BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

As Weslaco High opens the first practice of the season, coach Griselda Fino is met with a team of new faces.

The Lady Panthers enter the 2015 season losing more than they return. Fino saw six seniors graduate from last year’s 29-5 team that won a share of the District 31-6A title — including All-Valley Player of the Year Angela Villarreal. Weslaco return just five players, forcing Fino to change her gameplan.

“Our X’s and O’s are changing dramatically,” Fino said. “… We don’t really know what we’re going to do yet. We might go four guards, one post. We have some big guards though, so we might so all guards. Who knows at this point? We’ll see. But our scheme is changing, for sure.”

Returners include sharpshooter Jazlynn Muniz, guard Brianna Peña and post Amy Garcia. Though each of those players fit into a role last year, their duties will likely increase given Weslaco’s hefty roster turnover.

“Bri was more of a shooting guard for us last year, but she’s more of a ball handler for us now,” Fino said. “Jaz is sharing time handling the ball now, too. They’re whatever we need them to be this year.”

The new-look Panthers aim to maintain their defensive identity, and spent the early part of practice cutting off the baseline from would-be opponents. Fino sees another element that’s ever-present with her teams, as well.

“Hard work, by all means,” Fino said. “These kids know how to win. They know what our expectations are. There is nothing different. Our faces are different, but our goals and expectations remain the same. These kids work hard and we’re only going to get better.”

Weslaco’s season begins Nov. 12 at the Weslaco girls basketball tournament.

QUICK TRANSITION

As Monica Meza prepares for her first season as coach of the Mercedes Lady Tigers, the transition phase has been eased by the team’s bevy of experienced talent.

Mercedes lost five seniors from last year’s team that went 13-1 in District 32-5A and shared the title with Donna High, but a bulk of the returning underclassmen saw heavy minutes on the court.

“Having so many kids coming back helps,” Meza said. “So many of them are picking up on new schemes because they’ve been around, they know how the game works.”

While the Lady Tigers ran their offense through a pair of senior posts in Summer Vento and Mere Guevara a season ago, this year’s team lacks size but possess speed in guards such as Jackie Flores, Alyssa Marquez and Emily Ramirez.

“We certainly have some quickness and a bunch of intelligent kiddos,” Meza said. “They know what we’re looking for. We’re going to try and work our inside game a little bit, but we’re going to try and win games with speed. All they’re lacking is a big ol’ tall girl.”

Mercedes opens the season Nov. 12 at the Weslaco girls basketball tournament.

CREATING SPACE

The Edinburg Vela Lady SaberCats said goodbye to senior Ariel Rodriguez and her 18 points per game, and have gone from a balanced roster to one heavy on players that cluster near the basket. In order to create space, coach Lottie Zarate will look to convert sophomore post Bianca Cortez into a hybrid on the wing.

“Depending on certain games we play, I want to change her position,” Zarate said. “I want her to demonstrate both ways, inside and outside. I want to see her working on outside shots, some cuts, some sweeps. Whether she’s comfortable or not, it’s something she’s going to have to learn because I need to be able to use her in multiple ways.”

Edinburg Vela kicks off the season Nov. 10 at Harlingen South.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Mario Ramirez may as well live alone.

Sure, his home in San Manuel-Linn is shared with his mother and grandfather, but during football season, Ramirez rarely sees them.

“I just say ‘Hello’ to them at night,” Ramirez said. “It’s ‘Hi, hello, goodnight,’ and then right away after that I’m busy with other stuff.”

That other stuff is the homework that comes with an academic workload that includes four AP classes. In addition to his responsibilities as a student, Ramirez is an offensive lineman for Edinburg Economedes.

A typical day for the reserved 17-year old begins at 5 a.m. when he catches the bus for the hour-long trek to school. Once class is over, it’s out to the practice field to sweat and stew in the Valley’s ubiquitous heat. From there, Ramirez takes the late bus, sometimes doing homework by flashlight before arriving home at 9 p.m.

Even on the weekends, Ramirez can sometimes be seen on his grandfathers’ sorghum farm, operating and fixing equipment or tending to the pigs.

“During football (season), I’m pretty much only at home to sleep,” Ramirez says. “It’s tiring, but it’s worth it. It’s what I want to do. I love playing football. I don’t want to quit.”

Ramirez has played since he was in seventh grade and was attracted to the sport through pep rallies and games he attended.

“I just remember thinking those kids looked so cool in their jerseys,” Ramirez said. “I wanted to be just like them. And the atmosphere at the games was fun too. Everyone was watching them.”

In high school, he’s climbed the ladder from the freshman B-team to a backup right guard on the varsity squad. Though Ramirez sees the field on select occasions due a cluster of senior talent on the O-line, he attempts to make the most of his playing time.

“Everything is so much faster and stronger at the varsity level,” Ramirez said. “The few times I do get to see the field, I just try to use that as a learning experience to get better.”

Ramirez’ balancing act, though impressive, is not unique at Economedes. The school serves a rural demographic, which means long bus rides and obligations at home are not uncommon.

Junior defensive lineman Fabian Castillo helps his father with his lawn care business, and at times has had to cut grass instead of resting before games.

“I was busy in the morning, but I didn’t have time to finish everything,” Castillo said of an instance before a Week 2 matchup against Brownsville Hanna. “So I just cut half of what I was supposed to, then got on the bus and played.”

Such circumstances were an eye-opener to fifth-year coach Gabe Peña.

“I’ve coached at Port Isabel, Los Fresnos and Weslaco (High), and I learned pretty quickly when I got here that this place would have its own kind of reward,” Peña said. “What we do isn’t necessarily concerned with X’s and O’s. Our primary goal is building future husbands and future dads because some of our players come from backgrounds where that element isn’t there.”

But the football element for the Jaguars has improved. In the 11 years prior to Peña’s arrival, Econ failed to make the playoffs. With three games remaining during the regular season, the Jaguars (3-4, 1-2 District 31-6A) are trying for a third playoff appearance in five years.

“We preach hope to these kids every single day,” Peña said. “That’s how we get them to believe in themselves and buy into the culture change. Kids like Mario help make this program what it is with their effort and intensity. That’s all you can ask from them.”

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The Monitor sports reporters Dennis Silva II, Mario Aguirre and Jon R. LaFollette preview #RGVweek9 for Class 5A football.

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Team Results — 1, Hidalgo, 37 points; 2, Progreso, 51; 3, La Feria, 76; 4, Raymondville 84; 5,
Grulla, 146; 6, Zapata 151.
Individual Results — 1, Moises Campos, Hidalgo, 16:42; 2, Everado Esparza, Progreso, 17:08; 3, Jesus Guerrero, Hidalgo, 17:17; 4, Raul Alvarez, Raymondville, 17:31; 5, Isauro Sanchez, Zapata, 17:35; 6, Elijah Perez, Raymondville, 17:39; 7, Francisco Najera, Hidalgo, 17:39; 8, Rogelio Zamora, Progreso, 17:40; 9, Anthony Vasquez, Progreso, 17:42; 10, Reyes Rodriguez, La Feria, 17:52; 11, Luis Mata, Hidalgo, 17:55; 12, Carlos Rodriguez, La Feria, 17:59; 13, Jesus Rodriguez, Grulla, 18:01; 14, Omar Anguiano, Progreso, 18:03; 15, Ricky Martinez, Hidalgo, 18:08; 16, Marco Aleman, La Feria, 18:26; 17, Joseph Lunn, La Feria, 18:27; 18, Oziel Jaramillo, Progreso, 18:27; 19, Fracisco Pineda, Progreso, 18:30, 20, Jose Garza, Rio Hondo, 18:50.

Team Standings — 1, Zapata 54 points; 2, La Feria, 55; 3, Grulla, 88; 4, Rio Hondo, 114; 5, Hidalgo, 129; 6, Port Isabel, 146.
Individual Results — 1, Tina Sierra, La Feria, 11:35; 2, Elizabeth Kimble, Zapata, 12:11; 3, Anika Alfaro, Raymondville, 12:12, 4, Jasmine Rangel, Rio Hondo, 12:26; 5, Valerie Gutierrez, Grulla, 12:36; 6, Brianna Reyes, La Feria, 12:40; 7, Abigail Zuniga, Zapata, 12:50; 8, Raquel Almaguer, Zapata, 12:45; 9, Gabby Torres, Port Isabel, 12:50; 10, Esmerelda Cortez, La Feria, 12:54. 11, Lauren Rodriguez, Rio Hondo, 12:56; 12, Alejandra G., Hidalgo, 13:08; 13, Merary Garza, Grulla, 13:15; 14, Daniela Ozuna, Hidalgo, 13:17; 15, Norma Ramirez, Zapata, 13:17; 16, Mireya Cervantes, Raymondville, 13:18; 17, Susanna Torres, Port Isabel, 13:19; 18, Madalyne Garcia, La Feria, 13:20; 19, Lizabett Rivera, Progreso, 13:22; 20, Kayla Lowe, La Feria, 13:26.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Offense looks to be the driving force in The Monitor’s Game of the Week. On Thursday, Weslaco East enters PSJA Stadium to take on PSJA North for a contest that features two of District 31-6A’s highest scoring teams.

Through Week 8, the Wildcats and Raiders have combined to score an average of 73 points per week while gaining 803 offensive yards.

East is coming off a bye with a four-game winning streak. Their most recent victory came Oct. 9, a 28-7 win over Edinburg Economedes. The Wildcats haven’t suffered a loss since a 47-23 outcome against San Benito on Sept. 4.

The Wildcats (5-1, 3-0) are led on offense by the speedy twosome of Emilio Tamez and Ciro Rojas. Tamez, a senior running back, leads the team in rushing yards (750) and attempts (113). Tamez’s 12 touchdowns are bested only by Rojas (13), a multi-position athlete who has scored as a running back, receiver and kickoff returner.

Weslaco East averages 40 points per game, a district best, on 386 yards per game.

Defensively, the Wildcats allow 316 yards per game, third best in 31-6A. Against Econ, they limited the Jaguars to 143 yards and generated five turnovers.

PSJA North (4-4, 3-1) has rebounded from a four-game losing skid with a three-game winning streak. Since losing to Weslaco High 56-7 during a district-opening game Sept. 25, the Raiders have outscored opponents 95-59. PSJA North averages a district-best 417 yards of offense per game.

The Raiders’ winning ways coincide with the departure of former quarterback George Olivarez, who left the team on Sept. 28, after reportedly losing his starting spot to backup Darren Fuentes.

Since Olivarez left, coach Jorge Peña has relied on his team’s athletic depth to employ the spread offense. In three games, Brandon Villarreal has run for more than 450 yards in addition to five touchdowns, while Bo Adams ran for 119 yards and a score during North’s 31-15 victory over Economedes in Week 8.

The biggest concern for the Raiders has been their defense. The team allows a district-worst 386 yards per game. Since the beginning of district play, PSJA North’s defensive unit has slightly improved, allowing 342 yards per game.

When these teams met a season ago, Weslaco East won in convincing fashion 49-14. Though the Raiders took a 14-7 lead during the first quarter, then-senior running backs Lupe Moron and Darren Rivas ran for a combined 342 yards and five touchdowns.

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Team Results — 1, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 21 points; 2, Lyford, 60, Santa Rosa, 71

Individual Results — 1, Robert Herrera, Lyford, 16:49.97; 2, Jesus Garcia, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 17:53.28; 3, Arturo Gutierrez, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 18:01.31; 4, Cristian Davila, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 18:01.68; 5, Kevin Sanchez, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 18:02.00; 6, Ryan Sanchez, Lyford, 18:03.70; 7, Jose Quintero, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 18:09.44; 8, Andres Sandoval, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 18:14.75; 9, Joe Morales, Lyford, 18:23.94; 10, Irving Chavirra, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 18:55.77; 11, Daniel Ramirez, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 19:20.81; 12, Fernando Carriaga, Santa Rosa, 19:47.84; 13, Juan Salazar, Santa Rosa, 19:55.62; 14, Isaac Ramirez, Santa Rosa, 20:18.81; 15, Abiram Lozoya, Santa Rosa, 20:20.88; 16; Jacob Jimenez, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 20:30.41; 17, Nestor Trejo, Santa Rosa, 20:49.94; 18, Luis Cano, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 21:25.34; 19, Toribo Martinez, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 22:34.78; 20, Gerson Treviño, Santa Rosa, 22:40.84.

Girls

Team Results — 1, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 25 points; 2, Lyford, 57; 3, Santa Rosa, 61

Individual Results — 1, Valery Tobias, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 13:08.06; 2, Aleythia Gutierrez, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 13:55.66; 3, Sabrina Garcia, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 14:21.66; 4, Kamryn Lara, Santa Rosa, 14:37.06; 5, Juliana Chapa, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 14:56.06; 6, Dulce Rodriguez, Lyford, 15:10.62; 7, Victoria Balboa, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 15:13.22; 8, Trisha Flores, Lyford, 15:27.06; 9, Victoria Burns, Lyford, 15:43.03; 10, Carolina Cantu, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 15:51.88; 11, Isabel Saldivar, Santa Rosa, 16:02.72; 12; Tanya Reyna, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 16:09.00; 13, Corinthia Aranda, Santa Rosa, 16:17.56; 14, Kassandra Reyna, Santa Rosa, 16:26.50; 15, Andrea Bazan, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 16:32.69; 16, Brianna Espitia, Lyford, 16:45.78; 17, Erin Guerra, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, 16:56.78; 18, Allegra Cantu, Lyford, 17:10.69; 19, Daisy Castellanos, Santa Roa,17:48.69; 20, Annette Escobedo, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 17:55.06.

The Monitor sports reporters Greg Luca, Jon R. LaFollette, Mario Aguirre and Saul Barrios-Thomas recap #RGVweek8 football action.

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Team Results — 1, Sharyland Pioneer, 56 points, 2 Mission Veterans, 59; 3, Rio Grande City, 66; 4, Edinburg Vela, 75; 5, Sharyland High, 118; 6, Valley View, 156; 7, Roma, 177.

Individual Results — 1, Jose Aleman, Sharyland Pioneer, 16:08.68; 2, Martin Gonzalez, Sharyland High, 16:10.56; 3, Diego Monjaras, Valley View. 16:15.17; 4, Hiram Rivera Rio Grande City, 16:19.17; 5, Brandon Garcia, Rio Grande City, 16:22.00; 6, Jacinto Garza, Edinburg Vela, 16:25.48; 7, Jesus Mata, 16:35.39, Mission Veterans, 8, Marcus Guajardo, Edinburg Vela, 16:49.16; 9, Marcos Garza, Sharyland Pioneer, 16:41.13; 10; J.R. De Ochoa, Mission Veterans, 16:48.61; 11, Rudy Aranda, Sharyland Pioneer, 16:52.11; 12, Frank Gonzalez, Jr., Rio Grande City, 17:01.66; 13, Rudy Vela, Mission Veterans, 17:05.00; 14, Eric Chavez, 17:09.07, Mission Veterans, 15, Yael Sanchez, Mission Veterans, 17:16.40; 16, Eddie Velador, Edinburg Vela, 17.21.28; 17, Wilberth Soberanis, Sharyland Pioneer, 17:22.31; 18, Ayden Rodriguez, Sharyland Pioneer, 17:22.79; 19, Daniel Delgado, Sharyland Pioneer, 17.25.08; 20, Jose Corona, Rio Grande City, 17:30.03.

GIRLS

Team Results — 1,Edinburg Vela, 62 points; 2, Sharyland Pioneer, 67; 3, Rio Grande City, 69; 4, Mission Veterans, 92; 5, Sharyland High, 110, Valley View, 120, Roma, 160

Team Results — 1, Ana Bautista, Rio Grande City, 19:04.17; 2, Marlett Treviño, Rio Grande City, 19:39.65; 3, Samantha Guerrero, Sharyland High, 20:02.46; 4, Dylan Guerra, Edinburg Vela, 20:14.48; 5, Maria Gonzalez, Mission Veterans, 20:21.25; 6, Nadia Gutierrez, Sharyland Pioneer, 20:26.44; 7, Yanelly Garza, Sharyland Pioneer, 20:35.86; 8, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans, 20:39.42; 9, Lilliana Perez, Edinburg Vela, 20:42.98; 10, Maria Varela, Sharyland Pioneer, 20:53.26; 11; Victoria Benitez, Roma, 20:55.78; 12, JoAnna Alaniz, Edinburg Vela, 20:59.10; 13, Melanie Cruz, Edinburg Vela, 21:00.80; 14, Ashley Arteaga, Valley View, 21:06.63; 15, Cynthia Hernandez, Sharyland High, 21:11.29; 16, Lupe Cruz, Mission Veterans, 21:22.47; 17, Monica Yanez, Valley View, 21:22.47; 18, Kelsie Bazan, Sharyland Pioneer, 21:23.05; 19, Berlin Barrera, Rio Grande City, 21:29.13; 20, Natalia De Angel, Valley View, 21:32.51.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

SAN JUAN — Jonathan Reyes already knew the feeling of victory. The Mercedes junior won two cross country meets this season meets prior to Saturday’s District 32-5A showdown at PSJA High.

But this meet saw Reyes experience the thrill of winning along with the tension of close competition. Though Reyes claimed his first district title with a time of 15 minutes, 47.41 seconds, he never felt secure until the race’s waning moments.

“I knew this was going to be a tough race,” Reyes said. “There’s a lot of good runners here. I just knew I had to come out and run strong the whole time. This is something I wanted since last year.”

Through the opening third of the 5K event, Reyes found himself among a group of competitors including PSJA Southwest’s Victor Pedraza and Edcouch Elsa’s David de Hoyos. No one separated themselves, instead settling into an early groove. During the race’s home stretch it came down to Reyes and Pedraza — last year’s district champion.

“I knew he was there,” Reyes said. “I couldn’t see him because he was behind me, but I could hear him and smell him. It wasn’t until the last leg when I knew I had the race won.”

Reyes edged Pedraza by 2.47 seconds, and qualified for regional competition on Oct. 26 in Corpus Christi. The top 10 individual finishers and the top three teams for boys and girls competition automatically advance to the meet.

“He’s always been a very talented runner,” Mercedes coach Pete Martinez said. “But he’s more mentally tough than he was last year. Today, he knew the race was going to be a fight from start to finish.”

Though the Mercedes boys failed to place in the top three, Reyes will be joined at regionals by teammate Dominic Cavazos, who placed seventh (16:49.49) despite falling down twice during the race.

“I got tripped up by someone behind me during the early part of the race,” Cavazos said. “A lot of guys passed me. I thought my race was over. I fell down again when I stepped into a pothole on the track and twisted my ankle a bit. I just kept running and started catching guys and soon I put myself in a good position.”

PSJA Southwest, Donna High and Donna North were the top three boys teams, respectively.

The Mercedes girls placed third as a team, and were led in part by freshman Soledad Cruz, who placed second with a time of 19:18.91. Edcouch-Elsa’s Krysta Martinez won the girls individual gold with a time of 18:33.95. The Lady Yellowjackets claimed first place.

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Team Results — 1, PSJA Southwest, 38 points; 2, Donna High, 58; 3, Donna North, 73; 4, Edcouch-Elsa, 90; 5, PSJA High, 110; 6, Brownsville Pace, 163, 7, Brownsville Porter, 172.

Individual Results — 1, Jonathan Reyes, Mercedes, 15:47.41; 2, Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest, 15:49.88; 3, Edgar Barraza, PSJA Southwest, 16:31.52; 4, David de Hoyos, Edcouch-Elsa, 16:36.00; 5, Francisco Morales, Donna High, 16:41.01; 6, Fernando Martinez, PSJA Southwest, 16:48.43; 7, Dominique Cavazos, Mercedes, 16:49.49; 8, Alejandro Castillo, Donna High, 16:50.35; 9, Gerardo Perez, Brownsville Porter, 16:50.35; 10, Alexander Villanueva, PSJA Southwest, 16:54.88; 11, Ramiro Granados, PSJA High, 16:55.00; 12, Erick Doria, Edouch-Elsa, 16:55.15; 13, Daniel de la Cruz Flores, Donna High, 17:00.5; 14, Leonel Vazquez, Donna North, 17:03.61; 15, Pablo Carrera, Donna High, 17:10.52; 16, Alexis Rodriguez, Donna High, 17:11.37; 17, Fernando Teran, Donna North, 17:15.67; 18, Ricardo Monsivais, Brownsville Pace, 17:17.76; 19, Marco Trevino, Donna North, 17:18.94; 20, Gabriel Magallan, Donna North, 17:22.62.

GIRLS

Team Results — 1, Edcouch Elsa, 48 points; 2, PSJA High, 62; 3, Mercedes, 81; 4, Donna North, 96 points, 5, PSJA Southwest, 106; 6, Brownsville Pace, 140; 7, Donna High, 164; Brownsville Porter, 239.

Individual Results — 1, Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 18:33.95; 2, Soledad Cruz, Mercedes, 19:18.91; 3, Kelly Aguinaga, Edcouch-Elsa, 19:36.41; 4, Anna Sanchez, PSJA High, 19:47.04; 5, Alma Villanueva, PSJA Southwest, 19:53.31; 6, Monic IZaguirre, Mercedes, 20:13.49; 7, Jennifer Chacon, Donna North, 20:36.89; 8, Mailen Navarro, PSJA Southwest, 20:38.93; 9, Leslie Alvarado, Edouch-Elsa, 20:40.69; 10, Sandra Flores, PSJA High, 20:45.60; 11, Madeline Gonzalez, Mercedes, 20:51.39; 12, Yvonne Sanchez, Donna High, 21:11.14; 13, Anahi Robles, PSJA High, 21:27.47; 14, Jazlynn Richie, PSJA High, 21:41.88; 15, Hope Ngo, Brownsville Pace, 21:47.21; 16, Dalia Sanchez, Donna North, 21:48.71; 17, Marisol Segovia, Edcouch-Elsa, 22:00.16; 18, Ashley Alvarado, Edcouch-Elsa, 22:00.50; 19, Melanie Cordero, Edcouch-Elsa, 22:01.39; 20: Megan Villella, Brownsville Pace, 22:04.58.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — To witness the Weslaco High Panthers is to experience a smorgasbord of Valley-football talent. During their 42-10 win over Edinburg North on Friday at Cats Stadium, the Panthers got whatever they wanted en route to solidifying their status as the team to beat in District 31-6A.

Weslaco’s first play from scrimmage said it all. After North kicker Aziel DeLeon pushed a 33-yard field goal wide left early in the first quarter, the Panthers took over on their own 18-yard line. From there, senior fullback Usiel Gonzalez ran 82 yards into the end zone unscathed.

“I didn’t even expect that play to happen like that,” Gonzalez said. “I just came out of the gate, and it just happened that way. Just to set the tempo, I tried my best, and that’s what I got done.”

It was a 7-0 Weslaco lead, but that was just the beginning. The Panthers scored on five of their next six drives, tearing off first downs at will and familiarizing themselves with the blue-painted turf of the end zone.

Touchdown number two came midway through the first quarter when quarterback Desi Rodriguez connected with Major Free in stride on a 47-yard pass over the middle. Rodriguez, who is rarely given the chance to the throw in Weslaco’s run-first offense, nabbed two touchdown passes on the night, including a 14-yard sweep to running back Brian Guerra.

“He’s been averaging two passing touchdowns per district game,” Weslaco coach Tony Villarreal said. “I’m very pleased with that. The thing with us is that we’re healthy. Nobody is hurt and we get two kids back next week, so we should be 100 percent.”

Rodriguez finished with 77 yards passing, completing 3-of-4 attempts.

More impressive than the Panthers’ ability to score was the depth they demonstrated at running back. Of Weslaco’s six touchdowns, five different athletes punched their way onto the scoreboard.

“It allows everyone to stay fresh throughout the game,” Villarreal said. “And when the kids are fresh, they all hit the hole really hard. We’ve got so many kids who want a chance, that when they get the ball they want to make the most of it and run with intensity.”

Matt Ortiz put the Panthers up 21-0 after snaking his way down field on a 13-yard score. Jonathan Martinez pounded his way to a 3-yard touchdown before the half and Guerra exploded for a 39-yard score early in the third quarter.

As a team, Weslaco ran the ball 33 times for 411 yards.

The Panthers (5-2, 3-0) have won three straight by a combined score of 149-23. With three games left on the regular season schedule, however, Villarreal isn’t taking any of Weslaco’s remaining contests lightly.

“We’ve got some tough games left,” he said. “(Economedes) is always a physical game. (PSJA) Memorial has some big kids, and Weslaco East is always a tough game. So we’re not celebrating anything yet.”

IMPRESSIVE RESUME

Junior linebacker Jordan Nichols has been the lynchpin of the Panthers’ defense all season. He averages 10 tackles per game, and has grabbed two interceptions on the year in addition to returning a fumble for a touchdown during their Week 2 win over Donna High.

Nichols added to his resume Friday with a punt block early in the first quarter to give the Panthers the ball on North’s 42-yard line.

“It’s all with the help of my teammates,” Nichols said. “They help me and I help them out there. Everyone is just playing at a different level right now.”

A BRIGHT SPOT

Though the Cougars (2-6, 0-3) played another game fraught with the same ills — dropped passes and a defense that was once more gashed by its opponent — safety John Mendoza was a silver lining for his team. During the third quarter, Mendoza collected his team-leading eighth interception of the season.

“He’s been a leader for us on that side of the ball,” North coach Rene Saenz said. “He has to be a leader. He’s just found ways to be in the right place at the right time for us.”

UP NEXT

Weslaco hosts PSJA Memorial (2-4, 0-3) on Friday, Oct. 23 at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.

Edinburg North has a Week 9 bye, and won’t see the field again until it faces PSJA Memorial on Oct. 30 at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.

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