KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

LA FERIA— In what was an early season battle for first place, Hidalgo and La Feria entered play with 2-0 District 32-4A marks. Despite being on the Lionettes’ home court, Hidalgo outhit La Feria and was consistent throughout the night.

Hidalgo’s Vanessa Espinoza led the offensive attack with a team-high 17 kills as the Lady Pirates swept the Lionettes 25-20, 25-10, 25-10. Hidalgo is in a first-place tie with Zapata, which is also 3-0. Hidalgo will meet Port Isabel on Saturday.

“I think, right now, we are coming together as a team,” Hidalgo coach KeyDee Benavidez said. “We played excellent tonight, we had really good chemistry and the kids talked and communicated well. Our setter moved the ball around great and our hitters adjusted to the sets, and we hit well and we had them on the run.”

La Feria began the first match on fire, jumping out to a 8-2 lead and stretching it into a 11-4 lead.

Benavidez simply wanted her team to have fun, and that is what it did. Hidalgo storm back and took a 13-12 lead, which it did not gave up. La Feria’s 12-11 edge was its final lead of the night.

“We needed to have fun. We were OK, and we knew we were going to be OK,” Benavidez said. “We just needed to stay focused on what we were doing by just playing our games and not their game.”

Jackie Garcia finished with seven kills, Soleil Garza led the team with 27 assists and Carolina Carbajal finished with 14 digs.

La Feria, meanwhile, is still in an OK spot with a 2-1 record, but it does have a date with Zapata on Saturday.

Tuesday night did not go the way Lionettes coach Rebea Fraga envisioned, and it just came down to execution and errors. The loss also serves as a wakeup call after they dropping their first district match of the season.

“We just picked a bad time to be very inconsistent,” Fraga said. “They were defiantly way more consistent than us. Last year we lost at Hidalgo in five sets, and after that we didn’t lose a match (during the regular season). I reminded the girls of that, and while Hidalgo played steady and consistent, we didn’t help ourselves, that is for sure. But there are things we can correct.”

La Feria’s Sierra Salinas notched 24 digs and three kills, Sabrina Castaneda finished with 20 digs, and Reanne Fraga finished with three aces, two kills, one block, six assists and nine digs. Sophia Cabrera added three aces, two kills and seven digs.

MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer

At Porter, being chosen as a football team captain isn’t a coach’s decision. They’re chosen by their peers.

This year, one of those captains chosen was senior inside linebacker Louie Palacios, who earned the respect of his peers after just one varsity season and said he does not take the distinction for granted.

“I feel like I’ve brought a lot of leadership to the team,” the senior linebacker said. “I was voted as captain, and that really means a lot to me. I take pride in (being captain) and I love the pressure, and I love being part of a team and being that leader.”

Porter coach Carlos Uresti said Palacios was an ideal choice to lead the Cowboys, as the second-year varsity linebacker brings a lot to the defense on and off the field, citing his work ethic as a standout quality.

“The peers select captains, so that means even more, when your own teammates elect you as a captain,” Uresti said. “He’s a kid who is always here. He never misses practice. We’re talking about during the season, obviously, but we’re also talking about summer and the offseason. He’s always here and dedicated to the program and giving it his all — he’s the epitome of what we want in the program.”

One thing Palacios brings when on the field is experience after a solid debut season in 2018, a big reason why the senior has been trusted to be the mouthpiece of the defense and call the plays.

The linebacker also takes the time to reassure his offense.

“(Palacios) brings a lot of calmness to the defense,” Uresti said. “At the same time, he’s the heartbeat for our defense, but when things aren’t going right for the offense he’s the first one to come over. He encourages the offense and says, ‘It’s all right, we have your back.’ He’s a good kid to have in the locker room and during a game.”

Palacios sees his experience and wealth of knowledge as not only a way to help the Cowboys’ defense but to help younger players develop.

“I really try to give (the underclassmen) advice about the games, practice and working out,” he said. “I tell them to take things day by day. If you mess up one day, have short-term memory and keep moving on. If you have any weaknesses, just keep getting better.”

Learning from Palacios is fellow linebacker Erik Melendez, a sophomore who is also starting at linebacker.

Melendez said Palacios has helped bridge the gap from JV to varsity and has guided him every step of the way.

“(Palacios) has given me advice on how to be a better linebacker,” the sophomore said. “He has taught me to do my stance better or how to get myself in a position where I’m not going to let my brothers down if I miss a tackle. He expects me to be the next thing, but he’s one guy I’m glad I met. He’s a good man and gets others to make themselves better. He’s making me better.”

This week, the Cowboys will take on the Lopez Lobos in the annual Battle of Southmost in hopes of getting their first District 16-5A Division I win of the season.

Palacios hopes his team can grab the win and get the ball rolling as the season hits the halfway point.

If that happens, he’ll have another message for his team.

“I’m going to tell the guys, ‘Hey, we can win games,’” Palacios said. “We have the talent and we put in the work. If we get this win, it’s going to be very good for the team to finally win a game in the district. Hopefully, it motivates us to keep winning more.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

RIO HONDO—Despite finishing off the third set with some momentum, it wasn’t enough as Zapata swept Rio Hondo 25-19, 25-14, 25-19 on Saturday.

The Lady Hawks improved their district record to 2-0, and Rio Hondo dropped to 0-2 on the year.

“The first set, we got off to a slow start. We were trying to find a rhyme, and tried to find where the hitters were at and what they did,” Lady Bobcats coach Lizzette Esparza said. “I hadn’t seen Zapata before, so they were unfamiliar from what we have seen outside of last year.”

Rio Hondo adjusted during the second set and found its grove, building an 11-3 lead. The Lady Hawks managed to complete the comeback and took advantage of Rio Hondo’s miscues. During the third set, Rio Hondo played as well as it did during the second set.

Alexis Rhyner finished with five kills and eight digs, Julie Delbosque finished with 10 digs and Domo De Jesus collected six digs in the loss.

“We took a while to get going,” Esparza said. “It was the second set that got us going. We found what we needed to do, and we found the holes. The mental errors is what hurt us. Our blockers were having a hard time staying away from the net, and those penalties hurt us.”

Zapata next meets Progreso, and Rio Hondo looks for its first district win when it takes on Raymondville.

STAYING HOT

The slow start to the 2019 season seems like a distant memory for the La Feria Lionettes.

On Saturday, senior Sierra Salinas led the La Feria offense with a 22-kill performance in a 25-17, 25-13, 15-25, 25-13 win over Port Isabel.

Along with the strong offense, Salinas checked in with three digs, one block and one ace. Reanne Fraga led the squad in assists with 22, and finished with six kills and four digs. Jeno Ochoa had eight kills, two assists and one dig, and Alani Garza had one ace, four kills and three assists.

With the win, La Feria improves to 2-0 in district play after winning its district opener against Progreso earlier this week.

“I felt we started off real strong in the first and second set,” La Feria coach Rebea Fraga said. “In the third set, Port Isabel was just more consistent than we were, but we were able to pull it out in the fourth set.

La Feria is tied with Zapata for first place, as both teams have started 2-0. The Lionettes play host Hidalgo on Tuesday. Zapata and La Feria meet one week from now in what is shaping up to be a battle for first place in the district.

Fraga’s Lionettes have been on the upswing the past few weeks, and they are starting to figure things out on the court.

“Today was another full team effort,” Fraga said. “Everyone pulled together, and we were able to walk out with a win. I think the kids are becoming more comfortable with each other.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — For a third straight week, Brownsville Hanna was put to the test.

This time, the Golden Eagles passed.

Senior quarterback Victor Campos hit Ryan Trinidad for a touchdown and Weslaco East’s Gilbert Garza missed a late 32-yard field goal attempt, helping the Eagles earn a 21-19 win Saturday night against Weslaco East at Sams Memorial Stadium.

“It was kind of a funky week with us having a Saturday game. It just throws everything off,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said. “We love the Friday games and Thursdays are OK, but Saturdays are just too long. We get bored. We just had to keep the kids focused. We had more resolve tonight and we didn’t quit tonight, and we haven’t quit all year.”

Campos did not start the game (coaches decision). Ernesto Mendoza got the start under center and put Hanna on the board early with a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead. Campos entered the game in the second quarter and helped open up the Hanna offense.

Weslaco East held true to its running style. Quarterback Ramsey Vasquez called his own number to tie the game at 7. East later took a 13-7 lead on a 37-yard touchdown from Russell Garza with 3:22 left in the first half.

That was the last time Hanna trailed, as Campos answered the bell. Trailing late in the first half, Campos hit Trinidad on a 68-yard strike. Later in the drive, Campos showed off his elusiveness, evading East defenders and hitting Trinidad for a 16-yard score that gave Hanna a 14-13 lead with 22 seconds left in the first half.

On the first drive of the second half, Brandon Robles found the end zone to give Hanna a 20-13 lead. Weslaco East’s Hector Muniz scored a late touchdown, but the Wildcats failed on an attempted two-point conversion.

“We have been trying to get to a point where we can say tradition doesn’t graduate,” Guess said. “The two classes before these guys set that tradition, and these guys don’t want to be the ones to let them down. As young as we are — we have 10 new guys on defense and eight new guys on offense — we still feel we have a shot, and even though people are counting us out we have a shot at a district championship.”

Brownsville Hanna, which lost by a combined three points during the first two weeks, picked up its first win of the 2019 season and now shift its focus to Sharyland High. Weslaco East next plays host to Harlingen High.

“We should know how to play in a close game,” Guess said. “Obviously, these first few games could have gone either way, but I think by the time we get to district the kids will know what it is like to play in a tight situation. You want to have that kind of experience and that feeling going into a big district game.”

CLAIRE CRUZ | Special to the Star

There’s no love lost between Willacy County neighbors Lyford and Raymondville, a fact that was evident Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.

Both teams were heavily penalized throughout the contest and each had a player ejected. But in the end, this edition of the Cotton Bowl was all about the Bearkats as they ran away with a dominant 42-0 win, their third straight in the rivalry.

“Emotions were high on both sides. Some stuff went on that I don’t like, and we’re not that team,” Raymondville coach Frank Cantu said. “Once we settled down we executed well, and at the end of the day we did enough.”

The Bearkats started the first quarter with a long, time-consuming drive but didn’t find the end zone as senior kicker Saul Garcia missed a 44-yard field goal. Three plays into Lyford’s opening drive, a fight broke out that resulted in multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and the first of two ejections.

Lyford junior running back Devon Mendoza fumbled later in the drive, and the Bearkats promptly capitalized on the mistake with a 45-yard touchdown run by senior running back Justin Cantu during the final seconds of the first quarter.

That score was just the start for the relentless, two-headed monster that is the Raymondville run game. Cantu found the end zone again during the second quarter on a 69-yard rush, and his counterpart, junior ZaRaivion Armendarez, followed suit with touchdowns from 28, 32 and 12 yards out.

Lyford struggled to tackle the elusive speedsters, who had plenty of big running lanes thanks to the solid Raymondville offensive line.

“This means a lot to the community, and I’m glad we came out with the win,” Armendarez said. “We had a good game. The offensive line blocked well, they opened up the holes, and so did the receivers. Each week we just want to get better.”

Junior quarterback Jarod Cavazos added a 6-yard passing score to the mix by finding big sophomore Jayson Cantu for Raymondville’s fourth touchdown of the first half.

Not to be outdone, the Bearkats’ defense recorded two interceptions and several sacks. The defensive line kept the Bulldogs out of rhythm all night and delivered some hard hits along the way.

Though few and far between, Lyford did have some positive flashes. Freshman Oscar Martinez and Mendoza each intercepted Cavazos, and freshman backup quarterback Osmar Martinez made some big plays with his legs.

“By no means is it an excuse, but we’re on our fourth quarterback and he stepped up and gave us a spark in the second half,” Lyford coach Israel Gonzalez said. “We came out on the short end of it, but that’s football. We teach our kids to fight through adversity. That’s what we’re about.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — For a third straight year, Rio Hondo defeated non-conference rival Brownsville St. Joseph.

This time around, the Bobcats used a 6-yard go-ahead touchdown from Joey Ortega and a late stop on defense to seal a 35-28 win Friday night at Canales Field.

“Getting these guys three times in a row now, we have our work cut out for us,” Rio Hondo coach Rocky James said. “We came out in the first half and they hit us in the mouth, and we didn’t know what to do. We gave up two quick scores but then settled down defensively.”

St. Joseph trailed 28-12 at halftime but stormed back in the second half, taking advantage of Rio Hondo turnovers. The Bloodhounds leaned on Melik Kauachi, who ripped off a 39-yard run that cut the lead to one score and ran for a 19-yard score that helped tie the game at 28 midway through the third quarter.

“In the second half, we turned the ball over a few times and that gave them momentum, and momentum is tough,” James said. “We were finally able to get a stop, and we came up with a stop that gave the offense a shot late. I knew our defense was going to clamp down there at the end.”

The St. Joseph rally was cut short on a fourth-and-8 play. Sophomore QB Luigi Cristiano ran the ball and fell 1 yard shy of the first down. On the same play, the Bloodhounds were called for holding.

Despite the loss, St. Joseph coach Tino Villarreal saw his young squad grow up and put together a strong comeback.

“We never doubted the effort of our team, and that has kept us in games,” Villarreal said. “I was proud of the effort, and I thought we grew up a lot in the second half. We could have easily called it a day against a good team. We stuck in there, and I’m proud of how our boys played.”

The young Bobcats took another step Friday night, especially on offense and on the game-winning drive. Like Villarreal, James felt his team has grown up during the past two weeks with an overtime win at Zapata and Friday night’s road win.

“I’m hoping this win will help them grow up a little bit,” James said. “I have some young guys at some key positions, and I think they grew up tonight. I (thought) these last few games would help us grow, and I knew (Villarreal) would come up with a great game plan like he always does. He did a great job, and tonight could have gone either way.”

Zachariah Rios directed the offense on the opening drive and hit Smiley Rodriguez on a slant route to keep the drive alive on fourth down. Later in the drive, Ethan Jeradiah scored the first touchdown of the night, giving the Bobcats an early 7-0 lead.

The Bloodhounds’ offense took a little while to get going in the first half and took advantage of a pair of interceptions from John Martinez. Josh Martinez put the Bloodhounds on the board, and Sebastian Cuellar later gave St. Joseph a 12-7 lead.

Despite trailing, Rio Hondo’s offense reeled off 21 unanswered points. The Bobcats’ defense made a few stops on fourth down and also received some help from the special teams unit, which blocked two punts.

After a defensive stop, Ortega scored to give Rio Hondo a 14-12 lead. On the next drive, Rios hit a wide-open Jonah Ortega for a 33-yard score.

The offense wasn’t done there. After a blocked punt that set up Rio Hondo at the St. Joseph 10-yard line, Rios scored a touchdown on the next play, giving Rio Hondo a comfortable 28-12 lead at halftime.

The Bobcats take on Hidalgo next week, and the Bloodhounds shift their focus to Raymondville.

By KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

Over the last few years, the Rio Hondo Bobcats and St. Joseph Bloodhounds have built quite the rivalry, albeit a friendly one.

Still, each side circles the calendar date when the two are set to tangle during the non-district portion of the season.

The Bobcats enter tonight with a 1-1 record and are coming off a dramatic overtime win at Zapata, while St. Joe enters with a 2-0 record.

“ It is a friendly rivalry, coach Tino Villarreal and I have a great relationship,” Rio Hondo coach Rocky James said. “I’m also good friends with Phillip Money, of course his son Kai was the QB there, but we have made it into a rivalry. Even my own son always enjoyed playing against St. Joe. We enjoy playing them year in and year out; they always give us good competition and always put out a good product.”

Fans have become accustomed to wild high flying offenses over the last few years as Rio Hondo has won the last two meetings in a shootout fashion. Last year, Rio Hondo won 59-33 and in 2017, the ’Cats beat the ’Hounds 52-48. The year prior, St. Joe won 48-28.

“ I think so,” said James when asked if tonight’s game will end up in a shootout. “I didn’t think they would be as good as they are, that’s for sure, but watching film on them, they are a really good team and their offense looks good. Hopefully our defense can make some stops.”

While there is never any shortage of offense, the quarterback play was one thing that stood out with St. Joe’s Kai Money and Rio Hondo’s Tyler Bush going toe-to-toe.

This year, however, the tables have turned for both teams. Each team enters with a sophomore QB leading young squads in search of an identity. The Bobcats have leaned on Zachariah Rios as their starter and have mixed in junior Matthew Trevino under center.

For the Bloodhounds, head coach Tino Villarreal has given the keys to Luigi Cristiano. Through two games, Cristiano he has thrown for 381 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions and rushed for 81 yards on 15 carries and two more scores.

“ They have some weapons on offense,” James said. “They have a good core; they are more of a run team than a pass. On defense, we are looking to slow down their running game and make them throw the ball.”

The Bobcats and Bloodhounds will meet tonight at Canales Field with the kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.

MARK MOLINA | STAFF WRITER

BROWNSVILLE — There are many reasons why the Brownsville Veterans Chargers are on a mission for redemption this season, coming off of last year’s shaky finish and a bi-district playoff exit.

A big first step in trying to right the wrong of 2018 will be trying to knock off the Mission Veterans Patriots, set for 7 tonight at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.

Like last season, the Week 3 matchup is billed as a battle of District 16-5A Division I favorites, but the Chargers are hoping their fortunes are different this time around after watching a four-point halftime deficit turn into a 21-point loss last season.

“It is a big moment, it is a big game for us,” Chargers head coach David Cantu said. “We have a bad taste in our mouths after our loss last year. We played tremendously in the first half defensively against them. But offensively we had turnovers, we had mistakes and we really didn’t really get going until the second half. That still eats at me, personally, and the team. We didn’t put together four good quarters and I feel if we do, we give ourselves a better chance to win.”

Both teams come in riding huge district opening wins as the Chargers (2-0, 1-0) are fresh off a 49-6 thumping of the Lopez Lobos, and the Patriots (1-1, 1-0) dismissed PSJA Memorial 48-14.

The Brownsville Veterans offense has shown its big-play ability and came into the shortened practice week a confident bunch, and for good reason.

The Chargers are averaging 365 yards of offense per game and scored 75 points during the first two weeks, led by senior quarterback Liam Longoria.

Longoria has thrown for 461 yards, four touchdowns and one interception on 25 of 44 passing this season.

Armed with receivers Elijah Masten (9-166, two TDs), Mauricio Garza (5-137, two TDS) and the unit’s solid production on the ground, Longoria and company are ready to show what they can do this week and erase the memory of last year’s three-turnover outing against the Patriots.

“We’ve been pretty anxious, especially with the short week” Longoria said. “We’ve been focused in, and we’ve been really ready to just take it to (Mission Veterans). Every single series, we’ve gone out and have had gradual improvement. (Spreading the ball around) gives us more variety in our offense to be able to have this many playmakers and distribute the ball around. If we get double teams, we’ll have answers for it.”

The Patriots rebounded from a 37-0 shutout loss against Mission High with a 48-point night against PSJA Memorial, led by Ricky Reyna’s 178-yard, three-touchdown night and junior receiver AJ Gonzaque, who hauled in seven passes for 115 yards and two scores.

In all, the Patriots racked up 451 yards and still present a huge challenge to a Chargers defense that had given up more than 600 yards on the ground but just 91 through the air this season.

The key for the Chargers will be eliminating the errors that plagued them during the second half last year.

“Last season, our mistakes caught on to us,” senior middle linebacker Jason Ambriz said. “We have to fix those mistakes and contain the quarterback, because they like to spread it out and he likes to roll out a lot. We have to contain him, guard their receivers and just do our jobs.”

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KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN BENITO— While the season is still young, one thing is certain. The San Benito defense has gotten off to a strong start and are as physical as any unit.

One key ingredient of the Hounds’ defense this year has been the play of senior corner back Ciro Munoz. The 5-foot-10 corner has played lights out through the first two games and had a strong camp.

Munoz, who grew up in San Benito, played TYFA and came through the San Benito ranks, has been a part of some big games. In fact, Munoz was a sophomore during the 2017 season when the Greyhounds had arguably one of the best teams in program history.

Munoz knows what the playoffs, Battle of the Arroyo and district titles all taste like and has an opportunity to reach the third round of the playoffs for a third straight year.

“This game has always been my sport, it is the love of my life,” Munoz said. “I have always played this game.”

Munoz, who is tall with a long range and built like a defensive back, played wide receiver and tight end in junior high. That all changed when he got to high school and the coaching staff moved Munoz to cornerback.

“Coming into high school I became a DB. The coaches like my length and my quickness,” Munoz said. “It did not matter to me, I didn’t hate it, I love every opportunity the coaches give me.”

Munoz looks up to NFL cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but while Munoz loves the Ramsey’s playing style, his true role model is former Greyhound Nick Castaneda, who was a mainstay defensive back for San Benito over the last few years.

“He (Nick) is my role model. His spirit, his work ethic is right up there and he was just one of those guys you wanted to be at the varsity level,” Munoz said. “Albert Mercado too shout out to him.”

Munoz has filled in Castaneda’s shoes quite well this season. The Greyhounds have continued the reload long-running pipe line each year in the secondary, from Payne Guajardo to Munoz.

“I learned a lot from Nick, from the skills he had to learning to play the run and learning pass coverages,” Munoz said. “He was just a really fast dude and he would make plays. He was just a play maker. Those were some things I learned, and playing opposite of him was awesome, we had a great connection and we are still good friends.”

Castaneda showed up to the Greyhounds’ season opener and gave Munoz some simple advice.

“He (Nick) came to the field house before our game and spoke to us,” Munoz said. “We talked a bit and he just to me to ball out and for us to show them what we got.”

Munoz and the Greyhounds are 1-1 on the year and will travel to PSJA High tonight at 7 p.m. to take on the Bears in The Valley Morning Stars Game of the Week.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — With district play on the horizon, Harlingen South’s mid-term test was against McAllen Rowe, historically one of the top teams in the Rio Grande Valley.

While Harlingen South has made some noise this season, the Lady Hawks were out to prove they are for real.

They passed the test and handled the adversity like a seasoned group. South won the first two sets in convincing fashion and — after letting a lead slip away in the third set — the Lady Hawks rallied in the fourth to take down the Lady Warriors 25-19, 25-17, 24-26, 27-17 on Tuesday night.

“We knew that this game was going to be tough,” South coach Anissa Lucio said. “Before we get into district play we wanted to be on top of our game, so this win is huge.”

The Lady Hawks certainly made a statement with the win and will have one final non-district matchup against Brownsville St. Joseph before they open district play at Los Fresnos.

“We know that Rowe has picked up some big wins, and we wanted to get this win and take it into district play.” Lucio said.

Down the line, Rowe and South could meet up in the Class 6A area round, and that was the exact approach Lucio took to the match, treating it like a playoff.

“We saw this as a playoff game, and that is how we approached it,” Lucio said. “We are aiming for the playoffs and we know we will see one of these teams in the playoffs, and we want to be strong and take this into the playoffs.”

After the Lady Hawks dominated the first two sets, Rowe trailed 22-14 in the third set and rallied for a dramatic 26-24 win, forcing a fourth set.

The Lady Warriors carried that momentum into the fourth set and took an early 8-3 lead. Harlingen South managed to settle down, regroup and took its first lead of the game at 12-11, and it never looked back.

“In the first two sets we were just playing our game, and our defense kept us in a lot of points and we take pride in that,” Lucio said. “(Rowe) just started swinging in that third set. Our defense was off, our blocking was off … we give them credit that their hitters came alive. We needed that in the third set. We need to know we need to finish, and to get better and learn from the experience.”

The Lady Hawks improved their record to 26-4, surpassing last year’s win total of 20 prior to the start of district.

South’s senior duo of Mikela Mireles and Mya Pearl Aguirre shined against Rowe and made plays all night. Mireles led the offense with a 30-kill, 25-dig performance. Aguirre backed her up with an 18-kill, 25-dig performance.

Fellow senior Evelyn Yanez led the squad in digs with 59. She saw the win as a good one, but with the mentality of getting better and preparing for the next opponent.

“It was a great win for us,” Yanez said. “In tough matches you are going to lose a match here and there. We lost the third set, but it is up to five and we just had to keep playing. We knew this was a big game, and for us six seniors we played for our team and we got the win. I think we all get a little nervous at some point. It is just a matter of playing your game, and you will be fine.”