GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Memorial coach Lorena Lopez credits senior Draik Banks’ success to a solid grasp of fundamentals, things like hand and foot placement that allow her to be in the best position on every point.

Banks has been a force this season for the Lady Mustangs, leading the team in blocks (47) and hitting percentage (.301).

“She’s probably the most technically sound middle I’ve seen in the Valley,” Lopez said. “She really has studied the position, and the better you are at the technical stuff, the better you’ll be overall.”

Now a senior, Banks has also become louder at the net, guiding younger teammates and asking for the ball on the attack.

“In the past, she hasn’t been very vocal,” Lopez said. “But I think this year, she’s been more vocal with her team, getting them to follow her and really trying to push them to be better.”

Banks and the rest of the Lady Mustangs are gearing up for the playoffs, which begin next week with a match against Del Rio. Lopez is trying to keep everything the same as it was during the regular season, even scheduling a warm-up match against Edinburg High on Saturday to keep her players in the regular game-week rhythm.

The only shift in practices has been more focus on individual skill and added conditioning punishments for failing to hit certain goals — an effort to simulate the type of pressure the team will face in a playoff environment.

Lopez is expecting a stiff test against Del Rio, which pushed Memorial in a preseason tournament. After splitting the first two games, the Lady Mustangs eked out a 17-15 win in the third.

“We know that we’re evenly matched with them,” Lopez said. “They have some big middles and some strong outsides. I can pretty much say we’re the same type of team.”

BUILDING FORWARD

Even after moving to 7-0 last week to clinch the first district title in school history, Monte Alto hadn’t hit its season-long goal. From Day 1, the 2015 campaign was about going undefeated.

The Blue Devils hit that mark on Tuesday, taking down Lyford to cap a multi-year turnaround project and keep momentum going as the team heads into the postseason.

“They were just hungry for it. They worked a little bit harder than last season,” coach Kerry Villarreal said. “They just wanted to come out and go undefeated. That was our goal from the beginning of the season.”

When Villarreal took hold of the program three years ago, Monte Alto was coming off a winless inaugural season. Using the lessons she learned as an assistant at Valley View under current Donna High coach Cindy Viesca, Villarreal put her players through a much tougher conditioning regimen and focused on their skill development.

“I asked them, ‘Why do you work so hard for me?’” Villarreal said. “And they said, ‘Because you actually care.’”

The Blue Devils’ top three contributors are seniors Evelin Alonso, Liza Gomez and Brenna Rosa.

All three have stuck with the program through its four-year turnaround, improving their district record from winless in 2012, to 4-4 in 2013, to 6-2 last season and now this year’s 8-0.

Gomez has learned to bounce back after errors, Rosa has developed into a leader, and Alonso has become a more confident player.

“I think that’s the big thing for our team overall,” Villarreal said, “actually believing they can do it.”

UP IN THE AIR

McAllen High and Mission High are still waiting to see who they will face in the bi-district round. The No. 1 and No. 2 seed in District 29-6A will be determined at 5 p.m. today, when Laredo United and Laredo Alexander meet to break a first-place tie.

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RGVSports.com Top 10

1. Mission Veterans
2. Los Fresnos
3. McAllen Rowe
4. McAllen Memorial
5. McAllen High
6. Brownsville Veterans
7. Edinburg North
8. Edcouch-Elsa
9. Edinburg High
10. Brownsville Hanna

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Even after starting this District 30-6A season winless, Mission High and La Joya Juarez-Lincoln never lost sight of their playoff aspirations.

The Eagles have picked up consecutive wins after an 0-2 start in district, and the Huskies are fresh off a 21-15 victory over La Joya Palmview — their first district win since 2013. Even at 1-3, Juarez-Lincoln still has a chance to reach the postseason if it can win its final two games. Ditto for Mission, which may ultimately need just one more victory.

For all the optimism in both camps, one team is almost assured of seeing its playoff bubble popped when they clash at 7:30 tonight in La Joya.

“(Wednesday) was the first time we had talked about it, about winning out the last three games,” Juarez-Lincoln coach Tommy Garcia said. “I wanted them to understand the big picture of who is playing who, and the possibilities of who is predicted to beat who. They understand that we have a good chance.”

Mission High coach Mario Peña isn’t talking much about the scenarios. He wants to avoid putting extra pressure on his team, instead telling them to just focus on their game and let the wins follow.

That being said, he has worked to keep his team confident and pressing forward this season. On the heels of last year’s 1-5 district record, the Eagles opened with losses to McAllen High and La Joya Palmview before bouncing back with wins against McAllen Rowe and La Joya High. With a matchup with undefeated McAllen Memorial looming in Week 11, tonight is critical.

“We had to really work on their psyche, their minds,” Peña said. “The fact that we couldn’t really throw the towel in yet — that we weren’t out of it. That we could change things around. All we needed was to get a little taste of winning.”

For Juarez-Lincoln, that little taste has done wonders. The Huskies had lost 10 consecutive district games, dating back to last season, before getting off the slide last week, and Garcia has seen a significant attitude change in practice as a result.

“Obviously, it’s a little different. We’re playing for something,” Garcia said. “We had been telling them that we’re still in the playoff hunt. There’s a little extra hop in their step.”

Juarez-Lincoln still faces an uphill battle, although no team outside of McAllen Memorial (4-0) is safely qualified for the postseason. McAllen Rowe (1-4) is out of contention, but each of McAllen High (3-2), La Joya Palmview (2-2), Mission High (2-2), La Joya High (2-2), and La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (1-3) can all but guarantee its place by winning its remaining games.

“We have to win out, but I think we’re peaking at the right time,” Garcia said. “That’s one of the things that we don’t have a problem with here. Our kids are young, and they’re hungry.”

The Huskies have been marked by young contributors on both sides of the ball. Sophomore free safety Elias Gutierrez has been the defense’s biggest standout, and running back Adonis Barillas is one of the offense’s top weapons.

Although limited by a high-ankle sprain much of the year, Barillas is coming off his best game of the season: a 22-carry, 139-yard outburst against the Lobos.

“Having him in the backfield, I think it brings up the morale for everybody,” Garcia said. “We know we have somebody back there in the backfield who can break it on every single play.”

Tonight’s game also has added meaning for Garcia, who faces one of his biggest coaching influences in Peña. The two worked together for about a dozen years between stints at La Joya High, Edinburg North and San Benito.

“All of the football knowledge that I’ve obtained has been from Coach Peña,” Garcia said. “He’s kind of my mentor. I’ve always idolized the way his defenses play. The way we play, we tend to play like his defensive teams.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

As La Joya High’s defense has been pounded with injuries this season, linebacker Rey Hernandez and safety Gabriel Rios have taken charge of making sure new pieces fit seamlessly.

Through all the turmoil, the Coyotes have remained mostly solid on that side of the ball, ranking third in District 30-6A with 343.4 yards allowed per game.

“I think the guys have done a great job,” coach George Espinoza said. “We started of real strong and are still doing well. But when we’re having to swap people around and put them in different positions in order to fill in because of injuries, that kind of takes away from what we’re doing.”

Sophomore Jonathan Gomez has been filling in at linebacker for injured three-year starter Frank Melendez since Week 1, and Hernandez has been helping him along.

A leader since entering the starting lineup during the middle of his sophomore season last year, Hernandez ensures Gomez is lined up correctly and knows his assignment on each play.

“I’ve kind of taken him under my wing,” Hernandez said. “How he needs to feel, for him not to be so nervous, and how everything just flows. He’s gotten used to it, and he’s been feeling good during the season.”

Hernandez has also excelled with his play, leading the team with 70 tackles and three sacks.

“Rey is going to get after it,” Espinoza said. “He’s physical. He’s aggressive. But he has a little football savvy. He sees what’s going on, and he takes it.”

Rios has filled a similar role in the secondary, ranking second on the team with 61 tackles while giving direction to the rest of the group.

The ability Hernandez and Rios have to read the field and diagnose the offense has played an important role in La Joya’s defensive game planning.

“When Gabriel comes back, he knows, ‘They’re doing this, this, and this,’” Espinoza said. “Once we talk to those two guys, we more or less make the adjustments that we need.”

OFFENSIVE SURGE

Mission High’s offense has shifted to a more ground-and-pound mentality, and positive results have followed: The Eagles are averaging 402.5 yards per game during the past four contests after gaining just 248.7 per game during the year’s first four outings.

Coach Mario Peña attributed the uptick to the play of the offensive line, which was expected to be one of the team’s strengths coming into the year.

“We really emphasized for them to sustain their blocks and stay with their blocks,” Peña said. “That would really create bigger plays for us. Instead of giving us three or four yards, it would become 10 or 15 more. I have to give our offensive line a lot of credit.”

Juan Salazar has been the primary beneficiary on the ground, picking up 767 yards and six touchdowns on 122 carries this season.

Robert Martinez has run the ball 90 times for 509 yards and four scores despite missing last week’s win against McAllen Rowe. In his absence, linebacker Steven De Leon stepped in on offense, picking up 107 yards on 18 carries.

Given his success, De Leon may continue to see more work on that side, even as Martinez returns to health this week.

“At this point in the football season, it’s like I told the staff: ‘If you go down, you go down with your best on the field, man,’” Peña said. “That’s the way we’re going to go.”

PLAYOFF PICTURE

With just two weeks to play in the regular season, McAllen Memorial (4-0) is the only team to clinch a playoff spot, and McAllen Rowe (1-4) is the only team out of contention.

McAllen High (3-2), La Joya Palmview (2-2), Mission High (2-2), La Joya High (2-2) and La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (1-3) are fighting for three remaining openings.

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

EDCOUCH — As Edcouch-Elsa celebrated its District 32-5A title on the court, tears streamed down senior Samantha Martinez’s face.

For three years, Martinez and the Lady YellowJackets had missed their primary goal of an outright district championship, including coming ever so close last season in splitting the honor with Donna High.

On Tuesday, Edcouch-Elsa got the win it needed to ensure there would be no tie this time around, taking down Donna High 25-21, 25-19, 25-11.

“It feels pretty awesome, because we wanted to bounce back from last year,” Martinez said. “We knew we had to win district by ourselves.”

Edcouch-Elsa closes the regular season alone atop the district standings at 13-1, with PSJA High second at 12-2 and Donna High third at 11-3.

Had the Lady Yellowjackets lost Tuesday, they would have split the title three ways.

“This feels amazing,” senior Cassidy Martinez said. “It feels way different than before. It’s something that’s overtaking me. I’m really happy. It’s just amazing.”

After a short team huddle, the players shared hugs with friends, family and each other, posing for photos as Queen’s “We Are The Champions” played over the gym’s speakers.

When the group gathered for a team photo, at least 30 friends and family were lined up across the court to capture the moment with cell phones or cameras.
“We’re very happy,” said coach Ofelia Griffith, who claimed her seventh district title in 13 years. “I tell the girls, ‘This is their time to make their memories.’”

Griffith said the biggest key to the team’s success this season has been teamwork. When E-E lost middle blocker Ale Martinez to injury during the second half of the district season, freshman Neida Ybarra stepped up from JV, and the rest of the group made her feel comfortable and welcome.

“The girls pulled together,” Griffith said.

On Tuesday, the driving force for the Lady Yellowjackets was offense. The attack had become an area of concern in recent weeks, so Griffith stressed playing smarter and placing the ball. Samantha Martinez led the way with 13 kills, and Cassidy Martinez had 10.

After Donna played Edcouch-Elsa close during the first two games, the YellowJackets ran wild in the third, winning 14 of the match’s final 16 points.

“It felt good knowing that we were in control the whole time and not having to go point for point at the end,” Cassidy said.

Now the team’s focus shifts to the playoffs, and a match with District 31-5A opponent Sharyland Pioneer.

Edcouch-Elsa has lost in the first round each of the past two seasons, but Cassidy is aiming for a substantial run.

“I want to go as far as we can — to make it to the Sweet 16,” Cassidy said. “That’s our ultimate goal now. And, if we can get there, then farther.”

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Tuesday, Oct. 27

District 30-6A

McAllen High def. La Joya Palmview 25-15, 25-9, 25-9

McAllen Memorial def. Mission High 25-17, 25-22, 25-10

La Joya High def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 23-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-6

District 31-6A

Edinburg North def. Edinburg Economedes 25-12, 25-19, 25-18

Edinburg High def. PSJA North 25-13, 25-16, 25-16

Weslaco High def. Weslaco East 28-26, 26-24, 25-17

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos def. Brownsville Hanna 25-21, 25-13, 25-19

Brownsville Rivera def. San Benito 25-20, 28-26, 14-25, 25-20

Harlingen South def. Harlingen High 26-24, 25-19, 28-26

Brownsville Lopez at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, not reported

District 31-5A

Sharyland High def. Rio Grande City 25-12, 25-15, 25-15

Mission Veterans def. Edinburg Vela 25-19, 25-21, 25-18

Valley View def. Roma 25-18, 25-20, 25-17

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa def. Donna High 25-21, 25-19, 25-11

Brownsville Pace def. PSJA Southwest 27-25, 25-9, 25-16

PSJA High def. Donna North 23-25, 24-26, 25-20, 25-17, 15-10

Brownsville Porter def. Mercedes

District 32-4A

La Feria def. Port Isabel 25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 25-7

Hidalgo def. Grulla 21-25, 25-17, 25-20, 24-26, 15-8

Progreso at Raymondville, not reported

Rio Hondo vs. Zapata, not reported

District 32-3A

Monte Alto at Lyford, not reported

District 32-2A

La Villa at Lasara, not reported

Tuesday’s Matches

District 30-6A

McALLEN HIGH DEF. LA JOYA PALMVIEW

25-15, 25-9, 25-9

McALLEN HIGH — Carter Helmcamp 4 kills, 7 assists; Lexi Giusti 2 kills, 25 assists, 2 aces; Julia Monday 3 kills; Hannah Bishop 5 kills, 2 aces; Sydney Pemelton 12 kills; Taylor Helmcamp 4 kills; Allison Amaya 3 kills, 5 aces.

LA JOYA PALMVIEW — Jasmine Campos 5 assists, 2 aces, 7 digs; Giselle Ornelas 2 kills, 10 digs; Alexandria Alaniz 3 kills, 1 ace, 5 digs; Brenda Martinez 2 blocks, 1 assist, 8 digs.

RECORDS — McAllen High 38-4, 9-3; La Joya Palmview 5-22, 2-10.

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF. MISSION HIGH

25-17, 25-22, 25-10

McALLEN MEMORIAL — Draik Banks 9 kills, 2 blocks; Lanie Nitsch 7 kills, 3 blocks; Allie Nitsch 7 kills, 1 block, 6 digs; Jocelyn Everage 4 kills, 1 ace, 1 block, 5 digs; Taylor Marburger 4 kills, 5 digs, 27 assists; Daniella Alvarado 6 aces, 5 digs; Aleya Campos 8 digs.

MISSION HIGH — Lissete Vela 5 kills; Alyssa Olivarez 5 kills; Clarissa Gonzalez 2 blocks; Fanni Moreno 2 aces; Amily Alvarado 1 block, 5 assists; Michelle Madden 7 assists; Maria Garcia 15 digs; Kazzy Rodriguez 11 digs.

RECORDS — McAllen Memorial 33-4, 10-2; Mission High 17-19, 6-6.

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH DEF. PSJA NORTH

25-13, 25-16, 25-16

EDINBURG HIGH — Dezi Marmolejo 4 kills,1 block, 5 aces, 24 assists, 7 digs; Marissa Arce 8 kills, 1 block, 3 aces, 1 assist, 19 digs; Amber Reyes 6 kills, 5 blocks, 2 assists, 9 digs; Tianna Howard 14 kills, 3 digs, 8 blocks; Elizabeth Olivarez 1 ace, 1 assists, 26 digs; Bree Peña 26 digs, 3 kills, 3 aces; Natalie Martinez 4 digs, 1 kill, 6 blocks.

PSJA NORTH — Stephanie Crispin 9 kills, 1 ace; Belle Palacios 6 kills, 15 digs; Melisa Palacios 16 digs; Sam Enriques 21 assists.

RECORDS — Edinburg High 31-7, 10-2; PSJA North 16-18, 6-6.

EDINBURG NORTH DEF. EDINBURG ECONOMEDES

25-12, 25-9, 25-18

EDINBURG NORTH — Victoria Rogers 13 kills, 15 digs, 1 ace, 1 block; Kali Martinez 5 kills, 1 block; Lizeth Cavazos 7 kills; Abri Saenz 15 digs; Ayissa Maldonado 39 assists, 9 digs, 5 aces; Julie Villarreal 12 kills, 10 digs.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edinburg North 30-10, 11-1; Edinburg Economedes 5-31, 0-12.

WESLACO HIGH DEF. WESLACO EAST

28-26, 26-24, 25-17

WESLACO HIGH — Madelyn Ybarra 5 kills, 10 digs, 1 block; Amy Garcia 25 digs, 1 ace; Jacqueline Calvillo 4 kills, 3 digs; Jacqueline Moreno 2 kills, 1 block; Briana Gonzalez 6 kills, 2 blocks; Savannah Herrera 4 digs; Leslie Gonzalez 2 digs, 3 kills; Sydney Cid 14 assists, 11 digs, 1 ace; Alyssa Escamilla 4 kills, 5 digs, 1ace; Gabriela Rivera 2 kills, 7 assists, 3 aces, 7 digs; Ashley Cruz.

WESLACO EAST — Not reported.

RECORDS — Weslaco High 10-26, 3-8; Weslaco East 15-23, 2-10.

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY

25-12, 25-15, 25-15

SHARYLAND HIGH — Tehya Rassman 5 kills, 1 ace, 1 block, 4 digs; Norma Quintanilla 3 kills, 2 aces, 1 block, 2 digs; Aileen Salinas 5 kills; Paige Jones 7 kills, 2 aces, 4 digs, 9 assists; Hannah Kirby 4 kills; Maddie Garza 6 kills, 1 ace, 9 digs, 6 assists; Caliegh Hausenfluck 9 digs, 1 ace, 1 kill; Melanie Lazos 7 assists.

RIO GRANDE CITY — Not reported.

RECORDS — Sharyland High 19-17, 9-3; Rio Grande City 0-12.

MISSION VETERANS DEF. EDINBURG VELA

25-19, 25-21, 25-18

MISSION VETERANS — Gabby Lerma 14 kills, 1 ace, 14 digs; Daisy Reyna 8 kills, 2 assists, 7 digs, 2 blocks; D.D. Ibarra 4 kills, 20 assists, 1 ace, 14 digs, 1 block; Karina Garcia 1 kill, 9 assists, 14 digs; Mariah Gonzalez 1 assist, 1 ace, 29 digs; Alex Jimenez 3 kills, 3 digs, 1 block; Andrea de la Garza 1 kill, 3 blocks; Jackie Howell 3 kills, 1 ace, 12 digs, 1 block; Mackenzie Gerlach 3 kills; Isela Rodriguez 1 kill.

EDINBURG VELA — Not reported.

RECORDS — Mission Veterans 36-3, 12-0; Edinburg Vela 33-12, 8-4.

District 32-5A

PSJA HIGH DEF. DONNA NORTH

23-25, 24-26, 25-20, 25-17, 15-10

PSJA HIGH — Not reported.

DONNA NORTH — I’Dasha Sorrell 14 kills, 4 blocks; Alexis Olivarez 2 aces, 8 kills; Vanessa Alonzo 8 kills; Evelyn DeLeon 4 aces, 5 kills, 2 blocks.

RECORDS — PSJA High 19-8, 12-2; Donna North 11-23, 1-13.

District 32-4A

HIDALGO DEF. GRULLA

21-25, 25-17, 25-20, 24-26, 15-8

HIDALGO — Stephanie Ysasi 28 assists, 4 kills, 2 aces; Karla Cantu 18 kills; Nelly Flores 15 kills, 4 aces; Jasmin Rimerez 14 kills; Vivian Chavez 5 aces, 1 kill; Tania Sanchez 4 aces.

GRULLA —Delma Ozuna 2 aces, 5 kills, 2 blocks, 1 assists, 33 digs; Victoria Gonzalez 34 digs; Danielle Lopez 2 aces,3 kills, 14 assists, 16 digs; Evelyn Zarate 2 aces,13 kills, 2 assists, 12 digs; Shelsie Hernandez 5 kills, 1 block,1 assist, 11 digs; Caitlyn Rodriguez 22 digs; Sarahi Garcia, 1 kills, 8 digs; Leticia Flores 1 ace, 1 block, 2 assists, 11 digs.

RECORDS — Hidalgo not reported; Grulla 11-10, 4-10.

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG —Edinburg High’s Dezi Marmolejo didn’t talk much as a freshman. She wasn’t great at listening, either.

Anxious about being a varsity setter so early in her career, Marmolejo struggled to take instruction from coach Deanna Dominguez, much less communicate with her teammates.

“I was just nervous,” Marmolejo said. “When she told me something, I’d freeze. This time, she tells me something, I’m there, and I do it.”

Now in her junior season, the reigning District 31-6A outstanding setter counts leadership among her many strengths.

Marmolejo’s teammates rely on her to direct traffic and run the offense, and she’s delivered, propelling the Bobcats to a 30-7 overall record, including a 9-2 mark that places the team second in the district standings.

“She brings everything to the team,” sophomore Tianna Howard said. “When I’m hitting, she tells me where to go.”

An accomplished hitter in her own right, Marmolejo can read a block and show her teammates the openings.

Marmolejo is quick to offer praise after a strong shot, or to point out potential fixes after an error.

“Whenever we go up to hit, she’s right there on the side telling us go line, or tip. She’s in our little ear all the time,” junior Marissa Arce said. “Her sets are just phenomenal. She is a good leader, and she pulls everybody together.”

Even when Marmolejo was sitting out during the Laredo Tournament in the aftermath of a concussion, she called out shots and openings from the bench.

She’s also tried to help her teammates away from the court. When Howard made varsity as a freshman last year — her first in the Edinburg school system after coming up in PSJA — Marmolejo made her feel at home.

“Dezi would help me. She tells me, ‘Your second year, it always gets better,’” Howard said. “It was hard to adjust, but the girls made it easier for me to kind of feel a part of the family.”

Marmolejo came into this season expecting to work as both a setter and hitter, but she’s become a six-rotation setter as the year has gone on.

Howard said the late-season change makes life easier on the hitters, who don’t have to adjust to different styles of sets from point to point.

“Dezi, she’s the type of kid that you want on every single play,” Dominguez said. “When she’s in control of the ball, she’s very consistent, and she has chemistry with our hitters.”

On top of taking control of the offense, Marmolejo has developed physically, becoming stronger and faster. She’s also a powerful hitter, and one of the team’s best servers.

“She really just wants to help out as much as humanly possible, because she’s so competitive,” Dominguez said. “We’re really blessed to have her personality on our team.”

With Marmolejo, Arce and Howard, the Bobcats already have a strong offensive core set to return next season. The team will have to replace three seniors, but Dominguez said she’s excited about the level of the talent in JV — something that hasn’t been a given since the split that created Edinburg Vela.

Howard said the team has grown substantially closer from last year to this year, and that process is only expected to keep moving forward.

“I think as I continue to grow up, we’re just going to get stronger as a team,” Howard said. “We’ve gotten stronger since my freshman year, and I can’t wait to see what my junior year and senior year bring.”

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Friday, Oct. 23

District 32-2A

San Perlita def. Lasara 25-10, 25-12, 25-10

Saturday, Oct. 24

Non-district

Edinburg Vela at McAllen High, not reported

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe def. La Joya High 25-6, 25-12, 25-9

Mission High def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-9, 25-7, 25-17

McAllen Memorial def. La Joya High 25-4, 25-9, 25-10

District 31-6A

Weslaco High def. Edinburg Economedes 25-16, 25-23, 25-14

Edinburg High def. Weslaco East 25-7, 25-6, 25-13

Edinburg North def. PSJA Memorial 25-10, 25-22, 25-19

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos def. Brownsville Veterans Memorial 25-20, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21

Brownsville Hanna def. Brownsville Rivera 25-14, 25-19, 25-17

San Benito def. Harlingen South 25-23, 25-23, 25-18

Brownsville Lopez at Harlingen High, not reported

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer def. Roma 25-21, 25-11, 25-17

Sharyland High def. Valley View 25-12, 23-25, 25-19, 25-16

Missoin Veterans def. Rio Grande City 25-2, 25-8, 25-1

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa def. Brownsville Pace 20-25, 25-8, 25-17, 25-19

Donna High def. Donna North 25-9, 25-9, 25-14

Mercedes def. PSJA Southwest 25-16, 25-11, 25-27, 25-15

District 32-4A

Rio Hondo def. Grulla 25-21, 8-25, 15-25, 25-21, 15-11

Port Isabel def. Progreso 20-25, 25-22, 25-9, 25-19

Hidalgo at Raymondville, not reported

La Feria at Zapata, not reported

District 32-3A

IDEA Frontier at Monte Alto, not reported

District 32-2A

San Isidro at La Villa, not reported

Monday, Oct. 26

Brownsville Porter at PSJA High, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 27

District 30-6A

La Joya Palmview at McAllen High, 6:30 p.m.

La Joya High at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 6:30 p.m.

Mission High at McAllen Memorial, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg North at Edinburg Economedes, 7 p.m.

Weslaco High at Weslaco East, 7 p.m.

Edinburg High at PSJA North, 7 p.m.

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos at Brownsville Hanna, 6:30 p.m.

Brownsville Rivera at San Benito, 6:30 p.m.

Harlingen South at Harlingen High, 6:30 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 7 p.m.

District 31-5A

Roma at Valley View, 7 p.m.

Sharyland High at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Edinburg Vela, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

PSJA High at Donna North, 7 p.m.

Mercedes at Brownsville Porter, 7 p.m.

Donna High at Edcouch-Elsa, 7 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

District 32-4A

Port Isabel at La Feria, 6:30 p.m.

Progreso at Raymondville, 7 p.m.

Grulla at Hidalgo, 7 p.m.

Rio Hondo vs. Zapata

District 32-3A

Monte Alto at Lyford, 7 p.m.

District 32-2A

La Villa at Lasara, 7 p.m.

Saturday’s Matches

District 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE DEF. LA JOYA HIGH

25-6, 25-12, 25-9

McALLEN ROWE — Vanessa Lopez 17 assists, 8 digs; Melanie Ortiz 11 assists, 1 kill, 7 digs, 1 block; Kayla Cruz 12 digs; Sophie Luna 13 kills, 1 ace, 6 digs; Ryela Rodriguez 9 kills, 4 aces, 1 block, 2 digs; Renee Alonzo 4 kills, 2 aces, 1 block; Diana Gonzalez 5 kills, 5 blocks, 2 assists, 3 digs; Amanda Martinez 6 kills, 5 digs; Karina De La Rosa 8 digs, 1 assist; Briana Chaidez 9 digs; Andrea Gomez 8 digs.

LA JOYA HIGH — Ashley Olivarez 6 kills; Ashley MIreles 6 assists; Veida Gonzalez 2 kills, 1 block, 12 digs; Monica Gonzalez 1 ace, 10 digs; Yarzari Resendez 11 digs.

RECORDS — McAllen Rowe 38-8, 11-1; La Joya High 18-14, 3-8.

MISSION HIGH DEF. LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN

25-9, 25-7, 25-17

MISSION HIGH — Lissette Vela 9 kills; Nicole Reyes 5 kills; Clarissa Gonzalez 4 kills, 5 blocks; Emily Alvarado 3 kills, 15 points, 6 aces, 11 assists; Michelle Madden 17 points, 11 assists; Kazzy Rodriguez 7 digs.

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN — Not reported.

RECORDS — Mission High 17-18, 6-5; La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0-11.

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH DEF. WESLACO EAST

25-7, 25-6, 25-13

EDINBURG HIGH — Dezi Marmolejo 6 kills, 23 assists, 14 digs; Marissa Arce 5 kills, 4 aces, 18 digs; Amber Reyes 5 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace, 4 digs; Tianna Howard 14 kills, 3 blocks; Yessi Molina 1 kill, 7 assists, 7 digs; Elizabeth Olivarez 14 digs; Bree Pena 15 digs, 3 kills, 1 ace; Natalie Martinez 4 kills, 5 blocks, 1 ace.

WESLACO EAST — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edinburg High 30-7, 9-2; Weslaco East 15-22, 2-9.

WESLACO HIGH DEF. EDINBURG ECONOMEDES

25-16, 25-23, 25-14

WESLACO HIGH — Madelyn Ybarra 11 kills, 13 digs, 2 blocks; Amy Garcia 29 digs, 3 aces; Jacqueline Calvillo 4 kills; Jacqueline Moreno 5 kills; Briana Gonzalez 7 kills, 2 blocks; Savannah Herrera 11 digs; Alyssa Escamilla 6 kills, 1 ace; Sydney Cid 20 assists, 9 digs, 1 ace; Gabriela Rivera 3 kills, 9 assists, 1 ace.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES — Not reported.

RECORDS — Weslaco High 9-26, 3-9; Edinburg Economedes 5-30, 0-11.

EDINBURG NORTH DEF. PSJA MEMORIAL

25-10, 25-22, 25-19

EDINBURG NORTH — Victoria Rogers 18 kills, 14 digs; Kali Martinez 6 kills, 2 blocks, 5 digs; Lizeth Cavazos 7 kills, 11 digs; Ayissa Maldonado 37 assists, 7 digs, 1 kill, 3 aces; Abri Saenz 32 digs, 1 kill; Julie Villarreal 6 kills, 10 digs, 3 aces.

PSJA MEMORIAL — Kristi Gomez 10 kills, 13 digs; Amanda Aguilera 12 assists; Carla De Leon 9 digs, 3 assists; Victoria Maldonado 16 digs.

RECORDS — Edinburg North 29-10, 10-1; PSJA Memorial 25-14, 9-3.

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER DEF. ROMA

25-21, 25-11, 25-17

SHARYLAND PIONEER — Maddie Hatzold 11 kills, 2 blocks; Audrey Smith 1 ace, 6 kills, 15 assists; Desiree Garza 6 kills, 3 blocks; Elise Lopez 11 digs, 2 aces; Brooke Garza 10 digs, 2 kills; Bianca Garza 10 digs; Mariah Youngblood 5 kills.

ROMA — Not reported.

RECORDS — Sharyland Pioneer 25-13, 7-5; Roma 9-23, 2-9.

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. VALLEY VIEW

25-12, 23-25, 25-19, 25-16

SHARYLAND HIGH — Paige Jones 8 kills, 2 aces, 7 digs, 13 assists; Maddie Garza 8 kills, 3 blocks, 8 digs; Norma Quintanilla 6 kills, 5 digs; Aileen Salinas 4 kills; Caleigh Hausenfluck 1 ace, 15 digs; Tehya Rassman 11 digs.

VALLEY VIEW — Not reported.

RECORDS — Sharyland High 18-17, 8-3; Valley View 18-16, 3-8.

MISSION VETERANS DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY

25-2, 25-8, 25-1

MISSION VETERANS — Gabby Lerma 22 kills, 1 ace, 12 digs; Alex Jimenez 6 kills, 1 ace, 3 blocks; Daisy Reyna 1 kill, 2 digs; D.D. Ibarra 2 kills, 20 assists, 9 aces, 10 digs; Mariah Gonzalez 28 digs; Karina Garcia 8 assists; Andrea de la Garza 1 assist, 3 digs; Jackie Howell 1 kill, 1 assist, 2 aces, 12 digs; Makenzie Gerlach 2 kill, 1 dig; Isela Rodriguez 1 kill, 1 dig.

RIO GRANDE CITY — Not reported.

RECORDS — Mission Veterans 35-3, 11-0; Rio Grande City 0-11.

District 32-5A

DONNA HIGH DEF. DONNA NORTH

25-9, 25-9, 25-14

DONNA HIGH — Yvette Tamez 12 kills, 6 blocks; Adrianna Martinez 28 assists; Kara Yanez 28 digs; Sarah Gonzalez 6 kills, 4 blocks; Megan Garcia 2 aces, 8 digs; Melanie Arenas 12 kills, 6 aces, 10 digs.

DONNA NORTH — Not reported.

RECORDS — Donna High 31-9, 11-2; Donna North 11-22, 1-12.

EDCOUCH-ELSA DEF. BROWNSVILLE PACE

25-25, 25-8, 25-17, 25-19

EDCOUCH-ELSA — Maddie Acevedo 7 kills, 2 assists, 1 ace, 18 digs, 1 block; Jackie De Los Santos 27 assists, 2 aces, 12 digs; Samantha Martinez 19 kills, 22 assists, 1 ace, 17 digs; Bianca Cardenas 7 kills, 14 digs; Jackie Alvarado 37 digs; Cassidy Martinez 15 kills, 6 digs, 1 block; Neida Ybarra 2 kills, 2 assists, 5 blocks.

BROWNSVILLE PACE — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edcouch-Elsa 29-10, 12-1; Brownsville Pace 11-15, 6-7.

District 32-4A

RIO HONDO DEF. GRULLA

25-21, 8-25, 15-25, 25-21, 15-11

GRULLA — Delma Ozuna 1 ace, 3 kills, 4 blocks, 27 digs; Victoria Gonzalez 2 kills, 1 assist, 55 digs; Danielle Lopez 1 ace, 5 kills, 2 assists, 19 digs; Evelyn Zarate 2 aces, 7 kills, 6 assists, 24 digs; Shelsie Hernandez 1 ace, 1 kill, 8 digs; Caitlyn Rodriguez 1 ace, 23 digs; Sarahi Garcia 1 assist, 1 kill, 8 digs; Leticia Flores 1 block, 3 digs.

RIO HONDO — Not reported.

RECORDS — Grulla 11-9, 4-9; Rio Hondo 6-7.

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — After sharing the District 31-6A title last year, Victoria Rogers and the Edinburg North Lady Cougars entered 2015 determined to win the championship outright.

On Saturday, needing a victory against PSJA Memorial to avoid having to split the crown three ways, Edinburg North made its aim a reality. The Lady Cougars came out strong and never let up, securing a 25-10, 25-22, 25-19 win over the Lady Wolverines.

“This was our goal for the season from the start,” Rogers said. “We knew it would be tough, because we knew there were some really good teams, like PSJA Memorial. But we all just had one goal, and we set out for it, and now we’ve reached it.”

Rogers led the way for North with 18 kills and 14 digs. Kali Martinez, Lizeth Cavazos and Julie Villarreal all had at least six kills, while Ayissa Maldonado dished out 37 assists.

“Coming into the match, some words were said to the newspaper that they were coming in here ready to beat us at our house,” Maldonado said. “It’s not all about the hype, we just need to come on the court and play, and I feel like we did that today.”

Knowing what was on the line, the Lady Cougars came into the match with mixed emotions, Cavazos said. North was excited for the opportunity, but also nervous about another potential title share.

The Lady Cougars showed no signs of those jitters, jumping out to a 6-0 lead and cruising through the first set.

“As soon as the game started, we got into our rhythm,” Cavazos said. “We got into our motion. Nothing was able to stop us. Nothing was able to get in our way.”

North jumped out strong again in Game 2, but Memorial did its best to counterattack, taking a 21-20 lead behind a 12-4 run. North responded, closing out the game with four straight points, including two aces from Villarreal.

The Lady Cougars continued to play a more attacking style in Game 3 and never trailed, leading by as many as 10 points en route to all-but securing their season-long goal.

“The returners really wanted to send a message that (the district title) should’ve been ours last year, and we took care of business this year,” coach Adrian Cavazos said. “Our experience in big games carried us today.”

North has won seven consecutive matches since a first-round setback against Edinburg High. Maldonado said that loss, and the prospect of having to split the title with Lady Bobcats for a second straight year, motivated the Lady Cougars.

At 10-1 in district, North just needs to take care of business against 0-11 Edinburg Economedes on Tuesday to secure the title outright.

“I honestly feel like I’m on cloud nine,” Maldonado said. “It’s amazing. Coming out with the win almost every game, its unbelievable.”

Although PSJA Memorial lost its shot to share the district title, the Lady Wolverines are still 9-3 and will likely take the district’s No. 3 seed.

A playoff appearance of any kind is a big step for the program, which last year finished fifth in district at 5-7.

“Obviously, we’re going to regroup,” coach Angie Gonzales said. “We’re going to come back fired up.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Coming into Friday night, McAllen Memorial’s Trevor Speights had heard rumblings that McAllen High’s Josh McGowen was out to prove himself as the city’s best back.

For Speights, simply posting another dominant rushing performance wasn’t going to be enough to set the record straight. Instead, he wanted to be in on defense, too, personally spying McGowen.

“I wanted to shut down the best running back in McAllen,” Speights said sarcastically, gesturing air quotes with his hands. “He called me out, so I had to show him what’s up.”

Speights did precisely that, racking up 326 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while playing more defense than he has at any point in his McAllen Memorial career, leading the Mustangs to a 55-21 win at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium,

From McHi’s first drive, Speights often lined up at free safety, typically playing anywhere from 8 to 12 yards off the line of scrimmage and following McGowen wherever he went.

“When you add that level of football player on the field, even if he’s playing out of position, you elevate everyone else,” linebacker Sam Hinojosa said. “He helps bring everyone up to a higher level. He has intensity, and he just goes for the ball.”

Speights consistently cut down McGowen’s running angles, meeting him at the sideline to prevent him from breaking free for a potential big play.

McGowen, who entered the night as the district’s second-leading rusher, finished the game with 130 yards and a score, but he did so on 28 carries. He was stopped for four yards or fewer 20 times.

“We just felt like (Speights) was our best matchup speed-wise for McGowen, so we felt like we had to play him some,” coach Bill Littleton said.

With an extra week to prepare for McAllen High thanks to the bye, Speights said he spent the majority of his practice time with the defensive unit.

He’d played defense some in Memorial’s prevent packages this season, but he said he hadn’t made a tackle in-game since at least his sophomore year.

“I was kind of rusty,” Speights said. “Towards the end of the game, I got back in my rhythm.”

Speights was just one piece of a dominant night for the Memorial defense, which held McHi to 244 total yards. Removing McHi’s two big plays — a 65-yard touchdown catch by Sandon Yarto and a 34-yard scoring run by Caleb Youngblood — the Bulldogs averaged just 2.9 yards per play.

JD Islas had a pair of sacks, Ricky Miner disrupted play after play in the backfield, and Garrett St. Clair and Ozzy Salazar hauled in interceptions.

“Defensively, down by down, we played a hell of a game. We did a great job,” Hinojosa said. “If we line up and know what we’re doing, we’re one of the best defenses out there. No one can debate us on that.”

On offense, it was business as usual for McAllen Memorial. Speights did the heavy lifting, in the process upping his season totals to 2,258 yards and 34 touchdowns. Now with 8,931 career yards, he moved into fourth on the Texas high school football career rushing list.

“I just wanted to be physical and let them know they had a power running game coming at them for four quarters, and they couldn’t do anything but take it,” Speights said. “That was our plan: out-physical them.”

OTHER OPTIONS

Quarterback Jonathan Sanchez scored twice on the ground for Memorial and once through the air, connecting with DJ Johnson for 81 yards on a screen pass.

JoJo Williams also found the end zone with a 22-yard scamper.

Even after giving away four first-half possessions via lost fumble, McAllen Memorial finished the game with 591 total yards.

ALL-TIME SERIES

McAllen High still leads the all-time series between the two rivals 19-15, but Memorial has won six in a row.

UP NEXT

McAllen Memorial (8-0, 4-0) will look to continue its undefeated run through the district when it hosts La Joya Palmview on Thurday at 7 p.m.

McHi (4-5, 3-2) will have a chance to regroup with a week off before traveling to face Palmview on Nov. 5.

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Despite being confined to a boot by last month’s season-ending tendon tear, McAllen Rowe senior Deanna Spear on Tuesday had one last chance to appear in a match.

During the final home game of her Rowe career, against Mission High, Spear limped to the service line and sent the ball over to begin play. Although she never entered the court, Rowe won the point five-on-six.

“Knowing that she’s not going to be able to set foot on the court during the playoffs, for her, that was the world,” Rowe coach Magda Canales said.

Canales said she stood side-by-side with Spear on the corner of the serving area to ensure that the ball didn’t come her way.

After the Lady Warriors won the first point, Canales handed the ball back to Spear, who again sent it over the net. The second point went to the Lady Eagles, allowing Spear to sub out of the match.

“She teared up,” Canales said of the moment. “She didn’t say very much. She just said, ‘Thank you, coach,’ and she started crying. She hugged all of the other girls and the other seniors.”

Canales said she’d done this with another player, Jessica De Los Santos, when a similar injury situation arose about four years ago. On Tuesday, she cleared the move with the parents, medical staff, officials and opposing coaches.
Despite being unable to play, Spear still regularly attends practice and travels to road matches.

“She’s helping from the bench,” Canales said. “She’s not on the court, but she’s an active participant from the sidelines.”

Rowe went on to win the match 25-23, 25-20, 25-19. Coupled with McAllen High’s win against McAllen Memorial on the same night, the victory sets Rowe up to secure a District 30-6A title if it can avoid a colossal upset Saturday against La Joya High.

“For the kids, the seniors I have right now, it’s a huge accomplishment for them,” Canales said. “With it being senior night, and to top it off with news that we had a share of the district title, that was just amazing. That was a very good sight. I just sat down on the bleachers and enjoyed the kids celebrating. It’s huge.”

GEARING UP

When PSJA Memorial and Edinburg North meet at 4 p.m. Saturday, the Lady Wolverines will have a chance to force a three-way tie atop the District 31-6A standings.

“The mentality of the team right now is we’re going in guns blazing,” Memorial coach Angie Gonzales said. “We’re going to hustle on every play and not give up.”

If the Lady Wolverines win, then PSJA Memorial, Edinburg North and Edinburg High will all have two losses. The teams have split the two matchups with each other while sweeping the rest of the district.

Gonzales said she reviewed film from Memorial’s first meeting with North, a four-game loss, to come up with a slightly different approach.

The Lady Wolverines have also tweaked their lineup down the stretch, all the while focusing on communication. Gonzales called her team fearless, and said she’s only briefly discussed the pressure of playing in a big match. Last season, the Lady Wolverines finished outside the playoff picture at 5-7.

“They don’t get nervous,” Gonzales said. “They don’t feel too much pressure. They go out, they have fun, they enjoy the game, they savor the moment, and they play the best that they can.”

PLAYOFF PUSH

Grulla is in fifth place at 4-8 in District 32-4A, but the Lady Gators will have a match against fourth-place Rio Hondo on Saturday. A win would move Grulla into a fourth-place tie.

“We’re still trying to stay in the same routine,” coach Cita Jimenez said. “As far as handling pressure, we’ve done pretty good coming into it.”

Rio Hondo took the teams’ first matchup in three games, but Grulla played that match on the road and with key player Delma Ozuna still recovering from an ankle injury.

“Now, she’s coming in a little more confident,” Jimenez said.

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RGVSports.com Top 10

1. Mission Veterans
2. Los Fresnos
3. McAllen Rowe
4. McAllen Memorial
5. McAllen High
6. Brownsville Veterans
7. Edinburg North
8. Edcouch-Elsa
9. Edinburg High
10. Brownsville Hanna