BY Jon R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

The Weslaco High Panthers have steamrolled their way to a four-game winning streak in which they’ve beat opponents by an average of 42 points. As Weslaco (6-2, 4-0) looks to remain unbeaten in District 31-6A, coach Tony Villarreal isn’t taking anything lightly against Edinburg Economedes.

“They’re a really physical team,” Villarreal said. “We really don’t like playing them so late in the season. They banged us up pretty good last year, and we were hobbling into that Weslaco East game and into the playoffs.”

Physical is a word often used by opposing teams to describe the Jaguars. Villarreal’s biggest apprehension regarding Econ, however, doesn’t stem from game plans or X’s and O’s, but from a close bond with Jaguars coach Gabe Peña.

Villarreal’s and Peña’s relationship dates to 1990, when Peña was hired as a linemen coach for Port Isabel when Villarreal was head coach of the Tarpons. In the ensuing decades, the pair has worked with and against each other at various stops during their careers, but one thing has remained constant.

“Playing coach Peña is like going against family,” Villarreal said. “It’s always really tough going against him. It’s uncomfortable for me, and I really don’t like it very much.”

Villarreal will have to endure such emotions Friday when the Panthers travel to Cats Stadium to play Econ (4-4, 2-2). Weslaco will see a mirror of itself in the Jaguars, as both teams flaunt their ability to run the ball and stop the run. But familiarity does not necessarily breed simplicity in terms of scheming for a victory against Econ.

“You’d think it would be easier to game plan for (Econ), but it really isn’t,” Villarreal said. “With the slot-T (offense), there’s so much misdirection and timing that you have to perfect … And defensively, you have to be able to fill every gap and be fundamentally sound. It’s going to be tough.”

Weslaco sports the second-best statistical defense in 31-6A, allowing 284 yards per game. Econ’s defense sits atop the district, granting opponents just 249 yards per game.

IT’S O.K. TO THROW
Peña has carried lessons learned under Villarreal throughout his high school coaching career. Be it the intricacies of running a program on a day-to-day basis, building a coaching staff or molding well-rounded athletes, it all stems from Villarreal’s tutelage.

“Everything I learned then, I still hold true today,” Peña said. “No one runs a tighter ship than Tony.”
But while Peña has employed many elements of Villarreal’s slot-T offense, this season has found the fifth-year Econ coach adding new wrinkles to his team’s offensive attack.

“My offensive coordinator, Jesse Salinas, he’s convinced me that there’s nothing wrong with throwing the ball more than twice a game,” Peña. “He’s a very knowledgeable coach. He knows every position so well. He’s made it so simple for us to evolve from a slot to a spread look.”

Econ is led through the air by quarterback Jesse Gonzalez, who has thrown for 656 yards and six touchdowns. The Jaguars have gained 1,643 yards on the ground this season.

RESTING RAIDERS
The PSJA North Raiders enjoy their bye this week and will not see the field again until November 5 against Edinburg High. The Raiders (4-5, 3-2) are guaranteed a playoff spot for the second time in as many years under coach Jorge Peña.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

What began as a routine pre-district swim meet turned into a lesson in crisis management for Luciano Farias-Ramirez.

As the Sharyland High sophomore entered the water during Saturday’s Halloween Hysteria competition at the Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center in Brownsville to begin the 200-yard medley relay, Farias-Ramirez noticed the scoring touchpad had sunk to the bottom of the pool. His attempts to alert officials were fruitless, and the starting gun fired as he was out of position.

“He didn’t get going until about five seconds after the race had already started,” Sharyland coach Tina Jensen said. “I said, ‘Next time, just go. I don’t know what to tell you in those situations.’”

Though the Rattlers recovered for a third-place finish with a time of 1 minutes, 53 seconds, Farias-Ramirez exorcised his frustrations during the boys 200 freestyle, winning gold in 1:53.77, nearly three seconds better than the runner-up.

“I think he let off a little steam in that one,” Jensen said.

Farias-Ramirez collected another individual medal in the 100 backstroke, winningsilver in 57.60. Farias-Ramirez qualified for the state swim meet in the backstroke last year. Jensen says she’s encouraged by his early swims, but she’d like to see his times improve to the 49-second range by season’s end.

“We’re always working hard, trying to get better as the season progresses,” Jensen said. “I don’t begin to taper until after regionals. District isn’t the only goal for us, I want us to be competitive at the next level, as well.”

The Sharyland boys team won first place at the meet. Javier Moreno won silver in the 50 freestyle (23.39). The girls were led in part by diver Sandra Valdez, who placed second in the girls 1-meter diving competition.

EARLY FATIGUE
Roma spent its Saturday in Brownsville as well, participating in the team’s first meet of the season. Though the Gladiators were fresh on paper, coach Calvin Snyder saw otherwise.

“There were a lot of tired legs out there,” Snyder said. “We swam tired, but I knew we would. I expected that. We’ve been going harder in our practices.”

Despite the early-season fatigue, the Gladiators received notable individual performances in Luis Lozano, who won bronze in the boys 200 IM with a personal-best time of 2:18.73. Teammate Ahren Trevino placed second in the boys 100 fly (59.67)

The Roma boys and girls each placed fifth as a team. The Lady Gladiators were without senior swimmers Jocelyn Martinez and Veronica Polanco on Saturday. Both were taking their ACT exams.

HALLOWEEN SWIM
RGV swim teams are back in the pool this weekend at the Pharr Aquatic Center. The diving competition begins at 1 p.m. Friday and swimmers begin competing at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

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1, Ruell Cuellar, PSJA North, 164.05; 2, Eddie Barrera, La Joya High, 158.74; 3, Abraham Rodriguez, McAllen Rowe, 156.40; 4, Ethan Plummer, McAllen Memorial, 124.85; 5, Levi De Leon, McAllen High, 124.35; 6, Vicente Martinez, La Joya High, 121.60.

Girls 1-meter diving

1, Thadey Diaz, Brownsville Lopez, 186.25; 2, Sandra Valdez, Sharyland High, 184.85; 3, Carolina Carrillo, PSJA North, 136.75; 4, Katherine De Leon, McAllen Memorial, 135.15; 5, Patty Rocha, McAllen Memorial, 128.70; 6, Daisy Segundo, La Joya High, 115.85.

Boys — 1, Sharyland High 290.5; 2, PSJA Southwest, 246; 3, McAllen Memorial, 226; 4, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 218; 5, Roma, 212.5; 6, Los Fresnos, 202; 7, Brownsville Rivera, 144; 8, Brownsville Pace, 94; 9, Sharyland Pioneer, 86; 9, Harlingen High, 86.

Girls — 1, McAllen Memorial, 362; Brownsville Hanna 254.5; 3, McAllen Rowe, 245.5; 4, Los Fresnos, 217; 5, Roma, 197; 6, Sharyland High, 187; 7, Harlingen South, 160.5; 8, Sharyland Pioneer, 133; 9, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 131; 10, Harlingen High 93.

1, PSJA Southwest ‘A’, 1:46.37 2, Brownsville Veterans Memorial ‘A’, 1:51.32; 3, Sharyland High ‘A’, 1:53.00 4, Roma ‘A’, 1:54.39; 5, McAllen Memorial ‘A’, 1:55.20; 6, Brownsville Pace ‘A’, 2:02.80.

200-yard freestyle

1, Luciano Farias-Ramirez, Sharyland High, 1:53.77; 2, Joseph Velazquez, PSJA Southwest, 1:56.08; 3, Hugo Carreon, Brownsville First Baptist, 1:56.25; 4, Daniel R. Flores, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1:59.74; 5, Marco Rivera, Sharyland High, 2:00.27; 6, David Benavides, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:01.98.

200-yard IM

1, Joshua Velazquez, PSJA Southwest, 2:04.78; 2, Adrian Flores, Brownsville Rivera, 2:13.84; 3, Luis Lozano, Roma, 2:18.73; 4, Andre Rodriguez, PSJA North, 2:24.79; 5, Ryan Shea, Brownsville Rivera, 2:27.76 6, Manuel Tello, Roma, 2:28.76.

50-yard freestyle

1, Jonathan Ashford, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 22.82; 2, Javier Suarez Moreno, Sharyland High, 23.29; 3, Ari Morales, Los Fresnos, 23.62; 4, Ahren Trevino, Roma, 23.67; 5, Weisong He, Marine Military Academy, 23.755 6, Ruben D. Trevino, McAllen Memorial, 24.00.

100-yard butterfly

1, Victor Carreon, Brownsville First Baptist, 55.82; 2, Ahren Trevino, Roma, 59.67; 3, Juan Mejia, PSJA Southwest, 1:02.05; 4, Jose Serrato, Sharyland High, 1:03.73; 5, Victor Reyes, Brownsville Pace, 1:03.79 6, Bets Hinojosa, PSJA Southwest, 1:04.48.

100-yard freestyle

1, Victor Carreon, Brownsville First Baptist, 50.96; 2, Daniel R. Flores, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 53.22; 3, Roman Garcia, McAllen Rowe, 53.96; 4, Caden Garza, McAllen Memorial, 54.12; 5, Sergio Barrera, Roma, 54.39; 6, Javier Suarez Moreno, Sharyland High, 54.42.

500-yard freestyle

1, Hugo Carreon, Brownsville First Baptist, 5:13.03; 2, Ruben D. Trevino, McAllen Memorial, 5:19.88; 3, David Benavides, Sharyland Pioneer, 5:36.92 ; 4, Zack Garza, PSJA Southwest, 5:48.44; 5, Humberto Garcia Sandoval, McAllen Memorial, 5:49.39; 6, Adrian Flores, Brownsville Rivera, 5:55.96.

200-yard freestyle relay

1, PSJA Southwest ‘A’, 1:36.33; 2, Sharyland High ‘A’, 1:36.93; 3, Brownsville Veterans Memorial ‘A’, 1:40.26; 4, Los Fresnos ‘A’, 1:40.42; 5, Mission Veterans Memorial ‘A’, 1:44.81; 6, Roma ‘A’, 1:44.93.

100-yard backstroke

1, Joshua Velazquez, PSJA Southwest, 55.79; 2, Luciano Farias-Ramirez, Sharyland High, 57.60; 3, Juan Mejia, PSJA Southwest, 1:00.28; 4, Jose Hernandez, Brownsville Pace, 1:01.95; 5, Juan A. Sanchez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1:07.98; 6, Julian Solis, PSJA Memorial, 1:09.68.

100-yard breaststroke

1, Jonathan Ashford, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1:01.05; 2, Joseph Velazquez, PSJA Southwest, 1:02.74; 3, Jorge Vasquez, McAllen Memorial, 1:04.75 4, Luis Lozano, Roma, 1:10.40; 5, Marco Rivera, Sharyland High, 1:11.54 6, Andre Rodriguez, PSJA North, 1:13.05.

400-yard freestyle relay

1, Roma ‘A’, 3:40.05 2, McAllen Memorial ‘A’, 3:45.66; 3, Los Fresnos ‘A’, 3:46.60; 4, Brownsville Rivera ‘A’, 3:54.38; 5, Sharyland High ‘A’, 3:56.29; 6, Harlingen High ‘A”, 3:58.57.

1, McAllen Memorial ‘A’, 2:03.66; 2, Los Fresnos ‘A’, 2:05.21; 3, McAllen Rowe, ‘A’, 2:12.15; 4, Brownsville Hanna, 2:14.28; 5, Roma ‘A’, 2:14.66; 6, Harlingen South, 2:17.14.

200-yard freestyle

1, Maya Imperial, 2:08.73 Brownsville Hanna, 2:08.73; 2, Natalia Davila, Brownsville Hanna, 2:12.22; 3, Kendall House, Los Fresnos, 2:12.67; 4, Clea Garza, Sharyland High 2:19.05; 5, Sydney Thomas, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:19.59 6, Sarah Chandler, Sharyland High, 2:20.70.

200-yard IM

1, Hannah Bradford, McAllen Memorial, 2:21.93; 2, Ivana Besteiro, Los Fresnos, 2:22.69; 3, Julia Worley, PSJA North, 2:36.47; 4, Frida Salazar, Valley Christian High School, 2:36.54; 5, Sarah Flores, Harlingen High, 2:39.87; 6, Julieta Gardea, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:42.21.

50-yard freestyle

1, Ivana Besteiro, Los Fresnos, 26.25; 2, Tonnih Ruiz, Brownsville Veterans, 27.81; 3, Sarah J. Aleman, McAllen Memorial, 27.86; 4, Ayanna Delias, McAllen Rowe, 28.46; 5, Shaena Reyes, McAllen Rowe, 28.92; 5, Tahliya Martinez, Brownsville Hanna, 28.92.

100-yard butterfly

1, Stacia Benitez, McAllen Memorial, 1:02.66; 2, Andrea Moreno, Los Fresnos, 1:04.49; 3, Natalia Davila, Brownsivlle Hanna, 1:08.55; 4, Avia Guerra, McAllen Memorial, 1:09.85; 5, Abby Garza, Sharyland High, 1:09.96; 6, Sarah Flores, Harlingen High, 1:12.67.

100-yard freestyle

1, Ina Te, McAllen Rowe, 57.54 2, Kendall House, Los Fresnos, 59.80 3, Aransas L. Haley, Harlingen South, 1:02.91 4, Ayanna Delias, McAllen Rowe, 1:04.62; 5, Isabella Gonzalez, Roma, 1:05.10; 6, Bianca Benavides, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:05.57.

500-yard freestyle

1, Maya Imperial, Brownsville Hanna, 5:41.52 2, Andrea Moreno, Los Fresnos, 5:48.80; 3, Frida Salazar, Valley Christian High School, 6:06.87; 4, Sydney Thomas, Sharyland Pioneer, 6:09.87; 5, Shaena Reyes, McAllen Rowe, 6:16.05 6, Sarah Chandler, Sharyland High, 6:20.02.

200-yard freestyle relay

1, Los Fresnos ‘A’, 1:50.77; 2, McAllen Rowe ‘A’, 1:55.37; 3, Brownsville Hanna ‘A’, 1:56.16; 4, Roma ‘A’, 1:59.18; 5, Sharyland Pioneer ‘A’, 2:00.93; 6, McAllen Rowe, 2:02.67.

100-yard backstroke

1, Stacia Benitez, McAllen Memorial, 1:03.11; 2, Ina Te, McAllen Rowe, 1:07.32; 3, Avia Guerra, McAllen Memorial, 1:09.67; 4, Lourdes Wisbey, PSJA Southwest, 1:09.96; 5, Sarah Aleman, McAllen Memorial, 1:10.18; 6, Abby Garza, Sharyland High, 1:11.36.

100-yard breaststroke

1, Hannah Bradford, McAllen Memorial, 1:11.14; 2, Aransas L. Haley, Harlingen South, 1:17.76; 3, Mariana Chavez, Brownsville First Baptist, 1:18.84; 4, Lola D. Garza, Harlingen South, 1:19.14; 5, Balbina Gonzalez Hernandez, McAllen Memorial, 1:21.18; 6, Carlette Villarreal, Sharyland Pioneer, 1:21.66.

400-yard freestyle relay

1, McAllen Memorial ‘A’, 4:05.60; 2, Brownsville Hanna ‘A’, 4:18.33; 3, Roma ‘A’, 4:22.01; 4, Brownsville Veterans Memorial ‘A’, 4:30.93; 5, McAllen Rowe ‘A’, 4:33.14; 6, Harlingen High ‘A’, 4:38.58.

RGVSPORTS.COM

HIDALGO — During a game that loomed large for both team’s playoff chances, Grulla quarterback Fabian Anzaldua found Leo Martinez on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 7 minutes to push the Gators past Hidalgo, 7-6.

After Hidalgo scored early in the third quarter, but missed the extra point, Grulla responded, and junior Alfredo Gonzalez didn’t miss his extra point attempt after Martinez’s score.

“Both teams played hard. The score says it,” Grulla coach Abel Gonzalez III said. “Our defense played outstanding. We held them to six points and had a huge goal-line stand there in the last seconds of the game. Our kids just fought and they never gave up.”

The game was scoreless at halftime. Both offenses moved the ball well between the 20’s all night, but neither was able to turn that into points until late.

Grulla improved to 3-4 overall, 1-1 in District 16-4A, DI. Hidalgo dropped to 2-6, 0-3.

This game last season, also won by Grulla, ended up deciding the fourth and final playoff participant in the five-team 16-4A, DI. It looks likely that that will be the case again this season.

“I’m proud of our kids,” Gonzalez said. “We were able to rally and we just stuck with it. I just like the way our kids responded after going down and both teams were really fighting for their playoff lives. We’re glad we were able to get this.”

PORT ISABEL 44, WEST OSO 18: At Port Isabel, the Tarpons got off to a quick start taking a double-digit lead in the first half on their way to defeating West Oso.

Omar Silva led the way with three touchdowns on the ground and threw another one to Jesus Salazar.
The Tarpons stuck to their ground game as they played in sloppy conditions due to the rain. Port Isabel also got rushing touchdowns from Travis Camacho, Ivan Gonzalez, and Jorge Escobar in the District 16-4A DII victory.

The Tarpons’ defense did the rest, limiting the Bears and giving the offensive unit good field position all evening.

CLASS 6A
LOS FRESNOS 46, BROWNSVILLE RIVERA 6: At Los Fresnos, the Falcons jumped to an early first quarter lead and easily defeated the Raiders.

Los Fresnos used a mix of passes and runs in rainy conditions to take an early advantage and had the game in-hand by halftime.

“The boys came out and executed really well,” Los Fresnos coach Clint Finley said. “We played a good game and jumped on them quick and that was key to our victory. You can’t let those guys hang around, they play hard and they can give you some trouble.

“They jumped on us last year and we just wanted to make sure we took care of business this year.”
WESLACO HIGH 54, PSJA MEMORIAL 14: At Weslaco, the Panthers won their fourth straight in convincing fashion to remain undefeated in District 31-6A.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 40, EDINBURG HIGH 7: At Edinburg, the Jaguars ran past the Bobcats and improved to 2-2 in District 31-6A to keep their playoff hopes alive.

CLASS 5A
DONNA HIGH 42, BROWNSVILLE PORTER 7: At Donna, the Redskins won their sixth game in a row in pulling away from the Cowboys during the second half.

“They were tough,” Donna coach Ramiro Leal said of Porter. “Their offensive line is huge and we got off to a slow start. Our possessions were limited. But what helped us out is they went for it on every fourth down and didn’t capitalize on any. The defense stepped up for us.”

Amonte Bowen, Edward Dougherty, Paul Guerra and Jonathan Sandoval all scored for the Redskins (6-2, 5-0 32-5A). Sophomore EJ Alvarado had a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Next week the Redskins face inner-city rival Donna North, which plays Brownsville Pace today. A win gives Donna at least a share of the district title.

Donna High has not won a district title since 2007.

MERCEDES 35, PSJA HIGH 6: At Mercedes, the Tigers stayed alive in the District 32-5A title race with a rout of the Bears.

Fabian Ledesma and Isaac Vela scored two touchdowns each, and Zach Gomez added another as Mercedes was able to control the game with its running attack.

“The boys continued rolling and that’s what we want to see,” Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. said. “We went out there and we’re just getting better every week.”

Mercedes improved to 5-3 overall, 4-1 in district. PSJA High remained winless, dropping to 0-8.
MISSION VETERANS MEMORIAL 45, VALLEY VIEW 24: At Mission, the Patriots scored 31 unanswered points to pull ahead and record their third consecutive victory.

Mission Veterans (6-2 overall, 1-3 in district) turned a 14-7 deficit to a 38-14 lead with freshman quarterback Landry Gilpin leading the way. Gilpin threw four touchdown passes (two to Roman De Leon, two to Bobby Tovar) before having two of his scores called back. Gilpin also scored once on the ground.

It was the second game Gilpin started since junior Diego Hernandez was lost for the year due to injury.
“Valley View’s done good things defensively all year. So for us to put up 45 points, and have two touchdowns called back, I was very pleased with our offensive bunch,” Mission Veterans coach David Gilpin said.

CLASS 3A
FREER 48, MONTE ALTO 20: At Freer, the Blue Devils lost their second consecutive game.
Monte Alto lost the head-to-head matchup last year, as well, 32-24.

CLASS 2A
RIVIERA KAUFER 46, LA VILLA 36: At Riviera, the Cardinals had their two-game win streak snapped.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRTER

PHARR — An evening of steady rain showers wasn’t enough to dampen Weslaco East’s athleticism.
During a soggy contest that saw two of District 31-6A’s more explosive offenses duke it out, it was the Wildcats who made enough plays to overcome the elements to beat PSJA North 36-22 on Thursday at PSJA Stadium.

Though the Wildcats and Raiders combined to score eight touchdowns on 647 yards of offense, the game deviated from the script for both teams. While each unit prides itself on ball control, a total of seven fumbles were committed — three of those coming from East.

Wildcats coach Mike Burget didn’t want to hear excuses about the weather.

“This is our weather,” Burget said. “We’re a ground-and-pound, muddy-and-wet type of team. We should have loved it. We even practiced with wet footballs this week, and we didn’t have any fumbles in practice. But we’ll be OK.”

The bulk of the Wildcats’ ills occurred during the second half when they committed two fumbles which allowed the Raiders to crawl back into the game. From the opening kickoff until the middle of the third quarter, however, East demonstrated its offensive speed and defensive might to take a 36-7 lead.

The Raiders (4-5, 3-2) got on the board first. Running back Rene Ramirez carried the ball into the end zone from six yards out to cap a 12-play, 77-yard drive with 2:51 left in the opening quarter.

From there, East scored on five of its next six possession, racking up points in whatever fashion it pleased. Sophomore quarterback Richard LeFevre connected with multi-position athlete Ciro Rojas for a 20-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7 late in the first quarter.

Rojas accounted for four of Weslaco East’s five touchdowns. In addition to his receiving score, he notched a pair of rushing touchdowns and opened the second half with an 83-yard kickoff return. Rojas has scored 17 touchdowns this year, best in District 31-6A.

Rojas finished the night with 121 rushing yards on 7 carries, including a 94-yard burst down the field for a touchdown, and caught two passes for 46 yards.

Thursday marked the fifth-straight victory for Weslaco East (6-1, 4-0), which was coming off a bye. But Burget still sees room for improvement with two regular season games remaining.

“We played well for three and a half quarters,” Burget said. “From there, I don’t know, I think we started letting up a little bit. That’s on me as a coach. I didn’t do enough to get us prepared for four quarters.”

CREDIT THE LINE

East running back Emilio Tamez entered PSJA Stadium with a district-leading 750 rushing yards, and displayed his skillset once more to the tune of 168 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Tamez’s biggest carry came on a 64-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter to put the Wildcats up 21-7.

“I have to credit my offensive line,” Tamez said. “They’ve made holes like that for me all year. On that (touchdown) play, anybody could have scored. They set all of our runners up so well.”

RUNNING A FEVRE

Sophomore quarterback Richard LeFevre has seen the field sparingly throughout the season. Aside from a 250-yard performance against La Joya High during Week 4, the Ben Bolt transfer sees the field whenever the circumstance is favorable.

But during Thursday’s game, LeFevre spent much of the evening under center. Though he completed 2-of-6 attempts for 46 yards and a score, he routinely handed off to Tamez and Rojas.

“(Quarterback) JJ Garza has a hurt ankle,” Burget said. “He’s still hobbling around. We’d rather have him at 100 percent. LeFevre did a good job, he made a couple of sophomore mistakes, but he’s a sophomore. Him throwing the ball was great, him running the no huddle was great. He’s only going to get better as the years go.”

STAND IN PLACE WHERE YOU WERE

PSJA North quarterback Darren Fuentes started the game leaving the team’s Week 8 victory over Edinburg Economedes. Though Fuentes got the nod under center, he was moved to receiver during the second quarter and Bo Adams was installed at the QB.

“I know where I stand now with the quarterback position,” PSJA North coach Jorge Pena said. “Bo is a bit of a stronger runner. Darren plays well for us, but he’s small and gets beat up. We moved him into the open field so he won’t get hit.”

The Raiders will have two before their next game, as they take their bye in Week 10.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Weslaco East would be wise to bring a bigger scoreboard today to PSJA Stadium. The current one might be too small to reflect the final score.

When the Wildcats kick off against PSJA North at 7 p.m., it will be a matchup between two of District 31-6A’s highest-scoring teams. Through Week 8, the Wildcats and Raiders combine to average 73 points on 803 yards of offense.

With each unit sporting a host of offensive talent, it will be up to the respective defenses to stymie their high-powered opponents.

“They can hit you from different kinds of angles,” East defensive coordinator Rene Guzman said. “They’ve got the running back that’s tough, they’ve got their quarterback who is tough and runs tough as well. They’ve got receivers that can catch and run, they can hit you from the outside on the corners or down the middle of the field.”

The Raiders (4-4, 3-1) enter with a three-game win streak and have averaged 428 yards and 32 points during that span. Brandon Villarreal and Bo Adams have been the driving force in those victories, combining for more than 600 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

East’s defense will look to counter North’s speed with power and strength.

“We’ve just got to go out there and hit hard for four quarters,” Guzman said. “That’s what we’ve instilled in these kids.”

The Wildcats defense allows 149 rushing yards per game, bested in 31-6A only by Edinburg Economedes (128.8). East (5-1, 3-0) is coming off a bye week, and coach Mike Burget describes his team’s injury status as semi-healthy.

“I’ll tell you what that means after the first drive,” he said.

North coach Jorge Peña says the Raiders defense has spent the short week doubling down on recognizing East’s multi-formation offense, and that identifying them is paramount to North’s success. But other things stand out to Peña aside from X’s and O’s.

“There’s nobody in this district that’s as athletic as Weslaco (High) and Weslaco East,” Peña said. “There’s (East junior Ciro Rojas) who is as athletic as anyone I’ve ever seen. So is (fullback J.C. Vargas). I don’t think I’ve got any kids that can matchup with their athleticism.”

Rojas is the district’s leading scorer with 13 touchdowns, scoring as a runner, receiver and returner.
Though Peña employed a double tight end lineup during Week 8 to counteract Econ’s defensive speed, he says doing so against East wouldn’t be wise.

“With Weslaco East, (going double tight) doesn’t matter because they’re balanced all the time,” he said. “We just have to go out there and execute the plays that we run and hopefully that’ll be good enough.”

The Raiders defense sits at the bottom of 31-6A in yards allowed with 386. They’ve improved in their last three games, however, allowing 286.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

The Edinburg High Bobcats didn’t celebrate last week’s 28-7 win over PSJA Memorial for too long. Coach Joaquin Escobar knows the work continues for a team that sits at 1-6. But still, the second-year coach can’t help but notice the mood his team has carried into practice this week.

“They came in a little more upbeat, with a little more confidence,” Escobar said. “I told them they had the ability to play like this in previous games, we just didn’t put it quite together. Whether it was just mental mistakes or nervousness, you can’t put your finger on it.”

The Bobcats pulled off the upset win by scoring in all phases, notching two rushing touchdowns, a pick-six and a special teams touchdown. Edinburg intercepted Memorial quarterback Michael Gonzalez — who leads District 31-6A in passing yards — on three occasions.

“Our defensive coaches did a good job of watching film and preparing our kids,” Escobar said. “They did a good job of executing our game plan. Our defensive coordinator knows their defensive coordinator really well. He’s coached against him for a while and new we’d have to give them different looks.”

While Edinburg’s defense has been scrappy despite being undermanned throughout the year, the offense has found a spark in receiver in Jerry Zea. During district play, Zea has caught six passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns, notable numbers for a team whose offense averages 169 yards per game.

“Jerry, when he first came to our program, he was just a sophomore,” Escobar said. “He told me he was just a track kid, and I guess we kind of convinced him otherwise that he’s a better football player. He’s fast, he’s quick, he works very hard and he does a good job of being here every day. His improvement on running and being able to catch has been tremendous.”

BALL CONTROL
At the beginning of the season, Edinburg Economedes coach Gabe Peña knew his team’s fortunes rested in part on ball control. The fifth-year coach said many of last year’s struggles were a result of too many turnovers.

So as the Jaguars (3-4, 1-2) enter Friday’s matchup against Edinburg High on a two-game losing streak, it’s no secret what the culprit to their ills is. During their prior two outings, the Jaguars have committed eight turnovers — including two fumbles in the redzone during a 31-15 loss to PSJA North in Week 7.

“We’re not really focusing on it or harping on any kind of drills,” Peña said. “The kids already know that stuff. We just have to get back to having fun. Sometimes we overthink too much and take the fun out of the game. If we just get back to playing with simplicity and fun, the turnovers will take care of themselves.”

IN CONTROL
The Edinburg North Cougars are off this week, and don’t see the field again until they play PSJA Memorial on Oct. 30 at PSJA Stadium. It’s been an up-and-down year for the Cougars (2-6, 1-3), but the team is still eligible for a fourth-straight postseason berth. Should Edinburg North win its remaining two games — it closes the season against Edinburg Economedes — they’ll punch their ticket to the postseason.

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