FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer

LA FERIA — Coming into Week 6 of Rio Grande Valley football, it was clear that the Rio Hondo Bobcats could score, and score a lot. In fact, during the past three games, the Bobcats had scored more than 50 points per game.

However, Friday night against the La Feria Lions, points came at a premium.

The Bobcats scored two field goals and one touchdown, but thanks in large part to the defense, that was all Rio Hondo needed as it walked into Lions Stadium and walked away with a signature 14-7 victory over La Feria.

“I saw us really come together, and I think this was the football that will take us to the next level,” Rio Hondo coach Rocky James said. “We played a great defensive night, giving up only seven points to a really good football team, because (La Feria) shut us down really well and they played fantastic.”

“We scored only 14 points on offense tonight and (La Feria) did a great job, but I think this was a signature win for us against a really good undefeated football team.”

Rio Hondo didn’t score a lot, but then again it didn’t need to. Defensively, the Bobcats played lights out during the first half of the game, giving up just 50 yards.

“Our defense played terrific,” James said. “Our defense knew they had to come in here and show these guys that we do have a defense. We played very bad last week (during a 55-42 win over Grulla), but we wanted to prove that we had a really good defense in Rio Hondo.”

The defense ended the evening with two big interceptions that changed the momentum of the game. In total, the Bobcats’ defense allowed just 200 yards of offense.

With a 6-0 lead at the half, momentum was on Rio Hondo’s side for most of the evening. It was not until the third quarter that momentum swung to the Lions’ side of the field. After Dorian Hernandez found Noah Conde for a big 37-yard reception, Hernandez found sophomore Chris Diaz two plays later in the end zone for the game’s first touchdown of the night.

However, the celebration was short-lived for La Feria. With 10:49 remaining in the fourth, Rio Hondo’s Danny Vasquez found space up the middle for a 33-yard touchdown.

“That was a huge play, and I think that really changed the momentum,” James said. “After that we really never lost the momentum, and momentum is everything in a football game. So keeping that momentum kept the defense fired up to keep the lead, and I think that was all we needed.”

With the win, Rio Hondo improves to 6-0 overall. Meanwhile, the Lions took their the first loss of the season, falling to 5-1.

Next week, the Bobcats have a bye week before heading to Raymondville to take on the Bearkats (5-1). The Lions also have a bye week before taking on Kingsville King.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

LYFORD – The Lyford Bulldogs did not disappoint their homecoming crowd Friday night.

Sophomore quarterback Cayleb Klostermann ran for one score and threw for two touchdowns en route to a 41-3 win over Falfurrias, earning the Bulldogs their first district win of the 2018 season.

“These guys had to go on the road and play some tough games early on,” Lyford coach Israel Gonzalez said. “It feels good to be back home, and we were able to put up some points and do our thing defensively. On offense, we knew we had to come out and produce, we had a few rough weeks back to back, and tonight we had several players come out and make plays.”

The sophomore gunslinger threw for 151 yards and accounted for three scores, and showed growth and command of the huddle. The 41-point outburst is a season high for the Bulldogs’ offense.

“We feel good right now,” Klostermann said. “We had two losses and it hurt us, but tonight we put up some points and we made a statement. This is the most points we have scored all year, and it goes back to me being vocal and knowing the offense, and the chemistry I have with my guys.”

The Bulldogs took advantage of the opening kickoff by recovering the ball at the Jerseys’ 20-yard line. A few plays later, Klostermann put Lyford up 6-0 early in the first quarter.

Devon Mendoza had a night as well out of the backfield. Mendoza’s 30-yard run help set up a Klostermann touchdown pass to Joaquin Gonzales that put the Bulldogs up 12-3 during the second quarter.

Gonzales hauled in a team-high seven catches for 104 yards and two scores through the air.

The offense did not stop there. After the defense forcing its second turnover, Mendoza scored from 1 yard out and, on the next drive, Klostermann hit Andrew Reyna for a 10-yard score, putting the ’Dogs ahead 27-3 at the half.

Mendoza scored his second touchdown of the night on the first drive of the second half, putting Lyford in cruise control 35-3. Mendoza finished with 43 yards on nine carries and a pair of scores.

Lyford’s defense only yielded three points and put together one of its best performances of the year.

“Our defense did a great job, it is a senior group and they showed that tonight,” Gonzalez said.

The win snaps a two-game skid for Lyford, which will shift its focus to Aransas Pass in Week 7.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

LYFORD — The Lyford Bulldogs will look for their first district win when they host Falfurrias tonight at 7:30. Lyford will hit their home field with a little pep in their step, as the Dogs have not had a home game since their week one win against Santa Rosa.

Lyford is looking to get back on the right track after a 2-0 start the Dogs have dropped their last two games against some sturdy competition in Raymondville and George West.

“We have had a rough few weeks, but we are working on getting better each day,” senior wide out Joaquin Gonzales said.

Gonzales has been a key weapon for the Bulldogs this season. Lyford entered the year in need of a playmaker and it is safe to say the Dogs have their man in Gonzales.

“I have known Cayleb (Klostermann) for a while now, he was on the varsity last year and all summer we worked on routes and worked on our chemistry over the summer and I’m his go to guy and we have built a strong relationship.”

Klostermann is no stranger to Lyford football or the team’s expectations. His older brother Layne who graduated last year played receiver and quarterback. Layne has kept in touch with his younger brother while he is away at college.

“We face time and catch up on things,” Cayleb said. “He taught me a few things; it’s just new for me this year to be the starting quarterback.”

The sophomore signal caller has taken the next step as the Lyford QB by becoming more vocal on the field and has a strong grasp of the offense.

“I have gained confidence, and I have become more vocal with the guys, like me doing an interview if I were to do that last year it would scare me, but not anymore.”

Through the first four games, Cayleb provided a balanced attack. He has thrown for 264 yards and has thrown for three scores, while running for 159 yards and one touchdown.

Despite the 0-1 start to district, there is plenty of optimism for the Bulldogs going forward. At this time last year, Lyford was 1-3 and wound up winning a district and bi-district title.

“Our district went from five teams to eight with the realignment,” said Lyford coach Israel Gonzalez. “We added some pretty tough teams to our district, it is a meat grinder. We have our work cut out for us and we are a young team. The key for us is to stay healthy and to compete each week.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

RIO HONDO — A mixture of earth wind and fire will take place Friday night in La Feria, as the unbeaten Lions will host the Rio Hondo Bobcats in what is shaping up to be a pistol packing shootout.

The Rio Hondo offense has found their mojo through their core of seniors in quarterback Josiah Ortega, running back Danny Vasquez and wide receivers Frank Hernandez and Cross Gonzalez. The four have all had a hand in their 5-0 start this season.

“This just another game on our schedule,” Vasquez said. “It is important for us not to get lost in the hype, we don’t want to lose our focus throughout the week and we want to be ready come game day. We know what La Feria can do and they are no push over, but we are going into Friday’s game with confidence like we always do.”

Gonzalez has emerged as a legit threat through the air for the Bobcats. As a junior, Gonzalez finished with 223 receiving yards and three scores.

This year, Gonzalez has taken that next step. Through five games, Gonzalez has hauled in six touchdowns and 603 yards. Opposite of Gonzalez is Hernandez. Like Gonzalez, Hernandez brings speed and soft hands to the table.

Gonzalez and Hernandez have hauled in passes from Ortega who is in his first full season as the Bobcats starter. Ortega has been a force with the football. Over the last two weeks Ortega has 10 passing touchdowns and has ran for three scores.

“Everything has been clicking for us, our running game opens up our passing game,” Ortega said. “It is important for us to execute and that is one thing we have done well.

Vasquez has bounced back after a rough junior year. The hardnosed runner has 627 yards and four scores.

The offense is averaging 45 points per game while the Lions are averaging 25 points a game. Rio Hondo’s offense has also scored 50 points or more in three straight games.

“From our practice plan to our chemistry and us trusting our offensive line,” Gonzalez said. “We want to give our quarterback the time he needs to make plays. We come out in the first half with a plan and when we get to halftime we make adjustments and we are all on the same page.”

FREDDY GONZALEZ AND MARK MOLINA | Staff Writers

The Raymondville Bearkats are ready for another Coastal Bend test this weekend.

After dismantling the Kingsville King Brahmas 45-10 in Week 5, the Bearkats (4-1) take on last year’s District 16-4A Division II opponent, Orange Grove. The Bulldogs come into the contest with a record of 2-2, defeating Mathis (34-14) and Grulla 36-21, and falling to George West (38-24) and Beeville Jones (48-24).

On offense, the Bearkats are led by quarterback Jacob Posas, who has passed for 653 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for another 521 yards and eight touchdowns. Posas had another big performance for the Bearkats against the Brahmas, scoring on a 47-yard touchdown and passing for 200 yards.

Defensively, Raymondville has been consistent this season, allowing an average of 165 yards per game. Against the Brahmas, the Bearkats’ defense allowed 134 total yards (95 rushing, 39 yards passing). After this Friday’s game, Raymondville has a bye week before heading into a district showdown with Rio Hondo on Oct. 19.

RESURGENT OFFENSE

Bryan Medina’s 41-yard touchdown with 4:09 remaining in the first quarter was a good indication of what was in store for the Port Isabel Tarpons during their 37-0 win over the St. Joseph Bloodhounds in Week 5.

Offensively, Medina’s TD set off a scoring spree that included a safety, two touchdown runs from Cesar Aguilera (3-yard TD run, 1-yard TD run), and two touchdowns from Sebastian Martinez (27-yard TD reception, 10-yard reception). In total, the Tarpons finished the night with an impressive 379 total yards of offense.

Standout performances included those from Medina (rushing for 145 yards and one TD on 29 carries), Aguilera (11-21-0 passing, 172 yards, one touchdown) and Martinez (108 yards on eight receptions).

The Tarpons play host to Grulla this Friday.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Pace Vikings coach Danny Pardo wasn’t too thrilled with his defense giving up a season-high 32 points to PSJA Memorial as the team moved to 4-0 in District 16-5A Division I play Friday night.

The feeling didn’t last long, as the Pace offense had its best showing of the year with a 48-point, 446-yard night.

Sophomore quarterback Jose Banda led the way, throwing for 248 yards and four scores on 14 of 21 passing. He also rushed for 78 yards and two more scores.

“I’m glad (the offense) woke up, because we didn’t on defense,” Pardo said, jokingly. “But it’s great to see our sophomore quarterback break out and throw the ball pretty well. I’m very excited that the offense has gotten going now and the pressure isn’t so much on the defense.”

Pardo gave credit to the PSJA Memorial offense for making a few big plays and said it gave his secondary a welcomed challenge.

Still, the defense only gave up 250 yards of offense, including 72 on the ground.

The next step is consistently getting big performances from each side of the ball as the district race heats up with a big game against 3-1 La Joya Palmview this week.

“That’s the plan — trying to put it all together,” Pardo said. “Now we have Palmview with a really good running back. We’re going to have our hands full. Palmview is only a game behind the top teams in the district, so it’s not like we’re playing a team that’s not up there. I hope we can put a whole game together, go into the bye week, and try to slow down a little bit and go back to basics.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — District 32-6A volleyball just got a whole lot more interesting.

Brownsville Rivera continued its midseason surge with a thrilling win in five sets over Harlingen High.

The win wasn’t an easy one as the Lady Raiders held off a furious comeback from the Lady Cards, who dropped the first two sets, forced a fifth set and ultimately lost 25-19, 25-16, 12-25, 18-25, 15-13 on Tuesday night in Harlingen.

Rivera took a late 13-12 lead during the fifth set and managed to score the final two points, with the game-winning kill coming from Madalaine Blanco.

“It was such a great match,” Rivera coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra said. “The girls really stepped up tonight, and I told them coming into tonight’s match, ‘This is it. We all have to play as a team or it’s over.’ Both teams played their hearts out. It was awesome to see how the girls came together and played as a team.”

Tuesday night’s win is the biggest win of the season so far for the Lady Raiders, who at 2-3 in district play are now in the fourth spot in 32-6A play with San Benito, though the Lady ’Hounds hold the tiebreaker with a win against Rivera earlier this season.

Rivera next sets its sights on crosstown rival Brownsville Hanna, which is 4-1. Meanwhile, Harlingen High falls to 1-4 and will play host to San Benito on Saturday.

“We needed this win, we really did,” Avelar-Guerra said. “The girls needed a win under their belt to get things going into the second half.”

During the first two sets, Rivera asserted its dominance and jumped out to big leads in each game. Freshman hitter, Kenya Ibarra was a force all night, finishing with a team-high 22 kills.

Teammate Kourtney Shears had herself a night with 10 kills, 27 assists and 13 digs.

Harlingen High, meanwhile, shook off a rusty start and managed to swing the momentum back in its favor with wins during the third and fourth sets. For the third time in district play, the Lady Cardinals found themselves in a five-set duel.

Senior Taegan Dickey carried the Lady Cards’ offense with a team-high 17 kills. Desiree Sanchez finished with eight kills, and Gabriella Serna finished with eight kills and seven blocks.

“It was such a back-and-fourth game, (Harlingen High) kept picking everything up, and in the middle sets they made some adjustments and started blocking (Ibarra), and I told her we needed to get around the blocks, but we both played well. Kenya is my big hitter, and I told the girls we needed to take advantage when Kenya is in the front, and we were able to adjust and come out with a win.” Avelar-Guerra said.

By MARK MOLINA AND KEVIN NARRO

Staff Writer

As District 32-6A heads into the Week 6 bye, the Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles look to have the most momentum at the break.

Brownsville Hanna sits 3-1 and has racked up wins over district title contenders McAllen Memorial and Sharyland High at home, and stunned Amarillo Tascosa 35-19 on Saturday in San Antonio.

The only setback for the Golden Eagles was a 35-20 loss to Edinburg Vela in Week 2.

With three big wins and a healthy squad, coach Mark Guess said the locker room is in high spirits as it prepares to shift focus to district play.

“It’s always nice to go into the bye on a win,” he said. “That makes everything a little bit better for you as far as the attitude in practice and those kinds of things. We just have to keep building and building, because it’s not going to get any easier as we go through district.”

Brownsville Hanna opens 32-6A play against Rivera on Oct. 12. Until then, the focus is resting and going back to the basics.

“We will work on fundamentals again and continue to work on our conditioning and weight room stuff that we do year-round,” Guess said. “We’re going to continue doing that stuff and do what we do. We want to kind of get our legs back from the first half. This week, we’ll slow it down a little bit, do a lot of teaching and fundamental work.”

CAN ’HOUNDS REPEAT?

The Greyhounds had arguably the toughest non-district schedule of any team in their district. San Benito opened its season on the road at Calallen and at Victoria West, and played host to Midland Lee. In between, San Benito welcomed in PSJA High and Laredo United.

San Benito went 2-3 during that stretch but came out healthy and will play host to Harlingen High on Oct. 12 in the latest installment of the Battle of the Arroyo.

The question going forward is, can the ’Hounds repeat as district champs?

Brownsville Hanna, led by junior QB Victor Campos, has emerged as the team to beat.

However, San Benito has the pieces in play to repeat. One standout for the ’Hounds has been sophomore running back Kyler Castilleja. The youngster has run for 248 yards and four scores on 35 carries through the first five weeks. Castilleja had a breakout performance against PSJA High, when he ran for a season-high 119 yards and two scores.

On defense, senior linebacker AJ Garcia continues to have a nose for the football and is aided by Albert Mercado. If the ’Hounds can remain healthy and continue to run the ball, San Benito fans can remain optimistic about their chances of repeating.

TAKING THE NEXT STEP

Jaime Galvan has been a fine storyline for Harlingen High through the first five weeks. The junior southpaw has thrown for 763 yards and eight touchdowns, with four interceptions.

Galvan is most dangerous on the ground. Galvan has run for 167 yards and three scores on 42 carries.

He also has hit his trusty target, senior wideout Joe Reyna. The speedster leads the team in catches with 13 and yards with 282. Reyna also has hauled in two touchdowns.

The Cardinals missed the postseason last year, a first under coach Manny Gomez. Big Red has enough firepower on each side of the ball to reach the playoffs.

The first two weeks of district play will be tough with road games at San Benito and Brownsville Hanna. The Cardinals won’t return home until Oct. 26 against Los Fresnos.

ENDING A DROUGHT?

Harlingen South showed signs of promise throughout the non-district slate, picking up wins against McAllen High and PSJA North. In those games, the running game played a factor thanks to Emilio Quiroz and Corban Hendrick.

Hendrick has run for 297 yards, and Quiroz has rushed for a team-high 358 yards. Junior QB David Torres is off to a good start and has a good chemistry with wide outs Brady Bennett and Derrick Delgado.

On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore linebacker David Cortez has impressed. Through five games, Cortez is second on the team in tackles with 46. And, the secondary has proven to be one of the top units. Kaleb Solis, Kike Alvarado and Isaac Moreno make up the Hawks secondary.

FALCONS FALTER

After getting on track for a couple of weeks, the Falcons’ offense has struggled in a pair of big games, losses to Edinburg Vela and Odessa Permian in Weeks 4 and 5.

The Falcons have managed 13 points and one offensive score in each game.

Against a powerful Odessa Permian squad, Los Fresnos managed 17 yards and three interceptions through the air, and recorded 63 total yards.

Los Fresnos will have one week to iron out the wrinkles during the bye before opening district play Oct. 12 at Harlingen South.

SAN BENITO — The Midland Lee Rebels scored on each of their first four drives during the first quarter en route to a 49-0 win over the San Benito Greyhounds on Saturday afternoon at Bobby Morrow Stadium.

Josh Traylor led the offense with two first-half touchdowns, one from 1 yard out and the other from 91 yards.

Traylor’s long run gave the Rebels a 21-0 first-quarter lead. The Rebels went on to score three more touchdowns, pushing their lead to 42-0 in the second quarter.

“We will use this bye week to tighten up any lose ends,” San Benito coach Dan Gomez said. “We will get back to work tomorrow as a coaching staff, and we will make sure everyone is healthy and ready to go.”

The ‘Hounds finish district play with a 2-3 record. Up next is the Battle of the Arroyo against Harlingen High. The ‘Hounds will play host to the Cardinals on Oct. 12, with the kickoff set for 7:30.

District 32-6A went 1-2 against District 2-6A with Harlingen High and Harlingen South each dropping their games. Brownsville Hanna was the lone team to pick up a win, beating Amarillo Tascosa on Saturday.

The Greyhounds enter district play healthy and are looking for a second straight district title.

Three out of the four teams the ‘Hounds faced in non-district qualified for the postseason.

HARLINGEN — In their first meeting, visiting Odessa High showed no signs of fatigue against Harlingen South.

Quarterback Trey Smith hit Tyrone Canfield on the Bronchos’ first play for a 60-yard strike, setting the tempo for the afternoon, and running back Josh Lara added two scores during the second half as the Bronchos cruised to a 44-17 win over the Hawks on Saturday at Boggus Stadium.

“ It was a long drive, that is for sure,” Odessa High coach Danny Servance said. “It was a great experience, though, coming down to the Rio Grande Valley. It is a good experience for the kids so they can know how to travel and all the things that go with traveling to play a football game.”

The Hawks fell behind the eight-ball early in the first quarter, trailing 21-3.

“ We talked to the kids about coming out of the gate fast, and we were able to do that,” Servance said. “We knew at some time in the game that the humidity would have an effect on us and it did in the middle of the second quarter, but our guys came out fast like we wanted them to.”

After using a fake punt to keep the drive alive, South’s David Torres hit Cristian Cortez in the flat for a 5-yard score, cutting into the lead at 21-10 midway through the second quarter.

“ The kids’ effort is there,” Hawks coach Brian Ricci said. “The kids came out and performed well. We had some turnovers in the first half that hurt us.”

Odessa High outscored the Hawks 23-7 during the second half.

Harlingen South wraps up non-district play with a 2-3 record and heads into its bye week before playing host to the Los Fresnos Falcons in their District 32-6A opener.

“ We got better as a team,” Ricci said. “Early in the year we were making some costly mistakes, but we have grown as a team and that is what I think it will take to make the playoffs.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

RIO HONDO — The task this week for Rio Hondo was to drown out the noise and focus on its opponent.

The Bobcats did just that as senior quarterback Josiah Ortega ran for three scores and threw four touchdown passes en route to a 55-42 win over Grulla.

“The passing game worked for us tonight,” Rio Hondo coach Rocky James said. “We were opening up running lanes, and we were able to throw the ball. We have been putting up points all year, and tonight was another opportunity for us to put up more points.”

The Bobcats improved to 5-0 on the year and now prepare for their blockbuster game against La Feria, which also won and is 5-0 on the year.

“We focus on each team one week at a time, and we knew this week was Grulla,” Bobcats running back Danny Vasquez said. “We never overlook anyone, and now we can focus on the La Feria game and it will be a good game.”

For a third straight week, the Bobcats’ offense was able to put up 50 points or more. The 55 points Friday night was the third-highest the offense has scored this season.

“We are very lucky here offensively, we have a lot of weapons that we can use at any time and they are always on the field,” James said. “The problem for Josiah is getting it to all those guys and spreading it around, and our offensive line is really the key to all of this, they did an outstanding job for us tonight.”

The offense jumped out to a 21-7 lead during the first quarter and managed to keep that three-score lead for a majority of the night.

“We made adjustments at halftime,” Vasquez said. “Coach Garza wanted me to hit the holes like I have in the past, and I was able to do those things tonight.”

Cross Gonzalez and Frank Hernandez caught two scores apiece, and Vasquez ran for a score.The trio of Gonzalez, Hernandez and Vasquez caused fits for the Gators’ defense all night.

“I have been playing with these guys since TYFA,” Vasquez said. “It is a special thing to be able to play with these guys and be a part of this offense.”