BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen Memorial’s Trevor Speights said he felt off during Friday’s first half — a period in which he ripped off a 59-yard touchdown and gained 120 yards.

That’s the type of standard Speights has set in three years with the Mustangs, and a bar he continued to raise on the first night of his senior season.

Speights finished the game with 253 yards and three touchdowns, leading McAllen Memorial to a 42-18 win against Sharyland High at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The loss was the Rattlers’ first to a Valley team since 2011.

“I felt like we should’ve got them last year, but the second year is just as good as the first,” Speights said. “I’ll take it.”

Speights, the defending two-time All-Valley player of the year, scored from 59 yards out on the second play from scrimmage, taking a toss to the left before cutting back to the middle and splitting the safeties.

He picked up a 62-yard score in the third quarter, breaking through a crowd at the line before sprinting down the left sideline. He completed the hat trick a few minutes later, lining up at fullback and bulldozing his way past the goal line from 6 yards out.

Speights said he needed a few plays to adjust to running with some extra muscle. He enters 2015 weighing 205 pounds after being listed at 185 on the 2014 roster.

“The second half, it felt like my game was coming back to me,” Speights said. “I just felt kind of heavy, but then I got used to it.”

The game came back to all of the Mustangs in the second half. After Sharyland High took an 18-14 lead into halftime, Memorial scored 28 unanswered.

Over the final 24 minutes, the Mustangs outgained the Rattlers 304 — all rushing — to 47.

“They did an outstanding job early, and we just kind of wore them out a little bit with body on body,” McAllen Memorial coach Bill Littleton said. “We just kept trying to pound them, and we got to them in the second half.”

Littleton said he told the safeties to read pass before they read run, and linebacker Sam Hinojosa said the key was riding out the first-game jitters and limiting the big play.

“We eliminated that in the second half, and that’s what made the difference,” Hinojosa said.

After the speed of Sharyland High’s linebackers kept Memorial under wraps in the first half, the Mustangs turned to pounding the ball up the middle.

Although the biggest play of the half was Eric Guerrero’s 79-yard touchdown on a reverse to stretch the lead to 35-18, the majority of Memorial’s carries went between the tackles. Jonathan Sanchez had 11 rushes for 73 yards and a touchdown from the quarterback position, and Emilio Mendez ran 11 times for 82 yards, including the 23-yard score with 1:30 left to play that proved to be the dagger.

The Rattlers hadn’t been beaten by a Valley team since Week 7 of 2011, a 28-14 loss also against McAllen Memorial.

“I don’t think we’ve ever even talked about that in the last couple of years,” Sharyland High coach Ron Adame said. “It’s not anything we harp on with our boys. We just take it one game at time.”

SHARYLAND’S OFFENSE

Seth Carter led the Rattlers in passing, rushing and receiving on Friday. He ran 8 times for 54 yards and two touchdowns, completed 9 of 18 passes for 107 yards and caught a 46-yard pass.

Manny Campos also took snaps at quarterback for Sharyland, completing 4 of 11 passes for 64 yards. He also ran for 18 yards and caught 2 passes for 11 yards.

Adame said the Rattlers are using the non-district games to determine their best option under center.

INJURED MUSTANGS

Memorial was without returning starters WR DJ Johnson (concussion) and DE Paul Zuniga (ankle) for Friday’s game as a result of injuries suffered during the team’s preseason scrimmage.

UP NEXT

McAllen Memorial will face Edinburg Economedes on the road at 2 p.m. Saturday, and Sharyland High will host Laredo United at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

[email protected]

Third Annual Sharyland ISD Invitational Volleyball Tournament

Thursday, Aug. 27

Matches start at 2 p.m.

Pool Play

Pool A, At Pioneer Main Gym Court 1

McAllen High def. San Benito 25-12, 25-16

Edinburg North def. Brownsville Porter 21-25, 25-10, 20-18

McAllen High def. Brownsville Porter 25-11, 25-12

Edinburg North def. San Benito 25-11, 25-21

San Benito def. Brownsville Porter, 25-21, 25-17

McAllen High def. Edinburg North, 25-11, 25-20

Pool B, At Pioneer Main Gym Court 2

Sharyland Pioneer def. PSJA High, 26-24, 23-25, 15-6

Brownsville Rivera def. Weslaco High, 25-11, 25-17

Sharyland Pioneer def. Weslaco High 25-14, 19-25, 15-7

Brownsville Rivera def. PSJA High 25-24, 25-16, 15-12

PSJA High def. Weslaco High, 25-23, 19-25, 15-10

Sharyland Pioneer def. Brownsville Rivera 25-16, 25-14

Pool C, At Pioneer Practice Gym Court 3

McAllen Rowe def. Donna High 25-15, 25-18

Brownsville Hanna def. Weslaco East (forfeit)

McAllen Rowe def. Weslaco East (forfeit)

Brownsville Hanna def. Donna High 25-19, 25-15, 15-5

Donna High def. Weslaco East (forfeit)

McAllen Rowe def. Brownsville Hanna 25-12, 25-21

Pool D, At Pioneer Practice Gym Court 4

Sharyland High def. Brownsville Pace 25-14, 25-17

Los Fresnos def. Edinburg Economedes 25-1, 25-10

Sharyland High def. Edinburg Economedes 25-11, 25-18

Los Fresnos def. Brownsville Pace 25-12, 25-10

Brownsville Pace def. Edinburg Economedes 25-18, 25-21

Sharyland High def. Los Fresnos 24-26, 25-22, 15-11

Pool E, At Pioneer Practice Gym Court 5

Brownsville Veterans def. Corpus Christi Miller, 25-11, 25- 5

Edinburg Vela def. La Joya High, 25-10, 25-21

Brownsville Veterans def. La Joya High, 25-19, 25-11

Edinburg Vela def. Corpus Christi, 25-14, 25-8

Corpus Christi Miller def. La Joya, 25-18, 25-17

Brownsville Veterans def. Edinburg Vela, 30-29, 25-18

Friday, Aug. 28

Pool A, At Pioneer Main Gym Court 1

McAllen High vs. Donna High, Noon

Brownsville Rivera vs. Weslaco High, 1 p.m.

McAllen High vs. Weslaco High, 2 p.m.

Brownsville Rivera vs. Donna High, 3 p.m.

Donna High vs. Weslaco High, 4 p.m.

McAllen High vs. Brownsville Rivera, 5 p.m.

Pool B, At Pioneer Main Gym Court 2

Sharyland Pioneer vs. Brownsville Pace, Noon

Brownsville Hanna vs. Weslaco East, 1 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer vs. Weslaco East, 2 p.m.

Brownsville Hanna vs. Brownsville Pace, 3 p.m.

Brownsville Pace vs. Weslaco East, 4 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer vs. Brownsville Hanna, 5 p.m.

Pool C, At Pioneer Practice Gym Court 3

McAllen Rowe vs. Corpus Christi Miller, Noon

Los Fresnos vs. Edinburg Economedes, 1 p.m.

McAllen Rowe vs. Edinburg Economedes, 2 p.m.

Los Fresnos vs. Corpus Christi Miller, 3 p.m.

Corpus Christi Miller vs. Edinburg Economedes, 4 p.m.

McAllen Rowe vs. Los Fresnos, 5 p.m.

Pool D, At Pioneer Practice Gym Court 4

Sharyland High vs. San Benito, Noon

Edinburg Vela vs. La Joya High, 1 p.m.

Sharyland High vs. La Joya High, 2 p.m.

Edinburg Vela vs. San Benito, 3 p.m.

San Benito vs. La Joya High, 4 p.m.

Sharyland High vs. Edinburg Vela, 5 p.m.

Pool E, At Pioneer Practice Gym Court 5

Brownsville Veterans vs. Weslaco High, Noon

Edinburg North vs. Brownsville Porter, 1 p.m.

Brownsville Veterans vs. Brownsville Porter, 2 p.m.

Edinburg North vs. Weslaco High, 3 p.m.

Weslaco High vs. Brownsville Porter, 4 p.m.

Brownsville Veterans vs. Edinburg North, 5 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 29

Gold Bracket

At Pioneer Main Gym Court 1

Winner 1/8 vs. Winner 4/5, 11 a.m.

Gold Bracket Championship Match, 2 p.m.

At Pioneer Main Gym Court 2

Winner 3/6 vs. Winner 2/7, 11 a.m.

Silver Bracket

At Pioneer Practice Gym Court 3

Winner 9/16 vs. Winner 11/14, 11 a.m.

Winner 10/15 vs. Winner 12/13, Noon

At Pioneer Practice Gym Court 4

At Pioneer Main Gym Court 1

Silver Bracket Championship, 1 p.m.

Bronze Bracket

At Pioneer Practice Gym Court 4

Bronze Championship Match, 1 p.m.

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Coming back after earning All-Valley Player of the Year honors in 2014, McAllen Rowe’s Mayda Garcia is looking to add more aspects to her game.

Now with an eye toward earning a chance to play at the college level, Garcia is making setting part of her repertoire. Although rarely, if ever, serving as the Lady Warriors’ primary setter on a given play, Garcia has been quicker to field a pass and make the second touch than in previous years.

“I do want to play college ball, and a lot of coaches I have talked to say to learn multiple positions,” Garcia said. “So that’s what I’m focusing on, not just one set outside position.”

Garcia said college coaches value players who have the ability to set, and Rowe coach Magda Canales teaches her players to play multiple positions. Because the player making the set is the shot-caller on the attack, Garcia said the role will improve her ability to read the game and know where all 11 other players are on the court.

A naturally shy player, Garcia was slow to push for the new responsibility. Canales encouraged her to take that next step.

“She wanted to do it, so I started to tell her, ‘OK, jump in there,’” Canales said. “She got a little more assertive as far as that.”

The transition hasn’t always gone smoothly. During Rowe’s first match of the Sharyland Tournament on Thursday, Garcia said she and one of the outside hitters forgot to make a switch while the ball was in the air, letting it fall to the floor.

Still, senior middle blocker Ryela Rodriguez said the move has been more positive than negative.

“It honestly does work,” Rodriguez said. “Coach lets her set, and she takes advantage every single time she has. You can tell she wants to do that, because she wants to lead on the court.”

She’s also started to become more involved with her younger teammates. Rowe has four seniors on the roster but has also been integrating younger players into the rotation. Garcia said she’s been talking more on the court, and Canales has occasionally let Garcia run the team huddle to encourage more communication.

She said she’s been teaching the younger players about how to stay calm and block out the crowd.

“That’s what I’m trying to focus on right now. That’s my No. 1 thing,” Garcia said. “It’s something I have to work at, because I’m the shy player. I don’t like to give orders to other people. I feel like that’s not my part to do. But I do see that it helps the other girls when we reach out to each other.”

In addition to Garcia, the Lady Warriors bring back first team all-district selections Rodriguez and Sophia Luna, plus second-team all district picks Deanna Spear and Vanessa Lopez.

Rowe expected coming into the season that its biggest issues would be defensively, but libero Kayla Cruz has stepped up to fill the void.

The Lady Warriors won both of their matches in the Sharyland Tournament on Thursday. The team also finished second at the Poundfest Tournament and came through with a 6-3 mark at the North East Invitational Tournament in San Antonio.

The strong early results have given Rowe optimism the team can advance farther than last season’s third-round playoff appearance.

“Our goals and expectations are to go four rounds,” Rodriguez said. “It’s up there. That’s one of our biggest goals. We know it’s attainable. We definitely want to go there.”

[email protected]

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — The biggest thing Sharyland High defensive end Beto Ruiz learned during his first two years on varsity was how to get by offensive tackles of different styles, sizes and speeds. Through exposure to all types of matchups, Ruiz developed his signature move — a head fake to the outside before diving back in.

“You’ll learn little tricks to juke out that tackle,” Ruiz said. “Just little movements that get you faster to the quarterback.”

That type of insight — the kind that can only come from experience — is what the Rattlers will miss most in Week 1. Sharyland High enters its season opener at 7 tonight against McAllen Memorial with just two returning starters on defense: Ruiz and linebacker Dylan Salinas. That duo, along with another senior linebacker in Edgar Gomez, make up the nucleus of an otherwise inexperienced Sharyland defense.

“They’re familiar with the calls and all, it’s just a matter of them getting their feet wet and getting used to the speed of the game,” coach Ron Adame said. “Memorial is certainly one of the tougher tests to get these new kids some game experience.”

Some of those players, like Gomez, are hoping to bridge the gap to a starting role by drawing on lessons from last year’s seniors. Gomez stuck closely to Rudy Tornero, a senior linebacker for the Rattlers last season who racked up 130 tackles and 8.5 sacks en route to becoming the All-Valley Defensive Player of the Year.

Adame likened their relationship to an apprenticeship.

“He was like Rudy’s shadow,” Adame said of Gomez. “Wherever Rudy went, whatever Rudy did, whatever Rudy said, he digested everything. I think Rudy left a lasting mark on him.”

Adame said Gomez is filling in Tornero’s leadership role in addition to taking his spot at Sam linebacker.

While last year’s defense was one of many strong points for a team that went 11-2, Gomez said the 2015 group is looking to form its own identity.

“We’re not here to fill in their shoes,” Gomez said. “We’re here to tie our own laces as a defense.”

Sharyland High will have to do so with less depth — the first tangible effect of the split to form Sharyland Pioneer last season. Despite the change, the Rattlers will stick with their core defensive principles: pressuring the quarterback and creating havoc out of a 3-4 set.

“Talent wise, we’re there,” Gomez said. “We keep on saying it.”

That claim will be tested right off the bat, as Sharyland faces the Valley’s preseason No. 1 team in McAllen Memorial and the reigning All-Valley Player of the Year in Speights.

The Rattlers have held down the No. 1 ranking for most of the past three seasons, but Speights says the Mustangs are ready to prove that they deserve the spot.

“I think it’s about time we made our statement and showed the Valley fans that we’re the best team in the Valley,” Speights said. “So we’ll start with Sharyland.”

The Rattlers haven’t lost to a Valley team since 2011, including a 59-28 win against the Mustangs to open last season.
Salinas said he isn’t ready to see Sharyland hand over the mantle just yet.

“We were established a long time ago to be the top program,” Salinas said. “We have that standard, so we want to continue that standard for as long as we can.”

The Rattlers will require a lot out of an inexperienced defense to make that possible. Last season, Speights ran for 2,655 yards and 30 touchdowns, including 257 yards and three scores against Sharyland High in the opener.
To compensate, the Rattlers will be sliding extra bodies into the box.

“McAllen Memorial is certainly one of those tests that will let us know where we’re at,” Adame said. “If we come away with a victory, I think that’ll say a lot about our kids and our abilities, and pretty much the capability of our team as a whole.”

[email protected]

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

The Donna North volleyball team always starts its warm-up with three laps. The number is a symbol for the Chiefs, coach Diana Alaniz said. The third-year program is hoping to win three sets as many times as possible with the goal of securing a top-three finish in District 32-5A.

“We’re pushing that number three a lot,” Alaniz said. “We really want to be top three this year.”

Coincidentally, Donna North has also leaned primarily on three key players: I’Dasha Sorrell, Nicole Rodriguez and Alexis Olivarez.

Sorrell and Rodriguez, both juniors, have been playing both setter and outside hitter. The two always line up opposite each other in the Chiefs’ rotation, putting one in the front row and one in the back on each point.

“They never come out,” Alaniz said. “We look to them to basically run the offense, and then terminate.”

Olivarez, a senior, has impressed Alaniz with her serving, passing, blocking and leadership. She is one of just three seniors on a roster that also features eight juniors and a sophomore.

The Chiefs pride themselves on consistent serving, a big front line and a quick back row. For the first time, Alaniz believes her team can keep up with the pace of varsity.

“Volleyball is a game of reactions, so the more they play at the varsity level, they’re just better at it,” Alaniz said. “They’re able to read and adjust faster.”

Alaniz looks at Donna North’s first two seasons as building years. The Chiefs went 4-21 (2-14 in district) in 2013 before going 6-28 (1-13 in district) last season. Having already matched last year’s win total, Donna North is looking for much better in 2015.

“We took a lot of bumps and bruises that first year,” Alaniz said. “Then last year was more building. This is our third year, and we’re basically looking at it as no excuses and high expectations as far as making playoffs.”

RISING STAR

Coming back for her sophomore season after winning District 31-6A newcomer of the year in 2014, PSJA Memorial’s Kristi Gomez boasts a much more confident approach, coach Angie Gonzales said.

“She’s very aggressive up front,” Gonzales said. “She’s gotten the pace of the game down.”

Since being called up to the varsity team for the start of district play last season, Gomez has developed in all facets of the game. The middle blocker and outside hitter has proven she can attack from anywhere on the court, play defense in the front or back row and threaten opponents with her jump serve.

“She has a great heart, she has a good work ethic, she has a great attitude, and she’s very athletic,” Gonzales said. “That’s why she’s as good as she is.”

A season after losing a play-in game to come up just shy of the playoffs, PSJA Memorial is meshing as a team, Gonzales said.

The Wolverines, led by returning lettermen Gomez, Carla De Leon, Amanda Aguilera, Kassandra Chapa and Deserey Gomez, have already been exposed to some of the Valley’s top teams in the Mission and Poundfest tournaments.

“That’s definitely going to help us prepare for district,” Gonzales said. “That was the intention.”

TOURNAMENT TIME

Hidalgo High and Sharyland Pioneer are both hosting three-day tournaments beginning today.

The Third Annual Sharyland ISD Volleyball Invitational features 20 teams, including many of the Valley’s best. McAllen High, McAllen Rowe, Sharyland Pioneer, Sharyland High, Los Fresnos and Edinburg North are all competing.

The Hidalgo tournament has a 16-team field.

[email protected]

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

A season after an injury to starting quarterback Andrew Puente dealt a major blow to La Joya Palmview’s offense, coach Margarito Requenez is determined to keep it from happening again.

Puente and fellow junior Jonathan Zieske will split snaps during non-district games with the intention of giving the Lobos two experienced options to choose from during the district season.

“I’m not going to be stuck in a situation like I was last year,” Requenez said. “This year, I’m going to make sure they both get plenty of time during these non-district games to make sure that either one is ready to go and step up once district comes along.”

Until then, Zieske and Puente will be in competition. Puente was the starter last season, completing 21 of 45 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also carried 80 times for 240 yards and a score.

After Puente went down with an ankle injury during the team’s third drive against McAllen Rowe, Palmview picked up just 11 passing yards the rest of the game.

Zieske started to get some playing time down the stretch and completed 7 of 10 passes for 73 yards, a touchdown and an interception on the year.

Requenez is looking to see which player can make adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Whoever loses the quarterback competition will become the team’s slot receiver.

“It’s a battle,” Requenez said. “Once district comes along, I’m sticking with one, and I’m going to go with one.”

NUMBERS GAME

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln went through its first padded practice of the fall with just 56 players between varsity and JV. Two days before the season opener against PSJA Memorial, that number was up to 73.

With classes starting at Juarez-Lincoln on Monday, the players who were working out of town or otherwise unavailable for practice are back in the fold. One of those is starting running back Freddy Martinez.

“They’re coming in slowly,” Juarez-Lincoln coach Tommy Garcia said. “Kids from our area, they wait until the last minute to come out, and a lot of them are barely getting their physicals. … Things are looking up.”

The boost in numbers has allowed the coaches to work on offense and defense separately, with each going against a scout team. Previously, they could only do 11-on-11 drills as one group.

The change gives Garcia and the coaches more opportunity to evaluate young talent, chiefly the five sophomores on each side of the ball who started in the team’s scrimmage against Grulla.

“There were positive signs from them,” Garcia said. “A lot of mistakes, but that’s what those scrimmages are for.”

BACK IN THE TRENCHES

After missing his sophomore season with a shoulder injury suffered during two-a-days, Lorenzo Lozano is back in the fold for a mostly rebuilt La Joya High defensive line.

Lozano joins returning rotation players Sam Rodriguez, a junior nose tackle, and Anthony Peralez, a senior. Junior Jose Perez is also likely to step into a starting role.

Although coach George Espinoza has been resting some of his more prominent players to prevent a preseason injury, he said the group has been looking good during practice.

Lozano in particular has showed well after using the offseason following injury to get stronger and more agile.

“He’s actually the only one who has been in the two scrimmages,” Espinoza said. “He’s got great quickness, and he has good speed off the ball. He’s aggressive.”

With so much turnover on the line, Espinoza said during the early stages of practice that he was considering sliding pieces over from the offensive line. Although players have practiced both ways, Espinoza has yet to make any moves during scrimmages.

“That’s something later on down the road, if we need to, we’ll be able to bring some of those over,” Espinoza said.

La Joya’s biggest preseason focus has been limiting mistakes on the offensive side as the unit transitions to going under center more often. Espinoza said the second scrimmage went better than the first, and that the group is ready for the season opener Friday on the road against Roma.

[email protected]

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — As he sat in the locker room preparing to make his first varsity start against the Valley’s top team, McAllen Memorial defensive lineman Ricky Minor said he nearly threw up. After missing the majority of his freshman season with a broken wrist, Minor was called up to varsity and told his first game would be at a new position, defensive tackle, on the road against Sharyland High.

He had worked out alongside the likes of senior linebacker Lucas Rios during the summer, but he never thought they’d be in the same starting lineup in 2014.

“It was nerve wrecking,” Minor said.

By halftime, he said he had settled down. And by the end of the year, he had developed into one of McAllen Memorial’s best players.

Now, Minor returns for his junior season as a central piece in an experienced Mustangs defense.

“He’s probably one of the best defensive lineman at a young age that I’ve been around in a long time,” coach Bill Littleton said. “He’s got all the tools. Strong as a bull. He’s got everything going for him. He plays with high emotion, and he plays the game fast.”

In 2014, Minor racked up 65 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

He followed that effort with a busy offseason in the weight room and trips to college camps at Rice, Texas Lutheran and Trinity. There he showed off a 40-yard dash time in the range of 4.9 seconds despite his 270-pound frame.

“I’m bragging on Ricky Minor, that dude is just an animal,” senior linebacker Sam Hinojosa said. “I’m so glad he’s up there in front.”

When Minor first moved up to varsity, Hinojosa was slow to believe the hype. He didn’t have much to go off.

On the first play during Minor’s freshman year, the opposing center messed up the snap. The quarterback picked the ball up about 5 yards deep in the backfield, ran to the outside and got past the Mustangs pursuing him.

Minor made the tackle about 2 yards past the line of scrimmage but landed awkwardly, his wrist crushed under his shoulder pads. The broken bone cost him all but the final two games of the year. Minor worried the injury would set him back on the path to varsity.

“I thought it was going to be a big difference, sitting out like seven or eight weeks,” Minor said. “But when I came back, I felt like I was out for two days. I felt great.”

The biggest difference, he said, was that he “got fat,” putting on about 40 pounds. That weight proved helpful in 2014, when he shifted inside to defensive tackle and sometimes had to anchor against double teams.

Minor said the new position was tougher. He had to switch to a four-point stance and make quicker reads. But Littleton said the transition was never an issue for Minor, who he called a good technician.

“He’s got a pretty complete game,” Littleton said. “When you get kids that play with a fast motor, most of the time they’re pretty good run stoppers, and most of the time they’re pretty good pass rushers. They’re just good gamers. He plays hard in practice, but when the lights come on, he hits a different level.”

Hinojosa and Littleton have both seen Minor mature mentally, as well. After spending much of sophomore year simply excited to have a chance, Minor is more focused on the team and facilitating winning.

If he can continue to make those steps, the best may be yet to come, Littleton said.

“He’s come a long ways, but we’re still hoping to see bigger gains on the mental side of things between now and the end of the season,” Littleton said. “We’d like to see him grow up a bunch.”

[email protected]

MASTER VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Aug. 25

Non-District

Mission Veterans def. La Joya High 25-6, 25-12, 25-9

McAllen High def. PSJA High 25-15, 25-14, 25-17

Edinburg High def. Sharyland High 23-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-13, 15-9

Grulla def. La Sara 25-19, 25-5, 25-15

Valley View def. Mission High 23-25, 25-21, 25-20, 13-25, 15-12

Edinburg North def. Brownsville Hanna 23-25, 25-15, 22-25, 25-16, 15-12

PSJA North def. Rio Hondo 25-13, 25-16, 25-12

Brownsville Veterans def. Edcouch-Elsa 26-28, 25-21, 6-25, 25-20, 15-13

Juan Diego Academy def. Laredo United South 14-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10

McAllen Memorial def. Sharyland Pioneer 25-22, 25-18, 25-14

Edinburg Vela def. PSJA Memorial 25-23, 25-13, 25-22, 25-17

Progreso at Brownsville Porter, not reported

Brownsville Pace at Port Isabel, not reported

Santa Rosa at La Feria, not reported

Donna High at Harlingen High, not reported

PSJA Southwest at Rio Grande City, not reported

Brownsville Rivera at McAllen Rowe, not reported

Progreso at Brownsville Porter, not reported

Roma at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, not reported

Mercedes at La Joya Palmview, not reported

Donna North at La Feria, not reported

Edinburg Economedes at Brownsville Lopez, not reported

Monte Alto at San Perlita, not reported

Edinburg IDEA Quest at Raymondville, not reported

Aug. 27-29

Hidalgo Tournament

Sharyland Tournament

Medical Academy Tournament

Laredo United Tournament

Alice Varsity Tournament

Friday, Aug. 28

Non-District

Harlingen South at Laredo United, 9 a.m.

Saturday, Aug. 29

Non-District

La Feria at Lyford, 7 p.m.

Harlingen High at Port Isabel, 11 a.m.

MASTER VOLLEYBALL SUMMARIES

Tuesday’s Matches

Non-District

MCALLEN HIGH DEF. PSJA HIGH

25-15, 25-14, 25-17

MCALLEN HIGH — Hannah Bishop 10 kills, 1 block; Sydney Pemelton 12 kills, 1 block; Carter Helemcamp 7 aces, 18 assists, 5 kills; Lexi Juesti 15 assists, 3 kills; Allison Amaya 5 kills; Kelly Wooden 15 digs

PSJA HIGH — Not reported.

RECORD — McAllen High 17-1

MISSION VETERANS DEF. LA JOYA HIGH

25-6, 25-12, 25-9

MISSION VETERANS — Gabrielle Lerma 16 kills, 2 aces, 10 digs; Daisy Reyna 15 kills; D.D. Ibarra 8 kills, 15 assists, 2 aces, 6 digs.

LA JOYA HIGH — Not reported.

RECORDS — Mission Veterans 13-2; La Joya High not reported.

EDINBURG NORTH def. BROWNSVILLE HANNA

23-25, 25-15, 22-25, 25-16, 15-12

EDINBURG NORTH — Victoria Rogers 20 kills, 17 digs; Yoselin Martinez 8 kills, 7 digs; Julie Villarreal 46 digs, 5 kills, 2 aces; Abri Saenz 17 assists, 4 aces, 12 digs; Ayissa Maldonado 21 assists, 4 aces, 12 digs.

BROWNSVILLE HANNA — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edinburg North 13-5; Brownsville Hanna not reported.

GRULLA DEF. LA SARA

25-19, 25-5, 25-15

GRULLA — Caitlyn Rodriguez 1 dig; Danielle Lopez 2 aces, 2 kills; Delma Ozuna 4 aces, 5 kills, 5 digs; Evelyn Zarate 1 ace, 8 kills, 5 digs; Leticia Flores 1 kill, 2 digs; Sarahi Garcia 3 kills, 2 digs; Shelsie Hernandez 2 aces, 3 kills, 1 block, 8 digs; Victoria Gonzalez 2 aces, 1 kill, 10 digs.

LA SARA — Not reported.

RECORDS — Grulla 4-0; La Sara not reported.

PSJA NORTH DEF. RIO HONDO

25-13, 25-16, 25-12

PSJA NORTH — Belle Palacios 3 kills, 8 aces, 6 digs; Stephanie Crispin 16 kills; Maryeld Gonzalez 6 kills, 10 digs; Sam Enriquez 27 assists, 1 ace.

RIO HONDO — Not reported.

RECORDS — Not reported.

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Down two sets and with her top player sidelined due to injury, Edinburg High coach Deanna Dominguez knew she would need her whole roster to step up.

The Bobcats did just that, and the points started to follow.

Despite losing District 31-6A outstanding setter Dezi Marmolejo during the first set to an apparent concussion, Edinburg High battled back from an early deficit to take down Sharyland High 23-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-13 and 15-9 on Tuesday at Sharyland High School.

“We didn’t let that stop us,” Edinburg’s Tianna Howard said. “Even though she wasn’t here with us, we played for her.”

Howard led the Bobcats with 15 kills, smacking down violent hit after violent hit. She also recorded 3 blocks, 4 digs and an ace.

But Dominguez and Howard said the Bobcats’ success was a full team effort.

“I’m so proud of them, they showed me a lot of character today,” Dominguez said. “I told them every game that we play, there are going to be challenges, and this is our challenge today. We have to overcome it as a team. I’m so impressed with them. … They played their hearts out today.”

Edinburg got contributions from all over the court. Marissa Arce had 7 kills, 3 aces and 23 digs. Amber Reyes notched 8 kills, 2 blocks, 5 aces and 5 digs. Breanna Pena racked up 6 kills, 2 aces and 21 digs. Libero Elizabeth Olivarez accumulated 47 digs.

Yessi Molina moved into Marmolejo’s spot at setter and recorded 5 kills, 23 assists and 35 digs. And little-used freshman Natalie Rodriguez came off the bench to fill Marmolejo’s spot in the lineup, picking up 4 kills, 2 assists, an ace and 9 digs.

“We all helped,” Howard said. “We played together as a team. We fought back. We played like we never have in a while.”

Marmolejo had racked up 7 kills, 2 aces, 6 assists and 2 digs in the first set alone before going to the floor for a dig attempt and knocking her head on the wood as she rolled. Marmolejo was holding her head in her hands as she watched most of the second and third set from the bench. She left the gym during the fourth game with someone holding each arm and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation, Dominguez said.

With Marmolejo unavailable, Edinburg squandered an 18-11 lead in the first set, ultimately losing 25-23.

Dominguez said being without their primary setter rattled the Bobcats in game two, leading to tightness, mental errors and a 25-22 loss.

“We told the girls we don’t have any excuse,” Dominguez said. “Everybody knows how to play. We have to try to win this one for her. We have to try to play for each other. And they did.”

The Bobcats never trailed in taking set No. 3 25-19, then cruised through a dominating fourth game 25-13.

Sharyland High took a 7-5 lead in the fifth and final game, but Edinburg closed out the match with a 10-2 spurt.

“Everyone did their part, really and truly,” Dominguez said. “They took care of business today. I couldn’t be a more proud coach.”

Senior Paige Jones led the Rattlers with 12 kills and 20 assists.

Although originally scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday’s match did not start until after 8. Edinburg High’s bus departed the school around 5 p.m. but was caught in traffic, delaying the start of the junior varsity match until about 6:30 p.m.

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — For McAllen Memorial, 2015 is all about remembering the feeling.

After ripping off nine straight wins to finish last regular season, the Mustangs were upset by Del Rio in the opening round of the playoffs — the third straight year Memorial failed to win a postseason game.

The Mustangs have been clinging to those memories, recalling what it was like to get on the bus after letting their chance slip away.

“That awful feeling, knowing how much we could have done,” linebacker Sam Hinojosa said. “I never want to feel like that in my entire life. I definitely don’t want to feel like that this year, and we’re not going to.”

Memorial again enters the season looking like one of the Valley’s best teams. Two-time defending All-Valley Player of the Year Trevor Speights is back to carry the offense, and six starters return on defense.

The talented senior class is 21-9 during the past three regular seasons but has lost all three playoff games: 41-20 against Harlingen in 2012, 58-20 against Harlingen in 2013, and 34-20 against Del Rio last season.

“I’m not going to be satisfied about just doing good in the regular season,” Hinojosa said. “I want to win in the playoffs.”

The finish to the 2014 season left a particularly sour taste.

Memorial, entering at 9-1, was a huge favorite against a 5-4-1 Del Rio team that needed to win its final regular season game to secure a playoff spot.

Coach Bill Littleton said the team underachieved, and Speights said the Mustangs “choked.”

“All we’ve talked about all summer is getting past the first round,” senior quarterback Jonathan Sanchez said. “There’s a lot of disappointment and anger that’s building up. We’re ready to come out and show what all that anger has formed.”

Hinojosa said Memorial overlooked Del Rio last season. Instead of thinking about Game 1, the Mustangs were looking ahead to the their annual goal of reaching the third or fourth round.

For Speights and the rest of the senior class, 2015 is the last chance to get there. He and Hinojosa both said a fourth failure would stick with them for a long time. Littleton said he isn’t going to harp on the past shortcomings, instead reminding the team of its potential. The seniors already know what’s on the line and how they want to handle it.

“There is pressure, but the pressure was more sophomore and junior year,” Sanchez said. “Now it’s my senior year. I don’t have time for pressure. It’s time to play.”

LOOKING AHEAD

After rushing for 2,655 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, Speights is just 1,130 yards away from the Valley’s all-time record.

“I just want to win games,” Speights said. “If I get it, I get it. If I don’t, I don’t.”

Speights has been working to bulk up during the summer, continually adding muscle to get up to his current weight of 205, which he said is idael.

Speights said the increase is mostly geared toward his future in college. He is mulling eight Division-I offers: Arizona, Missouri, Rice, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas State and Vanderbilt.

He plans to take official visits throughout the fall, but he’s down to three finalists with a clear frontrunner. He declined to specify which schools.

“I’m just waiting for the right moment to announce,” Speights said. “My decision is pretty much made up.”

BACK IN THE SADDLE

Jonathan Sanchez was Memorial’s starting quarterback as a sophomore in 2012 before splitting time last year. Now, he’s back as the team’s No. 1 option under center.

“Right now, it’s just applying what I’ve already learned my first three years,” Sanchez said. “It’s just apply and get the job done.”

He said the biggest improvement he’s made in three years as a quarterback is his footwork, removing the bad basketball habit of fading away on his pass attempts.

Sanchez has also developed as a leader, working to become more assertive.

“He’s going to be a force for us,” offensive coordinator Marcus Kaufmann said. “He’s not just going to be a guy that’s back there. He’s going to be a force.”

OFFENSIVE LINE

Memorial returns just one offensive line starter from last season’s team: guard Teddy Garcia. The rest of the players will be taking their first varsity snap, but Littleton is confident in their ability. The group has similar size to last year’s unit, ranging from 220 to 275 pounds.

“Our O-line is doing a lot better than I thought,” Minor said. “We only have one returner, but they’re doing really well, and they’re going to keep getting better as the season goes on.”

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PROGNOSIS

With All-Valley Player of the Year Trevor Speights headlining a strong group of skill players, Memorial should remain high powered on offense. Defensively, the Mustangs return six starters. The aim for Memorial will be winning a playoff game after being knocked out in the first round three consecutive seasons.

Projected 2015 record: 11-2

TENURE

Coach: Bill Littleton

Year at school: 13th

Record at school: 78-56

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