KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN PERLITA — The San Perlita Trojans used a barrage of threes and fed off a 20-point first half from junior Tige Johnson. San Perlita picked up a 82-59 win over Rio Hondo in day-one of the San Perlita tournament.

Johnson finished with a game high 28 points while Bryan Herrera dished 17 points, while his brother James Herrera finished with 11 points.

San Perlita came out firing and hit six threes in the first half, in the opening minutes the Trojans raced out to a 14-4 lead Parker Willis scored six points in the quarter. The offense opened things up behind Johnson and stretched their lead 20-8 late in the period.

“The kids came out hungry for a win today, after a tough loss on Tuesday against PSJA Memorial,” said Trojans coach Nataniel Garza. “They came out with a high intensity and never let down and we were able to beat a tough Rio Hondo team.”

The strong first quarter help set the tone for the afternoon.

The Trojans next game will be today at one when they square off against Monte Alto to wrap up their pool play. Rio Hondo meanwhile will await their next opponent after going 1-1 in pool play.

“I am very proud of the way the kids played,” Garza said. “They played together and unselfish basketball.”

Earlier in the day, the Cats beat Monte Alto 71-46. Against Monte Alto four Bobcats finished in double figures. CJ Leal scored 14, Daniel Garcia and John Cavazos each scored 11 and Jabez Villarreal scored a team high 22 points. Against San Perlita, Zeke Rios scored 16 points and Villarreal netted nine points.

The 9 th annual San Perlita tournament is in full swing heading into day two.

The tournament makes up of 24 teams, 12 girls teams and 12 boys teams.

“It is a good tournament for our community,” said Garza. “We have different teams that are competitive in our tournament and in our pool we have some tough opponents and we are excited to host this tournament.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Junior quarterback David Torres has accomplished something that hadn’t been done since 2013 and that’s lead the Hawks to the playoffs.

The last QB to lead South into the postseason was Sean Montemayor. Since then the Hawks have been absent from post season contention.

“It is exciting to be in the playoffs,” Torres said. “Not many teams get this opportunity to play an extra week. I feel like I have grown since last year and I’m confident in myself, in my coaches and in my team, we have all put in the work and we are ready.”

Heading into his sophomore season, Torres was listed as the backup QB to senior Dylan Carreon.

South was off to a 1-2 start and the offense needed a jolt heading into their match up against Harlingen.

The bye week came and that is when Torres got the news he was going to be the starting QB for the Hawks.

“I was shocked, I hadn’t played in the preseason games and the coaches told me I would be the starter, my stomach dropped and everything, I just knew I had to step up and prepare.”

While the Hawks lost their next seven games, the progress and development of Torres was showing each week. Each game Torres gained confidence and a stronger grasp of the play book.

“What (David) does well is he watches film more than anyone I have seen,” said Hawks coach Brian Ricci. “He is a true student of the game. He loves learning and watching defenses and studying them on what they are trying to do and he is a leader, he is the first one here and the last one out and I think the kids feed off of that.”

As a junior, Torres entered as the starting QB and has shown the growth and has become one of the top dual threat QB’s in the district.

“It gives me confidence and we all worked together over the offseason,” Torres said. “I feel secure and it gives me that extra push to get better.”

Torres who has now started 17 career games will make his playoff debut on Friday. Torres and company will have an opportunity to take on the top ranked Edinburg Vela Sabercats in Edinburg at 7:30 p.m.

KEVIN NARRO, MARK MOLINA AND FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer

The last time Harlingen High and Harlingen South were both in the playoffs was in 2013. Lanny Wilson was the coach of the Hawks, and Manny Gomez led the Cardinals.

In 2013, the Hawks beat Weslaco East 42-21 in the bi-district round before losing to Edinburg North 39-14 in the area round.

Since 2013, the Hawks have been absent from the postseason. Now in 2018, the Hawks are back in the playoffs for the first time under coach Brian Ricci. South will travel to Edinburg to take on the No. 1 team in the Rio Grande Valley and District 31-6A champion Edinburg Vela.

Vela is in its seventh year as a program and has met the Hawks twice in their short history. In their first meeting in 2014, South won 42-17, and in 2015, Vela beat the Hawks 70-40.

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. Friday from Richard Flores Stadium.

The Cards, meanwhile, face a familiar opponent in the Weslaco High Panthers. The Panthers spent the past two years in District 32-6A.

In 2014, the Cards and Panthers met in the bi-district playoffs, with the Panthers winning 3-0 at Boggus Stadium. This time, the Cardinals travel to Weslaco with the kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.

San Benito will enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed out of District 32-6A, and the top-seeded DI school. The ’Hounds play host to the Bobcats at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The Greyhounds have won three straight bi-district titles and will meet the Bobcats again in the playoffs.

The last time the two met in the bi-district round, 2016, San Benito came out on top 47-10. After their bi-district win, the ’Hounds bowed out of the playoffs the next week against Laredo United South, 28-21.

GROUND AND POUND

The Hanna Golden Eagles secured their outright District 32-6A crown in a win over Harlingen South, and the Pace Vikings also grabbed some momentum heading into the bi-district playoffs by defeating Rio Grande City.

The wins were big for each program and came after strong performances on the ground.

The Pace Vikings went wild on the ground, rushing for 434 yards and five scores on their way to a season-high 57 points.

The Vikings had two running backs rush for more than 150 yards. Dylan Barron led the way with 167 yards and one touchdown, and Brandon Zapata followed with 154 yards and two scores.

Hanna sat starting quarterback Victor Campos and let the ground game lead the team to victory, as the Golden Eagles posted 256 yards rushing. Cesar Mancias rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and Aaron Frausto added 72 yards and one score in the win.

It was the seventh time this season Mancias rushed for more than 100 yards and the sixth time in a row. He now has 1, 065 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns in nine games this season.

MAKING A RUN

Another team that quietly made a strong second-half run at the playoffs was the La Villa Cardinals.

After starting the season 0-3, the Cardinals won six of their final seven games to finish the regular season with a 6-4 record overall and a 4-1 mark in District 16-2A Division II.

The Cardinals defeated Agua Dulce 34-21, Benavides 43-16, Bruni 41-34, and Premont 35-6 to book their tickets into the postseason. La Villa’s only loss (42-38), came against eventual district champion Woodsboro.

This week, the Cardinals take on Runge on Friday at Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway.

The Santa Rosa Warriors are headed to the postseason, too. After the team’s last defeat against Corpus Christi London, the Warriors were forced to wait for the result between Taft and Hebbronville. Fortunately for Santa Rosa, Hebbronville’s victory was the Warriors’ ticket to the playoffs.

The Warriors take on the Poth Pirates at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mathis’ Pirate Stadium.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Fresh off their tournament win this past weekend, the Harlingen High Lady Cardinals were back in Harlingen for their home opener against Laredo Alexander.

Bianca Rodriguez’s five-point swing during the third quarter helped fuel a strong third period. Rodriguez finished with a team-high 16 points and teammate Taegan Dickey dropped 15 points en route to a 68-58 win Tuesday night.

“It’s great to be back home and playing on your home court, especially after a win. We still have some things we need to clean up. We had a long week last week, and it took us a little bit of time to get things going tonight,” Lady Cards coach Ashley Moncivaiz said.

Harlingen High ran through McAllen Memorial and Weslaco High this past weekend, and then took on the Lady Bulldogs, who reached the elite eight last season.

“We wanted to have a strong preseason schedule. We want teams to make us work, and we want to see what we will see in the playoffs. For us, we know we will have to be prepared for district by playing the top teams in the (Rio Grande) Valley and from Laredo, and this helps us with that.” Moncivaiz said.

The Lady Cards now shift their focus to the Border Bash later this week at Valley View. The challenge for Harlingen High is that it will have played 12 to 15 games in a span of two weeks, with tournaments and non-district games on the slate.

“It was a matter of regrouping after last week’s tournament,” Moncivaiz said. “We played a physical tournament against physical teams, so when you come back your body goes through some wear and tear, but we were able to pull out the win tonight.”

Against Alexander, Rodriguez chipped in a 10-point first half to gave Harlingen High a 32-26 lead. The offense shook off whatever rust it had during the first half and outscored Alexander 21-11 in the third period.

Rodriguez, who is a senior, has stepped into a larger role this season and has impressed through the first few weeks of the season.

“(Bianca) has been a very good player for us and over the last few years she has learned what her role is, and this year as a senior, her competitive spirit has come out and she will give you her 100 percent,” Moncivaiz said. “She will go out there and make something happen, she will go out and defend or dive for the ball, and when she finds the ball in the mid-range she scores.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — It was an emotional night for senior point guard Michael Arellano.

Last winter, Arellano went down with a season-ending knee injury during the area round against McAllen Memorial. Now 10 months later, Arellano took the court in the first regular-season game of his senior season.

“I was a little nervous, at first I had some jitters, but once the game started I was able to get going,” Arellano said.

Arellano dropped a game-high 20 points and helped the Cardinals to a season-opening win over Brownsville St. Joseph 56-37 on Tuesday night.

Harlingen High struggled to fight off a scrappy Bloodhounds squad throughout the first half. The Cards found their grove during the second quarter thanks to a seven-point quarter from Arellano and a four-point quarter from Jordan Crenshaw. Harlingen High outscored St. Joseph 24-14 during the second quarter and pushed its lead to 36-26 at the break.

While this was Arellano’s second game back, with his first official action coming this past weekend in a scrimmage against Los Fresnos, the senior is still getting his legs under him and getting back into full game shape.

“He is a rhythm shooter, no doubt,” said Cardinals coach Greg Yates. “It’s nice for him (Michael) to get his runs in and seeing him make his shots. Tonight he was able to get things going a bit more and knocking down his shots, and tonight was the best we have seen him all year. Against Los Fresnos, we managed his minutes.”

The Cards outscored St. Joe 20-11 during the second half and received six points from Tony Aguilar and six points from John Ortega.

“The kids were excited to be out for their first game, no doubt,” Yates said. “In the second half we got some foul trouble and we had some kids get in there and gave us a chance, and they were able to pick us up.”

The Cardinals will now prepare for the La Joya tournament, starting Thursday. They will be in Pool D and square off against La Joya Palmview and Eagle Pass.

“It is a quality tournament against some good teams,” Yates said. “It is a new tournament, and we are excited to be in it. We have a good chance of playing five to six games, and that is a heck of a week when you get to play that many games in less than seven days. It is something we have done before.”

FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer

For the past few months, Santa Rosa running back Ryan Mesa has been nothing short of spectacular.

His rushing average of nearly 11 yards per carry only solidifies his status as being one of the most talented athletes to have suited up for the Warriors in recent memory.

And while his God-given talents have helped him produce some head-turning performances for the black and yellow, it is his self-actualization that has pushed the senior to churn out awe-inspiring results week in and week out.

“What makes me me is my drive and the hard work I put in on and off the field,” Mesa said. “I stay focused, and put myself in good positions to become successful.

“It has been a challenge since little league to this point, and I owe it to my coach and my brother, Robbie Mesa, for teaching me resiliency, perseverance, and to overcome the negativity of my size. It’s made me become a better person, and a better student-athlete.”

Mesa’s need to be the best that he can be for himself and his team has only driven the senior to post some very big numbers. Numbers that include rushing for 290 yards and six touchdowns against Taft, 409 yards and three TDs against Banquete, 228 yards with four TDs against Monte Alto, and 176 yards with two touchdowns against Progreso.

While the senior with a selfless demeanor is quick to point to his offensive line for his success this season, Mesa’s stats speak volumes about his mindset.

This season, Mesa has rushed for more than 100 yards in eight of nine games for a jaw-dropping 1,722 yards and 22 touchdowns.

“My motivation this season is to strive to be the best at what I do for myself and for my team,” Mesa said. “Our goal is to be the best team on the field and to be the best in the state of Texas. It has driven me and motivated me throughout the season.

“My favorite sports motto is “Win the Day,” because every day and every game is a new challenge.”

With the playoffs starting this week, the Warriors head into their bi-district game against the Poth Pirates taking it one game at a time.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

District 32-6A proved to be one of the toughest volleyball districts throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

While Harlingen South, La Feria, Lyford, Rio Hondo and Santa Rosa all reached the postseason, plenty of local athletes made their respective all-district list.

In 32-6A San Benito’s Alysa Naranjo and South’s Mikela Mireles were named co-offensive players of the year.

Naranjo wrapped a bow around her senior year with 624 kills and 411 digs. Through district play, Naranjo collected 306 kills and 289 digs. Mireles, a junior, finished with 602 kills, 513 digs and 30 blocks.

San Benito’s Ariel Garcia and South’s Mya Pearl Aguirre were awarded co-setter of the year. Aguirre will return next year for her senior season and will look to build off a 419-assist, 559-dig year as a junior. Garcia finished with 1,135 assists and 412 digs.

Harlingen High had one representative on the all-district first team in senior Taegan Dickey. Dickey finished with a team-high 195 kills, 48 digs and 23 blocks.

In Class 4A, La Feria marched its way to a third straight district title and brought home a second straight bi-district title.

Senior Karina Diaz was named the district MVP, junior Jenoveva Ochoa was named co-newcomer of the year and junior Sierra Salinas was named offensive player of the year.

Rio Hondo reached the postseason and began to peak at the right time by winning five straight matches during the second half of district play. Senior Taylor Gomez was named defensive player of the year.

In 3A, Monte Alto’s Stephanie Trevino, Lyford’s Sarah Martinez and Santa Rosa’s Emily Gonzalez split the MVP award. Martinez led the team in kills with 93, attacks with 399 and in aces with 78.

Newcomer of the year was split between four athletes, Lyford’s Kayleen May, Brownsville IDEA Frontier’s Alma Medellin, Santa Rosa’s Skyler Torres and Edinburg IDEA Quest’s Kailynn Coronado.

Santa Rosa’s Juliet Salce was named libero of the year. Also representing the Lady Warriors was Desiree Guerra, who brought home offensive player of the year.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN PERLITA — The San Perlita Trojans are entering a new season, and along with the new season come new goals and expectations.

The Trojans have reached the regional quarterfinals the past two seasons and have their sights on a much deeper run.

Fourth-year coach Nataniel Garza will have three returning members from last year’s starting five. Seniors Noah Olivarez and Julian Herrera — along with junior Tige Johnson — return to the starting lineup.

The Trojans return brothers James and Bryan Herrera, a pair of sharpshooters with smooth ball-handling skills, and when teamed with junior EJ Nieto, who is poised to have a strong season, San Perlita has the pieces in play to win a second straight district title under Garza.

“It is early in the season, I love the hustle from the kids,” Garza said. “Right now, the younger kids are getting used to the speed and learning the transition from the JV level to the varsity level.”

Johnson will have a key hand in the Trojans’ success, using his experience to his advantage when it comes to helping the younger players get acclimated with the system.

“I have learned a lot about the game and teamwork since I got here to San Perlita,” Johnson said. “Coach Garza has taught me to keep working hard and to keep pushing. I was young and nervous the last two years, but all the experience I have gained, I know it will help me and my team. I will be able to tell the younger guys what to expect so they can be prepared and feed off of our energy.”

Bryan Herrera is back for his final season and, like Johnson, has plenty of big-game experience.

“It has been great these last few years,” Bryan said. “I love playing with these guys, they make it fun.”

Last year’s loss in the regional quarterfinal round to Stacy has the senior extra motivated to help the Trojans take the next step.

“Last year’s loss hurt,” Bryan said. “We are all motivated to come back and work even harder. We want another shot to get back into the playoffs, and the depth we have helps us a lot, if one of us is off, we have more than one guy that can pick us up.”

The Trojans kick off their regular season when they play host to PSJA Memorial at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at home.

By FREDDY GONZALEZ

Staff Writer

LYFORD — The Lyford Bulldogs might have lost a wealth of talent to graduation last season, but with one week left before the playoffs begin, the Bulldogs aren’t exactly playing like it.

Quarterback Cayleb Klostermann rushed for three touchdowns and Joaquin Gonzales added another two as Lyford flexed its muscles in a 35-3 victory over the Bishop Badgers on a cold and soggy Friday evening at Bulldog Stadium.

“We knew that seeding was involved whether we won and lost,” Lyford coach Israel Gonzalez said. “The kids knew what was at stake and were focused all week, and they just came out here and took care of business in the first half.

“We were 7-3 last year with a great senior heavy ballclub and we’re 7-3 again, and we are finishing with the exact same record and some momentum heading into the playoffs and we’re hoping that we can keep that going.”

With Jourdanton picking up a 21-8 victory over San Antonio Cole, that means Lyford will take on Cole in the bi-district round (venue to be determined this morning).

The win was the third consecutive victory for the Bulldogs, but for second-year coach Gonzalez, it also meant it was the second consecutive time leading Lyford into the postseason.

“It says that I’m surrounded by great coaches and great kids,” Gonzalez said. “All glory goes to God and these kids, because none of this happens without them and none of this happens without the coaching staff and without being surrounded by a great community.”

From the get-go, the Bulldogs started with their foot on the gas pedal as Klostermann broke loose on a 43-yard touchdown run that put the Bulldogs up 6-0.

Eight minutes later, Gonzales lit up the scoreboard again as the speedy senior found a hole and went the distance on a 35-yard touchdown run that extended Lyford’s lead to 12-0.

Despite the advantage on the scoreboard, Lyford continued to overpower the Badgers as Gonzales scored his second of the night from 5 yards out to push the lead to 20-0 in the first quarter.

Klostermann scored another touchdown from 23 yards out during the second quarter and threw a 48-yard TD strike to Alfonso Garcia during the first half.

With the offense putting on a show for the home crowd, the defense made sure that Bishop didn’t get on a scoring run of its own.

“The defense has been lights out all year long,” Gonzalez said. “The defensive coaches have done a great job, and they have been our strength all year long. Nothing is possible without Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, but these kids go both ways. Our defensive guys are our offensive guys, and this unit has just really come together and has played very hard.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN BENITO — While the temperatures dipped Friday and a hazy drizzle covered Bobby Morrow Stadium, San Benito’s special teams heated up and help set the tone.

Jacob Cavazos ran for three first-half scores, and that along with two blocked punts helped lift the Greyhounds to a 35-8 win over the Los Fresnos Falcons.

The Falcons end their season with a 1-4 district record and they will miss the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons, a first under third-year coach Patrick Brown.

San Benito (4-1) will host Edinburg High at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the bi-district round of the Class 6A playoffs. With Brownsville Hanna’s win over Harlingen South, the Eagles secured the District 32-6A title outright. San Benito finished second in district play.

“Anytime you get a win it is great, especially right before the playoffs,” San Benito coach Dan Gomez said. “We are going to work off of that and we have some things we need to work on, and we are going to get them fixed and get ready for next week.”

AJ Garcia and Zach Galvan each blocked a punt on the Falcons’ two first possessions, and the ’Hounds took advantage.

Justin Torres recovered the ball after the first block in the back of the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

“It is definitely something we work on each week in practice,” Gomez said. “Our coaches do a great job of game-planning and preparing the kids.”

After Garcia blocked the second punt, Cavazos ran in for a 19-yard score on the next play, giving the ’Hounds an early 14-0 lead.

Cavazos’ other two scores helped San Benito build a comfortable 28-0 halftime lead. During the second half, junior QB Smiley Silva took over at quarterback and, on the opening possession, found the end zone on a 23-yard run that gave San Benito a 35-0 lead.

Gomez, who is in his fifth year, has reached the playoffs in each season under his direction. The ’Hounds have won three straight bi-district titles and have reached the third round twice.

San Benito last met Edinburg High in the 2016 bi-district round, when the ’Hounds won 47-10.

“We respect our opponent, no matter who it is,” Gomez said. “Whether they are struggling or the best team in Texas, our job is to prepare each week like we are going up against the best, and that is what we are going to do. We are playing good football at the right time, and we are going to keep plugging away and hopefully play a clean game on all three phases to give us a chance next week.”