By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

They made it to November, and that’s quite a feat for a volleyball team in the UIL state playoffs.

After capturing bi-district victories earlier this week, the area round of the postseason has continued for four Brownsville-area teams.

They are Los Fresnos, Hanna and Rivera in Class 6A, and Brownsville Veterans Memorial in Class 5A.

Los Fresnos, the District 32-6A champion, was swept by District 29-6A runner-up Laredo United , 25-20, 25-17, 25-14, in an area match at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln on Thursday.

In their bi-district match Tuesday, the Lady Falcons defeated Weslaco High 23-25, 25-14, 25-12, 25-7. United won its bi-district match against McAllen Rowe 25-16, 25-12, 25-17.

Rivera, Hanna and Brownsville Veterans all play today.

Rivera, which tied for third place in 32-6A, goes against District 30-6A champion McAllen Memorial at 6:30 p.m. at San Benito, while 32-6A runner-up Hanna faces District 29-6A champion Laredo Alexander at 6:30 p.m. at Roma. District 32-5A runner-up Brownsville Veterans goes to Gregory-Portland to play the District 29-5A champion Lady Wildcats at 2 p.m.

In 6A bi-district matches Monday and Tuesday, Rivera downed Edinburg North 27-25, 22-25, 25-14, 25-20, while Hanna prevailed against Edinburg Vela 25-27, 25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 15-4. In 5A, Brownsville Veterans triumphed against Sharyland Pioneer 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 27-25.

Kenya Ibarra, a freshman middle blocker, led Rivera with 23 kills against the Lady Cougars.

“I was determined (with my hitting),” Ibarra said. “I needed to do all I could to help us win. Now we’re in the second round. We moved on and that’s what we wanted to do.

Added teammate Kourtney Shears, a senior outside hitter/setter who had 17 kills, 28 digs and 20 assists in bi-district, “Yes, we’ve had some struggles, and this win (against Edinburg North) shows that we are capable of doing better, and we want to do more.”

Rivera coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra said her team’s victory in bi-district was very beneficial.

“I think it’s a win that really builds our confidence,” she said. “It shows our girls that they can do it if they work together and not give up. It shows anything’s possible as long as they keep playing hard. It shows them that they have what it takes.”

Another team battling to victory in a close, highly contested bi-district match was Brownsville Veterans.

“I’m just really proud of us as a team and the way that we’ve come together,” said Pamela Sanchez, a senior outside hitter/defensive player for the Lady Chargers. “When we started off (the season), it was a new team and we didn’t know each other. Now we’re playing (well) together.”

The teams winning area-round matches advance to next week’s regional quarterfinals.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

It’s pretty much a given that Brownsville annually will send an athlete or a team to state in cross country.

This year it’s a combination of both for Saturday’s UIL state meet at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.

Rivera standout Andrea De La Rosa is returning to state individually as a senior for the third time in four seasons. Brownsville IDEA Frontier is advancing its boys squad that captured the District 32-3A championship last month and placed fourth as a team in Class 3A at the Region IV meet Oct. 22 in Corpus Christi.

De La Rosa, a repeat District 32-6A champion, was undefeated in eight meets this season before taking third place individually at the Region IV meet in the Class 6A division.

“I feel great about my season and I feel great about state,” said De La Rosa, who overcame an injury as a junior to regain her winning form during her final season of cross country. “I want to try to finish in the Top 10 at state. My best finish at state before was 37th as a sophomore.

“I feel proud to be able to put the name of Rivera out there,” added De La Rosa, who hopes to sign soon to run next school year in college. “I’m happy to represent Rivera and Brownsville.”

Arturo Hurtado, one of De La Rosa’s coaches at Rivera, said it’s been a pleasure to work with the young runner.

“It’s been great to see her grow up into a beautiful young lady,” said Hurtado, a veteran coach of cross country and track. “I wish her the best at state and in her (college) future.”

The standout Rivera runner said she credits her success to her coaches.

“My coaches have always been there for me,” she said. “Without them, I would have never gotten to this point.”
De La Rosa is scheduled to run at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in the 6A 5-kilometer girls race. The IDEA Frontier boys will run a 5-kilometer race scheduled at 12:40 p.m. for the 3A boys.

“All I ask from these kids is to run with heart and for each other,” IDEA Frontier coach Albert Alanis said. “They’ve put in the work, and now it’s time to cash in. Our best at state has been 10th (as a team), so we’re trying to beat that and break into single digits (in the 3A boys team standings).”

Members of the IDEA Frontier squad are Victor Leos, Jose Mendieta, Irving Chavira, Juan Franco, Christian Lopez, Rafael Torres and Alex Trujillo.

Earlier this week, St. Joseph Academy had boys and girls runners compete in the TAPPS state meet in Waco.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

Israel Barron is a kicker determined to do well for his team and achieve some individual goals along the way.

Brownsville Veterans Memorial coach David Cantu said Barron, a senior, has been a bright spot for the Chargers this season.

Barron could possibly play a key role for the Chargers when they go against the Pace Vikings in a District 16-5A Division I showdown at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Cantu recently gained an insight into his kicker’s drive and desire to do well.

“About a month ago, Israel walked into my office, looked me in the eye and said, ‘Coach, I’m going to break our school record for field-goal yardage,’” Cantu said. “I told him, ‘All right, Israel, I bet you’ll do it.’ He’s been doing a great job. We see him make long field goals every day in practice.

“He’s out there daily with everyone else,” Cantu added. “He’s a huge part of our team. He punts, he kicks and he’s very accurate.”

The school record for the longest field goal was 42 yards set by Humberto Trevino a couple of seasons ago.

Barron kicked a 47-yarder to top the old record and added field goals of 37 and 27 yards to help the Chargers beat Donna High 9-6 on Oct. 18 at Sams. He made a 43-yarder at PSJA Southwest in a 41-38 double-overtime loss to the Javelinas last week.

Barron, also a soccer player, started kicking in football as a seventh-grader at Vela Middle School. He’s been a kicker on the varsity team at Brownsville Veterans as a junior and senior.

Having set the school record with his 47-yarder, he’s revised his goals for the rest of the season.

“My new goal is to beat the record I just set,” said Barron, who hopes to someday kick in college. “That’s what I want to do. I believe I can make a 50-yarder. During warmups against PSJA Southwest, I made some 50-yarders with extra space, so I think I can do it (in a game).”

Barron’s kicking coach with the Chargers is Jose Luis Zarate, a 1986 Pace graduate who kicked at Texas Lutheran University (1986-87) and at the University of Houston (1988-89). Zarate, a 1991 UH graduate, is currently an assistant coach with the football and swimming teams at Brownsville Veterans. He’s also coached golf and soccer.

“I love coaching the kickers,” Zarate said. “Kicking is something I did back in the day when I was in school. I enjoy seeing how our kickers develop and progress.

“Israel has been kicking for us since he was a freshman,” Zarate added. “He’s one of the hardest working kickers that I’ve coached. He has great attention to detail and is very disciplined. He does everything you ask him to do. He’s a pleasure to work with. He comes from a great family and is very respectful. Israel comes to practice and just gets things done.

“With the talent he has, I think he has a very good opportunity to kick in college. He’s got the skills. He puts kickoffs in the end zone. He hit a 51-yard field goal the other day during pre-game workouts. I see him and the way he kicks, and it reminds me of when I kicked in college. I believe he has what it takes to be on a college (footall) roster. We’re working on contacting some schools. I give him a thumbs up. He’s a good student, too.”

For the moment, Barron is enjoying the football season and will soon be looking forward to soccer.

“It means a lot to me to be able to help the team,” he said. “The coaches are putting trust in me to help us win or get a higher score in the game.

“This team is amazing,” he added. “We’ve been working hard all season. Our goal is to make it (back) to the playoffs, and that’s what we want to do right now (by winning this week).

“I’d like to thank my parents, my coaches and everyone who is supporting me through all of this.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

Brownsville Veterans Memorial vs. Pace is a football game the city has been waiting for all season.

It happens at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium as the Chargers (6-2 overall, 5-2 district) go against the Vikings (6-2, 6-1) in a District 16-5A Division I matchup.

The Chargers will be the home team.

With just one loss in district, Pace already has clinched a playoff spot. With two district defeats, Brownsville Veterans needs a win Friday to secure a berth in the postseason.

It’s a little unusual that both teams are coming off district losses. Pace was outscored by undefeated district leader Mission Veterans 48-35 last Saturday at Sams, while Brownsville Veterans suffered a 41-38 double-overtime setback at PSJA Southwest last Thursday.

Prior to this week, Pace led the district in defense but is now second (266 yards allowed per game) as the Vikings had trouble containing Patriots quarterback Landry Gilpin, who passed for 305 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 186 yards and two more scores.

Pace averages 280.9 yards per game on offense. Brownsville Veterans averages 339.1 yards on offense and yields 313.9 yards on defense.

When asked about the key to success for his team against the Chargers, Pace coach Danny Pardo said it is defense.

“We just have to make sure we play better defense than we did last week,” Pardo said. “Our offense has been playing pretty well.”

The Vikings boast playmakers in QB Jose Banda (779 yards passing with 10 TDs and 544 yards rushing with seven TDs) along with wide receiver/running back Brandon Zapata (563 yards rushing with six TDs and 228 yards receiving with two TDs), among others.

The Chargers are led by QB Liam Longoria (1,290 yards passing, 14 TDs) and have a big-play receiver in Elijah Masten (35 receptions, 470 yards, nine TDs).

“There are three keys for our team versus Pace,” Chargers coach David Cantu said. “First, we must establish an effective run game. Second, we need to keep QB Banda and WR/RB Zapata in check. Finally, we need to have solid special team play.”

Pardo said his team is pretty much healthy, while Cantu said the Chargers have some injured players, including a couple from the defense who are likely to miss the game. The Chargers already are without standout running back Mauricio Garza (broken collarbone).

The Pace-Brownsville Veterans matchup is not the only game of importance on the schedule this week for Brownsville-area teams.

Also at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Hanna (6-1, 3-0) can clinch at least a share of the District 32-6A championship with a win at Los Fresnos (3-5, 1-2). The Golden Eagles took a big step toward the 32-6A title by winning 30-0 at San Benito (4-4, 2-1) last Friday.

Hanna leads 32-6A in offense by averaging 439 yards per game and in defense by allowing 237 yards per outing.

The other game involving a 32-6A team from Brownsville this week has Rivera (0-8, 0-3) playing host to San Benito at 7 p.m. today at Sams.

Also at 7 p.m. today, it’s Lopez (2-6, 1-6) at PSJA Memorial (2-6, 2-5) in a 16-5A Division I matchup.

Another 16-5A Division I game this week has Donna High (5-3, 4-3) playing Porter (1-7, 0-7) at Sams at 2 p.m. Saturday.

In District 16-4A Division II action, Port Isabel (4-4, 1-1) plays at home at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Rio Hondo (7-1, 1-1).

St. Joseph Academy is open this week.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

WESLACO — At the beginning of the volleyball season, Brownsville Veterans Memorial coach Lisa Mares said her young team was a work in progress. The team’s goal, she said, was to become “a masterpiece” by the end.

The Lady Chargers are certainly looking like they’re becoming a team of fine pedigree.

Brownsville Veterans held off a determined Sharyland Pioneer squad 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 27-25 on Tuesday during the Class 5A bi-district playoffs at the Weslaco East gym.

“I’m honestly so excited,” said the Lady Chargers’ Pamela Sanchez, a senior outside hitter/defensive player. “We kind of played not to our best in district (and finished second after winning it the two previous seasons). This means a lot that we were able to be the (bi-district) champions tonight. Now we can move forward (in the playoffs).

“I think we were kind of like the underdogs,” Sanchez added. “This (win) motivates us and encourages us. We don’t have that much height, and it showed tonight that height doesn’t really matter. It’s more the courage we have together.”

Brownsville Veterans (35-14) was the runner-up in District 32-5A. Sharyland Pioneer (24-19) tied for second place with Sharyland High in District 31-5A.

In preparing for the postseason, it helped Brownsville Veterans that the Lady Chargers defeated 32-5A champion Edcouch-Elsa in straight sets on the final night of district action. It was the Lady Yellowjackets’ only district loss.

Now, thanks to their bi-district triumph, the Lady Chargers advance to the area round of the 5A playoffs later this week. They are expected to face Gregory-Portland, a bi-district winner in straight sets against Corpus Christi Carroll.

“We started off pretty well in this match, and we mixed it around with our hitting and tipping, and we caught Pioneer off-guard with the tipping a lot because they were blocking us, and I guess we’re not used to that so much,” Mares said. “I thought we really passed well, and that was one of our focuses (for this match). I knew doing a good job passing the ball was going to be a factor tonight.

“I’m just so proud of our girls for not giving up,” Mares added. “They lost a little confidence because they were getting blocked quite a bit. Props to Sharyland Pioneer for never quitting. They were still going strong until the very end.

“I told the girls, ‘Pioneer’s not just going to give you the match (because you’re ahead 2-0 after two games).’ Pioneer played hard the whole way.”

There were eight ties during the opening set and neither team led by more than three points.

With the score 24-23 in Brownsville Veterans’ favor, the Lady Chargers’ Valeria Sumaya hit the ball hard and it went off a Lady Diamondbacks player and out. That play gave Brownsville Veterans its 25-23 opening-set win.

Things were closely contested throughout the match. There were 12 ties during the second game, with the final deadlock coming at 17. The Lady Chargers eventually took the second set 25-22 when the Lady Diamondbacks had too many hits on a volley.

Sharyland Pioneer led by as many as five points six different times during the third game and never trailed during the set after the score was tied at 9. A double-hit call on the Lady Chargers enabled Sharyland Pioneer to win the third set 25-23, sending the match to a fourth game.

Befitting such a close, back-and-forth match, there were 10 ties during the final set. The last of them came at 25. The Lady Diamondbacks had been up 24-22 before Brownsville Veterans rallied to win.

With the score deadlocked at 25, Sharyland Pioneer had a block carry out to put Brownsville Veterans ahead 26-25. On the next point, the Lady Diamondbacks failed to follow through and complete a tip attempt and the ball fell harmlessly to the floor on their side, giving the Lady Chargers an emotional match victory.

“I told the girls in the locker room (prior to the match) that I’ve had so much fun coaching them,” Mares said. “The girls are young, and I’m just so excited (about their potential). This group of girls is great. They want to learn, and they practice hard.

“I told them, ‘I don’t want that to end, and I know you don’t want it to end, either,’” Mares added. “It’s exciting. We didn’t get the district title this time, but to them, they just want to keep going (in the playoffs) and see how far we can go.”

Sanchez led the Lady Chargers with 17 kills. She also had 28 digs. Dominique Mena added 15 kills, and Alexandra Parchmont had 44 digs. Daniella Espinosa contributed 48 assists, 26 digs and a pair of aces.

For Sharyland Pioneer, Daizy Coronado (16 kills, five blocks, three aces) and Daniela Alvarez (18 kills, five blocks) were leaders in kills and blocks.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess

By ROY HESS

Staff Writer

It was a close, intense volleyball playoff match between familiar foes.

Rivera and Edinburg North played each other for the fourth time this season Monday during the Class 6A bi-district playoffs.

The other three matchups happened more than one month ago — twice during tournament action and once during a non-district contest at Rivera. Edinburg North won both tournament matches before Rivera picked up a win.

Monday’s postseason encounter was the most important match of all of them. The Lady Raiders prevailed 27-25, 22-25, 25-14, 25-20 on their home court to advance to the area round of the playoffs later this week.

“What stood out to me tonight was our team and how we clicked so well together,” said Rivera’s Kourtney Shears, a senior outside hitter/setter. “Some of the plays we made were incredible. We (initially) didn’t expect to make them, but we were there for each other (and kept the ball alive). The outcome was great.”

Added teammate Kenya Ibarra, a freshman middle blocker, “All of us working together just made us come out with the win in the end. Our coach (Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra) helped us every step of the way. It worked out in the end.”

Ibarra led the Lady Raiders with 23 kills. She also had nine digs. Shears contributed 17 kills, 28 digs and 20 assists. Also for Rivera, Madelaine Blanco had 42 digs and Nissa Zuniga had seven kills.

“I think this was the most complete match we’ve played this season,” Shears said. “It gives us a lot of momentum for the next round of the playoffs.”

Rivera (24-14) tied for third place in District 32-6A. Edinburg North (26-17) was the District 31-6A tri-champion.

Avelar-Guerra was in total agreement with her players’ assessment of the togetherness the Lady Raiders displayed against the Lady Cougars.

“The girls played together as a team, they were talking, they were communicating, they were hitting well and their defense was outstanding,” Avelar-Guerra said. “They just came together tonight. They all played well.

“Every one of our girls stepped it up,” she added. “They were playing their hearts out. It was a wonderful match. (Still) it was very stressful to me (as the coach), but I’m sure it was a great match for the fans.”

The opening game went back and forth with 16 ties, the last deadlock coming at 25.

An almost 10-minute stoppage and discussion between the officials and coaches over an apparent Rivera tip late during the first set was eventually ruled instead as a point for Edinburg North. It made the score 23-20 for the Lady Cougars instead of 22-21. But the call didn’t stop the Lady Raiders from rallying to win as they battled to ties at 24 and at 25.

From there, Edinburg North hit the ball out on back-to-back points to allow Rivera to win the opening game 27-25.

“Everybody (for both teams) came to play, and everybody left everything on the floor,” Lady Cougars coach Raul McCallum said. “(Senior Natalie Rodriguez has tears in her eyes and) doesn’t want it to end (just like our other players).

“It was just one of those things,” McCallum added. “Rivera put (Ibarra) on the outside, and we couldn’t stop her. She was in the middle before (and we did a better job of stopping her).”

The second set was practically as close as the first one, with nine ties. The Lady Cougars broke out of a deadlock at 22 to take the set 25-22 on a tip by Jevannah Burrow, a ball hit out by Rivera and a block made by the Lady Raiders that carried out.

The Lady Raiders went up 8-0 to start the third game and never trailed. Their biggest lead in the set of 12 points, 24-12, came on an Edinburg North hit that went out. A backline kill by Rivera made it 25-14 to give the Lady Raiders a 2-1 edge in games for the match.

After four ties during the fourth game, the last of which came at 8, Ibarra put Rivera ahead to stay, 9-8, with a kill just inside the back line.

Rivera then was up by as many as nine points, 24-15, before the Lady Cougars tried to rally and closed the gap to 24-20. But a hit too long by Edinburg North provided the Lady Raiders with the final point they needed to take the fourth game and the match 25-20.

Rodriguez (20 kills, 40 digs) was a leading hitter for the Lady Cougars and teammate Evana Ramos, a sophomore libero, was a non-stop hustler (82 digs, seven kills, three aces) who made plays for her team all over the court.

By ROY HESS

Staff Writer

There’s a first time for everything, including a trip to the state playoffs.

The St. Joseph Academy Lady Bloodhounds will be making their first appearance in the TAPPS Class 5A postseason in volleyball at 6 p.m. Tuesday when they play Houston Cypress Christian in Odem. It’s an area-round matchup. Both teams received bi-district byes during the weekend.

The Lady Bloodhounds are competing in just the fourth year of their program under veteran coach Dolores Olguin-Trevino. It’s their first season of district competition at the varsity level.

SJA went 5-3 to place second in its district behind Victoria St. Joseph and is 21-11 overall. Cypress Christian is 19-12-2. A win Tuesday would advance the Lady Bloodhounds to the TAPPS 5A state quarterfinals later this week.

The UIL volleyball playoffs begin this week as well.

Things get underway at 6:30 p.m. today as Rivera plays host to Edinburg North in a Class 6A bi-district match.

Besides Rivera, three other District 32-6A teams play their 6A bi-district matches Tuesday. Hanna is at Edinburg Vela at 6:30 p.m., Edinburg High is at Harlingen South at 6:30 p.m. and Los Fresnos is at Weslaco High at 7 p.m.

In Class 5A bi-district matches involving squads from District 32-5A at 7 p.m. Tuesday, it’s Brownsville Veterans Memorial vs. Sharyland Pioneer at Weslaco East, Lopez at Mission Veterans, Sharyland High vs. Donna High at PSJA Southwest and PSJA Memorial at Edcouch-Elsa.

The bi-district winners in all UIL classes advance to area-round competition later this week.

The Lady Bloodhounds are a young team with no seniors.

“I’ve been with this program since the very start as a seventh-grader, and it’s really great to see my friends (on the team) grow into such amazing players,” said SJA’s Halima Dervisevic, a sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter/setter and also a team captain. “We’re going to grow as a team and get even better.

“We bond really well, even with our freshmen, who are amazing, too,” Dervisevic added. “We pray and dedicate some time to God. I think that helps us as we trust Him with our matches. It takes the pressure off and allows us to just play and have fun.

“We’re really excited about our first playoff match in TAPPS. We’ve been working hard to get to the playoffs, and we’re hopeful we can do well. We’re hopeful because we’ve come so far already.”

Along with Dervisevic, the other team captain for the Lady Bloodhounds is Ally Stachowiak, a junior middle blocker.

Besides Dervisevic and Stachowiak, SJA team members include Natalia Montemayor, Tori Gonzalez, Mildred Verlage, Elise Esparza, Juliana Trevino, Alexandra Vazquez, Bekah Rodriguez and Alejandra Ortiz.

“I think it’s really cool how we got second place in district our first time ever (playing in TAPPS) when I don’t think anyone really expected too much from us in volleyball because it’s a new sport at our school,” Stachowiak said. “I’m actually very happy and satisfied with how we’re doing.

“I think we can do anything if we put our minds to it,” Stachowiak added. “If we can win our first playoff match, I think we can go a long way. I believe in our team. It’s a team with a lot of chemistry and communication.”

Olguin-Trevino returned to coaching to start volleyball at SJA after retiring following stints at Hanna and Los Fresnos. She said it’s been quite a rewarding experience.

“This has been four years in the making,” the SJA coach said of her team’s trip to the playoffs. “It’s been pretty satisfying and pretty amazing because I could see the possibilities (with this program), and these girls have met some of those expectations. Of course, I have more expectations. Every time we play, I raise the bar a little bit and I tell the girls not to be satisfied with just being at the level we’re at.”

For making the playoffs, the Lady Bloodhounds were allowed to trim their coach’s hair.

“It’s been pretty amazing starting a program, which is something I had always talked about doing,” said Olguin-Trevino, who is assisted by David Rodriguez. “I always wanted to go to a small school and build a program from scratch, and here I am. I’ve been blessed that I have a lot of good athletes who are good students as well. I have a lot of support from the parents and the administration, so yes, I’ve been very blessed.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

The St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds celebrated homecoming with a 28-13 victory against the San Antonio Christian Lions on Friday night at Canales Field.

The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Bloodhounds.

SJA improved to 2-6 on the season and 1-1 in TAPPS Division II District 4 competition. The Lions slipped to 1-6 and 0-2.

“This (win) is a big load off our shoulders,” SJA coach Tino Villarreal said. “Winning heals a lot of things. We’ve built a (football) culture around here where losing is just no longer acceptable, and we were in that ‘L’ column for a little too long. This win means a lot to me because I wanted it so badly for our boys. They’ve been working so hard.

“I told the guys, ‘If you win the line of scrimmage, you’re going to win the football game,’” Villarreal added. “I’m very proud of the job our offensive line did, and I thought our defense, particularly the defensive line, was all over the place tonight causing havoc. To me, that was the difference. We won the up-front battle, and we allowed everyone else to get involved.”

The Bloodhounds were ahead 7-3 after one quarter and 14-10 at halftime. SJA took a 21-13 advantage into the final quarter before adding an insurance score early during the fourth period.

“This game was just as important as every other game we play, and sometimes they don’t go our way,” said SJA’s David Rodriguez, a senior running back-free safety who was honored by Texas Football Magazine as an impact student-athlete prior to the game. “We always battle to the end, and this night was just the night that everything clicked for us and went well.”

Added teammate Mikey Mar-Maxwell, also a senior running back and defensive back, “A win like this is great for the team and gives us some momentum that we need. It’s just a great win and something we’ve been working for.”

The Bloodhounds especially thrived with their running game against the Lions. The SJA running backs, along with quarterback Tomas Edge, ripped off some big ground gainers, and it helped take time off the clock and keep the ball away from the Bloodhounds’ potentially dangerous San Antonio opponent.

Mar-Maxwell finished with 120 yards rushing on nine carries and scored his team’s initial touchdown during the opening quarter on an 18-yard run with 3:36 showing on the scoreboard clock.

The SJA score came after the Lions went up 3-0 on Jake Carter’s 23-yard field at the 6:42 mark of the first period.

Rodriguez added 86 yards rushing on 11 carries. He caught a 24-yard TD pass from Edge early during the second period for a 14-3 lead and sprinted up the middle 32 yards to the end zone to make it 21-13 late during the third quarter.

The Lions pulled to within 14-13 of SJA’s lead when Brandon Richard caught a 62-yard TD pass from Grant Satcher with 1:16 to go in the half and Carter converted a 32-yard field goal with 4:33 left in the third period.

That was before Rodriguez burst up the middle for his rushing score late in the third quarter to make it 21-13.

SJA’s Pablo Zolezzi’s 4-yard TD run at the 11:30 mark of the fourth period gave the Bloodhounds’ a 28-13 edge after Luis Elizondo’s fourth extra point.

From there, SJA’s defense, sparked by Rodriguez and Jonathan Magallanes, a senior defensive end, took care of things the rest of the way to secure the homecoming victory.

The Bloodhounds overcame the standout efforts of Richard, an explosive pass catcher who finished with nine receptions for 137 yards.

The Bloodhounds have an open date next week before closing the regular season at home against district opponent San Antonio Holy Cross on Nov. 9.

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE— Coming off a decisive setback, the Harlingen South Hawks bounced back in a big way and remained on course for the playoffs.

The Hawks captured a 41-20 District 32-6A victory against Brownsville Rivera on Thursday night at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The win improved South to 4-4 on the season and 2-1 in district with regular-season games left against Harlingen High and Brownsville Hanna.

Rivera slipped to 0-8 and 0-3.

The Hawks received a standout game from their running back corps led by Emilio Quiroz with 108 yards. Corban Hendrick added 88 yards rushing, and fellow running backs Orlando Muniz and Gabriel Perez contributed 71 and 62 yards on the ground, respectively, to boost the Hawks’ cause.

“We got off to a fast start and that’s pretty much what we talked about doing all week (in practice),” South coach Brian Ricci said. “We had a fast start and it helped us put the game away.

“We have some good running backs and we rotated them in and out tonight,” Ricci added. “Our ‘O-Line’ did a good job of getting some movement and our running backs ran hard. We were able to move the chains. I’m excited about that.

“I’m just proud of our kids and the way they came out and played solid football.”

South was up 14-6 after one quarter and 34-6 at halftime. The Hawks went into the final period with a 41-6 advantage.

The Raiders tallied a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to account for the final score of 41-20.

South scoring runs of 43 yards by Perez and 37 yards by Quiroz on the Hawks’ first two possessions made it 14-0 after a pair of Jose Lerma extra points. A 1-yard quarterback keeper by Rivera’s Andres Perez with 1:00 to go in the opening period closed the gap to 14-6.

The Hawks pulled away by scoring 20 points during the second quarter. The South TDs in the period came on runs of 2 and 1 yards by Hendrick along with a 4-yard run by Cristian Cortez.

“Scoring two touchdowns was a great confidence booster (for me) going into the ‘Bird Bowl’ next week,” Hendrick said. “Me, Orlando and Emilio — honestly, any one of us can carry the ball and we’re going to get there (to the end zone).

“We feel good about this victory tonight,” Hendrick added. “Obviously, it puts us in a good position going into the ‘Bird Bowl.’ It gives us confidence.”

Muniz bulled his way into the end zone from 1 yard out at the 4:46 mark of the third quarter to increase the South lead to 41-6.

The Raiders scored a pair of TDs in the final period as Jesus Camarillo went 28 yards to the end zone on an end-around play to the left side, and then, Camarillo scored again on a 36-yard pass-and-run play after catching a short aerial from backup QB Ramsey Rocha.

South was coming off last week’s 49-14 loss at home against San Benito. Rivera fell 37-7 last week at Los Fresnos.

The Hawks can now start preparing for next Friday’s “Bird Bowl” against Harlingen High, while the Raiders play host to San Benito next Thursday at Sams and close out the season at Harlingen High on Nov. 9.

“Last week (against San Benito) we didn’t perform very well, and I’m glad we got to get out here tonight on a short week and try to play (well) again,” Ricci said. “Hopefully we’ve got a little momentum now going into a big game next Friday night.”

South defeated Rivera 31-6 in the final game of the season for both teams on Nov. 10 a season ago.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

Many times, the deeper into the football season a team goes, the more important the games become.

The Pace Vikings know the feeling.

Pace is one of three Brownsville-area teams involved in a key matchup between district unbeatens this week. The other two are Hanna and Port Isabel.

In District 16-5A Division I, the Vikings (6-1 overall, 6-0 district) play host to Mission Veterans (6-1, 6-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The matchups between district unbeatens for the other two squads find Hanna (5-1, 2-0) at San Benito (4-3, 2-0) in District 32-6A and Port Isabel (4-3, 1-0) at Raymondville (6-1, 1-0) in District 16-4A Division II. Both of those games kick off at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

This week’s schedule for Brownsville-area squads starts at 7 p.m. today as Rivera (0-7, 0-2) plays host to Harlingen South (3-4, 1-1) at Sams in a 32-6A matchup and Brownsville Veterans Memorial (6-1, 5-1) goes to PSJA Southwest (2-5, 2-4) for a 16-5A Division I contest.

Also, including other area teams playing at 7:30 p.m. Friday, it’s Los Fresnos (3-4, 1-1) at Harlingen High (2-4, 0-2) in 32-6A, plus it’s PSJA Memorial (1-6, 1-5) vs. Porter (1-6, 0-6) at Sams and Lopez (2-5, 1-5) at La Joya Palmview (4-3, 4-2) in a pair of 16-5A Division I contests.

On the schedule as well, St. Joseph Academy (1-6, 0-1) plays host to San Antonio Christian (1-5, 0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Canales Field in a TAPPS Division II District 4 matchup.

The Vikings have won six games in a row, all in district, and are aware they’ll be facing their biggest test to date against the Patriots, who also have captured six straight victories and are ranked No. 3 in the Valley by RGVSports.com. Pace is ranked 10th.

“They’re good,” Pace coach Danny Pardo said of Mission Veterans. “There’s a reason why they’re ranked so high. They’re explosive on offense and solid on defense.

“Mission Veterans has a very good quarterback (in Landry Gilpin),” Pardo added. “Everyone knows about him. He’s a good passer (1,949 yards, 19 touchdowns this season) and even a better runner (985 yards, 19 TDs). He makes things happen with his feet. He’s legit.”

The Vikings welcome Saturday’s challenge and feel good about their chances for two main reasons, Pardo said.

“First of all, we’re healthy (and at full strength),” the Pace coach said. “Secondly, our team is playing with confidence. The guys feel good about what they are doing.

“We have a sophomore quarterback (Jose Banda) who is just getting better and better,” Pardo added. “Our defense (ranked first in the district and allowing only 210.6 yards per game) is making plays. Our players are reacting and running to the ball. We’re keeping it simple and operating out of our base alignment, and the guys like that. They just react and run.”

The Pace-Mission Veterans winner takes over sole possession of the lead in 16-5A Division I, a 10-team district.

“No one has even mentioned the Brownsville Veterans game next week,” Pardo said of his team. “Our guys are taking this game (with Mission Veterans) to heart and they’re focused on it.”

Meanwhile, Port Isabel just opened 16-4A Division II action last week with a 46-9 triumph at Progreso. It was the Tarpons’ third win in a row.

Just like Jose Banda at Pace, Port Isabel’s Cesar Aguilera, a senior, is coming into his own as a standout QB by making some big plays with his arm and his legs. Aguilera passed for four TDs and ran for two scores against the Red Ants. He was coming off a five-TD game with 270 yards rushing during a 48-21 non-district victory against Grulla on Oct. 5.

“We’re practicing hard, and I feel that we have a lot of confidence,” Aguilera said after the Progreso win. “We’re all going hard, and there’s no slacking. That’s how it’s going to be for us. I’m proud of this team.”

Regarding his squad’s next two crucial games against Raymondville and then at home against Rio Hondo on Nov. 2, Tarpons coach Jason Strunk said, “We’ve positioned ourselves for a fun two weeks. We’re playing meaningful football down the stretch of the (regular) season, and we’re 1-0 in district at this point, which was the goal. The district title is up for grabs. The next two weeks are going to be exciting and fun for us, I know that.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess