overtime, and the Bears own a 27-0 decision over Southwest.

“I know it’s near the end of the year, but we still have a great shot at the playoffs,” PSJA High coach Steve Marroquin said. “We’re in this race all the way through. There’s no hanging heads. We have to get back to work.”

A battle of the district’s top defenses turned out like it, at least early as the two teams worked into a stalemate with mere minutes left in the first half.

And then the tide turned. Drastically.

After a Mercedes fumble, PSJA High gave it right back on the first of two interceptions by Troy Flores. On their own 49, it didn’t take long for the Tigers to find the end zone. Garza hauled in a 36-yard pass and then capitalized moments later, taking in a 6-yard pass in the left corner of the end zone.

On the second play of scrimmage seconds later, Flores again turned it over, this time right into the hands of Garcia. A 0-0 game turned into a 14-0 Mercedes advantage in 46 seconds.

“My man blocked down and Coach told me to help out on the screen,” Garcia said. “I just read it.”

From there, the Tigers rolled. The Bears did not get on the scoreboard until late in the fourth quarter against Mercedes’ reserves.

Mercedes amassed 327 total yards to PSJA High’s 257. Like most teams this season, the Bears had no answer for the Tigers’ 1-2 punch of Garza and quarterback Rene Presas, the Valley’s top passer statistically who completed 18 of 29 passes for 279 yards and two TDs.

“We knew it’d be a tough game,” Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. said. “They were playing for their playoff lives and they were going to come out and give us everything we could handle.

“But I knew it was only a matter of time before our offense would make plays, and with the way our defense was playing I knew it’d be very tough for them to come back.”

ALVARADO, VELA OUT

Starting running back Isaac Vela and starting linebacker David Alvarado missed the game for Mercedes.

Vela, the team’s leading rusher, missed his fifth straight game with a leg injury. Adame did not know the timetable for his return, but Vela has not progressed as the coaches have liked. He is still limping.

Alvarado injured his jaw during last week’s game against Edcouch-Elsa and had stitches removed Friday. He was held out for precautionary reasons, but is expected to return next week.

UP NEXT

Mercedes hosts PSJA Southwest, which lost to Edcouch-Elsa 33-21 on Friday and fell to 3-2 in District 32-5A.

PSJA High hosts Brownsville Porter, which was blown out by Donna High 56-21 on Thursday night and fell to 1-4 in 32-5A.

[email protected]