NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — The Weslaco High Panthers doubled as debt collectors in their 45-27 win against PSJA North Thursday night in Pharr. That’s because the Panthers knew how to make the Raiders pay with 21 points off of three North turnovers or miscues in the first half.

A host of Panthers tackled Raiders would-be punter Jose Alvarez the first time he lined up to boot the ball. Due to a botched snap, the Panthers took over at the Raiders 25-yard line, and Peyton Knaub needed only one play to get the Weslaco offensive machine started and gassed up.

Panthers senior Seth Sanchez jumped on a fumble in the first quarter, setting his offense up inside the 5-yard line for the second Panthers touchdown.

“The turnovers were at the beginning of the game. It just set the tone, because our offense got the ball close to the end zone in the red zone,” Sanchez said. “We just pushed, and we scored. Right now, coach (defensive coordinator Ernie) Alonzo, coach (Michael) Salinas have been preaching, ‘Get one percent better every day.’”

Knaub scored his first two rushing touchdowns of the season in the opening two quarters. His second scamper was from 5 yards out. He said the Panthers defense dominating is nothing new.

“Every game, they’re a big factor,” Knaub said. “They make our job a lot easier, and they take off a lot of pressure.”

The junior had 89 yards, ranking second on the team in rushing behind quarterback Jacob Cavazos, who had 111.

“Anything to help out the team,” Knaub said. “Everyone’s putting in work. I’m just happy I can do my part. I think a lot of it has to do with the coaching. A year with coach Salinas and his staff. We trust them a little bit more. Anything to help them out.”

Marco Noriega recovered a fumble and Axel Camarena picked off a pass late to contribute to the takeaway spree.

Panthers quarterback Cavazos turned in another stellar performance. He needed only 82 passing yards to complete three touchdown passes. Devin Dena, Diego Martinez and Jay Granados were the beneficiaries of his passing scores.

He reminded the defense that he can run the ball, too, with a 49-yard sprint to the end zone for a score.

The Panthers even got contributions from their placekicker George Martinez, who hit a 47-yard field goal after sinking a 35-yard attempt against Edcouch-Elsa a week ago.

When PSJA North’s offense avoided a poor snap or fumble, the Raiders showed some positive signs, but most of those moments came when they were down big.

Freshman Isaac Gonzalez showed he can move the ball with 89 yards rushing and 15 more receiving. Senior Arturo Beltran is still dangerous, as well, scoring on two short rushes and adding a 56-yard reception for a touchdown.

Raiders quarterback Iziaah Rangel was 18-for-31 passing with 303 yards, including one interception and the passing score to Beltran. He also ran in a QB sneak from a yard out.

Coach Marcus Kaufmann did the math himself. Had his team not given up the ball three times for easy Weslaco scores, the game would have been about even.

“You can’t win ball games against bad teams with four turnovers, much less against really good football teams like that,” Kaufmann said. “They were kicking our butt on field position. We had multiple possessions inside our 10, and they were always on our side of the field when they got the ball. We really are a good football team. You may not see it on the scoreboard right now. We’re pretty dynamic on offense, and we just have to cut out the little things.”

Coach Salinas on the Weslaco side wasn’t completely happy with his team’s performance, either. The Panthers were outgained 420-299, and 27 points is more than the 14 points the Panthers allowed in their first two games combined.

“We’ve got to learn to focus a little better, and we have to be able to finish,” Salinas said. “We got out to a great start that was ignited by our defense, and we just didn’t finish tonight.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA —To say La Joya High quarterback J.R. Rodriguez is confident in his offense would be an understatement. He thinks his team isn’t getting the respect it deserves, so the Coyotes set out to earn it each week.

It makes sense that he would enjoy running the newly implemented triple option. When he was a freshman, he convinced the coaching staff to employ that style, and he ran it as the quarterback of his freshman and JV units.

So far, the offense has translated to varsity yardage. The Coyotes have beaten up on lesser opponents twice this season. First, La Joya toppled La Joya Palmview by 20 in the opener, then followed that with a 49-0 shutout of Roma in Week 2.

“I’m playing with a chip on my shoulder. I don’t like people doubting us,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t like people doubting me. I want to go out there and show everybody they shouldn’t doubt a team because of the way they’ve been playing or their past years. Last year, (against) San Antonio Southwest, we lost by a touchdown in the fourth quarter. We want to get back in the playoffs and go deep.”

La Joya was a surprise playoff finisher that beat McAllen Rowe, Juarez-Lincoln and Palmview in 2017 while also giving the McAllen Memorial Mustangs perhaps their toughest district test. Still, the Coyotes’ critics want to see them play stiffer competition. La Joya High should get that chance this week, traveling to take on Sharyland High.

“I’m excited to go into the Sharyland game,” Rodriguez said. “That game, we could set the tone for district, going in 3-0. We could really send a message to Memorial and Bears and PSJA North and the rest of the schools in our 30-6A district. Set a tone that we’re not messing around. We’re for real.”

The senior quarterback said he tries to model his game after former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. That includes not being shy about taking a hit on the option pitch. His time as a wide receiver last season helped with that.

Rodriguez has accounted for 175 of the team’s 651 rushing yards through two games. Junior Eddie Villarreal leads the team with 235 yards and six touchdowns, but the distribution of carries is more balanced compared to last season. Villarreal has 35 carries, his backup Anselmo Davila has 15, Rodriguez has 12 and several other players have been utilized running the ball.

Both of Rodriguez’s completed passes have gone for touchdowns.

Senior center Damian Tanguma said he is happy to see the carries being spread around. A season ago, Villarreal had 261 rushes for more than 1,300 yards. The next most frequently used Coyotes runner had 60 carries.

“It’s good, because Eddie gets to rest, and everyone gets to share the ball,” Tanguma said. “We get to keep on pounding the ball without anyone getting tired.”

He said the offensive line has only gotten better from a season ago, when the team rushed for 1,940 yards.

“It changed a little, but we have more chemistry. We’ve been together since middle school, so we just know each other,” Tanguma said. “We’ve been executing all over the place.”

DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE DEFENSE

The keys to La Joya’s success stay on the belt of the defense.

The Coyotes have recorded five sacks and three fumble recoveries in non-district play. Two-way player Irvin Zamora scored on a 25-yard fumble recovery last week against Roma.

Coach Reuben Farias said the group is easily motivated to play a strong game.

“Each week, we try to challenge our guys to put points on the board,” Farias said. “If it comes on special teams on a punt return, or if it comes on a pick six or a safety. They take pride and they work hard and try to be aggressive every single time. They play fast, hard, fearless Coyotes football.”

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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.

NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

For two straight weeks, the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies showed signs of being a dangerous offensive team. Both weeks, however, early leads gave way to late-game surges from their two non-district opponents.

“We did move the ball well. This past week, we had over 400 yards of offense,” Huskies coach Tommy Garcia said. “But we shot ourselves in the foot. We had some fumbles in some very critical situations that obviously didn’t help.”

Albert Martinez is leading the way on offense for the Huskies. The multipurpose back has 554 total yards (367 rushing, 187 receiving) and seven touchdowns on the young season. The issue is, no other player on the team has crossed the goal line.

In Week 1, Juarez-Lincoln scored three first-half touchdowns to take a 21-14 halftime lead against Rio Hondo, then gave up 27 unanswered to fall to the Bobcats.

In Week 2, the Huskies’ loss was a similar story. They took a 29-19 lead into the break against Sharyland Pioneer, riding high off of a Manny Briseno interception. But the Huskies didn’t score in the second half as the Diamondbacks stormed back.

“We’ve been able to move the ball and distribute the ball, but not as balanced as we want to be,” Garcia said. “We have had a lot more rushing yards than we have passing (yards). It’s what the defense has been giving us, so we’re going to take what the defense has given us.”

Juarez-Lincoln will start district play Sept. 28 against PSJA North, but the Huskies have only one more dress rehearsal before their bye week.

The Huskies are hoping for an inverse of a season ago, when they went 3-0 in non-district play and 3-2 to open the 30-6A season before fizzling out and dropping their final two games to miss the postseason.

“The kids understand that we’re a couple of points from being 2-0,” Garcia said. “We focus more on the positive as far as being able to move the ball. And on defense, we had seven turnovers in this last game. They understand that there are three phases to football: one is the non-district season, then it’s the district season and hopefully the playoffs.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela libero Julia Cordon’s coach says she can play anywhere on the court, but she’s just too valuable as the defensive specialist to line up anywhere else.

Cordon’s summer was split into three parts, as she competed in volleyball, basketball and softball during her time away from school.

“In June, I had done a basketball league. I also did the Mission league for volleyball. I went to Venom and did some practices there,” Cordon said. “Once it started hitting July, I kind of booked myself with a bunch of softball tournaments. I was traveling for three weeks with my sister.”

After camps, leagues and training, she wrapped up the summer by accepting a softball scholarship offer from the University of the Incarnate Word.

Her father and brother played baseball for UTPA, and she’s followed in those athletic footsteps. As a guard on the basketball team and shortstop on the diamond, she’s not shy in a position that takes a lot of quick thinking.

“I played baseball as a little kid,” Cordon said. “I have three older brothers and sisters. There are five of us. It was hard for my parents to be running around and getting to all our games. My dad was coaching us, and he’s taught me everything I know. He gave me that mindset to always go 100 percent and stay positive and have fun in whatever I’m playing.”

Vela coach Araceli Ortega said a multisport athlete has traits that are hard to teach.

“I think that helps them across the board in the different scenarios that they get per sport,” Ortega said. “The aggressiveness, the experience they gain. A lot of the same movements in the different team sports, with maybe a little different purpose. That team unity aspect is very beneficial for them.”

Cordon excels at thinking the game, making libero an almost natural fit.

“I feel like that’s where I can help my team most,” Cordon said. “I had played middle back a little bit last year. This year, I just excelled. I read the ball better, and I just think I’d be able to produce more for my team in the back, especially because we have some good hitters in the front.”

Glenys Maldonado is the primary outside hitter who has emerged for the SaberCats after they graduated The Monitor All-Area second-team hitter Bianca Cortez. Maldonado, a junior, is another multitalented athlete who wears the blue and silver on the soccer field in the winter and on the track in the spring.

Maldonado is part of the reason the 2018 SaberCats feel they have a strong chance to make a run at the District 31-6A title. When the team needs a point, she’s the player the ball is set to. The way she goes on offense, the team goes.

“I love pressure. I love the pressure points,” Maldonado said. “I like to be the one serving those 24-25 games. Ever since I was little, I liked to be the one to take charge, to help my team move to the next step. I’ve always liked that feeling, that adrenaline rush.”

Both Maldonado and Cordon played on the varsity team last season and watched a lot of seniors move on at the end of the year. Luckily, most of the current players were teammates at South Middle School.

“We did lose more than half of our team,” Maldonado said. “But honestly, working together, the good thing is a majority of the team has all known each other growing up. A lot of us have gone to middle school together and a majority of our high school years. We already have that chemistry. We already have that bond.”

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Valley HS Volleyball Schedule 2018

Friday’s Game

Non-district

Brownsville Hanna def. Edinburg High 25-22, 25-23, 19-25, 23-25, 15-7

Saturday, Sept. 8

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe at McAllen High 27-29, 25-9, 25-20, 25-21

PSJA High def. La Joya High 26-24, 25-14, 25-13

PSJA North def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-23, 25-9, 25-11

McAllen Memorial def. Mission High 25-8, 25-14, 25-15

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela def. Edinburg North 21-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23

Weslaco High def. Edinburg Economedes 25-15, 25-19, 25-22

Weslaco East def. Donna North 25-13, 25-21, 25-20

District 31-5A

PSJA Memorial def. Roma 25-15, 25-19, 25-15

Sharyland High def. La Joya Palmview 25-4, 25-10, 25-18

Mission Veterans def. Rio Grande City 25-9, 25-11, 25-10

Sharyland Pioneer def. PSJA Southwest 25-21, 25-16, 25-16

District 32-5A

Donna High def. Brownsville Porter 25-19, 25-22, 25-17

Edcouch-Elsa def. Brownsville Lopez 25-16, 25-17, 25-17

Brownsville Veterans def. Brownsville Pace 25-19, 25-11, 25-16

Mercedes def. Valley View 25-12, 25-16, 25-14

District 32-4A

La Feria def. Port Isabel 25-17, 25-9, 25-15

Grulla def. Raymondville 3-1

Hidalgo def. Progreso 25-17, 25-11, 25-13

Zapata def. Rio Hondo 25-17,25-12, 25-19

VALLEY HS VOLLEYBALL BOX SCORES

Saturday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE DEF. McALLEN HIGH

27-29, 25-9, 25-20, 25-21

McALLEN ROWE: Anna Honrubia 15 kills, 14 digs, 1 assist; Jessica Martinez 23 digs, 2 assists; Jewel Palomo 34 assists, 8 digs; Jackelyn Alanis 39 kills, 4 aces, 24 digs, 2 blocks, 1 assist; Samantha Sifuentes 15 assists, 4 digs, 1 ace; Victoria Galindo 7 blocks. McALLEN HIGH: Lexi Gonzalez 23 kills, 11 digs, 1 block; Damaris Llanas 9 kills, 8 digs; Madison Helmcamp 6 kills, 4 digs, 2 aces, 28 assists
RECORDS McAllen Rowe 22-8, 1-0; McAllen High 0-1

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF.

MISSION HIGH

25-8, 25-14, 25-15

McALLEN MEMORIAL: Valeria Trevino 10 kills; Jocelyn Everage 8 kills; Demy Banks 8 kills, 3 blocks; Mia Perez 6 aces, 3 assists; Syndey Marburger 32 assists, 11 digs
RECORDS: McAllen Memorial 23-3, 1-0; Mission High 0-1

PSJA NORTH DEF. LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN

25-23, 25-9, 25-11

PSJA NORTH: Mikaela Guerrero 13 kills, 1 block; Clarissa Alvarez 6 kills; Angel Lozano 14 digs, 2 aces; Mariana Juarez 5 blocks, 3 aces.

JUAREZ-LINCOLN: Yolanda Hernandez 4 kils; Jessyca Alvarez 2 assists, 4 digs, 1 kill

RECRODS: PSJA North 1-0; La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0-1

District 31-6A

WESLACO EAST DEF. DONNA NORTH

WESLACO EAST: Katelyn Rodriguez 12 kills, 16 digs, 4 aces; Bryssa Guzman 8 kills; Allison Rodgers 34 digs; Kayla Torres 26 assists.

RECORDS: Weslaco East 1-0; Donna North 0-1

District 31-6A

EDINBURG VELA DEF. EDINBURG NORTH 21-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-13

EDINBURG VELA: Julia Cordon 66 digs; Glenys Maldonado 14 kills, 16 digs; Miranda 12 kills; Analisa Camps 21 assists.

EDINBURG NORTH: Natalie Rodriguez 21 kills, 25 digs, 5 aces; Evana Ramos 38 digs; Jessica Dreyer 18 assists, 8 digs

Records: Edinburg Vela 1-0, Edinburg North 0-1

District 31-5A

MISSION VETERANS DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY 25-9, 25-11, 25-10

MISSION VETERANS: Jackie Howell 12 kills, 22 digs, 1 ace; Makenzie Gerlach 16 kills, 3 digs, 3 blocks; Kassy Lerma 13 kills, 5 digs, 1 ace, 3 blocks; Valerie de la Fuente 24 assists, 4 aces, 2 digs; Ronnie Cantu 5 assists, 3 digs, 1 ace.

Record: Mission Veterans 24-3, 1-0

SHARYLAND PIONEER DEF. PSJA SOUTHWEST

SHARYALND PIONEER: Daizy Coronado 6 kills, 6 blocks, 3 aces; Daniela Alvarez 9 kills; Natalie Reyes 28 assists, 2 aces, 12 digs; Samantha Ayala 11 digs, 7 kills, 3 aces; Shelby Cavazos 19 digs; Jessica Zarate 17 digs, 5 kills

Record: Sharyland Pioneer 14-13, 1-0

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. LA JOYA PALMVIEW 25-4, 25-10, 25-18

SHARYALND HIGH: Estefania Hinojosa 14 kills, 22 digs; Tristen Maddox 10 kills, 11 digs; Abigal Castillo 3 blcoks

Record: Sharyland High 25-13, 1-0

Tuesday, Sept. 11

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial at La Joya High, 7 p.m.

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

La Joya Juarez at McAllen Rowe, 7:30 p.m.

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

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes vs Edinburg Vela, 6:30 p.m.

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

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

District 31-5A

Roma at PSJA Memorial, 1 p.m.

La Joya Palmview at Sharyland High

Sharyland Pioneer at La Joya Palmview, 7 p.m.

Mission Veterans at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna High at Brownsville Veterans, 7 p.m.

NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — The gym at McAllen High School was packed on an early September afternoon, which could only mean one thing: the start of district play in the most competitive district in the Valley, 30-6A.

The defending district champs McAllen Rowe took the first step toward a repeat title, knocking off crosstown rival McAllen High. The Warriors dropped the first set but quickly rebounded and never looked back, winning 27-29, 25-9, 25-20, 25-21.

McAllen Rowe’s Jackie Alanis took matters into her own hands for most of the match. She led the match in kills with 39 and also filled the stat sheet with 24 digs, four aces, a pair of blocks and an assist.

Even when everyone in the gym knew her powerful spikes were coming, the Bulldogs couldn’t combat her offense.

Alanis, a senior committed to Nicholls State University and last season’s All-Area Player of the Year for The Monitor, is no stranger to the rivalry.

“It was such a big win, because it was our first district game, and it was our rivals, McHi,” Alanis said. “We thought of it like, ‘It’s our first district game. We should win our first district game. They shouldn’t. We want it more than them. We’re better than them. We know we can work better than them.’”

Things were looking up for McHi after one set. The Bulldogs trailed early but stormed back to overtake the Warriors 29-27 in the opening set.

Rowe wasn’t deterred. Senior middle blocker Victoria Galindo said her group rode the electric atmosphere.

“We had to come together and know that energy in this game was most important. So, as long as our energy was high, we weren’t letting a point break us down at all,” Galindo said. “It’s the best type of game ever. We love the crowd. We love the energy. Once we had a lead, we took it and ran with it.”

Jewel Palomo was the top setup artist for Rowe with 34 assists. Anna Honrubia earned 15 kills of her own, plus 14 digs, while Galindo led the way on defense with seven blocks.

“We came into this game knowing that defense is going to be most important,” Galindo said. “Being up there and putting our hands and blocking down.”

Alanis ended the second set on a tear. She recorded consecutive aces and served the final four times to secure the 25-9 win. She went on to get 11 kills in each of the third and fourth sets.

Lexi Gonzalez paced the Bulldogs with 23 kills and 11 digs, but the home side often gave Rowe and Alanis free balls to attack.

Alanis, whose team fell in the semifinals of McHi’s Poundfest tournament in the same gym, said the Warriors would have reached the final if they would have been able to go through the hosts.

“I always thought that we could beat McHi, but at Poundfest, they put themselves on the easy side of the bracket, and they made us play against Memorial,” Alanis said. “If we would have played them, they would go out. So that’s what they get for not playing against the hardest team. That’s what they get, and they lost.”

Veteran Warriors coach Magda Canales didn’t delve into the bracketology of the tournament but said her group of mostly first-time varsity athletes has been coming together since the start of the season.

“This game proved to the kids, our kids, that even though we didn’t come in with a lot of varsity experience, they can do it,” Canales said. “They proved it.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — On Friday, McAllen Memorial was not the ball-moving machine fans are accustomed to seeing, at least in short-yardage situations. But the Mustangs still cashed in on big-yardage plays to hold off the Sharyland High Rattlers 27-21 in overtime at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Campbell Speights broke runs of 75 and 69 yards for scores that put Memorial ahead both times.

On his first scoring sprint, he busted to the outside, where running back A.J. Castro laid down a monster block that gave Speights open field to showcase his wheels.

Senior quarterback Sean Skaugen also saved his best runs for the biggest moments, going for a 77-yard dash in the third quarter and breaking off two critical runs in overtime, first for 13 yards and then a 12-yard scoring scamper.

“When we can break one, we’ll take it,” Speights said. “Not the type of win we wanted tonight, but we’ll take it. That was my boy A.J. I know my team is there for me. We’re a tight group. I say this all the time. When it comes down the wire, I know my defense is getting on the field and making a stop.”

Speights said Friday’s game reminded him of when his Mustangs fell to Weslaco East in overtime during his freshman year. This time, his squad walked away content.

Offensive lineman Alex Escobar was a big part of the Mustangs’ ground game that ended up with 354 rushing yards.

“I felt like a lot of those where we didn’t get many yards, we didn’t open up the holes the best we can,” Escobar said. “Those big plays, we played them perfectly, and that’s why they end up in touchdowns, long touchdowns. These three games are probably the hardest games we’ll be playing all year. So we try to do our best in these (non-district) games to help us throughout district games.”

Sharyland didn’t go down easy. The Rattlers responded to all of the Mustangs’ blows in regulation, just not always right away.

The first points for the visitors came from their most dynamic man on the field, Edgar Longoria. He scored two rushing touchdowns. He was 12-for-22 passing for more than 150 yards, but what stood out was his ability to keep plays going and bail out from pressure at the right time. He went for more than 100 yards on the ground.

Danny Escalera and Adrian Solis both had more than 50 yards rushing. Solis scored a rushing TD.

Memorial coach Bill Littleton said even though the win was far from perfect, edging an old foe was a good feeling.

“We need to get better at some things that you’re doing, but in the end, when you get a win, you got to smile and be happy about and be proud of what your kids did,” Littleton said.

Sharyland will look back on two missed field goals in the first half. The Rattlers also didn’t make the Mustangs pay for two missed extra points — one in the third quarter and one in overtime.

Both teams had moments of brilliance on the defensive side of the ball. On multiple occasions, especially early, Sharyland stuffed runs up the middle. Javo Lopez and Brandon Villarreal were run-stop specialists when the ball went up the gut.

Memorial’s Michael Morales led the team in tackles and quickly moved up from the secondary if a run was trying to reach the second level.

The game ended with an incomplete pass over the middle from Longoria to a receiver who might have been held. Pleas for a flag to extend the game went unheard.

Next week, McAllen Memorial will host RGVSports.com’s No. 1 team, Edinburg Vela. Sharyland will try to slow down 2-0 La Joya High.

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — For 24 minutes on Thursday night, McAllen High and Edinburg North jostled for field position, but neither produced any points. With no score heading into the second half and the game badly needing a shot of adrenaline, Bulldogs defensive back Daniel Chiquito, was a game-breaker. He reached out and stripped a Cougars wide receiver after a completed pass, then jumped on the loose ball to give McHi possession just outside of the red zone.

The second half developed into an exciting finish as McHi went up, went down and eventually ran off the field as victors by a score of 13-9 via running back Octavian Lewis’ 10-yard touchdown run with time expiring at Richard R. Flores Stadium.

“To me, it’s just bulldog mentality,” Lewis said. “Training under coach (Kevin) Brewer and all these amazing coaches, they put me in the mindset. Whether its 2 yards, 5 yards or a home run, I get the ball, keep running — moving my feet. Sooner or later, it will pay off.”

Prior to his touchdown, Lewis had gone for 58 yards on 26 carries. But his final touch, a 10-yard gain up the middle on a second effort, will be the one he remembers.

Chiquito, a senior, knew that his third-quarter recovery would be a crucial moment. It led to the game’s first points.

“Any big moment like that, you have to take full advantage of it,” Chiquito said. “Offense did, and we scored on that drive.”

The score came on third down, when junior quarterback Brian Garza found fellow junior Jackson Helmcamp on a flag route for a 17-yard score. The strike was Garza’s longest passing play of the night. He finished with 37 passing yards.

“We just clicked as a defense, as an offense,” Chiquito said. “Our motto was ‘always us,’ and all three units clicked tonight.”

Daniel’s younger brother, David Chiquito, had already logged a first-half interception, giving the family two turnovers in one night.

“That’s more than I can ask for,” Daniel Chiquito said. “We’ve been dreaming for that since we were in middle school. We’ve been wanting to play together for a long time, and finally, we got to. It’s a blessing.”

For North, Max Aguilar was solid at quarterback after the interception. He passed for 170 yards. His top target was Roel De Leon, who caught seven passes for 65 yards.

The senior QB answered two drives after McHi opened the scoring. He helped the Cougars march downfield with passes of 13, 27 and finally 15 yards for the score. Jose Cruz was the receiver who broke the plane.

North looked to be gaining steam, but that was the best the Cougars’ offense performed all night. It nearly didn’t matter. On the ensuing drive, McHi’s punt attempt deep in its own territory turned into disaster. The ball flew over punter Robert Amador’s head, and he was brought down for a safety to give the Cougars their first lead, 9-7, to close the third quarter.

McAllen’s defense shined in the fourth. The Bulldogs forced three punts, including one after punting the ball away themselves with under four minutes remaining.

“We knew our defense had the potential to be really good this year,” Brewer said. “They played really well last week, only giving up 180 yards, but they just played outstanding tonight.”

McHi’s final drive was a nail-biter. First, Edinburg North was flagged for a 15-yard taunting penalty. Then, Lewis ran for 22 yards to set his team up with game-winning field position. After that, though, runs were stopped and penalties almost cost the Bulldogs, but Lewis eventually scored to give McHi its first win of the year.

“The idea was just to position the ball in the middle of the field, call a timeout, kick the field goal, but it worked out another way. That’s football,” Brewer said of the final play. “The crazy thing, I was watching the clock. I was actually afraid he was going to fight for extra yardage so long it was going to eat up the clock. Hey, it worked out, and that’s the beauty of it.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

With a dominating 44-3 win in Week 1 against PSJA Memorial, the PSJA North Raiders are already showing signs of new life.

Last year, the Raiders fell to the Wolverines 17-7 in a district game. That wouldn’t happen again.

North coach Marcus Kaufmann knew he had a strong cast of returners, but a pleasant surprise last Friday was freshman Isaac Gonzalez, who had 118 yards rushing and showed big-play ability.

“He was a kid that is learning the offense,” Kaufmann said. “We knew he was going to be something special. We didn’t realize he was gonna go score. He broke a 57-yard run, and then later in the game he gets caught at the 2-yard line on another long run. He’s gonna be a weapon for us.”

The rushing game for North seemed to be chugging along. The Raiders had 301 yards on the ground.

Senior Arturo Beltran picked up 60 receiving yards, a scoring catch and another on the ground. Kaufmann, in his second year at North, said he was also pleased to see his new quarterback Iziaah Rangel play well in his first start at the helm.

“Our kids have been working trying to get stuff done, and it was real good to have something positive happen to them, early,” Kaufmann said. “He’s (Rangel) improved every single time he goes out. As spring practices went along, every time we scrimmaged, he got better and better. If he continues to improve every week, the sky’s the limit for us.”

Rangel had 151 yards on the ground and 119 yards in the air for three passing TDs on seven completions. Jonathan Garza and Israel Olivarez were the other beneficiaries of Rangel’s arm.

This week, the Raiders take their show on the road against Harlingen South, which had a 14-0 lead at halftime but couldn’t hang on against Edinburg High in Week 1.

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