The Monitor Sports reporters Mario Aguirre, Dennis Silva II, Greg Luca and Jon R. LaFollette recap the playoffs for Valley football teams.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

But during Tuesday’s 42-31 defeat at the hands of Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Weslaco coach Griselda Fino saw an otherwise uptempo team appear to be a step slow.

“I felt like we were asleep the entire time,” Fino said. “My kids just never seemed to snap out of it. It felt like we came out really sluggish, and it feels like we never woke up or picked up the speed of the game.”

Since the Border Bash tournament, the Lady Panthers have a record of 3-3 and are playing at inconsistent levels of intensity. Though Weslaco players fulfilled a promise to become the first team under Fino to beat San Antonio Churchill, such notable wins have been followed by double-digit losses to Laredo Cigarroa and Harlingen High.

“It’s so easy for my kids to step up to the challenge when they feel like they’re playing for something big,” Fino said. “I feel like they step up when it’s time to play for a (tournament) championship, or a non-Valley team. They’re on fire for those games … But we seem to only bring that on certain nights and not others.”

Fino says one reason for the up-and-down play has been the transition for new players still acclimating themselves to the energy required to play at the varsity level. Another reason is the Lady Panthers’ style of play. Given their height disadvantage, players expend as much energy trying to score as they do attempting to get stops.

“I’m just looking for some more consistency,” Fino said. “I want to see my kids get to the point where they’re the same team night in and night out. It’s not going to be easy with district only 10 days away. We don’t have much time to figure things out.”

ON THE MEND
McAllen Rowe has played just eight games thus far, a deliberate attempt by coach Raul Vega to ease volleyball players into basketball shape after a deep postseason run. The Lady Warriors lost four straight before Tuesday’s 44-37 win over Los Fresnos improved their record to .500.

Though such a bumpy start seems troubling for a team pegged as the favorite to repeat as District 30-6A champions, Vega is unfazed and keeps things in perspective.

“If I didn’t have a couple players out right now, and everyone was healthy, I’d be a little concerned,” Vega said. “But for now, we’re right about where I thought we’d be.”

Rowe is missing senior point guard Deanna Spear, who suffered a torn foot tendon in September and is scheduled to return at the beginning of district play Dec. 15.

“We’re going to work her back slowly and not rush anything with Deanna,” Vega said. “The good thing about our schedule is that we have an open date on the second night of district play. So after that first game back, we’ll have a full week to work with her and get her up to speed.”

Even before Spear returns, Vega is already at work meshing another injured player into the roster. Senior Jewel Membrere has been working her way back from a torn ACL that caused her to miss the bulk of her junior season.

“She’s kind of like (teammate) Mayda (Garcia),” Vega said. “She can play the (small forward) or the (power forward), and can play in a couple different ways for us. But we’re taking things slow and trying to get her basketball legs underneath her again.”

THE UNDEFEATED
With district competition less than two weeks away, two Valley teams remain unbeaten against Valley opponents.

Harlingen High is 13-1 with its lone loss coming to San Antonio Clark during the Border Bash. PSJA North is 10-0.

MISSION — Pick an adjective: consistent, persistent, efficient. All are fitting to describe the play of Ashley Smith.

During Tuesday’s game against Weslaco East, the senior guard for Mission Veterans Memorial scored a game-high 20 points, collecting buckets by any means necessary on her way to helping the Lady Patriots to a 42-21 victory over the Lady Wildcats.

Though Smith finished 4-of-10 from the field, she made 11 of her 13 free throws. But Smith used her senior savvy to do more than score.

“Not only was she active on the offensive end, but she got some rebounds and played some great defense,” Mission Veterans coach Rafael Cantu said. “When Ashley can get rebounds, she gets to the foul line, and we love her at the foul line.”

The win improves Mission Veterans’ record to 8-6. Weslaco East falls to 9-7.

The two teams spent the early part of the game trading baskets. With the score tied at 4, the Lady Patriots went on a 9-2 run to end the first quarter with a lead of 15-6. Mission Veterans received scoring contributions from seven players during the first eight minutes.

“No matter who’s out there, we’re looking for playmakers instead of just running schemes,” Cantu said. “We want to score as much as we can.”

Depth has been a strength for the Lady Patriots this season. The team returns six players from last year’s team in addition to a crew of JV callups and sophomore Gabby Gallardo, who is playing her first season on varsity. Gallardo’s outside shooting has been utilized by Cantu to create space for Smith and others to operate in the paint.

“We weren’t rushing anything tonight,” Gallardo said. “We were just moving the ball, taking high-quality shots and being patient.”

But, as it is with the Lady Patriots, everything came back to defense. Mission Vets spent the entirety of the evening generating takeaways and turning added opportunites into transition buckets or trips to the foul line.

“We were running a 2-3 defense,” Smith said. “(Weslaco East) run a 2-3 defense too, so we kind of knew what offensive plays would work for us.”

Smith scored 11 points during the second quarter, including her lone 3-point attempt on the night. At halftime, the Lady Patriots enjoyed a 28-15 lead.

Altough the Lady Wildcats trailed for much of the evening, they were never out of contention until late in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Chylee LeFevre scored a team-high 14 points behind a 6-of-9 mark at the foul line.

“I’m missing my point guard,” East coach William Kromer said of the absent Mig Cepeda. “She got a wrist injury and we haven’t had her for a couple of weeks. We try to run the offense through Chylee, but she’s more of a scorer and a shooter. We ask her to do a lot as a creator for us.”
While East’s offense sputtered, Smith made sure the Lady Patriots maintained their intensity. Cantu noticed the energy from the sideline.

“We played with a little more bounce in our step,” he said. “We were all moving. That’s when we’re at our best. The girls had a focus, which is almost everything. They were alive, they were ready.”

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Valley-Girls Basketball Scores and Boxscores
Tuesday’s Games
Non-district

Brownsville Hanna 59, Mission High 14

Brownsville Veterans Memorial 41, Weslaco High 32

Edinburg High 77, Brownsville Lopez 27

Edinburg IDEA Quest 47, La Grulla 26

Edinburg North 56, Sharyland Pioneer 33

Harlingen South 51, Edinburg Economedes 26

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 56, La Feria 28

Laredo United South 57, Roma 30

McAllen Memorial 41, Edcouch-Elsa 25

McAllen Rowe 44, Los Fresnos 37

Mission Veterans Memorial 42, Weslaco East 31

Port Isabel 36, La Villa 22

PSJA North 72, La Joya High 53

Rio Grande City 60, McAllen High 40

San Benito 42, Brownsville Pace 37

San Isidro 45, Benavides 22

Sharyland High 50, PSJA High 21

Valley View 45, Santa Rosa 23

Brownsville IDEA Frontier at Progreso, late

San Diego at Zapata, late

Raymondville at Lasara, late

EDINBURG HIGH 77, BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ 27

Edinburg High 20 26 19 12 — 77

Brownsville Lopez 8 6 8 5 — 27

EDINBURG HIGH (77) — Jayla Santamaria 11, Reyna Del Castillo 8, Rita Garcia 3, Mercedes Hernandez 21, Jenessah Santamaria 19, Jennifer Galvan 6, Natalie Roxburgh 2, Natalie Perales, Chya Woodard 1, Yvette Olvera 4.

BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ (27) — Reyna Medrano 4, Imelda Garcia 14, Yadia Mejia 9.

RECORDS: Edinburg High (13-3); Brownsville Lopez (4-11).

EDINBURG NORTH 56, SHARYLAND PIONEER 33

Sharyland Pioneer 6 13 10 4 — 33

Edinburg North 14 16 14 12 — 56

SHARYLAND PIONEER (33) — Mirana Ramos 9, Ashley Briseno 6.

EDINBURG NORTH (56) — Brianna Garza 12, Tiffany Chapa8.

RECORDS: Edinburg North (7-8); Sharyland Pioneer (3-12).

McALLEN MEMORIAL 41, EDCOUCH-ELSA 25

Edcouch-Elsa 3 5 12 5 — 25

McAllen Memorial 12 7 12 10 — 41

EDCOUCH-ELSA (25) — Not reported

McALLEN MEMORIAL (41) — Victoria Izaguirre 15, Ebony Johnson 14, Draik Banks 6, Tani Talamantez 4, Kaily Caldwell 1, Sarah Smith 1

RECORDS: Edcouhc-Elsa (4-8); McAllen Memorial (4-5)

McALLEN ROWE 44, LOS FRESNOS 37

Los Fresnos 10 13 5 9 — 37

McAllen Rowe 11 11 5 17 — 44

Los FRESNOS (37) — Dori Alcalte 20, Kelsi McDonough 6, Amy Ruiz 4, Lynette Duran 2, Cassie Erra 2, Britney Ruiz 2, Haley Villareal 1.

McALLEN ROWE (44) — Jewel Membrere 13. Mayda Garcia 10, Jovanni Solis 8, Diana Gonzalez 4, Carolina Rodriguez 3, Vanissa Leal 2, Ryela Rodriguez 2, Victoria Tarbutton 2.

RECORDS: Los Fresnos (10-6); McAllen Rowe (4-4)

MISSION VETERANS MEMORIAL 42, WESLACO EAST 31

Weslaco East 6 9 10 6 — 31

Mission Veterans 15 13 6 8 — 42

WESLACO EAST (31) — Chylee LeFevre 14, Yaritza Marin 6, Gissel Reyes 5, Kimberly Charles 2, Valeria Castaneda 2, Missy Murillo 2.

MISSION VETERANS (42) — Ashley Smith 20, D.D. Ibarra 5, Gabby Gallardo 5, Lyndsey Garza 4, Andrea De La Garza 4, Gabbie Howell 2, Krista Perez 1, Christina Reyna 1

RECORDS: Weslaco East (9-7); Mission Veterans (8-6)

PSJA NORTH 72, LA JOYA HIGH 53

PSJA North 17 19 14 22 — 72

La Joya High 13 6 14 20 — 53

PSJA North (72) — Belle Palacios 22, Ariana Medrano 18, Angela Ochoa 9, Amanda Villegas 5, Alexia Neal 3, Stephanie Crispin 1, Melissa Palacios 7

RIO GRANDE CITY(60) — Ayana Cruz 16, Jackie Castilla 6, Roxy Morales 3, Andrea Barron 4, Gina Villarreal 8, Josie Amaya 23

RECORDS: PSJA North (10-0); La Joya High (4-5)

RIO GRANDE CITY 60, McALLEN HIGH 40

McAllen High xx xx xx xx — 40

Rio Grande City xx xx xx xx — 60

McALLEN HIGH (40) — Emily Chapa 2, Heaven Wilbanks 5, Victoria Alaniz 8, Celeste Saenz 4, Jarizza Villarreal 5, Sabrina Guzman 16

RIO GRANDE CITY(60) — Ayana Cruz 16, Jackie Castilla 6, Roxy Morales 3, Andrea Barron 4, Gina Villarreal 8, Josie Amaya 23

RECORDS: McAllen High (6-9); Rio Grande City (11-4)

SHARYLAND HIGH 50, PSJA HIGH 21

PSJA High 4 12 1 4 — 21

Sharyland High 7 5 24 14 — 50

PSJA HIGH (21) — Not reported

SHARYLAND HIGH (50) — Anna Marshall 16, Maddie Garza 12, Melanie Coroterro 9

RECORDS: PSJA High (2-10); Sharyland High (11-3)

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Weslaco East coach Jorge Martinez was determined to prevent a repeat of last week. When the Wildcats faced Mission Veterans Memorial during a tournament at Edcouch-Elsa, inconsistent play cost the Wildcats a shot at gold.

So when the two teams faced each other in a rematch during Saturday’s Thanksgiving Classic championship at Mission Veterans Memorial High School, Martinez and his team knew what to do.

“We had a goal,” Martinez said. “We felt like we let last week slip away from us. We were determined to come out here and get this one. Our kids set the tone from the beginning, and we took it from there.”

And the Wildcats took it all the way to a first-place finish, soundly beating Mission Veterans 46-26. East’s victory was spurred in part by terrific outside shooting. The Wildcats (9-3) made seven shots from behind the arc while the Patriots failed to sink any from long range.

“He’s knocked down a ton of big shots to put games away during this tournament,” Martinez said. “He’s up from the JV from last year, and he’s really doing a great job of keeping the floor spaced.”

Both teams traded baskets during the early going with East leading Mission Veterans 12-10 after the first quarter. While East saw four of its five starters contribute points, Lazaro Garza led the way for the Patriots with six points.

The second quarter saw the beginning of the Wildcats’ sharp-shooting attack. Garza scored all eight of East’s second-quarter points behind a pair of 3-pointers before notching another two during the third quarter. Guard Jonathan Munoz added two more long-range shots during the third quarter as well.

“We just kept setting screens and moving the ball,” Garza said. “We kept getting open looks, so we kept taking them… Everyone on this team can shoot.”

During the final three quarters, the Wildcats outscored the Patriots 34-16. While East familiarized itself with open looks, the Patriots were downed by turnovers and poor shooting.

“We were just aggressive,” Martinez said. “We didn’t allow them to get any middle penetration, which hurt us the last game. We made sure it was one-and-done. We did a good job of boxing out and holding them to one shot on every possession. That was the key.”

The Wildcats look ahead to looming district play and a chance to make the playoffs after failing to do so a season ago.

“We’ve got to get better at consistency,” Martinez said. “We have to make sure that our defense is a staple of our team. When we play good defensively, we’ll always give ourselves a chance to win.”

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Valley-Girls Basketball Scores
Non-district

Edinburg North 58, Mission High 19

Harlingen High 67, Edcouch-Elsa 34

Los Fresnos 49, McAllen Memorial 46

PSJA North 50, San Benito 36

Roma 50, La Joya High 48

Valley View 55, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 47

ROMA 50, LA JOYA 48

La Joya High 2 11 13 22 — 48

Roma 4 5 10 21 — 50

LA JOYA HIGH (48) — Monica Garcia 13; Karina Cassanova 11.

ROMA (50) — Denise Peña 17; Kossette Garza 13; Samantha Alanis 11; Jeselle Guerra 7.

RECORDS: La Joya High (4-4); Roma (5-9)

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Mission Veterans Memorial kick-started its turkey downtime on a good note Wednesday with a lively practice session fresh off a 36-23 win over McAllen Rowe on Tuesday.

“It’s tough with the holidays,” Veterans coach Rafael Cantu said of maintaining mental focus. “We just got off a game, and you never know what will happen in practice. They’re up for the game and you just hope the intensity level is there the next day.”

The brief holiday break comes at a time when the Lady Patriots (7-6) are trying to find cohesion and chemistry on their roster. The team returns six players from last year’s varsity squad and is looking to mesh JV call-ups and freshmen into the mix.

Among the new faces, sophomore guard Gaby Gallardo is the lone starter. Cantu praises Gallardo for her ball-handling skills.

“That’s a premium to have,” he said. “Ball-handling is so important. (Senior) Ashley (Smith) is a good one, too. If you’re lucky, you’ll have three ball-handlers on your team. That’s where success comes from.”

With Gallardo’s presence, the demands placed on Smith have diminished. Last year, the All-Valley second teamer was asked to carry the bulk of the ball-handling and scoring duties.

“That was a lot of work for her,” Cantu said. “Having other people help contribute allows a person to stay fresh for more of the game.”

Smith scored a game-high 18 points during Tuesday’s win over Rowe.

Aside from spreading the workload for his guards, Cantu is looking for an improved scoring attack from his post players, including D.D. Ibarra. A standout for the Mission Vets volleyball team, Ibarra was the team’s best rebounder a year ago and had the green light to shoot when she was open.

“She’s a selfless player and does whatever is necessary,” Cantu said. “She can rebound and defend well. But this year, we want her to take what the defense gives her. We want her to put the ball on the floor and finish at the rim.”

STRONGVILLE

In just his second year as coach, La Villa’s Sam Rodriguez has made his aspirations for the Lady Cardinals known.

“The goal for us, no doubt, is to win a district title,” Rodriguez said. “I’m not telling the girls that we’re going to win it, but that’s something we feel like we can certainly compete for.”

La Villa has won six of its first nine games after going 9-14 a season ago. The Lady Cardinals missed the playoffs after losing a play-in game to Santa Maria. La Villa has already notched a notable victory over District 32-2A foe San Perlita, winning 38-30 during tournament play.

Rodriguez returned nine of his 10 varsity players from last year, and is already noticing his emphasis on weight-training paying off.

“I’m seeing a huge difference in our strength,” he said. “We’re a physically strong team. We overpower people. We have more court awareness, too. All the shooting and passing we’ve done over the last year is starting to pay off for us physically and mentally.”

The Lady Cardinals starting lineup is Nikki Montelongo, Rudie Jo Garcia, Savannah Rubalcaba, Zabrina Guerrero and Ruby Mireles.

QUICK LEARNERS

Roma has taken its lumps during the early part of the season, both by design and by unfortunate circumstance.

At 4-8, the Lady Gladiators’ record is a reflection of tough tournament play in Laredo and San Antonio, as well as the absence of senior Krysynthia Rocha, who has missed every game with a shoulder injury.

“The girls are grinding and we’re trying to build up fast,” coach Romeo Rios said. ‘We’re learning on the go, but we’re getting after it. Hopefully we’ll be in good shape by the time district rolls around.”
Rocha is scheduled to return in December. Rios has tinkered with lineups and given playing time to junior Samantha Alaniz and Jeselle Guerra.

“Everyone is getting their opportunities,” Rios said. “Everyone is learning and getting time on the court. We’re learning quick and fast.”

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Mercedes Hernandez didn’t miss a shot all night. It didn’t matter where the Edinburg High guard was on the court — behind the arc, the charity stripe, or getting layups while drawing contact from defenders. Once the ball left her hand, it was automatic.

“Even her floaters went in,” teammate Jennifer Galvan said. “They usually look a little off when she lets it go, but they went her way tonight.”

Indeed, everything went right for the Lady Bobcats during Tuesday’s game at Morris Middle School. Behind an 18-3 run during the second quarter, Edinburg ran away to a 47-22 win over La Joya Palmview to improve to 12-3 on the season.

Edinburg received scoring contributions from seven players, but none as efficient as Hernandez, who totaled 14 points while shooting 4-of-4 from the field and 7-of-7 from the line. As a team, the Lady Bobcats connected on all 13 of their free throw attempts.

This is the second consecutive game where Edinburg boasted a 20 point lead. During their last game, the Lady Bobcats allowed Laredo Cigarroa to hang around. Against the Lady Lobos, the aim was to play a complete defensive game.

“We wanted to bring that energy and close out,” Hernandez said. “At halftime (teammate Natalie Roxburgh) said we had to keep it mean face.”

And it was that mentality that flustered a high-powered Palmview offense. The Lady Lobos never scored more than nine points in a quarter, and their dynamic backcourt of Renee Flores and Samantha Gutierrez combined for nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.

Gutierrez, a senior, did not start for unspecified reasons. The left-handed guard came off the bench midway through the first quarter and was held scoreless on the night. Brittany Cano led Palmview (8-4) in scoring with 10 points.

“We never got going offensively,” Palmview coach Anisa Reyna said. “…We’ve still got some kids that are learning the ropes, trying to learn their responsibilities and their roles. We just made too many crucial errors. Offensively, we didn’t’ get enough shots up. They probably got more shots than us in one half period. We deserved to lose.”

Palmview led 9-8 after the first quarter, but a 5-0 Edinburg run at the beginning of the second quarter set the tone for the remainder of the game. Hernandez scored 10 points while Jenessah Santa Maria contributed six. Jenessah’s sister Jayla hovered near a double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Jayla scored all of her points during the second half.

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Brownsivlle IDEA Frontier 48, San Perlita 14
Brownsville Hanna 50, Donna High 39
Brownsville Lopez 46, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 29
Brownsville Pace 49, Rio Hondo 44
Brownsville Veterans Memorial 63, McAllen Memorial 60, OT
Edinburg Economedes 43, Sharyland Pioneer 37
Edinburg High 47, La Joya Palmview 22
Harlingen High 53, McAllen High 43
Harlingen South 57, PSJA Memorial 41
IDEA Donna 35, La Villa 34
Laredo Nixon 47, Roma 39
Los Fresnos 53, Edinburg North 50
Mercedes 46, Mission High 19
Mission Veterans Memorial 36, McAllen Rowe
23 Raymondville 48, Edinburg IDEA Quest 45
Rio Grande City 46, La Joya High 26
Santa Rosa 29, Progreso 23
Weslaco East 29, San Benito 27
Weslaco High 62, Edinburg Vela 34

BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ 46, LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 29

Brownsville Lopez xx xx xx xx — 46

Juarez-Lincoln xx xx xx xx — 29

Brownsville Lopez (46) — Yadia Mejia 24, Imelda Garcia 16

Juarez-Lincoln (29) — Not Reported

RECORDS: Brownsville Lopez (4-10); La Joya Juare-Lincoln (5-8)

BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL 63, McALLEN MEMORIAL 60

Brownsville Vets 12 18 16 6 11 — 63

McAllen Memorial 5 12 18 17 8 — 60

BROWNSIVLLE VETERANS (63) — Jordan Rudd 12, Brianna Cortez 21, Hannah Meyers 18, Krysta Lopez 7, Bridget Hines 1, Alexis Garcia, 4

McALLEN MEMORIAL (60) — Ebony Johnson 12, Victoria Izagguire 22, Tani Talamantez 8, Kailey Caldwell 12, Valeria Treviño 4, Draik Banks 2

RECORDS: Brownsville Vetreans Memorial (8-1); McAllen Memorial (3-4)

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 43, SHARYLAND PIONEER 37

Edinburg Economedes 6 14 9 14 — 43

Sharyland Pioneer 4 11 17 5 — 37

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (43) — A. Escalante 2, D. Castro 2, L. Cabrrerra 4, D. Zarate 2, S. Perez 31

SHARYLAND PIONEER (37) — C. Chandler 8, D. Perez 11, M. Garza 2, M. ramos 8, M. DeLeon 6, M. Aguilar 2,

RECORDS: Edinburg Economedes (4-4); Sharyland Pioneer (3-11)

EDINBURG HIGH 47, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 22

Edinburg High 8 18 8 13 — 47

La Joya Palmview 9 3 5 5 — 22

EDINBURG HIGH (47) — Mercedes Hernandez 14, Jenessah Santa Maria 10, Jayla Santa Maria 9, Natalie Roxburgh 6, Jennifer Galvan 4; Yvette Olvera 2, Victoria Basquez 2

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (22) — Brittany Cano 10; Renee Flores 9, Edna Ovalle 2, Martha Bocanegra 1

RECORDS: Edinburg High (12-3); La Joya Palmview (8-4)

HARLINGEN HIGH 53, McALLEN HIGH 43

Harlingen High 15 11 14 13 — 53

McAllen High 9 17 8 9 — 43

HARLINGEN HIGH (53) — Sami Quilantan 23, Marissa Gasca 14, Elvira Fraga 8, Addison Dickey 7, Nadia Flores, 6, Janeellei Vegara 2

McALLEN HIGH (43) — Sabrina Guzman 13, Victoria Alanis 10, Brianna Coffee 10, Heaven Wilbakns 6, Syndey Pemelton 2, Celeste Saenz 1

RECORDS: Harlingen High (12-1); McAllen High (6-8)

LOS FRESNOS 53, EDINBURG NORTH 50

Los Fresnos 9 13 15 18 — 53

Edinburg North 9 15 8 18 — 50

LOS FRESNOS (53) — Not reported

EDINBURG NORTH (50) — Tiffany Chapa 12, Stephanie Flores 13, Nikki Rodriguez 9

RECORDS: Los Fresnos (9-5); Edinburg North (5-7)

MISSION VETERANS MEMORIAL 36, McALLEN ROWE 23

McAllen Rowe 6 8 4 5 — 23

Mission Veterans 10 8 10 8 — 36

McALLEN ROWE (23) — Andrea De La Garza 8, Jocelyn Rios 2, Ashley Smith 18, Lindsay Garza 2, Darian Ibarra 4, Krysta Perez 2

MISSION VETERANS (36) —Deanna Gonzalez 3, Jovanni Solis 3, Mayda Garcia 11, Jewel Membere 2, Ryela Rodriguez 4

RECORDS: McAllen Rowe (3-3); Mission Veterans Memorial (7-6)

WESLACO EAST 29, SAN BENITO 27

Weslaco East 10 7 3 9 — 29

San Benito 18 1 5 3 — 27

WESLACO EAST (29) — Chylee LeFevre 9, Kimberly Charles 7, Yaritza Marin 4

SAN BENITO(27) — Not reported

RECORDS: Weslaco East (9-6); San Benito (8-2)

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — Weslaco East’s chances of defeating Del Rio appeared as strong as the wind blowing through Alamo Stadium. With an eight point lead and 4:14 remaining, the Wildcats were rolling.

Sophomore quarterback Richard LeFevre was in the midst of a breakout game. The defense, led in part by sophomore JC Vargas, collected timely stops against an explosive Rams offense.

But a series of costly mistakes during crunch time, including a late fumble and an unrecovered onside kick, helped the Rams escape with a 33-21 win during Saturday’s Class 6A, Division II area round game.

The Rams scored three times in less than three minutes of game time, ending East’s bid to advance to the regional-qualifying round for the second time in as many years.

“I thought we were a bit timid during the first half,” East coach Mike Burget said. “That’s unlike our guys. At halftime I asked them to play Weslaco East football. Our guys came out during the third and fourth quarter and played well.”

The Wildcats (8-3) gained a 21-13 advantage late during the fourth quarter when LeFevre found junior receiver Jesse Trevino alone behind Del Rio’s defense for a 41-yard touchdown pass. The play was set up by a fumble recovery from Vargas.

LeFevre had a hand in all three of East’s scores, including an 8-yard pass to Ciro Rojas and a 2-yard dive on a keeper.

“These guys have stuck with me all season,” LeFevre said. “Through the ups and the downs and all the bumps, they’ve been with me no matter what. Whenever I make mistakes, they’ve always supported me.”

LeFevre completed six of his nine attempts for 101 passing yards and two scores. He also gained 14 rushing yards on five carries.

Del Rio responded in rapid fashion, going 64 yards in seven plays before quarterback Steven Salinas found Gaston Flores in the end zone from six yards out. The Rams attempted a 2-point conversion that was thwarted by Vargas, who knocked a would-be pass to the ground.

Flores proved a difficult matchup for the Wildcats throughout the afternoon, ending with 159 receiving yards and a pair of scores on 13 receptions.

It was 21-19 in favor of East with 2:27 left. The Wildcats wouldn’t see the ball again until the 17 second mark.

During the ensuing onside kick, Del Rio (10-3) recovered on East’s 38-yard line after the ball ricocheted off the hands of an East player. Five plays later, the Rams took the lead for good when Salinas connected with Miguel Chairez from the 4-yard line to go up 26-21.

East’s slim hopes of saving its season vanished when the team fumbled into the end zone on the first play of its final drive. Del Rio recovered and were credited with a touchdown to make it 33-21.

“That’s why they call it a playoff game,” East defensive coordinator Rene Guzman said. “Anything can happen. The ball didn’t bounce our way at the end. Wish we could do things differently, but that’s not the case.”

SMALL ON BIG PLAYS

Though the Wildcats scored on big plays during the second half, the team was shut out during the first two quarters. Emilio Tamez, the leading rusher in District 31-6A on the season with more than 1,200 rushing yards, was limited to 33 first-half yards.

“That was our goal coming into the game,” Del Rio coach Frenchey McCrea said. “We know how fast and athletic they are. We wanted to take away some of those big plays and make them work for every yard. It wasn’t easy. They’re a good team. They got me with a couple of their formations.”

Tamez finished with a game-high 87 rushing yards on 18 carries.

ADJUSTMENTS

Saturday marks the conclusion of LeFevre’s first season under center for the Wildcats. The 6-3 athlete transferred to East from Ben Bolt during the summer.

“It was a big transition, coming to a big school from a small school,” LeFevre said. “There are so many skilled players at every position. I know I played like a young player at times, but they always hung in there and gave me a chance. I just tried as hard as I could to give them whatever they wanted.”

HIGH DEMAND

Ciro Rojas played his last game as a Wildcat in all three phases. Rojas carried the ball just three times for 14 yards and caught three passes for 29, but spent the bulk of the first half on defense, lined up in the secondary.

“He’s been doing that all year for us,” Guzman said. “He’s our go-to guy. He hardly ever comes off the field… We demanded a lot from him all season long.”

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