VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Jan. 5-7

Tournaments

McHi Showcase

Laredo Tournament (McAllen Rowe, Edinburg North, Edinburg Economedes, Edinburg High, Mission Veterans, Roma, Edinburg Vela, PSJA Southwest)

Spring Branch ISD Tournament (Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Brownsville Pace)

Lady Highlander Tournament, Woodlands (Brownsville Lopez)

Waller Classic (Los Fresnos, Porter)

Thursday, Jan. 5

Non-district

Rio Hondo at La Joya Palmview, not reported

Friday, Jan. 6

Non-district

La Joya High at Donna High, 5:30 p.m.

Lyford at Weslaco East, 6 p.m.

McAllen Memorial at Weslaco High, 8 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

McHi Showcase Tournament

Thursday, Jan. 5

Game 1: McAllen High 3, Sharyland High 1

Game 2: Corpus Christi Veterans 6, Del Rio 0

Friday, Jan. 6

Game 3: McAllen High vs. Corpus Christi Veterans, 10 a.m.

Game 4: Sharyland High vs. Kyle Lehman, noon

Game 5: McAllen High vs. Del Rio, 2 p.m.

Game 6: Kyle Lehman vs. Corpus Christi Veterans, 4 p.m.

Game 7: Sharyland High vs. Del Rio, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7

Game 8: Del Rio vs. Kyle Lehman, 10 a.m.

Game 9: Sharyland High vs. Corpus Christi Veterans, noon

Game 10: McAllen High vs. Kyle Lehman, 2 p.m.

Laredo Border Olympics

Thursday, Jan. 5

Laredo Martin 2, Rio Grande City 0

St. Augustine 1, Roma 0

Laredo United 8, Mission High 0

Edcouch-Elsa 2, McAllen Rowe 1

Laredo LBJ 1, PSJA Southwest 0

Edinburg North 1, Laredo Nixon 1

Edinburg High 1, Laredo Alexander 0

Edinburg Vela 3, CC Winn 0

Edinburg Economedes 3, Laredo Cigarroa 0

Laredo United South 6, PSJA North 0

Eagle Pass 0, Harlingen High 0

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Tournaments

McHi Showcase

Laredo Tournament (McAllen Rowe, Edinburg North, Edinburg Economedes, Edinburg High, Mission Veterans, Roma, Edinburg Vela, PSJA Southwest)

Spring Branch ISD Tournament (Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Brownsville Pace)

Lady Highlander Tournament, Woodlands (Brownsville Lopez)

Waller Classic (Los Fresnos, Porter)

Thursday, Jan. 5

Non-district

Rio Hondo at La Joya Palmview, 1 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 6

Non-district

La Joya High at Donna High, 5:30 p.m.

Lyford at Weslaco East, 6 p.m.

McAllen Memorial at Weslaco High, 8 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

McHi Showcase Tournament

Thursday, Jan. 5

Game 1: McAllen High vs. Sharyland High, 2 p.m.

Game 2: Del Rio vs. Corpus Christi Veterans, 4 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 6

Game 3: McAllen High vs. Corpus Christi Veterans, 10 a.m.

Game 4: Sharyland High vs. Kyle Lehman, noon

Game 5: McAllen High vs. Del Rio, 2 p.m.

Game 6: Kyle Lehman vs. Corpus Christi Veterans, 4 p.m.

Game 7: Sharyland High vs. Del Rio, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7

Game 8: Del Rio vs. Kyle Lehman, 10 a.m.

Game 9: Sharyland High vs. Corpus Christi Veterans, noon

Game 10: McAllen High vs. Kyle Lehman, 2 p.m.

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Tournaments

2017 Mission Eagles Soccer Invitational

Katy ISD Tournament (McAllen High, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln)

Houston Invitational (Valley View, Progreso, Brownsville Hanna)

SAISD Tournament (Brownsville Pace)

Woodlands Tournament (Brownsville Rivera)

Cy Fair Tournament (Brownsville Lopez, Brownsville Porter)

Friday, Jan. 6

Non-district

Brownsville Rivera at Edinburg North, 8 p.m.

Edinburg High at La Joya High, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7

TAPPS district

San Antonio Central Catholic at St. Joseph Academy

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

2017 Mission Eagles Soccer Invitational

Pool Play

3 points for win, 2 points for shootout win, 1 point for shootout loss.

Six group winners and two best runner-ups advance to bracket play

Thursday, Jan. 5

At Tom Landry Stadium, Mission High

Group 1

Edinburg North vs. Grulla, 9 a.m.

1. vs. Weslaco East, 10 a.m.

Harlingen High vs. Laredo Nixon, 11 a.m.

Edinburg North vs. St. Augustine, 1 p.m.

Harlingen High vs. Grulla, 2 p.m.

Laredo Nixon vs. Weslaco East, 3 p.m.

Edinburg North vs. Harlingen High, 4 p.m.

Group 2

At Mission High Practice Field

Hidalgo High vs. Rio Grande City, 9 a.m.

PSJA Memorial vs. Edinburg Economedes, 10 a.m.

Laredo Cigarroa vs. Mission High, 11 a.m.

Hidalgo High vs. PSJA Memorial, 1 p.m.

Laredo Cigarroa vs. Rio Grande City, 2 p.m.

Mission High vs. Edinburg Economedes, 3 p.m.

Hidalgo High vs. Laredo Cigarroa, 4 p.m.

Group 3

At Patriot Stadium, Mission Veterans High School

Mission Veterans vs. Donna High, 9 a.m.

PSJA Southwest vs. McAllen Rowe, 10 a.m.

Los Fresnos vs. Laredo Alexander, 11 a.m.

Mission Veterans vs. PSJA Southwest, 1 p.m.

Los Fresnos vs. Donna High, 2 p.m.

Laredo Alexander vs. McAllen Rowe, 3 p.m.

Mission Veterans vs. Los Fresnos, 4 p.m.

Group 4

At Sharyland High

Sharyland High vs. San Benito, 9 a.m.

Laredo Nixon vs. La Feria, 10 a.m.

Edinburg Vela vs. Del Rio, 11 a.m.

Sharyland High vs. Laredo United, 1 p.m.

Edinburg Vela vs. San Benito, 2 p.m.

Del Rio vs. La Feria, 3 p.m.

Sharyland High vs. Edinburg Vela, 4 p.m.

Group 5

At Sharyland Pioneer

Sharyland Pioneer vs. Edcouch-Elsa, 9 a.m.

Laredo United South vs. Brownsville Veterans, 10 a.m.

PSJA North vs. La Joya Palmview, 11 a.m.

Sharyland Pioneer vs. Laredo United South, 1 p.m.

PSJA North vs. Edcouch-Elsa, 2 p.m.

La Joya Palmview vs. Brownsville Veterans, 3 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer vs. PSJA North, 4 p.m.

Group 6

At Mission Veterans Practice Field

PSJA High vs. Mercedes, 9 a.m.

Weslaco High vs. Port Isabel, 10 a.m.

Laredo LBJ vs. St. Stephens, 11 a.m.

PSJA High vs. Weslaco High, 1 p.m.

Laredo LBJ vs. Mercedes, 2 p.m.

PSJA High vs. Laredo LBJ, 4 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 6

Group 1

At Mission High Practice Field

Laredo Nixon vs. St. Augustine, 9 a.m.

Weslaco East vs. Grulla, 10 a.m.

Edinburg North vs. Laredo Nixon, 11 a.m.

Weslaco East vs. Harlingen High, 1 p.m.

Grulla vs. St. Augustine, 2 p.m.

Edinburg North vs. Weslaco East, 3 p.m.

Grulla vs. Laredo Nixon, 4 p.m.

1. vs. Harlingen High, 5 p.m.

Group 2

At Tom Landry Stadium, Mission High

Mission High vs. PSJA Memorial, 9 a.m.

Edinburg Economedes vs. Rio Grande City, 10 a.m.

Hidalgo High vs. Mission High, 11 a.m.

Edinburg Economedes vs. Laredo Cigarroa, 1 p.m.

Rio Grande City vs. PSJA Memorial, 2 p.m.

Hidalgo High vs. Edinburg Economedes, 3 p.m.

Rio Grande City vs. Mission High, 4 p.m.

PSJA Memorial vs. Laredo Cigarroa, 5 p.m.

Group 3

At Mission Veterans Practice Field

Laredo Alexander vs. PSJA Southwest, 9 a.m.

McAllen Rowe vs. Donna High, 10 a.m.

Mission Veterans vs. Laredo Alexander, 11 a.m.

McAllen Rowe vs. Los Fresnos, 1 p.m.

Donna High vs. PSJA Southwest, 2 p.m.

Mission Veterans vs. McAllen Rowe, 3 p.m.

Donna High vs. Laredo Alexnader, 4 p.m.

PSJA Southwest vs. Los Fresnos, 5 p.m.

Group 4

At Sharyland High

Del Rio vs. Laredo United, 9 a.m.

La Feria vs. San Benito, 10 a.m.

Sharyland High vs. Del Rio, 11 a.m.

La Feria vs. Edinburg Vela, 1 p.m.

San Benito vs. Laredo United, 2 p.m.

Sharyland High vs. La Feria, 3 p.m.

San Benito vs. Del Rio, 4 p.m.

Laredo United vs. Edinburg Vela, 5 p.m.

Group 5

At Sharyland Pioneer

La Joya Palmview vs. Laredo United South, 9 a.m.

Brownsville Veterans vs. Edcouch-Elsa, 10 a.m.

Sharyland Pioneer vs. La Joya Palmview, 11 a.m.

Brownsville Veterans vs. PSJA North, 1 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa vs. Laredo United South, 2 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer vs. Brownsville Veterans, 3 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa vs. La Joya Palmview, 4 p.m.

Laredo United South vs. PSJA North, 5 p.m.

Group 6

At Mission Veterans Practice Field

Port Isabel vs. Mercedes, 10 a.m.

PSJA High vs. St. Stephens, 11 a.m.

Port Isabel vs. Laredo LBJ, 1 p.m.

Mercedes vs. Weslaco High, 2 p.m.

Port Isabel vs. PSJA High, 3 p.m.

Mercedes vs. St. Stephens, 4 p.m.

Weslaco High vs. Laredo LBJ, 5 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7

Bracket Play

Quarterfinals

Game 1: Group 1 Winner vs. Group 6 Winner, At Mission High’s Tom Landry Stadium, 9 a.m.

Game 2: Group 2 Winner vs. Group 5 Winner, At Mission Veterans’ Patriots Stadium, 9 a.m.

Game 3: Group 3 Winner vs. Best Runner-Up, At Sharyland High, 9 a.m.

Game 4: Group 4 Winner vs. Second Runner-Up, at Sharyland Pioneer, 9 a.m.

Semifinals

Game 1 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, At Mission High’s Tom Landry Stadium, 11 a.m.

Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, At Sharyland High, 11 a.m.

Third-Place Game

Semifinal Losing Teams, at Mission High’s Tom Landry Stadium, 3 p.m.

Championship Game

Semifinal Winners, at Mission High’s Tom Landry

RGVSports.com

Fifteen Rio Grande Valley players were honored on the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Class 6A all-state football team, including four second-team defenders.

McAllen Rowe defensive lineman Ivan Avila, McAllen Memorial linebacker Jaryd Lara, Edinburg Vela defensive back Adrian Acosta, and La Joya Palmview defensive back Andrew Puente were second-team selections.

The list was released Thursday, with selections decided by voting based on regular-season performance.

Avila, a senior, made 118 tackles, including 96 solo, with 27 tackles for loss and 4 sacks for the Warriors.

Lara amassed 135 tackles, including 95 solo, with 17 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 12 hurries, 4 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and 2 defensive touchdowns during his senior year with the Mustangs.

Vela’s Acosta, a senior, made 100 tackles with a sack and 5 interceptions, while Puente, a senior, amassed 7 interceptions to complement 78 tackles.

Of the 11 Valley players to receive honorable mention recognition on Thursday, three came from Weslaco East. Junior running back Roy Pedraza got the nod after running for 1,250 yards with 16 touchdowns during the regular season, numbers he increased to 1,922 yards and 20 touchdowns by the end of the playoffs.

Junior defensive lineman Fernando Garza also made the list with 80 tackles and 5 tackles for loss, as did sophomore linebacker Freddy Cardenas, with 100 tackles and 6 tackles for loss.

Two McAllen Memorial seniors received honorable mention: offensive lineman Noah Godinez (56 pancakes, 0 sacks allowed, 97 percent grade) and defensive back Joey Delgado (89 tackles, 62 solo, 5 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 10 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles).

Weslaco High also had two seniors make the list. Offensive lineman Brandon Perez had 65 pancakes, and defensive back Diego Rodriguez had 132 total tackles, 72 solo tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 13 passes defended.

From San Benito, senior Julio Pecina made the team as an offensive lineman, and senior Emilio Garza got the nod at linebacker. Garza racked up 115 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 6 sacks with a forced fumble and 3 fumbles recovered.

The Valley’s two other honorable mentions were PSJA North senior defensive back Raudel Alvarez and Edinburg Vela junior defensive back Nick Enriquez.

Alvarez had 140 total tackles with 5 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions, while Enriquez had 196 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, an interception, 5 forced fumbles and 3 fumbles recovered.

RGVSports.com

Four players from Edcouch-Elsa were among the six Valley representatives in the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Class 5A All-State football team, released Wednesday morning.

Senior linebacker Joel Cardoza, senior defensive lineman Seth Garcia and offensive linemen junior Ricky Estimbo and senior Elijah Sanchez all received honorable mentions for E-E.

Mercedes junior linebacker Roger Adame III and Sharyland Pioneer junior linebacker Angel Chapa also received honorable mentions.

The selections were decided by voting based on regular-season performance.

Estimbo and Sanchez paved the way for an offense that averaged 429.9 yards to lead District 32-5A, running for 2,447 yards and throwing for 1,852.

Sanchez did not allow a sack, graded out 96 percent and had 38 pancakes, while Estimbo allowed 1 sack, graded out 94 percent and had 42 pancakes.

Garcia racked up 75 total tackles, 12 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and a blocked punt, while Cardoza amassed 163 total tackles with 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

For Mercedes, Adame was highly disruptive in the backfield, picking up 20 sacks, 42 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles. Overall, he made 142 tackles.

Chapa also had a big year for first-time playoff qualifier Sharyland Pioneer, making 142 tackles with 4 sacks, an interception and 10 tackles for loss.

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

Linemen:

— BARTON CLEMENT, Fort Bend Marshall, Jr. — no sacks allowed, averaged 6 pancakes/game

— WYATT MORGAN, Grapevine, Sr. — No sacks allowed, 93 percent grade, 43 pancakes, 65 knockdowns

— GRANT POLLEY, Denton, Sr. — 131 knockdowns, no sacks allowed, 93 percent grade

— THOMAS SHELMIRE, Dallas Highland Park, Jr. — 90 percent grade, 99 knockdowns

— ALBERT VILLARREAL, CC King, Sr. — 98 percent grade, 52 pancakes, team averaged 300 yards rushing/game

Receivers/ends:

— GAVIN HOLMES, Justin Northwest, Sr. — 72-1,403, 16 TDs receiving; 2 KO return TDs

— CEDARIAN LAMB, Richmond Foster, Sr. — 68-1,445, 22 TD

Quarterback:

— SPENCER SANDERS, Denton Ryan, Jr. — 156-240-2,375, 32 TDs, 4 INTs passing; 14 TDs rushing

Running backs:

— ENO BENJAMIN, Wylie East, Sr. — 268-1,791, 22 TD rushing; 5 TDs passing

— TRE’ LYDAY, Denison, Sr. — 282-1,871, 28 TDs

— DOMINIC WILLIAMS, Frisco Independence, Sr. — 184-1,922 yards, 28 TDs

Kicker:

— JACOB CLICK, Frisco Lone Star, Jr. — 51-55 PATs, 10-11 FGs, long of 42

Offensive Player of the Year: Eno Benjamin, Wylie East, Sr.

___

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

Linemen:

— BRIAN ANDREWS, Grapevine, Sr. — 78 tackles, 33 solo, 24.5 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 PBUs

— DERRION CLARK, Dallas South Oak Cliff, So. — 95 tackles, 18 TFL, 15 sacks, 7 FF, 4 FR

— MIGUEL GARCIA, Lubbock Coronado Jr. — 71 tackles, 18 solo, 28 TFL, 23 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR

— TAIVIAN RUCKER, Denison, Sr. — 90 tackles, 20 TFL, 9 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR, 2 PBUs

Linebackers:

— CADEN MCDONALD, Justin Northwest, Sr. — 95 tackles, 12 TFL, 3 sacks, 4 FF, 2 FR, 2 INTs, 3 PBUs, 1 defensive TD

— MASON MONTOYA, Lubbock Coronado, Sr. — 141 tackles, 32 solo, 25 TFL, 5 sacks, 2 INTs (1 TD), 8 PBUs

— KEVON SMITH, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Sr. — 122 tackles, 22 TFL, 13 sacks, 3 FF

Defensive backs:

— JALEN CATALON, Mansfield Legacy, Soph. – 150 tackles, 4 INTs, 4 FF, 3 TFL, 8 PBUs

— ALLIE GREEN, Austin LBJ, Sr. — 9 INTs, 12 PBUs, 76 tackles

— CHRISTIAN HAYES, Lubbock Coronado, Sr. — 48 tackles, 23 solo, 8 INTs (2 TDs), four PBUs, 2 blocked FGs

— DELANO ROBINSON, Denton Ryan, Sr. — 62 tackles, 5 INTs

Punter:

— TREVOR DENBOW, Corsicana, Sr. — 45.6 average, 14 inside 10

Defensive Player of the Year: Jalen Catalon, Mansfield Legacy, Soph.

___

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

Linemen:

— Ryan Everett, CC Calallen, Sr.; Chuck Filiaga, Aledo, Sr.; Chance McLeod, Victoria East, Sr.; Dakoda Newman, Mansfield Timberview, Sr.; Chase Travis, Georgetown, Sr.

Receivers/ends:

— Jalen Reagor, Waxahachie, Sr.; Noah Sifrit, Lubbock Coronado, Sr.

Quarterback:

— Qua Gray, Lubbock Coronado, Jr.

Running backs:

— Deion Hankins, EP Parkland; Kyran Jackson, FW South Hills; Damon Williams, Saginaw Boswell.

Kicker:

— Josue Munoz, Mansfield Summit, Sr.

___

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

Linemen:

— Ken’Twuan Freeman, Victoria West, Sr.; Brandon Peterson, SA Alamo Heights, Sr.; Camerion Pumphrey, FW South Hills, Sr.; Ondario Robinson, Hutto, Sr.

Linebackers:

— Kenny Bowen, Denton, Sr.; John Brannon, Prosper, Sr.; Jordan Diver, Cedar Park, Sr.

Defensive backs:

— Gus Hancock, Bryan, Jr.; Lawrence Mann, CC Calallen, Sr.; Chris Miller, Denton, Sr.; Josh Thompson, Nacogdoches, Sr.

Punter:

— Pedro Lira, Abilene Cooper, Sr.

___

HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE

LINEMEN: Earnest Brown IV, Denton Ryan; Victor Buenrostro, Mesquite Poteet; Travis Dafft, Prosper; Ricky Estimbo, Edcouch-Elsa; Ares Frinzenwalner, FW Arlington Heights; Danny Guajardo, Crosby; Andrew Irion, Colleyville Heritage; Jacob Kramer, Colleyville Heritage; Tanner Leser, Frisco Lone Star; Luke Matthews, Fort Bend Elkins; Elijah Sanchez, Edcouch-Elsa; Darrell Simpson, Justin Northwest; Isaac Torres, N. Richland Hills; Jagger Weatherford, Gregory-Portland; Jameson White, Georgetown; Jacob Young, N. Richland Hills.

RECEIVERS/ENDS: Chayce Bolli, Boerne Champion; Beau Corrales, Georgetown; Gabe Douglas, Denton Ryan; Quan Hampton, Texarkana Texas; Markiese King, Dallas South Oak Cliff; Zach Parker, Whitehouse; Tre Wolf, Victoria East.

QUARTERBACKS: Alan Bowman, Grapevine; Tre’Von Bradley, Cleburne; Kendall Catalon, Mansfield Legacy; Jacob Frazier, Magnolia; Amare Jones, Frisco Heritage; John Stephen Jones, Dallas Highland Park; Gunnar Palacios, Canyon; Jason Shelley, Frisco Lone Star; Bailey Zappe, Victoria East.

RUNNING BACKS: Matthew Collier, SA Southside; Stephen Gaines, Wichita Falls; Phillip Jones, Nacogdoches; Syrus Moore, Justin Northwest; Kameron Session, Mansfield Legacy; Titus Swen, Northwest Eaton; Adrian Walker, CC King; Nick Ward, Waco University.

___

HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE

LINEMEN: David Anenih, Mansfield Timberview; Marqez Bimage, Brenham; Luke Blanton, Dallas Highland Park; Brandon Broughton, CC Calallen; Earnest Brown IV, Denton Ryan; Mason Buenger, Victoria West; Chris Casas, Laredo Nixon; Turner Coxe, Dallas Highland Park; Courtney Cravin, FW Wyatt; Danny Diaz, Laredo Cigarroa; Jacob Divel, New Caney; Seth Garcia, Edcouch-Elsa; Wes Harris, Aledo; Noah Ingram, Mesquite Poteet; De’vaunte Johnson, Nacogdoches; Michael Jordan, San Angelo Lake View; Kyrese McFarland, Saginaw Boswell; Ellis Newkirk, Amarillo; Angel Reyes, Plainview; James Williams, Aledo.

LINEBACKERS: Roger Adame III, Mercedes; Joel Cardoza, Edcouch-Elsa; Angel Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer; Tyreke Davis, Denton Ryan; Rayce Deal, CC Calallen; Derek Ditto, Dumas; Dayne Douglass, Canyon; Anthony Flores, College Station; Sir Charles Miles Frost, Lancaster; Matt Gahm, Dallas Highland Park; Garrett Grammer, Richmond Foster; John House, Dallas Highland Park; Alec Lewis, Crosby; Demarqus McGilveary, Cleburne; Francisco Muniz, San Angelo Lake View; Kenneth Orji, Fort Bend Elkins; Brendon Teague, Gregory-Portland; Heath Thomas, CC Calallen; Felipe Vasquez, Laredo Nixon; Mark Wagner, College Station; Trevor Williams, A&M Conslidated.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Rashad Adams, FW Wyatt; Breshun Berry, Saginaw Boswell; Rene Cardenas, Laredo Nixon; Deon Collins, Austin LBJ; John Gaddis, CC Calallen; Dice Griego, Plainview; Wyatt Harris, Aledo; Bryce Hughes, WF Rider; Myles Jones, Magnolia West; Jacob Mueller, Saginaw Boswell; Andre Mulinax, Crowley; Javier Neal, Whitehouse; Kolby Peel, A&M Conslidated; Tay’Lor Perry, Crosby; Tanner Savoy, Justin Northwest; Eric Sutton, Texarkana Texas.

PUNTERS: Nathan Betts, Amarillo; Trevor Denbow, Corsicana; Bryce Hughes, WF Rider; Livan Valdez, Cleburne.

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — When Weslaco East opened practice on Aug. 1, J.C. Vargas was still thinking about the onside kick. In the 2015 area round, the Wildcats had an 8-point lead against Del Rio with less than 5 minutes to play but came away empty handed, thanks in part to a Rams onside kick that Vargas got his hands on but couldn’t corral.

“I was the one who touched the ball, so I kind of took it to heart,” Vargas said in August. “It’s just a thing that I have to come back and try to get back there, and make these guys go father.”

Sixteen weeks later, again facing Del Rio in a Class 6A, Division II area round game, Vargas finally atoned for his missed opportunity and accomplished his season-long goal, scoring a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown to propel East to a 31-13 win on Saturday at Alamo Stadium.

“This feels good,” Vargas said. “Last year, we came up a little bit short to these guys. This year, we wanted to get back at them. We got after it this year and executed everything really, really well.”

With the win, the Wildcats advance to the third round of the playoffs for the fourth time in seven years. Weslaco East will next face Cibolo Steele, most likely on Friday in Corpus Christi, although the arrangements had not been finalized Saturday night.

“It’s a great feeling to go to the third round,” quarterback Richard LeFevre said. “Not many teams get this far, and it’s a real blessing.”

After needing a win in Week 11 to secure a playoff berth as the fourth-place team in District 32-6A, East is one of only four Valley teams left standing in the state playoffs.

At one point, the Wildcats were 3-4 overall and 1-3 in District 32-6A. Coach Mike Burget said those outside the program considered East an underdog for the second consecutive playoff game after drawing Valley power Edinburg Vela in the bi-district round. But Burget said East never viewed itself as an underdog, especially with an opportunity for revenge against Del Rio.

“Our kids wanted it,” Burget said. “They remember the onside kick last year, even though I say they don’t. Us coaches did, too, a little bit. It burned this week. You could see them practicing. I’ve never seen kids practice like they did, and they came out and won the game.”

Vargas was at the center of the Wildcats’ success, continuing to shine as a do-it-all threat.

His 1-yard touchdown run just a few seconds before halftime gave East a 10-7 lead, and his 76-yard catch with 1:57 to play in the third quarter gave the Wildcats the 17-13 advantage they would never relinquish.

He finished the game with 18 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown, plus a game-sealing interception during the final minute after playing the majority of snaps on both sides of the ball, plus special teams.

“He’s just an outstanding athlete,” LeFevre said. “I saw something I haven’t seen in him the first couple of weeks. He wanted to win. He made things happen for us. He’s a real special player.”

Roy Pedraza also had another huge game on the ground for Weslaco East, running for 213 yards and a touchdown to push him to nearly 1,800 and 20 touchdowns this year, including more than 500 yards in two playoff games.

His efforts were critical to East’s ball-control offense, which worked to perfection. The only East drives that didn’t last at least 8 plays ended early due to long touchdowns. The Wildcats had four drives that spanned at least 10 plays, a big reason they held the ball for 30 minutes, 39 seconds compared to just 17:21 for Del Rio.

East ran the ball 59 times for 330 yards overall, highlighted by Pedraza’s 69-yard scamper to extend East’s lead to a comfortable 24-13 early in the fourth quarter.

“That’s always part of the game plan,” Pedraza said. “Coach Burget’s philosophy is to get 3 yards before you get 30. And that’s what we did today.”

East is now looking to advance to the fourth round for the first time in program history, facing an 11-1 Steele team that was ranked No. 5 in Class 6A by the Associated Press at the end of the regular season.

East also drew Steele in the third round in 2014, losing 48-17.

“They are a tougher team, but we’re going to go out there and play East football,” Vargas said. “We’re not going to back down from anybody.”

[email protected]

RGVSports.com writers Dennis Silva II and Saul Berrios-Thomas join host Greg Luca to recap Week 11 of the Rio Grande Valley high school football season. As the dust settles on the regular season, the guys outline who made the playoffs, who got left out, who claimed district titles and what lies ahead in the bi-district round of the playoffs.

The podcast is now available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.

RGVSports.com writers Dennis Silva II and Mario Aguirre join host Greg Luca to recap Week 10 of the Rio Grande Valley high school football season. The guys review who has already reached the playoffs and what has to happen in Week 11 to sort out the races in each district, briefly recapping the relevant Week 10 games along the way. At the end of the show, the guys revisit the latest Dennis Silva II Hypothetical of the Week and bid farewell to Mario, who is appearing on the podcast for the final time.

The podcast is now available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen Memorial needed only one workout last offseason to settle on a team motto for 2016: “Continue the journey.”

For two years, the Mustangs had been nothing short of dominant in district play, going undefeated against 30-6A competition. The 2016 team was determined to make it three in a row, even as the perception of the program took a hit following the graduation of the Valley’s all-time leading rusher, Trevor Speights.

Through two non-district losses and a few early injuries, senior linebacker Jaryd Lara said the Mustangs refused to be deterred.

“We knew we had to come back and get on track, so when we get into district, we just roll. I think we did a pretty good job of that,” Lara said. “I’m so proud of my team. We not only spoke it, but we proved it out there on the field every game.”

Memorial clinched a third straight outright District 30-6A title on Thursday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, easily cruising to a 59-7 win against La Joya Juarez-Lincoln.

The win moves the Mustangs to 7-2 overall and 5-0 in district, safely ahead of the four teams tied for second place at 2-2.

“It’s always special any time you can win one,” Memorial coach Bill Littleton said. “If you win two, or win three, it’s real special. These kids did a great job. A lot of people thought we wouldn’t be very good this year coming into the season, but I think our kids have proved them wrong. We’re playing pretty good football right now.”

Memorial had Thursday’s game well in hand by halftime, taking a 38-0 lead into the break. The Mustangs outgained the Huskies 387-82 during the first 24 minutes, getting two touchdowns from Campbell Speights and one each from JoJo Williams and Emilio Mendez. Memorial also scored through the air, as quarterback Angel Almaguer found Sean Skaugen for a 34-yard strike.

Speights, the district’s leading rusher, finished with a career-best 191 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 10 carries.

“I wanted the gold ball,” Speights said. “And I know we all wanted the gold ball. So I was going to put my heart into this one. If any game, it was this one.”

Mendez finished with 135 yards and a score, Williams had 61 yards and a touchdown, and Skaugen had 80 yards rushing with a TD. He also hauled in two passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.

All that production came against a Juarez-Lincoln defense that had been statistically the best in District 30-6A entering the week, having held opponents to an average of 263 yards per game, including a district-best 148.4 per game on the ground. Memorial finished with 571 total yards and 499 rushing — the type of outlandish figures that have become commonplace in recent seasons.

“It’s tough,” Littleton said of sustaining Memorial’s level of success. “You’re always a marked man when you’re doing that. We take a lot of pride in it. We call it tradition, and we just keep on building on that tradition.”

Putting district opponents away early has become the norm for Memorial, which hasn’t lost a district game since Oct. 25, 2013, a streak of 19 consecutive wins.

This year’s five wins have come by an average margin of 37.4 points. The Mustangs average margin of victory in district in 2015 was 47.2 points, and in 2014 Memorial won by an average of 28.5 points per district game. Not since a 21-17 win against La Joya High on Sept. 26, 2014, has a district opponent come within 10 points of Memorial.

“Before every district game, we come in here and we remind all the guys that it’s not just us playing on the field, it’s the past Mustangs,” Lara said. “We’re playing for them. We’re playing for that streak to continue. Because the Mustang spirit never dies.”

As always, Memorial’s biggest test will come in the playoffs, where the Mustangs have just one win in the past four seasons.

Each year, Littleton enters the fall with the goal of producing the best season in Memorial’s history. The Mustangs have never advanced to the fourth round of the playoffs.

“Our quarterback, Angel, he says nothing less than three,” Speights said. “He wants to go three rounds. That’s what we want to do. We want to make history.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — When McAllen High hits an occasional lull in practice, offensive lineman Andrew Tipton said he looks to Jefry Garcia.

Tipton is a second-year starter and one of the team’s stalwarts on the offensive line. Garcia, on the other hand, almost never plays. Coach Kevin Brewer estimated that he’s been on the field for only about 10 snaps this season.

Still, Garcia has positioned himself as one of the Bulldogs’ unlikely leaders because of his positive attitude and diligent approach.

“He helps us get through practice,” Tipton said. “In those hot practices, we don’t want to be dragged down more. He’ll bring us up, and help us finish.”

Last week, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football recognized Garcia for his efforts, naming him one of five recipients of its Unsung Hero award.

The honor is presented to athletes who symbolize what their team and community strive to represent, and it comes with a $500 scholarship from Texas Farm Bureau Insurance.

“I just give 100 percent, because I know I don’t go as often as the other players, so I make the most if it,” Garcia said. “Just get better every day, and never waste a play.”

Brewer said he was asked for a nomination over the summer and immediately thought of Garcia, given the senior’s limited role and the traditionally unheralded nature of the offensive line position.

Garcia and his teammates had no idea Brewer had made the nomination, so they were shocked to learn he had been chosen. Brewer, too, was caught off guard.

“I was really kind of floored that of all the high schools and all the kids in Texas, they picked him,” Brewer said. “They just saw something in him that I’m glad they saw, because he deserves it.”

Brewer said Garcia arrives to practice every day with a smile on his face and will stop to ask coaches how their day went.

Tipton said Garcia is never late and always brings “good vibes,” keeping other players from getting down on themselves.

“I never get mad,” Garcia said. “I never hold on to any grudge or negative things. I just keep a positive mind throughout the whole practice.

“Sometimes, practice drags, or we do something bad and Coach gets mad,” Garcia added. “But they see me, and they get through with it.”

Garcia is also a strong example in the classroom, Brewer said, making mostly As and Bs. A senior, Garcia is set to go to UTRGV next year, with plans to study computer science.

In the meantime, Brewer will continue to point to him as an example for McHi, which has won back-to-back games to enter the thick of the playoff race at 2-2 in District 30-6A.

“It’s a leadership thing, in that the other role players on the team see him and they’re like, ‘You know what? He’s not pouting,’” Brewer said. “’He doesn’t have a bad attitude. He has this great attitude and great work ethic. Maybe I need to kind of model myself after Jeff.’ The kids love him. His teammates love him to death. And it’s infectious to the whole team.”

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