By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers continued their winning ways early in the 2019 football season with a 49-6 District 16-5A Division I victory over the Lopez Lobos on Friday night at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The Chargers improved to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in district with the win. The Lobos fell to 0-2 and 0-1.

“Our team showed it has the ability to make big plays on both sides of the ball tonight,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “Lopez did a good job running the ball, so that’s something we have to work on. Lopez played hard.

“Now we have a short week to get ready for our next game,” Cantu added. “We realize we have a big game ahead of us (Thursday against defending 16-5A Division I champion Mission Veterans Memorial).”

It didn’t take long for Brownsville Veterans to get going Friday.

The Chargers built a 21-0 advantage during the first quarter and increased their lead to 35-0 by halftime.

It became 8-0 on the third play of the game when Chargers quarterback Liam Longoria scrambled 79 yards for a touchdown with only 58 seconds gone. There was a Lopez penalty on the extra point, so the Chargers’ Marlon Montelongo ran in the conversion for two points with 11:02 showing in the opening period.

Montelongo’s 1-yard TD run at the 7:02 mark of the period made it 14-0. The score was set up by a 23-yard return of a Lopez fumble to the Lobos’ 1-yard line.

Brownsville Veterans’ Thomas Pena recovered a blocked Lopez punt in the end zone for a touchdown with 5:16 to go in the opening period, and it was 21-0 following Pablo Pena’s extra point.

The second quarter was more of the same for the Chargers. Montelongo scored on a 48-yard run at the 6:54 mark of the period before a wide-open Mauricio Garza caught a 49-yard TD bomb from Longoria with 3:46 left in the half. Pena added both extra points.

It was 35-0 at intermission.

The lead soon became 42-0 as the Chargers’ Elijah Masten caught a 7-yard TD pass from Longoria at the 8:51 mark of the third period. Pena again added the conversion.

Lopez took its second possession of the third quarter and marched 79 yards in 13 plays to score a TD and make it 42-6 when Chris Reyes went in from 3 yards out with 1:36 to go in the period.

Masten scored Brownsville Veterans’ final TD for a 49-6 cushion when he was on the receiving end of a 66-yard scoring pass from Longoria with 1:19 left in the third quarter. Pena’s kick made it 49-6.

The Lobos found some positives with their running game thanks to QB Jose M. Cruz and running backs Frankie Alvarado, Jesus Serrata and Reyes. Lopez drove to the Chargers’ 4-yard line at the end of the first half and got to the Brownsville Veterans 18 at the end of the game, but came away with no points each time.

During season openers last week, the Chargers rallied to beat Rivera 26-21 and the Lobos suffered a 49-7 loss against McAllen High.

When the Chargers and Lobos met at Sams last year, Brownsville Veterans won 32-12.

District action continues for both teams next week. Brownsville Veterans plays host to Mission Veterans on Thursday at Sams, and Lopez is at Rio Grande City on Friday.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — The Edinburg Vela Sabercats are enjoying their view from the top.

Positioned at No. 1 in the Rio Grande Valley, the Sabercats protected their ranking for the second straight week of the 2019 season by slipping past the Hanna Golden Eagles 28-27 on Thursday night at Sams Memorial Stadium in non-district action.

It wasn’t easy for the Sabercats in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week.

Vela won despite Hanna attempting a 30-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining that sailed wide left.

Hanna coach Mark Guess still was upbeat about his team even though it lost.

“I’m so proud of our boys for never giving up in the second half (after trailing 14-0 in the first quarter and 28-7 in the second period),” Guess said. “They gave it their all in the second half.

“We went toe-to-toe against the team people say is the best in the Valley,” Guess added. “We had a chance to win it. We’ll grow from this experience.”

The defending District 31-6A champion Sabercats were coming off last week’s 51-46 season-opening road victory against Laredo United, so they’re now 2-0 with a matchup at home against McAllen Memorial to look forward to next week.

Vela coach John Campbell said his team would grow from the experience as well.

“This game was great for the fans and not so much fun for the coaches,” the Vela coach said. “We’re very fortunate to come away with the victory.

“We play the best that we can play for a reason,” Campbell added. “When Coach Guess and I decided to go into this two-game series (over this season and last), it was so the players for both teams could be exposd to this type of environment.

“Win, lose or draw, non-district play is about developing your team. This type of atmosphere and this type of game can only force you to get better.”

Hanna, coming off a season-opening 42-40 loss at McAllen Memorial, fell to 0-2. The defending District 32-6A champion Eagles next play a non-district game at Sams on Sept. 14 against Weslaco East.

Vela, which beat Hanna in Edinburg last year 35-20, built a 14-0 first-quarter lead and was ahead 28-14 at halftime.

During the initial period, Vela’s Kevin McKinney scored on a 1-yard run at the 5:29 mark of the period to make it 7-0. Teammate Matthew Luna returned a Hanna fumble 63 yards to the end zone to up the lead to 14-0 with 2:25 to go in the first quarter.

Hanna pulled to within 14-7 thanks to a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Victor Campos to Ernesto Mendoza with 11:01 showing in the second quarter.

Vela again went up by two TDs when Sabercats defender Joshua Garcia returned a Campos interception 46 yards down the sideline to make it 21-7 with 8:25 to go before halftime.

“We just made too many mistakes in the first half,” Guess said.

It became 28-7 when Kevin Rojas caught a 15-yard scoring pass from Vela QB Anthony Sotelo with 5:44 remaining in the half.

Campos broke loose for a 33-yard scoring run down the left sideline to make it 28-14 with 2:35 left before the break.

Campos threw a 35-yard TD pass to Mendoza with 11:48 showing in the final period to make it 28-21.

The Eagles’ comeback attempt continued when Hanna’s Diego Escovar intercepted a pass by Sotelo early in the fourth period and returned it to the Sabercats’ 26. From there, Campos added a 1-yard TD plunge on a QB keeper with 8:51 left to give the Eagles hope for a comeback win, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Instead of tying the game at 28, the conversion was botched, leaving Hanna down a point at 28-27 and setting the stage for a would-be game-winning field goal during the final seconds.

Campbell was impressed by Campos, who scrambled away from Vela defenders all night.

“The one thing I can tell you is No. 2 (Campos) for Hanna is a very special player,” the Vela coach said.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

The Rivera Lady Raiders are used to going to the state playoffs virtually every season.

They look like a pretty strong candidate to go back to the postseason in 2019, although this is one of their youngest teams. On the Rivera roster there are two freshmen, eight sophomores, three juniors and one senior.

The Lady Raiders are led in hitting by sophomore middle blocker Kenya Ibarra. Another strong hitter is junior Christina Garza.

Just last year, the Lady Raiders went into the playoffs as the third-place team from District 32-6A. The previous season, which was 2017, Rivera won 32-6A with a 14-0 record as Lady Raiders coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra captured her 500th career victory in 25 years at Rivera.

This season, the Lady Raiders are 18-8 and coming off Tuesday’s 25-21, 25-18, 25-14 non-district win at Mercedes. Rivera next plays at home at noon Saturday in a non-district match against Edinburg Economedes.

District 32-6A competition begins for Rivera on the road against city rival Hanna on Sept. 21.

“ Actually, I thought we’ve been playing very well and we were ready for district until we played Mercedes,” Avelar-Guerra said. “We didn’t play all that well because half the team or more was sick. The girls didn’t play as well as they have been playing.

“ I was a little worried, but I also realized that a lot of them were sick and a little bit out of it,” the Rivera coach added. “I’m sure they’ll be all right in a couple of days. At least I hope so.”

LYFORD, JUBILEE PLAY

The Lyford Lady Bulldogs are entering a crucial part of their volleyball season as District 32-3A competition gets underway.

The Lady Bulldogs, 8-6 overall, are off to a 2-0 start in 32-3A with wins against Pharr Vanguard Academy Rembrandt and Edinburg IDEA Quest. Other 32-3A teams sharing the district lead at 2-0 are Jubilee Brownsville and Santa Rosa.

Lyford next plays at Jubilee at 5 p.m. today.

“ It will be a good test for us versus Jubilee,” said Lyford coach Lisa Lancaster, who has taken the Lady Bulldogs to the playoffs during each of her three previous seasons as their coach. “We have to play well. Someone will be 3-0.”

The top two hitters and captains for the Lady Bulldogs are Kayleen May, a senior middle blocker, and Jerrica Rojas, a senior outside hitter. Lyford will be counting on them to have a good match against Jubilee, 14-3 overall, which has beaten Brownsville IDEA Frontier and Vanguard Academy Rembrandt so far in district action.

When asked what she likes most about her team, Lancaster said, “We have very good chemistry with our girls playing together. It’s a team of (varsity) returnees from last year mixed with our JV dark (from last season). They have a chemistry and a dynamic as a team from having been together. They all have known each other for at least two years, so there’s no having to get to know someone new.

“ My expectations (for the rest of the season) are that we continue to play our game and that we play the way we’re capable of playing,” Lancaster added. “We want to go back to the playoffs.”

Two seasons ago, the Lady Bulldogs lost to eventual state champion Goliad during the second round of the Class 3A playoffs. Last year, Lyford was edged by Banquete in four games in bi-district.

“ We have a good group,” Lancaster said.

SATURDAY SHOWDOWN

One of the more interesting non-district matches on tap at 1 p.m. Saturday has Brownsville Veterans Memorial (16-6) playing host to Harlingen South (17-3). Both squads have been winning quite a bit lately, including Tuesday when Brownsville Veterans defeated PSJA Memorial and South downed PSJA North.

“ My offense is coming through, my defense has been pretty solid and we’re doing well passing-wise, so I’m happy with how we’re playing,” Lady Chargers coach Elizabeth Mares said. “I told the girls that depending on the different teams we face, we’re going to start different lineups, so we need to adjust to that. Running different lineups is something I’m keying on so we can learn to adjust and work together.”

Brownsville Veterans has another strong test coming up at home at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Rivera.

LOWER VALLEY

TOP 5 RANKINGS

1. LOS FRESNOS

2. HARLINGEN SOUTH

3. BROWNSVILLE RIVERA

4. BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL

5. BROWNSVILLE HANNA

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Brownsville will be an important site for this weekend’s District 16-5A Division I openers.

Among the 10-team conference’s district openers matching crosstown rivals are Brownsville Veterans Memorial vs. Lopez at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium and Porter vs. Pace at 7 p.m. Saturday, also at Sams.

Other 16-5A Division I openers find Donna High at PSJA Southwest at 7 p.m. today, Rio Grande City at La Joya Palmview at 7:30 p.m. Friday and PSJA Memorial at Mission Veterans at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Mission Veterans won the district in decisive fashion last year, but appears to be in a rebuilding mode after losing last week’s regular-season opener 37-0 to Mission High.

It figures to be a wide open district race this time around with the two games in Brownsville this weekend having an important bearing on what follows the rest of the way.

That’s why winning will be such a big plus, even though there are still plenty of district games to be played.

The Porter Cowboys got a taste of winning by defeating Port Isabel 20-14 in overtime to open the regular season last Friday at Sams. The night earlier at Sams, Pace lost its season opener 27-13 to Sharyland High.

Getting the victory was a quite a boost for Porter.

“Winning that game gives us a bit more confidence,” Porter coach Carlos Uresti said. “We faced adversity and came out on top against a good team like Port Isabel.

“Pace presents many challenges for us,” he added. “They have a dynamic quarterback who can run and throw in Jose Banda. Pace has a big offensive line and their defense has been more physical the last couple of years. We have to be ready. We have our work cut out for us.”

The Pace-Porter game figures to feature experienced QBs for both teams. While Pace has Banda, Porter has Kevin Garcia, a three-year starter who can also pass and run.

Pace coach Danny Pardo is complimentary of the Cowboys.

“Porter’s defense is looking pretty good,” Pardo said. “One of their players, No. 25 (sophomore linebacker Erik Melendez), flies to the ball and is in on every tackle. They have a good quarterback (in Garcia) and their running game looks solid.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Pardo added. “We’ll have our hands full.”

Pardo said the Vikings came out clean regarding injuries against Sharyland High, but they’re still awaiting the return of standout defensive end Jay Gomez, who was hurt in a scrimmage against Edinburg Economedes a week earlier and is out four to six weeks.

On Friday at Sams, opening district one night earlier than Pace and Porter, will be Lopez and Brownsville Veterans. The Lobos are coming off last Saturday’s 49-7 loss at Sams to McAllen High, while the Chargers won a back-and-forth contest 26-21 against Rivera last Friday.

Brownsville Veterans now plays its second city rivalry game in a row, only this one against Lopez counts for district.

“Lopez football teams are known for their effort and competitiveness, and this year’s team is no different,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “They are a team that hangs its hat behind a tough and big offensive line and the run game.

“It turns out we struggled versus the run against Rivera, so it will be a good test to see if we have improved,” Cantu added. “Offensively, we’re looking to get off to a better start as we definitely played our best in the fourth quarter last week.”

Late in the game, with Rivera up 21-20, Brownsville Veterans QB Liam Longoria threw a 70-yard scoring pass down the sideline to Mauricio Garza to lift the Chargers over the Raiders 26-21. The game was played on the Brownsville Veterans campus.

Meanwhile, things get started at 7 p.m. today for Metro Area teams as Hanna plays host to the Valley’s top-ranked Edinburg Vela Sabercats and Rivera travels to play Edinburg High at Richard Flores Stadium.

The Hanna-Vela matchup is The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week.

Besides Brownsville Veterans and Lopez at 7:30 p.m. Friday, non-district games that night at the same time involving Metro Area teams find Austin LBJ at Los Fresnos, Progreso at St. Joseph Academy and Valley View at Port Isabel.

Los Fresnos and SJA each captured dynamic victories playing at home in their season openers last week. The Falcons rallied to defeat El Paso Montwood 28-27 after trailing 20-0. The Bloodhounds won at Canales Field 39-33 in overtime against Grulla.

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

MERCEDES — It was a quiet match.

That’s how Rivera volleyball coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra described her team’s three-game sweep of Mercedes during a non-district match Tuesday on the Lady Tigers’ court.

The Lady Raiders won 25-21, 25-18, 25-14. They’re getting ready for the start of District 32-6A competition Sept. 21.

There was a reason the Lady Raiders, now 18-8, weren’t quite as enthusiastic as normal, Avelar-Guerra said.

“The girls played a little slower than usual, but I think it’s because a lot of them are sick,” the Lady Raiders coach said. “There’s something going around. They were just a little bit off on their serving. We’ve never had so many missed serves with this group that I can remember.

“The girls did well (despite not being too energetic),” she added. “They started really slow, but then they finished better. They were kind of quiet, and again, I think it was due to a lot of them being sick.

“Also, Mercedes has some good hitters and they moved the ball around. They kept us on our toes. I think we were just quiet and not our usual team (that displays a lot of energy). I didn’t want to get after them too much because I know they’re sick. I’m just hoping they get well soon.”

The Lady Raiders pulled away from the 11th tie of the first game at 18 to win 25-21 on a kill by Kenya Ibarra. The second game had only one tie at 3 before the Lady Raiders went up for good, 4-3, on a Mercedes net violation. A hit by Rivera carried off a Lady Tigers player and out to give the Lady Raiders a 25-18 victory during the second game.

It was all Rivera in the final game. The biggest lead for Rivera of 11 points came at the end, when Ibarra’s back-line servicing ace closed the third game 25-14 and gave the Lady Raiders a sweep of the non-district match.

“As a team I felt we were a little off in the beginning, but overall, I believe we did really well,” said Rivera’s Christina Garza, a junior left-side hitter who led Rivera with 13 kills. “I believe that we are going to do really well in the future, and I can’t wait for people to see it.”

Added Rivera teammate Richelle Guerra, a freshman libero who is the daughter of the coach, “It feels amazing, and it’s a real honor to be on a team like this that has such amazing girls.

“We did pretty good tonight,” Guerra added. “We have a lot of good things with us that we do right now, but we still have a lot to work on. We’re doing well as a team and individually, and we’re ready for the rest of the season (including district).”

Besides 13 kills, Garza had a pair of aces. Ibarra finished with 11 kills, 13 digs and six aces. Guerra had 17 digs, one ace and one kill. Also for Rivera, Clarissa Olivares had four assists, two aces and eight digs, and Laisha Izaguirre had four kills.

Rivera, which had defeated Mercedes last month at the Sharyland Tournament, next plays at noon Saturday at home against Edinburg Economedes in non-district action.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

In the race to prepare for district volleyball competition, Brownsville Veterans Memorial appears to be ahead of Hanna judging by Saturday’s non-district match between the Lady Chargers and Lady Golden Eagles.

Brownsville Veterans won 25-16, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16 on Hanna’s court.

District 32-5A competition starts Sept. 14 for the Lady Chargers, who placed second behind Edcouch-Elsa in district play one year ago.

“We’re not exactly ready (for district) just yet,” Brownsville Veterans coach Elizabeth Mares said. “These next few (non-district) matches will be good for us (and help us prepare). I think we still need some more work.”

Still, the Lady Chargers exhibited more strong moments of solid play Saturday than the Lady Eagles, who are determined to improve as well before district begins.

“We had some good moments today, and we just have to make those good moments last a little longer,” said Hanna coach Ansgar Hagemann, whose team begins District 32-6A action Sept. 21. “Yes, we need to extend those good moments, and as I said before, we’ve come on a long, long journey (with a group of new players since the beginning of the season on Aug. 1).

“We haven’t placed all that well in some of our tournaments, although we did fairly well in the Sharyland Tournament,” added Hagemann, who said his team is awaiting a player who could help out to return from injury. “We want to hang with the big programs in our district, and that’s why we’re playing these good teams right now (in non-district).”

The score was tied at 2, 7, 8 and 11 in the first set before the Lady Chargers went ahead for good, 12-11, during the initial game thanks to an ace by Valeria Sumaya. Brownsville Veterans continued to add to its lead and won the first game 25-16 when the Lady Eagles had a hitting miscue and the ball went out on the final point of the set.

There were ties at 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 23 during the second game before back-to-back kills by Hanna’s Odalys Gonzalez put the Lady Eagles up 24-23. A net violation by the Lady Chargers enabled Hanna to take the set 25-23.

The Lady Chargers were in control of the third game for pretty much the entire way, and even led 24-15 after a hit that carried out by Hanna. That was before the Lady Eagles reeled off eight straight points to pull within 24-23 on a cross-court kill by Gonzalez.

From there, a hit by Brownsville Veterans’ Abby Padilla went off a Hanna player and carried out to give the Lady Chargers a 25-23 victory in the third set.

Highlighting the fourth game were four aces during a span of five points by Brownsville Veterans’ Alexandra Parchmont early in the set. Her fourth ace during her team’s five-point run made it 9-3 and set the stage for the eventual match victory. Parchmont finished the day with six aces.

The Lady Chargers never trailed after Parchmont’s serving display and won the fourth game and match thanks to Sumaya’s cross-court kill to make it 25-16 in the final game.

Parchmont added 30 digs to go with her six aces. Other standouts for the Lady Chargers were Dominique Mena (24 kills, 16 digs), Daniela Espinosa (35 assists), Galilea Martinez (six blocks, five kills) and Padilla (seven kills).

For Hanna, the stat leaders were Gonzalez (19 kills, four blocks), Joanna Garza (three kills), Rebekah Schlatter (four kills, six digs), Jenna Otero (14 digs), Rianna Trevino (13 digs), Camille Atkinson (16 assists) and Arlette Limas (two kills, one block).

Non-district action continues for both teams at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Hanna is at home against Mission Veterans Memorial and Brownsville Veterans is at PSJA High.

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Make it two in a row for the Porter Cowboys over the Port Isabel Tarpons in season-opening football games.

This time, it took overtime for the Cowboys to defeat the Tarpons 20-14 on Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

“This is amazing,” said Porter quarterback Kevin Garcia, who scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run off the right side of the line. “All our hard work in the summer, all our dedication, it pays off.

“One win doesn’t define a season,” Garcia added. “Multiple wins do, so we’re going to go back to the drawing board and get ready for Pace (in our next game Sept. 7 at Sams). Pace is calling us out, so we want to be ready. We have to answer back.”

Porter downed Port Isabel 14-3 during last year’s season opener at Tarpon Stadium.

In this one, the Cowboys led 7-0, fell behind 14-7 and then knotted the score at 14 with 1:55 left in the third period.

Each team had a chance to win in the fourth quarter but neither did, so the game went to OT.

“This feels pretty good,” Porter coach Carlos Uresti said. “The players have been working hard in the offseason, and this victory is well-earned.

“Like I said before, Port Isabel is a powerhouse,” Uresti added. “Year in and year out, they’re a playoff team, so we came out knowing we would be facing good competition to start the season. It prepares us well for our first District (16-5A Division I) game coming up with Pace.”

The Tarpons went first in OT, starting from the 25-yard line, and only gained 7 yards on three plays before missing a 38-yard field goal attempt.

Porter then took over at the 25-yard line and scored in two plays. First, receiver Gabriel Gonzalez caught the Port Isabel defense off guard by gaining 22 yards on an end-around, reverse play on which he received the handoff on the right side, reversed his field and took the ball down to the 3-yard line.

On the ensuing play, Garcia went off right guard and bulled his way into the end zone to set off a spirited victory celebration by Porter Nation. Garcia’s score made the final 20-14 in OT.

“The first thing I was thinking was I had to fight for my family, fight for all our fans and fight for everybody that believes in me (by scoring that game-winning TD),” Garcia said. “I can’t let them down this year. I’ve let them down enough the last two years, so this felt very good.

“Look out for us,” Garcia added. “We’re coming.”

The first three TDs of the game were scored within a span of 1:33 near the end of the first half.

Porter running back Brian Franco went up the middle into the end zone from 5 yards out to make it 7-0 with Rodolfo Armendariz’s kick. The score came with 1:33 left in the second quarter.

Mac Strunk returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to tie the game at 7 after Angel Fernandez’s kick with 1:17 to go before halftime.

After a fumble recovery by the Tarpons’ Roger Schaertl at the Porter 28, Port Isabel scored in two plays as Strunk caught a 4-yard TD pass from quarterback Joey Kreighbaum with eight seconds remaining before intermission. Fernandez again added the conversion to make it 14-7 for the Tarpons at the break.

The Cowboys created a deadlock at 14 with 1:55 showing in the third quarter when Garcia ran into the end zone from 5 yards out and Armendariz again added the extra point.

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

The Harlingen South volleyball team (21-4) had hoped for a better showing Tuesday at McAllen High, but Lady Hawks coach Anissa Lucio said her team will learn and get better from the experience after its three-set defeat against the Lady Bulldogs.

The Lady Bulldogs (27-1), considered the top team in the Rio Grande Valley, defeated the Lady Hawks 25-18, 25-14, 25-8 in a non-district match.

“It showed us we still have to make some improvements,” Lucio said. “But we’re exactly where we want to be. We want to continue getting better these next couple of weeks and take that (improvement) into District (32-6A).

“The biggest takeaway (from playing McHi) was seeing how determined our team was to right the wrong,” Lucio added. “We can already see the improvement at practice. The loss really has helped us become stronger as a team.”

The Lady Hawks next play host to Brownsville Pace in a non-district match at noon Saturday.

STATE RANKINGS

Please forgive Los Fresnos volleyball coach Becky Woods for not being too overly excited about her team’s state ranking this week by the Texas Girls Coaches Association.

The Lady Falcons (22-5) are ranked No. 25 in Class 6A volleyball in Texas. The only other Valley team ranked in 6A by the TGCA is McHi at No. 22. Laredo United is No. 19.

Los Fresnos is coming off Tuesday’s 25-9, 25-17, 25-17 non-district win at home against Pace.

Tuesday was when Woods found out her team was ranked in the state.

“To me, rankings are rankings,” Woods said. “I don’t even know where we’re ranked. I don’t look at things like that because, to me, we can be ranked, (but it’s more important to) beat us on the court. Our opponent may be No. 1 here or there, but you (still) have to beat us on the court.

“People in the Valley now know what we’ve got this year,” Woods added. “I think we’ve been a surprise. People didn’t think we’d have much because we graduated 10 girls from last season. I’ve basically taken over a JV dark team and mixed in two other girls from last year’s varsity, and these girls have just come out and gelled. We’re going to win matches, but we have to play smart. The two big factors for us to win are having a great attitude and not missing serves. It all comes down to playing smart and attitude.”

The Lady Falcons next play host to McHi at noon Saturday.

Lady Bulldogs coach Paula Dodge isn’t overly excited about her team’s state ranking, either.

“It is always nice to receive a state ranking,” Dodge said. “We still need to work on improving and finishing strong. It’s not about how we start, it’s how we finish.”

Other Valley teams ranked by TGCA this week include Mission Veterans, No. 12 in Class 5A, and San Isidro, No. 12 in Class 1A-2A.

DISTRICT ON TAP

September will mark the beginning of district competition for almost all Valley teams.

District 32-6A begins Sept. 21, while District 32-5A starts Sept. 14.

District 32-4A starts Sept. 10 and District 32-3A begins Friday.

It will be a new-look 32-3A this season as Jubilee Brownsville is playing in the UIL for the first time this school year. The Lady Titans (12-3) figure to be one of the top contenders in their district in volleyball.

Jubilee opens 32-3A action at home at 5 p.m. Friday against Brownsville IDEA Frontier.

Other teams in 32-3A include Lyford, Brownsville Harmony, Brownsville IDEA Riverview, Edinburg IDEA Quest, Monte Alto, Santa Rosa, Pharr Vanguard Rembrandt and Weslaco IDEA Pike.

Jubilee athletic director Delra Glover welcomes the chance for his school to play in the UIL.

“We are excited,” he said. “Our student-athletes, parents and the entire Jubilee community are all excited to be a part of the league and all it has to offer both athletically and academically.

“We’ve played most of our district teams in non-district matchups (previously), so to finally get to face them in district matchups is going to be fun,” Glover added. “The (32-3A) teams have welcomed us with a helping hand in this transition, and we just hope we can add more competition to the district.”

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

This time, the Sharyland High Rattlers won by a comfortable margin.

The Rattlers defeated the Pace Vikings 27-13 Thursday in a non-district season opener at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The two teams met in a season opener in Mission one year ago as the Rattlers prevailed 20-17 in overtime.

Sharyland High didn’t have to go to extra time in the rematch Thursday at Sams.

“We’re pleased that we came away with the first win of the year,” Sharyland High coach Ron Adame said. “It wasn’t the prettiest win by any stretch of the imagination. We talked before the game about football being a game of momentum, and we seemed to have it in the first half, but then we kind of lost it.

“You have to give credit to Pace because the Vikings got the momentum in the third quarter,” Adame added. “It wasn’t given to them. They earned it and they took it (after we had gone up 13-0 and then the Vikings came back to tie it 13-13). At that point, the game could have swayed one way or the other.

“I’m proud of our boys for taking the momentum back in the fourth quarter and finishing up the game strong.”

Rattlers quarterback Benjamin Valdivia got things going for his team by throwing a pair of scoring passes during the second period to make it 13-0 at intermission.

Valdivia’s first scoring aerial came at the 7:33 mark of the second quarter when he tossed a 21-yard pass to Daniel Pena in the middle of the end zone on a crossing pattern. The extra point sailed wide, leaving the Rattlers ahead 6-0.

The Rattlers went up 13-0 with 2:33 remaining before the half when Valdivia found Will Patterson open in the end zone for a 5-yard completion. This time, Kali Nguma was good on the conversion for a 13-0 advantage.

Pace came back to tie it 13-13. First, Pace’s Dylan Barron scored on a 1-yard run with 10:23 left in the third quarter as the Vikings pulled to within 13-7 thanks to Christian Zapata’s extra point. The score came on Pace’s first possession of the second half.

It became 13-13 at the 7:57 mark of the final period when Pace QB Jose Banda threw a 19-yard TD pass to Jaylun Garcia. A missed extra point left the score tied.

Sharyland High put the game away with two fourth-quarter scores. Pena caught a 56-yard TD pass from Valdivia with 6:28 left and Valdivia made a spin move to get free at the line of scrimmage and sprinted 46 yards to the end zone with 1:57 remaining to make it 27-13 with Nguma’s kick.

“We had some key performances by several people, including Daniel Pena,” Adame said. “He caught two TD passes and made two interceptions.”

Pace coach Danny Pardo said his team will improve.

“We just made too many mistakes against a quality team like Sharyland,” Pardo said. “We had our chances. We’re going to get better.”

Sharyland High plays at home next Friday against McAllen Memorial, while Pace returns to Sams in two Saturdays to face Porter in a District 16-5A Division I opener.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — As a state-ranked volleyball team, the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons went out and did what they’re supposed to do Tuesday, and that’s win.

The Lady Falcons are ranked No. 25 in Class 6A in the state this week by the Texas Girls Coaches Association. McAllen High is the highest ranked Rio Grande Valley team in 6A at No. 22.

Los Fresnos lived up to its ranking Tuesday by defeating Pace 25-9, 25-17, 25-17 in a non-district match on the Lady Falcons’ court.

“I think our girls played with more confidence tonight,” said Lady Falcons coach Becky Woods, whose team improved to 22-5 on the season. “We know we have a tough District (32-6A) coming up, so we have to play well.

“We’ve seen (projected 32-6A favorites such as) Rivera, we know a lot about Harlingen South, we’ve played Harlingen High twice, and they almost took us down once, and there’s also Hanna,” Woods added. “We just have to keep practicing hard. It’s all a guessing game at this point, but I think it’s going to be a fun district (starting later in September) with all these good teams.”

Los Fresnos next plays host to McHi, considered the Valley’s top team, in a non-district match at noon Saturday.

“I think we’ll have a packed gym for that one,” Woods said.

Pace plays in District 32-5A and is also getting ready for conference competition in September.

Lady Vikings coach Pamela McCumber said playing against a strong team such as Los Fresnos helps her girls become better prepared for 32-5A.

“I told the girls to go in there and try hard,” McCumber said. “The first game was a flop, but the next two games they really came back and tried to do what they needed to do. We had some good spurts (of playing well). We just need to learn to keep it going.”

McCumber said she was pleased with the play of Stephanie Garcia, a setter, and Jill Perez, a libero.

“My setter and libero really hustled,” the Pace coach said. “They’re seniors, and they did their jobs. They did what they had to do.”

Things don’t get any easier for Pace as the Lady Vikings next play at Harlingen South at noon Saturday in a non-conference match.

Pace tied the score early during all three games, but never led. It was tied at 4 in the first game, and then tied at 1 during the second and third sets.

The Lady Vikings pulled within two points, 17-15, during the third game when a block by the Lady Falcons carried out. But Los Fresnos scored the next seven straight points, mainly on kills, tips and a block by Jasmine Garcia, to lead 24-15. The final point of the match came when the Lady Vikings couldn’t get the ball over the net on three hits, allowing the Lady Falcons to prevail 25-17 and sweep the match.

Regarding stats, Los Fresnos was led by Jasmin Garcia with 12 kills and eight blocks. Teammates Tate Halford and Mia Brown added five and four kills, respectively. Also for the Lady Falcons, Cadence Castillo had four aces and 14 digs, while Clarissa Esquibel, the setter, contributed 19 assists.