Very few people outside of the Weslaco High locker room expected the Panthers to sit atop the District 32-6A standings this past season. In a district that features powerhouses like Harlingen High and San Benito, as well as constant contender Los Fresnos, the Panthers were picked by many to finish fourth in the standings.

Led by fifth-year head coach Roy Stroman, however, the Panthers proved the doubters wrong and overcame every obstacle, putting together a 10-0 regular season en route to the district crown.

After leading the Panthers to their first district title since 2015 and their first unbeaten regular season since 1991, Stroman is The Monitor’s All-Area Coach of the Year.

Prior to the start of the season, Stroman was dealt a heavy blow, losing his mom, Lupita,  just weeks before the start of play.

The team rallied around their head coach, dedicating the 2023 season to Stroman’s mother.

The motivated Panthers came out of the gate hot, outscoring their non-district opponents 154-37 en route to a 5-0 start.

That momentum carried into district play, opening it with a thrilling 35-32 victory over Harlingen High at Bobby Lackey Stadium. They put the exclamation point on their unbeaten regular season with a 27-21 double-overtime victory over San Benito to secure the District 32-6A crown, the icing on a season dedicated to their leader’s mom.

After a bi-district win over Mission High (35-6) the Panthers’ 2023 campaign came to an end in the Class 6A DII area round, falling to San Antonio Jay 27-14.

The Panthers finished the year with an 11-1 overall mark, their most wins since current Texas A& M Kingsville head coach Mike Salinas led the Panthers to an 11-2 mark and a regional semifinal appearance.

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Very few people outside of the Weslaco High locker room expected the Panthers to sit atop the District 32-6A standings this past season. In a district that features powerhouses like Harlingen High and San Benito, as well as constant contender Los Fresnos, the Panthers were picked by many to finish fourth in the standings.

Led by fifth-year head coach Roy Stroman, however, the Panthers proved the doubters wrong and overcame every obstacle, putting together a 10-0 regular season en route to the district crown.

After leading the Panthers to their first district title since 2015 and their first unbeaten regular season since 1991, Stroman is The Monitor’s All-Area Coach of the Year.

Prior to the start of the season, Stroman was dealt a heavy blow, losing his mom, Lupita,  just weeks before the start of play.

The team rallied around their head coach, dedicating the 2023 season to Stroman’s mother.

The motivated Panthers came out of the gate hot, outscoring their non-district opponents 154-37 en route to a 5-0 start.

That momentum carried into district play, opening it with a thrilling 35-32 victory over Harlingen High at Bobby Lackey Stadium. They put the exclamation point on their unbeaten regular season with a 27-21 double-overtime victory over San Benito to secure the District 32-6A crown, the icing on a season dedicated to their leader’s mom.

After a bi-district win over Mission High (35-6) the Panthers’ 2023 campaign came to an end in the Class 6A DII area round, falling to San Antonio Jay 27-14.

The Panthers finished the year with an 11-1 overall mark, their most wins since current Texas A& M Kingsville head coach Mike Salinas led the Panthers to an 11-2 mark and a regional semifinal appearance.

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Playing football at the sub-5A level almost always ensures some players will play both sides of the ball.

Port Isabel’s Tristan Garcia and Rio Hondo’s Keyan Lopez didn’t just play both sides of the ball for their teams. They dominated.

Garcia and Lopez are The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star Co-Utility Players of the Year.

Port Isabel head coach Tony Villarreal said one of the reasons his team had so much success the past two seasons was because of Garcia, his do-it-all fullback and linebacker.

Garcia rushed for 728 yards on 126 carries and found the back of the end zone 12 times, including two touchdowns in the area title game, a loss against a very physical Navarro team.

The District 16-4A DII MVP on defense had 65 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles, and on special teams Garcia had 200 return yards and also was the long snapper. He also threw a touchdown pass.

Garcia respected his role on the team and was a silent leader-type, a leader that sets the example, and he did as the Tarpons captured a district title and a bi-district win in a nine-win season.

Garcia said that he was always willing to do whatever his coaches needed him to do on the field, and he had no problem taking up all of the roles that he had on the field.

“I just enjoy being on the football and doing whatever to help the team to win,” Garcia said. 

“I had a good year, but I hoped as a team we got a little bit further, but injuries happen,” Garcia added.

Lopez spent a lot of his time on the field tracking the ball for the Bobcats, starring as a wide receiver and linebacker for his team.

As a wideout, Lopez was among the RGV’s best, finishing sixth among all reported receivers in the area during the regular season with 47 catches for 829 yards and 13 touchdowns.

One of his biggest performances came during a 57-38 shootout loss to Ingleside, erupting for 278 yards and three scores on 10 catches.

He was equally, if not more, dominant as a linebacker, living around the football on nearly every play. The two-way athlete tallied 151 total tackles in just 10 appearances, including a 21-tackle performance against San Diego.

Lopez also displayed game-breaking ability on the defensive side, racking 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions and four defensive touchdowns en route to District 16-3A DI defensive player of the year honors.

Lopez said he “stepped it up” at wide receiver this season, but still favors the defensive side of the ball.

“I helped my team however I could,” Lopez said. “I made some big plays for them, and what I could out there every game.”

“On defense I have only grown since freshman year and I think I am going to continue doing better on defense because that is the side of the ball that I like more,” Lopez added.

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Playing football at the sub-5A level almost always ensures some players will play both sides of the ball.

Port Isabel’s Tristan Garcia and Rio Hondo’s Keyan Lopez didn’t just play both sides of the ball for their teams. They dominated.

Garcia and Lopez are The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star Co-Utility Players of the Year.

Port Isabel head coach Tony Villarreal said one of the reasons his team had so much success the past two seasons was because of Garcia, his do-it-all fullback and linebacker.

Garcia rushed for 728 yards on 126 carries and found the back of the end zone 12 times, including two touchdowns in the area title game, a loss against a very physical Navarro team.

The District 16-4A DII MVP on defense had 65 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles, and on special teams Garcia had 200 return yards and also was the long snapper. He also threw a touchdown pass.

Garcia respected his role on the team and was a silent leader-type, a leader that sets the example, and he did as the Tarpons captured a district title and a bi-district win in a nine-win season.

Garcia said that he was always willing to do whatever his coaches needed him to do on the field, and he had no problem taking up all of the roles that he had on the field.

“I just enjoy being on the football and doing whatever to help the team to win,” Garcia said. 

“I had a good year, but I hoped as a team we got a little bit further, but injuries happen,” Garcia added.

Lopez spent a lot of his time on the field tracking the ball for the Bobcats, starring as a wide receiver and linebacker for his team.

As a wideout, Lopez was among the RGV’s best, finishing sixth among all reported receivers in the area during the regular season with 47 catches for 829 yards and 13 touchdowns.

One of his biggest performances came during a 57-38 shootout loss to Ingleside, erupting for 278 yards and three scores on 10 catches.

He was equally, if not more, dominant as a linebacker, living around the football on nearly every play. The two-way athlete tallied 151 total tackles in just 10 appearances, including a 21-tackle performance against San Diego.

Lopez also displayed game-breaking ability on the defensive side, racking 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions and four defensive touchdowns en route to District 16-3A DI defensive player of the year honors.

Lopez said he “stepped it up” at wide receiver this season, but still favors the defensive side of the ball.

“I helped my team however I could,” Lopez said. “I made some big plays for them, and what I could out there every game.”

“On defense I have only grown since freshman year and I think I am going to continue doing better on defense because that is the side of the ball that I like more,” Lopez added.

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Lyford quarterback Aidan Olivas-Romo spent his first two varsity seasons at safety, amassing 90 total tackles and two interceptions.

This past offseason, however, Olivas-Romo was asked to move to the offensive side of the ball and take over the starting quarterback duties.

Though hesitant at first, Olivas-Romo thrived during his lone season as the Bulldogs’ QB1, finishing fourth overall in the RGV in passing yards while leading Lyford to a 9-2 overall record.

Olivas-Romo is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star Sub-5A Player of the Year.

“Kind of going back to the beginning of the year where I said I didn’t really want to play quarterback and then having the year that I had … it really is just thanks to my coaches, the fans and my fellow brothers – especially the receivers,” Olivas-Romo said.

The transition from safety to quarterback was almost seamless for Olivas-Romo, who threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 136 yards and one score during a Week 1 win over Port Isabel.

He continued to build off the early season success, surpassing the 1,000-yard passing mark just four games into the regular season.

Olivas-Romo finished with a 62.6 completion percentage en route to 3,228 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns in 11 games played.

Olivas-Romo’s arm wasn’t the only weapon he deployed. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound quarterback displayed the same speed he did as a safety from behind center, slashing his way through defenses for 854 yards and eight touchdowns on 138 carries.

The dual-threat athlete ended the year with 4,094 total yards and 29 total touchdowns, helping the Bulldogs to a second-place finish in District 16-3A DI and a bi-district playoff appearance.

Olivas-Romo praised offensive coordinator Douglas Ames and the offensive staff for making sure he was prepared to have a terrific season. 

“They molded our offense to fit the players we had and I think it worked out really well,” he said.

[email protected]

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Lyford quarterback Aidan Olivas-Romo spent his first two varsity seasons at safety, amassing 90 total tackles and two interceptions.

This past offseason, however, Olivas-Romo was asked to move to the offensive side of the ball and take over the starting quarterback duties.

Though hesitant at first, Olivas-Romo thrived during his lone season as the Bulldogs’ QB1, finishing fourth overall in the RGV in passing yards while leading Lyford to a 9-2 overall record.

Olivas-Romo is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star Sub-5A Player of the Year.

“Kind of going back to the beginning of the year where I said I didn’t really want to play quarterback and then having the year that I had … it really is just thanks to my coaches, the fans and my fellow brothers – especially the receivers,” Olivas-Romo said.

The transition from safety to quarterback was almost seamless for Olivas-Romo, who threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 136 yards and one score during a Week 1 win over Port Isabel.

He continued to build off the early season success, surpassing the 1,000-yard passing mark just four games into the regular season.

Olivas-Romo finished with a 62.6 completion percentage en route to 3,228 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns in 11 games played.

Olivas-Romo’s arm wasn’t the only weapon he deployed. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound quarterback displayed the same speed he did as a safety from behind center, slashing his way through defenses for 854 yards and eight touchdowns on 138 carries.

The dual-threat athlete ended the year with 4,094 total yards and 29 total touchdowns, helping the Bulldogs to a second-place finish in District 16-3A DI and a bi-district playoff appearance.

Olivas-Romo praised offensive coordinator Douglas Ames and the offensive staff for making sure he was prepared to have a terrific season. 

“They molded our offense to fit the players we had and I think it worked out really well,” he said.

[email protected]

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SAN BENITO — San Benito senior running back Fabian Garcia announced his verbal commitment to play college football at UTRGV via an Instagram post Thursday afternoon.

Garcia becomes the ninth RGV athlete to commit to the Vaqueros, joining PSJA North’s Alejandro Aparicio, Danny Garcia, Dante Garcia and Joe Derek Vecchio; Edinburg Vela’s Jamal Polley and Jaxson Shupe; Brownsville Veterans’ Nick Tovar and Harlingen Marine Military Academy’s Mehki Blue.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound running back was a bell cow for the Greyhounds during his three years as the team’s starter, serving as San Benito’s primary back since his sophomore year.

He earned all-area superlative awards during each of those seasons, having been named the Valley Morning Star newcomer of the year as a sophomore and adding back-to-back The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star offensive player of the year awards as a junior and senior.

Garcia finished this past season third in the RGV in rushing yards during the regular season, toting the rock 166 times for 1,512 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games.

He added even more yardage during the postseason, finishing his senior campaign with 203 carries for 1,761 yards and 21 touchdowns in 12 games played, and adding 15 catches for 352 yards and five scores.

Garcia finished his career as San Benito’s all-time leading rusher, racking up 5,193 yards and 61 touchdowns on 594 carries during his three-year career.

[email protected]

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SAN BENITO — San Benito senior running back Fabian Garcia announced his verbal commitment to play college football at UTRGV via an Instagram post Thursday afternoon.

Garcia becomes the ninth RGV athlete to commit to the Vaqueros, joining PSJA North’s Alejandro Aparicio, Danny Garcia, Dante Garcia and Joe Derek Vecchio; Edinburg Vela’s Jamal Polley and Jaxson Shupe; Brownsville Veterans’ Nick Tovar and Harlingen Marine Military Academy’s Mehki Blue.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound running back was a bell cow for the Greyhounds during his three years as the team’s starter, serving as San Benito’s primary back since his sophomore year.

He earned all-area superlative awards during each of those seasons, having been named the Valley Morning Star newcomer of the year as a sophomore and adding back-to-back The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star offensive player of the year awards as a junior and senior.

Garcia finished this past season third in the RGV in rushing yards during the regular season, toting the rock 166 times for 1,512 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games.

He added even more yardage during the postseason, finishing his senior campaign with 203 carries for 1,761 yards and 21 touchdowns in 12 games played, and adding 15 catches for 352 yards and five scores.

Garcia finished his career as San Benito’s all-time leading rusher, racking up 5,193 yards and 61 touchdowns on 594 carries during his three-year career.

[email protected]

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