GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

HIDALGO — When Valley View runs its pyramid before each day’s practice, a 3.2-mile trek through the roads surrounding the campus, Damian Magallan Jr. always finishes first by anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes.

He’s heard the criticisms that he’s only taken a starting role as Valley View’s central midfielder because his father is the coach. The runs are his effort to silence them.

“They’ll say, ‘You’re just on the team because of your dad,’” the younger Magallan said. “But each day I work hard to show them I’m not there just because of my dad.”

He said he’s carried that mentality into games as well, running his hardest from start to finish and fighting for every ball. His father, Damian Magallan Sr., plugged his son in as the team’s primary distributor in the middle from Day 1, despite the inevitable backlash.

The move has paid dividends for the Tigers early, as the younger Magallan has meshed with returning stars Avi Garcia and Rafael Garcia to lead the team to a 3-0 start in District 31-5A.

“I told him that he’s supposed to be the main guy,” the elder Magallan said through an interpreter. “He’s supposed to show everybody, ‘I’m here to work.’ I want you to be the first one here, and the last one to leave. And you can see it in practice.”

Although new to Valley View, the younger Magallan is a veteran of the center midfield, having played the past three years with Forza Campiones VIP Soccer Training in Austin.

Training with a club team has taken the younger Magallan to England, Holland and all around the United Sates and taught him the value of the mental side of the game.

“It’s another world,” the younger Magallan said. “There’s a lot more touching, and you have to use more of your brain. You have to know where you’re going to pass it before you even get the ball.”

The club experience also taught him the importance of grades, even as he spent time in three different high schools. Now, coaches say he has the highest marks on the team, and he offers to tutor any of his teammates who may be struggling.

Despite joining the Tigers as a junior, the younger Magallan knows many of his new teammates from their time together in middle school.

“He’s controlling the middle, and he’s passing the ball to us and making sure we’re getting the ball where we’re comfortable,” Avi said through an interpreter.

Avi, who ranked second in the district with 11 goals last season, has proven to be the younger Magallan’s primary target so far. A transfer, Ivan Rodriguez, also provides a scoring lift to a Valley View team that returns eight starters.

Avi said he’s more confident this season than he was last year, knowing that colleges are interested in possibly bringing him into their program in the fall.

“He’s the go-to guy, and he knows it,” the elder Magallan said. “That right there brought a little fire inside him. Every time he has the ball, he wants to take it all the way in.”

Rafael was Valley View’s leader last season with 13 goals, but this year he’s sliding into a defensive role. The younger Magallan’s arrival has allowed Rafael to shift from midfielder to stopper, which is his more natural and comfortable position.

“I would ultimately like to be the best defender in the state,” Rafael said through an interpreter. “Then just prepare and work hard for a university to give me an opportunity so I can go play in college.”

Before that, the team’s goal for 2016 is a trip to the final four of the state tournament. The elder Magallan believes Valley View, Sharyland High or Brownsville Porter will be the team to get there.

To limit his group’s distractions, the elder Magallan has instituted a “no girlfriends” rule. The players are also required to spend an hour each day before practice in tutoring to ensure that grades don’t get in the way.

Valley View is determined to rebound from a disappointing end to last season, when a pair of red cards contributed to Brownsville Pace eliminating the Tigers in the bi-district round of the playoffs.

“I was very sad, because we worked harder to advance further,” Rafael said. “Every year, we always feel we’re going to go deep in the playoffs, but the results were not there. … We’re working harder and doing things right this year to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA — Freshman goalkeeper Edrei Barbosa felt he had already cost his McAllen High team a point in the District 30-6A standings. He wasn’t about to let the group lose another one.

After Barbosa’s critical misplay allowed La Joya Juarez-Lincoln to pull even with McHi in the final minute, the freshman stepped up with a pair of saves in penalty kicks to help the Huskies pull out a 2-1 win on Tuesday at La Joya ISD Stadium.

“I thought that I messed it up for the team,” Barbosa said. “In PKs, I knew I had to step it up, and I did.”

After regulation ended with one goal for each side, Barbosa saved a pair of penalties as Juarez-Lincoln failed to connect on its first three. He made one save diving full extension to his right, and another sliding to his left.

Those three stops allowed McHi to ultimately pull out a 3-2 win in the penalty round, with Brandon Rangel putting the nail in the coffin.

“I’m proud of the guys, that we came back and beat them in PKs,” McAllen High coach Fernando Segovia said. “My freshman goalkeeper stepped up and made big saves.”

Barbosa said he was surprised to be in the keeper role as a freshman, frequently going up against older and bigger players. Perhaps it was that inexperience that played a role in Juarez-Lincoln netting the equalizer with 23 seconds to play.

As a high, looping kick bounced towards the box, Barbosa said he charged when he wasn’t supposed to, allowing the Huskies’ Elias Adame to pop a header above his outstretched arms and into the back of the net.

Still, he said he was confident in his ability to read Juarez-Lincoln’s kickers during the penalty round.

“I was kind of sad because it was my fault that they got the goal, but now I feel happy for the team, because we got two points and we’re on top,” Barbosa said.

At 4-0, McAllen High is the only team that remains unbeaten in District 30-6A. Segovia said the strong start is a blessing given that the team was without its senior captain in Rangel for the first three games due to a fractured big toe on his right foot.

Tuesday marked his first game back in action, and he said he still couldn’t move in quick bursts as well as he typically does.

“I felt like I could’ve done more,” Rangel said, “but it was enough.”

Rangel got McAllen High on the board with 31:44 to play in the first half, when he rolled a penalty kick into the bottom left corner of the net.

When he stepped up to the ball again in the penalty round with the chance to seal the game, Rangel opted to go the opposite side, again finding the back of the net.

“The goalie and you both doubt if you should change directions or not,” Rangel said. “On this one, I changed, and it went in. So I’m very happy about that.”

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VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Monday, Feb. 8

District 30-6A

Mission High 4, La Joya High 2

Tuesday, Feb. 9

Non-District

Port Isabel 3, Brownsville St. Joseph 1

District 30-6A

McAllen High 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 1, PKs

La Joya Palmview 7, McAllen Rowe 2

District 31-6A

Edinburg North 2, Edinburg High 1

PSJA Memorial 4, PSJA North 1

Edinburg Economedes 2, Weslaco East 1

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans Memorial 4, Harlingen High 0

Brownsville Lopez 6, San Benito 3

Los Fresnos 1, Brownsville Rivera 0

Brownsville Hanna 2, Harlingen South 1, PKs

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer 3, Mission Veterans 0

Sharyland High 6, Roma 1

Valley View 2, Edinburg Vela 1

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 5, Edcouch-Elsa 3

Brownsville Porter 2, Donna High 0

Brownsville Pace 2, Donna North 1, PKs

Mercedes 1, PSJA High 0, PKs

District 31-4A

Hidalgo 3, Grulla 0

Thursday, Feb. 11

Non-District

Marine Military Academy at IDEA Frontier, 6 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 12

Non-District

La Feria at St. Joseph, 7:30 p.m.

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial at McAllen High, 8 p.m.

McAllen Rowe at Mission High, 8 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. La Joya Palmview at La Joya ISD Stadium, 8 p.m.

District 31-6A

Weslaco High at Edinburg North, 7:30 p.m.

Edinburg High vs. PSJA Memorial at PSJA Stadium, 8 p.m.

PSJA North at Edinburg Economedes, 8 p.m.

District 32-6A

Rivera at Hanna, 7:30 p.m.

Los Fresnos at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

Lopez at Harlingen High, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen South at San Benito, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Valley View at Mission Veterans, 7:30 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at Sharyland High, 8 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Edinburg Vela, 8 p.m.

District 32-5A

Mercedes at PSJA Southwest, 7:30 p.m.

Donna High at Donna North, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at Edcouch-Elsa, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA High at Brownsville Porter, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13

TAPPS

San Antonio Antonian at St. Joseph, 3 p.m.

VALLEY-BOYS BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

LA JOYA PALMVIEW 7, McALLEN ROWE 2

La Joya Palmview 4 3 — 7

McAllen Rowe 1 1 — 2

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (7): David Almazan 3, Jorge Garcia 2, Abraham Aviles, Edilberto Maldonado

RECORDS: La Joya Palmview (2-1); McAllen Rowe (0-4)

District 31-5A

VALLEY VIEW 2, EDINBURG VELA 0

Edinburg Vela 0 0 — 0

Valley View 1 1 — 2

VALLEY VIEW (2): Damian Magallan, Avinadan Garcia

RECORDS: Valley View (3-0); Edinburg Vela (2-2)

SHARYLAND PIONEER 3, MISSION VETERANS 0

Mission Veterans 0 0 — 0

Sharyland Pioneer 2 1 — 3

SHARYLAND PIONEER (3): Diego Ramirez, Leo Rios, Eros Martinez

RECORDS: Mission Veterans (0-3); Sharyland Pioneer (2-2)

District 32-5A

PSJA SOUTHWEST 5, EDCOUCH-ELSA 3

Edcouch-Elsa 1 2 — 3

PSJA Southwest 1 4 — 5

EDCOUCH-ELSA (3): Not reported

PSJA SOUTHWEST (5): Humberto Medina 2, Robert Colula, Jose Benavides, Jesus Quintanilla

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest (11-5, 4-1); Edcouch-Elsa (2-3)

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Feb. 9

District 30-6A

McAllen High 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 1, PKs

McAllen Rowe 4, La Joya Palmview 2

Mission High 2, La Joya High 0

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes 3, Weslaco East 1

PSJA Memorial 1, PSJA North 0

Edinburg North 3, Edinburg High 1

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans 5, Harlingen High 1

Brownsville Lopez 6, San Benito 0

Los Fresnos 4, Brownsville Rivera 0

Harlingen South 4, Brownsville Hanna 0

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 11, Roma 2

Sharyland Pioneer 5, Mission Veterans 1

Edinburg Vela 3, Valley View 2

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 3, Edcouch-Elsa 2, PKs

Brownsville Pace 2, Donna North 1, PKs

Brownsville Porter 2, Donna High 0

Mercedes 1, PSJA High 0

District 32-4A

Port Isabel 6, Lyford 3, OT

IDEA Frontier at Rio Hondo, not reported

La Feria at Progreso, not reported

District 31-4A

Raymondville at Zapata, not reported

Friday, Feb. 12

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial at McAllen High, 6 p.m.

McAllen Rowe at Mission High, 6 p.m.

La Joya Palmview at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 6 p.m.

District 31-6A

PSJA North at Edinburg Economedes, 6 p.m.

Weslaco High at Edinburg North, 6 p.m.

Edinburg High at PSJA Memorial, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Rivera at Brownsville Hanna, 5:30 p.m.

Los Fresnos at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 5:30 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez at Harlingen High, 5:30 p.m.

Harlingen South at San Benito, 5:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer at Sharyland High, 6 p.m.

Valley View at Mission Veterans, 6 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Edinburg Vela, 6 p.m.

District 32-5A

Mercedes at PSJA Southwest, 6 p.m.

PSJA High at Brownsville Porter, 6 p.m.

Donna High at Donna North, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at Edcouch-Elsa, 6 p.m.

District 32-4A

IDEA Frontier at Port Isabel, 6 p.m.

Rio Hondo at La Feria, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-4A

Grulla at Raymondville, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN HIGH 2, LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 1, PKs

McAllen High # # — 2

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln # # — 1

McALLEN HIGH (1): Quetzal Toren

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN (1): Not reported

RECORDS: McAllen High (4-0); La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (0-3)

McALLEN ROWE 4, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 2

La Joya Palmview 1 1 — 2

McAllen Rowe 3 1 — 4

McALLEN ROWE (4): Celese Narbaez, Ashley Carlos, Amaris Lopez, Emily Morin

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (2): Not reported

RECORDS: McAllen Rowe (2-2); La Joya Palmview (0-3)

District 31-6A

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 3, WESLACO EAST 1

Edinburg Economedes 1 2 — 3

Weslaco East 1 0 — 1

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (3): Ayssa Ozuna 2, Alyssa Ozuna

WESLACO EAST (1): Not reported

RECORDS: Edinburg Economedes (2-0); Weslaco East (1-2)

EDINBURG NORTH 3, EDINBURG HIGH 1

Edinburg North 0 3 — 3

Edinburg High 1 0 — 1

EDINBURG NORTH (3): Kendra Lozano, Adrianna Vacio, Gloria Gutierrez

EDINBURG HIGH (1): Jessica Reyes

RECORDS: Edinburg North (1-2); Edinburg High (2-1)

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER 5, MISSION VETERANS 1

Mission Veterans 1 0 — 1

Sharyland Pioneer 2 3 — 5

SHARYLAND PIONEER (5): Andrea Reyes 3, Julie Alanis, Nikki Cuellar

MISSION VETERANS (1): Amanda Lozano

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer (4-0); Mission Veterans (1-2)

SHARYLAND HIGH 11, ROMA 2

Sharyland High 5 6 — 11

Roma 0 2 — 2

SHARYLAND HIGH (11): Kaitie Watson 3, Isabella Marinaro 3, Marifer Farias 2, Kim Cano, Vanessa Guevara, Nallely Garza

ROMA (2): Not reported

RECORDS: Sharyland High (3-0); Roma (2-1)

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Just moments after he put pen to paper to signify his signing to play football at Stanford, McAllen Memorial’s Trevor Speights set his sights on his next goal: a Heisman trophy.

“I’ve been dreaming about that since I was seven,” Speights said. “One of my dreams was signing. My other dream was winning the Heisman. I got one of them checked off. Time to go get the other one.”

After four years of rewriting the Valley record books and feeling out offers from some of the nation’s best college football programs, Speights held a ceremony Monday in McAllen Memorial’s gym to celebrate his signing of a National Letter of Intent to Stanford.

Speights is a three-time AP first-team All-State pick, a Parade All-American and the Built Ford Tough Texas Class 6A Player of the Year, among countless other awards and accolades. But none of that will matter once he sets foot on Stanford’s campus and starts trying to earn a spot in the rotation.

“Pretty much everyone has their shot,” Speights said. “It depends how hard you work and how hard you go in practice. So I like my chances.”

Speights will be competing for touches behind Christian McCaffrey, who ran for 2,019 yards and caught passes for another 645 last season to become a Heisman finalist as Stanford went 12-2, beating Iowa in the Rose Bowl. The Cardinal graduated their second- and third-leading running backs but bring back a pair of freshmen who were four-star recruits in the 2015 class.

Speights, a three-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN, is the highest rated back in Stanford’s 2016 class, which also includes two-start rusher Dorian Maddox.

“It’s kind of scary starting all over again,” Speights’ mother, Alandra, said. “He’s used to being Trevor Speights the superstar. But he’s still a humble kid.”

Playing in an unbalanced, downhill rushing offense that is similar to what Stanford runs, Trevor set Valley records with 9,868 yards and 116 rushing touchdowns for his career.

Although facing a big leap from the Valley to NCAA Division I, Trevor was optimistic he could crack the rotation as a freshman and avoid a redshirt.

“He’s a very competitive kid,” Trevor’s father, John, said. “He’s always set high goals academically and athletically. And, for the most part, he hits it. He does what it takes to get it done.”

Trevor said the academic opportunities at Stanford made his decision a pretty obvious one. On Monday he was already embracing the nerd culture, wearing the signature thick, black-rimmed glasses with white tape around the bridge. He said he intends to study either engineering or business.

“You can’t beat Stanford academics,” Trevor said. “It’s almost impossible. To have the opportunity and not take it would be pretty silly.”

With Stanford the clear frontrunner, the biggest source of tension in the recruiting process was whether he would be admitted. Stanford claims to hold athletes to the same admission standards and procedures as non-athletes, and the school admitted just 5 percent of its applicants in Fall 2015.

“That was definitely the most rigorous part of the whole recruitment process,” Trevor said. “It took me a couple times to take the SAT to get in.”

Once he got the call from coach David Shaw that his admission had been approved, Trevor said the decision to commit was easy. He had already fallen in love with the school, the campus and the program when he took his official visit.

“Stanford is Stanford. There’s no comparison,” Alandra said. “He has the best of both worlds. One of the greatest football programs in the country and one of the most outstanding degrees that you could possibly get.”

[email protected]

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCORES

Friday, Feb. 5

Non-District

La Feria at Marine Military Academy, not reported

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 1, PKs

McAllen High 3, McAllen Rowe 1

La Joya High 3, La Joya Palmview 1

District 31-6A

Weslaco High 3, Edinburg High 2, PKs

PSJA Memorial 4, Weslaco East 0

Edinburg North 4, PSJA North 0

District 32-6A

Brownsville Lopez 3, Brownsville Hanna 1

Harlingen South 3, Brownsville Rivera 2

Los Fresnos 2, Harlingen High 1

Brownsville Veterans 5, San Benito 0

District 31-5A

Roma 1, Mission Veterans 0

Edinburg Vela 3, Sharyland Pioneer 2

Valley View 9, Rio Grande City 0

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 3, Donna North 2, PKs

Donna High 2, PSJA High 0

Edcouch-Elsa 1, Mercedes 0

Brownsville Porter 6, Brownsville Pace 2

District 31-4A

Hidalgo at Zapata, not reported

Saturday, Feb. 6

TAPPS

St. Joseph at San Antonio Central Catholic, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 9

Non-District

Port Isabel at St. Joseph, 7:30 p.m.

Donna High at La Feria, 7:30 p.m.

District 30-6A

McAllen High at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 8 p.m.

Mission High at La Joya High, 8 p.m.

La Joya Palmview at McAllen Rowe at McAllen ISD Stadium, 8 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg North at Edinburg High, 8 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at PSJA North, 8 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at Weslaco East, 8 p.m.

District 32-6A

Harlingen High at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

San Benito at Brownsville Lopez, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Rivera at Los Fresnos, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Hanna at Harlingen South, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Mission Veterans at Sharyland Pioneer, 7:30 p.m.

Sharyland High at Roma, 8 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Valley View, 8 p.m.

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa at PSJA Southwest, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Donna High, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA High at Mercedes, 7:30 p.m.

Donna North at Brownsville Pace, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-4A

Grulla at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 2,

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 1, PKs

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 1 0 — 1

McAllen Memorial 1 0 — 2

McALLEN MEMORIAL (1): Armando Perez

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN (1): Not reported

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial (2-1); La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (1-1)

McALLEN HIGH 3, McALLEN ROWE 1

McAllen Rowe 0 1 — 1

McAllen High 2 1 — 3

McALLEN HIGH (3): Victor Aramberri, Kenny Fielder, Michael Rodriguez

RECORDS: McAllen High (3-0); McAllen Rowe (0-2)

District 31-6A

PSJA MEMORIAL 4, WESLACO EAST 0

Weslaco East 0 0 — 0

PSJA Memorial 3 1 — 4

PSJA MEMORIAL (4): Sebastian Chavez, Geovany Salinas, Osvaldo Villanueva, Humberto Bernal

RECORDS: PSJA Memorial (2-0); Weslaco East (0-2)

District 31-5A

VALLEY VIEW 9, RIO GRANDE CITY 0

Valley View 3 6 — 9

Rio Grande City 0 0 — 0

VALLEY VIEW (9): Avinadan Garcia 5, Rafael Garcia 2, Jose Rodriguez, Jose Pesina

RECORDS: Valley View (2-0); Rio Grande City (0-3)

District 32-5A

PSJA SOUTHWEST 3, DONNA NORTH 2, PKs

PSJA Southwest 1 1 — 3

Donna North 0 2 — 2

PSJA SOUTHWEST (2): Francisco Montoya, Roberto Colula

DONNA NORTH (2): Not reported

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest (10-5, 3-1); Donna North (2-2)

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCORES

Friday, Feb. 5

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0

McAllen High 3, McAllen Rowe 0

La Joya High 1, La Joya Palmview 0, PKs

District 31-6A

Weslaco High 4, Edinburg High 0

Weslaco East 1, PSJA Memorial 0

PSJA North 2, Edinburg North 0

District 32-6A

Brownsville Lopez 1, Brownsville Hanna 0

Los Fresnos 4, Harlingen High 0

Harlingen South 3, Brownsville Rivera 0

Brownsville Veterans 1, San Benito 0

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer 1, Edinburg Vela 0

Mission Veterans 2, Roma 1, PKs

Valley View 3, Rio Grande Ctiy 0

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 2, Donna North 1

PSJA High 3, Donna High 1

Brownsville Porter 1, Brownsville Pace 0

Mercedes at Edcouch-Elsa, not reported

District 32-4A

Lyford at IDEA Frontier, not reported

Port Isabel at La Feria, not reported

District 31-4A

Monte Alto at Raymondville, not reported

Tuesday, Feb. 9

District 30-6A

McAllen High at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 6 p.m.

La Joya Palmview at McAllen Rowe, 6 p.m.

Mission High at La Joya High, 6 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes at Weslaco East, 6 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at PSJA North, 6 p.m.

Edinburg North at Edinburg High, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

Harlingen High at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 5:30 p.m.

San Benito at Brownsville Lopez, 5:30 p.m.

Brownsville Rivera at Los Fresnos, 5:30 p.m.

Brownsville Hanna at Harlingen South, 5:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Sharyland High at Roma, 6 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Sharyland Pioneer, 6 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Valley View, 6 p.m.

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa at PSJA Southwest, 6 p.m.

PSJA High at Mercedes, 6 p.m.

Donna North at Brownsville Pace, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Donna High, 6 p.m.

District 32-4A

Port Isabel at Lyford, 6 p.m.

IDEA Frontier at Rio Hondo, 6 p.m.

La Feria at Progreso, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-4A

Raymondville at Zapata, 5:30 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 3,

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 0

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0 0 — 0

McAllen Memorial 2 1 — 3

McALLEN MEMORIAL (3): Leslie Santana, Connie Avila, Cameron Alaniz

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial (3-0), La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (0-2)

McALLEN HIGH 3, McALLEN ROWE 0

McAllen Rowe 0 0 — 0

McAllen High 2 1 — 3

McALLEN HIGH (3): Gaby Gonzalez, Dana Idrogo, Quetzal Toren

RECORDS: McAllen High (3-0), McAllen Rowe (1-2)

District 31-6A

WESLACO HIGH 4, EDINBURG HIGH 0

Edinburg High 0 0 — 0

Weslaco High 0 4 — 4

WESLACO HIGH (4): Veronia Barron 2, Kendra Ramos, Margarito Trevino

RECORDS: Weslaco High (2-0); Edinburg High (0-1)

District 31-5A

MISSION VETERANS 2, ROMA 1, PKs

Roma 0 1 — 1

Mission Veterans 1 0 — 2

MISSION VETERANS (1): Daniela Guzman

RECORDS: Mission Veterans (1-1); Roma (2-1)

SHARYLAND PIONEER 1, EDINBURG VELA 0

Sharyland Pioneer 1 0 — 1

Edinburg Vela 0 0 — 0

SHARYLAND PIONEER (1): Shelby Fernald

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer (3-0); Edinburg Vela (0-3)

District 32-5A

PSJA SOUTHWEST 2, DONNA NORTH 1

PSJA Southwest 2 0 — 2

Donna North 0 1 — 1

DONNA NORTH (1): Elizabeth Reyes

PSJA SOUTHWEST (2): Not reported

RECORDS: Donna North (2-2); PSJA Southwest (3-1)

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Jonathan Sanchez was never in a prototypical quarterback role at McAllen Memorial. Even when he landed the full-time job as a senior after playing mostly tight end and receiver as a junior, he was out in front blocking for Trevor Speights just as often as he was passing or rushing.

Combined with his raw size and athleticism, that versatility is what made him an intriguing prospect for college scouts.

“At first, when I wasn’t really getting recruited, I said I wanted to do anything,” Sanchez said. “Tight end, wide receiver, athlete, quarterback. I don’t care what I get recruited for, I was going to work my tail end off at whatever they wanted me to.”

Sanchez received the official payoff for his hard work on Friday, signing his Letter of Intent to play Division I football with Rice.

After taking a redshirt year to add bulk to his almost 6-foot-7 frame, Sanchez expects that he’ll be used primarily at tight end.

“If they want me to move around, that’s up to them,” Sanchez said. “I’m ready to do whatever.”

He proved that time and time again with the Mustangs. He was the team’s primary quarterback as a sophomore and senior, throwing for 1,764 yards with 23 touchdowns and running for 1,198 yards with 22 scores in his career.

As a junior he was mostly a receiver and blocker, hauling in six passes for 56 yards.

“Most of the time you get a kid who wants to play quarterback and you move him to receiver, he’s going to pout,” then-McAllen Memorial offensive coordinator Marcus Kaufmann said. “He took it, and he got on the field and did it. A couple of times last year, his junior year, he said, ‘Coach, let me go to receiver, we’re not getting the seal block. Let me go to receiver, get the other quarterback in for this series so I can get the seal block.’ We’d move him over, he’d get the seal block, and Trevor would be gone.”

Kaufmann said Sanchez was an “amazing” blocker, a sentiment echoed by coach Bill Littleton.

Even on a team alongside a record-setting offensive weapon in Speights, the coaches saw Sanchez mature and take control of the offense over the course of his career.

“He started out as a guy who was just a big, tall, lanky guy, and by the end he was in charge,” Kaufmann said. “When he said something, the kids followed and did it. He took the lead and just took over as the year progressed. He did a great job for us in that, and that’s what made us go over the top.”

For Kaufmann, the first sign that Sanchez would have a shot at playing Division I football was his size and athleticism.

Sanchez said he’s been timed at 4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash, an unusually fast mark for someone his height.

“He doesn’t look like a guy who is as strong as he is, but he’s strong, and he runs a lot faster than what you would think,” Littleton said. “When people see him, they’re fascinated by how fast he is for his stature.”

Sanchez will be attending Rice on a full scholarship, and he plans to study either biomechanical engineering or physical therapy.

He also received a Division I scholarship offer from Army, plus numerous offers from lower-level schools.

“I told the head coach of Army that I almost wish you guys hadn’t offered me because of how hard this is,” Sanchez said. “It was really close, but I just decided to stay closer to home. Easier on my family, and easier for me.”

Sanchez is already in the process of transitioning. As soon as he became official on Wednesday, Rice sent him a workout schedule for the offseason, plus nutritional guidelines for adding bulk to his frame.

“If I don’t want to die my first year there,” Sanchez said, “I better stay on the program.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Memorial senior running back Trevor Speights was named to the 2016 Parade Magazine All-America First Team, one of just three players from Texas to earn the honor.

Speights, who signed Wednesday to play football at Stanford, was one of 10 finalists for Parade’s All-America Player of the Year award, which went to Chazz Surratt of East Lincoln High School in Denver, N.C. Speights was one of only 25 players named to the Parade first team, which has been selected annually by the magazine’s editors since 1963.

Speights ran for 3,195 yards — the second-best season in Valley history — and a Valley-record 50 touchdowns in 2015. For his career, Speights amassed 9,868 yards and 116 rushing touchdowns. The yardage total is the fourth all-time in Texas and seventh all-time nationally, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

His touchdown total of 120 ranks tied for ninth in state history.

Speights was a three-time AP first-team All-State pick, two-time All-Valley Player of the Year, and The Monitor’s All-Area Player of the Year for 2015. Speights was courted by numerous top-tier Division I colleges before verbally committing to Stanford in late December.

McAllen Memorial went 32-13 during Speights’ four-year varsity stint, winning the first playoff game of his career last year with a 27-24 bi-district win against Laredo United South.

“I came in wanting to be the best, and I’m exiting as one of the best,” Speights said in December of his high school career. “So I definitely fulfilled what I wanted to do and accomplished what I wanted to coming in.”

The only other valley player to land on the team was Bradely Stevens in 2006. Stevens also played for McAllen Memorial.

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

With 18 seniors departed from last year’s team, coach Elias Moran and the Edinburg North boys soccer team are working with an almost entirely clean slate.

But that doesn’t mean they’re backing down from the goal of repeating as District 31-6A champions. North proved itself as a contender on Tuesday, knocking off Weslaco East 1-0 to open the district season.

Overall, the Cougars have eight wins, eight draws and three losses.

“We have a new team, no experience at all,” Moran said. “But we play a very disciplined, tactical formation, and the kids have responded pretty good. We attack when we have to attack, but we have the most experienced kids in the defense, so we’re trying to hold teams and then counter attack them. That’s how we’re getting the results.”

Returning All-Valley First Team keeper Eudar Escobar anchors that defense. Center defender Luis Calvillo is the only other senior in the lineup, and sophomore defender Estevan Lopez is the Cougars’ only other returning starter.

Freshman Ernesto Nevarez has also been strong on the back end.

“We have solid defense,” Moran said. “Thanks to that, we can control the games.”

One of North’s strengths is the ability to mix and match formations based on opponent, something the young team has taken to quickly.

The majority of the lineup is comprised of sophomores and juniors, with Nevarez and midfielder Francisco Cantu also earning starting roles as freshmen.

“They’re always the first ones there and the last ones to go,” Moran said. “They have a very bright, bright future with our team.”

SETTLING IN

Leading scorer Diego Ramirez and the Sharyland Pioneer boys soccer team are showing the benefits of a year of experience.

Coach Alex Lopez has established his system after taking over the new program last year, and Ramirez has learned to become a more heady player to complement his speed.

“His technical ability has certainly gotten better from last year,” Lopez said. “I feel he’s gotten more mature in his way of thinking. His speed is probably his biggest weapon. I think he’s learned the system a lot better. That’s what’s making him successful right now.”

The attack has been a strength for the Diamondbacks in the early going. Four different players scored goals for Pioneer during Tuesday’s win against Rio Grande City: Leo Rios, Leo Aguilar, Eros Martinez, and Jose Luis Gonzalez.

Still, with only five returning starters, Pioneer has shown signs of inexperience at times. Lopez said players adjusting to varsity has been the team’s biggest source of adversity to this point.

Several freshmen and sophomores have earned spots in the lineup, and other players have switched positions. Victor Guerra has been particularly effective moving from goalie to stopper.

“We got off to a slow start, but we’ve made some adjustments,” Lopez said. “We’re finally starting to get into season form.”

WELL ROUNDED

The Edinburg North girls team has picked up right where it left off last season, spearheaded by returning forwards Gloria Gutierrez and Itzamar Rios.

The Lady Cougars have seven returning starters in all and opened their District 31-6A title defense with a 7-2 win against Weslaco East on Tuesday.

“I think we’re coming along pretty good,” coach Daniel Valdez said. “(Our experience) pays off quite a bit.”

Gutierrez and Rios have again been the team’s leading scorers. Gutierrez attacks with her speed and skill, while Rios shines because of her relentless effort, Valdez said.

“She runs down every ball that’s given to her, and she actually is very unselfish,” Valdez said. “One of the reasons Gloria has a lot of goals is she’s been assisted by Itzamar. Instead of taking the shots, she passes to Gloria, and Gloria is never going to pass up a goal.”

Despite their prowess up front, Valdez said Edinburg North always thinks defense first. Sarah Whitesides, typically a sweeper, has been holding down the goalie position while normal starter Nikki Jo Rodriguez finishes out basketball season.

Defender Lynnda Lozano and midfielders Melanie Moreno and Jasmine Rodriguez have also been early keys.

“They get along well with each other, and with girls soccer that’s very important,” Valdez said. “The chemistry is there. They’ve played together for a while already.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Having moved eight times between two countries and four states before his senior year of high school, Josh McGowen had a difficult time landing on college scouts’ radar.

He went to camps whenever he could, sent video to anyone who would watch, tried to be active on Twitter and always kept his grades in order.

After many periods of feeling like a breakthrough would never come, McGowen found his opening with Stephen F. Austin University. The McAllen High standout officially signed his letter of intent on Wednesday.

“I used to wake up every morning and talk to my dad about how I’m going to go to college, and I’m going to make everybody proud,” McGowen said. “It’s finally happening.”

A child of a military family, Josh spent his freshman year in Germany, his sophomore and junior years in North Carolina and finally his senior year at McHi.

His parents always believed he had Division I potential because of his natural athleticism. His mother, Emma, saw his blazing speed on the track and watched him succeed even when he dabbled in baseball and golf. Still, his upbringing came with its share of challenges.

“It’s not been an easy thing for him as a military kid because of all the changes you go through,” Emma said. “It’s been a tough road, but it just makes him stronger.”

With every move, Josh became the outsider again. But Emma calls him a social butterfly because of how easily he makes new friends. On Wednesday he shared his signing day stage with teammate Cody Rodriguez, who signed a letter of intent to play with Texas A&M-Kingsville.

“I feel like I’ve known Josh since he was little,” McAllen High coach Kevin Brewer said. “It’s just as special for him as it is for somebody who has been here all four years.”

In just one season at McHi, Josh set school records with 1,891 rushing yards, 22 rushing touchdowns, 26 total touchdowns and 340 yards in a single game.

Because Josh’s straight ahead speed and athleticism are his best assets, Brewer believes he can thrive on offense, defense or special teams for Stephen F. Austin.

“The sky is the limit,” Brewer said. “I think this kid can just excel at all of it, I really do. I just know with talent like his, they can do something with him.”

Although SFA was Josh’s only Division I offer, he said the decision to sign was still a tough one for him. An elite athlete on the track, as well, Josh had the option of holding off on signing to see if any track offers came his way. But in the end, football was his primary passion, and he fell in love with all aspects of Stephen F. Austin.

He plans to study kinesiology in hopes of someday being an athletic trainer, and he said he’ll likely wait at least a year or two before thinking about getting involved with the track program.

“I told myself I couldn’t have gone anywhere else better than this school,” Josh said. “No other school can compare to this school. There’s always one thing that SFA is going to have, and that’s family to me. I went there and I felt like I didn’t go anywhere. It felt like I didn’t travel. … It’s just a feeling of being home is what really drew me in.”

Rodriguez chose between seven or eight offers to sign with Kingsville and play one of the middle linebacker positions in an unorthodox 5-2 defense.

He’ll also be studying kinesiology to someday become a physical therapist.

“This means a lot. It’s always been a dream of mine,” Rodriguez said. “This is a dream becoming a reality.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — When Edcouch-Elsa’s Cece Marin placed the ball on the line before her potentially game-sealing penalty against Donna North, she already knew where she wanted to go with the shot.

She thought about changing her target as she stepped back to line up the kick, but with a chance to score the first ever win for E-E against rival Donna North, she had to go to her regular favorite spot.

Marin punched the final shot into the left side of the net, turned to her teammates and took a bow, having successfully lifted the Lady Yellowjackets to a 2-1 (4-3 in penalties) win on Tuesday at Benny Layton Sr. Memorial Stadium.

“It’s my senior year, and beating this team just made it,” Marin said. “I knew the game was on my shoulders. It was up to me whether we would win or lose, and the bow just felt like, ‘That was it.’”

A defender for the Lady Yellowjackets, Marin is rarely called on to take penalties. But on Tuesday, E-E assistant coach Alector Cardenas asked head coach Juan Romero to make the switch.

After a strong game on the defensive end slowing down Donna North’s typically powerful attack, Marin was rewarded with the opportunity.

“Cece was like, ‘I’m a senior, I have to take this one,’” Romero said. “She stepped up to it. It was just perfect, the way it ended with her being the hero, after the kind of game she gave us.”

The win for Edcouch-Elsa leaves both teams 2-1 in what will likely be another tight District 32-5A race.

Donna North took the crown last season with 38 points, while PSJA Southwest and Edcouch-Elsa tied for second at 28.

The Lady Yellowjackets entered the night 0-4 all-time against the Lady Chiefs, but an E-E group with seven senior starters is hopeful this will be its year to make a run at the league title.

“Since most of our team is seniors, I feel that this is our final hurrah,” Marin said. “This is going to be the year we go into the playoffs pretty deep. I want to go as far as we can.”

For the first 68 minutes of Tuesday’s game, Edcouch-Elsa had chance after chance but came up empty.

Romero said the team put most of its focus on locking down each zone to strangle Donna North’s attack, which bogged down play and kept either team from getting great shots at the net. Still, by his count theLady Yellowjackets had 11 against the Lady Chiefs’ 3 in the first half and continued to apply pressure in the second.

“It was frustrating, because we’re there, right at the goal, and we can’t score,” junior Genesis Martinez said.

Martinez ended that frustration with 11:52 to play, sending home a free kick from about 27 yards out.

She and teammate Leslie Alvarado both lined up to take the kick, and the defense seemed to freeze as each faked forward as if to shoot. When Romero called out for Martinez from the sideline, she sent it into the back of the net.

“That was, I think, one of my best shots,” Martinez said. “I just grabbed the ball and I was like, this is going to be a goal. I had my mind on the goal.”

The score seemed to light a fire under Donna North, which began attacking with more ferocity the rest of the way. With just less than six minutes to play, Edcouch-Elsa keeper Ali Reyes lunged back and fully extended her right hand, tipping away a looping ball just as it was about to cross the goal line.

Donna North finally found it’s breakthrough with 4:13 to play, tying the game when Elizabeth Reyes hit a shot from 20 yards out that deflected off a defender and into the upper right corner of the net.

In penalties, Donna North appeared to take a 3-2 lead after a save by Viviana Rodriguez, but the officials ruled that she came off the line too early. Alvarado converted the re-kick for Edcouch-Elsa, and Marin sealed it two kicks later.

“The difference was just the lack of intensity that we didn’t bring from the very get-go,” Donna North coach Tony Garcia said. “You saw some of that towards the end. The last 8 to 12 minutes, when Edcouch-Elsa scored, that kind of woke us up and we went from there. But it was a little too late.”

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