By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

SAN JUAN — The PSJA Southwest Javelinas were in need of a victory in the District 16-5A Division I football race.

The Javelinas found one against the Brownsville Lopez Lobos 20-0 on Thursday night at PSJA Stadium.

The Lobos could barely get across the 50-yard line against an unyielding PSJA Southwest defense.

PSJA Southwest improved to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in district. The Lobos slipped to 2-4 and 1-4.

The Javelinas received the ball first to open the game and marched 70 yards down the field in 12 plays to go up 6-0 when Brayan Acosta scored on a 5-yard run with 4:58 showing on the scoreboard clock in the first quarter. The extra point failed.

Acosta led all rushers in the game with 138 yards on 19 carries. Lopez’s top rusher was Christian Gamez with 43 yards on 11 carries.

It became 14-0 at the 9:11 mark of the second period when the Javelinas’ Chris Sanchez sprinted into the end zone from 13 yards out. Sanchez rushed for the two-point conversion.

The Javelinas added their third TD when quarterback Jalen Galvan dashed 45 yards down the right sideline to make it 20-0 with 1:57 left in the third quarter. The extra point was blocked.

The Lobos recovered the ball at the PSJA Southwest 15-yard line midway through the final period after the Javelinas muffed a punt, but eventually, Lopez missed a 33-yard field-goal attempt.

Both teams were coming off last week’s open dates.

Prior to Thursday, the most recent game for the Lobos was a 17-14 setback at home against Donna High on Sept. 29. PSJA Southwest’s most recent outing prior to Thursday was a 28-27 overtime loss at La Joya Palmview on Sept. 27.

District action continues for both the Lobos and Javelinas next week. Lopez takes on Brownsville Pace at Sams Memorial Stadium next Friday. The Javelinas are at Mission Veterans next Thursday.

Thursday marked the first meeting in football for the Lobos and Javelinas. PSJA Southwest began UIL varsity athletic competition in 2012.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

It will be a reunion of former Hanna acquaintances who are squaring off for the first time as head coaches when the Lopez Lobos take on the PSJA Southwest Javelinas at 7 p.m. today at PSJA Stadium in San Juan.

The Lopez-PSJA Southwest game is one of three contests on tap this week involving Brownsville-area teams.

In a pair of District 32-6A openers at 7:30 p.m. Friday, it’s Hanna vs. Rivera at Brownsville’s Sams Memorial Stadium and Los Fresnos going against Harlingen South at Harlingen’s Boggus Stadium.

Area teams enjoying open dates this week are Pace, Porter, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Port Isabel and St. Joseph Academy.

For the first time this football season, there will be only one game at Sams this week, which is Friday’s Rivera-Hanna matchup.

First-year Lopez coach Armando Gutierrez and second-year PSJA Southwest coach Michael Evans were at Hanna when Michael’s father, Dave Evans, was the head coach for the Golden Eagles for two seasons from 1995-96. Gutierrez, a 1996 Hanna graduate, was an offensive tackle who blocked for highly regarded running backs Tony Ellis and Marc Evans, who is Dave’s son. Another son, Michael, was several years younger and helped out his dad’s team as a ball boy/water boy for the Eagles.

Dave Evans is now the defensive coordinator at Brownsville Veterans.

“I go way back with the Evans family,” Gutierrez said. “I’ve known them for a long time.”

Gutierrez returned to his hometown in August to coach the Lobos after spending the past six years as a coach in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“It’s a dream come true to be back,” Gutierrez said. “Everyone has been supportive and making me feel glad to return home.”

Tonight’s matchup between the Lobos and Javelinas is a District 16-5A Division I contest between two teams eager to get back in the win column. Both squads are 1-3 in district and coming off last week’s open dates.

The most recent game for Lopez (2-3 overall) was a 17-14 setback against Donna High at Sams on Sept. 29. PSJA Southwest’s most recent outing on Sept. 27 resulted in a 28-27 overtime loss at La Joya Palmview. The Javelinas are 1-4 overall.

The Lopez coach said his team expects to confront an opponent that favors the running game on offense.

“We know PSJA Southwest is a well-coached team and they’re just as hungry for a win as we are,” Gutierrez said. “Both teams have stout defenses. We’re preparing for a tight game. You can throw records out the window in these types of matchups.

“We want to see our offense maintain its rhythm, execute and avoid mistakes,” Gutierrez added. “I think the key is going to be which team can sustain long drives (and score). If we can execute and not have any turnovers, I like our chances.”

This will be the first time for Lopez to play PSJA Southwest in football. Prior to this season, the two teams have been in different districts. The Javelinas began varsity competition in 2012.

Meanwhile, two teams that are quite familiar with one another are Los Fresnos and Harlingen South.

Both squads were open last week and both are coming off losses against opponents from the powerhouse district of 2-6A in the Texas Permian Basin. Los Fresnos (2-3 overall) lost at Odessa Permian 56-0 on Sept. 28 and South (2-3) was beaten 44-17 by Odessa High on Sept. 29 in Harlingen.

Actually, both teams are trying to break out of two-game losing streaks.

District 32-6A has been reduced from eight to six teams this season, so every win in what appears to be a very even 32-6A race will be vital concerning the quest for the playoffs.

The Falcons defeated the Hawks 35-7 last year in Los Fresnos. South surprised Los Fresnos 21-14 in 2016 in Harlingen.

Los Fresnos suffered injuries to some key players during its loss to Odessa Permian. Among the injured are wide receiver Nico Valencia and running back Alberto Banuelos. Neither player is expected to be available Friday.

Still, the Falcons have reserve players who are eager to step up and show their abilities.

“Our kids are focused,” Falcons coach Patrick Brown said earlier this week. “We have some kids that have never started at the varsity level, and they’ve done a good job getting ready for this week.”

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

The Hanna Lady Golden Eagles won another close volleyball match Tuesday to remain as one of the frontrunners in the District 32-6A race.

Rivera always presents a challenge for Hanna in volleyball, and the two teams have a history of playing some epic, back-and-forth matches.

Even though both squads played well enough to win, Tuesday’s district confrontation at Hanna belonged to the Lady Eagles by a slim margin. Hanna did enough near the end of each set to surge ahead and triumph. The scores were 25-20, 25-22, 25-21.

Hanna trailed 14-8 during the opening game before winning 25-20. During the second game, the Lady Eagles broke out of a 16-16 tie and stayed ahead the rest of the game to win 25-22 after Rivera had pulled to within 23-22.

The Lady Raiders were ahead most of the way during the third set, but after a deadlock at 20, Hanna surged ahead for good to eventually take the set and the match when Odalys Gonzalez’s kill made it 25-21.

It was one of Hanna’s most complete outings of the season.

“I felt we got more together as a team (as the match went on), and we followed through (to get the win),” said Tabitha Fernandez, a senior setter for the Lady Eagles. “Most times (in the past), we would get sidetracked (at some point during a match), but this time we stuck with what we had to do (and got the sweep).

“We pushed each other to do our very best,” Fernandez added. “I think we’re doing very good in our district. It’s a very tough district. Every team has their own special abilities, and we have to be there (and play our best) in every match.”

Hanna improved to 5-1 as the second half of the district race began Tuesday. Rivera slipped to 2-4 but stayed in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Los Fresnos won 25-17, 25-23, 25-16 at home against Harlingen South on Tuesday to remain the 32-6A leader at 6-0.

Hanna and Rivera opened district play Sept. 18 on the Lady Raiders’ court. The Lady Eagles won that match 25-21, 9-25, 11-25, 25-19, 15-12.

Although Tuesday’s match at Hanna didn’t go the full five games, it was quite a battle.

“Yes, it’s a balanced district, and we swept Rivera, but all the games were in the 20s once again, and it was anybody’s match,” Hanna coach Ansgar Hagemann said. “We played awesome, and we also got lucky. It was a combination of both.

“The girls really came together defensively in this match, and I’m so proud of them for not letting down in any one of the sets,” Hagemann added. “They stayed focused on winning.

“Every match you play in this district is just going to make you a better team.”

Rivera coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra said her team played well enough to win, but added Hanna just played a little bit better.

“It was a good match,” Avelar-Guerra said. “Both teams were playing their hearts out. It’s upsetting that we lost, of course, but I told my girls ‘You played well and keep your heads up.’ This was the No. 2 team in our district, and we were there (very close to beating them).

“We just need to keep working hard and continue to try to get better so we can get to the playoffs,” she added. “It’s just a matter of us continuing to work hard.

“Hanna has a good team, and they played well. The ball just fell on their side (for the win) tonight.”

Kenya Ibarra had 18 kills and 17 digs for Rivera, and teammate Kourtney Shears had 17 assists, eight kills and seven digs. Also for Rivera, Claudia de la Garza had 16 assists and 14 digs, and Madelaine Blanco had 40 digs and a pair of kills.

For Hanna, the match stats weren’t immediately available. Hagemann said Gonzalez, Ariana Arceneaux and Nataly Davila were standout hitters at the net. He said Fernandez also was a standout as the team’s setter. The Hanna coach said Vivian Izaguirre was also a standout for his team.

District 32-6A action continues at noon Saturday. Hanna is at Harlingen High and Los Fresnos is at Rivera.

La Feria’s five-set volleyball victory Saturday at home against Hidalgo was huge.

Still, Lionettes coach Rebea Fraga is reminding her team there remains a lot of important work to be done as district play continues.

The Lionettes took over sole possession of the District 32-4A lead at 9-1 with Saturday’s 25-14, 22-25, 23-25, 25-12, 15-12 triumph over the Lady Pirates, who had been the 32-4A leaders and now are 8-2.

La Feria lost at Hidalgo in five games Sept. 11 during the first round of district, so Saturday’s win was sweet. It gives the Lionettes an opportunity to finish as 32-4A champions for the third straight year.

“One of our goals this season was to win the district championship (again),” Fraga said. “When we lost to Hidalgo in the first round, we knew we had to win out for a chance to be co-champs. Thanks to Progreso’s win over Hidalgo (last Tuesday, and our victory over the Lady Pirates), we are now in a position to win it outright.

“After our win on Saturday, we reminded the team that it’s hard to get to the top and stay there,” Fraga added. “We encouraged them to enjoy the moment, but emphasized that the season isn’t over yet. We need to remain focused, determined, and maximize our effort as a team.”

Karina Diaz and Natalie Gonzalez are captains for the Lionettes.

“I believe the whole team is displaying leadership qualities in their own way, whether it is in practice, from the bench or on the court,” Fraga said of her players.

There are four match dates remaining on the 32-4A schedule, which continues at 6:30 tonight with Zapata at La Feria, Port Isabel at Hidalgo, Grulla at Rio Hondo and Raymondville at Progreso.

Behind La Feria and Hidalgo in the 32-4A standings are Zapata (7-3), Rio Hondo (5-5), Grulla (5-5), Port Isabel (2-8), Raymondville (2-8) and Progreso (2-8). The top four teams from 32-4A advance to the playoffs, which begin Oct. 29.

CRUCIAL WEEK: The Brownsville Lopez Lady Lobos of District 32-5A are keeping alive their quest to reach the playoffs for the third season in a row.

They occupy fourth place in the 32-5A standings with a 5-4 record. Ahead of Lopez are Edcouch-Elsa (9-0), Brownsville Veterans Memorial (7-2) and Donna High (7-2). Behind the Lady Lobos are Mercedes (4-5), Brownsville Porter (3-6), Brownsville Pace (1-8) and Valley View (0-9).

Five 32-5A match dates remain.

It’s a crucial week for the Lady Lobos as they play at 7 p.m. today at home against Pace and go to Porter at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Also at 7 p.m. today in 32-5A, it’s Donna High at E-E, Mercedes at Brownsville Veterans and Valley View at Porter.

Several weeks ago, Daya Venegas took over as Lopez’s main coach. She had been the assistant under Jacquelynn Touchet. They switched places, and now Touchet is the assistant.

Venegas and Touchet played together at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, and each brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge to the Lady Lobos, who have seen their program experience a resurgence in recent years.

“I think we can make it to the playoffs because we have Coach Daya and Coach Touchet, and they help us a lot with the team,” said Lopez’s Aileen Aguilar, a junior outside hitter. “They’re very good coaches.”

Venegas said her players are putting forth a supreme effort to do well in a tough district.

“If we keep playing the way we are playing, we have a chance to make it to the playoffs,” Venegas said. “I keep telling the girls we need to continue improving so we can move up (in the standings). I don’t want us to keep finishing fourth (in our district), because then we have to play the No. 1 team (from District 31-5A in bi-district, which is usually Mission Veterans, the Valley’s top-ranked squad).”

The Lady Lobos face a competitive crosstown rival tonight in Pace, which on Saturday took E-E to the limit in a 25-22, 25-17, 16-25, 21-25, 15-13 win by the Lady Yellowjackets.

When the Lady Lobos and Lady Vikings played during the first round of district Sept. 15 at Pace, Lopez prevailed 22-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-21, 15-11.

32-6A UPDATE: District 32-6A enjoyed an open date on Saturday and will begin the second round of conference play at 6:30 tonight.

Tonight’s 32-6A matches have San Benito at Harlingen High, Harlingen South at Los Fresnos and Brownsville Rivera at Brownsville Hanna.

Los Fresnos is the 32-6A leader at 5-0, while Hanna is in second place at 4-1. After those two, it’s San Benito and Rivera at 2-3 each, and Harlingen South and Harlingen High at 1-4 each.

Including tonight, five match dates remain in 32-6A.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

If the Lopez Lady Lobos want to stay on track to make the playoffs for the third straight year, Saturday’s District 32-5A volleyball match against Valley View was a must-win situation.

To reach the postseason, the Lady Lobos need to continue winning the district matches they’re supposed to win and maybe pull off a surprise or two against the leaders along the way in the 32-5A race, which has five match dates remaining.

The Lopez girls, fourth place in 32-5A at 5-4, followed their game plan perfectly Saturday and captured an efficient 25-17, 25-17, 25-10 victory at home against the Lady Tigers, who at 0-9 are still searching for their first district win.

If they don’t watch out, the Lady Lobos have two teams behind them in the 32-5A standings that could catch them and maybe edge them for a playoff spot. Those teams are Mercedes (4-5) and Porter (3-6). The 32-5A leader is Edcouch-Elsa (9-0) with Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Donna High tied for second place at 7-2.

The Lady Lobos want to remain within striking distance of 32-5A’s top teams.

“Our girls are playing good and improving every time we play,” Lady Lobos coach Daya Venegas said. “We’ve been practicing hard and taking no days off, and every match they’re getting better. They’re doing well, and they’re excited for the second round (of district).

“The girls are giving their all,” Venegas added. “They have their classes, most of them work, and they (still) come in here to practice and give 100 percent. That’s what is helping us. They’re putting in their time (to this sport and it’s paying off).”

The Lady Lobos got out in front during each game Saturday and stayed there en route to winning with a three-set sweep. A serving ace by Aileen Aguilar that landed just inside the back line gave Lopez its 25-10 win during the third game and brought an end to the match.

Michelle Navarro was a standout at the net for Valley View with her hitting and blocking.

After Saturday, 32-5A teams are two matches into the second round with five more matches to go.

Outside hitters Jennifer Cisneros, a senior, and Aguilar, a junior, are among the standouts for the Lady Lobos. They were active and contributing to the win Saturday in vital ways, such as Aguilar’s ace at the end.

“We’re communicating with each other (on the floor), and that made it a great day for us,” Aguilar said. “I’m really happy with this team that I have to play on. We have some awesome seniors in Jennifer (Cisneros), Amanda (Parra) and Noemi (Gallardo). They’re girls who play really good.”

Added Cisneros, “What I really like about our team is that no matter what is happening outside the court, we come together and play a good game. Every match is important to us. We don’t choose the teams that we go against, we just try to fight hard for the win every time.

“I’m looking forward to us having a good season (during this) my senior year,” she added.

Lopez continues 32-5A action at home Tuesday against Pace. Valley View is at Porter the same night.

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

PORT ISABEL — For the first time this football season, the Port Isabel Tarpons have evened their record at .500 by surging ahead during the second half and capturing a decisive 48-21 non-district victory against the Grulla Gators on a homecoming Friday night at Tarpon Stadium.

The Tarpons were boosted by the rushing performances of quarterback Cesar Aguilera (270 yards, five touchdowns) and running back Brayan Medina (198 yards, two TDs).

Also, Port Isabel’s defense shut out Grulla during the second half after the Tarpons led only 27-21 at intermission.

“This was a real good team win for us tonight,” Port Isabel coach Jason Strunk said. “That’s the mark of a championship team.”

The Tarpons were ahead 14-6 after one quarter, 27-21 at the half and 41-21 after three periods.

Port Isabel is 3-3 heading into its bye week before beginning District 16-4A Division II competition Oct. 19 at Progreso. Grulla is 2-4 and also is going into a bye week before opening District 16-4A Division I action at home Oct. 19 against Hidalgo.

Aguilera was pretty much unstoppable Friday night. He broke loose for big ground gainers of 21, 37, 49, 23, 49 and 50 yards. He had gained 190 yards by halftime and finished with 270 yards on 13 carries while playing a little more than three quarters.

Medina, a workhorse ballcarrier for the Tarpons, had 86 yards by halftime and totaled 198 yards for the game on 25 carries.

First-quarter scoring runs of 37 and 49 yards by Aguilera put the Tarpons up 14-0. A 6-yard TD run by Grulla’s Adan Lopez with 36 seconds left in the opening period made it 14-6.

Medina’s 16-yard scoring run at the 7:22 mark of the second quarter increased the Tarpons’ advantage to 21-6. Later in the period, the Gators pulled even at 21 thanks to QB Dillen Salinas’ 13-yard scoring run and Jesus Garza Jr.’s catch of a 16-yard TD pass from Salinas.

Aguilera broke loose on another 49-yard scoring scamper with only 32 seconds remaining in the first half to provide the Tarpons with a 27-21 cushion at the break.

On their first possession of the third quarter, the Tarpons marched down the field and made it 34-21 on Aguilera’s 4-yard TD run with 8:20 left in the period. Aguilera added a 6-yard TD run with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter to hike the lead to 41-21.

Medina scored on a 9-yard run with 6:37 left to give the Tarpons their 27-point margin of victory.

“We have a great running game,” Strunk said. “Our fullback does a tremendous job of blocking, and our passing game is getting better every week. We’re keeping (our opponents) off-balance. We’ve put some new (offensive) packages in, we’re executing them, and here we are, we’re 3-3.

“Our defense has been there all year,” Strunk added. “We started off the season with our offense kind of struggling, and we’ve got it going now. Defensively, we came out in the second half and pitched a shutout, and that’s what we wanted. Also, it was our second week in a row with no turnovers.”

The Tarpons were coming off last week’s 37-0 win at St. Joseph Academy. Grulla suffered a 55-42 setback at Rio Hondo last week.

Prior to Friday, the last time the two teams played was in 2016, when the Tarpons beat the Gators 31-19 at Tarpon Stadium during a non-district season opener.

Port Isabel now leads 6-1 in the series between the two schools in football.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

The Pace Vikings’ winning streak is now five games and counting.

The Vikings captured their fifth straight victory on Thursday night at Sams Memorial Stadium with a 35-14 District 16-5A Division I triumph against the La Joya Palmview Lobos.

Pace improved to 5-1 on the season and 5-0 in conference action. Palmview slipped to 3-3 and 3-2.

Thanks to another standout performance by Pace sophomore quarterback Jose Banda, the Vikings won on a Thursday night at Sams for the third time this season.

The Vikings scored on their first three possessions of the game to build a 21-0 lead going into halftime.

After passing for four touchdowns and rushing for two more scores last week in a 48-32 road win against PSJA Memorial, the Pace sophomore QB passed for three scores and rushed for another tally Thursday against the Lobos. He passed for 168 yards and rushed for 104 yards, including a 51-yard scoring scamper in the second quarter.

“This is my first year (to start at QB on the varsity), and I do feel more comfortable there now after these last of couple games,” Banda said. “It feels amazing (to do well), especially in homecoming week. It’s awesome to play well in front of the home crowd.

“Every single win we get is like a big boost,” he added. “It helps us a lot and gives us more confidence.”

Pace coach Danny Pardo said his offense and defense feed off each other with the standout plays each unit makes during a game like the one against Palmview.

“I think this is the most complete game we’ve played this season,” the second-year Pace coach said. “These guys are figuring out they’re a pretty good team. We got a good effort from both our defense and our offense and they were firing each other up (with each unit’s strong play).

“We’re playing well at just the right time,” he added. “We have to get ready for some big games down the road, beginning with Lopez (on Oct. 19). That’s always a battle for us, and they’ve beaten us the past two years.”

Banda, who completed his first eight passes, threw a 22-yard touchdown strike to Ilijah Solis at the 6:48 mark of the opening quarter to make it 7-0 after Jovany Garcia’s kick.

Banda threw a 9-yard TD pass to Brandon Zapata with 11:09 showing in the second period for a 14-0 edge after another Garcia extra point.

It became 21-0 when Banda broke loose on a scramble and weaved his way 51 yards to the end zone. Garcia’s kick made it 21-0 with 8:51 to go to intermission.

Pace went for it on fourth down from the Palmview 2-yard line with less than a minute left in the half and subsequently surrendered the ball to the Lobos on an incomplete pass.

Carlos Pena returned the second-half kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown for Palmview’s first TD, making it 21-7.

Pace increased the lead to 28-7 thanks to Matthew Cuellar’s 2-yard scoring run up the middle with 8:04 to go in the third period.

After recovering a fumble at the Pace 18, the Lobos tallied their second TD on a 4-yard run by Juan D. Guzman at the 6:15 mark of the final quarter.

A 20-yard TD pass from Banda to Carlos Pulido with 3:49 to go completed the scoring in Pace’s 35-14 victory.

Pace was coming off last week’s 48-32 victory at PSJA Memorial, while Palmview’s most recent game prior to Thursday was a 28-27 overtime win at home last week against PSJA Southwest.

Both the Vikings and Lobos have open dates next week before resuming conference action. Pace next plays Lopez Oct. 19 at Sams, while the Lobos are at PSJA Memorial the same night.

When Palmview and Pace played a non-district game last season, the Lobos won 27-14 in La Joya.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

The Pace Vikings don’t mind turning on the “Friday Night Lights” one day early.

Counting today’s 7 p.m. game at Sams Memorial Stadium, they’ve played just as many times on Thursday as they have on Friday this season.

It will be Pace’s third Thursday game of 2018 as opposed to three contests on Friday when the Vikings (4-1, 4-0 District 16-5A Division I) go against La Joya Palmview (3-2, 3-1) at Sams.

“ We’re pretty used to it,” Pace coach Danny Pardo said of playing on Thursdays. “This is the last Thursday game this season for us, though.”

Pardo said the coaching staff has made the necessary adjustments when the Vikings play a day early.

“ Because it’s a short week, we don’t do as much hitting,” he said. “We do (additional) teaching more than anything else.”

Besides today’s Pace-Palmview game, there are four area teams playing Friday. Brownsville Veterans Memorial takes on Porter at Sams in 16-5A Division I action, while in a pair of non-district contests, Grulla is at Port Isabel and Hidalgo is at St. Joseph Academy. All of those games kick off at 7:30 p.m.

Area teams enjoying byes this week are Rivera, Hanna, Los Fresnos and Lopez.

Pace will be attempting to win for the fifth straight week when the Vikings go against Palmview. Last week, the Vikings won 48-32 at PSJA Memorial and Palmview won 28-27 in overtime at home against PSJA Southwest.

Pardo said the Lobos are a dangerous team with a solid run-based offense featuring running backs Mario Chapa (542 yards, seven TDs) and Carlos Pena (304 yards, three TDs).

“ At 3-1 (in district), they’re right behind us (in the standings),” the Pace coach said of Palmview. “We’re going to try to not get surprised by them.”

The Vikings have some playmakers of their own, including sophomore quarterback Jose Banda, who enjoyed his best outing in a varsity role last week against PSJA Memorial. Banda passed for 248 yards and four TDs while rushing for 78 yards and two more scores. Banda completed his first 11 passes in the game, finishing 12-of-16 for 185 yards in the opening half.

“ He’s really coming around,” Pardo said of Banda. “Sometimes we forget he’s a sophomore. He’s doing better and throwing better.”

The PI-Grulla matchup gives the Tarpons (2-3) a chance to follow up their decisive 37-0 triumph last week at SJA. Grulla (2-3) suffered a 55-42 setback at Rio Hondo last week.

Grulla boasts a productive ground game with running back Vidal Lopez (405 yards and three TDs) and quarterback Dillen Salinas (372 yards and four TDs) leading the way. The Gators rank as the top offensive team in District 16-4A Division I by averaging 398.4 yards per game.

Port Isabel averages 290.8 yards per game on offense and is sparked by workhorse running back Brayan Medina (700 yards, four TDs), who ranks as the top rusher in District 16-4A Division II.

The Tarpons own a 5-1 edge in their all-time series with Grulla.

The SJA-Hidalgo game at Canales Field matches two teams coming off different results last week. The Bloodhounds were shut out in a decisive manner by the Tarpons, while the Pirates captured their first win in two seasons under second-year coach Monty Stumbaugh, previously Port Isabel’s coach.

Hidalgo downed Progreso 10-7 at Bill Pate Stadium to improve to 1-4 on the season. SJA is also 1-4 with its lone win coming against Progreso 26-0 on Sept. 7.

The Bloodhounds and Pirates have been frequent opponents over the years. In their most recent meeting, SJA won 42-10 at Hidalgo last season.

SJA, Port Isabel and Grulla are all are playing their final non-district games of the season before having an open date next week and starting their respective districts on Oct. 19.

Hidalgo opens 16-4A Division I action at home against Zapata on Oct. 12.

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

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

SAN BENITO — The Los Fresnos Lady Falcons are doing the best they can to put some distance between themselves and their opponents in the District 32-6A volleyball race.

The Lady Falcons remained undefeated as the 32-6A leaders at 5-0 with a motivated and efficient 25-17, 25-21, 25-20 victory Tuesday night at San Benito.

The Lady Greyhounds came into the match as the district’s lone third-place team at 2-2. They now share third place at 2-3 with Rivera, a five-set winner Tuesday at Harlingen High. Hanna remains right behind Los Fresnos at 4-1 after winning at home, also Tuesday, in five games against Harlingen South.

Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said her team had a little extra motivation going into Tuesday’s confrontation because San Benito had beaten the Lady Falcons in five games during a non-district match there Sept. 15.

“We were ready to play,” Woods said. “We wanted this match bad. San Benito beat us the last time we faced them here in this gym, and we’ve been working extremely hard for this rematch so we could do better.

“We wanted to win and go 5-0 in district,” Woods added. “We’re just taking it one match at a time and one game at a time. That’s all we can do.”

Los Fresnos did enough to stay out front virtually the entire way, although the Lady Greyhounds continually made it close.

“We had to get the lead and keep the lead,” Woods said. “That was the main thing (I wanted us to do). I told the girls if we could do that, we would be all right. We can not afford to play from behind any more against anybody. I’m talking about the rest of the season (particularly in district).”

The Lady Greyhounds pulled to within 18-15 of the lead during the opening game before the Lady Falcons pulled away and won the set 25-17 when San Benito hit a volley too long.

The score was tied at 15 and 17 during the second set, and San Benito later trailed by only one point twice, 21-20 and 22-21, before Los Fresnos surged ahead at the end and took the game 25-21 when the Lady Greyhounds hit into the net.

Los Fresnos led by as many as six points, 12-6, during the third game. Powered by the kills and tips of Devany Castillo and Alysa Naranjo, San Benito battled back to within one point, 18-17, on a tip by Castillo. From there, the Lady Falcons pulled away again to sweep the match.

A well-placed serve for an ace by Los Fresnos’ Jasmin Garcia landed just inside the back line on the final point to make it 25-20 and end the match.

Sandra Salazar led the way for Los Fresnos with 10 kills, and Garcia added seven kills and five blocks. Isis Delgado contributed 13 digs and 20 service receptions, and Sarah Villarreal had 11 digs and 38 assists.

Also for the Lady Falcons, Gaby Cuevas had eight digs and seven kills, and Jovanna Adame had eight digs. Alex Garcia added six digs.

District 32-6A has an open date Saturday and resumes play Oct. 9. On that day, Los Fresnos will be at home against Harlingen South, and San Benito will be at Harlingen High.

With its parity, no one team can become all that comfortable in the District 32-6A volleyball race this season, not even the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons.

The Lady Falcons took over sole possession of the 32-6A lead Saturday with a 4-0 record, thanks to a 22-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-23 victory at home against Hanna, now 3-1.

“That win does a lot for our team, tons really,” Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said. “Now we have to go into San Benito (today), and San Benito beat us (in five games) in a non-district match (on Sept. 15).

“We have to play hard against them and play our game,” Woods added. “This is a very close district. Everyone can beat everyone. We just need to stay focused and take things one match at a time. That’s what we need to do, because at any time, anyone can sneak up on you and beat you.

“We went down 1-0 (against Hanna) and we came back and won three straight games. That says a lot about the composure our girls have. I’m happy with the (Hanna) win, and I’m happy with the girls.”

While Los Fresnos is playing at 6:30 p.m. today at San Benito, the other scheduled 32-6A matches at the same time have Rivera at Harlingen High and Harlingen South at Hanna. The matches will mark the end of the first round of district.

“I honestly don’t think this (Hanna) win really solidifies anything for us (playoff-wise) because this district is just so tough (and there are so many more matches to play),” said Sandra Salazar, a senior outside hitter for the Lady Falcons. “Any match can go any way. It’s all a matter of who wants it more, so every time we play, we just have to keep our intensity up. I’m just really proud of my team.”

AMAZING WIN: The Harlingen South Lady Hawks did themselves a big favor in the 32-6A race, reviving their chances for a playoff spot.

Instead of dropping to 0-4 in 32-6A, the Lady Hawks on Saturday pulled out a remarkable 21-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-13 triumph against “Bird Bowl” rival Harlingen High on South’s court. The Lady Hawks trailed 2-0 and 13-9 in the deciding fifth set before rallying to win.

In the six-team 32-6A race, Los Fresnos is 4-0, Hanna is 3-1, San Benito is 2-2, and South is now 1-3 along with Rivera and Harlingen High. Dropping to 0-4 with a loss at home against the Lady Cardinals would have made things pretty difficult for the Lady Hawks to reach the postseason, but now they’re right back in the mix.

“Yes, it was a great win for us, and something we definitely needed at this point in the season,” second-year South coach Anissa Lucio said. “But we know we still have some work to do to prepare for this tough district.

“This win does help us push forward, and it strengthens our confidence and belief in our talent,” Lucio added.

Against Harlingen High, South’s Mikela Mireles recorded 33 kills and 27 digs. Also for South, Mya Aguirre had 18 kills, 29 digs and 15 assists, and Dolores Mendoza added 38 assists and 34 digs. Evelyn Yanez, Zoe Garcia and Allyah Guevara contributed 55, 18 and 12 digs, respectively.

32-5A UPDATE: Edcouch-Elsa remains the sole leader in the District 32-5A race with a 7-0 record. Donna High is 6-1 and Brownsville Veterans Memorial is 5-2. Lopez is 4-3, Porter is 3-4 and Mercedes is 2-5. Also, Pace is 1-6 and Valley View is 0-7.

Brownsville Veterans almost created a three-way tie for first place Saturday but ultimately lost 20-25, 25-13, 16-25, 26-24, 15-13 at home to E-E.

The second round of district begins at 7 p.m. today with Pace at Brownsville Veterans, Donna High at Porter, Lopez at E-E and Mercedes at Valley View.

32-4A UPDATE: Hidalgo is still atop the District 32-4A standings. The Lady Pirates face a key test Saturday at La Feria.

The district completed its first round of competition last Tuesday. A little more than halfway through the 32-4A race, it’s Hidalgo 8-0, La Feria 7-1, Zapata 6-2, Grulla 3-5, Rio Hondo 3-5, Port Isabel 2-6, Raymondville 2-6 and Progreso 1-7.

Today’s 32-4A matches at 6:30 p.m. have La Feria at Port Isabel, Raymondville at Grulla, Zapata at Rio Hondo and Hidalgo vs. Progreso.

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