GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Last season, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln advanced to the regional quarterfinals of the Class 6A playoffs, losing to eventual state champion Brownsville Rivera in penalty kicks. Coach Victor Ramos called it a rebuilding year.

Such are the standards and expectations at Juarez-Lincoln. And with seven returning starters in 2016, the Huskies have their sights set much higher — on claiming a state title of their own.

“I think we can get to state champions, because of how we’re doing right now,” senior Javier Garcia said. “We can get there if we always have a positive mind.”

The Huskies have already shown some of their potential in the Mission Tournament, sweeping through the first two days of group play. On Thursday, Juarez-Lincoln clashed with fellow unbeaten Sharyland High and pulled out a 1-0 win to move to 5-0.

Juan Hernandez scored the lone goal for the Huskies, taking possession of the ball at the top of the box and firing it into the right side of the net.

“The goal is to go all the way, and I think it’s time,” Ramos said. “We’ve been so close to going to the state tournament, and that’s what our goal is.”

Juarez-Lincoln has proven worthy of the elevated expectations, reaching the playoffs in each of its seven years as a varsity program. The Huskies have escaped the first round each season, advancing to the regional finals in 2010 and the regional semis in 2012.

“I think this is the best team we’ve had so far at Juarez-Lincoln,” midfielder Manuel Castrejon said. “It’s a great offense and defense, and I think we can get where we want to be.”

Castrejon, a sophomore captain, is emblematic of Juarez-Lincoln’s development. He began last season as a substitute for a Huskies team with eight senior starters, but he had carved out a starting role by the middle of the year.

Other younger players also emerged for the Huskies mid-season, such that Juarez-Lincoln has seven starters coming back for 2016.

Still, Juarez-Lincoln’s lineup is young. Castrejon and fellow midfielder Gerardo Reyes are sophomores, while the forward tandem of Hernandez and Elias Adame are juniors. Ramos highlighted all four as key players, along with senior stopper Didier Sanchez.

“We have a combination of kids with experience, and new kids with great skills and dedication,” Ramos said. “We still have a new group, but we’ll get it together, and we’re playing good soccer at this point.”

Castrejon has been Juarez-Lincoln’s primary distributor in the middle of the field for as long as he’s been in the lineup, and he admits the role came with a lot of pressure for a freshman.

He said the support of his teammates made the job easier, and he’s tried to adopt a similar mentality as he steps into a leadership role this year. He used to be easily discouraged when something went wrong during a game, and it would bring down his teammates.

“I was a negative player,” Castrejon said. “My coach talked to me a lot about my personality. I have to get better, and I’m working on it.”

At a slightly built 5-foot-1, Castrejon wasn’t ready to take on full varsity minutes when he initially entered the program.

For the first half of the season, Castrejon was mostly a sub, playing some during second halves.

“He was too little,” Ramos said. “We need to protect those kind of players. … They try to sometimes do more than they’re supposed to, and when you play against big kids who have experience, it can hurt them.”

Castrejon has grown three or four inches from last season, now up to 5-foot-4 or 5-foot-5, Ramos said. He’s also learned to move the ball quicker. Castrejon said his strongest attribute is his ability to make opponents miss with the ball at his feet, but Ramos has stressed that making a quick pass is a safer bet to keep the diminutive Castrejon healthy.

The experience of last year’s playoff run has also been key not just for Castrejon, but for all of Juarez-Lincoln’s returners.

“I had the privilege to play with a lot of teammates who left a great legacy behind,” Castrejon said. “Now, that’s for me to follow.”

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — The McAllen High girls soccer team returns eight starters from a group that made the regional quarterfinals last year, but it was a pair of freshmen who provided the scoring in Thursday’s season opener.

Hannah Kelly and Zoe Flores — two of five freshmen to start for the Lady Bulldogs — found the back of the net as McAllen High took down Brownsville Hanna 2-0 to open the McHi Showcase.

The Lady Bulldogs hope the mix of proven assets and talented newcomers can lift the team to another playoff run.

“To integrate all of them and kind of work as a unit, it takes a little bit of time,” senior Gabby Gonzalez said. “But it’s actually been really fast how we’ve connected. We still have a long season ahead of us to just continue bonding.”

Freshmen Miranda Muñoz, Emily Gurwitz and Geraldine Cadena were also in the starting lineup Thursday, and coach Pat Arney said he was happy with the play of the new class.

The biggest challenge, he said, is getting everyone on the same page and used to the speed of the game. The Lady Bulldogs welcome players from four different club teams, meaning they’re used to different systems and styles of play.

“For sure this year, we’re getting a lot better in communication and getting along with each other,” junior Quetzal Toren said. “I know the past few years we’ve had a lot of girl problems. I think this year, we’re all kind of the same age and have all played with each other, so we all know our chemistry.”

Now a junior, Toren is doing her part to facilitate that chemistry. On Thursday, Toren shouted to Flores to keep her from slipping offsides, ensuring that she could score McHi’s second goal via breakaway without the referee waving off the play.

“The maturity is really coming along,” Arney said. “That’s great to see.”

Toren has proven herself as the centerpiece of McHi’s offense, scoring 18 goals last season after notching 19 as a freshman in 2014 to earn All-Valley Newcomer of the Year.

She said she comes back this season with more speed and higher aspirations: 25 goals, a top-5 rank on McHi’s all-time scoring list, and postseason honors.

“I’m a junior, so I’m not sure if I’ll reach it, but I really want to be All-Valley MVP,” Toren said.

Gonzalez is the Lady Bulldogs’ leader on defense and one of just three seniors on the team. She excels at throw-ins and long balls with her strong leg, but is also taking steps to direct the younger players from her position at the back of the formation. On defense, she plays alongside a freshman in Muñoz and a converted wing in Cari Guerra.

“It’s really new, and we’ve adjusted really well, and we’re working really well,” Gonzalez said. “Especially because we all know each other before starting the season, so we had that connection there.”

The blend of experienced returners and promising freshmen has created competition across the board for McAllen High.

Arney saw significant rust and “silly” mistakes on Thursday, problems he hopes to wipe away in the weeks before District 30-6A play begins.

“They know if they’re not doing well and they’re not working hard, they might not be playing. So they have to work harder,” Arney said. “That’s the best thing.”

Hanna ran into some of the same problems as McAllen High on Thursday, with five freshmen in the starting lineup. Coach Jose Morales said the lack of experience was the main concern, and it resulted in a bevy of turnovers.

The Lady Golden Eagles are without returning All-Metro MVP Natalie Gonzalez, who had a boot on her right foot and is out indefinitely due to injury.

“She might be back by the beginning of the season, might be back by the half and maybe not at all. She’s in limbo right now,” Morales said. “She’s our go-to girl up top. We miss her a lot. She’s the one that converted goals last year.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Twice each year, former UTPA soccer players try to get together for an alumni game.

Turnout varies with families and obligations constantly looming, and the level of competition isn’t what it once was for a group now 25 years removed from its playing days in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Still, when the alums met for their most recent game on Dec. 26, the player pool numbered about 20 to 30.

“We stay in touch, reminisce about the past, have a good time, and show ourselves that we can still run a little bit,” La Joya High coach Alex Davila said. “And mainly, just have fun.”

Nowadays, most of their meetings happen from opposite sidelines of the pitch rather than on it. As the 2016 boys soccer season gets underway today, eight Valley teams are coached by players who once suited up for UTPA.

Four of those coaches will be in District 30-6A. Davila played in 1997, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln’s Victor Ramos played in 1992-93, and La Joya Palmview’s Mario Ribera played from 1992-94, earning an upcoming induction to the UTRGV Hall of Fame. Ramos and Ribera were coached by Eloy Moran, now the coach at McAllen Rowe, who was with UTPA from 1987-94.

“It’s pride, and friendship at the same time,” Ramos said of the matchups between coaches from UTPA. “We’re coming from the same school. We’ve played together for so many years. Same system, and same coaches. So it gets interesting.”

In many cases, the coaches maintain something of a friendly rivalry. Ramos remembers losing to Ribera just twice in eight years when Ramos was at Edinburg Economedes and Ribera was at Mission High.

Ramos said he likes to keep quiet before games so as not to give anything away. After the final horn, he’ll exchange advice and tips with his old friends.

Moran said he always looks forward to the opportunities. He’s also faced Luis Cardenas of Edinburg High, and he said he regularly reminds Brownsville Rivera coach Salvador Garcia to have hot chocolate ready for him. Cardenas played at UTPA from 1994-95, and Garcia played from 1987-89.

“I greet them with a hug, and some I greet with a kiss, if they’re Latin American,” Moran said. “I remember how they were when they were players. I know Luis, he yells a lot. I tell him, ‘You better take care of yourself, because you might find yourself at UIL, if you haven’t already.’”

UTPA soccer and high school coaching run in Cardenas’ family. His five brothers also played at UTPA, and four of them went on to coach at high schools. Jose and Alector are assistants in the Edcouch-Elsa program, where Arnoldo used to coach soccer before becoming solely a football assistant. Jesus is an assistant with the girls team at Sharyland High.

The other Valley head coaches to come through the UTPA program are Jose Luis Alamazan, who played in 1993 and works at Mercedes, and Reveriano Hernandez, who played from 1987-89 and works at Sharyland High.

Hernandez won a state title at Sharyland in 2012, and his longtime friend Garcia picked up a championship of his own last season at Rivera. The two have been friends dating back to childhood, having played together at Hanna before rooming at UTPA.

“He’s my compadre,” Hernandez said. “I talk to him whenever I have a chance. We scrimmage every year, so we’re always in contact.”

The coaching tree rooted at UTPA extends beyond just Valley boys. Juan Romero, the girls coach at Edcouch-Elsa, played at UTPA from 1994-95. Sammy Zavala, who played from 1987-90, formerly coached the girls team at Harlingen South.

Outside the Valley, Fredy Sanguinetti, who played at UTPA from 1987-91, coached the boys team at Katy Morton Ranch to state in 2007, then guided the Katy Cinco Ranch girls to state in 2014 and 2015.

Shane Hurley, a UTPA player from 1990-93, coached the girls team at Harlingen High before taking the head coaching position at NAIA school Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio.

Each is on the short list of all-time letter winners from the 11-year UTPA program that fills just one page of the UTRGV soccer media guide.

“How do you think I felt, to see my ex-players at state?” Moran said. “Now, you see how they are touching other lives.”

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy Bernard couldn’t make it through the night without crying when he first came to live with McAllen Memorial soccer player Gina De La Garza and her family.

After the dogs’ mother fell ill and had to have emergency surgery in November, Bernard and his brother Suki were taken in by De La Garza and her mother, Dr. Donna Joule. At just five weeks old, the dogs hadn’t been weaned and were yet to receive their vaccinations, so Palm Valley Animal Center sent them into foster care rather than exposing them to illness in the kennel.

Joule’s bedroom is adjacent to the enclosed veranda where the dogs typically sleep, so she heard every sound they made each night.

“This one always wanted to be held,” De La Garza said, scratching Bernard behind his ears. “He would just cry and cry until you went and held him.”

Fostering animals for the better part of the past seven years, De La Garza has worked with more than 100 cats and dogs in total. Along with her mother and younger sister, Carly, De La Garza helps raise puppies and kittens that are either too young or too sick to be ready for adoption. Once the dogs are healthy, vaccinated and on solid food, the De La Garzas bring them back to Palm Valley in search of a permanent home.

“I like helping them,” De La Garza said. “A lot of people don’t realize how many animals they have, because people only see what’s available for adoption at the front of the shelter.”

De La Garza, now a senior, was in fifth grade when the family took in its first foster, a schnauzer mutt named Twinkles, as part of her Girl Scouts Silver Award project.

Since, the family has taken on cases of all types and sizes. There was the yellow lab named Rocket, who had kennel cough. Or the blind Pomeranian named Pompom, who would fall into the pool and couldn’t find the stairs to get out.

Then there were the two injured Chihuahua/terrier mixes, Lucky and Lois. One had been thrown from a moving truck and required facial reconstructive surgery, while the other had been attacked by a pit bull.

“We had to feed him with a syringe, and he had to be on a liquid diet, because his jaw was cut and torn,” Joule said. “He had ripped half of his face off.”

The family’s efforts at rehabilitation have almost always been successful, save a group of puppies lost to distemper and two other litters infected with parvovirus.

The highly contagious and deadly parvovirus attacks dogs’ intestinal tracts, leading to severe vomiting and diarrhea. After that case passed, the De La Garza family had to go a year and a half without fostering to ensure no animals would be exposed to traces that might remain in the yard.

“It was very messy,” De La Garza said. “It was really hard.”

With one of the parvovirus litters, the family managed to save two of the five dogs. Joule, a family doctor in McAllen, draws on her experience treating people to try to help the animals.

When the parvovirus dogs required fluids through an IV, Joule was able to administer one from home.

“They’re the only family I have that can do that,” said Debbie Schrock, the foster coordinator for Palm Valley Animal Center. “When I have a problem case, or a lot of young puppies, I think of her first, because she’s so qualified. And her kids are amazing.”

Palm Valley gets in about 120 new animals per day, compared to just about 20 families who are repeat fosters.

Over the year and a half she’s been in her position at Palm Valley, Schrock has found the De La Garza family willing to take on litters of any size and in any condition at any time.

The longest the family ever had an animal was last Christmas, when a cat named Niko with ringworm lived there for six months. Schrock said the shelter rarely sends out animals with ringworm for fear of transmission to humans, but the De La Garza family is the exception because of Joule’s expertise.

“They’re an amazing foster family,” Schrock said. “I can stick anything with them, and it’s going to come out healthy. It’s crazy.”

Each case presents its own challenges. When a dog needs pills, it typically takes a three-person system: one to pin the dog down, another to hold the mouth open, and a third to give it the medication. Other animals have stitches that need fixing, or wounds that require special cream.

With younger, healthier dogs, the challenge is more routine. If the litter includes the mother, the family will line an emptied kiddie pool with blankets, put all of the dogs inside and place it under a heat lamp. The largest litter the family ever took in was a mother and nine puppies.

If the mother doesn’t come along, De La Garza will often bottle feed the puppies by hand. The youngest animals require constant attention, with feedings every couple of hours.

“We have night shifts,” De La Garza said. “You’re up at 5, and you’re up at 3, and you’re up at 1.”

Joule and De La Garza said the biggest challenge of the project is keeping their house in order. When dealing with puppies, the family will line the floor of the veranda with newspapers for easy cleaning and disposal.

Half a dozen bottles of different cleaning solution are lined up on the windowsill, overlooking a pair of torn up doggie beds and tiny red pieces of what used to be one of the animals’ toys. Shoes are always at a particular risk.

“We’ve gone through a couple couches,” De La Garza said.

The labor comes easy to De La Garza, who plans to study nonprofit management in hopes of someday running an orphanage. She said her work with puppies is rewarded every time they swarm her for food or bottle-feeding.

“They’re a lot more work, but they’re a lot of fun,” De La Garza said. “Especially because they’ll just cuddle and sleep in your arms.”

Once the dogs are healed and grown, De La Garza and her family say goodbye, returning them to Palm Valley with the guarantee that they will eventually be adopted.

That time has already come for Suki and Bernard. The two entered the De La Garza home drinking nothing by puppy milk, but by the end were tearing through Costco bags of puppy chow with ease. Suki was adopted Sunday, and Bernard is back at the shelter.

“It used to be a lot harder,” De La Garza said. “But now we know that they’ll have a good home. It’s a lot easier to let them go.”

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Palm Valley Animal Center, a private nonprofit organization, is the only full-service, open admission animal intake facility in Hidalgo county. For information on how to adopt or foster, call 956-686-1141 or visit www.pvaconline.com.

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Reuben Farias was tabbed as the new head football coach and athletic coordinator at La Joya High during a special meeting of the board of trustees Friday morning, La Joya ISD athletic director Victor Garza said.

A 1994 graduate of La Joya High, Farias has worked his way up through the school district’s coaching ranks, serving as the Coyotes’ receivers coach and special teams coordinator for the past three years.

“He presented all of the expectations that we were looking for for La Joya High School,” Garza said. “Given everything that he has contributed to our student athletes, we felt that he was the right fit to try to take this program from where it’s at and move forward.”

Farias has also served as La Joya’s head baseball coach since 2002, a responsibility he’ll have to give up to take his new position.

His father, Ruben Rey, coached football at La Joya High from 1971-73 and was also a head baseball coach.

“I’m trying to follow in his footsteps. Trying to do better than him and his legacy,” Farias said. “It’s a blessing to come back to my roots.”

Farias replaces George Espinoza, who was reassigned after finishing the 2015 season 3-7.

Espinoza took over the program in 2012, inheriting a roster with only 48 players and a program that was just 7-33 overall since the La Joya ISD split after the 2007 season.

The Coyotes rostered 65 players for Espinoza’s second season and 135 for his third, during which the team went 4-6 to secure its first playoff berth since the split. Espinoza finished his tenure 10-31.

Garza said Farias is expected to continue to build the program forward.

“Definitely being where we’re at, picking up where we’re at, and taking us up to the next level,” Garza said. “The overall student athlete success, on the field as well as academically, and in the other sports.”

Farias plans to have the Coyotes run the ball more often on offense, although he said the attack will always be tailored to best fit the personnel. On defense, Farias wants to stick to the system La Joya has employed the past few seasons.

“I’m trying to continue the winning tradition and trying to bring the pride back to La Joya High School that we once had,” Farias said.

Farias feels good about the nucleus of players the Coyotes have returning, provided the team can avoid the injuries that derailed the 2015 team. Current sophomore quarterback Irving Garcia and junior linebacker Rey Hernandez project as the team’s leaders, and Farias said the biggest goal before the year is to get all of the players mentally on the same page.

“New regime, just to continue to bring passion back and the love to want to win,” Farias said. “I feel that the last couple of years have been going good. We’re just going to try to continue to take it to higher heights. Just making the playoffs, trying to maybe break down and knock the door down and continue to press on and bring a little bit more success to our school district.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Memorial’s Trevor Speights and Edinburg North’s John Mendoza were named to the Associated Press Class 6A All-State first team, which was announced Thursday morning.

The Valley had nine players listed in all, as McAllen Memorial defensive tackle Ricardo Miner was named to the second team. Six players earned honorable mention: Mission High offensive lineman Christian Navejar and linebacker Steven De Leon, Weslaco East running back Emilio Tamez, McAllen Memorial linebacker Sam Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview linebacker Luis Sanchez and Los Fresnos defensive back Fabian Rodriguez.

Voting was done by Texas sports editors and based on regular-season performance.

The All-State first-team selection was Speights’ third in a row. The senior running back finished with the second-best single-season rushing total in Valley history, racking up 3,195 yards to go with a Valley record 50 touchdowns. He finished his career fourth on Texas’ all-time rushing list with 9,867 yards and 10th on the all-time touchdown list with 116.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Speights said. “Any time you’re state recognized and you’re on the first team, it’s a great thing. I just want to thank my teammates and everyone else that helped me get there.”

Mendoza, a senior defensive back, racked up 11 interceptions this season for Edinburg North. He also notched four passes defended and 43 total tackles.

“I heard about it from my coaches, and it was amazing,” Mendoza said. “All of my coaches helped me out, and it’s an honor to be first team all-state.”

Miner, a junior, was a dominant force inside for the Mustangs. He finished the year with 127 total tackles, including 19 for a loss, and amassed seven sacks plus 26 hurries.

Hinojosa, a senior, was also named from Memorial’s defense, as an honorable mention. He ended the year with 168 total tackles (26 for loss) with four sacks, 15 hurries, three forced fumbles and an interception.

Although Mission High missed the playoffs at 4-6, the Eagles landed the sophomore De Leon and the senior Navejar as honorable mentions. De Leon accrued 129 total tackles, including 19 for loss, with 10 sacks, 22 hurries, a safety and an interception. Navejar, a three-year starter, had 37 pancakes and graded out at 97 percent.

The third linebacker honored from District 30-6A, Sanchez was the leader of the Palmview defense as a senior, making 93 solo tackles (19 for loss) with nine sacks and four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.

Tamez, a senior, was the focal point of Weslaco East’s offense this year, rushing for 1,525 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Rodriguez, a senior, had 97 total tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions for Los Fresnos.

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What follows is the 2015 Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Class 6A all-state high school football team, released Thursday. Voting based on regular-season performance. Players are listed in alphabetical order at each position.

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

Linemen:

— BRYCEN FOREMAN, Austin Westlake, Sr. — 92 grade, 70 pancakes, 20 knockdowns, 0 sacks allowed in 261 throws

— DARTA LEE, Fort Bend Hightower, Sr. — 118 pancakes, 1 sack allowed, 93 grade

— GREG LITTLE, Allen, Sr. — blocked on team that averaged 529.3 yards/game

— ZACH SHACKELFORD, Belton, Sr. — 98 grade, 92 knockdown

— LUCAS TRIBBLE, Southlake Carroll, Sr. — 52 pancakes, 85 knockdowns, 96 grade, no sacks allowed

Receivers/ends:

— KE’VON AHMAD, Colleyville Heritage, Jr. — 61-1,278, 17 TDs

— DEVIN DUVERNAY, Garland Sachse, Sr. — 56-1,102, 16 TDs receiving; 6 TDs rushing

Quarterback:

— SAM EHLINGER, Austin Westlake, Jr. — 153-236-2,436, 35 TDs, 0 INTs, 110-748-, 13 TDs rushing

Running backs:

— BRANDON BAILEY, Odessa Permian, Sr. — 207-1,625, 23 TDs

— KENNEDY BROOKS, Mansfield, Jr. — 263-2,302, 28 TDs

— TREVOR SPEIGHTS, McAllen Memorial, Sr. — 2,791 rushing yards, 46 TDs

Kicker:

— CAMERON DICKER, Lake Travis, So. — 46-46 PATs, 7-8 FGs, long of 44, 22 touchbacks

Offensive Player of the Year: Sam Ehlinger, Austin Westlake

___

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

Linemen

— K’LAVON CHAISSON, Galena Park North Shore, Jr. — 50 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 13 TFL, 3 FF

— ELIJAH EARLS, SA Northside Stevens, Sr. — 108 tackles, 15 sacks, 21 TFL, 2 INTs

— ANTHONY EKPE, Pflugerville Hendrickson, Sr. — 78 tackles, 18 TFL 12 sacks

— HOUSTON MILLER, Keller, Sr. — 119 tackles, 16 TFL, 9 sacks, 4 FF

Linebackers:

— MATTHEW ANUNDA, Arlington, Sr. – 169 tackles, 11 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 FF, 3 PBU, 3 blocked kicks

— KESHON CERVANTES, Amarillo Tascosa, Sr. — 117 tackles, 9 TFL, 5 sacks, 3 FF, 3 FR, 3 defensive TDs, 2 INTs

— DAQUAYLYN THOMAS, Arlington Martin, Sr. – 75 tackles, 19 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 4 FF, 3 FR

Defensive backs:

— D’ANTHONY CARTER, SA Northside Stevens, Sr. — 45 tackles, 8 INTs, 11 pass deflections

— ISAIAH FIELDS, Cibolo Steele, Sr. — 40 tackles, 6 TFL, 5 INTs, 3 pass deflections

— DAR’WON HAWKINS, North Crowley, Sr. — 53 tackles, 4 TFL, 5 INTs, 9 PBU, 2 FR

— JOHN MENDOZA, Edinburg North, Sr. — 11 INTs

— ANTHONY THOMAS, Montgomery, Sr. — 89 tackles, 19 TFL, 5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 FF, 4 kicks returned for TDs

Punter:

— TYLER DUNLOP, Hurst Bell, Sr. — 47.8 yard avg., 13 inside 20, 3 inside 10

Defensive Player of the Year: Matthew Anunda, Arlington

___

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

Linemen:

— Patrick Blasingame, Colleyville Heritage, Sr.; Billy Honaker, Schertz Clemens, Sr.; Chris Owens, Arlington Lamar, Sr.; Austin Sargent, Rockwall, Sr.; Jack Sides, Dallas Highland Park, Sr.

Receivers/ends:

— Richie Rodriguez, EP Eastwood, Sr.; Joseph Ward, Waco Midway, Sr.

Quarterbacks:

— Shane Buechele, Arlington Lamar, Sr.; Jalen Hurts, Channelview, Sr.

Running backs:

— Jaelin Ford, Amarillo, Soph.; Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, Southlake Carroll, Sr.; Sammy Lintson, Deer Park, Sr.

Kicker:

— Jackson Smith, Waco Midway, Sr.

___

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

Linemen:

— Ricardo Miner, McAllen Memorial, Jr.; Jimmy Nelson III, Arlington Martin, Sr.; Michael Prescott, Colleyville Heritage, Sr.; Ty Shelby, Friendswood, Sr.

Linebackers:

— Hayden Harrison, Wolfforth Frenship, Sr.; Andrew Hyacinth, Galena Park North Shore, Sr.; Brandon Smyth, SA Northside Brandeis, Sr.

Defensive backs:

— Deontay Anderson, Manvel, Sr.; Obi Eboh, Southlake Carroll, Sr.; Dominique Ramsey, Converse Judson, Sr.; Alex Shillow, Pflugerville, Sr.; Jordan Williams, Pflugerville Hendrickson, Sr.

Punter:

— Dillon Scherer, Klein Oak, Sr.

___

HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE

LINEMEN: Jean Delance, North Mesquite; Dominic Deriggi, Galena Park North Shore; Cortez Ducksworth, CC King; Clarence Henderson, Dallas Skyline; Leyton Hernandez, CC King; Tope Imade, Arlington Bowie; Jesus Lopez, Laredo United; Tito Martinez, Laredo United; Austin Meyers, Manvel; Christian Navejar, Mission; Denzel Okafor, Lewisville; J’Don Robinson, Dallas Skyline; Tyrese Robinson, McKinney Boyd; Nick Sheldon, Waco Midway; Nick Walters, Colleyville Heritage.

RECEIVERS/ENDS: Sam Crawford, Rockwall; Aaron Denson, Richland; LaDarius Dickens, Rowlett; Zach Farrar, Southlake Carroll; Josh Fink, Coppell; Derek Housler, Smithson Valley; Reed Klubnik, Austin Westlake; Logan Mann, SA Northside Stevens; Eric Ovalle, Laredo Alexander; David Sanchez II, Laredo United; Dillon Smith, Keller; Kaden Smith, Lewisville Marcus; Josh Wainwright, Austin Bowie.

QUARTERBACKS: Logan Bonner, Rowlett; Charlie Brewer, Lake Travis; Greg Eisworth, South Grand Prairie; Frank Harris, Schertz Clemens; Chris Robison, Mesquite Horn; Bryce Rivers, SA Northside Stevens; Ignazio Tellez, Laredo United; Tyler Vitt, SA MacArthur; Tristen Wallace, DeSoto; Jacoby Williams, Garland.

RUNNING BACKS: Edwin Allen, FW Paschal; Ronald Awatt, Wolfforth Frenship; Caleb Broach, Rockwall; Juan Cisneros, Laredo LBJ; DeAndre Cook, Arlington Bowie; Jaylon Dukes, SA Northside Brandeis; Saevion Johnson, Pearland Dawson; Christian Mallard, SA Taft; Hasain Newsome, CC King; D’Vaughn Pennamon, Manvel; Peytton Pickett, Arlington Sam Houston; Kyle Porter, Katy; Abram Smith, Abilene; Trelon Smith, Cypress Ridge; Brandon Stephens, Plano; Emilio Tamez, Weslaco East; Tyler Tutt, Keller; Ja’Ron Wilson, Euless Trinity.

KICKERS: Max Allan, Colleyville Heritage; Patrick Grady, Arlington Martin; Luke Hogan, Keller; Tanner Lange, Richardson Berkner; Chris Naggar, Arlington.

___

HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE

LINEMEN: Stevin Fields, SA Johnson; Andrew Fitzgerald, Lewisville Marcus; Elias Garcia, Austin Westlake; Eric Gonzalez, CC King; Mauricio Gutierrez, Laredo Alexander; Jayden Hutchings, Lake Travis; Mark Jackson, Cibolo Steele; Joseph Lamott, Cedar Hill; Ken McLaurin, Denton Ryan; Kaleb Nunez, Midland Lee; Sammy Ochoa, Lake Travis; Levi Onwuzurike, Allen; Bryce Peoples, North Crowley; Jacob Piel, Wolfforth Frenship; Alton Robinson, Converse Judson; Brooks Roy, SA Reagan; John Samples, Tyler Lee; Luke Termin, Rockwall; Traver Vliem, Midland; Joe Wallace, Dallas Skyline; Cailon Washington, North Crowley.

LINEBACKERS: Kyle Andersen, SA Reagan; Quintelro Baker, Houston Reagan; Stephon Barclift, SA Roosevelt; Keith Bazzle, Round Rock; Jalil Bethel, Killeen; Michael Carrillo, Denton Guyer; Tyreke Davis, Denton Ryan; Steven De Leon, Mission High; Sam Hinojosa, McAllen Memorial; Dontavious Jackson, Alief Elsik; Kailon Jones, North Crowley; Clifton Lewis, Fort Bend Hightower; Tony Luna, Laredo LBJ; Houston Miller, Keller; Pelini Nau, Colleyville Heritage; Joshua Nguyen, Odessa Permian; Robert Revels, Houston Reagan; Alexander Rodriguez, SA Northside Brennan; Delchaun Rushing, League City Clear Springs; Luis Sanchez, La Joya Palmview; Mohamed Sanogo, Plano West; Dharius Timmons, Denton Guyer; Mauricio Vazquez, Laredo Alexander; Nick Watts, Denton Ryan; Braydon Webb, McKInney Boyd; Ronnell Wilson, Abilene; Jack Youngblood, Midland.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Austin Allen, Laredo Alexander; Carlos Cantu, Laredo Alexander; Isaac de la Fuente, Laredo United South; Alvin Green, DeSoto; Reid Harrison-Ducros, Colleyville Heritage; Austin Hiller, Lake Travis; Uryan Hudson, Manvel; Landry Hutchins, Keller; Bryce Jackson, Denton Guyer; Brandon Johnson, Dallas Skyline; Jaylon Jones, Allen; Mack Kelley, Austin Westlake; Jared Mayden, Garland Sachse; Devontre McGarity, SA Northside Brennan; Kolbi McGary, Cedar Hill; Trevon Moehring-Woodard, Smithson Valley; Eric Monroe, Galena Park North Shore; Alex Plunk, Amarillo Tascosa; Jordan Porter, Colleyville Heritage; Fabian Rodriguez, Los Fresnos; Makyle Sanders, Tyler Lee; Daireon Smith, SA East Central; Des Smith, Odessa Permian; Anthony Taylor, Allen; Derrick Tucker, Manvel; Jax Welch, Odessa Permian; Skyler Wetzel, SA Reagan; Collin Wilder, Katy.

PUNTERS: Holden Lyons, Colleyville Heritage; Chris Naggar, Arlington; Jake Oldroyd, Southlake Carroll.

McAllen Rowe hired Bobby Flores as its new head football coach and athletic coordinator on Monday at a school board meeting, according to an announcement from the district.

“It’s like a dream come true, really,” Flores said. “It’s something I’ve worked for my whole career being from Rowe and working myself up the ladder, getting this opportunity. It’s an awesome feeling.”

A 1995 graduate of Rowe, Flores has coached and taught at the school for the past 15 years. He has coached both boys and girls basketball, is currently the boys head track and field coach, and has been the Warriors’ offensive coordinator for the past eight seasons.

“It’s been a special ride all the way through,” Flores said.

His younger brother, Ryan, is the boys basketball coach at McAllen High, and his father has coached football at many schools around the Valley, including McAllen Memorial, McAllen Rowe, PSJA High and La Feria.

Flores replaces Paul Reyes, who was reassigned after Rowe finished the season 3-6. During his six-year tenure, Reyes posted a 26-35 record, reaching the playoffs twice.

Flores said he plans to run or more balanced offense than what the pass-happy Warriors had shown the past several years, potentially playing more out of the pistol rather than empty sets.

“I’m not going to be scared to open it up a bit,” Flores said.

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Longtime Valley football coach Mario Peña said he is retiring from his position at Mission High at the end of the year, but added he will likely continue coaching in a different school district following a one-year hiatus.

Peña reached his decision Monday, at least temporarily ending a 37-year coaching career that included 20 seasons as the head football coach at La Joya High, San Benito and Mission.

“I am not done coaching,” Peña said. “I just felt that right now, this was in my best interest. … I still have a passion for the game, so as long as I have that passion, I will continue to look at coaching.”

Peña said the move made sense from a personal and financial perspective. The Teacher Retirement System of Texas requires him to sit out a year before pursuing a job in a different district, Peña said.

The 2015 season was especially trying for Peña, who had to take on more responsibilities due to medical issues within the coaching staff as Mission finished 4-6, missing the playoffs with a 2-4 district record.

“I’m very intense, and I’m not going to change who I am,” Peña said. “So I think it might be good for me to step back, see how I feel away from football. If I feel, ‘You know what? I need to get myself back in.’ Then I’ll do so. I still feel that I can definitely produce. I feel I can make an impact somewhere.”

In his 20 years as a head coach, Peña amassed a 112-95-3 overall record, highlighted by a 12-1 season at San Benito in 2004 and a 9-2 season at Mission High in 2012.

A former All-Valley Coach of the Year, Peña went 36-36 in his six years at Mission.

He was always known for his aggressive, blitzing defense, which typically ranked near the top of the district, but said he will most remember the relationships he’s developed and the family members he’s been able to coach with over the years.

During the past two seasons, his son, Mario Peña Jr., has worked with him to coach Mission’s linebackers. He also worked alongside his older brother, Roy, during his time at La Joya High.

“The many coaches that I’ve had an opportunity to work with,” Peña said. “The camaraderie and friendships that I have made with the staffs I’ve been involved with. And the thousands and thousands of young men that I’ve had a chance to coach and hopefully impact their lives in a positive way.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

La Joya High football coach George Espinoza was reassigned following the end of the 2015 season, La Joya ISD athletic director Victor Garza confirmed Tuesday.

The Coyotes finished an injury-plagued year 3-7, missing the playoffs as a result of a 20-7 loss to La Joya Juarez-Lincoln in the team’s regular-season finale.

“We’re just going in a different direction with the program,” Garza said. “We appreciate the efforts from coach, and district says we need to go in a different direction.”

Espinoza said he had no indication a reassignment might be in his future before being called into a meeting with Garza and principal Antonio Cano on Nov. 10.

Espinoza was not allowed to speak to the players after the decision was made, he said.

“The principal just told me they wanted to take the program in a different direction,” Espinoza said. “I said, ‘What direction do you want this program to go?’ To me, we’ve been improving the past four years.”

Espinoza took over the program before the 2012 season, inheriting a team with just 48 players on the roster and a 7-33 overall record since the La Joya ISD split after the 2007 season.

The Coyotes suited up 65 players for his second season and 135 for his third, during which the team went 4-6 to secure its first playoff berth since the split.

While injuries derailed the 2015 varsity roster, Espinoza spoke highly of La Joya’s two JV teams and its freshman squad when the season came to a close, looking optimistically toward the future.

Espinoza finishes his tenure with a mark of 10-31.

“We just felt that we were going in the right direction,” Espinoza said.

Espinoza said he was assigned to one of the school’s alternative campuses and that he plans to apply for the open head coaching jobs at McAllen Rowe, Edinburg High and Donna North.

He said he’s received an outpouring of support from parents and students both inside and away from the football program.

“Well, I have to keep my head up,” Espinoza said. “What I’m doing is feeding off all the positives that I’m getting from the community, the kids and the coaches within our district.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen High entered Saturday expecting a competitive game with Laredo Alexander, only to be sliced apart on defense and stifled on offense from the opening kick.

Alexander ran up a 49-point lead in less than three quarters, beating McAllen High 49-21 in a Class 6A Division II bi-district game at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“I definitely thought it would be a closer game,” McHi running back Josh McGowen said. “I didn’t think they would come out and take the lead like that. It was all shocking and such a surprise on us.”

McAllen High’s young defense was carved up from the opening drive by the speed and athleticism of Alexander’s spread attack.

Alexander scored touchdowns on seven of its first eight drives, finding the end zone on everything from screen passes, to deep bombs, to misdirection runs, to draw plays. Alexander pushed the lead to 49-0 and amassed more than 400 yards of offense before the starters were pulled with about 2:30 to play during the third quarter.

“We were running the defense we needed to stop them,” linebacker Cody Rodriguez said. “We just didn’t execute.”

On defense, Alexander relentlessly swarmed to the ball, thrashing McAllen High’s offensive line and stopping play after play in the backfield.

Josh McGowen, the driving force for McHi’s offense all season, amassed 0 yards on his first 18 carries, being stopped for a loss seven times.

“That was definitely frustrating,” McGowen said. “It’s all of our faults. It’s not just the line’s fault, it’s a team thing. It just goes back to executing the plays, but I was definitely upset.”

McGowen started to find his footing once the game was well out of reach, finishing the night with 26 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

In doing so, he pushed his season total to 1,892 yards, setting a new McHi single-season record. The previous mark was 1,853 yards, posted by Mike De La Fuente in 2002.

“That definitely means a lot,” McGowen said. “I came in and I worked hard to get (the record), but honestly it doesn’t mean as much to me as it would have if I won.”

A senior in his first season with McHi, McGowen also set the school’s single-season records with 23 rushing touchdowns, 27 total touchdowns, and 166 total points.

Coach Kevin Brewer said he knew McGowen was close to the yardage record as the game went on.

“We could’ve been trying to throw the ball around to get back in it score wise, but we wanted to stay with the run and stay with Josh and let him get that,” Brewer said. “He’s been nothing but a huge, huge, huge part of our success this year, so I’m very glad that he was able to get that. That’s awesome.”

McAllen High’s loss capped a difficult bi-district weekend for District 30-6A.

Only McAllen Memorial, by far the district’s top team, was able to squeak out a 27-24 win Friday against Laredo United South. McHi, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln and La Joya Palmview — which lost 58-30 in Del Rio on Saturday — were all blown out by an average margin of 35.3 points.

After starting the season 2-4, McHi won three of its final four games to earn the No. 2 spot in the district standings. The team ends the year 5-6 overall.

“I’m really proud of the way these kids finished the season, finishing strong in district, getting in, and being the top seed (in Division II),” Brewer said. “I’m extremely proud of these kids. They could’ve folded their tents in a long time ago, but that’s not the way they are. That’s just not in their DNA.”

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