Torre scores twice to lead Valley View

BY IVAN PALACIOS

SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

MISSION — After playing their last two matches from behind, the Valley View Tigers came into Friday night’s District 31-5A matchup with a simple game plan — attack early.

The Tigers did just that, scoring twice in the first half to come away with a 2-0 victory over the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks on Friday night.

“We started very slow the last two games,” Valley View head coach Gerardo Salazar said. “Kids get nervous when we’re behind. So, I just told them lets go ahead and do it the other way around. I told them let’s go ahead and get the ball out of our side and begin like that. I think that relaxed the kids a little more because they weren’t playing from behind.”

With junior striker Pablo Torre leading the charge, the Tigers went on the attack from the opening whistle, controlling possession of the ball for most of the opening period. Despite the aggressiveness, Valley View had difficulty getting on the board, failing to capitalize on multiple opportunities.

Still, the Tigers kept their foot on the gas, waiting for the first goal to come. That goal finally came with 12:58 left during the half, when Peter Yañez tapped in the ball past the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.

Torre and the Tigers remained on the prowl looking to increase their lead. With 3:36left in the half, Torre wound up from the top of the penalty area and delivered a strike through the net to put his team up 2-0 late in the first period.

Torre has scored six goals during the team’s three wins leading all scorers in District 31-5A play.

“He’s our captain,” Salazar said. “He’s only a junior. I’m very surprised that he’s taken over. We have some seniors and I usually expect them to take over the team. I’m very proud of Pablo Torre. He’s not only a leader in the games, but in practice as well. I’m very glad we have someone who comes out and leads and I don’t have to be saying everything.”

Going into the second period with a comfortable lead, the Tigers’ game plan remained the same. Much like the first half, Valley View controlled possession of the ball for most of the period, stifling any chance at a Diamondbacks comeback.

With the win, their third in a span of five days following reshuffling of games due to COVID-19, the Tigers move into a tie with the McAllen Memorial Mustangs atop the District 31-5A standings.

“We just worry about us,” Salazar said. “That’s what I told the kids. Just worry about us and take it day by day. I told them it was going to be a tough week. We didn’t even practice on Tuesday and Thursday. I told them to go home and get liquids and their food and their sleep. But they responded pretty good. I’m glad that we got out of this week the way we did.”

The Tigers (3-0) will host the PSJA Memorial Wolverines at 6 p.m. Monday. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks (2-1) travel to take on the McAllen Rowe Warriors at 6 p.m. Monday, as well.

McALLEN — Eighty minutes was not enough.

After giving up a 2-0 lead, the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks came away with a 6-4 victory in penalty kicks over the McAllen High Bulldogs on Monday night.

With one save already under his belt during the penalty kicks, Diamondbacks junior goalkeeper David Alanis lined up with his team up 6-4, needing a save to clinch the victory.

Calm and collected, Alanis made a spectacular diving block of Bulldogs junior Sebastian Castelain’s kick to send his team home with a 2-0 record in District 31-5A play.

“I have all the confidence in the world in him (Alanis),” Diamondbacks head coach Alex Lopez said. “As a matter of fact, towards the end of the game I was telling them to hold them and we will take them to PKs. I’ll take my chances there. They did have us on our heels, so I was hoping we’d take them to penalties. I have a lot of confidence in our goalie and he’s done a great job for us.”

The Diamondbacks got off to a hot start getting on the board less than two minutes into the game, when Nic Contreras chipped in a shot inside the box to give his team a 1-0 advantage. After going down 2-0 following a goal by Bryan Caballero during the 27th minute, the Bulldogs, who were without their top goal scorer in Sergio Davila, needed a spark.

That came in the form of freshman Gael Rodriguez delivering during the 28th minute of the half. Set up by his twin brother Gabriel Rodriguez, Gael put the Bulldogs on the board by sending a shot past the goalkeeper’s arms, cutting the deficit to 2-1 going into the half.

Gael wasn’t done yet.

With 17:08 left in regulation, Gael scored his second goal of the night, hammering through a 30-yard shot to tie the game at 2.

The momentum shifted to the Bulldogs following Gael’s second goal of the night, but they were unable to capitalize, coming up short on multiple shots during the final minutes of regulation, including an attempt by Gabriel that went left of the goal as time expired.

Despite the freshman’s spark, the Bulldogs comeback fell short as the Diamondbacks held strong in penalty kicks to move to the top of the District 31-5A standings.

“This win is monumental,” Lopez said. “Last year we had a tough year. We moved into a tougher district. So, we knew that it was going to be very tough. The team has come a long way from the beginning. I think we’re clicking at the right time. To start off 2-0 in this district, we’re very excited.”

The Diamondbacks (3-1, 2-0) will look to continue their hot start as they take on Valley View Tigers at 6 p.m. Friday. The Bulldogs (8-4, 1-1) travel to take on the PSJA Memorial Wolverines 6 p.m. Friday, as well.

After scoring their second goal of the night, the McAllen High coaches could be heard from the sidelines yelling, “All gas, no brakes.”

The message was heard loud and clear by the Bulldogs as they rolled to a dominating 3-1 victory over the McAllen Rowe Warriors on the Friday’s opening night of District 31-5A play at Rowe High School.

“It’s a very important win because it’s a hometown rival,” Bulldogs head coach Fernando Segovia said. “It’s been a while since we started with a win district-wise. But we’ve been playing well. We’ve played some good teams. We were kind of confident coming in, but when you play a crosstown rival everything evens out.”

After jumping out to a 1-0 lead following a goal by junior Sergio Dávila, the Bulldogs remained in attack mode to start the second half. Less than three minutes into the second period, the Bulldogs offense nearly got on the board again, when a 30-yard free kick bounced off the cross bar.

Despite the near miss, the Bulldogs kept their foot on the gas, looking to increase their lead. With 30:54 left in the match, sophomore Vicente Àlvarez snuck a shot between the goalkeeper’s legs to give his team a 2-0 lead.

With their goals, Dávila and Àlvarez increased their total to 12 and 8 on the season, respectively, helping the Bulldogs outscore their opponents 44-15 on the way to an 8-3 overall record.

Late during the game, the Warriors looked primed for a comeback following a 36-yard strike from Diego Gil to cut the lead to 2-1 with 6:49 left in regulation. Following a failed attack by McAllen Rowe, the Bulldogs went on the counter looking to ice the game.

Bulldogs freshman Gael Rodríguez took a long pass and blew past a pair of Warriors defenders and put the exclamation point on the game, delivering a 30-yard strike to seal the victory.

Segovia, whose team has three freshmen in the starting lineup, believes the team’s non-district schedule has proved crucial to the early-season success.

“When we first started, the fact that we really didn’t have practice, we really didn’t have conditioning, we didn’t really have an offseason, so it was kind of shaky,” Segovia said. “Then, all of a sudden we play that first game and we’re like, ‘Oh man, we look good.’ Then, the (same happened in the) second game. And we just kept it going. These guys are pushing themselves and I’m proud of them.”

The Bulldogs (8-3, 1-0) will host Sharyland Pioneer at 6 p.m. Monday, while the Warriors (2-7, 0-1) will travel play Valley View, also at 6 p.m. Monday.

McALLEN — When he walked into the RGV Combine on Saturday morning, Brownsville Pace senior running back Marc Garcia had no idea he would be leaving with a possible life-changing opportunity.

After blazing past the competition with a 4.61 40-yard dash, Garcia was named Combine MVP and earned the services of CJ Cavazos and his recruiting expertise free of charge.

“This is a major blessing,” said Garcia, who accumulated 788 total yards and 10 touchdowns in his senior season. “I’m from Brownsville where people don’t really get offers like this. It is a true blessing. I woke up in the morning not thinking I was going to do that well. I kind of had doubt. But it’s all in God’s hands.”

While Garcia’s combine numbers caught the eye of RGV Combine host CJ Cavazos, it was his (Garcia’s) drive that left a lasting impression.

“I always want to help one kid from the Valley when I come down,” Cavazos said. “I want to help change his life. To tell me that the kid woke up in his home this morning, drove himself over here from Brownsville and competed the way he competed? He’s pretty darn good. I can’t wait to see his film. His film is probably ridiculous. And I’m really excited to help him.”

The RGV Combine, which took place Jan. 15-16 at the Cavazos Sports Institute, gave athletes from the Valley and across Texas a chance to showcase their talents in front of two of the top recruiting websites in the nation — Rivals.com and 247Sports.com.

Upon arriving to the facility, athletes had their physical measurements, including height, weight, wingspan and hand size, taken before participating in a series of combine events.

Following the combine, athletes were addressed by a series of speakers. Among those speakers was 247 Sports recruiting insider Brian Perroni, who stressed the importance of combines and being realistic to both athletes and parents in attendance.

“Be realistic and do your work,” Perroni said. “It’s a job if you want to play college football. You can find scholarships. Even lower levels, if they are not technically allowed to give scholarship, they can find ways to get you some sort of money. It can happen through other means. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with playing at a lower level. Not very many people get to go play after high school. Most people their final high school game is the last time they put on pads. You want to put on pads again? Do the work.”

The event, which was originally slated for July 2020 but was postponed due to a rising number of COVID-19 case in the RGV at the time, featured more 50 athletes take advantage of an opportunity that has not been available to many amidst the ongoing pandemic.

“We had right over 50, close to 60 kids,” said Jaime Cavazos, CSI founder and co-host of the combine. “It was awesome. I think we weeded out a lot of the athletes that are not serious. Everyone here ran well, jumped well, exploded well. So, these are the kids that want to get to that next level. They welcome any and every opportunity to get there. Life is about opportunities.”

Among those athletes was Sharyland Pioneer standout sophomore wide receiver Joseph Graham Jr. Graham, who racked up 1,075 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns this past season, joined Garcia in being recognized as one of the combine’s top performers after running a 4.66 40-yard dash.

“It just feels like it’s all paying off,” Graham said. “All the hard work I’m putting in. It feels good. I am trying to get more looked at. See who my competition is next year. Just trying to get prepared. It’s a very good experience, especially for the Valley. I really appreciate it.”

Overall, CJ Cavazos deemed the combine a success and hopes to come back soon with a bigger and better experience for the Valley.

“I think the Valley athletes learned a lot today,” CJ Cavazos said. “They learned that there is a baseline. They know that they have to start somewhere to get somewhere. Everybody knows that track times don’t lie. Jumps don’t lie. Everybody understands that that’s what football is. Football is a measurable sport. Height, weight and speed. It’s going to teach a lot of parents and a lot of kids how they can be prepared for tomorrow and be realistic about where they want to play college football.”

McALLEN — Scouts from two of the nation’s top recruiting websites — Rivals.com and 247Sports.com — are set to visit the Rio Grande Valley as the first RGV Combine is scheduled to take place Jan. 15-16 in McAllen.

The combine, originally slated to take place in June but postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is being hosted at the Cavazos Sports Institute by Jaime Cavazos, a former Division I speed and strength coach and founder of CSI, and CJ Cavazos, a Valley native and founder of CJ Recruiting out of San Antonio.

“We kind of just want to provide more opportunities for our RGV kids,” Jaime Cavazos said. “This is a great opportunity. They’re going to be in front of Rivals and 247 Sports. They are the ones who will evaluate you, rank you and give you your stars. That helps with recruiting. So, they’re going to be right here in front of them.

“We’re going to see who’s serious about trying to take the next level and who’s not. It was kind of a joint thing. I have the facilities and my area is the training and assessments, and he (CJ Cavazos) is a very well-connected man. So why not bring those two together?”

The combine will provide participating athletes with physical measurements including their height, weight, standing reach, wingspan and hand size. Following that, each athlete will be evaluated in the vertical jump, broad jump, medicine ball toss and a laser-timed 40-yard dash, which will also include 10-yard and 20-yard splits.

“College programs want to see measurables,” CJ Cavazos said. “When they want to see football movements, they’ll watch it on film. But when they can get measurables on kids, then they don’t have to wonder how fast a kid is, how tall a kid is, how long he is. That’s what they want to know. And that’s what we’re giving them.”

CJ Cavazos has helped send multiple kids to Division I programs including his son Lejond Cavazos, a freshman cornerback at Ohio State. Now, Cavazos wants to share some of his experience with the athletes in the Rio Grande Valley.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have a son that plays football at the Ohio State University,” CJ Cavazos said. “I’ve been able to attend many different camps and combines all over the country because of him. I just thought to myself, ‘Why not help the kids back home and open doors for them without having them have to go to Houston or Dallas or San Antonio for a combine to get measurables?’ So why not bring the people that are influencers in the college football industry to the Valley to show them what Valley kids can do?”

Following the combine, scouts from both Rivals and 247 Sports will create a profile for each athlete in attendance and upload all their measurables to their respective sites. Additionally, the combine’s top performer will also earn help from CJ Recruiting Services to obtain an athletic scholarship free of charge.

The combine is scheduled to take place over the course of two days with middle school athletes going first between 5-7 p.m. on Jan. 15 followed by high school athletes between 9-11 a.m. on Jan. 16. CJ Cavazos stressed the importance of getting young athletes, especially those in the middle school age group, exposed to this type of setting early on.

“There’s always exceptional kids and real good athletes in junior high that sometimes fizz out in high school because they don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” CJ Cavazos said. “My son was discovered in eighth grade at a combine. He ran really well and jumped really well and got on the radar. Then in ninth grade, he kind of blew up in a combine in Dallas and got about 15 offers after that combine. So, I’m a firm believer of the younger kids getting opportunities to compete.

“There are very good, young athletes everywhere. But there are a few great ones. I want to find great ones because if I can find great ones, I can lead them down the path.”

For more information visit csitrain.com.

MERCEDES – The Mercedes Tigers escaped with a 41-34 victory in a nail-biter against the Floresville Tigers on Friday night at Tiger Stadium.

Following a Floresville touchdown, Mercedes took possession at the 32-yard line with 5:38 left in the game. On the first play of the drive, junior quarterback Michael Cisneros broke loose for a 40-yard run to set his team up in enemy territory.

Four plays later, facing a fourth-and-one, junior running back Miguel Jimenez broke free for what would be the game-winning 19-yard touchdown run.

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Mercedes head coach Roger Adame said. “They have an explosive offense with playmakers all over the field. We knew we were going to go punch-for-punch. We knew it was going to be a tough task slowing down number five. So, we just told them, ‘You have two quarters to be a champion for the rest of your life.’. Last week we fell short of district. But bi-district is a lot sweeter than a district championship.”

Early in the game the Mercedes defense had a hard time containing Floresville running back Dareion Murphy, who exploded for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half.

Despite its struggles slowing down Murphy, the Mercedes defense made key opportunistic plays in the first half, including a huge goal line stance which saw them strip the stud running back at the 2-yard line before sophomore safety Allan Gonzalez returned the ball 85 yards to the 13-yard line.

The Mercedes offense capitalized off the turnover two plays later as Cisneros punched it in from 2-yards out to give his team a 13-10 lead with 6:32 left in the half. The teams would exchange touchdowns on the two ensuing drives as Murphy broke off a 56-yard touchdown run for Floresville and sophomore wide receiver Tyrell Trevino made his way to the endzone on a 6-yard run.

With Floresville driving late in the half to take the lead, it was once again the Mercedes defense coming up big as junior defensive back went up and snagged the ball out of the air at the 4-yard line to end the drive and sending his team with a 20-17 lead at the half.

The offensive explosion continued into the second half as the teams exchanged touchdowns in the third including a 16-yard scamper by Mercedes senior wide receiver Josiah Cantu.

With Floresville taking the lead late in third following a 2-yard touchdown run by Murphy, Mercedes answered early in the fourth as Cisneros led his team down the field with his leg before Jimenez capped off the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run.

Floresville added a field goal with 5:38 left in the game to tie the game before Cisneros went to work on offense to give his team the lead. In the end, it was Mercedes defense coming up with the huge stop.

Facing a third and fifteen, Floresville attempted to get the ball to their stud running back on a screen pass. Once again it was Salas coming up huge stopping Murphy for no gain. Following an incomplete pass, Mercedes took over and lined up in victory formation for the final play of the game.

Up next for Mercedes (6-1, 3-1) is Leander Rouse (8-1, 7-0) in a time and date to be determined.

EDINBURG — The Mission High Eagles reeled off their third straight win as they rolled past the Edinburg North Cougars 49-36 in a District 31-6A matchup Friday night.

Down 12-8 after a slow start, the Eagles came into the second quarter looking for a way to ignite their team. That spark came in the form of junior Bailey Hernandez, who came up with five points and four steals in the quarter to give her team a 20-19 lead going into the half.

Hernandez, who ended the game with eight points, proved to be the difference maker as the Eagles went on to outscore the Cougars 29-17 in the second half, including a 15-4 fourth quarter.

“She’s one of our most knowledgeable players,” Eagles head coach Monica Detmer said of Hernandez. “She plays a lot of basketball. She knows the game. She plays hard. She’s one of our leaders. She’s someone we can depend on to score, rebound and defend. She really does a lot for us both on and off the court.”

The Cougars jumped out to an early 10-8 lead behind a stingy press defense that forced the Eagles into committing multiple turnovers early. During the second, the Eagles’ size advantage began to show as they out-rebounded the Cougars 11-5 in the quarter.

Both offenses came to life in a physical, fast-paced third quarter as the teams exchanged baskets. For the Eagles, it was senior Hayley Garza and junior Jiselle Mendoza leading the way as they combined for nine of the team’s 14 points. Zoey Gaytan powered the Cougars’ offense during the third, scoring five straight points for her team in the quarter.

Leading 34-32 going into the fourth, Garza and Mendoza picked up where they left off, combining for another nine points in the quarter to help the Eagles pull away with a 15-4 run to end the game. Garza and Mendoza finished with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Jayli Rivera led the Cougars in scoring with nine points.

“We just woke up in the second half,” Detmer said. “I think they got after us. They were playing hard and we were playing kind of slow. We came out slow and we had a good talk at halftime and got things squared away. We fixed it and started playing harder, getting after loose balls and things like that. We weren’t doing any of that in the first half.”

The Eagles (5-2, 2-0) will look to extend their winning streak when they host the Edinburg High Bobcats at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Cougars (1-4, 1-1), will travel to take on the Edinburg Vela SaberCats at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

EDINBURG — The Edinburg Vela SaberCats came into Friday afternoon’s matchup against the Edinburg High Bobcats having won five straight against their intracity rival. This year proved to be no different as the SaberCats roared past the Bobcats 43-13 at Richard R. Flores Stadium.

“This win is big in that this win basically secured us a playoff spot,” SaberCats head coach John Campbell said. “The kids got another week to look forward to after this week. With as much craziness that has been going on in football, it’s refreshing to be able to say that we get to play another week for sure.”

It was the defense that set the tone early for the SaberCats, holding the Bobcats offense to fewer than 50 total yards in the first half.

Led by sophomore defensive end Jake Dufner, who finished the game with a sack and multiple tackles for loss, the SaberCats applied constant pressure to Bobcats quarterback Rolando Abrego, forcing five punts and one fumble in six first-half drives.

With 9:21 left in the half, Sabercats quarterback AJ Sotelo connected with wide receiver Jaime Perez for a 60-yard touchdown, giving them a 34-0 lead. The touchdown was the fifth in as many drives for the Sabercats, leading Campbell to pull most of his offensive starters after only 19 minutes of playing time.

“Pulling our players was precautionary,” Campbell said. “Everything we did today was all precautionary.”

Running back PJ Rivera came up big for the SaberCats, scoring three first-quarter touchdowns from 2, 8 and 38 yards. Rivera, who did not return to the game as a precaution following a shoulder injury, finished the game with six carries for 63 yards and three touchdowns in only one-and-a-half quarters of play.

Sotelo contributed to the SaberCats’ 28-point first quarter offensive outburst when he connected with wider receiver Justin Vega in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown. Sotelo finished the game completing all five of his passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Down 37-0 following a 35-yard field goal by SaberCats kicker Job Juarez to end the half, the Bobcats looked to avoid a shutout against their intracity rivals.

Abrego took matters into his own, breaking loose for an 18-yard run on fourth-and-15 to set up his team on the 10-yard line. Abrego capped off the drive converting on fourth down again as he hit senior athlete Emmanuel Duron for a 2-yard touchdown strike.

On the ensuing possession, senior defensive back Andre Vargas picked off SaberCats second-string quarterback Chase Campbell taking it all the way down to the 8-yard line. Bobcats senior running back Shandon Woodard rumbled in for a touchdown four plays later, making it 37-13 with 6:13 left in the game.

That’s as close as the Bobcats came to narrowing the gap, as SaberCats linebacker Erik Arguello took a fumble 33 yards for a touchdown at the end of regulation giving them a 43-13 victory.

With the win, Edinburg Vela (4-0, 3-0) secured a playoff berth and will face the Mission High Eagles (4-0, 3-0) next week for the District 31-6A title. Edinburg High (2-2, 2-2) will face off against the PSJA High Bears (1-3, 1-3) with a playoff berth on the line. Location, date and time for those games have yet be announced.

McALLEN — McAllen Memorial head coach Ashley Doffing had a clear message for her team going into Tuesday’s Class 5A Region IV area matchup: Do not underestimate your opponent, and do what you came to do.

The Mustangs heeded that advice, needing only 70 minutes to sweep the Gregory-Portland Wildcats 25-16, 25-19, 25-23 to advance to the UIL Class 5A regional quarterfinals.

“I told them that today they needed to respect the other team and respect themselves,” Doffing said. “Today I think they did. They respected the heck out of their ability. I’m just glad the rest of Texas is able to see what I see in the gym every day.”

With the game tied at 23 in the third set, it looked as if momentum had shifted to the Wildcats as they attempted to hold off elimination and begin their comeback attempt.

Mustangs senior outside hitter Natalie Silva came up with a huge block and kill to give her team a 25-23 victory.

“I’m pretty confident in my team and our abilities,” Silva said. “I thought we could take it in three. Leading up to this game, we’ve been struggling a lot with communication, but we came together when we needed to.”

The Mustangs used a balanced attack to jump ahead following a 25-16 victory in the first set. Led by the offensive fire power of Silva and freshman Leah Garcia, as well as the defensive presence of junior Eliane Silberman and freshman Amare Hernandez, the Mustangs took control early and never looked back.

Silva and Garcia led the team in kills with 11 and 10, respectively. Silva also added 4 digs, while Garcia added 1 block.

During the second set, setters Madison Amaya and Jacky Treviño set up Hernandez, the stud freshman, for a string of kills to propel her team to a 25-19 victory. Treviño finished with a team-leading 23 assists.

Hernandez made her presence felt offensively and defensively, finishing the game with 8 kills and 3 blocks. Defensively, senior libero Cori Talamantez roamed the court coming up with key saves throughout the match. She finished with 10 digs.

Still, it was Silva who came up with big play after big play when her team needed it the most.

“She’s really stepped into that leadership role, and I’m proud of her for it,” Doffing said. “She is the go-to (player) that the team looks for. And just the way her team looks to her, the opponents look at her to take them.”

With the victory, the Mustangs move to 16-0 on the season and advance to the regional quarterfinals, where they will play the winner McAllen High, which defeated Corpus Christi Veterans in five sets Tuesday. Details for that matchup have yet to be announced.

“We just need to take every game like it’s our last,” Silva said. “We need to play like it’s our last because we never know when it is actually going to be our last. With our season coming closer to an end each game, it’s just important for me as a senior to give it all every game we have left. That’s my main priority.”

PHARR — The PSJA North Raiders snapped a three-game losing streak to the PSJA Bears on Friday night as they came away with a dominating 28-0 victory in the annual Tri-City Classic at PSJA Stadium.

Going into the half with a 7-0 lead, Raiders head coach Marcus Kaufmann said he felt his team should have been ahead by more, if not for self-induced mistakes. His team cleaned up those mishaps and used a 14-point third quarter to pull away comfortably.

“We were overly excited early in the first half with the atmosphere,” Kaufmann said. “We have a bunch of young kids. The whole community talks about this ballgame. So, they come in here all starry eyed and made a bunch of little mistakes. We just cleaned that up a bit and what should have happened in the first half finally happened in the second half when we calmed them down a bit.”

It was the dynamic duo of freshman quarterback Sergio Aparicio and junior running back Isaac Gonzalez that jump-started the offense during the second half.

On the first drive of the second half, Aparico came to life, breaking off a 20-yard run to set up the Raiders with a first-and-10 on the 25-yard line. He capped off the drive two plays later, hooking up with wide receiver Nathan Ortiz on a 25-yard touchdown strike.

Following a quick three-and-out by the stingy Raiders defense, the offense marched down the field again, this time led by Gonzalez’s powerful running including an 18-yard pitch to set up the Raiders in enemy territory. Fullback John Castro capped off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, putting the Raiders up 21-0.

“They’re starting to mesh,” Kaufmann said of Aparicio and Gonzalez. “Now they’re starting to talk to each other. Three of the biggest runs for Isaac were checks by Aparicio. We haven’t been able to do that these past couple of years. He’s (Aparicio) also doing that on top of the play you guys see. The intangibles that he does behind center where he calls the plays at the line of scrimmage are huge for us.”

The Raiders took an early 7-0 lead as Gonzalez punched it in from 1 yard with 4:07 left during the opening quarter. But it was the defenses that stole the show during the first half, as neither offense could get the ball moving.

In the end, the Raiders’ defensive front proved to be too much for freshman quarterback Jaime Lopez and the Bears offense all night, sacking the signal caller multiple times. Junior Christian Ramirez tallied two sacks.

Senior Sergio Pecina added the final touchdown with 55 seconds remaining for the final mark.

The Bears (0-3, 0-3) will travel to Edinburg on Nov. 27 to face Edinburg Economedes. The Raiders travel to Mission to take on the Eagles in a clash of two of the top teams in District 31-6A.

“It was a big one for our zone tonight,” Kaufmann said. “Now we’re in a huge ball game next week against Mission on Thanksgiving Friday. It’s gonna be fun. It’ll be a playoff-like atmosphere when we go there. But tonight gets us in that driver’s seat. These guys are growing. Each game as they’re going, they’re getting better and better. We’re super young but these guys are starting to believe.”