By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

Befitting an intense city rivalry, the Pace Vikings and Porter Cowboys brought a lot of energy to the football field on Thursday night at Sams Memorial Stadium.

As the two ballclubs battled in their District 16-5A Division I opener of 2018, the Vikings were the ones feeling a little more energized at the end as they came away with a 34-14 victory.

Pace (1-1, 1-0 district) was led by quarterback Brandon Zapata , who rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a pair of scores.

“We were making some mistakes by ourselves in the first half, and we were hurting ourselves,” Zapata said. “We fixed those mistakes and dominated in the second half.

“It’s a great feeling (to win this game),” Zapata added. “It means we’re starting off district pretty good.”

Pace coach Danny Pardo shared Zapata’s sentiments.

“It’s always good to start off 1-0 (in district),” the Pace coach said. “We made some mistakes and we didn’t look all that great in the first half. Porter’s getting a lot better, so it was good that we came back (stronger in the second half). A win is a win.”

It was a back-and-forth first half, but the final two quarters belonged to the Vikings.

Pace went up 13-0 by the end of the opening quarter.

A 29-yard scoring pass from Zapata to Ilijah Solis and the extra point by Jovany Garcia made it 7-0 with 6:30 to go in the initial period.

Just 16 seconds later it became 13-0 when Porter fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Pace’s Silver Macias scooped up the ball and returned it 8 yards to the end zone for a touchdown at the 6:14 mark of the quarter.

Porter came back in the second period to take a 14-13 lead. First, running back Ulises Guzman raced 32 yards to the end zone on a draw play before Cowboys QB Kevin Garcia was chased from the pocket and scrambled 29 yards on his way to crossing the goal line.

Oscar Garcia’s extra point after Kevin Garcia’s score with 4:54 left until halftime gave the Cowboys a 14-13 edge.

The Vikings put together a 14-play, 96-yard drive to retake the lead when Zapata went across the goal line from 1 yard out with 44 seconds left until intermission. Jovany Garcia’s kick made it 20-14, which was the score at the break.

Zapata rushed for a 5-yard TD at the 7:22 mark of the third period and threw an 80-yard scoring bomb to Jaylun Garcia with 8:26 remaining to account for the final score of 34-14, thanks to two more Jovany Garcia extra points.

Pardo said Jose Banda, Pace’s usual starting QB, was held out for precautionary, injury-related reasons. He’ll be back next week, Pardo said.

The top ground gainer Thursday was Pace’s Dylan Barron with 107 yards rushing on 12 carries.

The Vikings have now won their district matchups with Porter for three straight years with all of the games being played at Sams. The Vikings prevailed over the Cowboys 56-34 last season and 32-14 in 2016. The Cowboys’ last win over the Vikings in the series came in 2015 at Sams when Porter prevailed 28-21.

Porter (1-1, 0-1 district) snapped a 22-game losing streak last Friday by downing Port Isabel 14-3 in the Cowboys’ season opener. Pace was coming off last Friday’s season-opening 20-17 overtime loss at Sharyland High.

District 16-5A Division I action continues next week for both teams. Donna High takes on Pace at Sams next Thursday and Porter is at La Joya Palmview next Friday.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

The Port Isabel Tarpons play their first road game of the new football season at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Valley View.

Tarpons coach Jason Strunk expects to see an improved Port Isabel squad against the Tigers in the non-district matchup.

“We’re focusing on us and what we need to do to get better,” said Strunk, who is beginning his first season as Port Isabel’s head coach. “(More than anything), we’re worried about us.

“We have a lot of things to fix from last week,” he added. “We hurt ourselves (by the way we played). We expect to be a better team this week.”

The Tarpons opened the season at home last Friday with a 14-3 setback against Porter. The same night, Valley View played its season opener at home and defeated Hidalgo 41-7.

Port Isabel of District 16-4A Division II had issues on offense against Porter as the Tarpons gained only 100 yards. The Tarpons’ only points came on a short field goal in the first half by Anthony Orduna.

The Tarpons boast an experienced senior quarterback in Cesar Aguilera, but he had a rough night throwing the ball against the Cowboys and finished with just 40 yards passing. He’ll look for a better outing against the Tigers of District 16-5A Division II.

Against Hidalgo, Valley View was up 21-7 when the Pirates were driving for a second-quarter touchdown that could have brought them within one score of the lead. Instead, Tigers’ Javier Lopez, a defensive back, returned an interception 104 yards for a TD that put Valley View up 27-7. From there, the Tigers cruised to the 41-7 victory.

Besides Lopez, also highlighting the win were Tigers QB Simon Fernandez, who passed for a pair of scores, and running back Brandon Gonzales, who rushed for two TDs. Fernandez is coming off an injury from last year when Valley View began the season 2-0 but won only one of eight games the rest of the way. The Tigers went 2-8 in 2016.

This is Eli Esquivel’s third year as the Tigers’ head coach. He took over at Valley View in 2016 when the Tigers had only 25 players in the program with no junior varsity or freshman squads.

Valley View went 3-7 one season ago and is looking for a better finish this time around. Likewise, Port Isabel is coming off a 2-7 campaign and seeking a much better showing as well.

The last time the two teams played was 2015 when Port Isabel captured a 14-7 win at home against the Tigers.

Following Friday’s game, the Tarpons and Tigers continue their non-district schedules next week. On Sept. 14, Port Isabel is at home against Hidalgo and Valley View plays host to Rivera.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

The Porter Cowboys are 1-0 and believing even better things are ahead for them this football season.

Revived by last week’s season-opening 14-3 victory at Port Isabel that snapped a 22-game losing streak, the Cowboys are pumped up for their second game, which is a District 16-5A Division I opener against the Pace Vikings at 7 p.m. Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

By the way, the Vikings are pretty fired up as well as they continue their crosstown rivalry against the Cowboys.

Pace is coming off a 20-17 overtime defeat at Sharyland High in Mission last Friday in its season opener.

This is a chance for one of the two ballclubs to begin conference action with a victory, and both teams want to take advantage of the opportunity.

“It feels great (to be 1-0),” Porter coach Carlos Uresti said. “It’s not the ‘end all, be all’ (win) for us, though. There are greater goals we want to accomplish this season. It helps motivate us as we continue with our season, and it allows us to have respect for our opponents, yet have confidence in our team, too.”

Pace has won its last two district encounters with the Cowboys. The Vikings triumphed 56-34 in 2017 and 32-14 in 2016. The Cowboys’ most recent victory in the series was a 28-21 win in 2015.

The Vikings know they have to contain the Cowboys’ rushing attack. Porter quarterback Kevin Garcia and running back Ulises Guzman ran for 140 and 104 yards, respectively, and one touchdown each in last week’s win at Port Isabel.

“Porter does a heck of a job running the ball,” said Pace coach Danny Pardo, who will be going against his alma mater when the Vikings face Porter. “We’ll have our hands full. We have a lot of respect for them.”

While Garcia, now a sophomore, was the starter at QB for the Cowboys last season as a freshman, the Vikings have tabbed sophomore Jose Banda as QB to replace the graduated Randy Aguilar, a talented passer. Banda completed nine of 23 passing attempts last week for 111 yards with one TD and no interceptions.

Brandon Zapata led the Pace rushing attack last week with 56 yards on 16 carries and one TD.

“We didn’t do too badly (in our season opener),” Pardo said. “Our offense made some costly mistakes at the wrong time and that hurt us. It caused our defense to be on the field too much.

“We kept playing hard, though,” Pardo added. “Overall, the effort by our guys was great.”

Over at Porter, Uresti is instilling confidence in his players. It helps that the Cowboys have a win to build upon.

“We’re telling the players, ‘If you want to make a change, you’ve got to create change,’” the Porter coach said. “Our players are working hard to do that.”

Asked about his impressions of Pace, Uresti replied, “They have a very strong defense. We’re telling our players that the Pace players put on their cleats just like we do.”

Porter will be the home team for Thursday’s game.

District 16-5A Division I action continues for both teams next week with Donna High vs. Pace at Sams on Sept. 13 and Porter at La Joya Palmview on Sept. 14.

The UIL volleyball season is a little more than one month old and the preliminaries are almost over now, with district competition beginning this week.

District 32-4A starts today, and District 32-5A begins Saturday. Both districts have eight teams. The six-team District 32-6A won’t get going until Sept. 18.

La Feria returns an experienced team as the Lionettes attempt to three-peat in 32-4A. They won district last year with a 13-1 record.

“It is definitely our team goal to repeat,” said La Feria coach Rebea Fraga, now in her 29th year of guiding the Lionettes. “Our non-district schedule has helped prepare us. We’re excited about starting district competition.

“Our district is always so competitive, even if the records don’t always reflect it,” she added.

The Lionettes have a pair of returning starters in Karina Diaz and Natalie Gonzalez, each with two or more years as lettermen on the varsity. Teammates who are two-year lettermen include Felicity Watson, Mary Winston and Kaylen Chapa.

La Feria has gone against teams of higher classification and done well. On Aug. 18, the Lionettes defeated Weslaco East of District 31-6A for the consolation championship at Port Isabel’s Volley at the Beach Tournament.

La Feria opens 32-4A action at Progreso at 6:30 p.m. today. Other 32-4A openers at 6:30 p.m. today have Raymondville at Port Isabel, Zapata at Grulla and Rio Hondo vs. Hidalgo.

Port Isabel is looking for a return to the playoffs as well.

“I’m excited and the players are excited (for the start of district),” Lady Tarpons coach Julie Breedlove said. “Everyone is 0-0, and it’s a fresh start to the season. We hope to start district 1-0 and take things match by match.

“Our girls are starting to jell,” Breedlove added. “They’re learning about each other more and more. Their communication (on the court) is getting better. I hope to see us keep improving.”

Leading the way for the Lady Tarpons are Gabby Torres, an outside hitter/defensive specialist, and Marlisa Martinez, a setter. Also for Port Isabel, Samantha Chapa was selected as one of the top players at the recent St. Joseph Academy Tournament.

After today’s matches, 32-4A competition continues Saturday.

32-5A UPDATE

Just like La Feria in 32-4A, Brownsville Veterans Memorial is the two-time defending champion in 32-5A.

But unlike La Feria, the Lady Chargers have virtually a new team, with only a couple varsity holdovers from the squads that went 28-0 during the past two seasons in 32-5A.

The Lady Chargers captured district titles at the subvarsity levels one year ago and now are trying to establish themselves as a strong team in varsity competition.

When asked about her team in early August, Lady Chargers coach Lisa Mares said, “We’re under construction right now. We hope to be a masterpiece at the end (of the season).”

As Brownsville Veterans’ 32-5A opener looms at 1 p.m. Saturday at Pace, Mares said, “I’m still a bit nervous and excited. We have been playing better, and things are coming together. The girls are having fun and are excited for the year.”

The Lady Chargers boast a pair of seniors with varsity experience in middle blocker Frida Rangel and outside hitter Pamela Sanchez. There’s also libero Alexandra Parchmont, who had 50 digs in a recent match against McAllen High. Sophomore setter Daniela Espinosa also is contributing to the team’s success.

They all have been playing well,” Mares said.

Besides the Brownsville Veterans-Pace match, other 32-5A openers at 1 p.m. Saturday have Edcouch-Elsa at Lopez, Porter at Donna High and Valley View vs. Mercedes.

Teams that have emerged as favorites in 32-5A so far this season appear to be Donna High and Edcouch-Elsa.

32-6A UPDATE

With only six teams, 32-6A action is starting Sept. 18, one of its latest dates to begin. Teams in the district are gradually winding up their non-district preparations and trying to make sure players are healthy for the start of conference play.

While there are six non-district matches scheduled today involving 32-6A teams, four of them are open this weekend except for Hanna and San Benito.

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

LOS FRESNOS — The Los Fresnos Falcons came alive late, but it wasn’t quite enough to overtake the El Paso Montwood Rams on Friday night in the season opener for both ballclubs at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium.

The Falcons fell behind 16-0 before rallying to pull within three points in the 16-13 loss to the visiting District 1-6A Rams, who made an 800-plus-mile journey to the Rio Grande Valley to pick up the victory.

“It’s kind of what I thought (it might be like),” Los Fresnos coach Patrick Brown said of the contest. “Our defense is very solid, and we’ve got a lot of returnees there. Our offense is still growing up (as we showed in this game).

“The reason we schedule teams like Montwood is so we can get better and get prepared for the playoffs,” Brown added. “If people don’t think that teams from the RGV and El Paso can play football, (they’re mistaken).”

Montwood led 7-0 after one quarter and 16-0 at intermission. The Falcons made it 16-6 by the end of the third period and added a second touchdown with 2:17 left in suffering the three-point setback.

“This is only going to make us better,” Brown said. “We have to see how our seniors are going to respond to this (result). It’s not the first time we’re going to lose. There’s never a good loss, but sometimes, you have to find out where your grit is.”

Montwood quarterback Jason Fernandez scrambled 13 yards to the end zone when he was forced from the pocket to give the Rams their first score with 1:06 left during the opening period. Ricardo Olague’s kick made it 7-0.

Olague converted a 43-yard field goal at the 5:20 mark of the second quarter to make it 10-0.

The lead became 16-0 with 39 seconds left in the opening half when Efren Young bulled his way into the end zone from 1 yard out. The extra point was blocked.

All the scoring belonged to Los Fresnos during the second half.

Falcons QB Sergio Martinez scored on a 1-yard keeper with 1:36 to go during the third quarter to make it 16-6 as the extra point failed.

Los Fresnos wide receiver Nico Valencia caught a Martinez pass over the middle and raced into the end zone untouched for a 22-yard scoring play with 2:17 left. Marco Moreno added the point-after kick to make it 16-13.

Los Fresnos plays host to Austin LBJ next Friday at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium.

BROWNSVILLE — The Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles figure to move up in the Rio Grande Valley rankings.

Hanna entered Thursday’s season opener at Sams Memorial Stadium ranked No. 5 in the RGVSports.com Top 10. The Eagles went up against the No. 3 MçAllen Memorial Mustangs.

The Eagles went out in front 14-0 by scoring on their first two possessions and never gave up the lead in defeating the Mustangs 49-28.

“I think we shocked a lot of people,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said.

“This win just shows our improvement over the last couple of years,” Guess added. “We’re trying to get Hanna football on the map for the first time in a while.

“We know we’ve got a group of hard-working players, and they’re doing everything we’re asking them to do. That’s all we can ask of them as coaches. They played hard tonight and came out with the ‘W’, and that’s what matters most.”

The Eagles led 14-6 after one quarter and 28-12 at halftime. They were up 42-20 after three periods.

Running back Cesar Mancias was a standout for Hanna as he rushed 29 times for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He had second-half scoring runs of 7, 1 and 51 yards.

Also for Hanna, quarterback Victor Campos threw TD passes of 31 and 24 yards to Miguel Payan and scrambled 8 yards for another score.

The Eagles had a tough time containing Mustangs running back Campbell Speights, who rushed 19 times for 145 yards and tallied TDs on runs of 46 and 12 yards. He also had a 93-yard return for a score on a kickoff that was called back on offsetting penalties.

The nullified score came near the end of the first half as the Mustangs were trailing 28-12. It could have allowed the Mustangs to pull within one score of the lead going into intermission.

“We’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to work on to get better,” McAllen Memorial coach Bill Littleton said. “We showed signs of being pretty good at times, but we just weren’t very consistent tonight, so we have to clean things up and get better.

“We’ve got a lot of potential, and we knew that coming in (to the season),” Littleton added. “You have to take your hat off to Brownsville Hanna. They’ve got a great football team, and they played very well tonight.”

Also for McAllen Memorial, QB Sean Skaugen and running back Ethan Bazan scored on runs of 1 and 6 yards, respectively, during the second and fourth quarters.

After Hanna’s Campos scrambled 8 yards up the middle for the game’s initial score, teammate Aaron Frausto, a running back, broke loose for a 25-yard scoring run down the right sideline at the 6:27 mark of the first quarter to make it 14-0.

It was the cushion the Eagles needed to stay out in front the rest of the way.

Both teams play their second games of the season next Friday. Hanna is at Edinburg Vela, and McAllen Memorial is at home against Sharyland High.

By Roy Hess | The Brownsville Herald

The 2018 UIL volleyball season is already one month old, and during that time, teams have been given a chance to measure their abilities with non-district competition.

For most districts in the Rio Grande Valley, conference competition has yet to begin, but it is fast approaching in September.

With a 23-5 record and coming off a runner-up finish at last weekend’s Sharyland Tournament, the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons are one of the Valley teams feeling pretty good about themselves.

The Lady Falcons defeated Pace 25-10, 25-11, 25-15 on Tuesday in Brownsville.

Blessed with a senior group, the Lady Falcons are displaying a solid team chemistry, as most of the players are quite familiar with each other’s tendencies on the court.

When asked what has stood out to her about her team during the first month of the season, Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said, “Just that the team bonding is really strong.

“Everyone knows her responsibility, and the girls work together consistently,” she added.

This Los Fresnos squad doesn’t have the height that its recent teams have enjoyed, but it doesn’t lack for strong hitters such as Emma Stambaugh, Kaitlyn Mata and Sandra Salazar.

The Lady Falcons finished second in District 32-6A last season to the Rivera Lady Raiders, who went through conference play with a 14-0 record.

“Yes, we’re very ready to make a run for the district title,” Woods said.

District 32-6A starts Sept. 18.

This year, 32-6A has gone from its eight teams of one year ago to six. The Weslaco schools are now playing in seven-team District 31-6A.

It appears the six teams remaining in 32-6A are all fairly solid, including defending champion Rivera, which graduated several key performers from last season.

The Lady Raiders boast a varsity newcomer who can hit with the best of them in Kenya Ibarra. She registered 22 kills and four blocks in Tuesday’s 25-14, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19 victory at home against Edinburg North.

Other 32-6A teams also looking solid are Hanna and San Benito. Harlingen High and Harlingen South appear to be darkhorses in the upcoming 32-6A race.

The four playoff qualifiers from 32-6A last season were Rivera, Los Fresnos, San Benito and Hanna. It could very well be those same four squads getting to the postseason again this year.

Although it’s still nearly three weeks away, the 32-6A opener on Sept. 18 between Rivera and Hanna at Hanna will be one to watch.

FOR THE RECORD

With 32-6A starting Sept. 18, District 32-5A will begin Sept. 8 and District 32-4A will kick off Sept. 4. Both 32-5A and 32-4A have eight teams. Brownsville Veterans Memorial is the two-time defending champion in 32-5A, and La Feria is the defending champion in 32-4A.

Brownsville Veterans is regrouping after graduating a number of its best players from last season. Still, the Lady Chargers figure to be in the playoff mix once again. The strongest teams in 32-5A at this point appear to be Donna High and Edcouch-Elsa, which is powered by Paloma Ybarra, who just went over 1,000 kills for her Yellowjackets career.

COACHING CHANGE

Daya Venegas has replaced Jacquelynn Touchet as coach for the Lopez Lady Lobos.

Previously, Venegas was the Lady Lobos’ assistant coach under Touchet, who is transitioning to freshman counselor at the school.

The women previously were teammates on the volleyball team at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

Touchet, a high school standout at Rivera, is credited with raising the level of the Lady Lobos’ program and guiding Lopez to the playoffs, including last season.

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 third time was the charm for the Rivera Lady Raiders.

Having lost to the Edinburg North Lady Cougars twice in volleyball tournament action earlier this season, the Rivera girls came alive for a hard-fought 25-14, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19 non-district victory over the Lady Cougars at Rivera on Tuesday.

“It was awesome,” Rivera coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra said. “The girls needed to get a win like this at home. Last time they played at home they were very nervous (and lost). They played very well tonight.”

It was a back-and-forth match the entire way.

In the fourth game, Rivera led by as many as 10 points, 17-7, after a hit into the net by Edinburg North, but the Lady Cougars battled back to close the Rivera lead to four points, 22-18, when the Lady Raiders hit the ball out of bounds.

From there, Rivera tallied three of the next four points to take the fourth game 25-19 and win the match. On the final two points, the Lady Cougars blocked hits by Rivera, but the ball carried out to lift the Lady Raiders.

With the win, the Rivera girls improved to 17-8 in non-district action. Edinburg North slipped to 16-10.

“It was a tough match,” Lady Cougars coach Raul McCallum said. “We had already played them twice (in a tournament and won), so it’s hard to beat a team three times in a row.

“Rivera was ready to play and we were sluggish,” McCallum added. “Maybe it was jitters from the first day of school, I don’t know. We just have to work on bouncing back now.”

Kenya Ibarra led Rivera with 22 kills. Christina Garza added 13. Also for Rivera, Madelaine Blanco had 43 digs and Kourtney Shears and Claudia De La Garza had 26 and 23 assists, respectively.

Shears added 14 digs and Ibarra had nine digs, four blocks and an ace. De La Garza had a pair of aces with nine digs.

“I told my girls to be ready because Edinburg North plays very smart,” Avelar-Guerra said. “I told them they needed to anticipate and read (the plays). They did and played very well.

“Both teams are good and it was a tough match,” she added. “I’m really proud the girls were able to focus (and win).”

The Lady Raiders continue non-district play at Edinburg High at noon on Saturday.

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

The inaugural Saint Joseph Academy varsity volleyball tournament is in the books and the Jubilee Brownsville Lady Titans are the champions.

Jubilee improved its record to 9-0 on the season by defeating Santa Maria 25-23, 25-17 in Saturday’s title match on the SJA campus.

The 11-team tournament was played over two days at two gyms at SJA.

In the final against Santa Maria, the Lady Titans fell behind by scores of 8-3, 10-4, 13-8 and 20-16 in the first game before battling back to tie the match at 21-21 and 23-23. From there, Jubilee took its first lead, 24-23, when a Santa Maria serve went out. The Lady Titans won the first game 25-23 when a volley by Jubilee went off a Santa Maria player and carried out of bounds.

Boosted by their opening-game win, the Lady Titans never trailed in the second set. They led by as many as 11 points, 15-4, before the Lady Cougars tried to rally. Jubilee took the second game 25-17 and captured the match with a serving ace on the final point.

The Lady Titans, led by tournament MVP Fernanda Bannok, a sophomore setter, won two games Friday and two more on Saturday to gain the championship.

“ It’s a very emotional experience (to win this tournament),” Bannock said. “To me, it just feels great.

“ We played together as a team and we communicated with each other,” she added. “This (championship) win will definitely help us with our season (ahead). We just have to work harder.”

Jubilee received a strong test in Saturday morning’s semifinals before prevailing over SJA 23-25, 25-22, 15-12.

“ We’re finally coming together,” Jubilee coach Lester Shears said. “We’ve had trouble so far this season scheduling matches, so we’re a little behind other teams. But I see our girls coming together quicker now.

“ We graduated a good player last year, but our returnees are clicking,” Shears added. “We still have some work to do, but I believe these girls are going to get there. They’re looking better.”

When asked about playing in the inaugural SJA tournament, the Lady Titans coach said, “It’s a good tournament and I like it. We’ll be back next year.”

SJA bounced back from its narrow loss to Jubilee in the semifinals to win the third-place match 25-21, 25-10 against San Isidro.

Santa Maria reached the title match by defeating San Isidro 25-20, 13-25, 15-11 in the other semifinal.

The consolation championship went to the Port Isabel Lady Tarpons, who defeated San Perlita 25-23, 25-18.

Besides Bannok as the tournament MVP, other players selected to the all-tournament team were SJA’s Ally Stachowiak, Santa Maria’s Aisha Gonzalez, Port Isabel’s Samantha Chapa, San Perlita’s Karime Rojas and San Isidro’s Nicole Delgado.

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 Rivera Raiders and Donna High Redskins battled on even terms through the majority of Friday night’s game, the final scrimmage of the preseason for both football teams.

The scrimmage started a little late and wound up lasting into the night.

The first half of the controlled portion of the scrimmage saw each team score three touchdowns, making it 3-3.

Extra points were kicked after each score, and technically, Donna High had the better showing as the Redskins nailed all three of them while the Raiders managed to convert just one of three point-after attempts.

Following halftime, the two teams had two quarters of live game-condition action. Neither team scored in the first quarter of that part of the scrimmage, although the Raiders did have the ball deep in Donna High territory but couldn’t find the end zone.

Friday’s scrimmage was considered to be the first official athletic event played on Rivera’s newly constructed artificial turf field. A standing room only crowd turned out to watch the two squads play.

For Rivera, its three touchdowns came on pass plays covering 21, 18 and 6 yards.

Donna High’s TDs came on a pair of quarterback keepers and an 18-yard pass play. The first QB keeper score for Donna High was a 2-yard run off the right side. The second Redskins’ score saw the quarterback roll out around the left end and go into the end zone from 8 yards out.

The Raiders now open the regular season against city rival Brownsville Veterans Memorial next Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Donna High opens the regular season next Friday as well against crosstown rival Donna North at Bennie LaPrade Stadium.