RGVSports.com writers Dennis Silva II and Mario Aguirre join host Greg Luca to preview Week 8 of the Rio Grande Valley high school football season. After not coming through with a Week 7 recap, the guys have plenty to discuss as they overview the latest top 10 and break down the upcoming week’s top games: Edcouch-Elsa at Mercedes and Sharyland Pioneer at Sharyland High. The show wraps up with the latest Dennis Silva II Hypothetical of the Week.

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

GREG LUCA AND MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

After winning two straight games and three of the past four, La Joya Palmview coach Margarito Requenez had mixed feelings about hitting the open week in his schedule.

On one hand, he’d like to get back on the field this week so the Lobos can continue the roll they’ve been on. On the other, Palmview lost some key defensive players to injury during last week’s win against McAllen Rowe and can use the time off to get back to 100 percent.

“I don’t like bye weeks. They kind of throw your whole rhythm off,” Requenez said. “But I’d rather take a bye week and get those kids healthy that I lost last night, so they can come back.”

Since an 0-3 start to the season, including a pair of losses by 30 points or more, Palmview has started to find its footing offensively.

Quarterback Jon Zieseke ranks second in District 30-6A with 941 passing yards, and wideout Tristan Myende tops the district with 525 receiving yards. Running back Joel Piña also sits second in the district with 767 rushing yards, having hit his stride as a once banged-up offensive line has come together around him. Piña has cracked 100 yards in three of the past four games, including season bests of 37 carries for 204 yards against Rowe.

Palmview sits third in the district standings at 2-1 and 3-4 overall, with the matchup against powerhouse McAllen Memorial already out of the way.

“We’re in a very good spot,” Requenez said. “We have three games left, three hard games. And I keep telling them it doesn’t matter how many games we have left. We need to take it one game at a time. And as long as we keep our focus on a one game at a time attitude, I think we’ll be OK.”

GETTING GOING

When starting sweeper Hector Ramirez suffered an injury early during McAllen Rowe’s Week 3 matchup against Brownsville Porter, coach Bobby Flores started looking into other options at the position. Ramirez never missed a game, but the scare was a wake-up call to find more bodies at a spot where Flores always wants to have fresh legs available.

Looking through his program, Flores found his second option in a freshman, Horacio Moronta. After a few weeks of practice, Moronta got his first taste of varsity action last week, catching three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown against La Joya Palmview.

“He showed a lot of speed and agility, and obviously he had good hands,” Flores said. “He’s young, but he’s picking it up and learning. He’s a good athlete. … There’s no doubt about it: He has a lot of potential.”

With Moronta adding a new dynamic and Ramirez continuing to thrive in the role, running back Raudel Garcia has come on strong. After averaging 13 carries for 67.3 yards during the Warriors first three games, Garcia has picked up an average of 144.7 yards on 21.3 carries in Rowe’s three most recent contests.

“Even last year, he ran the ball hard when we did run it, so I knew he was something special,” Flores said. “This year, we put in our new scheme of things, and him getting a feel for our running lanes and our plays as far as our blocking schemes, he’s gotten better and better as the weeks have gone by.”

SEEING IMPROVEMENT

Though PSJA Memorial endured a 14-0 loss to Edinburg High in Week 7, coach Michael Uribe was encouraged by his team’s defensive efforts.

The Wolverines (0-6, 0-3 in district) yielded two touchdowns and 178 yards (both season bests), while surrendering just 15 yards in the air against an Edinburg High team that is in position to make the playoffs. It was a stark contrast from the Wolverines’ previous five games, in which they allowed an average of 38.6 points and 372.2 yards.

“It’s just a matter of understanding the concepts, the coverages we run and our responsibilities,” Uribe said. “Every play has to be orchestrated in order to work. A lot of times, it’s minor mistakes here and there — or we get beat here and there — and that causes breaks in the defense. That’s why we feel football is the ultimate team sport; all 11 players have to be on the same page.”

Uribe anticipates his defense improving with Luis Ovando, a senior defensive end, back from a hand injury he sustained during a preseason scrimmage. Aside from his physical play, Ovando’s demeanor, experience and leadership have been a welcome addition to a relatively young defense (two sophomores, two juniors at linebacker; one sophomore, two juniors in the secondary).

“We tell them that we all work together,” Uribe said. “We will succeed together, and we will fail together. So we have to keep lifting each other up. We have to take care of each other. We’re all on the same boat. If we’re on track, we’re all going to sail, if not, we’ll sink.”

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — After Los Fresnos erased a 13-point halftime deficit to knock off Weslaco East, Falcons coach Patrick Brown felt his halftime message was better left unshared.

“There were some fairly strong words that were said at halftime,” Brown said. “I felt our kids and our coaches, we’re sick of losing games by one points or one touchdown. And I think that we just challenged our seniors, and they rose to the challenge.”

For the first 24 minutes, Weslaco East had been dominant, controlling the game on the ground and keeping Los Fresnos off the field. But Falcons quarterback Mark Mata took over down the stretch, finishing with 212 rushing yards and a touchdown as Los Fresnos picked up a 17-16 win on Friday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in The Monitor’s Game of the Week.

The win snaps a three-game slide — all by 8 points or fewer — for the Falcons, who now sit 3-3 and 1-2 in District 32-6A.

With the loss, Weslaco East drops to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in district. Every team the Wildcats have faced received votes in the latest RGVSports.com top 10 poll.

In district play, the Wildcats have now squared off against No. 1 San Benito, No. 8 Weslaco High and No. 9 Los Fresnos, with No. 5 Harlingen High looming next week.

“Our kids played hard, and that’s all I can ask,” Weslaco East coach Mike Burget said. “Those kids are still excited. They know we’re still in it. I know we’re 1-2, but a lot of people don’t understand the schedule we’ve got. We’ve been the game of the week every week. We’re playing some schools that are a lot bigger than us. But our kids continue to fight. It doesn’t matter what the score is. It doesn’t matter. We’re going to regroup.”

On Friday, East’s biggest problem was Mata, who picked up 155 yards and a touchdown on 12 second-half carries. He also finished the game 4-of-11 passing for 51 yards, making the start on Friday after sitting out last week’s 21-14 loss to Harlingen South for what Brown called “a learning situation.”

“It’s everything,” Brown said of the difference Mata makes for Los Fresnos’ offense. “He inspires confidence not only in our offensive line and our receivers, but our coaches as far as what we call and what we do. He’s a special athlete.”

Mata barley saw the field in the first half, as Weslaco East outgained Los Fresnos 223-92 and ran 37 offensive plays to the Falcons’ 18.

At the break, East’s Roy Pedraza had already carried the ball 23 times for a career-high 175 yards and two touchdowns, giving him nine total scores in the past five games.

East grinded away in the ground game, attempting just two passes before the break. Three of the Wildcats’ four first-half drives spanned 10 plays or more. Los Fresnos had meanwhile squandered its own scoring chances, ending one drive with a fumble and another with a punt after losing 15 yards on a botched snap.

“I thought we were in trouble,” Brown said.

In the second half, Brown said he switched to a four wide receiver set, which opened running lanes for Mata. The Falcons’ first possession ended with another lost fumble, but then Los Fresnos scored on three straight drives to take the lead.

John Salazar reached the end zone from 20 yards out with 2:37 in the third quarter to make the score 13-7. After East extended its advantage to 16-7 with a field goal, Mata ran left, juked back to his right and then beat a defender to the outside for a 70-yard touchdown scamper.

East then turned the ball over on downs near midfield, and Los Fresnos drove to East’s 16-yard line before stalling and facing a fourth down. The Falcons’ Alejandro Fragoso missed a 33-yard field goal, but East was whistled for offsides, and Fragoso converted from 28 yards for the 17-16 edge with 4:09 to play.

Weslaco East’s attempt at a comeback drive produced just two penalties and a turnover via fumble, all but assuring Los Fresnos’ win. After running for 223 yards in the first half, East gained just 40 more on the ground in the second.

“We have to bounce back from this,” Burget said. “This is a tough loss, but these kids will come back tomorrow, and we’ll get ready to play.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — Growing up, Weslaco East’s Adrian Duran was drawn to Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. Watching on TV, Duran was awed by the two-time NFL defensive player of the year, and he decided he wanted to someday play the same position on the gridiron.

“I liked the way he hit,” Duran said. “I liked the way his role was, as a leader, and I guess that influenced me a lot.”

Duran may not stand 6-foot-1 or talk a lot of trash like the former NFL great, but he has taken on the roles of leader and heavy hitter during his senior year for the Wildcats.

Duran has notched a team-best 48 tackles this season, ranking atop a unit that coach Mike Burget said has overachieved against a grueling schedule. Duran and his cohorts are in for another stiff test at 7:30 tonight, when Weslaco East hosts Los Fresnos in The Monitor’s Game of the Week.

“I knew they were going to be undersized,” Burget said, “but I also knew those guys would hit you.”

Few, if any, on the Wildcats defense have attacked offenses with as much force as Duran. Burget has seen it in practice since Duran was a freshman, even on drills in which the hitting is supposed to be light.

Duran stands only about 5-foot-8, but like many of his teammates he has committed himself in the weight room to develop a strong build.

“When I get the chance, I like to hit people. I take pride in that,” Duran said. “I like to sacrifice my body. I don’t really care.”

His teammates saw him do that quite a bit last year, when his 122 tackles were 40 more than the next best Wildcat. Burget said the key to Duran’s success is his ability to read his keys quickly and take a strong first step — a skill developed through experience and film study.

Duran’s dedication and production were major reasons he became a leader in the middle without ever having to talk too much.

“It’s not so much what he says, it’s more what he does,” said linebacker Marcus Caceres, who is tied for second on the team with 41 tackles. “If he gets a good play, the rest of us are getting pumped, getting ready for the next play to happen.”

That’s not to say Duran never speaks; he said he tries to motivate his team to push through fatigue, and to make sure the young players around him understand their assignments on each play.

Even Caceres, a senior, turns to Duran for advice on how to hold down his inside linebacker position after lining up outside last year.

“Playing outside linebacker last season and repping it during the whole offseason, I have to ask him a lot, ‘Hey, where am I supposed to be lined up?’” Caceres said. “’What are the different calls for the inside linebacker?’”

Although still learning the finer points of the position after a season away, Caceres said he’s much more comfortable on the inside than outside.

On the interior, he can play more reactionary, targeting the run game. Outside, he had to sit back and read the offense, always ready for a potential pass.

“Adrian is more of the plugger, the hitter. Marcus, he can chase you down,” Burget said. “He’s very humble. He doesn’t say much, again. He’s like most East kids.”

The Wildcats defense is young this season, starting three sophomores and a large group of juniors, Burget said. He’s glad to see that they all stay quiet and composed, putting the energy that could be spent jumping around toward finishing strong in the third and fourth quarters.

On the rare occasions something does need to be said, everyone knows to look to Duran.

“I just tell them we have to strive to be No. 1, the No. 1 defense in the Valley,” Duran said. “That’s how I feel we are, and we need to play like it.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Sandon Yarto, McAllen High’s leading rusher last week, didn’t have a carry in the team’s first three games. Gunnar Henderson, the Bulldog’s leading receiver last week, wasn’t even on the roster until Week 4.

McHi’s offense has come up against some turbulence this season, unable to get rolling consistently as the team has started just 1-4. But with Yarto coming into his own at a new position and Henderson back with the team after opening the year at Brownsville St. Joseph, coach Kevin Brewer has reasons for optimism heading into a rivalry clash with McAllen Memorial on Friday.

“I don’t care what the record looks like,” Brewer said. “I like where this football team is at right now.”

In the spring, Henderson was projected as the next focal point of the offense, tagged to step up as the primary running back for his junior year.

But Henderson decided in June to move to St. Joseph, lured by the strong football program and prospect of going to a top-tier college after graduation. Henderson said a major factor in the move was listening to those in the media and around him who said changing schools was a good idea without considering how the move would impact him on a personal level.

“I shouldn’t have done it,” Henderson said. “I should’ve talked to my teammates, and I should’ve talked to my coaches here. I made a mistake.”

Henderson said he lives just two minutes from McAllen High, compared to the daily hour-long drives to and from St. Joseph.

He also came to dread being away from the family and friends he had grown up with, including his sister Westyn, a freshman at McHi.

“The biggest thing was I missed my guys here, and my family,” Henderson said. “I missed the coaches who put in time for me and helped raise me. They care for me as more than a football player. They care for me as a person. They care for me as a student. They care for me just in general. I feel like I betrayed them, and I regret it 100 percent, but I can’t go back and change that.”

Henderson enrolled at McAllen High on Sept. 12, then had three weeks to reintegrate before his debut against La Joya High on Friday. He played defensive back with McAllen High as a sophomore, but used the spring to pick up running back and added receiver and wildcat quarterback after his return.

In his first game back, he ran five times for 20 yards with a touchdown and caught two passes for 54 yards and another score.

“He brings an explosive aspect to our offense,” Brewer said. “Big play ability. It really opens up a lot of things for our offense.”

When Henderson left, Mark Martinez took on a role as McHi’s primary running back. And with Martinez kept out of the past two games by a high ankle sprain, Yarto has stepped into his place.

Yarto, a senior, opened the season at tight end and still ranks as McHi’s leading receiver with 9 catches for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns. But on Friday, he was the Bulldogs’ leading rusher, with 16 carries for 63 yards.

“It’s been great,” Brewer said. “Sandon is a smart kid. He picked it up really fast. He runs hard. He’s a good athlete. We didn’t miss a beat with him back there.”

Yarto said he had fun in the new role, which he had been practicing for three weeks leading up to Friday. Given his familiarity with the offensive line scheme and blocking assignments, he said the transition was easy.

Being in a different position has given Yarto a newfound respect for running backs, specifically how patient they have to be as plays develop. “I always saw running backs and I was like, ‘The only reason you guys do what you do is because of the O-line,’” Yarto said. “But no, it is a very difficult position.”

“I always pictured ball snapped, and you just book it,” Yarto added. “And then you just run and there will magically be a hole right there. But no, that is not the case. It was very different.”

Coming from tight end, Yarto said physical running was instinctive. With time, he’s looking to improve his balance and find more cutback opportunities.

If Yarto can help McHi establish a running game, it will eliminate the problem he, Henderson and Brewer all flagged as the Bulldogs’ biggest issue: getting behind on first down via penalties or negative plays.

“Those are correctable things, and we’re working to correct those all the time,” Brewer said. “Once we do that and we stay normal on our down and distance, we’re going to be fine.”

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RGVSports.com writer Mario Aguirre joins host Greg Luca to preview Week 7 of the Rio Grande Valley high school football season. The RGVSports.com top 10 saw plenty of fluctuations for the guys to discuss, and every Valley 5A and 6A district has big games on the docket for title contenders.

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

RGVSports.com writer Dennis Silva II joins host Greg Luca to recap Week 6 of the Rio Grande Valley high school football season. No. 1-ranked San Benito survived a stiff test from Weslaco East, Harlingen South and Sharyland Pioneer picked up signature wins, and Edinburg Vela remained dominant in another busy week of district play around the Valley. To wrap up the show, the guys answer the latest Dennis Silva II Hypothetical of the Week.

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

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen Memorial finished spring practices feeling like the offensive line would be a strong point. With plenty of talent and experience, the Mustangs front line was ready to pave the way for another dominant rushing attack.

Then, fall practices came, and injuries struck. Senior center Armando Garcia, the group’s leader, was lost to a broken arm. Junior right tackle Cesar Davila, then the line’s biggest player at 6-foot-3 and 325 pounds, suffered a broken leg. Suddenly, Memorial was inserting new players and sliding experienced pieces to fresh positions.

“It was tough to overcome, but we stuck together,” right guard Aaron Ramirez said. “That didn’t mean anything to us. We just kept going and kept going, and did our job along the way.”

Though communication, chemistry and intelligence are paramount in Memorial’s offensive system, Ramirez and new right tackle Noah Godinez felt like the group came together quickly.

Coach Bill Littleton was a little less forgiving, but he said he’s seen improvement, especially in the team’s two most recent games. At the midway point of the season, McAllen Memorial is 3-2 and averages a District 30-6A leading 334.8 rushing yards per game — production at least in part due to the play up front.

“We had a couple kids who got hurt, so we kind of had to revamp and start over from where we were in spring ball,” Littleton said. “But we’re getting there. We’re getting better every week.”

When Garcia went down, Memorial took a “next man up” approach, plugging in backup Marcus Robles. Filling Davila’s spot was a little more complicated. Godinez moved to right tackle from left guard, fitting the mold of having one of the team’s biggest, strongest players holding down the position. Esteban Perez stepped into the lineup at left guard. And, following the plan put in place last season, Ramirez moved from left guard to right guard for his junior year.

Left tackle Ricky Garcia and tight end Trey Earhart round out the lineup.

“There was a little bit of rebuilding to do, but that was done actually pretty quick,” Godinez said. “You always find us hanging out together, so chemistry was easy to build.”

During Memorial’s first two games, Littleton saw a unit that was blowing assignments and struggling with communication. In response, he put an added emphasis in practice on helping the players understand how to block different plays.

In Memorial’s system, the linemen have the freedom to figure out blocking techniques and assignments in real time, depending on what they see from the defense. assignment

“We tell our kids there’s not any one way to block a play,” Littleton said. “They have to do that on the fly. That’s what I think is unique about our system.”

Instead of outlining specific duties, Littleton and his staff teach basic concepts. Then, within games, the players can identify problematic matchups, talk over situations on the sideline and be better prepared when they take the field for future possessions.

Littleton said the Mustangs can run a play four or five times in a row but block differently each time.

“You have to be smart to play on the offensive line at Memorial High School,” Littleton said. “You can’t be a dummy, because they have freedom.”

With responsibilities changing from snap to snap, communication by every player on the offensive line is key. No one blocker is definitively leading the charge: Littleton said Ramirez is the most vocal player, Ramirez said the leaders are Godinez, Perez and Earhart, and Godinez said Robles and Perez are most often directing the group.

In practice, Littleton tells his coaches to keep quiet so the linemen grow comfortable talking to each other and working out their assignments.

“What I always tell the coaches is, ‘Are you going to be there on Friday night to help them block that play?’” Littleton said. “They look at me like, ‘No.’ ‘So then alright, shut up and let them talk and let them block it.’”

Even with the new pieces, Ramirez said the group quickly grew comfortable communicating. And with Garcia set to return from injury next week, the unit is expected to get even stronger.

McAllen Memorial will play its last game without him tonight, traveling to face Mission High at 7:30 while looking to continue a streak of 15 consecutive district wins. Though somewhat inexperienced and shorthanded, the offensive line is already happy with its production.

“Surprisingly, it happened pretty quickly,” Ramirez said. “We thought maybe it would have a long transition into it, but we all did really good just having new guys come in. They already knew what to do, and it was an easy transition.”

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RGVSports.com writers Dennis Silva II and Mario Aguirre join host Greg Luca to preview Week 6 of the Rio Grande Valley high school football season. The guys get into a few lively debates regarding the new Top 10, and that fire carries over into the breakdown of the week’s best match-ups. Finally, the crew gets up to speed with the Dennis Silva II Hypothetical of the Week.

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

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — PSJA Memorial junior Deserey Gomez faced a tough adjustment this season, sliding from outside hitter to setter. Being new to the position, Gomez said she wasn’t always comfortable.

Thankfully for Deserey, her sister Kristi has been a security blanket. A junior who last season cracked The Monitor’s All-Area First Team, Kristi can generate kills off anything Deserey serves up.

“I like setting Kristi, because there are times that although I’m not 100 percent on setting, whenever I set her wrong, she adjusts quick,” Deserey said. “That makes me feel better.”

On Tuesday against Edinburg North, PSJA Memorial put that formula to work again and again.

Kristi pounded home kill after kill on an array of sets from Deserey and fellow setter Valerie Guajardo, lifting PSJA Memorial to a 25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 25-22 win at Edinburg North.

The Lady Wolverines moved to 25-7 and 4-2 in District 31-6A, while the Lady Cougars fell to 8-21 overall and 2-4 in district play.

“Kristi did a great job,” PSJA Memorial coach Angie Gonzales said. “She pulled through for us on a lot of big plays, and she was able to place the ball. She’s very strategic and very smart, so I have to give her credit for that.”

Kristi finished with 18 kills, 5 digs, 3 blocks and 2 aces, but Gonzales said Tuesday wasn’t her best game. Such are the standards Kristi set for herself after earning District 31-6A co-MVP last season.

Gonzales said Kristi has shown daily improvement, becoming quicker on defense and more aggressive in her serving. Kristi has also developed physically, adding to her vertical leap.

“I grew 2 centimeters, so that’s something,” Kristi said. “I think I’m more aggressive. And on my hits, I have more control.”

Kristi and Deserey share a close bond on the court after training together for years. Deserey said practice and coaching this season have allowed her to start feeling more comfortable setting in a full-team environment.

“My sister and I, we always have good communication,” Deserey said. “We’re already used to it. I know how she wants her ball, I know what she wants and what she doesn’t. That helps us a lot.”

Gonzales said their relationship is great to watch, but also scary at times. Because Kristi and Deserey hold each other to such high standards, they aren’t afraid to raise their voices on the court, if needed.

“Sometimes, their teammates get real scared. ‘Why are they yelling at each other?’” Gonzales said. “But they’re sisters, also. So they are in sync.”

Gonzales said their relationship pushes the rest of the team to come together and be a part of that sisterhood.

One of Kristi’s other focuses this season has been the mental side of the game, attacking from different parts of the court and doing more than just hitting middle.

On Tuesday, that was especially key for PSJA Memorial. The Lady Cougars showed a defense that was consistently picking up all of the Lady Wolverines’ hits, so Gonzales told her team to attack with more control and finesse.

“Sometimes, you have to play smart,” Kristi said. “It’s not always playing aggressive. We have to use our heads, too.”

After PSJA Memorial won the first two games, Edinburg North jumped out 10-5 in the third and later used a 6-0 run to build a 16-9 lead. Kristi had at least 6 kills and 2 aces in the set to help Memorial pull even at 23-23, but Edinburg North took the last two points.

In the fourth, Memorial jumped out 10-1, but North had tied it up by 20-20. The teams were also tied at 22 before Memorial scored the final three points to end the match.

For Edinburg North, Itzamar Rios had 9 kills, 12 digs and 5 blocks, while Naila Garcia racked up 11 assists and 14 digs and Amanda Cavazos chipped in 8 assists and 11 digs.

Deserey led PSJA Memorial with 22 assists to go along with 8 digs and 2 blocks. Fellow setter Guajardo had 12 assists.

“We had to start looking for holes,” Gonzales said. “And when we did find the holes, they were there.”

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