#RGVWeek1 was full of surprises. Mission High upset Mission Veterans, Brownsville Hanna took down McAllen Memorial, and San Benito, Los Fresnos, Weslaco East and PSJA High all played tight games against non-Valley opponents. The Monitor writers Saul Berrios-Thomas and Nathaniel Mata join host Greg Luca to break down all the action.
The podcast is available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.
At long last, the RGVSports.com podcast is back for another season, breaking down what you need to know about every team in the Upper Valley in advance of the 2018 Rio Grande Valley high school football season. Host Greg Luca is joined by The Monitor staff writers Saul Berrios-Thomas, Nate Kotisso and Nathaniel Mata break down the RGVSports.com preseason top 10 and then preview all of the Upper Valley districts from top to bottom: District 30-6A (6:10), District 31-6A (17:00), District 16-5A Division I (32:38) and District 16-5A Division II (53:00). The guys close out the show with a look at the best games of Week 1 and everyone’s Lock of The Week.
The podcast is available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.
RGVSports.com
With five teams receiving at least one first-place vote, parity is the only known commodity for the RGVSports.com top 10 poll voters entering the opening week of the regular season.
When all the ballots were tallied, Edinburg Vela narrowly prevailed as the No. 1 team in the rankings, earning 78 points and two first-place selections. Mission Veterans earned 76 points with three first-place votes, McAllen Memorial picked up 75 points with two first-place nods, and San Benito earned 44 points with a single first-place selection. Brownsville Hanna checked into the pole at No. 5 with 44 points, while Los Fresnos notched 37 points and the final first-place pick to rank No. 6.
Sharyland High (32 points), Weslaco East (29 points), PSJA High (22 points) and Harlingen High (14 points) round out the initial rankings.
Each of the teams in first-place consideration has a case to be No. 1.
Vela returns most of its core from a one-loss 2017 season and adds transfer running back Cristian Flores from Edinburg North, while Mission Veterans boasts The Monitor’s All-Area Player of the Year in quarterback Landry Gilpin. McAllen Memorial returns a dynamic rushing attack with quarterback Sean Skaugen and running back Campbell Speights, San Benito holds the distinction of ending last season as the poll’s No. 1 team, and Los Fresnos has advanced to the third round of the postseason in each of its first two years under coach Patrick Brown.
All five of the teams earning first-place attention will be put to the test in Week 1. Vela hosts traditional playoff contender Laredo United at 7 p.m. Thursday, while Mission Veterans has an early rivalry matchup against Mission High at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
No. 3 McAllen Memorial faces the stiffest Valley test of the bunch in Week 1, traveling to face No. 5 Brownsville Hanna at 7 p.m. Thursday, while No. 4 San Benito goes on the road to face powerhouse Corpus Christi Calallen at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
No. 6 Los Fresnos also draws an out-of-Valley hurdle, hosting an El Paso Montwood team that went 10-2 last year.
The following are the teams in the RGVSports.com top 10 poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through 1 point for a 10th-place vote. The nine voters are the writers and editors who cover RGV high school football for AIM Media’s three newspapers: The Monitor, Valley Morning Star, and Brownsville Herald.
Record Points
1. Edinburg Vela (2) 0-0 78
2. Mission Veterans (3) 0-0 76
3. McAllen Memorial (2) 0-0 75
4. San Benito (1) 0-0 69
5. Brownsville Hanna 0-0 44
6. Los Fresnos (1) 0-0 37
7. Sharyland High 0-0 32
8. Weslaco East 0-0 29
9. PSJA High 0-0 22
10. Harlingen High 0-0 14
Other teams receiving votes: Brownsville Veterans (8); McAllen Rowe (5); Edinburg High (2); Mercedes (1); La Feria (1); Grulla (1); Edcouch-Elsa (1).
Crunch time is upon us in the #RGVHoops season, with boys teams headed into the final regular-season games and girls teams set to embark on the opening round of the playoffs. The Monitor boys basketball beat writer Saul Berrios-Thomas and girls basketball beat writer Nate Kotisso join host and Monitor sports editor Greg Luca to break down all of the action. The guys run down the top teams, players to watch and most intriguing matchups from the upcoming week.
The podcast is available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.
The 2017 Valley football season came to an end this week, as all four RGV teams were eliminated in the Class 6A regional semifinals. The Monitor writers Saul Berrios-Thomas, Nate Kotisso and Nathaniel Mata join host and Monitor sports editor Greg Luca to recap the final outings for San Benito, Edinburg Vela, Weslaco East and Los Fresnos, plus discuss the latest in the offseason coaching shuffle.
The podcast is available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.
Four Valley teams are left standing as the playoffs move to the regional semifinal round. San Benito faces San Antonio O’Connor, Edinburg Vela clashes with Austin Westlake, Weslaco East has a rematch against Cibolo Steele, and Los Fresnos hosts Austin Lake Travis. The Monitor writers Saul Berrios-Thomas, Nate Kotisso and Nathaniel Mata join host and Monitor sports editor Greg Luca to break down all of the action.
The podcast is available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.
The area round of the #RGVPlayoffs was full of tight games and dramatic finishes. When the dust settled, four teams were still alive: San Benito, Edinburg Vela, Weslaco East and Los Fresnos. The Monitor sports writers Saul Berrios-Thomas, Nate Kotisso and Nathaniel Mata join host and Monitor sports editor Greg Luca to discuss all 11 of the Valley’s area round games.
The podcast is available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.
How many Valley teams will survive the week? The area round of the playoffs features 11 matchups involving Valley teams, and only one between two Valley teams: McAllen Memorial at San Benito. Also in action: Weslaco East, Los Fresnos, Edinburg Vela, Mission Veterans, Brownsville Veterans, Mercedes, Sharyland High, Rio Hondo, Lyford and Brownsville St. Joseph. The Monitor writers Saul Berrios-Thomas, Nate Kotisso and Nathaniel Mata join host and Monitor sports editor Greg Luca to break down and make picks for all the games.
The podcast is available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.
Most of the favorites advanced through the bi-district round, but some matchups had much more drama than others. While San Benito, McAllen Memorial and Weslaco East cruised to easy wins, Edinburg Vela was pushed to the absolute limit by Brownsville Hanna, and Mission Veterans just barely had enough to get by Brownsville Lopez. The Monitor’s Saul Berrios-Thomas, Nate Kotisso and Nathaniel Mata join host and Monitor sports editor Greg Luca to break down all of the action.
The podcast is available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.
The playoffs are upon us, and the bi-district round offers a slew of exciting matchups, including plenty between two Valley teams. The Monitor writers Saul Berrios-Thomas, Nate Kotisso and Nathaniel Mata join host and Monitor sports editor Greg Luca to break down and make picks for every game on the schedule.
The podcast is available on iTunes. Follow this link to subscribe.