BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — Jordan Nichols didn’t start the play, but he certainly finished it.

During Weslaco High’s Week 2 matchup against long-standing rival Donna High at Bennie La Prade Stadium, points were predictably at a premium. Late in the third quarter, the Panthers clung to a 14-13 lead as Donna, led by quarterback Edward Dougherty, marched past midfield.

Then it happened.

As Dougherty ran a keeper toward the left side of the field, he was stripped by Weslaco’s Edward Salinas near the 40-yard line. As the ball bounced aimlessly along the turf, Nichols, a junior middle linebacker, scooped it up and ran roughly 60 yards for the touchdown that propelled the Panthers to their 28-13 win.

His teammates were rightly elated. Weslaco’s vaunted defense thrives on takeaways and big plays. But while Nichols received a litany of congratulations on the sidelines, his mind was elsewhere.
“I was more worried about my leg,” Nichols said. “It was cramping pretty bad. It had been cramping a couple of plays earlier, and I felt it as I ran the ball back. I guess I just need to be sure and drink more water during games.”

Though his hydration habits need improvement, Nichols has been among the best defensive players of the young football season. His 25 tackles tie him with teammate Anthony Garza for most on the team, and in addition to his game-changing touchdown against Donna, he also grabbed an interception which turned into a scoring drive against Harlingen South during 28-24 Week 1 win.

“I told him that next time, he needs to get a pick-6,” Weslaco coach Tony Villarreal said. “Just go up there, get the ball and take it all the way to the house. He’s going to be our leading scorer if he keeps that up.”

It’s no coincidence Nichols can often be found wherever the ball is. The Panthers defense is built on stopping the run, with defenders swarming the unfortunate soul tasked with carrying the rock. Though Nichols possesses strength and passion when he competes, his play is the antithesis of reckless. Rarely is a move made without premeditation.

“He studies the film, and he already knows the personnel of the other teams,” Villarreal said. “If he sees the running back lined up in a certain spot, he’s already aiming towards him. He’s not very fast, so he makes his moves when he can to give himself an advantage. Other linebackers will just sit there and wait for the play to happen.”

Despite being only a junior, coaches and players describe Nichols as the quarterback of the defense. During games, he barks at his teammates, relaying reads and making sure his teammates are in perfect alignment.

“He’s the glue on that side of the ball,” Weslaco defensive coordinator Russ Moore said. “He holds everything together, and the kids all rally around him. He’s such a leader for us.”

Moore, in his seventh season as the Panthers DC, has known Nichols since he played little league ball. Moore was aware of Nichols’ skill set, but was skeptical when Nichols pleaded to make the jump from the freshman team to the varsity level as a sophomore.

“Rarely does something like that happen,” Moore said. “But last year, we put him in against Donna, and I could tell right away he was going to be doing special things for us. He did everything we asked him to do.”

Despite his youth, Nichols’ learning curve was lessened by playing alongside Brandon Torres, a senior middle linebacker who showed the upstart Nichols the ropes of Weslaco’s defense.

“We never really talked a lot in school,” Nichols said. “But when we were out on the field during practice, we were always together. He taught me a lot, whether it was reads or alignment. I never left a practice without learning something from him.”

With Torres graduated, Nichols finds himself as the unquestioned man in the middle for the Panthers.

“We expect a lot of big things from him,” Moore said. “It’s going to be fun to watch him play the next two years.”

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The Monitor sports reporters Greg Luca and Jon R. LaFollette break down Week 2 of RGV football.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — It took six quarters before the PSJA North Raiders punted the football this season, a side-effect of their efficient, high-scoring offense. But when quarterback George Olivarez booted the ball away for the first time against Brownsville Veterans Memorial, it was an ominous sign for the Raiders.

Before then, PSJA North scored on its first four drives. After that, it wouldn’t see the end zone again until Veterans’ eventual 49-31 win was assured.

“We were up 10 points there for awhile,” Raiders coach Jorge Peña said. “All of a sudden there was a 14-point swing to end the (first) half. After that, we just couldn’t recover.”

The opening moments of Saturday’s contest at PSJA Stadium fit the style of play the Raiders (1-1) are accustomed to playing, an up-tempo shootout where touchdowns are given out in the same way Oprah Winfrey gifts Pontiacs.

Brownsville Vets set the tone from the get-go, marching 79 yards in five plays and scoring on a 19-yard pass from senior quarterback Marcus Castillo to receiver Stephen Flores. The Raiders countered with a 62-yard drive of their own wherein Olivarez scored on a 32-yard keeper, tying the game 7-7 midway through the first.

The Chargers faltered on their ensuing possession when running back Carlos Garza turned the ball over on the 34-yard line, one of Brownsville’s rare blemishes of the evening. North capitalized six plays later when Bear Estrada (no, that’s not his real name) punched it in from three yards out to give the Raiders a 14-7 lead. The first quarter would end on a 14-14 tie after a 12-yard run from Castillo.

For most of the second quarter, the Raiders continued their hot streak. Jacob Rodriguez ended a nine-play, 61-yard drive with a 6-yard score to give North a 21-14 lead with 11:00 remaining in the half. A 27-yard field goal Raul Jerez gave the Raiders a 10-point cushion, their largest lead of the night.
But then the Chargers’ defense showed up. After giving up 210 yards — including 68 rushing yards and a touchdown from Olivarez — Veterans began loading the box and rendered North’s running game harmless. From the 2:02 mark in the second quarter until the final two minutes of the game, the Raiders punted four times, committed two turnovers and turned the ball over on downs.

“(The Chargers) came out with packages we used in practice,” Olivarez said. “But as the game went on, they started throwing different things at us that we hadn’t seen in practice at all. We weren’t able to adjust, and at that point it was too late.”

Things began to unravel at the beginning of the third quarter when Raudel Alvarez was stood up and stripped on the opening kickoff, giving the Chargers a free possession. From there, it was the Marcus Castillo Show.

Veterans coach David Cantu brags of Castillo’s ability to beat opposing teams with his right arm and his feet, and his quarterback demonstrated both skills in outstanding fashion. Before being rested late in the final quarter, Castillo completed 10-of-15 passes for 144 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, he collected another 173 yards and a pair of scores on 18 carries.

“This is his 22nd game as a varsity starter,” Cantu said. “The game is just so slow for him now. He’s very patient and allows the plays to develop, and if nothing is there, he doesn’t force anything. He’s as smart as he is talented.”

While Castillo flourished, Olivarez and the Raiders struggled, limping through one three-and-out after another. Where Olivarez went 6-of-7 for 145 yards through the air last week during a 78-26 rout of PSJA High, he finished a forgettable 6-of-20 for 78 yards and an interception Saturday. His only passing touchdown came with 2:00 left in the game, when the Chargers’ second-string defense was on the field.

But Peña knows the loss doesn’t hinge on one player, it takes an entire unit to win. One unit that needs attention is the Raiders defense.

“We missed a lot of tackles tonight,” Peña said. “We can’t do that. We’re not a very big defense. We’re built on speed. At times, one missed tackle can be too much for us. That showed up tonight.”
PSJA North will travel to Los Fresnos on Friday to play the Falcons (2-0) in Week 3.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

The PSJA North Raiders host the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers tonight at PSJA ISD Stadium for tonight’s 6 p.m. match-up that features a pair of dual threat players under center.

Last week during a 78-26 win over PSJA High, Raiders senior quarterback George Olivarez was outstanding. He rushed for 208 yards and five touchdowns and went 6-of-7 through the air en route to 145 yards and a pair of scores.

“He’s a very talented young man,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “He’s just a strong athlete who is very poised and obviously has improved in running a real balanced attack. He’s their main weapon.”

The Chargers are led by a senior QB as well in Marcus Castillo, a three year-starter who threw for 118 yards, rushed for 278 yards and collected five touchdowns of his own during a Week 1 win over Donna.

“He’s really improved as a passer since he was a sophomore,” Canut said. “He’s worked on it really hard and it shows. But he doesn’t force the issue. He does a real good job of taking what the defense gives him, and if it’s not there, he’s not afraid to tuck it and run it. He makes a lot of big plays that way.”

Big plays appear to be inevitable tonight. Each of these teams are accustomed to lighting up the scoreboard. Last year, the Raiders averaged 33 points per game while the Chargers averaged 35.

But while both offenses are known for their prolific proficiency, their respective defenses can allow just as many points. Combined, PSJA North and Brownsville Veterans allowed opponent to score more than 40 points on five different occasions a season ago.

The Raiders will be without starting defensive ends Matt Garza (groin) and Thor Hernandez (achilles). Both look to be out for one week.

“That’s a work in progress for us,” PSJA North coach Jorge Pena said. “We know we’re an offense first kind of team, but our defense is always a big play away from getting a big stop or a takeaway.”

Takeaways have been hard to come by for defenses looking to halt the Raiders’ up-tempo offense. Pena says the team lost only two fumbles last year, and didn’t commit a turnover last week.

“During practices, our defensive players have free range to punch the ball out,” Pena said. “When I first got here, turnovers were a big issue. If a player fumbles during practice, that’s 10 finger push-ups they have to do. They started hanging onto that ball pretty tightly after that.”

For Brownsville Vets, Cantu says the team is trying to get better in all facets of the game and isn’t focusing on side of the ball at the expense of the other.

“It’s still early in the season,” he said. “We’re just looking to improve in every aspect. The kids are working hard, and they know the goal of getting into the playoffs doesn’t happen in Week 2.”

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The Monitor sports reporters Greg Luca, Jon R. LaFollette and Mario Aguirre preview #RGVWeek2 for Class 6A teams.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Weslaco High coach Tony Villarreal will have no problem getting his Panthers excited for Friday’s game against longtime rival Donna High. The annual game between the teams is a Valley football tradition that dates back to the Jazz Age.

“Come Friday, if any of those kids aren’t ready to play, they’re in the wrong room,” Villarreal said.

But as the Panthers prepare for their touted Week 2 matchup, Villarreal is also trying to keep the season in perspective and remind his team of their true aspirations.

“Playing Donna is a big game, sure,” he said. “But the kids play four or five big games a year. We have other rivalry games besides Donna. It’s a big deal when we play Harlingen (High), the kids get up for that game. It’s also a big deal when we play Weslaco East and PSJA North. So, for me, it’s hard to stress the importance of a game this early in the season.”

While a win is always nice, Weslaco will treat Friday’s game the same way it will for the rest of its non-district schedule — as a learning experience to prepare for a run at a District 31-6A crown.

“It’s a process,” Villarreal said. “We’re trying to build on the good things. There’s still a lot of work to be done. We need to sure up our ability to finish a game and close things out in the second half.”

The Panthers had a hard time doing just that during their 28-14 Week 1 win at Harlingen South. The team’s customary running attack looked strong during the early going. Senior running back Brian Guerra rushed for 138 yards and one of four first-half Weslaco touchdowns. In the second half, however, the offense stagnated, gaining just 54 yards and losing a fumble.

While Weslaco’s ground attack dissipated, their vaunted defense showed signs of improvement from their preseason scrimmage against La Joya Palmview.

“I really thought our D-line played a much better ball game than they did against Palmview,” Villarreal said. “We didn’t have any gap integrity and we weren’t taking care of our assignments. Those are things that get better in the first two or three games, and I thought our guys did a good job and helped us get the win.”

Though a disjointed effort won the day against Harlingen South, Villarreal knows a more unified approach will be needed against Donna.

“We’ve got to execute in all three phases of the game in order to get to where we need to be,” Villarreal said. “If we take care of the little things, and everyone does their job, we’ll get to where we want to be come October and November.”

RUNNING RHYTHM

The Edinburg Economedes Jaguars pride themselves as a running team, but will have to do better than their 101-yard performance during a 21-14 Week 1 loss at Brownsville Hanna. The Jaguars had 41 attempts in that game, equating to a lowly average of 2.5 yards per carry.

“We need to be able to establish a rhythm,” Econ coach Gabe Pena said. “By establishing consistency, we’ll be able to attain that rhythm. That’s what we’re working and striving for.”

Pena says the Jaguars must focus on finishing plays and maintaining the ability to go all out for a four to six second period on every play.

“If we do that,” Pena said, “we’re going to get better immediately. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Economedes will play McAllen Memorial at 2 p.m. Saturday at Cats Stadium in Edinburg.

I GOT A FEVRE

Hidden in the box score of Weslaco East’s 53-21 opening-night win over Brownsville Rivera was the performance of sophomore quarterback Richard LaFevre. Though he saw limited time on the field given his youth and East’s knack for running the ball, LaFevre was efficient, completing 4-of-4 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown.

LaFevre is a 6-foot-4 transfer from Ben Bolt, and will split time under center with senior Ciro Rojas and J.J. Garza. Mike Burget was coy regarding his long-term plans for LaFevre.

“We got three quarterbacks that are great at running the ball,” Burget said. “Well, at least we got two. The other one can go out there and rumble around a little bit.”

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The Monitor Sports Reporter Greg Luca, Jon LaFollette and Mario Aguirre recap Week 1 of RGV Football.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — It’s only fitting that a sophomore made two of the night’s biggest plays. Roster turnover was the story for Weslaco East heading into Thursday’s season-opener against Brownsville Rivera at Bobby Lackey Stadium. The team returns just nine starters from last year’s squad which advanced to the regional quarterfinals.

So as the Wildcats faced a 14-0 deficit in the second quarter, sophomore linebacker Roy Pedraza collected the first of two interceptions, setting the tone for what would become a 53-21 Weslaco East rout.

Once Pedraza attained the Wildcats’ first turnover with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter, the team carried itself in a different way. Where they entered the game looking stagnant and slow off the line of scrimmage, Weslaco East (1-0) would go on to score in all phases of the game. The first score came on a 54-yard touchdown run from senior running back Emlio Tamez.

“I don’t know what it was about that first quarter,” Tamez said. “Maybe it was just first game jitters. But once we started running downhill, that’s when things started to turn for us.”

Tamez shined in his debut as the No. 1 running back, carrying the ball 19 times for 128 yards, including three scores. Though he takes over for last year’s District 31-6A MVP, Lupe Moron, Wildcats coach Mike Burget stressed to Tamez and others not to concern themselves with living up to the reputation of others.

“I tell them that they don’t have to fill anybody else’s shoes,” Burget said. “If they just go out there and play like themselves, and not get caught up in being anybody else, we’ll be alright.”

Once Tamez made a trip to the endzone, the points kept coming. The Wildcats scored 21 second-quarter points, the next touchdown coming when senior Ciro Rojas ran a 22-yard quarterback keep. A missed PAT brought East within one point, 14-13. But a 1-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Richard LaFevre to Rojas on the ensuing drive gave East the lead for the remainder of the game.

“We weren’t too concerned about being down early,” Tamez said. “We were just talking to ourselves on the sideline, telling ourselves there was still plenty of time left on the clock.”

Rojas began the second half in exquisite style, returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, and receiving help from a referee who set an inadvertent screen against a Rivera defender. DB JC Vargas would get in on the action as well, scoring on a 51-yard interception return midway through the third quarter to make the score 40-21.

With plenty of season left to play, Burget was quick to stay focused on the task at hand for the Wildcats.

“I thought we played sloppy,” he said with a wry smile. “… I always stand at the line of scrimmage on the sideline, and I saw a lot of (Raiders) white in the backfield. It didn’t matter who was running the ball then, they were only going to get two or three yards.”

The Wildcats have three more non-district games to get their offensive and defensive lines in shape before district competition. The team travels to San Benito next week to play the Greyhounds.

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The Monitor sports reporters Greg Luca, Jon R. LaFollette and Mario Aguirre look ahead at the Week 1 schedule in Class 6A football.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Brownsville Rivera and Weslaco East found themselves in ratified company a season ago, joining Los Fresnos and Sharyland High as the only Valley-football teams to advance to the regional-quarterfinals of the playoffs.

As the Raiders travel to Bobby Lackey Stadium for today’s season opener against the Wildcats, both teams are looking to reestablish a familiar level of consistency. Each program returns nine starters, but a right knee injury suffered by East senior left guard Jonathan Banda during a scrimmage means the Wildcats will start an entirely different offense from a season ago.

“It wasn’t a dirty play,” Weslaco East coach Mike Burget said. “Another lineman just rolled up underneath him. There’s nothing you can really do when something like that happens.”

Burget says Banda will be out for a few weeks, and that senior Alex Saenz will be his replacement. Saenz started nine games at various positions in 2014.

With both teams experiencing heavy roster turnover, each side will use their four non-district games as a means of rediscovering playoff caliber football.

“This is the first year we’ve had to come and look for 10 different starters on offense,” Burget said. “… We evaluated quite a bit and found a lot of answers about where our kids belong. We still got a long ways to go. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.”

Rivera coach Tom Chavez knows all about finishing strong. After dropping five straight games to begin last season, the Raiders won their remaining six games en route to a surprising postseason run. As game day approaches, Rivera has yet to find out what kind of team they can be.

“We don’t have a concept yet,” Chavez said. “We’re a young team. We’re just learning and trying to get better every week. We’ve got three non-conference games against tough opponents in Weslaco East, Edinburg North and Sharyland (High). That type of experience is only going to make us better.”

Chavez points his receiving corps as the few remaining go-to guys from last year, including senior Sammy Orive, who gained 553 regular season receiving yards. Weslaco East will rely senior running back Emilio Tamez and senior quarterback Ciro Rojas to pick up yards on the ground. Burget says he expects his team to respond regardless of who is on the field.

“In the 10 years I’ve been here, I’ve never asked a kid to go out and win a football game,” Burget said. “I ask them to go out there and have fun, and to out-hit their opponent. When you do those two things, winning takes care of itself.”

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