BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Tonight’s matchup against McAllen High and running back Josh McGowen doesn’t really move the needle for McAllen Memorial’s Trevor Speights.

He’s seen McHi play in person this season, but he’s only ever focused on the defense. He hasn’t taken time to study McGowen, hasn’t really paid much attention to his numbers, and doesn’t really care if the matchup at 7:30 in McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium pits the top two running backs in Valley 6A football.

“I’ve played in big games throughout my career,” Speights said. “This is just another game for me.”

While Speights has been a fixture in the Valley scene for four years, McGowen has made waves in his first season after transferring from Overhills High in Spring Lake, North Carolina.

Both players have been responsible for the majority of their teams’ offensive production, but McGowen stopped short of painting the game as a one-on-one battle.

“A lot of people have made it a big storyline, but we’re all doing the same thing, and that’s just trying to win,” McGowen said. “I just look past all that.”

Overlooking either player’s production has been impossible.

Speights ranks as the Valley’s leader this season with 1,932 yards and 30 touchdowns. With 8,605 yards and 96 touchdowns on his career, he’s already set the Valley’s all-time career rushing record, and the career touchdown record (112) may be next to fall.

If McAllen Memorial can win a playoff game, Speights would also have a shot to break the Valley’s single-season yardage (3,306) and touchdowns (48) records.

His 8,605 yards ranks fifth in Texas high school football history.

“If you stop him at the point of attack, he’s going to cut it back or reverse field,” McAllen High coach Kevin Brewer. “If you try to tackle him high, he’s going to shed that. If you try to go low, he’s going to high-step over you, or jump over you, or kick you in the head. There ain’t much you can do to him.”

While not quite as productive overall, McGowen has been every bit as critical to McHi’s offense as Speights has to Memorial’s.

McGowen has racked up 1,343 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns, producing 58.3 percent of McHi’s total yardage. With two receiving touchdowns, two kick return touchdowns and one interception return touchdown, McGowen has produced 51.7 percent of the Bulldogs total points. Speights has accounted for 51.1 percent of Memorial’s yardage and 44 percent of the Mustangs’ scoring.

“We know we want to get the ball in his hands X amount of times,” Brewer said of McGowen. “When we do that, good things usually happen. Every week, he’s coming into that role of that workhorse back, and he’s doing a heck of a job. Hopefully, he can keep it going.”

McGowen has only gotten stronger as the season has progressed, putting up his two highest yardage and carry totals in his past two games. He ran 27 times for 271 yards and three touchdowns in a win against McAllen Rowe on Oct. 9, then carried 25 times for 223 yards and four scores in a win over La Joya Juarez-Lincoln last week.

While a far cry from Speights’ lofty totals, McGowen has a chance to top McHi’s single-season records for touchdowns (23), rushing touchdowns (21) and rushing yards (1,853) if he can maintain his blistering pace.

“I’m going to go out there and show everybody that I can do what I have to do when I need to,” McGowen said. “We both play the same position, and we both have the same goals.”

Ultimately, that goal is college. While McGowen is still working to get on scouts’ radar, Speights is deep in the process of being courted by a number of Division-I programs. He’ll travel to the University of Oklahoma this weekend for his first official visit, and he said he hopes to take officials to Stanford, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, plus potentially one more. He doesn’t expect to make a commitment until that process has run its course.

“I’m still open,” Speights said. “I still know three schools that stick out to me, and I want to get more time to visit and get to know staff members and build a stronger relationship.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA — When La Joya High senior Brandon Ramos suffered a tear in his AC joint against McAllen High, coach George Espinoza could tell he was injured. But rather than letting his coach know what was wrong, Ramos talked his way into staying on the field.

“He told us it was something else,” Espinoza said. “And he said, ‘Coach, if I told you it was this, you would’ve pulled me out of the game.’”

Ramos couldn’t let that happen. Leading rusher Justin Leanos had suffered a torn ACL earlier in the game, meaning Ramos was suddenly the Coyotes’ primary back.

La Joya had been riddled with injuries all season, and Ramos wasn’t about to add his name to the list. The Coyotes have needed every healthy player they could muster, plus the emergence of Ramos and sophomore quarterback Irving Garcia, to claw their way to a 2-2 mark through four District 30-6A games, including that 22-18 win against McHi.

“That’s one of the reasons why I push through it,” Ramos said. “I’m a senior, and I want to set an example for everybody else, that you have to push through and have to keep going. I don’t feel like I’m 100 percent, but I’m going to try to play 100 percent out on the field.”

Ramos’ game against McAllen High is a prime example of the resiliency La Joya has relied on this season.

He came into the night expecting to play mostly defense, filling in for an injured starter. Suddenly, he was back on the offensive side, stepping into the shoes of the team’s leading rusher both in 2014 and through the first five games of 2015.

Ramos had been nursing a knee injury during the first half of the season and then compounded it with the shoulder injury. But even if it means having to carry the ball with only his right hand and not being able to use the left to stiff arm, Ramos will play.

“I’m just going to keep going,” Ramos said. “It doesn’t really mean anything. I’m just a little banged up.”

The Coyotes have been down as many as six starters at times this season, leading to some uneven results. After losing to Edinburg Vela, Weslaco East and McAllen Memorial by an average of 42.7 points per game, La Joya bounced back to topple 2014 playoff teams McAllen High and La Joya Palmview. Then, last week, La Joya slipped in a 35-14 loss to Mission High.

“We have been inconsistent, but it comes back down to the injuries,” coach George Espinoza said. “It’s been a roller coaster. We finally get a couple kids healthy, and then we lose a couple more.”

The constant turnover has led to as many as five sophomores starting on offense. But it’s also yielded some positives, like Garcia taking hold of the starting quarterback job.

After playing with the freshman team last season, the 6-foot-4 Garcia entered 2015 expected to split time with starter John Cadena. But Cadena struggled and missed time due to injury, and Garcia was determined to follow his brother and last season’s starting quarterback, Julio Garcia.

Now in his first year at UTRGV, Julio has been able to watch La Joya’s games on Friday nights and offer Irving pointers — things like what reads to make, which routes will be open at specific times, and how to pick up on different gestures by the defense.

“He taught me that it’s a team effort,” Irving said. “Don’t ever dedicate yourself to the team thinking that you’re the best, because it’s the people around you that make you who you are. It’s not just you.”

Every week for Irving brings improved timing and understanding of the offensive system, Espinoza said. And every week for the Coyotes, especially this week’s bye, is expected to make the team healthier and ready to make a playoff push.

“We have this week to kind of recoup a little bit,” Espinoza said, “and we’re going to hit it hard next week.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

When defenses overcommit to try to shut down Trevor Speights, McAllen Memorial turns to Eric Guerrero to punish them on the end-around.

Guerrero doesn’t get the ball often — just 20 times in seven games. But he’s punished opposing defenses whenever he has, picking up 305 yards and two touchdowns. He averages 15.7 yards per carry.

“He’s a good little running back,” coach Bill Littleton said. “He would start for a lot of people in this district. He’s a great kid. He brings a lot of the table. He gives us a little bit of misdirection.”

“Little” is an appropriate word to describe Guerrero, a senior who is listed on Memorial’s roster at 5-foot-6 and 135 pounds.

That size has proven an asset on the Mustangs’ end-around plays. Guerrero is sometimes able to take the handoff and head against the grain unnoticed while Speights and the offense fake the opposite direction.

“He’s kind of hard to see some time,” Littleton said. “He’s extremely quick, his acceleration is good, and he has good instinct of finding holes and picking them up. He does a good job of following his blocks, so he’s kind of built for that.”

Guerrero, who rose through Memorial’s system as a running back and still lines up in the backfield on three-back sets, has also caught three passes for 60 yards.

He’s returned two kickoffs for 28 yards and five punts for 55 yards.

“He gives us some speed on the kickoff return, and on punt return he does a good job back there for us,” Littleton said. “He’s just a real solid football player.”

Guerrero and the rest of the Mustangs should be well rested for Friday’s game against McAllen High after a Week 8 bye. Littleton said the past two weeks have been business as usual for the Mustangs, save a slightly lighter workload and a Monday off day last week.

Friday’s game will be Memorial’s first in 15 days. The team last played Juarez-Lincoln on Thursday, Oct. 8.

“We’re a little antsy to play,” Littleton said. “We’re getting tired of working out.”

NEW QB

After sparking a second-half rally against La Joya Palmview and practicing well during the bye week, Rudy Treviño stepped into Mission High’s starting quarterback role during last week’s 35-14 win against La Joya High.

He completed 11 of 14 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

“We just felt that we were at a point that we just had to give him a look, and he produced for us,” Mission coach Mario Peña said. “Rudy really stepped up to the plate, and we’ll be starting him again (tonight) against Rowe.”

Treviño impressed Peña with his composure and by not turning the ball over. A 210-pounder and last year’s junior varsity quarterback, Treviño isn’t the fastest player, but Peña said he’s willing to lower his shoulder and deliver a hit. He ran seven times for 34 yards in the win over La Joya.

“Throughout the year, we’ve seen improvement with him,” Peña said.

Treviño had previously been part of a rotation at quarterback with William Arias, a returning varsity player who saw limited action last season.

With Treviño taking the reins full time, Arias will be utilized more at tight end and wide receiver, Peña said. Against La Joya, the 6-foot-1 Arias made a pair of catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Arias has also been Mission’s punter, averaging 45.7 yards on 11 kicks.

“He’s been to some kicking camps,” Peña said, “and he’s impressed some universities with his punting ability.”

Peña is hoping to lean on a ball-control strategy tonight to slow down McAllen Rowe’s high-powered offense. Rowe has racked up 397.6 yards per game, mostly through the air, while Mission has held opponents to a district-best 240.6 yards per game.

“We’ve been telling our offense: ‘The best defense we can have against Rowe is you guys keeping them off the field,’” Peña said. “We’ve been a ground and pound team, and we have really taken time off the clock. Going into the game, that’s what we have to do, is keep the ball away from the offense.”

RETURN SPARK

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 186.9 yards per game. But the Huskies have still managed 18.3 points per game on the strength of a strong return game.

Juarez-Lincoln has punt-return scores of 55 and 61 yards this year, plus a 92-yard kickoff return. The Huskies have also returned three interceptions for touchdowns, including a 55-yarder and a 56-yarder last week against McAllen High.

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Throughout the district season, McAllen High coach Paula Dodge had seen losses to sister schools eat away at her players. The two setbacks against Rowe and one to Memorial had been a thorn in the side of the Lady Bulldogs.

So on Tuesday, in the final all-McAllen matchup of the regular season, McAllen High responded with what Dodge called “the best game we’ve played.”

The Lady Bulldogs scored a resounding victory, taking down the Lady Mustangs 25-20, 25-14, 25-20 at McAllen Memorial High School.

“The key was the fire we had from losing three other games,” McHi setter Carter Helmcamp said. “I think it just built a fire in us to finish as strong as we could and play the best. I also think we’ve been working way harder, because we knew we had to play better this time around.”

McHi’s win all but clinches the District 30-6A title for McAllen Rowe. The Lady Warriors sit atop the standings at 10-1 with just one match to play. The Lady Mustangs are 8-2, and the Lady Bulldogs are 8-3.

McAllen Memorial coach Lorena Lopez saw the pressure of trying to secure a share of the title affect her players Tuesday, as the Lady Mustangs repeatedly missed their mark on the attack. Memorial had 21 kills against 22 attack errors.

“It was us feeling the pressure and making uncharacteristic errors, with the combination of McHi playing like I remember McHi can play,” Lopez said. “This was a big one for us to still try to clinch having a share of the district title, so I think that weighs heavily on a teenager.”

The Lady Bulldogs, on the other hand, entered the match having already locked in the district’s No. 3 seed.

Helmcamp said losing two four-set matches against Rowe and a five setter against Memorial was especially difficult because of the expectations that accompanied last year’s outright district title. That pressure was off on Tuesday, and it showed.

“We knew we were going to get third win or lose this game tonight, so we came out here with no regrets and just played like we should have,” Helmcamp said. “We just had fun.”

The Lady Bulldogs seemed to be in complete control the majority of the night. McHi took the first and second games without ever trailing, then ripped off a run of 12 unanswered points in the third to take a 13-6 lead.

Julia Monday finished with a team-high 12 kills, while Sydney Pemelton had 9 with 3 blocks and Helmcamp had 6 with 9 assists. Lexi Giusti had a match-high 27 assists to go with 3 kills, 2 blocks, 4 digs and an ace.

Tuesday’s match was the first of the six between two McAllen schools to end in three games.

“I think this game shows us that we are still capable of playing like we did in the beginning of the season,” Helmcamp said. “This just showed us we’re looking good for playoffs.”

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Tuesday, Oct. 20

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe def. Mission High 25-23, 25-20, 25-19

McAllen High def. McAllen Memorial 25-20, 25-14, 25-20

La Joya Palmview def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-23, 25-23, 12-25, 25-15

District 31-6A

PSJA Memorial def. Weslaco High 25-15, 25-14, 25-17

Edinburg High def. Edinburg Economedes 25-13, 25-10, 25-4

PSJA North def. Weslaco East 25-17, 25-19, 25-22

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos def. Brownsville Rivera 25-17, 25-15, 25-17

Brownsville Veterans Memorial def. Harlingen High 22-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-11

Brownsville Hanna def. Harlingen South 25-11, 26-24, 25-19

Brownsville Lopez at San Benito, not reported

District 31-5A

Sharyland High def. Sharyland Pioneer 25-22, 25-20, 17-25, 25-19

Mission Veterans def. Valley View 25-9, 25-11, 25-12

Edinburg Vela def. Rio Grande City 25-5, 25-11, 25-14

District 32-5A

Brownsville Pace def. Donna North 16-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-13

PSJA High def. Mercedes 25-14, 25-11, 25-14

Donna High def. Brownsville Porter 25-23, 22-25, 20-25, 25-15, 25-8

Edcouch-Elsa def. PSJA Southwest 25-12, 25-16, 25-19

District 32-4A

Port Isabel def. Hidalgo 25-22, 29-27, 25-20

Grulla def. Raymondville 25-21, 25-22, 25-19

La Feria def. Rio Hondo 21-25, 25-7, 25-23, 25-14

Progreso at Zapata, not reported

District 32-2A

San Perlita def. San Isidro 25-12, 25-20, 25-12

Santa Maria at La Villa, not reported

TAPPS District 6-1A

Juan Diego Academy def. STCA 25-6, 25-4, 25-8

Friday, Oct. 23

District 32-2A

San Perlita at Lasara, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24

Non-district

Edinburg Vela at McAllen High, 10 a.m.

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe at La Joya High, noon

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at Mission High, noon

La Joya Palmview at McAllen Memorial, noon

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes at Weslaco High, noon

Weslaco East at Edinburg High, noon

PSJA Memorial at Edinburg North, 4 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna at Brownsville Rivera, noon

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Los Fresnos, noon

Harlingen High at Brownsville Lopez, noon

San Benito at Harlingen South, noon

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer at Roma, noon

Valley View at Sharyland High, noon

Rio Grande City at Mission Veterans, 3 p.m.

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa at Brownsville Pace, 2 p.m.

Donna North at Donna High, 3 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at Mercedes, 3 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at PSJA High, 3 p.m.

District 32-4A

Progreso at Port Isabel, 1 p.m.

Hidalgo at Raymondville, 2 p.m.

La Feria at Zapata, 2 p.m.

Rio Hondo at Grulla, 2 p.m.

District 32-3A

IDEA Frontier at Monte Alto, 2:30 p.m.

District 32-2A

San Isidro at La Villa, noon

Tuesday’s Matches

District 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE DEF. MISSION HIGH

25-23, 25-20, 25-19

McALLEN ROWE — Vanessa Lopez 44 assists, 2 aces, 11 digs, 2 blocks; Mayda Garcia 3 assists, 13 kills, 4 aces, 31 digs, 4 blocks; Kayla Cruz 35 digs; Sophia Luna 18 kills, 6 digs, 3 blocks; Ryela Rodriguez 7 kills, 10 blocks; Deanna Gonzalez 6 blocks; Amanda Martinez 12 kills, 4 digs, 1 block, 1 assist; Carina de la rosa 17 digs; Breanna Chaivez 16 digs.

MISSION HIGH — Emily Alvarado 8 kills, 10 assists; Lissete Vela 8 kills, 4 blocks; maria Garcia 5 kills, 4 blocks, 13 digs; Sanni Moreno 7 points; Michelle Madden 12 assists; Kazzy Rodriguez 12 digs; Alyssa Olivarez 3 kills, 7 digs; Clarissa Gonzalez 3 kills, 3 blocks.

RECORDS — McAllen Rowe 37-9, 10-1; Mission High 16-18, 5-5.

LA JOYA PALMVIEW DEF. LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN

25-23, 25-23, 12-25, 25-15

LA JOYA PALMVIEW — Alexandria Alaniz 13 kills, 3 blocks, 2 assists, 1 ace, 10 digs; Brenda Martinez 8 kills, 1 assist, 2 aces, 3 digs; Cyndar Magallon 4 kills, 3 blocks, 1 dig; Mcihelle Duggan 4 kills, 1 assist, 2 digs; Megan Zamora 1 kill, 9 assists, 4 aces, 5 digs; Diana Moreno 10 digs; Giselle Ornelas 2 kills, 2 assists, 2 aces, 5 digs.

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN — Not reported.

RECORDS — La Joya Palmview 5-20, 2-8; La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0-16, 0-10.

District 31-6A

PSJA NORTH DEF. WESLACO EAST

25-17, 25-19, 25-22

PSJA NORTH — Stephanie Crispin 8 kills, 2 blocks; Belle Palacios 6 kills, 9 digs, 7 aces; Mariel Gonzalez 4 kills; Melissa Palacios 12 digs; Sam Enriquez 23 assists.

WESLACO EAST — Not reported.

RECORDS — PSJA North 16-17, 6-5; Weslaco East 15-21, 2-8.

EDINBURG HIGH DEF. EDINBURG ECONOMEDES

25-13, 25-10, 25-4

EDINBURG HIGH — Dezi Marmolejo 2 kills, 3 aces, 29 assists, 12 digs; Marissa Arce 9 digs, 15 kills, 1 block, 1 ace; Amber Reyes 6 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace, 1 assist, 7 digs; Tianna Howard 15 kills, 3 blocks, 2 digs; Yessi Molina 1 assist, 7 digs; Elizabeth Olivarez 1 ace, 16 digs; Bree Pena 4 kills, 1 ace, 16 digs; Natalie Martinez 2 kills, 2 aces, 6 digs.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edinburg High 29-7, 8-2; Edinburg Economedes 5-29, 0-10.

PSJA MEMORIAL DEF. WESLACO HIGH

25-15, 25-14, 25-17

PSJA MEMORIAL — Kristi Gomez 13 kills, 1 block, 3 digs; Desery Gomez 5 kills, 6 digs; Stephanie Flores 3 kills; Amanda Aguilera 26 assists; Carla De Leon 9 digs, 3 assists; Victoria Maldonado 10 digs; Mireya Martinez 3 digs; Victoria Hernandez 4 kills.

WESLACO HIGH — Not reported.

RECORDS — PSJA Memorial 25-13, 9-2; Weslaco High 8-26, 2-8.

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. SHARYLAND PIONEER

25-22, 25-20, 17-25, 25-19

SHARYLAND HIGH — Maddie Garza 17 kills, 1 ace, 2 blocks, 17 digs, 8 assists; Paige Jones 14 kills, 3 aces, 15 digs, 21 assists; Caleigh Hausenfluck 34 digs; Tehya Rassman 15 digs.

SHARYLAND PIONEER — Maddie Hatzold 12 kills, 5 digs; Desiree Garza 10 kills, 5 digs; Brooke Garza 1 ace, 6 kills, 20 digs; Bianca Garza 1 ace, 2 assists, 24 digs; Sandra Solias 2 aces, 18 assists, 9 digs; Elise Lopez 1 kill, 34 digs; Audrey Smith 1 ace, 5 kills, 24 assists, 7 digs.

RECORDS — Sharyland High 17-17, 7-3; Sharyland Pionner 24-13, 6-5.

MISSION VETERANS MEMORIAL DEF. VALLEY VIEW

25-9, 25-11, 25-12

MISSION VETERANS — Gabby Lerma 17 kills, 18 digs, 1 block; Daisy Reyna 10 kills, 2 aces, 9 digs; D.D. Ibarra 6 kills, 30 assists, 4 aces, 10 digs; Mariah Gonzalez 22 digs, 1 assist; Karina Garcia 4 assists, 3 aces, 8 digs.

VALLEY VIEW — Not reported.

RECORDS — Mission Veterans 34-3, 11-0; Valley View 18-15, 3-7.

District 32-5A

PSJA HIGH DEF. MERCEDES

25-14, 25-11, 25-14

PSJA HIGH — Jackie Alanis 11 kills, 2 aces, 6 digs; Myranda Garza 8 kills, 2 aces; Valeria Gonzalez 7 kills, 2 aces, 6 digs, 28 assists; Mariah West 3 kills, 4 aces.

MERCEDES — Not reported.

RECORDS — PSJA High 17-8, 10-2; Mercedes 12-17, 3-9.

EDCOUCH-ELSA DEF. PSJA SOUTHWEST

25-12, 25-16, 25-19

EDCOUCH-ELSA — Samantha Martinez 16 kills, 12 assists, 4 aces, 10 digs; Bianca Cardenas 8 kills, 3 digs; Cassidy Martinez 8 kills, 3 digs, 3 blocks; Jackie Alvarado 1 kill, 1 assist, 1 ace, 17 digs.

PSJA SOUTHWEST — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edcouch-Elsa 28-10, 11-1; PSJA Southwest 13-20, 3-9.

BROWNSVILLE PACE DEF. DONNA NORTH

16-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-13

DONNA NORTH — I’Dasha Sorrell 1 ace, 14 kills, 7 blocks; Evelyn De Leon 1 ace, 9 kills, 1 block; Chelsea Reyna 4 kills, 6 blocks; Nicole Rodriguez 20 assists, 2 kills, 4 blocks.

BROWNSVILLE PACE — Not reported.

RECORDS — Brownsville Pace 10-14, 6-6; Donna North 11-21, 1-11.

District 32-4A

GRULLA DEF. RAYMONDVILLE

25-21, 25-22, 25-19

GRULLA — Delma Ozuna 6 kills, 2 blocks, 2 assists, 12 digs; Valeria Gonzalez 2 kills, 1 assist, 32 digs; Danielle Lopez 2 kills, 8 assists, 8 digs; Evelyn Zarate 3 kills, 2 assists, 9 digs; Shelsie Hernandez 1 kill, 6 digs; Caitlyn Rodriguez 1 ace, 12 digs; Sarahi Garcia 3 kills, 7 digs; Leticia Flores 2 kills, 1 block, 1 assist, 3 digs.

RAYMONDVILLE — Not reported.

RECORDS — Grulla 11-8, 4-8; Raymondville not reported.

PORT ISABEL DEF. HIDALGO

25-22, 29-27, 25-20

HIDALGO — Karla Cantu 6 kills, 1 ace; Nelly Flores 12 kills, 1 ace; Tania Sanchez 4 aces; Sam Puga 5 kills; Stephanie Ysasi 16 assists, 1 ace.

PORT ISABEL — Not reported.

RECORDS — Port Isabel 9-3; Hidalgo 6-25, 3-9.

LA FERIA DEF. RIO HONDO

21-25, 25-7, 25-23, 25-14

LA FERIA — Annette Ruiz 27 assists, 5 kills, 3 digs; Belisa Vela 24 kills, 9 digs, 1 block, 1 ace; Anelli Rodrlli Rodriguez 5 kills, 5 blocks, 1 assist, 3 digs; Myah Salas 5 kills, 2 digs, 5 aces; Sara Alvarado 4 kills, 4 aces, 3 digs; Laura Torres 14 digs; Donna Garcia 3 aces, 3 kills, 6 digs; Isis Bernal 5 assist; Samantha Cisneros 8 digs.

RIO HONDO — Not reported.

RECORDS — La Feria 16-0, 11-1; Rio Hondo not reported.

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Rowe head football coach and boys athletic coordinator Paul Reyes tendered his resignation on Tuesday effective at the end of the 2015 football season and said the decision to resign was made for him.

“It was in the back of my mind that it was going to happen if things didn’t turn out the way they wanted it to be,” Reyes said. “And I guess somebody made that decision.”

McAllen ISD Athletic Director Paula Gonzalez referred request for comment to Mark May, the district’s public information officer. May confirmed Reyes’ resignation but offered no further details.

A longtime assistant before taking his first head coaching job at Rowe in 2010, Reyes has posted a career record of 25-34. He qualified for the playoffs in 2010 and 2012, losing in the first round each time.

Rowe is 2-5 overall and 1-3 in District 30-6A coming off last week’s 55-31 loss against La Joya Palmview. Despite being on a three-game losing streak, the Warriors still have a shot at the playoffs if they can defeat Mission High and La Joya High in the season’s final two games.

Reyes said he addressed his coaching status with Rowe’s players during Tuesday’s practice.

“I was hoping to keep them out of it,” Reyes said. “I was with the understanding that it was going to be announced at the end of the season, so it could be less of a distraction to the kids and they could focus on this, but obviously that changed.”

Reyes said he was unsure why his impending resignation came to light Tuesday rather than at the end of the year.

He said he would consider taking a different coaching position at another school for the 2016 season.

“Obviously, coaching is something I love to do,” Reyes said. “So obviously when the time comes, if something presents itself, God has a plan for me. If that’s me going somewhere else and finding a different position anywhere else, that’s what I’ll do if it’s the best situation for me.”

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — With about an hour remaining before the start of Saturday’s match against Valley View, the Edinburg Vela volleyball team was scrambling around the secondary gym. As one player slid into a prone position on the court, another would pop up and sprint away.

The Lady SaberCats weren’t running through a defensive drill or even working on their conditioning. They were playing a variation of tag.

“It’s not like before the game we’re mad at each other going on the floor. We’re having fun together,” junior Jaida Muhammad said. “This builds us up, so when we get on the floor, we’re cool with each other, excited, and ready to play.”

For a team that entered the season with five returners and eight varsity newcomers, these types of teambuilding exercises have been critical. Players and coach Araceli Ortega say team chemistry has been one of the biggest factors in Vela’s strong season.

At 32-11 and 7-3 in District 31-5A, the Lady SaberCats are well on their way to a third consecutive playoff appearance.

“In the beginning, we were unsure of how we were going to act with each other,” junior Nicole Avelar said. “And toward the end, we just all connected. It was just a big puzzle that came together as a whole.”

Sometimes, that chemistry has been built in unorthodox ways.

On Friday, players stuck Post-its with a celebrity or fictional character written on them to their forehead, then had to guess the identity based on clues from teammates.

On Wednesday, the Lady SaberCats played charades. Another game involves the team locking arms in a circle and trying to pass a hula hoop all the way around without breaking the circle.

“It’s just to remind them of the fun that they want to have in volleyball, and to stay united,” Ortega said. “It’s tough sometimes, because they start spring ball playing together. They’re together for a long period of time. Like sisters, there’s going to be a little bit here and there to get frustrated with one another. It’s good for them to come together.”

Vela has two seniors, nine juniors, one sophomore and one freshman on the roster.

Juniors Muhammad, Avelar and Julissa Cuellar played on varsity last season, as did seniors Rebollar and Nicole Castaneda. With those five returning, the offense was in good hands.

Where the SaberCats needed to find new contributors was on defense. Sophomore Bianca Cortez has stepped up to provide blocks, while freshman Dylann Guerra slid into the libero position. Like the rest of the newcomers, they’ve only grown better with varsity experience.

“I’ve seen them become a lot more confident,” senior Mariely Rebollar said. “Since we had a lot of newcomers, I guess a lot of them were worried or intimidated. But they’ve become a lot more confident. I’m really proud of the team we’ve become.”

Cortez said the transition wasn’t all that tough for the young players. Avelar gave her tips on playing middle blocker, and Ortega showed her how to position herself and read the opposing offense.

Even as the only varsity player in her class, Cortez said she felt she had a decent rapport with the rest of the girls after working with many of them on the junior varsity team and during summer leagues. Being varsity teammates has only taken the process further.
“Chemistry is improved,” Cortez said. “We’re working together as a team now. We have all grown together, and I’ve seen it since last year to this year. We’ve all grown.”

The players and coach Ortega hope another year will make the team even stronger. With just two seniors departing, the Lady SaberCats project to return their top four attackers, plus the team leaders in blocks, digs and assists. The goal of winning a district title is already set.

“We have a bright future in front of us,” Muhammad said. “For next year, I think we’re definitely going to come out with some pretty good fire.”

[email protected]

Saturday, Oct. 17

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe def. La Joya Palmview 25-17, 25-14, 25-12

McAllen High def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-7, 25-6, 25-10

Mission High def. La Joya High 25-9, 25-17, 26-24

District 31-6A

Edinburg North def. Weslaco High 25-15, 11-25, 25-17,18-25, 15-10

Edinburg High def. PSJA Memorial 25-20, 25-18, 25-17

PSJA North def. Edinburg Economedes 25-15, 25-20, 25-11

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna def. Brownsville Lopez 25-17, 25-20, 25-18

Brownsville Veterans def. San Benito 25-18, 25-15, 25-21

Brownsville Rivera def. Harlingen South 25-18, 25-21, 25-12

Los Fresnos def. Harlingen High 25-14, 25-13, 25-14

District 31-5A

Sharyland High def. Roma 25-10, 25-16, 25-15

Edinburg Vela def. Valley View 25-17, 25-13, 25-16

Mission Veterans def. Sharyland Pioneer 25-19, 25-16, 25-23

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest def. Donna North 23-25, 25-18, 17-25, 26-24, 15-13

Brownsville Pace def. Brownsville Porter 25-21, 25-22, 25-20

Edcouch-Elsa def. Mercedes 25-22, 25-14, 24-26, 26-28, 15-6

Donna High def. PSJA High 25-19, 25-17, 25-21

District 32-4A

La Feria def. Progreso 25-16, 25-18, 25-21

Port Isabel def. Grulla 25-17, 22-25, 25-16, 25-19

Zapata def. Hidalgo 25-20, 25-8, 25-15

Rio Hondo at Raymondville, not reported

District 32-3A

Monte Alto at Santa Rosa, not reported

District 32-2A

San Perlita def. Santa Maria 25-14, 25-12, 25-19

Tuesday, Oct. 20

District 30-6A

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

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

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

District 31-6A

Weslaco High at PSJA Memorial, 7 p.m.

Edinburg High at Edinburg Economedes, 7 p.m.

PSJA North at Weslaco East, 7 p.m.

District 32-6A

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

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Harlingen High, 6:30 p.m.

Harlingen South at Brownsville Hanna, 6:30 p.m.

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

District 31-5A

Sharyland High at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Valley View, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Brownsville Pace at Donna North, 7 p.m.

Mercedes at PSJA High, 7 p.m.

Donna High at Brownsville Porter, 7 p.m.

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

District 32-4A

Port Isabel at Hidalgo, 6:30 p.m.

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

Progreso at Zapata, 7 p.m.

Raymondville at Grulla, 7 p.m.

District 32-2A

Santa Maria at La Villa, noon

San Perlita at San Isidro, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Matches

District 30-6A

MISSION HIGH DEF. LA JOYA HIGH

25-9, 25-17, 26-24

MISSION HIGH — Lissete Vela 10 kills; Emily Alvarado 8 kills, 12 points, 17 assists; Maria Garcia 6 kills, 11 points; Michelle Madden 14 assists; Nicole Reyes 5 kills; Kazzy Rodriguez 11 digs.

LA JOYA HIGH — Veida Gonzalez 22 digs, 1 ace; Kaly Lopez 19 digs; Ashley Olivarez 7 kills, 3 aces; Karina Casanova 2 kills, 9 digs; Sarah Salinas 23 digs; Vanessa Ortega 5 kills.

RECORDS — Mission High 16-17, 5-4; La Joya High 18-13, 3-7.

McALLEN HIGH DEF. LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN

25-7, 25-6, 25-10

McALLEN HIGH — Carter Helmcamp 7 kills, 26 assists; Julia Monday 11 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace; Hannah Bishop 6 kills; Taylor Helmcamp 5 kills, 3 blocks; Kellie Woodin 9 aces.

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN — Not reported.

RECORDS — McAllen High 36-4, 7-3; La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0-15, 0-9.

McALLEN ROWE DEF. LA JOYA PALMVIEW

25-17, 25-14, 25-12

McALLEN ROWE — Mayda Garcia 4 kills, 24 assists, 2 blocks; Melany Ortiz 6 digs, 6 assists; Kayla Cruz 2 aces, 17 digs; Sophia Luna 11 kills, 7 digs; Ryela Rodriguez 3 kills, 3 aces, 3 blocks; Renee Alonzo 6 kills, 3 aces, 10 digs; Deanna Gonzalez 4 kills; Amanda Martinez 4 kills; Carina de la Rosa 15 digs; Breanna Chaivez 11 digs; Andrea Gomez 5 digs.

LA JOYA PALMVIEW — Giselle Ornelas 3 kills, 6 digs; Alexandria Alaniz 2 kills, 1 ace, 4 digs; Brenda Martinez 2 kills, 3 aces, 1 dig; Jasmine Campos 3 assists, 2 aces, 2 digs; Cyndar Magallon 2 kills, 1 block.

RECORDS — McAllen Rowe 36-9, 9-1; La JOya Palmview 4-20, 1-8.

District 31-6A

EDINBURG NORTH DEF. WESLACO HIGH

25-15, 11-25, 25-17, 18-25, 15-10

EDINBURG NORTH — Victoria Rogers 18 kills, 22 digs; Ayissa Maldonado 35 assists, 7 digs; Abri Saenz 40 digs, 2 aces; Julie Villarreal 3 kills, 17 digs; Kali Martinez 8 kills, 2 blocks; Lizbeth Cavazos 8 kills.

WESLACO HIGH — Jacqueline Calvillo 12 kills, 6 digs, 3 blocks; Alyssa Escamilla 10 kills, 9 digs; Madelyn Ybarra 16 kills, 16 digs, 2 blocks; Jacqueline Moreno 10 kills, 2 blocks; Briana Gonzalez 7 kills; Leslie Gonzalez 12 digs; Amy Garcia 31 digs; Savannah Herrera 17 digs; Sydney Cid 45 assists.

RECORDS — Edinburg North 28-10, 9-1; Weslaco High 8-25, 2-7.

EDINBURG HIGH DEF. PSJA MEMORIAL

25-20, 25-18, 25-17

EDINBURG HIGH — Dezi Marmolejo 26 assists, 12 digs, 3 kills, 2 aces; Marissa Arce 9 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces, 17 digs; Amber reyes 5 kills, 1 block, 1 assist, 2 digs; Tianna Howard 12 kills, 6 blocks, 1 assist, 1 dig; Yessi Molina 4 assists, 12 digs; Elizabeth Olivarez 21 digs, 2 aces; Bree Peña 9 kills, 16 digs; Natalie Martinez 1 assist, 2 digs, 1 kill, 5 blocks.

PSJA MEMORIAL — Kristi Gomez 18 kills; Amanda Aguilera 36 assists; Carla De Leon 18 digs, 4 assists; Victoria Maldonado 19 digs; Deserey Gomez 8 kills, 10 assists.

RECORDS — Edinburg High 28-7, 7-2; PSJA Memorial 24-13, 8-2.

PSJA NORTH DEF. EDINBURG ECONOMEDES

25-15, 25-20, 25-11

PSJA NORTH — Sephanie Crispin 8 kills; Belle Palacios 7 kills, 6 digs, 2 aces; Angela Ochoa 7 kills, 5 digs; Melissa Palacios 20 digs, 3 aces; Mariel Gonzalez 3 kills, 6 aces; Sam Enriquez 27 assists, 2 digs.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES — Not reported.

RECORDS — PSJA North 15-17, 5-5; Edinburg Economedes 5-28, 0-9.

District 31-5A

EDINBURG VELA DEF. VALLEY VIEW

25-17, 25-13, 25-16

EDINBURG VELA — Jaida Muhammad 10 kills, 11 points, 6 digs; Nicole Avelar 10 kills, 8 points, 5 digs; Mariely Rebollar 11 assists, 12 points; Julisa Cuellar 4 kills, 7 points; Bianca Cortez 6 kills, 5 blocks.

VALLEY VIEW — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edinburg Vela 32-11, 7-3; Valley View 18-14, 3-6.

MISSION VETERANS DEF. SHARYLAND PIONEER

25-19, 25-16, 25-23

MISSION VETERANS — Gabby Lerma 18 kills, 17 digs; Daisy Reyna 10 kills, 2 aces, 7 digs; D.D. Ibarra 3 kills, 25 assists, 2 aces, 10 digs; Mariah Gonzalez 17 digs; Karina Garcia 8 assists, 1 ace, 5 digs; Andrea de la Garza 3 digs; Jackie Howell 1 kill, 5 blocks; Makenzie Gerlach 5 digs; Alex Jimenez 5 kills, 1 dig, 1 block.

SHARYLAND PIONEER — Maddie Hatzold 5 kills, 4 blocks; Desiree Garza 5 kills; Elise Lopez 12 digs; Bianca Garza 10 digs; Audrey Smith 2 aces, 20 assists; Deandra Garza 4 kills; Mariah Youngblood 8 kills, 1 block, 2 digs.

RECORDS — Mission Veterans 33-3, 9-0; Sharyland Pioneer 24-12, 6-4.

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. ROMA

25-10, 25-16, 25-15

SHARYLAND HIGH — Maddie Garza 8 kills, 3 aces, 1 block, 2 digs, 9 assists; Paige Jones 6 kills, 3 digs, 15 assists; Norma Quintanilla 4 kills, 3 blocks; Hannah Kirby 3 kills, 1 ace; Caleigh Hausenfluck 12 digs, 1 ace, 1 assist; Tehya Rassman 6 digs, 1 ace, 1 kill.

ROMA — Not reported.

RECORDS — Sharyland High 16-17, 6-3; Roma 9-22, 2-8.

District 32-5A

EDCOUCH-ELSA DEF. MERCEDES

25-22, 25-14, 24-26, 26-28, 15-6

EDCOUCH-ELSA — Maddie Acevedo 3 kills, 4 aces, 1 assist, 29 digs, 4 blocks; Samantha Martinez 19 kills, 20 assists, 3 aces, 10 digs; Bianca Cardenas 8 kills, 4 assists, 3 digs; Ale Martinez 4 kills, 7 blocks; Cassidy Martinez 22 kills, 1 assist, 1 dig; Jackie Alvarado 3 aces, 33 digs.

MERCEDES — Erinn Ramirez 6 kills, 13 assists, 10 digs, 5 points; Caitlyn Gutierrez 14 points, 9 kills, 15 digs; Kristin Gutierrez 21 assists, 6 points, 6 digs; Lauren Pitts 8 kills; Roslynn Rodriguez 4 blocks, 8 kills, 6 points; Felicia Garza 2 blocks, 2 kills; Alexa Pena 7 points, 3 aces, 25 digs.

RECORDS — Edcouch-Elsa 26-10, 10-1; Mercedes 12-16, 3-8.

PSJA SOUTHWEST DEF. DONNA NORTH

23-25, 25-18, 17-25, 26-24, 15-13

PSJA SOUTHWEST — Not reported.

DONNA NORTH — Evelyn De Leon 8 aces, 11 kills; I’Dasha Sorrell 23 kills, 2 blocks; Chelsea Reyna 11 kills, 3 blocks; Nicole Rodriguez 1 ace, 35 assists.

RECORDS — PSJA Southwest 13-19, 3-8; Donna North 11-20, 1-10.

District 32-4A

PORT ISABEL DEF. GRULLA

25-17, 22-25, 25-16, 25-19

GRULLA — Delma Ozuna 5 aces, 9 kills, 3 blocks, 2 assists, 26 digs; Victoria Gonzalez 1 kill, 49 digs; Danielle Lopez 4 kills, 8 assists, 12 digs; Evelyn Zarate 2 kills, 8 assists, 16 digs; Shelsie hernandez 5 kills, 5 digs; Caitlyn Rodriguez 1 ace, 29 digs; Sarahi Garcia 4 digs; Leticia Flores 3 digs.

PORT ISABEL — Not reported.

RECORDS — Grulla 10-8, 3-8; Port Isabel 8-3.

LA FERIA DEF. PROGRESO

25-16, 25-18, 25-21

LA FERIA — Annette Ruiz 24 assists, 2 kills, 7 digs; Belisa Vela 17 kills, 4 digs; Laura Torres 8 digs; Sara Alvarado 6 kills, 1 assist, 2 digs; Anelli Rodriguez 2 blocks, 2 kills, 1 ace; Myah Salas 4 aces, 2 digs, 2 kills; Camryn Lopez 2 kills, 3 aces; Neraida Alejandre 3 aces.

PROGRESO — Not reported.

RECORDS — La Feria 15-9, 10-1; Progreso 17-13, 3-8.

District 32-2A

SAN PERLITA DEF. SANTA MARIA

25-15, 25-12, 25-19

SAN PERLITA — Mia Maurer 9 kills, 2 digs; Maranda Theiss 6 kills, 1 block, 3 assists; Viviana Razo 4 kills.

SANTA MARIA — Not reported.

RECORDS — San Perlita 14-4, 5-1; Santa Maria 5-1.

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

When a need on defense prompted Edinburg North coach Adrian Cavazos to start shifting pieces around, senior Ayissa Maldonado became the primary setter in a 5-1 offense for the first time in her career.

Aside from a few hiccups, the transition has been a major success for Edinburg North, which is tied for first in District 31-6A at 8-1.

“She’s taken to it pretty well,” coach Adrian Cavazos said. “Sometimes she forgets when she’s in the front row that she can attack. Other than that, she’s made the adjustment quite well.”

Maldonado leads the team with 575 assists this year, more than four times the total of 126 she posted as a junior last season.

Cavazos said that although Maldonado is not a great leaper, she’s been able to contribute blocks and kills from the front row.

“She doesn’t say a whole lot, but she leads more by example than by speaking out,” Cavazos said. “So when she does speak out, it carries a little bit more weight than some of the other kids.”

Cavazos described Maldonado as a smart, confident player who is used to the stress of varsity athletics after three seasons of varsity softball.

With multiple offensive sets in Edinburg North’s arsenal, Maldonado has been given the flexibility to dictate what to run and who to pass to in any given situation.

“It’s gotten better,” Cavazos said. “Not that she ever struggled. It was just new to her. But as the season has progressed, she’s making better decisions. The majority of the time, it’s the right set.”

MOVING AROUND

After playing exclusively in the back row as a junior, Michelle Madden has taken on just about every role for Mission High this year.

She’s done a little hitting, she’s played in the middle, and has recently become the Eagles’ secondary setter behind Emily Alvarado.

“She came up to me at the beginning of the season and said, ‘Coach, I want to try to set,’” Mission coach Edna Clemons said. “She has come through. The girls are hitting well off of her. This is her first year as a setter, and she has really stepped up to the plate.”

Madden’s biggest challenge was getting to know her hitters, Clemons said, but that process has come with time.

Madden’s soft hands make her a strong setter, her leaping ability makes her an adequate hitter despite her 5-foot-4 frame, and her experience in the back makes her a threat to dig every ball.

“She makes something happen every time she’s on the court,” Clemons said.

At 4-4, Mission High sits fourth in District 30-6A. The Eagles will be hard pressed to catch any of the McAllen schools that make up the top three, but a repeat playoff appearance seems within reach.

“We are fighting for that fourth place and hoping to stay there,” Clemons said. “If not, maybe, hopefully, we’d like to give one of the McAllens, we’d like to give them a loss. That would be nice.”

PLAYOFF CHASE

As the season enters its final two weeks, teams near the top of the district standings have started to cement playoff spots. McAllen Memorial, McAllen Rowe, Edinburg North, PSJA Memorial, Edcouch-Elsa and PSJA High have already punched their tickets to the postseason.

[email protected]

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. PSJA High
9. PSJA Memorial
10. Edcouch-Elsa

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Mission Veterans Memorial volleyball coach Diana Lerma has been reassigned to Alton Memorial Jr. High, ending the tenure of one of the Valley’s most successful high school coaches.

The decision, which comes after Lerma had twice been suspended from coaching duties this season for unspecified reasons, was confirmed via email Thursday by Mission CISD Director of Public Relations Craig Verley.

Lerma was serving her 14th year at the helm of the Mission Veterans program, having won 11 district titles. Under her watch, the Lady Patriots advanced to the regional tournament four times: 2003, 2007, 2013 and 2014.

Mission Veterans is ranked No. 1 in the latest RGVSports.com Top 10 poll and is the No.5-ranked 5A school in the state according to the Texas Girls Coaches Association. The Lady Patriots are 32-3 overall and 9-0 in District 31-5A. The team hasn’t lost a district match since 2012.

Lerma declined to comment on her situation, as did Mission Veterans athletic coordinator David Gilpin. Assistant coach Vivian Ray, who Verley said would be filling in for the remainder of the season, could not be reached for comment.

Verley did not elaborate on the reasoning for Lerma’s reassignment.