VALLEY-VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Aug. 30

Non-District

McAllen High def. Brownsville Veterans Memorial 25-8, 25-18, 25-6

Edcouch-Elsa def. Harlingen High 26-24, 19-25, 25-8, 19-25, 15-11

Donna High def. Weslaco East 25-14, 25-14, 25-23

PSJA Memorial def. Brownsville Porter 25-17, 25-13, 25-16

Donna North def. PSJA Southwest 25-17, 25-14, 25-16

McAllen Memorial def. Edinburg High 25-18, 25-12, 25-15

Sharyland High def. Valley View 25-14, 25-15, 25-11

Port Isabel def. Monte Alto 25-14, 25-20, 25-16

Brownsville Hanna def. Brownsville Lopez 25-14, 27-25, 23-25, 25-15

San Benito def. PSJA High 25-19, 25-17, 25-15

PSJA North def. La Joya High

Laredo Alexander def. Edinburg Vela

Mercedes def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln

Mission Juan Diego def. Raymondville

Edinburg Economedes def. Santa Maria

Progreso def. Santa Rosa

Los Fresnos def. Brownsville Pace

PSJA Memorial def. Brownsville Porter

District 31-5A

Mission Veterans Memorial def. Roma 25-10, 25-10, 25-12

Sharyland High def. Valley View 25-14, 25-15, 25-11

Laredo Martin def. Rio Grande City

VALLEY-VOLLEYBALL SUMMARIES

Tuesday’s Matches

Non-district

McALLEN HIGH DEF. BROWNSVILLE VETERANS

25-8, 25-18, 25-6

McALLEN HIGH — Carter Helmcamp 6 kills, 1 digs, 24 assists; Victoria Rogers 10 kills, 6 digs, 1 blocks; Sydney Pemelton 1 ace, 13 kills, 4 digs, 2 blocks; Kellie Woodin 10 digs.

BROWNSVILLE VETERANS — Not reported.

RECORD — McAllen High 27-1.

DONNA HIGH DEF. WESLACO EAST

25-14, 25-14, 25-23

DONNA HIGH — Melanie Arenas 18 kills, 2 aces; Celeste Mata 11 assists; Megan Garcia 15 digs.

WESLACO EAST — Not reported.

RECORD — Donna High 14-9.

PSJA MEMORIAL DEF. BROWNSVILLE PORTER

25-17, 25-13, 25-16

PSJA MEMORIAL — Kristi Gomez 10 kills, 3 blocks, 7 aces; Deserey Gomez 5 kills, 3 blocks, 14 assists, 3 aces; Valerie Guajardo 10 assists, 3 kills, 4 aces; Stephanie Martinez 5 kills, 5 blocks; Victoria Maldonado 15 digs, 1 kill; Victoria Hernandez 3 kills.

BROWNSVILLE PORTER — Not reported.

RECORD — Not reported.

DONNA NORTH DEF. PSJA SOUTHWEST

25-17, 25-14, 25-16

DONNA NORTH — I’Dasha Sorrell 9 kills; Evelyn De Leon 8 aces, 11 kills; Nicole Rodriguez 20 assists.

PSJA SOUTHWEST — Not reported.

RECORD — Donna North 7-6.

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF. EDINBURG HIGH

25-18, 25-12, 25-15

McALLEN MEMORIAL — Taylor Marburger 10 kills, 2 blocks, 15 digs; DD Ibarra 10 kills, 2 aces, 13 digs; Valeria Trevino 2 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks, 8 digs; Abriana Saenz 16 digs; Morgan Bialaszewski 8 digs, 37 assists.

EDINBURG HIGH — Dezi Marmolejo 1 kill, 18 digs, 24 assists; Marissa Arce 8 kills, 13 digs; Amber Reyes 5 kills, 2 assists, 7 digs; Tianna Howard 11 kills, 5 blocks, 1 dig; Natalie Martinez 5 kills, 4 blocks; Elizabeth Olivarez 25 digs; Maria Reyes 4 digs; Lorissa Gonzalez 3 digs.

RECORD — Edinburg High 19-5.

DISTRICT 31-5A

MISSION VETERANS MEMORIAL DEF. ROMA

25-10, 25-10, 25-12

MISSION VETERANS — Makenzie Gerlach 10 kills, 8 digs, 1 block, 1 ace; Iliana Contreras 4 kills, 12 assists, 9 digs, 2 aces; Karyna Lozano 7 digs; Andrea De La Garza 6 kills, 1 assist, 11 digs, 4 aces; Alex Jimenez 8 kills, 1 assist, 5 digs, 1 block; D’Lyza 8 kills, 3 blocks; Veronika Cantu 3 assists, 1 dig; Dariana Garza 6 assists, 2 digs, 1 ace; Valerie De La Fuente 1 kill, 6 assists, 1 ace.

ROMA — Diamantina Ramirez 4 kills, 2 blocks, 3 digs; Jesselle Guerra 4 kills, 8 digs, 3 assists; Alissa Gonzalez 1 ace, 8 assists, 4 digs; Mya Salinas 2 kills, 2 blocks; Rebecaa Canales 2 kills, 3 blocks; Yeritza Saenz 8 digs.

RECORD — Mission Veterans 2-0 in district.

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. VALLEY VIEW

25-14, 25-15, 25-11

SHARYLAND HIGH — Hannah Kirby 6 kills, 6 assists; Aydee Hinojosa 4 assists, 8 assists; Norma Quintanilla 6 blocks, 4 digs; Caleigh Hausenfluck 9 digs; Melanie Lazos 9 assists.

VALLEY VIEW — Not reported.

RECORD — Sharyland 10-10.

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — With the Sharyland ISD split leaving Sharyland High with only nine returners across its program in 2014, freshman Caleigh Hausenfluck was called upon early and often to produce for the Lady Rattlers.

Sharyland High finished fifth in district last year, just one spot out of a playoff berth. Admittedly disappointed despite the circumstances, Hausenfluck used that as fuel her sophomore year, in which the Lady Rattlers finished as district runner-ups before reaching the second round of the playoffs.

Now a junior, Hausenfluck and her Sharyland teammates face yet another obstacle. Despite returning eight varsity players, the Lady Rattlers are coming off a season in which they graduated three starters and one other senior who played regularly. In essence, coach Raul Castillo said, “it feels like a complete rebuild year for us.”

Yet, that hasn’t tempered expectations for Sharyland, which is hoping to vie for a playoff berth in a new-look District 31-5A.

“My freshman year, after we didn’t make the playoffs, it was really hard,” Hausenfluck said. “I mean, I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy to make it because we were a new team. Just having to live up to everyone’s expectations at Sharyland, it was pretty challenging. But I think we were able to prove ourselves, even though we didn’t make the playoffs.

“Then last year, we finally were able to reconnect after one year of reconstruction. So in the end, it all worked out.”

Gone are Maddie Garza, who was named the 31-5A “Outstanding Hitter” in 2015, and Paige Jones, an all-district first team selection. But Hausenfluck, who was also named to the first team, returns at outside hitter and libero, along with middle blocker Norma Quintanilla, an honorable mention honoree.

The Lady Rattlers (10-10) have taken their lumps early, but they’ve been encouraged, nonetheless, by winning three of their first four games to open the Sharyland ISD Invitational on Friday.

“I feel like we’re pulling it together,” senior outside hitter Hannah Kirby said. “Last year, we were good, but this year I feel we could be better. We have a lot of talent, and we just have to come together and play like a team.”

A three-year lettermen, Kirby was part of the Sharyland team in 2014 that took a hit as a result of the split. That experience, she said, taught her to remain positive and upbeat.

Though they fell short of the playoffs that year, Kirby said the team took great appreciation in rallying the following year to finish 9-3 in district and win a playoff match against Donna High.

“It was just a great feeling to overcome everything because a lot of people were saying we weren’t going to be as good (as the Sharyland teams of years past), and we were,” Kirby said.

Through the non-district and tournament games, Castillo is beginning to see his Lady Rattlers’ confidence improve. There are still mistakes that occur during games that don’t usually happen in practice, he said. But much of that falls on first-year jitters.

With several new players, the Lady Rattlers are playing a slower pace than last year. Castillo is fine with it, he said. Garza and Jones were exceptionally faster on the court. But as the long as the players develop continuity and rhythm on the floor, he’s OK with the change.

“Like any team, you want them to mesh,” Castillo said. “Sometimes the frustration can contribute to your errors. But if we’re doing anything right now, it’s that we’re coming together. We’re fighting these battles and winning these battles.

“If we make four, five errors, we’re able to bounce back from it because the team is beginning to bond out there.”

[email protected]

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — While reviewing film of PSJA North’s 2015 season, coach Marcus Kaufmann came away thinking Bo Adams was a gifted athlete, capable of making “insane catches” and very willing to navigate an offense at quarterback, given his arm, leadership and knowledge of the playbook.

Yet, as the Raiders thrived in that system, averaging close to 400 yards and 30 points per game en route to their second straight playoff appearance, Kaufmann saw room for improvement when he took over the program earlier this year. He installed a new system, veering away from the spread offense to multiple formations, and moved Adams to the backfield.

“Last year, they ran a lot of pistol spread and he’d get 5, 6 catches a game,” Kaufmann said. “But if he’s your best athlete, you need to give him the ball more. I didn’t understand why he wasn’t getting more touches.”

After playing quarterback the final four games of the regular season, Adams now finds himself settling into a new role as an every-down running back for PSJA North, which opens the season against Mission High at 7:30 tonight.

As a junior, Adams opened the year as a receiver, only to shift to quarterback after George Olivarez transferred to Edinburg Vela and Darren Fuentes sustained an injury during the eighth game of the season against Edinburg Economedes. That’s when Adams went under center and connected on a 40-strike on his first down before finishing with two touchdown passes in a 31-15 PSJA North victory.

Following a 5-6 season and 4-2 in district, coupled with a first-round playoff appearance, coach Jorge Peña retired, and North hired Kaufmann, who was previously the offensive coordinator at McAllen Memorial.

Looking to become a more forceful runner this year, Adams dedicated himself in the weight room, going from a 220-pound bench press to 300 pounds. In the process, he filled out his 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame heading into two-a-days.

“We’re a power running team,” Adams said. “We’re not going to spread it out like we did last year. We’re going to hit people in the mouth.”

From the moment Kaufmann took over, Adams watched old film of McAllen Memorial’s running attack on YouTube. The Mustangs had churned out stud running backs like Bradley Stephens and, most recently, Trevor Speights, the Valley’s all-time leading rusher. But Kaufmann instructed Adams to study Patrick Granchelli, a standout from the late 2000s who went on to play at Trinity.

“I told him, you can watch Trevor when he hits the alley, but not when he’s going 80 (yards) and making guys miss (tackles),” Kaufmann said. “Watch what the offense did for Trevor. That’s what we’re trying to get him to do.

“He reminds me a lot of Patrick, because the running style is that of a tough, hard-nosed kid who’ll do what’s asked of him. And he’s a good leader, too.”

Following an offseason filled with film study, Adams is now better able to find where the alleys, bounces and cutbacks are supposed to occur, and can better identify blocks.

When Kaufmann first took over, he noticed players wouldn’t attack holes until it opened. He urged them, however, to anticipate where openings might present themselves and attack it before it closes. Adams, he said, was the quickest to pick up on that, understanding the fronts and slants.

With more downhill, power blocking, Adams expects the opportunities will be plentiful this year.

“Our line’s changing a lot and the style of game is changing a lot,” Adams said. “So I think it’ll impact all of us in a positive way.

“It’s different seeing things on the field from this perspective (as opposed to quarterback or wide receiver). You’re not in control of things. But it helps having Darren out there, as well as my full back (Rene Ramirez).”

The three have played together for years. In fact, Adams and Ramirez have been friends since preschool, and both went on to join varsity as sophomores. Now they’ll carry the load in the backfield for a PSJA North team looking to rebrand itself.

“He was underused at first, tremendously,” Ramirez said, pointing to Adams’ role as a receiver. “Once he got in at quarterback, he had more opportunity to run the ball and he did very well. When that happened, there was no turning back. That’s what we’re trying to do now, just getting to the goal line.”

[email protected]

BY MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Despite his Mexican heritage, Allen Arredondo admitted he struggled four years ago to explain what folklorico entailed, the cultural significance behind the dances or the varying elements that comprised a set.

“My parents didn’t even know what it was,” Arredondo said.

Now a senior and president of Grupo Folklorico Jaguar, the Edinburg Economedes running back can draw several parallels behind his two biggest passions.

“With folklorico, there’s a lot of footwork, a lot of endurance in the thighs, calves,” he said. “And football gives me the conditioning to keep up with the dances, staying alive and getting the crowd into it. It’s basically cultural music, Mexican tradition — the story of how we used to live back in the days of our ancestors. It’s really fun.”

Arredondo represents a growing number of Edinburg Economedes football players who have heeded coach Gabe Peña’s advice to get “a well-rounded high school experience” by joining other sports or after-school programs. Arredondo, for one, believes it has not only enhanced his past four years at Economedes, but that it has also contributed to his performances on the football field, where he has earned all-district honors.

Initially, however, Arredondo wasn’t certain what he was getting into when his friend and football teammate, Mike Medellin, encouraged him to try out for folklorico. Medellin grew up in a household where everyone performed at an early age, and he assured Arredondo he would enjoy it, as well.

Eager to boost his college resume, Arredondo tried out. And soon after he found himself learning choreography for roughly 20 songs spanning more than an hour, all while juggling academics and football.

“It’s a lot,” Arredondo said, “but it’s very beautiful. It’s not hard if you love it. It’s like with football: I don’t forget the plays because it’s something I love. With folklorico, it’s the same thing.”

As part of the school’s folklorico team, Arredondo and Medellin have earned regional and national recognition. Medellin has also performed with dance groups outside the school. The highlight, he said, was performing at city hall for Cinco De Mayo.

Though most of their time is currently devoted to football, they’ve begun to incorporate ballet and swing sets to their modern folklorio pieces, which they hope to perform at the Acadez USA competitions, usually hosted in the San Antonio area.

With football, the two all-district picks are expected to shoulder the rushing load for Economedes, which opens the season tonight against Brownsville Hanna.

Though Medellin plans to pursue track and field in college, he said folklorico has taught him a valuable lesson in time management. A 800-meter relay regional qualifier, Medellin said he learned to focus in whatever he takes on, so as not to do it twice. If successful, he can allow himself to take Sundays off from his obligations.

Arredondo believes folklorico, like football, has many moving parts. Everyone is assigned a different task, he said, from the performers playing instruments to those dancing.

“A lot of the dances tell stories about our people and about the days of our ancestry,” Arredondo said. “Some of them are about the Mexican Revolution, soldiers parting from their families. Some can be love stories, where the guy robs the girl and comes back and asks for forgiveness. Then they throw a party, which is the wedding.

“It’s all about expression. All of it tells a story about the culture. Every state has a story, and every dance shows that story.”

With his final year of performing coming up, Arredondo said he’s most looking forward to traveling to competitions and annual shows the team puts on for their parents.

“When you’re out there, you could see their faces and how into it they get. It feels good,” Arredondo said. “Just knowing you’re doing something they like — the music, the culture — it feels good.”

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

ALAMO — The missed opportunities from the 2015 season are still vivid in Mike Uribe’s mind.

In his first year as coach at PSJA Memorial, Uribe endured a 2-7 campaign, including an 0-6 run in District 31-6A, but the thought of a dropped two-point conversion against PSJA North, a fumble on the six-yard line against Edinburg Economedes or racking up 13 turnovers in the final two games of the regular season still comes to mind from time to time.

“We had games where we had an opportunity (down the stretch) and didn’t finish,” Uribe said. “Obviously we’re going to be young, but we have to take advantage of opportunities when they come up. We can’t hurt ourselves or beat ourselves.”

That task will be just as daunting this year for PSJA Memorial, which graduated more than 20 players, many of those in key positions. But Uribe maintains that he will hold his largely inexperienced group, with only 12 returning lettermen, to the same standard.

As his first year was spent assembling a coaching staff and planting the seeds for what he hoped his vision would become, Uribe said this season is more about reinforcing what the program stands for — accountability, discipline, mental toughness — while working to create a family atmosphere and pride among the group.

With only three returning starters on each side of the ball, the Wolverines have had to audition sophomores for the quarterback, running back, slot receiver, offensive guard, safety and linebacker roles, many of those who played on the freshman or JV teams last year.

Orlando Muñoz, who played on the JV squad last year, is expected to start at quarterback now, replacing Michael Gonzalez, a three-year starter and the district leader in passing yards (2,168) in 2015. Gonzalez threw for 16 touchdowns and completed 57 percent of his attempts. He also had three of the top five receivers in district last year.

With all those players gone, Muñoz faces a tall order trying to carry on their aerial attack. Though the Wolverines had a middling offense overall (305.3 yards per game), it had far and away the best pass/receive game in district, churning out 216.8 yards in the air. That accounted for 78.9 percent of their offense.

Also a basketball and baseball player measuring 6 feet and 185 pounds, Muñoz has the physical qualities to make an instant impact, Uribe said.

Though they intend on keeping the same spread offense, it was unclear after their final day of two-days last week whether PSJA Memorial will rely on pass/receive game as much as it did last year or if it will try to run the ball more.

Senior Kane Garcia, junior Roel Martinez and sophomore Joaquin Sanchez have emerged as potential backs for the Wolverines this season. Joaquin Sanchez, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound sophomore, is also vying for reps.

“It’s looking very good,” Garcia said. “We’re just getting better everyday. Just putting a lot of hard work, and everything’s coming together well.”

RELIABLE LINE

While the Wolverines are looking to identify potential starters with their skill players, the offensive line has been thriving with left tackle George Contreras, center DJ Delgado and guard Tommy Hernandez returning.

Uribe lauded the three for their leadership and work ethic, saying they demonstrated the principles for which he wanted to build program around.

“We’re getting our steps rights, our blocks right,” said Alex Treviño, a left tackle. “We’re getting a lot of pushing in there, opening holes for our running back, protecting our quarterback. It’s looking good.”

IMPROVING THE ‘D’

Last year, the Wolverines allowed the fourth-most points (26.2) and fifth-most yards (238.5) per game in district.

Part of that, Uribe said, was the result of short offensive possessions by way of turnovers.

“To be honest, great defense always starts with a great offense,” Uribe said. “The more we could keep our offense on the field and the less we could keep our defense off the field, the better. Ball control offense is what we’re focused on to help our defense.

“We can’t complain about situation. We just have to relish opportunities.”

[email protected]

=====================

PSJA MEMORIAL’S PROGNOSIS

With only 12 returning lettermen and six starters back, the Wolverines face an uphill battle trying to earn a postseason berth, with many new faces in skill positions in Year 2 with coach Mike Uribe.

Projected 2016 record: 3-7

COACH’S TENURE

Coach: Mike Uribe

Year at school: Second

Record at school: 2-7

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — The high-powered offense that has come to define Edinburg Vela’s run the past two seasons is in question after graduation claimed some of its primary weapons.

In losing one of the Valley’s most accurate passers and a dependable receiving corps, much falls on the shoulders of running back Robert Guerra, who rushed for 20 touchdowns and more than 1,300 yards during the regular season. But the team has expressed confidence in both Guerra and the offensive line — with their experience and knowledge in the system — to help usher in a new era.

“People leave all the time,” said Jose Castillo, a returning letterman. “You just have to continue working hard as a team, grow together and come together.”

The SaberCats, in fact, graduated 35 players and returned 23 lettermen. Five starters are back on each side of the ball. Their quarterback situation is in flux, with junior Nate Garcia and sophomore Marc Buhidar splitting snaps during Friday’s scrimmage against McAllen Rowe.

Garcia played sparingly as a backup last year to then-senior Fabian Pedraza, the District 31-5A MVP, who completed 65.2 percent of his passing attempts for 1,617 yards and 21 touchdowns during the regular season. Buhidar was the starting signal caller for the freshman team in 2015.

Whichever player inherits the reins under center will have the benefit of a formidable offensive line in left tackle Jaime Alaniz, center Joey Carreon and left guard Caleb Luna, who combined to record 210 pancakes in aiding the second-best offensive attack (402.3 yards per game; 47.3 points per game) in the Valley behind McAllen Memorial (518.8 yards; 60.0 points).

“I don’t see any difference from last year,” said Carreon, a 5-foot-11, 245-pound senior. “We’ve just been working hard, getting better running the ball wisely and still trying to throw to our receivers. We just have to make some tweaks here and there, but we’ll be fine.”

Last year’s receiving corps accounted for 47.3 percent of the offense Vela hauled in. And while none of those players return this year, the SaberCats appear committed to a spread offense with newcomers junior Brandon Guzman and sophomore Nico Rodriguez, among others, battling for touches.

As such, coach Michael Salinas conceded his “wideouts are going to have to grow up in a hurry,” as the SaberCats take on Victoria East in the season opener next week in a rematch of last year’s area-round playoff game.

“We lost some receivers, guys who started three years for us,” Salinas said, “but we do have a group behind them that wants to uphold the standard.”

EYE ON THE ‘D’

Edinburg Vela surrendered the most yards per game (350.7) of any district team last year, and an average of 22.8 points (ranking fourth in a seven-team district). But Salinas wasn’t reading too much in those numbers, especially after the SaberCats finished the year with the largest point differential of any team in the Valley other than McAllen Memorial.

“We know they don’t get points for yards, so that’s never been a factor,” Salinas said. “The way we’ve played the last couple of years on offense did put our defense on the field more because we did score fast and often. So when that happens, your defense is bound to give up more plays.

“There were a lot of games last year where we had 10 possessions a game. When you do that, you’re going to give your opponent more opportunities and with that is going to come more yards. So as long as we hold them out of the end zone, we’re happy.”

FILLING HOLES

Among the more competitive position battles is in the secondary, where the SaberCats are looking to replace strong safety Taylor Clough. Sophomore Ian Ochoa has emerged as a potential replacement. Salinas said Ochoa is “a quicker learn and extremely smart and disciplined.” His biggest obstacle, so far, is his lack of experience.

Nick Enriquez, a junior, is showing promise at free safety and could carve out a significant role this year. Adrian Acosta, who was a backup nickel back last year, could also see a spike in playing time.

[email protected]

==================================

EDINBURG VELA’S PROGNOSIS

With a formidable offensive line and standout running back, the SaberCats should be in contention for another district title, assuming it is able to develop an aerial attack.

Projected 2016 record: 11-2

COACH’S TENURE

Coach: Michael Salinas

Year at school: Fifth

Record at Vela: 27-8

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — In reviewing film of Edinburg High’s 1-9 campaign in 2015, first-year coach J.J. Leija noticed a variety of shortcomings when he took over the program in December. A missed block here, a wrong assignment there — all of it proved too much to overcome as the Bobcats stumbled through another disappointing season.

So as Leija entered spring ball and fall camp, he took a back-to-basics approach with his players. Part of that, he said, was refining “the little things that lead to big things,” like proper tackling methods and footwork.

The other component was speed and strength. With those enhancements, Leija said, his players have shown “a little bit of swagger to them and a belief that they could take on the big dogs.”

Any type of psychological edge at this point would be welcomed, considering Edinburg has struggle with its turnout, and in turn its competitiveness, since sister school Edinburg Vela opened in 2012.

“We’re just trying to change the culture here,” said Leija, who was previously the defensive coordinator at La Joya Palmview. “We’re working a lot on character and getting these kids together. There was a lot of individualism before.”

The coaching staff is encouraged by a larger showing during two-a-days, with roughly 115 kids on the varsity and JV teams. They return 23 lettermen, and have four starters back on each side of the ball.

Under the previous regime, Nathan Marez was primarily utilized as a running back. Now under center, Marez will oversee an offense that generated a meager 96 points through 10 games and averaged a district-low 182.5 yards. Leija is hoping his dual-threat abilities help keep defenses honest, after the Bobcats ran 66.3 percent of the time on offense in 2015.

In a two-back shotgun offense, the Bobcats are looking to operate at a quicker pace. A quarterback for the final two games of last season, Marez will play behind a familiar offensive line with seniors Christian Hernandez and Marcelino Robledo, both returning starters.

“They have pretty good size,” Leija said of the line. “We’re a little young (other than those two players), but we’re hoping we could get to them to where they could block for us, and we could run the ball a bit.”

During 7-on-7, Marez proved himself an accurate passer, and a relentless, dedicated worker, Leija said.

“I couldn’t ask for a better person,” Leija added.

The Bobcats, who have not made the playoffs since 2011, are hoping the slew of changes lead to more positive results soon rather than later.

“We want to make the playoffs,” Leija said. “That’s what we’re inputting in these kids. Some people say two years or three. No. We want to make it now.”

MIXING IT UP

The Bobcats will have multiple formations (4-2 or 3-4) on defense this year, much of it hinging on their opponent for that particular matchup.

With the way their players move on the field, Leija said it gives him the flexibility to alternate formations and “have teams guessing where we’re going.”

Cornerback Danthony Alvarez, defensive ends Edgar Arevalo and Adalberto Segura return as starters on defense. Oscar Valdez, who previously in charge on the secondary, will split co-defensive coordinator duties with MJ Garza, formerly of PSJA Memorial.

“It’s a learning process,” said Arevalo, who led the team in tackles (57) and sacks (5) last year. “There’s new schemes, so it takes a while to learn these things. But that’s what two-a-days are for.

“We’re just trying to clean up the communication, expecting passes, calling ‘bingo’ when there’s interceptions. It’s going to take every single one of us (to turn things around).”

MAKING A MARK

With plenty of vacancies on defense, sophomore linebacker James Champion could vie for significant playing time after his showing during two-a-days.

Champion, who enters his first varsity year at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, has been lauded for his knowledge of the position, his “nose for the football” and his ability to make plays.

“He studies film, asks questions,” Leija said. “He’s aggressive and flies to the ball. He’s just a great asset that we have defensively.”

[email protected]

========================================

EDINBURG HIGH’S PROGNOSIS

Though the program has a new coach and improving numbers, the Bobcats face an uphill battle in trying to secure their first playoff berth since 2011, especially given they return few starters.

Projected 2016 record: 3-7

COACH’S TENURE

Coach: J.J. Leija

Year at school: First

Career record: 0-0

VALLEY-VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

Tournaments

Mission ISD Tournament

Friday, Aug. 19

At Mission High, Court 1

Pool 1

Mission High def. Edinburg Economedes

Sharyland High def. Valley View

Mission High def. Sharyland High

Valley View def. Edinburg Economedes

Mission High def. Valley View

Sharyland High def. Edinburg Economedes

At Mission High, Court 2

Pool 2

McAllen Memorial def. PSJA Memorial

Donna North def. Rio Grande City

McAllen Memorial def. Donna North

PSJA Memorial def. Rio Grande City

McAllen Memorial def. Rio Grande City

PSJA Memorial def. Donna North

At Mission High, Court 1

Pool 3

CC Veterans Memorial def. PSJA North

Laredo Alexander def. Lyford

Laredo Alexander def. CC Veterans Memorial

PSJA North def. Lyford

CC Veterans Memorial def. Lyford

Laredo Alexander def. PSJA North

At Mission High, Court 2

Pool 4

Brownsville Rivera def. Roma

Brownsville Lopez def. Grulla

Brownsville Rivera def. Brownsville Lopez

Roma def. Grulla

Brownsville Rivera def. Grulla

Roma def. Brownsville Lopez

At Mission Veterans Memorial, Court 1

Pool 5

Mission Veterans def. PSJA High

San Benito def. La Joya High

Mission Veterans def. La Joya High

San Benito def. PSJA High

Mission Veterans def. San Benito

At Mission Veterans Memorial, Court 2

Pool 6

Edinburg High def. Mercedes

Sharyland Pioneer def. La Joya Palmview

Edinburg High def. La Joya Palmview

Sharyland Pioneer def. Mercedes

Sharyland Pioneer def. Edinburg High

Mercedes def. La Joya Palmview

At Mission Veterans Memorial, Court 1

Pool 7

Brownsville Veterans def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln

Laredo United South def. Laredo Cigarroa

Brownsville Veterans def. Laredo United South

Laredo Cigarroa def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln

Brownsville Veterans def. Laredo Cigarroa

Laredo United South def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln

At Mission Veterans Memorial, Court 2

Pool 8

Brownsville Pace def. Hidalgo

Laredo LBJ def. Harlingen High

Laredo LBJ def. Hidalgo

Harlingen High def. Brownsville Pace

Harlingen High def. Hidalgo

Laredo Johnson def. Brownsville Pace

Saturday, Aug. 20

Tournaments

Mission ISD Tournament

Gold bracket

Laredo Johnson def. Mission High

Mission Veterans def. Brownsville Rivera

Mission Veterans def. Laredo Johnson

Laredo Alexander def. Sharyland Pioneer

McAllen Memorial def. Brownsville Veterans

Laredo Alexander def. McAllen Memorial

Laredo Alexander vs. Mission Veterans (championship)

Silver bracket

Harlingen High def. Sharyland High

San Benito def. Roma

San Benito def. Harlingen High

CC Veterans Memorial def. Edinburg High

PSJA Memorial vs. Laredo United South

CC Veterans Memorial def. PSJA Memorial

CC Veterans Memorial def. San Benito (championship)

Bronze bracket

Valley View def. Brownsville Pace

PSJA High def. Brownsville Lopez

Valley View def. PSJA High

PSJA North def. Mercedes

Donna North def. Laredo Cigarroa

PSJA North def. Donna North

PSJA North def. Valley View (championship)

Ruby bracket

Hidalgo def. Edinburg Economedes

La Joya High def. Grulla

Hidalgo def. La Joya High

Lyford def. La Joya Palmview

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln def. Rio Gande City

Hidalgo def. Lyford (championship)

All-tournament selections

Gold bracket

Anisa Davila, Laredo Alexander; Christina Gonzalez, Laredo Alexander; Alex Jimenez, Mission Veterans; McKenzie Gerlach, Mission Veterans

MVP: Meagan Menchaca, Laredo Alexander

Silver bracket

Jordan Wonders, CC Veterans Memorial; Crystal Ibarra, San Benito

Bronze bracket

Carlo Muro, PSJA North

Ruby bracket

Carla Cantu, Hidalgo

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — In Edinburg North’s first scrimmage last year, coach Rene Saenz lost his top two running back in consecutive possessions.

Eventually, others went down, too. And Saenz never went on to field the same offensive or defensive lines in consecutive games as the Cougars missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.

“That was our biggest obstacle,” Saenz said. “Just freak accidents, game injuries, nagging things that built up. It was hard to build consistency when you’re moving things around like that.”

Now in Year 3, the Cougars are hopeful the rash of injuries doesn’t repeat itself. From a more expansive playbook to familiarity with their quarterback and offensive line coach, who wasn’t hired until mid-August last year, Saenz said the Cougars have several reasons to be optimistic heading into this season.

Rather than having its offense take form during the middle or latter part of the regular season, Edinburg North is focusing on refining specific points during two-a-days.

They will run a multiple pro-style offense, and have a 4-2-5 base on defense, occasionally operating out of a 3-3 stack. Though there’s an entirely new cast of players from their 2012 and 2013 teams, the Cougars are looking to those squads from inspiration. That’s when North boasted one of the stingiest defenses in the Valley.

“They realize they took a step back the last two years,” Saenz said. “But now that they’re bigger, stronger, faster and a little more aggressive, a lot of these kids that played as sophomores are ready.”

The Cougars have a gaping hole to fill on defense with John Mendoza, a first team all-state free safety, graduating. But it has led to one of the more competitive position battles during two-a-days, with Jacob Guerrero emerging as the likely replacement.

Also vacant are spots in the receiving corps, led by Ethan Vela, who has added 10 to 15 pounds to his 5-foot-9, 175-pound frame.

Haunted by last year’s letdown, Adrian Ortiz, a safety and running back, described the team’s practices as having “high intensity” early on.

“There’s a lot of motivation after missing the playoffs,” Ortiz said, “So we’re trying to implement that in our workouts. For a lot of us, it’s our last year, so we’re just ready to get out there.”

UNDER CENTER

Back at quarterback is Cristian Espinoza, who enters his second season as a starter.

Espinoza, who tallied the most TDs (17) and second-most passing yards (1,610) heading into the regular season finale last year, returns for his senior year after visiting camps at Rice, TCU and UT, among others.

Saenz lauded Espinoza for playing the final three games of the regular season with a broken left wrist, saying it served as inspiration for the Cougars, who limped to the finish line in 2015.

“I think the rest of the team sees that and says, ‘If I’m hurting from this or if I’m hurting from that, I can still get out there and help the team,’” Saenz said.

Having missed the playoffs by one win last year, Espinoza said there’s “a burning fire in me” to ensure the Cougars aren’t merely qualifying for the playoffs but solidifying their position early.

“I think there’s a lot more fire and motivation in this group here than last year,” Espinoza said. “You could tell everyone wants it more, they want to win more. It’s a different atmosphere in general.”

STOPPING THE RUN

The Cougars allowed 73 percent of its yards on the ground, which Ortiz believes the Cougars could solve with better communication.

“That’s all you could do,” Ortiz said. “The stack lets our linebackers move a lot faster, so we should be good.”

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EDINBURG NORTH’S PROGNOSIS

Barring another rash injuries, the Cougars should remain in playoff contention with a strong D-line and established QB Cristian Espinoza in place.

Projected 2016 record: 5-5

COACH’S TENURE

Coach: Rene Saenz

Year at school: Third

Record at North: 8-13

By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — For all the stops along his coaching career, Edinburg Economedes’ Gabe Peña takes great pride in what his program has accomplished since he took over in 2011, making the playoffs three times in five years despite traditionally low numbers in its football program.

What continues to elude the Jaguars, however, is a postseason victory. And it’s because of that, Peña said, that his senior-laden ball club remains hungry during two-a-days, despite routine workouts in the grueling summer heat.

“We still have a chip on our shoulder,” Peña said, “which we rely on a great deal. We haven’t won a playoff game, so I don’t think we’ll ever get big-headed.”

Despite having the second-largest enrollment in District 31-6A, Economedes faces an age-old issue with low participation. It has 150 players scattered across its program, including 58 on varsity. But Peña takes solace in returning 13 starters, seven of those on defense.

In fact, it was the Jaguars’ defense that largely kept them competitive before snatching the fourth and final playoff berth in 31-6A. They finished in the bottom half of district in both points for and against the team, but they allowed a meager 258.4 yards per contest (best in 31-6A) — an encouraging sign for one of the smaller defensive units in district.

Utilizing their speed and quickness, however, Peña anticipates his defense will be sharper and better able to swarm the ball out of a 3-3 stack or 4-3 formation. The strength largely lies with its D-line, led by senior Fabian Castillo, a 270-pound defensive tackle. Boxer Gomez, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound defensive end, has also emerged as a captain on that front.

“We’re just attacking the ball,” linebacker Nick Villanueva said. “Last year, we weren’t conditioning as much. Now we are. We’re just getting out there — a lot of communication, working on the pass-rush.”

What Economedes is most concerned with is depth. With starting positions beginning to take shape, Peña said he hopes to address backup roles, in case of injuries. That’s why as field a more experienced team than last year, the Jaguars will look to sprinkle in some newcomers with an eye on the future.

Rolando Alvizo, a sophomore defensive back, is among those who have caught the coaching staff’s attention. Though he played on the freshman squad in 2015, Peña said Alvizo possesses the qualities to carve out playing time as a sophomore this season.

SCORING PUNCH

The Jaguars return six starters from an offense that produced the second-fewest yards (274.3) per game in district last year. With a more mature offensive line and diverse system, Peña believes the Jaguars will show better results.

They have a new quarterback with Roger Barrientos, who started every game for the junior varsity team last year. Peña described him as a quick thinker and gambler who “isn’t afraid to think out of the box.” He’s also one of the more vocal leaders Economedes has had in the past six years, Peña said.

“He gives us the opportunity to do a lot of things rolling out,” Peña added. “We feel his arm has gotten better year after year.”

This season, Peña said he wanted more players involved in the offense. So while full back Allen Arredondo and running back Michael Medellin are expected to get the bulk of the carries out of the slot-T, the Jaguars are anticipating airing it out more to receivers Bony Rios and Pete Segura (entering his first full varsity season).

“We’re hungry,” Arredondo said. “We’re starving. We want to eat. We have a lot of returners, a lot of senior leadership, so we have a lot of guys improving at their positions.”

They’ll play behind center Juan Leon, guard Hugo Velasquez and tackle/guard Mario Rodriguez, all of those returning starters.

STARTING EARLY

Economedes will play seven Thursday games this season, which Peña is taking in stride.

“We like the short week, we really do,” he said. “In the end, everyone has the same number of days to prepare. It’s just how you approach it mentally. We know what we have to do Friday now. We’ve told the kids Saturdays this year are going to be like Monday practices.

“Some may cringe at seven (Thursday games), but we look at it like, ‘Hey, we’re going to get on a routine and we’ll be set.’”

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