By Jesus Sanchez | The Brownsville Herald

Playing against tough Texas schools before district play begins is something the Falcons planned to do to prepare for the challenges that await Los Fresnos in the new season.

The Falcons will do just that when they face off against Austin’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Jaguars in their second non-district game at 7:30 Friday at home.

“We’ve had a good week of practice,” Los Fresnos head coach Patrick Brown said. “We feel like we’ve cleaned some stuff from our first game. (Our) defense has really been good for us and we expect that to continue this week. Our defense is going to have to be good because I don’t think that our kids have this type of speed since we played Lake Travis last year. It’s going to be a challenge for us.”

The Falcons lost 16-13 to the visiting District 1-6A El Paso Montwood Rams in their Aug. 31 home opener.

Los Fresnos trailed the Rams 16-0 at halftime but came alive late in the game to score two touchdowns.

Senior quarterback Sergio Martinez and junior wide receiver Nico Valencia were the only players to find the end zone in the game’s second half.

The Falcons will begin district play Oct. 12 against Harlingen South but will have several other opponents before that matchup, including games against Edinburg Vela and Odessa Permian later this month.

“With LBJ, we’re going to see some fantastic athletes,” the Falcons coach said. “They can run the ball and do all sorts of stuff. With (Edinburg) Vela, I think you have the best Valley team right now and then, obviously, with Permian, you get some option game and a big physical group in front of a lot of people. If we can make it through our pre-district schedule, we feel like we’re going to be prepared for whatever we see in the playoffs.”

On the other side, the Jaguars defeated the Elgin Wildcats 34-21 on the road in their season opener under head coach Jahmal Fenner, who is entering his sixth season with LBJ and first at the helm.

Against the Wildcats, the Jaguars had a solid showing, scoring two late touchdowns that secured the win for the Austin high school.

LBJ has developed a habit of advancing playoffs, having 13 consecutive postseason appearances.

The Jaguars offense has five returning starters, which include athlete Aundoy Johnson and running back Brian Batts leading the charge.

Last season, LBJ went 7-5 and was a Class 5A Division I bi-district finalist, losing to Dripping Springs 59-29.

Los Fresnos reached the regional semifinals in 2017 and are looking to go pass that for the first time under Brown.

Defensively, Los Fresnos will have strong safety Johnny Cadengo, cornerback Kobe Muñiz and tackle Lorenzo Villarreal leading the way.

On offense, Valencia, a three-year starter, will be the Falcons’ go-to man in their attempt to topple the Jaguars.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge for us,” Brown said. “This is a program, in LBJ, that is constantly in the playoffs, wins district and, you know, we’re going to have our hands full tomorrow but that’s kind of the way we like it.”

Once again, the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers will begin the team tennis season with a target on their backs.

“We lost a few seniors on both sides, girls and boys,” coach Leo Casanova said. “I like the way the team looks like right now. We have some strong girls and we got a few strong boys coming back, so I like our chances for this season.”

Last season, Brownsville Veterans Memorial dominated district play with a 7-0 record to claim its second consecutive 32-5A title.

In 2016, the Chargers also went undefeated in district play (7-0) to win the first district championship that year in athletics for the school.

Familiar faces from the 2017 team, including Annette Lira, Ana Paola Sanchez, Isabella Vasquez and Issayana Gavino, return this season to help the Chargers attain their goal.

The coach believes the team possibly has the No. 1 and No. 2 girls in the district in Lira and Sanchez.

On the boys side, Jose Garza and Eric Marroquin will bring veteran experience to help elevate Brownsville Veterans’ chances going forward.

The Chargers lost Kaylee Garzoria to graduation but already have a replacement in Alexandra Villarreal, who will join the Brownsville Veterans team tennis squad for the first time.

“I’m hoping our new leaders are able to push our team forward,” Casanova said. “Just because our girls are strong, it doesn’t mean we can’t get some victories on the boys’ side. Like I said, we have a few strong boys.”

Although the Chargers have an opportunity for their third consecutive district title, the road may be unpredictable as Casanova said the team will be ready for any unexpected challenges facing it, including playing against a new school in the 32-5A district.

“I’m just excited,” he said. “We actually have a new team coming into our district with (Pharr) Valley View. I have no idea how they play. I’ve never seen them play. It’s going to be exciting. With teams across the district losing some of their top players, it’s going to be a fight to the end.”

Brownsville Veterans will begin its quest for a third consecutive district title when it opens its team tennis season against Pace at 4 p.m. today at the Vikings’ courts.

The Chargers will be back in action at 9 a.m. Saturday when they play host to Donna High, which finished in second place last season with a 6-1 record.

Porter finally ended a two-year winless drought when it took down Port Isabel 14-3 during Friday night’s season opener at Tarpons Stadium.

Cowboys sophomore quarterback Kevin Garcia scored the second touchdown of the game and finished with 140 yards on the ground, and fellow running back Ulises Guzman (one TD) added 104 yards rushing.

“The kids came out to play today,” Porter coach Carlos Uresti said after the game. “We’ve been talking about this moment since last November when our last game ended. All we ask for is for (the kids) to give us everything they got. We were going to play four quarters today. I think Port Isabel had a great team. I take my hat off to them.”

Porter (1-0) clung to a 7-3 lead all the way to the fourth quarter, when Garcia ran for 49 yards and found the end zone, adding another touchdown for the Cowboys.

Port Isabel senior Anthony Orduna put the Tarpons on the scoreboard with an early field goal from Porter’s 8 yard line. Tarpons senior quarterback Cesar Aguilera had a rough game Friday night, throwing 21 times for a total of 40 yards.

Despite of the loss, Port Isabel coach Jason Strunk said his team will learn from Friday night’s game and get better going forward.

“We have a lot of work to do offensively,” Strunk said. “We did some things tonight that we haven’t done in scrimmages or practice. … We’re motioning wrong. We’re lining up wrong. We’re running plays wrong. That’s something we’re going to get in there and fix (right away).”

The Cowboys’ defense did its part early, forcing and recovering a fumble on the second play of the game.

Port Isabel (0-1) was held in check with only 100 yards of offense. The Tarpons are learning a new offensive system under Strunk, who joined the team earlier this summer.

“I took this job because there’s tradition here, they want to win here, and we’re going to win,” the Port Isabel coach said. “It just takes time to get things going. We want to win now; obviously, we’re disappointed tonight, but I’ll be back at 6 a.m. tomorrow ready to go. That’s what we do here. We’re going to be OK. We just have to stick with it.”

Porter struck first with 6:27 left in the opening quarter. Guzman gave the Cowboys the 7-0 lead after a 2-yard run down the middle.

The Tarpons responded by forcing a fumble during Porter’s first possession after scoring. Shortly after, Orduna successfully scored the single field goal for the Tarpons.

The teams traded turnovers and punts during the second and third quarters, and Porter kept its four-point edge heading into the fourth quarter.

The teams went scoreless during the third quarter.

“At the end of the day, like I said, the team with the least mistakes was going to win it, and I think that’s what happened tonight,” Uresti said.

The Porter coach said he is happy with how the defense played Friday night, not allowing the Tarpons to find the end zone the whole game.

“That just shows that our defense has come a long way,” he said. “Three points is not a lot, a shutout would’ve been a lot better, but you know what, I’ll take a win however we take it. My hat’s off to coach (Raul) Gomez and the kids. They worked hard since last November.”

By Jesus Sanchez | The Brownsville Herald

The Porter Cowboys and Port Isabel Tarpons each are looking to put last season’s lackluster campaigns behind them and secure an early victory in 2018.

Porter went winless, and Port Isabel only won twice in 2017. Both teams would like to start off the year by showcasing the improvements they’ve worked on during the preseason.

The teams will have an opportunity to do just that when they face off at 7:30 tonight at Tarpons Stadium in Port Isabel to open their seasons.

Each team has seen some changes from last year’s campaign, with another year of experience for Porter’s young squad and new leadership in coach Jason Strunk for Port Isabel.

“We’ve had a good training camp with two good scrimmages,” Strunk said. “The kids are learning everything. We’re a little behind, but the kids are learning everything. The practice level and intensity is where I need it to be. We practice fast, something we weren’t used to. We’re excited.”

Cowboys coach Carlos Uresti now has one year under his belt at the helm with the young team, which includes six starters returning on offense and seven on defense.

“I think we have a very energetic and ready-to-go team right now,” Uresti said. “These last two scrimmages that we’ve had only got them really focused on what we have ahead, which is a long season, but at the same time excited for the first game. I think our guys are just tired of just going through the routine and the scrimmage part itself. I think they’re just ready to face somebody for four quarters and get out there.”

Uresti knows Strunk’s background and experience are things the Cowboys will have to contend with.

“I’ve heard nothing but positive things about Coach Strunk,” he said. “I’m sure he has the kids ready to go. I look forward to a very tough game. I know he’s got a good background behind him. … I’m actually looking forward to go up against him and kind of see where we’re at compared to Port Isabel, who routinely is a powerhouse, year in, year out, a playoff team, and that’s kind of what we want to be. Us as coaches and our kids, our kids are just ready to get rocking and rolling.”

On the other hand, Strunk sees tonight’s game as an opportunity for the Tarpons to display their leadership.

The coach said his main focus is continuing to work with the Tarpons in his first official game since moving to Port Isabel in order to leave tonight with a victory.

“We have some good leadership going on right now,” Strunk said. “The kids have brought that in. The kids are practicing the right way. The practice is kind of like a college-level program. They’ve really bought into it. They’re doing good things. The leadership has been great. We’re a team that’s going to be able to run the ball. That’s a strength.”

The Cowboys will lean on sophomore quarterback Kevin Garcia to lead the team. Garcia was thrown into the mix last season as a freshman and has one year of experience working with his teammates.

“Bringing back our quarterback this year, it’s going to be a big plus for us,” Uresti said. “He’s a leader on the offense and another coach on the football field. I’m going to lean heavily on my quarterback and, defensively, our kids our just excited. They have a new scheme going on and so far, so good.”

For the Tarpons, senior quarterback Cesar Aguilera will have wide receivers Sebastian and Daniel Martinez to turn to when executing Port Isabel’s air attack.

Both coaches are ready for their first game going head-to-head.

“We’re ready to go play,” Strunk said. “We’re excited about it. I think we’re where we need to be right now, and I think it’s going to be a fun Friday night for us.”

The Porter coach knows his team has to remain focused in order to come out on top against the Tarpons.

“The team that comes out on top is going to be the one that is ready to play come Week 1,” he said. “I think a lot of the times on Week 1, when there are evenly matched teams, the most important key is what team is more focused to play and ready to play. I think the key to victory for either team is going to be the focus of the kids and if they’re going to play.”