NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Edinburg High defensive end and kicker Emmanuel Duron played two different positions very well on Friday night at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg. His impact in the first half of the Bobcats’ win over Mercedes was hard to quantify. Unless you just count points.

The Bobcats outpaced the visiting Tigers 45-18 to improve to 4-0 on the season. Mercedes fell to 1-3.

Duron was responsible for half — 12 of 24 — of his team’s points in the opening half. As the primary kicker, he recorded three PATs and three points on a 29-yard field goal. He also provided the highlight of the night — a tipped interception that he caught near the 35-yard line and brought back untouched for a defensive score.

He was modest about his play, but maybe that’s because he’s used to getting into the end zone by now. Earlier in the non-district season, he scooped a fumbled PAT and returned it for two points.

“It feels good. Thanks to our teammates, we got the victory,” Duron said.

The sophomore added that he found his role on the team by “just trying new positions.”

“He’s a tough little kid. He’s just a guy that goes out all the time,” Edinburg High coach J.J. Leija said.

The Bobcats’ bench boss recalled Duron’s fumble-forcing big hit after his own kickoff with EHS trailing Harlingen South 14-0 on opening night. EHS scored on that drive in Week 1 and stormed from behind to a 34-21 win.

“Like I said, excitement turns everything around,” Leija said. “Manny’s a good kid that likes to get after it, and that’s all we can ask.”

The defense lifted the Bobcats many times in Friday’s win. The unit limited the Tigers to six points in the first half and only three scores in the game.

Leija said his group self-motivates to make big plays.

“We preach a lot of family,” Leija said. “We’re always together. The kids are always hanging out. So when one is successful, we’re going to pick each other up. Those big plays, they light up the guys. They get excited. We have a championship belt out there, and everyone’s trying to get that championship belt. There were like four or five guys who got that belt tonight.”

Powerful running back Hearlin Benavides picked up 155 yards in the second half to ice the victory for his team. After sitting out last week’s game for maintenance, he scored touchdowns number six, seven and eight on Friday. Two came in the second half.

He had TD runs from 13 yards, 14 yards and the big one that went 80 yards to put EHS up 38-12.

The 80-yarder might have been the most flashy, but the drive that ended in the 14-yard score was impressive, as well. He carried the ball eight times on a nine-play drive that started at Edinburg’s own 34-yard line.

“I always emphasize no line, no shine,” Benavides said. “I couldn’t have done it without my team. It’s always good to get the little yards. The little things count the most, and as long as we’re moving the ball forward, it doesn’t need to be a long run.”

Benavides gave the Tigers defense a lot to think about, which opened up opportunities for the rest of the Bobcats offense. Quarterback Matt Cruz used a fake to Benavides to score on a 10-yard keeper in the first half.

“If I’m running the ball, it opens a lot of opportunities for our receivers and quarterbacks to do their thing,” Benavides said.

His backup, Brian Tejada, also found pay dirt from seven yards.

For Mercedes, Josiah Cantu caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Horacio Pequeno to open the second half and shrink the gap. Sonny Vela scored on a 31-yard run.

Pequeno split time with Brandon Lozoya, who moved from defensive back to QB this week in the absence of regular starter Israel Alegria.

Lozoya broke a 45-yard run for Mercedes’ third score. All the points came on big plays. After each touchdown, the Tigers failed to score extra points.

Edinburg High moves on to face Weslaco East to start District 31-6A play following a bye in Week 5.

Mercedes will lock in for its annual rivalry match against Edcouch-Elsa next Friday.

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Three years ago, Koy Detmer landed back in Mission to coach his alma mater and revitalize the program.

A season ago, the foundation was laid. The Eagles showed some improvement by scoring 50 more points and bumping their record a game from the previous campaign.

Now, the structure is almost complete, as Mission High is 3-0 thanks in large part to a select group of players who see action on both offense and defense.

“Those guys, of course, we see them as really good athletes, and we knew we had some versatile type of players,” Detmer said. “We made the decision a little bit out of seeing they have special abilities, a little bit out of necessity to make sure that we had depth. Another part is they enjoy playing football. (We’re) finding a way to get them on the field, as many snaps as we can, with the ability to impact the game.”

Steve Villarreal, Andrew Maldonado, Horacio Moronta, Al Tijerina, Sebastian Gonzalez and Aleksander Gomez are all players who are regularly used both ways.

The willingness to put in the extra work is part of the reason they relish the role.

“All it takes is discipline, hard work, conditioning,” Villarreal said. “You have to stay focused in practice. The challenges are, you can take the pain of going both ways, or you only go one.”

The receiver and defensive back, who also shines on the baseball diamond, already has three interceptions, including one that went back for six points against Donna North.

Villarreal uses his speed in both positions. The trait was one he had to use when he lived in Odessa for two years before moving back to Mission in time for his sophomore season. He played both ways in West Texas on his middle school and subvarsity squads.

“Up there, everybody’s quick,” Villarreal said. “The game up there is just fast. It’s a quick game.”

On defense, several of the top tacklers come from that group. Gomez has nine tackles. Gonzalez and Maldonado have five apiece.

Maybe the Eagles are channeling their former all-state linebacker/running back Steven De Leon, who frequently led the team in tackles, then turned around to lead the team in rushing and pound his way to three-touchdown nights.

What looks different compared to the teams that De Leon was a part of is the depth the Eagles enjoy these days.

“This year, I’ll tell you we’ve had as good of a team attitude and mindset as I’ve seen,” Detmer said. “The whole group, whether they’re going both ways or not. It’s been really neat to see, and it’s a big reason we’re having the success we’re having.”

Tijerina plays safety and wide receiver. He uses the knowledge from each to feed the other.

“When I’m on receiver, I kind of know what the safety is going to do,” Tijerina said. “I’m on slot, so the safety is always on me. When I’m on safety, I know what the slot receiver is going to do. I enjoy playing it, because it’s fun. Not a lot of people get to be on the field.”

Linebacker play has been another key to Mission’s 3-0 non-district record. Alongside Gomez, the top two rushers Moronta (343 yards) and Maldonado (97 yards) both line up as LBs.

Maldonado, who has some of the same powerful attributes De Leon utilized, is only a sophomore, but he’s already improving from his eyebrow-raising freshman season.

“I’ve been playing since middle school both ways to learn how to play running back, reading the blocks,” Maldonado said. “It was a faster game play from middle school to playing varsity. It’s gotten better this year, figuring our coverages and everything.”

The two-way athletes spend a day practicing one side of the ball, then practice with the other group the next. Splitting time and rotating every drive, or even every play, has also become commonplace on the field.

“We trust each other to go out there and play, because we’re all out here in practice going hard,” Maldonado said. “It’s next man up, and we trust that that dude is going to do what he needs to do.”

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Valley HS Volleyball Schedule 2018

Tuesday, Sept. 18

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial def. McAllen High 21-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-27, 15-11

La Joya High def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 16-25, 25-17, 24-26, 25-21, 15-10

McAllen Rowe def. PSJA High 25-11, 25-16, 25-21

PSJA North def. Mission High 25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 17-25, 15-9

District 31-6A

Edinburg North def. Weslaco East 25-20, 25-18, 25-10

Edinburg High def. Edinburg Economedes 25-14, 25-17, 25-18

Weslaco High at Donna North, not reported

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna def. Brownsville Rivera 25-21, 9-25, 11-25, 25-19, 15-12

Harlingen High def. San Benito 25-18, 23-25, 13-25, 25-20, 15-13

District 31-5A

PSJA Southwest def. Roma 25-21, 25-19, 25-20

PSJA Memorial def. La Joya Palmview 25-22, 26-28, 25-18, 25-20

Mission Veterans def. Sharyland Pioneer 25-11, 25-18, 25-16

Sharyland High def. Rio Grande City 25-8, 22-25, 25-13, 25-14

District 32-5A

Donna High def. Brownsville Pace 25-19, 25-4, 25-21

Brownsville Veterans def. Valley View 25-8, 25-7, 25-12

Brownsville Lopez def. Brownsville Porter 25-23, 25-18, 25-20

Edcouch-Elsa def. Mercedes 25-15, 25-17, 25-21

District 32-4A

Grulla def. Progreso 25-13, 25-10, 25-21

Hidalgo def. Zapata 23-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-21

La Feria def. Raymondville 25-22, 25-7, 19-25, 25-17

Rio Hondo def. Port Isabel

TAPPS

Corpus Christi Incarnate Word def. Brownsville St. Joseph 29-27, 19-25, 32-30, 20-25, 15-12

CHARTER

Brownsville Jubilee Brownsville def. IDEA Weslaco 25-9, 25-7, 25-18

District 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE DEF. PSJA HIGH 25-11, 25-16, 25-21

McALLEN ROWE: Jackelyn Alanis 27 kills, 19 digs, 3 aces, 1 asssit; Jewel Palomo 25 assists, 4 digs, 1 ace; Samantha Sifuentes 10 assists, 5 digs; Anna Honrubia 13 digs, 5 kills, 1 ace; Mariana Cortez 12 digs, 1 assist; Victoria Galindo 3 blocks 1 kill

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH DEF.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 25-14, 25-17, 25-18

EDINBURG HIGH: Renee Ponce 32 digs,12 kills, 16 assists, 2 aces; Victoria Fuentes 12 kills, 4 digs, 2 aces, 1 block; Adrianna Guerra 17 digs, 3 aces, 1 assist; Hannah Vega 20 digs, 3 kills, 1 assist

RECORDS: Edinburg High 2-1,

EDINBURG NORTH DEF. WESLACO EAST 25-20, 25-18, 25-10

EDINBURG NORTH: Natalie Rodriguez 13 kills, 13 digs; Evana Ramos 39 digs; Jessica Dreyer 15 digs, 14 assists; Brandi Garcia 11 digs, 3 aces

RECORDS: Edinburg North 20-14, 3-1 district

District 31-5A

MISSION VETERANS DEF. SHARYLAND PIONEER 25-11, 25-18, 25-16

MISSION VETERANS: Jackie Howell 18 kills, 10 digs; Makenzie Gerlach 16 kills, 13 digs, 3 aces; Kassy Lerma 15 kills, 10 digs, 1 aces; Valerie de la Fuente 36 assists, 6 digs, 1 kill; Ronnie Cantu 9 digs, 7 assists, 3 aces

SHARYLAND PIONEER: Daizy Coronado 3 kills, 6 digs; Daniela Alvarez 3 kills, 1 block; Elizabeth Fina 9 digs; Melany Rodriguez 5 kills; Natalie Reyes 26 assists, 6 digs, 1 block; Samantha Ayala 10 kills, 5 digs

RECORDS: Mission Veterans 22-3, 4-0; Sharyland Pioneer 15-15, 2-2

District 32-5A

EDCOUCH-ELSA DEF. MERCEDES 25-15, 25-17, 25-21

EDCOUCH-ELSA: Paloma Ybarra 17 kills, 11 assists, 10 digs; Maegan Acevedo 13 assists, 11 digs, 4 kills, 3 aces; Endiya Devoe 5 kills, 4 digs, 5 kills, 2 blocks

RECORDS: Edcouch-Elsa 20-9, 4-0

District 32-4A

HIDALGO DEF. ZAPATA 23-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-21

HIDALGO: Barbie Gutierrez 10 kills; Melanie Salinas 11 kills, 9 blocks; Priscilla Fuentes 4 kills, 4 blocks; Jacqui Garcia 4 kills, 2 blocks; Vanessa Espinoza 5 kills, Soleil Garza 13 assists.

RECORDS: Hidalgo 5-0

Saturday, Sept. 22

District 30-6A

PSJA High at McAllen High, noon

La Joya High at PSJA North, noon

Mission High at McAllen Rowe, noon

McAllen Memorial at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, noon

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela at Donna North, noon

Weslaco East at Edinburg Economedes, noon

Edinburg High at Weslaco High, noon

District 32-6A

Brownsville Rivera at Los Fresnos, noon

Harlingen High at Brownsville Hanna, noon

San Benito at Harlingen South, noon

District 31-5A

La Joya Palmview at Roma, 1 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at Rio Grande City, 1 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at PSJA Memorial, 1 p.m.

District 32-5A

Brownsville Lopez at Donna High, 1 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at Mercedes, 1 p.m.

Brownsville Veterans at Brownsvile Porter, 1 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at Valley View, 1 p.m.

District 32-4A

Zapata at Port Isabel, 1 p.m.

La Feria at Grulla, 1 p.m.

Hidalgo at Raymondville, 1 p.m.

Rio Hondo vs. Progreso, 1 p.m.

TAAPS

Brownsville St. Joseph at Laredo St. Augustine, 3 p.m.

NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — In the third set, McAllen Memorial junior Demy Banks leaped up and blocked a shot straight down. The ball fell to McHi’s side of the net. Point Mustangs, and half of the crowd went wild. Banks had three solo blocks on Tuesday night. Each was crucial as Memorial outlasted rival McAllen High 21-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-27, 15-11.

“A moment like that, especially in volleyball, everything is moments,” Banks said. “A big block like that just lifts the entire team’s atmosphere, and it just carries you to victory. It helps everybody go.”

The Mustangs were on their heels early, dropping the first set 21-25. But they turned it on during the second and third sets.

Memorial looked like it was ready to wrap up the match in the fourth set. The Mustangs served for match point at 24-23, but a block from Gonzalez put the score at 24-24. The match was tied again at 25 before the Bulldogs extended the match to a fifth frame.

“You have to treat every set individually. Every match individually,” Memorial coach Lorena Lopez said after the match. “That’s something I think we struggle with. We need to focus where we’re at and get it done, but we were able to do that tonight.”

Defense, like Banks’ blocks or the 12 total blocks in the match, went a long way. Valeria Lopez paced the team in digs with 22, while Sophie Villarreal and Sydney Marburger added 14 apiece.

“Defense against a team that knows how to hit the ball is one of the most important things,” Banks said. “It’s the first line of defense. It sets up everything in the back row, and without it, it would just crumble apart.”

Lexi Gonzalez was a standout again for the Bulldogs. She put down 32 kills and was a big reason the visitors were never out of the match. She added 12 digs, three blocks, two aces and two assists. Madison Helmcamp led McHi with 43 assists.

Jocelynn Everage was strong for Memorial, leading the team with 22 kills. With the dual attack of Everage and Trevino (18 kills), McHi faced a difficult task in trying to key in on either defensively. Evelyn Whitworth was the third Mustang in double figures for kills with 12.

“We’ve been playing against each other, and with each other, for so many years,” Everage said. “These games are so personal, and they could go either way, but we know if you push and you fight and you want it hard enough, you will win.”

The match was Everage’s fifth this season reaching 20 kills. She celebrated 1,000 points earlier this season and said the rivalry brings out another gear for the offense.

“I feel like this game brings it out of us,” Everage said. “We want to win. We want to do everything special that we can to get the points and get it done with. They’re a great team, and they’re always going to fight back.”

Tuesday’s match marked the first time Memorial dropped a set since an Aug. 26 matchup against Laredo United in tournament play. The Mustangs improved to 4-0 in 30-6A with a Sept. 29 match against McAllen Rowe looming on the horizon.

“For big games like this and playoffs, they need to just know that it’s going to be a tough match,” Lopez said. “I thought today we started off really slow. That’s something that we need to work on as a program to know it’s not always going to be a slow-tempo match. You got to be able to play a quick-tempo match from point No. 1.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

Something will be missing from the Week 4 docket: District 30-6A teams are staying home on Thursday and Friday night. All eight of the teams in the district are on their bye week, meaning they won’t have any breaks from Weeks 5 through 11.

McAllen Rowe coach Bobby Flores said the schedule is a welcomed change.

“This is my third year as a head coach, and it’s the first time we’ve all been on bye at the same time,” Flores said. “I think it’s a good thing, because most of the time it’s a luck of the draw if you get your bye week early or late in the season. This time around, there is no advantage or disadvantage, and after this, it’s go-go-go.”

Rowe showed its stuff in the two weeks following a 28-7 season-opening loss to Weslaco High. Since then, the Warriors have scored 74 points — 47 against Mercedes and another 27 against Edinburg North.

The three-touchdown loss seemed like a surprise back in August, but Weslaco has continued to pump out convincing wins.

“I said that from the beginning. Weslaco is a very good team,” Flores said. “It was something that we wanted to see early. I wanted to play them for a reason. I know they’re good, well-coached, and it was going to give us a starting point. It sure did. We were able to see some things that we could work and improve on.”

In both of their two wins, the Warriors got six points from sophomore Lorenzo Lopez, who has burst onto the scene as a kick returner and running back. He scored on an 85-yard runback against the Tigers.

“The stats speak for themselves,” Flores said. “He ran a kickoff against Mercedes. He had another big one against Edinburg North. Being a sophomore, he’s picked up on the system quickly, understanding the blocking schemes up front. It gives us another weapon.”

Flores and his team are preparing for a Week 5, district-opening test against a fellow McAllen school.

“It will be a real important week after the bye, because we have our crosstown rivals McAllen High, and I know they are working to try some things,” Flores said.

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — New teams in district 32-5A? No problem. New varsity group with last year’s seniors gone and younger players stepping into the fold for Edcouch-Elsa volleyball? No worries. A move to a new position for her senior year? Not an issue for Paloma Ybarra, who continues to be valuable for her team whether she’s setting up her teammates or scoring herself.

“I told them, ‘I want to play all-around,’ so I asked, ‘What do I need to do?’” Ybarra said. “Coach (Gloria Trevino) was like, ‘We need a setter.’ So, I trained with my (club) coach in the summer, all summer. I just love setting. It’s really fun whenever they score off your set. It’s just awesome.”

After spending most of her career as an outside hitter, Ybarra transitioned easily. As Edcouch-Elsa’s team leader in kills in during her sophomore (372) and junior seasons (302), Ybarra knows a thing or two about how to execute on offense. This season, that knowledge is being distributed to her teammates.

E-E coach Trevino said the setter position is crucial to any team’s success and added that she feels she has found the right player for the challenge.
“I was like, ‘Heck yeah, you could set,’” Trevino said. “I said I was a setter, and everywhere I could I call myself the setters coach. ‘Quarterback of the team’ is what we call our setters. I gave her that opportunity to become the setter.”

Ybarra, who reached the milestone of 1,000 kills this season, said she is not at all surprised her team is playing like it didn’t miss a beat following last year’s 13-3 district season.

“Every year, we regroup, and they’re just going to adjust,” Ybarra said. “They’re good players. They’re good athletes. They’ve played the sport before. It’s not like they came in and have never played. They know how to play, know what to do on the court, and they know they have a job to do.”

Juniors Maegan Acevedo and Veronica Elizondo have emerged as key targets for her sets. Sarah Flores and Endiya Devoe have also been earning points as part of a much more balanced Yellow Jackets attack.

“Whenever I set to them, I look at the court and see what’s open so they can score faster,” Ybarra said. “I try to guide them, and if they need their sets higher, I say, ‘OK.’ I don’t get mad. I take it as good response.”

Her favorite target so far has been Elizondo thanks to her left-handed spikes that give opponents a different look to worry about.

“Vero’s a lefty, so it’s a little bit easier to go on the right side,” Ybarra said. “We do quick ones, and I just love when she hits them so good. It makes me so excited. When she’s right side, she has the whole court. She can line. She can go cross. She can go six. She can go sharp.”

Team defense is another big factor in the Yellow Jackets’ 17-9 record and 3-0 start to district play, including an important first-round win against Donna High.

Senior Nedia Ybarra (no relation to Paloma) stands at 6 feet and has her hands high.

Just like Paloma, she’s seen varsity action for four years in a row. During those four years, E-E has had three different head coaches.

Off the court, Nedia won the student council presidency for the senior class. She wants her final high school season to be special and a representation of the perseverance it took to move forward through an abundance of change.

“This year, it’s been different,” Neida said. “I was one of the ones that transitioned from coach (Ofelia) Griffith to coach (Dragan) Mark(ovic) to coach Trevino. It’s very difficult to adjust, but knowing that we have still been on top of our play, it makes me feel good. I can handle anything in life, basically. It’s very difficult to go from one head coach to another.”

The offense has plenty of options, and Neida’s contribution makes the defense solid.

“I definitely try to help my back row a lot,” Neida said. “My libero looks forward to me helping out. I want to play my part as a teammate, also.”

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Valley HS Volleyball Schedule 2018

Saturday, Sept. 15

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial def. PSJA High 25-13, 25-15, 25-9

McAllen High def. La Joya High 25-9, 25-10, 25-13

McAllen Rowe def. PSJA North 25-14, 25-17, 25-20

Mission High def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-9, 26-24, 23-25, 25-23

District 31-6A

Edinburg North def. Edinburg High 25-23, 30-28, 25-14

District 31-5A

Mission Veterans def. La Joya Palmview 25-7, 25-5, 25-11

Sharyland High def. Sharyland Pioneer 25-21, 25-18, 25-23

PSJA Southwest def. PSJA Memorial 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-20

Roma def. Rio Grande City 25-20, 25-14, 25-13

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa def. Donna High 25-21, 23-25, 25-12, 23-25, 15-5

Brownsville Lopez def. Brownsville Pace 22-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-11

Brownsville Porter def. Valley View 25-18, 25-22, 25-13

Brownsville Veterans def. Mercedes 25-14, 25-14, 25-13

District 32-4A

La Feria def. Zapata 25-22, 20-25, 25-16, 25-22

Non-district

San Benito def. Los Fresnos 20-25, 29-27, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12

Monday, Sept. 17

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes def. Donna North 25-21, 25-20, 25-12

Edinburg Vela def. Weslaco High 15-25, 21-25, 25-15, 26-24, 15-4

District 32-4A

Hidalgo def. Port Isabel 25-12, 25-14, 24-26, 25-17 Grulla def. Rio Hondo 25-8, 25-17, 25-21

Raymondville def. Progreso

District 34-5A

HIDALGO DEF. PORT ISABEL

HIDALGO: Barbie Gutierrez 12 kills, 10 assists; Melanis Salinas 6 kills, 5 blocks; Priscilla Fuenete 5 kills; Jacqui 9 kills 5 blocks

Tuesday, Sept. 18

District 30-6A

McAllen High at McAllen Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

La Joya Juraez-Lincoln at La Joya High, 7.m.

McAllen Rowe at PSJA High, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA North at Mission High, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg North at Weslaco East, 6:30 p.m.

Weslaco High at Donna North, 6:30 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg High, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Roma at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at La Joya Palmview, 7 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna High at Brownsville Pace, 7 p.m.

RGVSports Volleyball Top 10 for Sept. 18

1. Mission Veterans, 26-3 (3-0), No. 2

2. McAllen Memorial, 25-3, (3-0) No. 1

3. McAllen Rowe, 24-8 (3-0), No. 3

4. McAllen High, 29-6 (2-1), No. 4

5. Edcouch-Elsa, 20-9 (3-0), NR

6.Donna High, 20-9 (2-1), NR

7. San Benito, 14-4, No. 9

8. Los Fresnos, 25-7, No. 5

9. Brownsville Rivera, 17-8 , No. 6

10. Edinburg Vela, (2-0), NR

VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS

DISTRICT 30-6A

Over Dist

Team W L W L

McAllen Memorial 25 3 3 0

McAllen Rowe 24 8 3 0

McAllen High 29 6 2 1

PSJA North 17 9 2 1

PSJA High 10 16 1 2

Mission High – – 1 2

LJ Juarez-Lincoln 9 12 0 3

La Joya High 1 10 0 3

DISTRICT 31-6A

Over Dist

Team W L W L

Edinburg Vela 17 11 3 0

Weslaco East 18 11 1 0

Weslaco High 17 14 1 1

Edinburg North 17 15 2 1

Edinburg High 13 14 1 1

Edin. Economedes 11 22 1 2

Donna North – – 0 3

DISTRICT 31-5A

Over Dist

Team W L W L

Mission Veterans 26 3 3 0

Sharyland High 15 13 3 0

Sharyland Pioneer 15 14 2 1

PSJA Memorial 13 14 2 1

Roma 9 11 1 2

PSJA Southwest 16 10 1 2

La Joya Palmview 8 17 0 3

Rio Grande City – – 0 3

DISTRICT 32-5A

Over Dist

Team W L W L

Edcouch-Elsa 19 9 3 0

Donna High 20 9 2 1

Brownsville Vets 20 12 2 1

Brownsville Porter – – 2 1

Brownsville Lopez – – 2 1

Mercedes 10 11 1 2

Valley View 6 17 0 3

Brownsville Pace – – 0 3

DISTRICT 32-4A

Over Dist

Team W L W L

Hidalgo – – 4 0

La Feria – – 3 1

Zapata – – 3 1

Port Isabel – – 2 2

Grulla – – 2 2

Raymondville – – 1 3

Rio Hondo – – 1 3

Progreso – – 0 4

Valley HS Volleyball Schedule 2018

Saturday, Sept. 15

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial def. PSJA High 25-13, 25-15, 25-9

McAllen High def. La Joya High 25-9, 25-10, 25-13

McAllen Rowe def. PSJA North 25-14, 25-17, 25-20

Mission High def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-9, 26-24, 23-25, 25-23

District 31-6A

Edinburg North def. Edinburg High 25-23, 30-28, 25-14

District 31-5A

Mission Veterans def. La Joya Palmview 25-7, 25-5, 25-11

Sharyland High def. Sharyland Pioneer 25-21, 25-18, 25-23

PSJA Southwest def. PSJA Memorial 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-20

Roma def. Rio Grande City 25-20, 25-14, 25-13

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa def. Donna High 25-21, 23-25, 25-12, 23-25, 15-5

Brownsville Lopez def. Brownsville Pace 22-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-11

Brownsville Porter def. Valley View 25-18, 25-22, 25-13

Brownsville Veterans def. Mercedes 25-14, 25-14, 25-13

District 32-4A

La Feria def. Zapata 25-22, 20-25, 25-16, 25-22

Non-district

San Benito def. Los Fresnos 20-25, 29-27, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12

Weslaco East at Harlingen South, canceled

Monday, Sept. 17

District 31-6A

Donna North at Edinburg Economedes, 6:30 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Weslaco High 6:30 p.m.

District 32-4A

Hidalgo at Port Isabel 5:30 p.m.

Progreso at Raymondville

Rio Hondo at Grulla

DISTRICT 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE DEF. PSJA NORTH 25-14, 25-17, 25-20

McALLEN ROWE: Jackelyn Alanis 27 kills, 15 digs, 2 aces; Victoria Galindo 8 kills, 3 blocks, 1 assist; Jewel Palomo 21 assists, 4 digs, 3 aces; Samantha Sifuentes 14 assists; Marina Cortez 9 digs

PSJA NORTH: Angel Lozano 8 kills, 16 digs; Mikaela Guerrero 5 kills, 4 blocks; Alexya Salinas 22 digs, 1 ace; Lesley Rodriguez 21 assists

RECORDS: McAllen Rowe 24-8, 3-0 ; PSJA North 17-9, 2-1

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF. PSJA HIGH 25-13, 25-15, 15-9

McALLEN MEMORIAL: Jocelyn Everage 10 kills, 7 digs; Valeria Trevino 8 kills, 8 digs, 2 aces; Demy Banks 8 kills; Dylann Guerra 6 aces, 2 assists; Sydney Marburger 33 assists 7 digs

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial 25-3, 3-0; PSJA High 1-2

District 31-6A

EDINBURG NORTH DEF. EDINBURG HIGH 25-22, 30-28, 25-14

EDINBURG NORTH: Natalie Rodriguez 15 kills, 23 digs; Evana Ramos 35 digs; Jessica Dreyer 17 assists, 10 digs

District 31-5A

MISSION VETERANS DEF. LA JOYA PALMVIEW 25-7, 25-5, 25-11

MISSION VETERANS: Jackie Howell 16 kills, 18 digs, 1 block, 1 ace; Makenzie Gerlach 16 kills, 12 digs, 5 aces, 1 block; Kassy Lerma 10 kills, 8 digs, 2 aces; Valerie de la Funete 24 assists, 3 aces; Bella Dominugez 7 digs, 2 aces; Ronnie Cantu 14 assists, 2 aces

RECORDS: Mission Veterans 26-3, 3-0; La Joya Palmview 0-3

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. SHARYLAND PIONEER 25-21, 25-18, 25-23

SHARYLAND HIGH: Tristen Maddox 14 kills; Estefania Hinojosa 16 digs, 12 kills, 2 aces; Ximena Chapa 19 digs, 3 aces

SHARYLAND PIONEER: Daizy Coronado 10 kills, 1 block; Lauren Brechler 18 assists, 3 aces; Olivia Calvillo 8 digs

Record: Sharyland Pioneer 15-14, 2-1; Sharyland High 17-13 3-0

ROMA DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY 25-20, 25-14, 25-13

ROMA: Alissa Gonzalez 23 assists, 1 ace; Alba Gonzalez 8 kills, 2 blocks; Andrea Mascorro 8 aces, 5 kills, 6 digs; Mya Salinas 3 kills, 3 block; Idani Flores 4 kills; Hanna Garza 7 digs, 1 ace

District 32-5A

EDCOUCH-ELSA DEF. DONNA HIGH 25-21, 23-25, 25-12, 23-25, 15-5

EDCOUCH-ELSA: Endiya Devoe 11 kills, 6 digs; Arissa Cavazos 15 digs, 1 ace; Sarah Flores 7 assists 4 aces, 6 digs, 2 blocks, 2 kills; Veronica Elizondo 21 digs, 10 kills, 2 assists, 2 aces; Maegan Acevedo 24 assists, 15 digs, 3 aces, 1 kills; Paloma Ybarra 22 kills 18 assists, 18 digs, 3 aces; Neida Ybarra 5 blocks, 3 kills, 1 assist, 1 kill

RECORDS: Edcouch-Elsa 19-9, 3-0; Donna High 20-9, 2-1

Tuesday, Sept. 18

District 30-6A

McAllen High at McAllen Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

La Joya Juraez-Lincoln at La Joya High, 7.m.

McAllen Rowe at PSJA High, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA North at Mission High, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg North at Weslaco East, 6:30 p.m.

Weslaco High at Donna North, 6:30 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg High, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Roma at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at La Joya Palmview, 7 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna High at Brownsville Pace, 7 p.m.

NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — La Joya High quietly won its first two games with lopsided scores against La Joya Palmview and Roma. But nothing was quiet about the Coyotes’ 31-7 road win over Sharyland High on Friday night at Richard Thompson Stadium.

The Coyotes defense was loud with three takeaways. Two fumble recoveries and an interception suffocated the Rattlers’ attempts to bounce back from their overtime loss at McAllen Memorial a week prior.

“I feel like we shocked a lot of people tonight. I feel like people shouldn’t doubt us anymore,” Coyotes senior quarterback J.R. Rodriguez said after the game. “I feel like we made a statement for ourselves and for our team and for our city.”

The first time the Rattlers offense had a chance to field the ball, they muffed the punt return and gave away possession deep on their own side of the field.

Irvin Zamora, who plays on both sides of the ball for La Joya, said early turnovers are crucial.

“If we put a team completely down, it puts our offense in a great spot to score and makes us better as a whole team,” Zamora said. “We have to set the tone every time we put the defense out there and give our offense a good chance to score.”

Eddie Villarreal ran in La Joya’s first score from 15 yards out, and he did it again from 13 yards, refusing to be brought down. Before the night was through, he went over 160 rushing yards and became accustomed to dragging defenders with him for extra yardage.

“We’re just blessed to have him,” Coyotes coach Reuben Farias said. “(He’s) a great athlete — great young man. He works hard every day. A lot of time, people don’t give him the credit that he deserves. He knows he’s going to get hit.”

Villarreal was helped in the run game by A.J. Gonzalez, who had 47 yards and earned multiple first downs with his outside runs. Anselmo Davila picked up carries when Villarreal was on the bench and muscled for another 33 yards.

Rodriguez was involved with his arm again, finding a receiver for a touchdown for the third straight game.

After missing a few throws in the early moments, Rodriguez found his targets three times on eight attempts. Two of those completions went for six points.

Jacob Gonzalez scored on a 16-yard reception. So did Zamora, catching the ball near the 15-yard line and juking his way into the end zone.

By halftime, the lead was 24-0 for La Joya.

“I believe that they’re so united and together,” Farias said. “It’s not who gets the glory. It’s just all of them working together and trusting one another and playing hard to have a win.”

Even La Joya’s kicker was strong. Sergio Jimenez’s 33-yard field goal soared through the uprights and might have been good from another 20 yards back.

Sharyland continued to use a two-quarterback approach. Oscar Valdez got the start and played for most of the game. Edgar Longoria also got snaps, but not until the second half.

The lone score for the Rattlers was a pass from Valdez to receiver Ruben Davila.

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