BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — PSJA North entered Thursday’s game against Edinburg Economedes riding high on the power of reserve players. During two consecutive wins, backups like center Roy Palacios filled in for their injured teammates with gusto and ease.

But this was the Jaguars, a tough and physical bunch that entered Cats Stadium with the best statistical defense in District 31-6A, allowing 238 yards per game. For North coach Jorge Peña, it was time for the Raiders to bite the bullet.

“It’s hard times right now,” Peña said. “I’ve got a different center, a different guard, a different tackle. My inside linemen were limping around, my defensive ends couldn’t go at full speed, but they found a way to win.”

Despite key athletes like linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Edward Peña playing at less than 100 percent, North did as it is accustomed to doing this season: gobbling 428 yards on offense and lighting up the scoreboard en route to a 31-15 victory.

But while the box score indicates another high-scoring affair built on quickness and nimble athleticism, the Raiders bullied their way to a win by employing a double-tight set for the first time this season.

“I knew we didn’t have to speed to compete with (Econ’s) defense,” Peña said. “So we went big, and I knew it would force them to balance up. And I knew that we were going to be able to get helmets on them, and when we got helmets on them, we wore them out.”

North (4-4, 3-1) gained 276 rushing yards on the ground, and were led by Bo Adams with 129 yards and a pair of scores on 17 carries. Adams, who splits time between receiver and running back, moved to quarterback during the second half after starter Darren Fuentes left the game with a bum shoulder.

“He got his hand hurt, and at one point he couldn’t feel his shoulder anymore,” Peña said. “So we went with Bo, who has been making plays for us all season. He’s a fantastic athlete.”

But Fuentes was effective in his own right before succumbing to injuries. During the first three quarters, the junior ran for 93 yards and a touchdown while completing 4-of-5 passing attempts for 37 yards.

The Jaguars (3-4, 1-2), scored first, going 67 yards in 12 plays before running back Allen Arredondo walked into the end zone from 4 yards out to put Econ up 7-0 with 4:45 left in the first quarter.

From there, however, it was all North. Tight end Bear Estrada punched it in from the 1-yard line to tie the game with 41 seconds left in the opening quarter. Kicker Raul Jerez broke the tie with 33-yard field goal to put the Raiders up 10-7 in the second quarter. Later, a bad snap on a punt attempt in North’s end zone resulted in a safety for Econ, but that would be the last major hiccup for the Raiders.

In the second half, Fuentes ran in from the 2-yard line to make it 17-9, before a pair of Bo Adams scores in the fourth quarter put the Raiders’ victory on ice.

THE NUMBERS GAME

Bear Estrada changed jersey numbers, going from 54 to 93 due to his position move from linebacker to tight end. While Estrada’s sizable frame is traditionally used on goal-and-short situations, he spent part of Thursday’s game running sweep routs, catching two passes for 29 yards and picking a key first down when the game was still close.

“We came up with a new formation,” Estrada said. “I don’t think they were ready for it. We executed it well…. It’s the first time this season we’ve ever run that play for me. We ran this last year though, so I’m pretty comfortable with it.”

Estrada finished the game with eight rushing yards and a touchdown on three carries.

FUMBLING IT AWAY

Econ’s offense played to mixed results throughout the night. Of their 10 possessions, the Jaguars were forced to punt five times, including a trio of three-and-outs.

On the occasions where Econ’s run game was able to move the ball, they were plagued by turnovers. Of the Jaguars’ three fumbles, two of them occurred in the red zone, including an unforced turnover by running back Allen Arredondo on North’s 4-yard line.

Arredondo finished the game with 139 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries, but fumbled the ball twice. He was not the lone perpetrator for Econ, however. The Jaguars wide receivers dropped two passes when they were wide open for would-be scores.

Econ running back Charlie Vela, who ran the ball twice for 20 yards, suffered an apparent leg injury during the fourth quarter and did not return.

UP NEXT

PSJA North has a short week entering Week 9, when they host Weslaco East (5-1, 3-0) at PSJA Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 22. The Wildcats are on their bye this week.

Economedes will play Edinburg High (1-6, 1-2) on Friday, Oct. 23 at Cats Stadium.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Edinburg North coach Rene Saenz knows his team beat Edinburg High 35-14 during their Week 6 matchup at Cats Stadium. The scoreboard said so. Just don’t ask him to go into specifics.

“To be honest, I really wasn’t watching much of the game as it happened on the field,” Saenz said. “I was spending a lot of time with the defense on the sideline, trying to coach them up and doubling down with those guys.”

Defense has long been a staple for the Cougars, and has helped propel the team to the third round of the playoffs in seasons past. But dating back to last year, North’s defense has waned. The Cougars allowed 368 yards per game a season ago — second worst in District 31-6A — and permit 330 yards this year.

More concerning than the yards allowed is the manner in which opposing teams have scored on the Cougars. During a four-game slide, North’s defense was routinely gashed by the likes of Edcouch-Elsa, McAllen Memorial, Weslaco East and PSJA North.

“A strong defense has been the identity of this team for so long,” Saenz said. “And I just felt like we were starting to lose that identity. We’ve got to get back to the level I know this program can play.”

With three games left on the schedule, time is of the essence for the Cougars (2-5, 1-3) to rectify their woes.

“We’re emphasizing the fundamentals,” Saenz said. “We’re going way back. We’re just trying to get everyone on the same page and trying to take the thinking out of the game. I noticed we’ve been hesitating a lot because we’re trying to think while we’re reacting. We can’t do that. We just have to recognize the pre-snap alignment and get off the ball.”

North’s defense will be tested once more on Friday at Cats Stadium when they host Weslaco High. The Panthers enter averaging a district best 323 rushing yards.

“Their backs are so quick,” Saenz said. “They’re always so fast and they attack the line of scrimmage so well. With a team like Weslaco, they get better the farther along the season goes. That offense is just built on repetition.”

As for Edinburg North’s corps of backs, Ethan Vela and Omar Acevedo made their debuts after missing the first six weeks of the season with broken collarbones suffered during a preseason scrimmage against Mission High. Both backs saw limited time. Acevedo gained seven yards on four carries while Vela lost two yards on three attempts.

“I was kind of nervous at first,” Vela said. “I was anxious about getting hit, I didn’t know what to expect. But after that first tackle, it felt like I got back in the swing of things.”

PROWLING PANTHERS

The Weslaco High Panthers took their lumps by design during non-district play, an attempt by coach Tony Villarreal to build up his players for another run at a district title. So far, so good.

During their first two district games, the Panthers have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 107-13, including a 51-6 win over Edinburg High in Week 6. Weslaco now preps for Friday’s game against Edinburg North, a team Villarreal describes as a wildcard.

“They started out as a spread team early in the season,” Villarreal said. “Now they’ve changed things up a bit and have become more of a passing team. They can do both pretty well though, so you never know quite what to expect with them.”

Villarreal says his team his cognizant of North receiver Ubaldo Pequeno, whom Villarreal describes as a big-play guy.

“I guess that’s the one things we’ve got to worry about the most defensively,” Villarreal said. “We’ve got to do a good job taking away the guys who can make big plays for them. It comes down to execution on our part.”

The Panthers allow 282 yards per game, second best in the district.

OFF WEEK WILDCATS

After staving off a feisty Edinburg Economedes team during a 28-7 win in Week 7, Weslaco East will use their much-needed bye week as a chance to get healthy. The Wildcats (5-1, 3-0) are back in action Thursday, Oct. 22 against PSJA North at PSJA Stadium.

In six games, the Wildcats average a district-leading 40 points per game. East boasts the two-highest scoring players in 31-6A in Ciro Rojas and Emilio Tamez, who have scored 13 and 12 touchdowns, respectively.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Two weeks ago, questions abounded as to whether PSJA North could maintain its ferocious offensive pace with the departure of senior quarterback George Olivarez. At the time of his leaving, Olivarez accounted for more than half of the North’s offensive production.

In the two games since, it’s been business as usual for the Raiders. The team responded with back-to-back wins against Edinburg North and PSJA Memorial while averaging 428 yards of offense.

“Guys have been stepping up for us all year,” North coach Jorge Peña said. “Aside from roster issues, we’ve had a bunch of injuries, but a lot of kids have come through and delivered when they were asked to do so.”

So it is that North (3-4, 2-1 District 31-6A) will bring its district-leading offense into Cats Stadium today at 7 p.m. to face Edinburg Economedes, a physical team that boasts the best statistical defense in the district, allowing 238 yards per game.

As far as stopping the Raiders, however, Econ coach Gabe Peña is simultaneously coy and honest about his team’s strategy.

“We’re still trying to figure that puzzle out,” the fifth-year coach said. “They present a lot of challenges for our team. With the talent level they have, they’re explosive. They’re probably the most talented team in the district.”

Though the Raiders sit below .500, they’re not without talent in the absence of Olivarez. New quarterback Darren Fuentes has played efficiently in his first two games as a starter, completing 7-of-19 passing attempts for 118 yards and an interception while gaining 188 yards on the ground. In the same two-game span, teammate Brandon Villarreal has gained 413 yards rushing yards and five touchdowns.

But the Raiders defense has shown up, as well. Though that unit allows a district-worst 420 yards per game, they’ve limited their last two opponents to an average of 331 yards. Though such numbers still make North a middling defense, it’s nonetheless a noted improvement for a group in search of answers.

“Those guys play with a chip on their shoulder,” Jorge Peña said. “They know they have a reputation, and they’re doing their best to go out there and play.”

Economedes’ offense will look to control the tempo of the game with their rushing attack. The Jaguars (3-3, 1-1) enter Thursday’s game having won three of their last four, averaging 239 yards on the ground in those victories. The spark for Econ’s ground game has been the return of Chris Izaguirre, who missed four weeks with a lower back injury. In his two games back, Izaguirre has rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

“We’ve still got a chance of ending up where we want to be, and that’s in the playoffs.” Gabe Peña said. “The kids all know what’s expected of them, we just have to go out there and take care of we can control.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

The McAllen High swim team kick-started the season in podium-topping fashion Saturday during the RGVSCA Split Meet at McAllen Rowe High School. Behind 10 gold medals, the boys and girls took home first place for their respective team efforts.

That’s nice for McHi coach Jared Kaminski, but he’s realistic about his team’s prospects after one meet.

“For the boys, it was as expected for this point in the year,” Kaminski said. “For the girls, it was better than we had hoped overall. However, we didn’t really see any perfect swims. We saw a lot of very good swims and a lot of good times. Everything still has work to be done though.”

Kaminski’s to-do list includes shoring up turns, perfecting strokes and honing in on the blocks.
“This early in the year, oftentimes I’m just trying to see who’s giving effort,” he said. “I’m watching their legs to see how much they’re kicking. It all begins with effort.”

Sophomore Shaine Casas gave effort in the boys 100-yard backstroke, setting a new school record with a time of 52.85 seconds. Despite swimming into history, Kaminski said Casas was mostly unfazed by his time.

“He knows that school records aren’t the goal,” he said. “They’re nice and it’s great to get them, but he knows that they aren’t the goal. The goal is to get to state and compete at the state level against better competition.”

Casas’ teammate Errol Lizzotte knows about competing against better competition after having swum in the state meet a season ago. Lizzotte, a senior, won gold Saturday during the boys 50 freestyle (22.95) and the boys 100 butterfly (55.66). In order to keep up against the better teams in Texas, though, Kaminski is taking his team to The Woodlands this weekend to expose them to faster times.

“In the Valley, Shaine is swimming against the clock in his events,” Kaminski said. “At this meet, there will be eight or nine other kids that are just as fast or faster than he is. He’ll have someone else to compete against.”

Sophomore Shelby Swanson helped anchor the girls team, winning gold in the girls 500 freestyle (5:41.85) and silver in the girls 50 freestyle (26.95).

SETTLING IN
McAllen Memorial coach Tim Nelson is still getting used to his team and the Valley. Nelson takes over for former coach Roxanne Balducci, who retired during the summer.

Although the Mustangs are under new direction, the results were familiar during Saturday’s meet at McAllen Rowe. The boys teams placed fifth while the girls placed third. Jorge Vasquez won gold in the boys100 backstroke (1:05.20). Stacia Benitez did the same in the girls 100 freestyle (57.68) while Hannah Bradford finished first in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.99).

Ethan Plummer won gold in the boys 1-meter diving with 107.6 points.

DIVING STRONG
While La Joya ISD’s swim teams await the opening of a new swimming facility that’s under construction, La Joya High’s diving team continues to be a strong point for the Coyotes.

During Saturday’s meet at McAllen Rowe, Eddie Barrera placed second in the boys 1-meter dive with 98.20 points and Daisy Segundo placed third in the girls 1-meter dive (68.70).

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1, PSJA Southwest, 1:46.09; 2, Brownsville Veterans, 1:47.99; 3, Weslaco High, 1:55.02; 4, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:56.18; 5, Brownsville Rivera, 1:57.33; 6, Edinburg High, 1:59.34.

Boys 200-yard Freestyle

1, Juan Mejia, PSJA Southwest, 1:58.62; 2, Justice Rivera, Edinburg Vela, 2:03.53; 3, Adrian Flores, Brownsville Rivera, 2:04.55; 4, Enrique Maldonado, PSJA High, 2:06.42; 5, Zack Garza, PSJA Southwest, 2:11.56; 6, Luis Angel Ramirez, Harlingen High, 2:15.57.

Boys 200-yard IM

1, Joseph Velazquez, PSJA Southwest, 2:10.23; 2, Luis S. Davila, Brownsville St. Joseph, 2:15.80; 3, Daryl L. Wells, 2:21.17; 4, Eddie Velador, Edinburg Vela, 2:21.25; 5, Daniel R. Flores, Brownsville Veterans, 2:21.47; 6, Derek Lopez, PSJA Memorial, 2:28.94.

Boys 50-yard Freestyle

1, Joshua Velazquez, PSJA Southwest, 23.58; 2, Victor Carreon, Brownsville First Baptist, 23.79; 3, Weisong HE, Marine Military Academy, 23.81; 4, Adrian Fierro, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 23.85; 5, David Garza, Edinburg High, 23.88; 6, Eloy Garza, Edinburg Vela, 23.89.

Boys 100-Yard Butterfly

1, Jonathan Ashford, Brownsville Veterans, 56.00; 2, Joshua Velazquez, PSJA Southwest, 56.88; 3, Daryl L. Wells, Weslaco High, 57.41; 4, Luis S. Davila, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 58.22; 5, Hugo Carreon, Brownsville First Baptist, 59.53; 6, Justice Rivera, Edinburg Vela, 1:01.42.

Boys 100-Yard Freestyle Varsity

1, Adrian Fierro, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 53.53; 2, Hugo Carreon, Brownsville First Baptist, 55.00; 3, Weisong HE, Marine Military Academy, 55.16; 4, Adrian Flores, Brownsville Rivera, 55.27; 5, Enrique Maldonado, PSJA High, 55.76; 6, Ephraim Flores, Harlingen High, 56.95

Boys 500-Yard Freestyle

1, Jonahan Ashford, Brownsville Veterans, 5:22.24; 2, Andre Rodriguez, 5:48.92; 3, Zack Garza, PSJA Southwest, 5:49.56; 4, Eddie Velador, Edinburg Vela, 5:51.68; 5, Derek Lopez, PSJA Memorial, 5:56.26; 6, Aaron Castillo, Harlingen High, 6:03.85.

Boys 200-Yard Freestyle Relay

1, Brownsville Veterans, 1:38.21; 2, Edinburg Vela, 1:43.54; 3, Edinburg High, 1:44.00; 4, Brownsville Rivera, 1:44.15; 5, Weslaco High, 1:45.21; 6, Harlingen High, 1:47.26.

Boys 100-Yard Backstroke

1, Juan Mejia, PSJA Southwest, 59.44; 2, David Garza, Edinburg High, 1:05.77; 3, Jose R. Lopez, Harlingen South, 1:07.19; 4, Andre Rodriguez, PSJA North, 1:08.08; 5, Juan A. Sanchez, Brownsville Veterans, 1:08.98; 6, Cesar I. Vega, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:09.80.

Boys 100-Yard Breaststroke

1, Joseph Velazquez, PSJA Southwest, 1:05.73; 2, Angel Mena, Brownsville Veterans, 1:15.06; 3, Marco A. Barragan, Edinburg High, 1:15.66; 4, Nolan C. Mannings, 1:17.28; 5, Christian Garza, Edinburg Vela, 1:17.75; 6, Justin Gonzalez, PSJA North, 1:18.05.

Boys 400-Yard Freestyle Relay

1, PSJA Southwest, 3:38.51; 2, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 3:54.59; 3, Harlingen High, 4:01.72; 4, Harlingen South, 4:09.48; 5, Harligen High, 4:13.64; 6, Edinburg High, 4:16.85.

1, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 2:09.38; 2, Brownsville Rivera, 2:10.40; 3, Edinburg Vela, 2:10.40; 4, Weslaco High, 2:18.32; 5, PSJA North, 2:19.22; 6, Harlingen High, 2:20.09.

Girls 200-yard Freestyle

1, Tonnih Ruiz, Brownsvill Veterans, 2:23.12; 2, Jessica Watson, Harlingen High, 2:34.76; 3, Natalie Ybarra, PSJA North, 2:35.01; 4, Nadeen Saldahar, Brownsville Veterans, 2:35.61; 5, Paloma De Leon, Harlingen High, 2:39.33; 6, Brianna L. Cano, Weslaco High, 2:42.00.

Girls 200-Yard IM

1, Stephanie Castillo, Brownsville Rivera, 2:27.27; 2, Diana Fierro, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 2:34.74; 3, Yeye Rodriguez, PSJA North, 2:38.88; 4, Sarah Flores, Harlingen High, 2:41.45; 5, Lola D. Garza, Harlingen South, 2:43.72; 6, Keily Meador, Edinburg Vela, 2:47.72.

Girls 50-Yard Freestyle

1, Jesse Hailey, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 26.59; 2, Julia Worley, PSJA North, 29.12; 3, Nadeen Saldahar, Brownsville Veterans, 29.46; 4, Malanie Cumpian, Harlingen High, 29.63; 5, Iris Torres, Weslaco High, 29.75; 6, Morgan D. Parker, Weslaco High, 29.93.

Girls 100-Yard Butterfly

1, Stephanie Castillo, Brownsville Rivera, 1:08.27; 2, Ximena Gonzalez, Brownsville Rivera, 1:11.07; 3, Melanie Cumpian, Harlingen High, 1:13.93; 4, Tonnih Ruiz, Brownsville Veterans, 1:19.71; 5, Christa Guerra, Edinburg Vela, 1:20.82; 6, Paulina Martinez, Brownsville Veterans, 1:23.59.

Girls 100-Yard Freestyle

1, Jessie Hailey, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 58.89; 2, Yeye Rodriguez, PSJA North, 1:01.85; 3, Diana Fierro, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:02.52; 4, Miren J. Aponte, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:04.74; 5, Sofia Gonzalez, Brownsville Rivera, 1:05.80; 6, Darlene Duncan, Harlingen High, 1:08.58.

Girls 500-Yard Freestyle

1, Lourdes Wisby, PSJA Southwest, 6:29.26; 2, Paulina Martinez, Brownsville Veterans, 7:04.15; 3, Sarah M. Ramos, Harlingen South, 7:11.00; 4, Gabby Marintez, PSJA North, 7:30.19; 5, Lesley L. Baron, Edinburg North, 8:14.98; 6, Aubrey Layton, Edinburg Vela, 8:36.05.

Girls 200-Yard Freestyle Relay

1, Brownsville Rivera, 1:58.32; 2, Harlingen High, 2:02.40; 3, Weslaco High, 2:06.44; 4, Harlingen South, 2:13.07; 5, Edinburg High, 2:13.37; 6, PSJA North, 2:13.42.

Girls 100-Yard Backstroke

1, Lourdes Wisby, PSJA Southwest, 1:10.19; 2, Miren Aponte, Brownsville St. Joseph Acedemy, 1:11.34; 3, Jessica Watson, Harlingen South, 1:12.40; 4, Morgan D. Parker, Weslaco High, 1:17.62; 5, Sophia Douglas, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:18.20; 6, Lulu Ortega, Brownsville Rivera, 1:19.45.

Girls 100-Yard Breaststroke

1, Lola D. Garza, Harlingen South, 1:18.43; 2, Julia Worley, PSJA North, 1:21.96; 3, Fernanda Rodriguez, Brownsville Rivera, 1:22.91; 4, Adriana Garza, Brownsville Veterans, 1:25.63; 5, Sarah Flores, Harlingen High, 1:29.56; 6, Ali Ayala, Harlingen South, 1:32.25.

Girls 400-Yard Freestyle Relay

1, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 4:16.13; 2, PSJA North, 4:28.93; 3, Brownsville Veterans, 4:34.77; 4, Harlingen High, 4:55.00; 5, Brownsville Rivera, 5:02.16; 6, Edinburg High, 5:14.74.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Coaches always warn Landry Gilpin about the inevitability of football — kids get hurt, so always be prepared to step up. That mantra goes double for Gilpin, whose father David coaches Mission Veterans Memorial football.

During the Patriots’ 34-3 win over Roma on Friday, the inevitable happened. Junior quarterback Diego Hernandez suffered a left ankle injury during a sack early during the second quarter. As the leading passer in District 31-5A limped to the sideline, Gilpin got the call.

“I was nervous, for sure,” the freshman said. “I didn’t want go out there and let my teammates down. I knew we needed to get this win.”

Despite his age and the initial butterflies, Gilpin became the catalyst for Mission Veterans’ offense. By the time the final whistle echoed across Tom Landry Stadium, Gilpin had thrown for 90 yards and two touchdowns, while notching 140 yards and a score on the ground.

Gilpin began the game as a wide receiver and caught one pass for 15 yards. Despite getting time at quarterback, Gilpin is a third-stringer at the position. But with backup QB and district-leading wideout Adam Solis no longer with the team for personal reasons, Gilpin was the benefactor of the Patriot’s sudden lack of depth.

“You come in with this big playbook of all kinds of things you want to do, and then it all gets thrown out the window,” the seventh-year coach said. “We had to simplify the offense for him because he’s a freshman, but he wasn’t alone out there tonight. He had a lot of help from kids who have done a lot for us this season.”

Junior receiver Roman De Leon caught two touchdown passes — one from each quarterback — and finished the night with 59 yards receiving. De Leon’s first score, a 14-yard grab in the back of the end zone, came with 8:08 left during the opening quarter to put Mission Vets up 6-0. The Patriots scored on their next drive when Buda Gonzalez wormed his way through defenders on a 38-yard screen to make it 13-0.

“(Roma) was throwing different coverages at us,” Hernandez said. “But guys were able to just find a way to get open and make plays.”

The Patriots, who average 442 yards per game, punted on their first two drives with Gilpin at the helm, but found the end zone on three of their next four possessions to lead by as many as 31.

Gilpin’s most impressive play came during the fourth quarter on a 74-yard scramble on fourth down that turned from a potential sack into a touchdown, putting the Patriots up 34-3 in the final quarter.

“I was able to get away from the tackler, and the guys downfield just made blocks for me,” Glipin said.

While the Patriots (4-2, 1-1) ran wild, Roma ran nowhere. The Gladiators (5-2, 1-2) entered Friday averaging 307 yards per game on the ground, but were held to a measly 86 yards on 36 carries.

Ramon Espinoza, the district’s leading rusher with 1,355 yards, played with an arm injury suffered during a Week 6 loss to Edinburg Vela. He finished with 15 yards on 13 carries and did not play in the second half. David Lozano had nine carries and led Roma with 43 rushing yards.

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1, Sandra Valdez, Sharyland High, 112.95; Patty Rocha, McAllen Memorial, 84.40; 3, Daisy Segundo, La Joya High, 68.70; 4, Vania Benitez, Sharyland Pioneer, 65.05; 5, Aliyah Rojas, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 61.75; 6, Viany Carver, Sharyland Pioneer, 40.35

Boys 1-meter Diving

1, Ethan Plummer, McAllen Memorial, 107.60; 2, Eddie Barrera, La Joya High, 98.20; 3, Alexander Cervantes, Sharyland Pioneer, 89.55; 4, Alec Garza, McAllen Memorial, 85.70; 5, Jesus Moreno, Sharyland High, 81.50; 6, Abraham Rodriguez, McAllen Rowe, 80.25.

BOYS — 1, McAllen High, 394; 2, Los Fresnos, 282; 3, Sharyland High, 263; 4, Laredo United, 240; 5, McAllen Memorial, 233.5; 6, C.C. Veterans, 191, 7, Laredo Alexander, 188; 8, Sharyland Pioneer, 120; 9, Mission Veterans, 118.5; 10, McAllen Rowe, 111.

GIRLS — 1, McAllen High School, 361.5; 2, Laredo Alexander, 361; 3, McAllen Memorial, 344.4; 4, Laredo United, 240; 5, Sharyland High, 220.6; 6, McAllen Rowe, 186.5; 7, Los Fresnos, 165; 8, C.C. Veterans, 148; 9, Mission Veterans, 82; 10, Sharyland Pioneer, 81.

1, C.C. Veterans Memorial ‘A’, 1:51.01; 2, McAllen Memorial ‘A’, 1:53.65; 3, Laredo Alexander ‘A’, 1:54.03; 4, Los Fresnos, 1:54.16; 5, United High School ‘A’, 1:55.27; 6, McAllen High ‘A’, 1:55.50.

Boys 200-yard Freestyle

1, Alberto Duarte, Laredo United, 1:58.16; 2, Isreal Muniz, Laredo United, 1:59.36; 3, Ruben Trevino, McAllen Memorial, 2:00.77; 4, Joe Williams, McAllen High, 2;01.96; 5, Carlos Paredes, Los Fresnos, 2:02.90; 6, Tyler Vellejo, Sharyland Pioineer, 2:04.51.

Boys 200-yard IM

1, Shaine Casas, McAllen High, 1:56.98; 2, Caden Garza, McAllen Memorial, 2:14.13; 3, Luciano Farias-Ramirez, Sharyland High, 2:14.74; 4, Jorge Vasquez, McAllen Memorial, 2:16.32; 5, Will McKinney, Los Fresnos, 2:19.23; 6, Oscar Martinez, Laredo Alexander, 2:20.60.

Boys 50-yard Freestyle

1, Errol Lizzotte, McAllen High, 22.95; 2, Max Saenz, McAllen High, 23.86; 3, Javier Suarez Moreno, Sharyland High, 23.97; 4, Thomas Wilkins, McAllen High, 24.46; 5, Gerardo Cortez Padilla, Sharyland High, 24.63; 6, Isaias Silerio, Laredo United, 24.65.

Boys 100-Yard Butterfly

1, Errol Lizzotte, McAllen High, 55.66; 2, Oscar Martinez, Laredo Alexander, 57.56; 3, Marcus Hernandez, C.C. Veterans, 57.81; 4, Will McKinney, Los Fresnos, 59.62; 5, Danny Villarreal, Laredo Alexander, 1:00.36; 6, Jorge Garza Rodriguez, McAllen High, 1:01.21.

Boys 100-Yard Freestyle Varsity

1, Zachary Kudlicki, C.C. Veterans, 53.32; 2, Roman Garcia, McAllen Rowe, 53.91; 3, Ari Morales, Los Fresnos, 55.28; 4, Daniel Escamilla, Los Fresnos, 55.88; 5, Guillermo Ibarra, Sharyland High, 56.32; 6, Gabriel Pena, Mission Veterans, 56.41.

Boys 500-Yard Freestyle

1, Thomas Wilkins, McAllen High, 5:19.33; Joe Williams, McAllen High, 5:36.84; 3, Carlos Paredes, Los Fresnos, 5:38.67; 4, Marco Rivera, Sharyland High, 5:38.98; 5, Andrew Leeton, C.C. Veterans, 5:41.07; 6, David Benavides, Sharyland Pioneer, 5:50.95.

Boys 200-Yard Freestyle Relay

1, McAllen High ‘A’, 1:33.97; 2, Sharyland High ‘A’, 1:36.82; 3, Los Fresnos ‘A’, 1:41.03; 4, Laredo United, 1:41.98; 5, McAllen Memorial ‘A’, 1:42.81; 6, Mission Veterans, 1:42.92.

Boys 100-Yard Backstroke

1, Shaine Casas, McAllen High, 52.85; 2, Marcus Hernandez, C.C. Veterans, 1;01.33; 3, Max Saenz, McAllen High, 1:01.57; 4, John Soriano, C.C. Veterans, 1:01.33; 5, Ruben Trevino, McAllen Memorial, 1:03.36; 6, Israel Muniz, Laredo United, 1:04.94.

Boys 100-Yard Breaststroke

1, Jorge Vasquez, McAllen Memorial, 1:05.20; 2, Caden Garza, McAllen Memorial, 1:07.14; Carlos Robles, McAllen Rowe, 1:07.94; 4, Danny Villarreal, Laredo Alexander, 1:08.83; 5, Garret Forthuber, McAllen High, 1;09.72; 6, Henry Voung, Laredo United, 1:10.13.

Boys 400-Yard Freestyle Relay

1, McAllen High ‘A’, 3:29.39; 2, Sharyland High ‘A’, 3:39.58; Laredo Alexander ‘A’, 3:43.30; 4, Los Fresnos, 3:44.11; 5, C.C. Veterans, 3:45.90; 6, Laredo United, 3:47.05.

1, Laredo Alexander, 2:00.46; 2, McAllen High School ‘A’, 2:05.67; 3, McAllen Memorial ‘A’, 2:06.43. 4, McAllen Memorial ‘B’, 2:08.93; 5, Los Fresnos, 2:13.94; 6, C.C. Veterans Memorial, 2:14.20.

Girls 200-yard Freestyle

1, Danielle Perales, Laredo United, 2:10.19; 2, Brittany Archer, Laredo United, 2:12.36; 3, Avia Guerra, McAllen Memorial, 2:14.13; 4, Claudia Boys diola, Laredo Alexander, 2:16.41; 5, Kenya Fierro, Laredo Alexander, 2:18.07; 6, Sydney Thomas, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:18.98.

Girls 200-yard IM

1, Ivana Besteiro, Los Fresnos, 2:21.46; 2, Regina Chemas, Laredo Alexander, 2:32.49; 3, Sarah Aleman, McAllen Memorial, 2:33.31; 4, Abby Garza, Sharyland High, 2:37.50; 5, Chelsea Feuntes, Laredo Alexander, 2:38.58; 6, Jasbeth Delaroas, C.C. Veterans, 2:44.01.

Girls 50-yard Freestyle

1, Ivana Besteiro, Los Fresnos, 26.23; Shelby Swanson, McAllen High, 26.95; 3, Hannah Bradford, McAllen Memorial, 27.84; 4, Tammy Smith, McAllen High, 27.98; 5, Andrea Valdez, Sharyland High, 28.24; 6, Megan Blevins, McAllen Memorial, 28.54.

Girls 100-Yard Butterfly

1, Ayeesha Mohammaed, Laredo Alexande,r 59.43; 2, Nicole Soriano, C.C. Veterans, 1:07.40; 3, Laruen Rodriguez, McAllen High, 1:09.47; 4, Kenya Fieroo, Laredo Alexander, 1:09.90; 5, Abby Garza, Sharyland High, 1:12.04; 6, Sarah Aleman, McAllen Memorial, 1:12.38.

Girls 100-Yard Freestyle

1, Stacia Benitez, McAllen Memorial, 57.68; 2, Kendall House, Los Fresnos, 1:00.07; 3, Andrea Valdez, Sharyland High, 1:01.21; 4, Megan Blevins, McAllen Memorial, 1:02.78; 5, Elaine Moore, McAllen High, 1:05.75; 6, Raquel Cueva, McAllen Rowe, 1:05.96.

Girls 500-Yard Freestyle

1, Shelby Swanson, McAllen High, 5:41.85; 2, Brittany Archer, Laredo United, 5:43.30; 3, Ani Mohammed, Laredo Alexander, 5:56.24; 4, Danielle Perales, Laredo United, 6:01.38; 5, Avia Guerra, McAllen Memorial, 6:06.30; 6, Chelsea Fuentes, Laredo Alexander, 6:11.49.

Girls 200-Yard Freestyle Relay

1, Laredo Alexander ‘A’, 1:51.12; 2, McAllen Memorial ‘A’, 1:51.29; 3, Los Fresnos ‘A’, 1:55.42; 4, Laredo United ‘A’, 1:57.42; 5, McAllen High ‘A’, 1:59.19; 6, McAllen Rowe ‘A’, 1:59.71.

Girls 100-Yard Backstroke

1, Ayeesha Mohamma, Laredo Alexander, 1:01.18; 2, Stacia Benitez, McAllen Memorial, 1:03.14; 3, Regina Chemas, Laredo Alexander, 1:08.52; 4, Jasbeth Delarosa, C.C. Veterans, 1:11.21; 5, Tammy Smith, McAllen High, 1:12.66; Clea Garza, Sharyland High, 1:12.84.

Girls 100-Yard Breaststroke

1, Hannah Bradford, McAllen Memorial, 1:11.99; 2, Nicole Soriano, C.C. Veterans, 1:14.41; 3, Claudia Boys Diola, Laredo Alexander, 1:17.20; 4, Maria Escamilla-Elizondo, Laredo United, 1:18.31; 5, Kendall House, Los Fresnos, 1:19.25; 6, Ani Mohammed, Laredo Alexander, 1:20.90.

Girls 400-Yard Freestyle Relay

1, Laredo United ‘A’, 4:15.15; 2, McAllen High ‘A’, 4:15.79; 3, Sharyland High, 4:15.83; 4, C.C. Veterans, 4:28.28; 5, Laredo Alexander, 4:29.14; 6, McAllen Rowe, 4:34.87.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Fabian Garcia had to run a little further than expected, but the end result was worth it.

During Thursday’s Patriot Invitational at Bentsen Park, the race’s pacesetter led runners off course midway through the varsity boys competition, adding a few extra meters to the event’s original 5K duration.

By that point, however, Garcia settled into his groove and comfortably won his first gold medal of the season, crossing the finish line in 16 minutes, 43 seconds for the Mission Veterans Patriots — 11 seconds faster than the runner-up.

“At the two-mile mark, I could feel my body start to tense up,” Garcia said. “But I saw some of the leaders start to fall back, so I thought ‘This is my chance.’”

Garcia’s victory comes on the eve of district races, which take place next week at events across the Valley. Garcia placed third at the District 31-5A meet a season ago, and enters 2015 with hopes of winning it all.

“That’s a goal I’ve had for myself since last year,” Garcia said. “I’ve been trying to get better and run faster, but I don’t want to peak too soon. I still want to leave something in the tank.”

Though district looms large, Garcia’s workouts have focused on running uphill. Such a skill is required to compete on courses north of the Valley — like the course in Round Rock which hosts the state meet.

“I want to become a better all around runner,” Garcia said. “The better I run, the better I finish, the more attention I’ll get from colleges. That’s what I want to be. I want to run at the collegiate level.”

Garcia says he’s already received offers from schools — although he’s mum on which ones — but won’t commit until after season’s end.

Though Garcia won for the Patriots, Weslaco High won the team standings with 46 points. Juan Manzono finished second for the Panthers (16:54) while Irvin Avila (17:57) and Carlos Tiroco (17:59) placed seventh and eighth, respectively.

The Varsity girls experienced no hiccups during their race in terms of added distance. Instead, Rio Grande City’s Ana Bautista delivered more of the same as she won her third gold medal of the year with a time of 19:27. Teammate Marlett Treviño placed fifth (20:48) while the Lady Rattlers placed second as a team with 61 points.

The Weslaco High girls team placed fist with 40 points, and were led by Stephanie Sauceda, who finished second with a time of 19:54.

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Team Results — 1, Weslaco High, 46 points; 2, Mission Veterans, 72; 3, Mission High, 81; 4, Sharyland High, 100; 5, McAllen High, 113; 6, Roma, 159.

Individual Results — 1, Fabian Garcia, Mission Veterans, 16:43; 2, Juan Manzano, Weslaco High, 16:54; 3, Martin Gonzalez, Sharyland High, 17;03; 4, Brandon Garcia, Rio Grande City, 17:26; 5, Hiram Rivera, Rio Grande City, 17:37; 6, Jorge Perez, Mission High, 17:53; 7, Irvin Avila, Weslaco High, 17:57; 8, Carlos Tiroco, Weslaco Hihg, 17:59; 9, Sebastian Dela Garza, Sharyland High, 18:01; 10, Jesus Garcia, Mission High, 18:08; 11, Edwardo Rodriguez, Weslaco High, 18:10; 12, Paco Rodriguez, McAllen High, 18;15; 13, JD Corono, Rio Grande City, 18:16, 14, Arturo Cedilla, 18:17; 15, Yariel Sanchez, Mission Vetreans, 18:18.35; 16, Rudy Vela, Mission Veterans, 18:18.94; 17, Xavier Ortiez, Mission High, 18:21’ 18, Jovanni Vela, Weslaco High, 18:23; 19, Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans, 18:26; 20, Javier Gonzalez, Sharyland High, 18:29.

Girls

Team Results — 1, Weslaco High, 40 points; 2, Rio Grande City, 61; 3, Sharyland High, 86; 4, Weslaco East, 101; 5, Mission Veterans, 103.

Individual Results — 1, Ana Bautista, Rio Grande City, 19:27; 2, Stephanie Sauceda, Weslaco High, 19:54; 3, Justeen Cantu, Weslaco East, 20:34; 4, G. Martinez, Weslaco High, 20:37; 5, Marlett Treviño, Rio Grande City, 20:58; 6, Sam Guerrero, Sharyland High, 20:49; 7, Paula Maldonado, McAllen High, 21:00; 8, Aaliyah Garza, Weslaco High, 21:28; 9, Nathalia Nevarez, Mission High, 21:33; 10, Mana Gonzalez, Mission Veterans, 21:40; 11, Hope Pedraza, Weslaco High, 21:49; 12, Adrianne Cruz, Rio Grande City, 21:54; 13, Cynthia Hernandez, Sharyland High, 21:55; 14, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans, 21:58; 15, Leah Solis, Weslaco High, 22:10; 16, Kahora Barbosa, Weslaco High, 22:19; 17, Joyce Solanzao, Weslaco East, 22:25; 18, Valerie Flores, Mission High, 22:51; 19, Nicole Aquillra, Sharyland High, 22:52, 20, Brianna Gonzalez, Rio Grande City, 23:07.