DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — As quickly as it looked like McAllen High would enter district play next week with nice dose of momentum, any semblance of satisfaction just as soon disappeared.

Ahead by seven at halftime against undefeated Corpus Christi Carroll, the Bulldogs watched aimlessly as the Tigers scored on all four of their possessions in the third quarter to easily rally back and claim a 57-27 win Friday night at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“We were Jekyll and Hyde,” McHi coach Kevin Brewer said. “I don’t know what happened to us, but we weren’t the same football team.

“I don’t know why. I have to figure it out.”

Trailing 21-14, Carroll amassed 235 total yards in the third quarter alone, scoring 29 points and turning a close game into a rout by the fourth. The Bulldogs got a lone 16-yard run by Fred Hover off a broken play early in the fourth, but that was it.

The Tigers outscored the Bulldogs 43-6 in the final two quarters.

“I didn’t even have to say anything to them. Our guys were disappointed with their effort in the first half, and effort was the difference in the second,” Carroll coach Tony Trevino said. “They came through.”

And did the Tigers change anything in the second half? They tackled better. They executed better. Any adjustments?

“We didn’t change anything. Nothing,” Trevino said. “We just played together. The guys played with more effort, and that was the difference.”

Neither team could stop the run for most of the night, as McHi tallied 300 yards rushing and Carroll compiled 512, 306 in the second half.

But the Tigers’ duo of quarterback Jesse Jones (17 carries, 193 yards, 2 TDs) and tailback Noah Lisk (20 carries, 238 yards, 3 TDs) was too much.

Meanwhile, McHi got a brilliant first half from running back Ricky Rodriguez before he tailed off in the third, finishing with 142 yards and three TDs off 23 carries. For the third straight game, the Bulldogs got almost nothing via the passing game. Hover completed 6 of 17 passes for 76 yards.

The defense was hardly better, as missed tackles were a common theme after halftime.

“Our execution went away,” Brewer said. “Everything went away. I’m at a loss for words.

“Technique and assignments were missing. We work on form tackling all the time and our kids know how to tackle. They’ve just got to do it. When they get tired or the legs might be dead, they just have to execute.”

The result is a 2-2 standing for McHi heading into the start of District 30-6A play next week. And Carroll is sitting handsomely at 4-0.

“When I think of Valley football, I think of Sharyland, McHi and Harlingen,” Trevino said. “Those are the big three, in my opinion. McHi has tradition and those are the games you want to get.

“This win is a huge shot in the arm for our program. They showed a lot of maturity and poise when they had to.”

INJURY STATUS

Rodriguez left the game fairly early in the third quarter after being banged up on a play and was promptly removed.

Brewer said his star running back was fine, and Rodriguez was upright in full uniform when the game ended.

But receiver Dylan Cardenas (left knee) and linebacker Matt Perez (right leg) were on crutches after suffering injuries during the game.

WHATEVER WORKS

Carroll averaged 219.3 passing yards heading into Friday’s game, with a 69.5 percent completion rate and nine touchdowns to one interception.

But the Tigers went just 6-for-11 passing for 59 yards and a TD against McHi. The run game, averaging 226 yards this season, was too dominant against the Bulldogs, amassing 10.4 yards per carry and producing seven touchdowns.

UP NEXT

McAllen High kicks off District 30-6A play next week at Mission High.

The Bulldogs then play versus La Joya High, at McAllen Rowe and at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln. Those four opponents are a combined 3-13 heading into district play.

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

DONNA — When Luis Dougherty watches his son Edward at football practice, he sees nothing he doesn’t already know. It just happens to be stuff people are just now noticing in the Donna High junior quarterback.

“He loves the challenge,” Luis said as he watched from the bleachers during a hot late Tuesday afternoon. “He loves to be the underdog and he feeds off that. He makes football personal, and I think that’s what really makes him tick.”

So far, it’s been exactly what the Redskins have needed.

Dougherty has been the ideal game manager for coach Ramiro Leal’s I-formation offense since starting quarterback Amonte Bowen broke his collarbone in late August. Bowen is expected to be out for the rest of the season.

The 5-foot-7, 120-pound Dougherty has completed 56 percent of his passes for 224 yards and one touchdown to no interceptions, leads the team in rushing — 46 carries, 186 yards, two touchdowns — and already has a comeback win to his credit in leading the Redskins to a 1-1 record heading into district play next week.

“I’m coming into my first year on varsity, ready to make a statement,” Dougherty said. “The starting spot is a perfect way to do that. My mentality has been all about winning.

“Just show that I’m capable of getting the job done.”

Leal always knew Dougherty was capable. It was a matter of how quickly he could pick up things, having less than a week between the final scrimmage when Bowen got hurt and Week 1’s home opener against Brownsville Veterans Memorial.

But once Leal watched Dougherty throw a perfect fade to Jonathan Sandoval on third down late in the fourth quarter against the Chargers to set up a score to put the Redskins ahead for good, he knew he had something.

“I didn’t think we’d be where we are now, with him leading a comeback and putting us in position to win both games,” Leal said. “I think we’re ahead of where we thought we were going to be. It’s hard to say he’s ever been the backup. He doesn’t look it.

“We just need to keep improving and keep getting better.”

Leal has enough faith in Dougherty to where he will keep giving him the ball if that’s what it takes to make plays.

Dougherty had 28 carries in a Week 2 14-13 loss at Weslaco High; a Donna High quarterback has never ran the ball that much in Leal’s 26 years in the program.

Leal said that has provided a different dimension to the offense. Instead of just quarterback handoffs to the tailback, which removes the quarterback from the play and has the offense playing 10-on-11, the running back can now be an extra blocker since Dougherty can run it himself.

“If you would’ve asked me if we’d run him almost 30 times against Weslaco, I’d say no way,” Leal said. “You don’t want to bang him up. But that’s what’s open and we went with it.

“It’s a numbers game. And because he can throw, now we have a multiple threat.”

Dougherty said he has “stepped up” his leadership, focusing on picking up his team when it’s down. He’s also been a star pupil of Bowen’s.

They have been good friends since middle school, and Bowen is always at practices, tutoring his understudy.

“I’ve learned a lot from him as a leader,” Dougherty said. “He talks to me, gives me advice. When he got hurt, I saw him after his evaluation and he said it was up to me now. He told me he believed in me. That’s huge coming from someone like him.”

Like Luis, Bowen simply knows what others are just now realizing about the Redskins’ precocious signal-caller.

“I always want to win,” Dougherty said. “I’m a bad loser. I’ll do whatever it takes; just give me a chance. That’s what drives me, to win ballgames and just make a name for myself.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Opposing defenses are well aware of Mercedes quarterback Rene Presas and his prized target Joshua Garza. The Valley’s top returning passer and receiver, respectively, lead the Tigers’ aerial attack.

But defenses have been getting acquainted with Isaac Vela, too. The junior running back has grown into a central cog, running for 216 yards and three TDs off 36 carries.

“Every time he touches the ball, he’s a threat to get to the end zone,” coach Roger Adame Jr. said. “We want to establish the run.”

So far, so good. The Tigers are averaging 4.3 yards per carry, and six of their eight offensive touchdowns have come via the rush.

It’s no coincidence that as the run game has progressed, so has the offensive line. Jay Martinez, Bob Gonzalez, Frank Casares, Jorge Zuniga and Ernan Borrego have put in work up front, providing open lanes for Vela and for Presas in goal-line keeper situations.

“We’ve taken more of a physical aspect to things,” Adame said, “and those guys have really done well. I’m really proud of how they’ve grown.”

AIR IT OUT, JAVS

Through three games, PSJA Southwest is averaging more passing yards than it did each of the last two seasons.

In their inaugural year in 2012, the Javelinas averaged 60.9. In 2013, it was 134.7. This season, it’s 169.3. Passing yards accounted for 26.5 percent of the offense the last two years. This year, it’s 43.6.

“We’ve got experienced kids now,” coach Jesus Reyes said. “They’ve been in the system three years. We’re seeing that pay off.”

The leader is senior quarterback Carlos Portales, the only signal-caller the Javelinas have known. Portales was a subpar passer, with more interceptions than touchdowns, the last two years. This year? He’s completing 47.1 percent of his passes and has twice as many touchdowns (four) as interceptions.

More telling is that Portales, who will be valedictorian of his class, is the second-best passer among yards in all of District 32-5A. Last season, he did not crack the top five.

“He’s more confident, he’s more efficient,” Reyes said. “All the qualities we knew he had, they’re starting to show.”

And Portales does not lack weapons. Homer Alanis and Darren Estrada give him speedsters on the perimeter, turning simple passes off three-and-five step drops into long bombs.

Portales is averaging 14.9 yards per pass. Alanis averages 26.8 yards per catch; Estrada 39.7.

“They’re consistent. They’re every-day kids,” Reyes said of his two wideouts. “They practice how they play. They’ve been with us since they were freshmen, and they play both ways so they really understand coverages.”

‘SKINS LOOK AT LINE

Some of the concerns Donna High coach Ramiro Leal had about his defense have been answered through two non-district games.

The second-year coach is also now confident that junior Edward Dougherty can assume the quarterback role left by Amonte Bowen, who is out for the season because of a collarbone injury. Simply put, a missed field goal is all that stands in the way of a 2-0 start heading into district play next week.

But issues remain on the offensive line. With just three returning starters in Brandon Cardenas, Troy Billman and Adam Cantu, three spots are open. Left tackle J.J. Vallejo has shown promise, but is inconsistent, and Leal is hoping to find the right home for Cody Zamora, who has played tackle and guard.

“We like what we’ve seen,” Leal said. “It’s just a matter of shoring things up. We’ve alternated kids, moved others around. It’s a matter of who seizes the opportunity.”

So far, however, the line has not hindered Donna’s ground game. The Redskins are averaging 163 rushing yards, but if stability comes to the line sooner than later, that number could be much higher when it’s all said and done.

dsilva@themonitor.com

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

After each meet the past three seasons, Mission Veterans cross country coach Bill Proctor has given a medal to whichever Patriot posted the best time. For each and every one of those races, that runner has been GJ Reyna.

But, with Reyna taking the ACT during Saturday’s Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots Invitational, Martin Garcia saw on opportunity to make the medal his.

He made the most of it, finishing in 9 minutes and 50 seconds to win the boys’ individual title.

“The medal was up for grabs, and he was inspired to get the medal,” Proctor said. “Martin has watched GJ get it the past three years, and he was motivated to run extra hard today. … I could see that it meant something to him.”

Garcia only narrowly edged out PSJA High’s Angen Montanez (9:51) and Mission Veterans’ Fabian Garcia (9:52).

Proctor said Garcia led for almost the entire race.

“He ran well,” Proctor said.

Mission Veterans (19 points) won the boys’ team title ahead of second-place PSJA High (44 points). Mission Veterans also won the team title on the girls’ side, although the margin was much slimmer. Mission Veterans had a score of 63, while PSJA High finished with a 64 and Edinburg Vela finished with a 65.

Adriana Cruz of Rio Grande City won the girls’ race with a time of 11:57. Cruz, a regional qualifier last season, has won both meets she’s entered this season. Cruz took over the race about a mile and a half in and won by about 10 meters.

“She’s very determined,” Rio Grande City coach Ricardo Altahis said. “She’s committed to the training. She’s easy to coach.”

LA JOYA PALMVIEW INVITATIONAL

With rainy conditions flooding many parts of the course, Saturday’s La Joya Palmview Invitational turned into a road race.

Despite the unexpected change, La Joya Palmview coach Claudia Bazan said her team was still able to use the race to size up the competition the Lobos will see in district.

Palmview’s Natali Gonzalez got off to a promising start, winning the race in 17:37 to help Pamview claim the girls’ team title.

A three-time regional qualifier, Gonzalez is expected to make the most of her senior year.

“She’s expected to perform well,” Bazan said. “We’re hoping for her to have a strong season this year.”

Mitchel Lara of La Joya Juarez-Lincoln won the boys’ race in 14:31 as the Huskies took the top three spots to help them claim the win as a team.

==============================================

RESULTS

Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots Invitational

Girls

Team results – 1. Mission Veterans Memorial, 63; 2. PSJA High, 64; 3. Edinburg Vela, 65; 4. Grulla, 90; 5. Rio Grande City, 116; 6. McAllen Rowe JV, 184.

Individual results – 1. Adriana Cruz, Rio Grande City, 11:57; 2. Mireya Zarazela, Grulla, 12:04; 3. Maria Gonzalez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 12:17; 4. Anna Sanchez, PSJA High, 12:18; 5. Ana Bautista, Rio Grande City, 12:20; 6. Valerie Gutierrez, Grulla, 12:23; 7. Fabby Carbajal, Mission Veterans Memorial, 12:49; 8. Joanna Alaniz, Edinburg Vela, 12:55; 9. Melanie Cruz, Edinburg Vela, 12:57; 10. Lupe Cruz, Mission Veterans Memorial, 12:58; 11. Anna Diaz, PSJA High, 13:06; 12. Brianna De La Rosa, Edinburg Vela, 13:11; 13. Marlett Trevino, Rio Grande City, 13:13; 14. Jozlyn Richie, PSJA High, 13:16; 15. Laly Villanueva, Mission Veterans Memorial, 13:18; 16. Paloma Flores, Edinburg Vela, 13:24; 17. Kenia Martinez, PSJA High, 13:25; 18. Andrea Quezada, PSJA High, 13:26; 19. Idiania Triado, McAllen Rowe, 13:30; 20. Alexis Mendoza, Edinburg Vela, 13:34.

Boys

Team results – 1. Mission Veterans Memorial, 19; 2. PSJA High, 44; 3. Rio Grande City, 95; Edinburg Vela JV, 145.

Individual results – 1. Martin Garcia, Mission Veterans Memorial, 9:50; 2. Angen Martinez, PSJA High, 9:51; 3. Fabian Garcia, Mission Veterans Memorial, 9:52; 4. Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans Memorial, 10:04; 5. Jose De Ochoa, Mission Veterans Memorial, 10:11; 6. Alvaro Mendez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 10:32; 7. Erik Chavez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 10:41; 8. Rudy Gomez, PSJA High, 10:42; 9. Isaiah Garcia, PSJA High, 10:59; 10. Jose Avila, PSJA High, 11:05; 11. Hiram Rivera, Rio Grande City, 11:10; 12. Yael Sanchez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 11:14; 13. Rene Lopez, Rio Grande City, 11:15; 14. Mathew Pena, Edinburg Vela, 11:18; 15. Cesar Cornado, PSJA High, 11:20; 16. Danny Diaz, PSJA High, 11:21; 17. Edgar Zapata, PSJA High, 11:23, 18. Rudy Vela, Mission Veterans Memorial, 11:24; 19. Alex Rocha, Mission Veterans Memorial, 11:25; 20. Rafael Cantu, PSJA High, 11:29.

La Joya Palmview Invitational

Girls

Team results – 1. La Joya Palmview, 30; 2. Mission High, 55; 3. McAllen High, 85; 4. McAllen Memorial, 88.

Individual results – 1. Natali Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview, 17:37; 2. Michelle Flores, Mission High, 17:44; 3. Briana Robles, La Joya Palmview, 17:58; 4. Naila Flores, La Joya Palmview, 18:04; 5. Alexandria Canchola, McAllen High, 18:52; 6. Samantha Perez, McAllen Memorial, 18:41; 7. Julissa Montoya, La Joya High, 18:44; 8. Mia Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview, 18:58; 9. Rosa Gonzalez, Mission High, 19:00.31; 10. Victoria Izaguirre, McAllen Memorial, 19:00.83; 11. Christina Alaniz, La Joya High, 19:02; 12. Natali Navarez, Mission High, 19:06; 13. Isha Guerra, McAllen High, 19:09; 14. Denise Esqueda, La Joya Palmview, 19:23; 15. Sandy Martinez, Mission High, 19:42; 16. Cristina Mancilla, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 19:54; 17. Valerie Flores, Mission High, 20:09; 18. Priscilla Flores, La Joya Palmview, 20:20; 19. Cariana Guerra, McAllen High, 20:26; 20. Beatriz Lopez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 20:53.

Boys

Team results – 1. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 24; 2. La Joya Palmview, 83; 3. Mission High, 89; 4. McAllen High, 120; 5. La Joya High, 137; 6. McAllen Rowe, 141; 7. McAllen Memorial, 146.

Individual results – 1. Mitchel Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 14:31; 2. Martin Baez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 14:41; 3. Florentino Castillo, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 14:45; 4. Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 14:53; 5. Eli Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 15:06; 6. Zeke Ramirez, McAllen Memorial, 15:07; 7. Pablo Franco, McAllen Rowe, 15:12; 8. Fernie Osorio, Mission High, 15:14; 9. Luis Sanchez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15:17; 10. Jorge Santoyo, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15:18; 11. Javier Coronado, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15:20; 12. Gabriel Ruiz, Mission High, 15:21; 13. Joey Martinez, La Joya High, 15:22; 14. Beto Silva, McAllen High, 15:28; 15. Samuel Ortiz, La Joya Palmview, 15:33; 16. Johnathan Gutierrez, McAllen High, 15:34; 17. Cesar, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15:35; 18. Ricardo Mendoza, La Joya High, 15:37; 19. Jorge Perez, Mission High, 15:40; 20. Brandon Ramirez, McAllen Rowe, 15:42

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — Edcouch-Elsa found the win column in memorable fashion Friday night, thanks to a 15-14 overtime decision over Edinburg North on a wet and dark evening at Benny Layton Sr. Memorial Stadium in Elsa.

And it came down to a gutsy call to go for a two-point conversion in OT, trailing 14-13 with an extra-point pending following a 45-minute lightning delay.

“The decision (to go for two) was made well before,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said. “Our placeholder (junior Moses Gomez) got ejected (early in the first half for allegedly throwing a punch), and the backup is a sophomore. We didn’t want to put him in that situation.

“Logic says go for two. It was a no-brainer for us.”

It enabled the Yellowjackets to get their first win of the season after their first 0-2 start since 2009, and handed the Cougars their first loss of the season.

North coach Rene Saenz, however, said the game was determined well before the two-point conversion. After playing with fate with two nail-biting comebacks in their first two games, the Cougars were finally bit.

“We lacked offensive execution. The inconsistency there … we just need to get better,” Saenz said. “They’re talented. But we made a lot of mistakes, missed a ton of tackles, and we just need to do a better job.”

Scoreless heading into the final 150 seconds of regulation, Edcouch-Elsa thought it had a win wrapped when quarterback Marco Aguinaga capped off a gusty, physical drive with a 2-yard TD with 2:20 left.

But Edinburg North responded, as it had done the previous two games when it rallied to secure close wins over Los Fresnos and Brownsville Rivera.

Methodically, like both teams had done all night, the Cougars drove down the field until Michael Cantu made a highlight-reel 26-yard catch just inches from out of bounds to tie things and send the game into overtime, North’s second of the season and Edcouch-Elsa’s first.

North struck first in the extra session, again in impressive fashion, when Cantu alertly snared a botched snap on a gimme field-goal attempt and raced 16 yards to the outside for the score.

It didn’t take long for the ‘Jackets to answer. Three plays from scrimmage later, Aguinaga found the end zone again, this time a 27-yard burst down the left sideline. That’s when the game was delayed for 45 minutes because of lightning.

But the precocious sophomore finally put the game away. Despite a false start penalty that pushed the 2-point attempt five yards back, Aguinaga (23 carries, 159 yards, 2 TDs) found a crease and scored.

“It’s a momentum-booster,” Marichalar said. “Our community needed something like this, and we deserved one. We needed it, man.

“Give credit to the kids. They came out here and played.”

PROBLEMS ON THE RUN

Edinburg North is a team that wants to run teams over, but that has been difficult this season. Just one starter returned to the offensive line.

The Cougars were averaging 3.5 yards per carry heading into Friday’s game. It fared better against E-E, rushing for 248 yards on 48 carries (5.2 yards per rush), but Saenz was still unsatisfied.

“We’re better offensively than we’ve shown the last couple of weeks,” Saenz said. “Getting that ground game will open things. It comes down to discipline.”

STEPPING UP

E-E’s starting kicker, Mauricio Ochoa, tweaked an ankle this week, but Giovanni Cardenas and Adrian Rodriguez stepped right in.

Cardenas drilled the extra-point on Aguinaga’s first TD late in the fourth quarter. Rodriguez, a talented soccer player, showed good strength and kept Edinburg North from favorable field position on kickoffs and as a punter.

UP NEXT

Edcouch-Elsa has a bye next week and will start District 32-5A play Sept. 25 at PSJA High.

Edinburg North closes its non-district slate next week at McAllen Memorial on Thursday.

[email protected]

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Edinburg North coach Rene Saenz calls tonight’s opponent, Edcouch-Elsa, “explosive.” E-E coach Joe Marichalar sympathizes. When asked about the Cougars, the first word out of his mouth, too, is “explosive.”

That’s just one of many similarities between the two teams as they head into their non-district contest at 7:30 Friday at Benny Layton Sr. Memorial Stadium in Elsa. Both teams are inexperienced. Both have shown a tendency of starting games slow and finishing strong. Both are trying to establish an identity.

But here’s the biggest, and most important, difference: Edinburg North is 2-0. Edcouch-Elsa is 0-2.

“Looking before the season, yeah, (2-0) would have been surprising,” Saenz said. “If we would have been 1-1, that’s probably more realistic. But now that we’ve gotten into the playing, I don’t see immaturity. I see physical and mental mistakes on alignments, and that’s stuff that can be cleaned up. I’m happy the kids are playing as a collected group.”

The Cougars have notched their wins via game-winning daggers from kicker Diego Sanchez, the latest a 44-yard bomb in overtime last week to nip Brownsville Rivera. Saenz credits his team’s resilience amidst adversity to “never panicking” because of what’s been established by going three-rounds deep in the playoffs the last two years.

“These kids don’t have any quit in them,” Saenz said. “They expect to win ballgames around here. I don’t see any kids with their eyes wide open. These kids just play ball.”

With the running game still trying to get going, quarterback Martin Rodriguez, who is fully healed from a twisted ankle suffered last week, has ignited a strong passing game North has lacked the last few years. He threw for 259 yards and exploited one-on-one matchups with his receivers all night.

But Saenz still wants to see more from his running game, and with playmaking dynamo Matt Whitesides in the backfield the first-year coach expects that to come sooner than later.

“We’re not going to be competitive if we can’t be balanced,” Saenz said. “We want to be 60-40 running the ball. But I’m glad Martin was forced to throw the ball last week because it gave him confidence. He got it done, and now we know we can go to that if we need to.”

Marichalar, meanwhile, feels his team’s changes have to come mentally more than physically. He wants a sense of urgency, he wants an identity and he wants momentum heading into district play in two weeks.

“We challenged them the whole week about playing four quarters,” Marichalar said. “These guys are anxious to get going to show everybody the potential we know we have. This is a talented team. Once we put it together, we’re going to do well.”

The last time the Yellowjackets started 0-2 was 2009, which also happened to be the last time they missed the playoffs.

Marichalar, an Elsa native who starred as linebacker in the late ’90s, can’t even remember the last time the program started 0-3, though he was told that was in 1998, when E-E lost its first three games, went undefeated in district play and then went three rounds deep in the playoffs.

“I don’t even want to think that far. I really don’t,” he said. “These guys just have to continue to work hard. It’s been unfortunate for us so far, so, definitely, we want some positives.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Incremental progress is the best way to describe Donna North’s first two weeks of its inaugural season.

“We’ve shown improvement from game one to game two,” Chiefs coach Tommy Sauceda said. “Now we just have to learn to play four quarters.”

North fell to La Feria 35-13 in Week 1 before losing 33-16 to La Joya High last week.

“We were in the game (against La Joya High), leading at halftime, and we have to learn to finish,” Sauceda said.

Sauceda said his offensive line has gotten better, and sophomore quarterback Manny Ramirez has gotten better acquainted with the varsity game.

Ramirez has completed 18 of 41 passes (43.9 percent) for 266 yards and two touchdowns to two interceptions.

“He’s gotten better, no doubt,” Sauceda said. “He still needs to recognize defenses better and not force passes. But you can see him getting more comfortable back there.”

E-E’S PRIVILEGE

Entering this season, Edcouch-Elsa coach Joe Marichalar planned to have his four captains wear patches on their jerseys. It’s something that hasn’t been done before in the program.

But following his team’s Week 1 loss to McAllen Rowe, Marichalar had the patches removed. Ray Dinnall-Guerra, Chon Hernandez, Lino Sanchez and Gabriel Rodriguez are still captains, but they will have to earn back the right to wear the patches.

“It’s just me being hard on them and expecting the very best,” Marichalar said. “They know they have to earn it. They have to work for it. They understand, and I was pleased with how they responded last week and how they fought.”

By today, Marichalar will decide whether they will get to wear the patches for this week’s game against Edinburg North.

It’s been a rough go so far for the 0-2 Yellowjackets. Defensively, Marichalar said his team is starting to react more instead of thinking, a sign of comfort within the system. Offensively, sophomore quarterback Marco Aguinaga has significant promise, but is still growing into his high-pressured role.

The Yellowjackets are focusing on fundamentals and situational football this week. Marichalar wants a better job in the kicking game (E-E had a punt blocked for a touchdown last week and muffed a kickoff return as well) that will emphasize finishing blocks.

“It’s about concentrating on doing the little things correctly,” Marichalar said. “It’s the third game. These things should be cleaned up, but this is a young team and it takes time.”

A STEP FORWARD

PSJA High had 64 rushing yards in Week 1. It had 210 in Week 2.

When the Bears run the ball well, they win, as attested by their Week 1 defeat and Week 2 win.

“It came down to execution. We had a good week of practice,” PSJA High coach Steve Marroquin said. “We stressed on doing the little things right. We cut down on turnovers, mental mistakes, penalties … we shored up a lot.”

And they can still get better. Junior quarterback Andrew Castaneda has barely made a handful of varsity starts in his young career. While he struggled again last week against PSJA Memorial, with two more interceptions to bring his season total to eight, Marroquin chalks it up to growing pains.

“He’s still growing into the position,” Marroquin said. “I thought he managed the game well. There were mistakes he’ll learn from, but he’ll only get better by going through those. He played well and put us in position to score and I’m excited for him.”

Marroquin likes the way his defense has played collectively, particularly with many new kids on that side and a new co-defensive coordinator tandem. He has also been impressed with his offensive line of Andres Martinez, Abraham Noyola, Ernie Cortez, Alex Rodriguez and Jose Galaviz, the latter three new to varsity football.

“These are tough games. That’s why we schedule them,” Marroquin said. “I think everybody’s got concerns, even if you’re winning right now. There are always little things to clean up. It’s more about accountability and understanding what’s going on, and I think we’re doing a better job.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — The truth could be that Edcouch-Elsa will find its mojo and become a power sooner than later, despite the youth dotting its roster. It has young, raw athletic talent in bunches.

But after Friday’s nail-biting 35-31 loss to Los Fresnos at home that showed as much of their warts as potential, the Yellowjackets’ reality is this: they are 0-2 for the first time since 2009, which also happens to be the last season the program missed the playoffs.

If things don’t change quickly, that could be the same result for 2014. Like against McAllen Rowe last week, E-E suffered a heaping of silly mistakes early against the Falcons, eventually falling behind 35-10 heading into the fourth quarter, before storming back late and making a game of it.

All the dropped passes, muffed kickoff returns, fumbles and bad snaps almost were forgiven, but the Yellowjackets didn’t have enough in the tank to complete the comeback.

“It could be the inexperience … but we talked about it the whole week,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said. “We talked about playing four quarters. But these bad breaks just seem to get us early.

“You can see the greatness of this team. But that won’t come without fixing the little things.”

Los Fresnos is in the same boat as E-E in that it, too, is inexperienced and rebuilding. But the Falcons (1-1) did not turn the ball over in the first half, and scrapped touchdowns off a botched kickoff return and fumble. A stingy Edcouch-Elsa defense was enough to keep the ’Jackets within striking distance.

The Yellowjackets looked like a different team in the second half, and particularly the fourth quarter. Down 25 heading into the fourth, E-E scored three straight touchdowns in a little more than five minutes to get within 35-31 with 6:24 left.

“We have to get a poise about ourselves and do what we need to do to execute,” said Los Fresnos coach Clint Finley, who watched a 19-0 second-half lead against Edinburg North last week dissipate into an eventual 22-19 loss. “That’s two games in a row that we struggle in the fourth quarter. We have to do something to develop experience and confidence.”

But Los Fresnos held off E-E. The Yellowjackets’ last shot came within the final minutes, when it turned it over on downs with ineffective runs and an incompletion.

“We’ve had great execution in the first two games in the first half,” Finley said. “But we’e going to have to be even better. I’m proud of the way our guys played, but we have to be better.”

E-E even outgained Los Fresnos 326-205 in total yards. The aforementioned defense, led by a relentless defensive line of Ray Dinnall-Guerra, Gabriel Rodriguez, Alex Garza and Julio Contreras, was clutch, forcing two turnovers and holding the Falcons to 3.7 yards per play. But the Yellowjackets will point to the three turnovers (two of which led to touchdowns) and 10 penalties for 72 yards as key reasons for defeat.

“You have to play a perfect game when you play teams like Los Fresnos,” Marichalar said. “We played better. But we didn’t play perfect.”

AGUINAGA STARS LATE

Sophomore quarterback Marco Aguinaga played better in his second varsity start.

Aguinaga keyed Edcouch-Elsa’s fourth-quarter rally and finished by completing 6 of 20 passes (4-for-8 in the second half) for 113 yards and a TD and running 13 times for 126 yards and two more TDs.

“I guess it’s that I’m anxious,” Aguinaga said of his slow starts. “I get more comfortable because I’m adjusting. I think that’s natural and I can’t really control it, but you can see us picking it up in the second half. We just have to tweak some things.”

BETTER ‘D’

Edcouch-Elsa’s defense, which was porous last week at McAllen Rowe, showed considerable improvement, particularly in the linebackers and defensive backfield.

Marichalar moved running back Lino Sanchez back to outside linebacker, Sanchez’s old role, and moved Andrew Segura and Ricky Moreno, offensive starters, to the secondary.

Segura collected an interception, while also scoring a 76-yard touchdown off a run in the first quarter.

“We played better,” Marichalar said. “Was it perfect? No. Our linebackers and secondary did better, but they still had some mental mistakes. But it will come. We’ll get it fixed as coaches.”

UP NEXT

Edcouch-Elsa closes its non-district slate by hosting Edinburg North next week. The Cougars are 2-0.

North trailed 19-0 before rallying to beat Los Fresnos 22-19 in Week 1, and then nipped Brownsville Rivera 24-21 in overtime on Thursday.

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Don’t try selling Friday’s game at Mercedes to McAllen Rowe defensive coordinator Michael Uribe as any typical ho-hum non-district contest.

Uribe spent the previous nine years coaching in Mercedes, including the last five at the helm of the Tigers, before he was reassigned early this year because of “professional issues.”

“It’s emotional,” Uribe said. “One of the best things about Mercedes is the relationships I built with several people there. I made a lot of friends, not only professionally but personally. The seniors there now were in elementary when I started.

“I’d been part of the program their entire Tiger lives.”

But come 7:30 Friday, Uribe has to put all of that aside. He leads the defense for a 1-0 Warriors team going up against a 0-1 Mercedes unit.

“I have to separate my personal feelings and make sure I maintain my professional obligations,” Uribe said. “At this point and time, I’m a Rowe Warrior and I’m trying to beat a team I was with the last nine years.”

Uribe has come to accept the ominous way things ended at Mercedes.

“Especially early, it was hard for me to understand what was happening and why,” he said. “I thought I was doing a good job, being successful and acting in the best interest in program, and when you feel that way, you could ask, ‘Why me?’ But God has a plan for all of us, and this path was placed on me. I stopped questioning why and started focusing on what I needed to do to be a good father, a good man, a good coach. You can’t focus on the negatives.”

Uribe has barely been with Rowe more than a month. His first day with the team was the first day of two-a-days on Aug. 4. Since then, he has installed a new scheme — a 4-3 opposed to the Warriors’ old 3-4 — and acclimated quickly to his new kids.

McAllen Rowe earned a 48-28 win over Edcouch-Elsa last week, with the defense stifling the Yellowjackets’ offense.

“The kids played hard. They came out and executed well early, and as things got tighter we kept fighting,” Uribe said. “I liked our aggressive nature.”

Uribe knows what he’s going against in Mercedes’ offense, which had a down night last week in a 28-0 loss to Calallen. The Tigers still boast the Valley’s top returning passer in Rene Presas and its top returning receiver in Joshua Garza.

“It’s scary, because you know what they’re capable of,” Uribe said. “You see what’s on film and you know there’s more they have in their back pocket. You know what’s possible because you know better.”

Mercedes, meanwhile, is taking this like any other game. Coach Roger Adame Jr., formerly Uribe’s first assistant and defensive coordinator, would have it no other way.

“We’re just trying to get this team ready to compete,” Adame said. “We’re so focused on the game plan that you can’t sit back and think of all the other things.

“I’m sure the kids are aware of (Uribe). It’s not something we’ve mentioned, and we haven’t put any particular emphasis on it.”

All the Tigers can think about, Adame said, is the bad taste left from last week. Rectifying that includes winning the third-down battle and being sure tacklers against an explosive Rowe team.

“You can see they have a bitter taste in their mouths,” Adame said of his team. “Last week stung. Now it’s about seeing how they respond.

“It’s been lingering and they can’t wait to get on the field.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — When he was an offensive line coach at PSJA High in the early 1990s, Jesus Reyes was introduced to the Wing-T offense under Joe Sanchez, then the Bears’ offensive coordinator and now the athletic director at Mission ISD.

“That’s when I realized, ‘Hey, this isn’t a bad offense for the Valley,’” Reyes recalled.

Fittingly, Reyes brought the offense with him when he became coach at PSJA Southwest three years ago. Since then, the Javelinas have struggled, but not because of the offense.

In an era of spread offenses and dual-threat quarterbacks, Southwest is an anomaly because of the Wing-T, a run-heavy system dependent upon deception and multiple ballcarriers. The offense’s central playmaker is the fullback, a position few teams use these days.

Southwest averaged 235.5 rushing yards its inaugural year and 248.1 last season. Of its 537 total points heading into this season, only 36 came via the pass.

In Saturday’s season opener against Valley View, the Javs had 213 rushing yards and five rushing TDs in a 42-0 win. It’s an offense Reyes uses almost by necessity, since the program does not have the numbers or type of athletes most other schools do. It gives the Javelinas the best chance to win. At its best, the Wing-T dictates tempo and possession.

The one constant for the Javs has been a quick offensive line, and that again is the case this season in left guard Angel Valdez, left tackle Chris Sarinana, center Shawn Gonzalez, right tackle David Rodriguez, right guard Orlando Treviño and tight end Luis Gutierrez, the lone senior.

Stop them, and you stop the Javelinas’ offense. But good luck.

“It comes down to us,” Gonzalez said. “It comes down to us protecting our running backs, and it comes down to us establishing drives. We have to be mobile and we have to be as fast as anybody else. We have to be aggressive.

“If we don’t do those things, we aren’t successful as an offense.”

For the Wing-T, linemen have to be mobile and athletic. Brute strength is a nice plus, but not entirely necessary. The basis of the offensive line’s duties is traps, a basic block taken at an angle instead of at an opponent.

“We’re going to trap in every direction,” Reyes said. “If you’re a lineman, you like this offense. You’re not just stationary. You’re pulling right or left. Even the tight end is trapping inside.

“Times have changed. Linemen nowadays are zone-reading. We’re still old school. We pull and trap.”

Reyes takes his offensive line personally, stemming from his days coaching that position group with the Bears.

“I think any time we have visitors, they’ll find me with the linemen,” Reyes said. “I feel more comfortable working with linemen than I do even in my own home.”

Southwest has boasted a stable of talented running backs throughout its short tenure, but it has proven that the backs are a product of the system, not vice versa. The Javelinas once again have quality backs this season in fullback Jesus Acosta, who lit up Valley View for 161 yards and three TDs, and running back Hector Ortega, and three-year starting quarterback Carlos Portales is back for his senior season.

“I think we have better backs. We didn’t have great backs last year,” Gonzalez said. “This year, we have running backs who have speed and quickness; we have guys who are athletes.”

But the main difference between this year’s Javs and in years past, Portales said, comes at the offensive line.

“What they have is more heart and more determination,” Portales said. “We see each other as a brotherhood, and that makes us stronger.

“Those guys look bigger. They look faster. These are guys who have a bright future.”

Southwest will be fine offensively. Its defense where the Javelinas need to step up to avoid another low-win campaign; Southwest is 3-17 heading into this season. Going by Reyes’ praises about the linebackers, the defense could indeed take a big step forward this season.

But this is still a team driven by its offense, which in turn is ignited by its line.

“Football is blocking and tackling. That’s it,” Reyes said. “And we know we have to be better blockers than other teams are tacklers.”

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