By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

With two weeks left in the regular season, playoff berths are a hot commodity in football.

Some teams already have one, while others are on the verge of clinching one.

The next-to-last week of the regular season begins in the Brownsville area at 7 p.m. today with Hanna (3-5 overall, 1-2 District 32-6A) playing host to Los Fresnos (2-6, 1-2) at Sams Memorial Stadium.

It appears the winner between the Golden Eagles and Falcons will secure a trip to the playoffs since two wins has been good enough to reach the postseason in 32-6A in the past.

Right now, Harlingen High (7-1, 3-0) and San Benito (4-4, 2-1) are the only two teams from 32-6A that appear to be in the postseason. All four other 32-6A teams — Hanna, Los Fresnos, Rivera and Harlingen South — have just one win in district.

The Eagles know it won’t be an easy task to defeat Los Fresnos, a team that has shown steady improvement throughout the season, particularly on offense with quarterback Adrian Longoria and running back Chris Resendiz as the main ones advancing the ball. Los Fresnos also has been giving more touches to talented receiver Nico Valencia on end-around plays and other such calls, which is adding additional potential for success to the Falcons’ offense.

The Falcons run an option offense like the one Hanna faced on Sept. 28 in a non-district 55-7 loss against Amarillo Tascosa.

“You have to play assignment football (defensively) against the triple option,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said. “You have to cover the dive, the quarterback (keeping the ball) and the pitch (to the outside to a running back). Hopefully we do a better job defending it this time.

“Los Fresnos has gotten better week by week with that (triple option) offense they put in, and their defense may be the strongest part of their team,” Guess added. “We just have to take care of business, do our jobs and play Eagle football.”

Los Fresnos coach Patrick Brown said two of the best players in the district are on the Hanna roster. They are QB Victor Campos and defensive tackle Brandon Esteves.

“Hanna has an incredible QB and probably the best defensive player in our district,” Brown said. “They will be very tough to control. We have to contain their QB, control the clock and run the ball.”

District 32-6A action continues at 7:30 p.m. Friday with Rivera (2-6, 1-2) at San Benito and Harlingen High playing Harlingen South (3-5, 1-2) in the “Bird Bowl” at Boggus Stadium.

Sams will be the site of The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week at 7:30 p.m. Friday for a District 16-5A Division I showdown as Brownsville Veterans Memorial (6-2, 5-2) goes against Pace (5-3, 5-2) with the winner appearing to clinch a playoff spot.

Also in 16-5A Division I at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a game involving a Brownsville team, it’s Porter (3-5, 2-5) at Donna High (2-6, 1-6). Yet another 16-5A Division I game involving a Brownsville team takes place at 6 p.m. Saturday at Sams as Lopez (1-7, 1-6) plays host to PSJA Memorial (0-8, 0-7).

Another area team playing at 7:30 p.m. Friday is Port Isabel in a District 16-4A Division II game. The Tarpons (3-5, 1-1) play at Rio Hondo (4-4, 1-1) in their final regular-season game as they are open next week.

Also, St. Joseph Academy (2-6) plays host to San Antonio St. Anthony (5-3) in a non-district game at Canales Field at 7 p.m. Friday.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial gym is not an easy place to play.

Just ask the Edcouch-Elsa Lady Yellowjackets.

With an emotional, vocal home crowd cheering them on, the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers swept past the Lady Yellowjackets 25-22, 25-17, 25-12 on Tuesday to gain a District 32-5A co-championship in volleyball with E-E.

The Lady Yellowjackets, state-ranked much of the season in Class 5A by the Texas Girls Coaching Association, slipped to 34-8 overall and 13-1 in district.

The Lady Chargers, also state-ranked a few times earlier this season, are now 30-9 overall and 13-1 in 32-5A.

Brownsville Veterans won the 32-5A title in 2017. E-E won it last season. Now they’re co-champions.

“It was a good match between two good teams,” said Lady Chargers senior outside hitter Dominique Mena, who led her team with 10 kills and added 15 digs. “The defense was good for both teams, and the offense was as well. Both teams did a great job but I think we wanted it more, and we showed it on the court and we took the win.”

When the two teams met during the first round of district Oct. 5 in Elsa, E-E won 25-18, 22-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-12.

While the Lady Chargers and Lady Yellowjackets remain co-champions, there is a playoff seeding match scheduled at 3 p.m. Saturday in Elsa to break the first-place tie for the postseason.

“At the beginning of the season when I saw the schedule, I knew it was going to come down to this,” Brownsville Veterans coach Elizabeth Mares said. “When I saw that we were at home (against E-E) for the last district match, I thought, ‘Perfect.’

“(Monday) we had an awesome practice,” Mares added. “I told the girls, ‘We got this.’ The girls were just on fire (Monday), and all day (Tuesday) I felt like it would carry over to this match.”

The Lady Yellowjackets led most of the way during the opening set. There were five ties during the first game, with the last of them at 21. From there, the Lady Chargers went up for good in the game 22-21 on a hit that carried too long by E-E.

A serving ace by Mena made it 23-21, and a hit into the net by E-E increased the Lady Chargers’ lead to 24-21. E-E added a point on a hitting miscue by the Lady Chargers for a 24-22 score before a cross-court kill by Mena gave her team the 25-22 opening-game win, which seemed to deflate the Lady Yellowjackets and energize the home team.

After ties at 1 and 2 during the second set, the Lady Chargers went ahead for good in the game at 3-2 and boasted leads of 9-3, 14-7, 19-9, 22-10 and 24-15 before taking the second set 25-17.

The third game followed a similar pattern after the last tie at 8. The Lady Chargers went up for good 9-8 on a net violation by E-E and soon won the third set and match with a 25-12 score.

Besides Mena’s stats for Brownsville Veterans, other contributors for the Lady Chargers were Monica Garcia (five kills, 11 digs), Sarah Gomez (16 digs) and Daniela Espinosa (19 assists, seven digs).

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

A number of important volleyball matches are on tap today in Cameron County as the regular season draws to a close.

One of them takes place in Brownsville in District 32-5A as Brownsville Veterans Memorial plays host to Edcouch-Elsa at 7 p.m.

Defending district champion E-E (13-0) leads 32-5A. Brownsville Veterans (12-1) is the second-place team. The Lady Chargers’ only district loss came Oct. 5 at E-E, 25-18, 22-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-12.

There could be some more fireworks in today’s rematch since Brownsville Veterans can gain a share of the district championship with a victory. The Lady Chargers are motivated.

Last season, the Lady Chargers went to E-E and won in their final district match, so they know the Class 5A No. 12 state-ranked Lady Yellowjackets (34-7 overall) can be beaten.

The Lady Chargers have had to overcome injuries and the varsity inexperience of a large group of newcomers this year.

But here they are with a chance to share the district title, which would be their first since 2017.

“The bottom line is we have to minimize our mistakes defensively and offensively,” Brownsville Veterans coach Elizabeth Mares said. “A big key will be who will win the battle at the net, and who will stay focused and mentally strong in spite of this big match.”

The top four teams from 32-5A that appear headed to the playoffs are E-E, Brownsville Veterans, Donna High (8-5) and Mercedes (6-7). Rounding out the 32-5A standings are Brownsville Pace (5-8), Brownsville Lopez (4-9), Brownsville Porter (4-9) and Valley View (0-13).

32-6A UPDATE

District 32-6A’s final scheduled day of play is also today with matches at 6:30 p.m.

It will be 32-6A champion Los Fresnos (9-0) at San Benito (0-9), Brownsville Rivera (6-3) at Harlingen High (3-6) and Harlingen South (6-3) at Brownsville Hanna (3-6).

Los Fresnos, South and Rivera are all in the playoffs. Either Hanna or Harlingen High also will advance to the postseason.

If both the Lady Cardinals and Lady Golden Eagles are still tied in the standings after today’s matches, there will be a “play-in” match between the two teams later this week to see which of them reaches the postseason.

LA FERIA ROLLS

The La Feria Lionettes completed District 32-4A action at home Monday with a 25-18, 25-9, 25-15 victory against Rio Hondo.

“I think we played more consistently today, that’s for sure,” Lionettes coach Rebea Fraga said. “It was nice to win our last district match.”

Fraga has coached at La Feria 30-some years and estimates the Lionettes have only missed the playoffs two or three times during that time.

They’re going to the postseason again this season, too. Monday’s win gave them at least a tie for third place with Progreso with a 9-5 record. Hidalgo won 32-4A, and Zapata was second.

Stat leaders for La Feria on Monday included Alani Garza (five kills, six digs), Ayisha Castillo (four digs, three assists, one kill), Reanne Fraga (three kills, nine assists, 10 digs), Sabrina Castaneda (24 digs) and Sierra Salinas (nine kills, 20 digs).

EAST VALLEY TOP FIVE

1. Los Fresnos

2. Harlingen South

3. Brownsville Rivera

4. Brownsville Veterans Memorial

5. Brownsville Hanna

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

St. Joseph Academy got to play at home during Saturday’s opening round of the TAPPS volleyball playoffs.

That was the good news.

The not-so-good news was Fort Bend Christian Academy, SJA’s opponent that traveled approximately seven hours to Brownsville from the Houston area, won the bi-district match 25-22, 19-25, 25-16, 25-15 to advance to the next round of the TAPPS playoffs.

SJA coach Dolores Olguin-Trevino said her team that finished third in its TAPPS district did not play up to its potential against the Lady Eagles, who are the fourth-place team from the TAPPS district in the Houston area.

“ I think we could have beaten them, I honestly do,” Olguin-Trevino said. “I think we stopped playing the way we know how to play. When you’re not playing defense the way you can and you make so many errors, you can’t win.”

Saturday marked the Lady Bloodhounds’ second straight year to advance to the postseason in TAPPS. The volleyball program at SJA just completed its third varsity season.

“ I believe three calls (against us) in the third set changed the momentum of the match,” the SJA coach said. “Unfortunately, it affected us. We’re not a ‘veteran-veteran’ team, but we’re also not a ‘new-new’ team.

“ You see here and there those little moments (that show our experience and that we know how to play well),” Olguin-Trevino added. “That’s what hurt (was knowing we could have played better. (Still,) it’s hard to win against a team that didn’t make a whole lot of errors. They did in the first game, but then they warmed up (and played consistently). They did their job, we didn’t.”

The Lady Bloodhounds ended the season with an 18-11 record.

Fort Bend improved to 14-19 and next will play Frassati Catholic, the No. 1 team from the Houston TAPPS district, probably Tuesday, Fort Bend coach Penny Wasem said.

“ I’m so proud of these girls,” Wasem said. “We’re a young team that lost several starters during the first few weeks of the season, which forced us to bring up some players from the junior varsity. We told ourselves we would stay the course as we go, and we’ve gained steam (throughout the season). That was the plan from the start.

“ We’ve followed our plan (to get where we are now),” Wasem added. “These girls have such a heart for God, and that’s where we give all the credit, for sure.”

The Lady Eagles boasted some tall players who could hit with power. They included Bailey Hanner, Brooke Byers and Caitlyn Harraman, all underclassmen.

The SJA hitting attack was led by senior Ally Stachowiak and sophomore Mildred Verlage.

During the opening set, SJA at one point led by seven points, 19-12, before Fort Bend rallied and went ahead for good 21-20 on a hit by the Lady Bloodhounds that went out. SJA pulled to within one point, 23-22, on a block by the Lady Eagles that carried out.

But from there, a kill and a tip by Fort Bend gave the visitors two points and a 25-22 victory in the first set.

The Lady Bloodhounds broke away from a tie at 18 during the second game. SJA then went ahead for good 19-18 on a kill by Stachowiak. The Lady Bloodhounds soon took the second set 25-19 on another kill by Stachowiak.

The Lady Bloodhounds just couldn’t stay close to the Lady Eagles during the third and fourth games and lost them 25-16 and 25-15, respectively.

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

As the end of the regular season draws closer, the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers are trying to play their best football in preparation of getting a possible playoff spot.

The Chargers stayed on course with that goal by defeating PSJA Southwest 29-0 Thursday night in a District 16-5A Division I game at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Brownsville Veterans improved to 6-2 on the season and 5-2 in district with upcoming games at Sams to finish the regular season against Pace and La Joya Palmview. The Chargers play the Vikings in two more Fridays at Sams with the winner likely securing a playoff berth.

“It will be two good teams on the field when we play Pace that Friday,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “We feel that if we deserve to go to the playoffs, that’s what will happen. I like our team and the way we’re playing.

“It felt good to have the kind of complete win we had tonight,” Cantu added. “All three phases of the game were working for us. I’m proud of our guys for getting the shutout. We had some great blocking up front and we had some some guys who did a great job carrying the ball.

“We know we must keep winning to get to the playoffs. I believe our team can do it.”

PSJA Southwest slipped to 3-5 and 2-5 with regular-season games remaining against Rio Grande City and Porter.

Thursday’s scoring for the Chargers began during the second quarter, and they led 16-0 at halftime.

Chargers kicker Pablo Perez made it 3-0 at the 11:02 mark of the second period by booting a 33-yard field goal. It became 10-0 with 8:32 showing in the quarter when Angel Ramirez burst into the end zone from 6 yards out and Perez added the conversion.

With 40 seconds to go before intermission, Marlon Montelongo also scored from 6 yards out for Brownsville Veterans to make it 16-0 after a missed extra point.

The Chargers added a pair of touchdowns during the fourth quarter to complete the shutout victory.

Tight end Damian Maldonado ran around right end and into the corner of the end zone from 6 yards away at the 10:23 mark of the fourth quarter to increase the lead to 23-0.

Montelongo, playing quarterback in the second half for the Chargers, broke loose on a 51-yard scoring run with 6:07 remaining to hike the lead to 29-0 after the extra point was missed.

Cantu said starting QB Liam Longoria suffered a slight ankle injury, so his play was limited during the second half. That’s why Montelongo took almost all of the snaps, the Chargers coach said.

Brownsville Veterans was coming off last week’s 43-6 district victory at Donna High. PSJA Southwest was coming off last week’s 48-7 loss to district leader Mission Veterans Memorial.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The Harlingen High Lady Cardinals want to take advantage of the opportunity to reach the state volleyball playoffs by winning.

With two match dates remaining in District 32-6A, the Lady Cardinals play at 6:30 p.m. today at Harlingen South in the Bird Bowl, then draw an open date Saturday before playing host to Brownsville Rivera next Tuesday.

Los Fresnos (8-0) already has clinched the outright district championship. South and Rivera are tied for second in 32-6A with 5-3 records. Harlingen High and Brownsville Hanna are tied in fourth place at 3-5. San Benito is 0-8 in the six-team district.

Lady Cardinals coach Joslynn Torres believes getting a win during one of those two matches to close the regular season will be enough for her team to make it to the playoffs.

“We are playing these last two (regular-season) matches as if each one is a play-in match,” Torres said. “We’ve got to get the job done. (It’s) win and you’re in.

“We have opportunities ahead of us,” she added. “What are we going to do with them?”

Along with the Bird Bowl, today’s 6:30 p.m. schedule in 32-6A also has Hanna at Los Fresnos and Rivera at home against San Benito.

After the district-wide open date Saturday, 32-6A completes play next Tuesday with South at Hanna, Rivera at Harlingen High and Los Fresnos at San Benito.

Two seasons ago, the Lady Cardinals went into the end of the regular season tied with Hanna for the fourth-place playoff spot in 32-6A. Hanna ended up getting the berth and going to the playoffs.

The Lady Cardinals want to be the ones advancing to the postseason this time.

If Harlingen High and Hanna wind up tied for fourth place in the 32-6A standings, the two teams would likely have a play-in match Nov. 1 or 2 with the winner reaching the postseason.

The state playoffs are scheduled to start Nov. 4.

32-5A UPDATE

Edcouch-Elsa continues to lead District 32-5A with an 11-0 record. Brownsville Veterans Memorial is second at 10-1 with Donna High in third at 6-5 and Mercedes in fourth at 5-6.

Rounding out the 32-5A standings are Brownsville Lopez (4-7), Brownsville Porter (4-7), Brownsville Pace (4-7) and Valley View (0-11).

An upcoming showdown in 32-5A is set at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 when E-E is at Brownsville Veterans.

RANKINGS WATCH

Several Rio Grande Valley volleyball teams continue to be state-ranked this week by the Texas Girls Coaching Association.

In Class 6A, McAllen Memorial is No. 11 and McAllen High is No. 18, although the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lady Mustangs 25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 25-18 on Saturday during a District 30-6A match.

Also in 6A, Los Fresnos (30-8) is ranked No. 25.

In Class 5A, Mission Veterans Memorial (35-5) is No. 6, and Edcouch-Elsa (32-7) is No. 13.

EAST VALLEY TOP FIVE

1. Los Fresnos

2. Harlingen South

3. Brownsville Rivera

4. Brownsville Veterans Memorial

5. Brownsville Hanna

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Hanna volleyball coach Ansgar Hagemann says “there’s always hope’ regarding his team’s chances to make the playoffs, although the Lady Golden Eagles haven’t played with the full squad they were counting on this season.

A number of factors, including injuries and inexperienced varsity newcomers, have worked against Hanna in a six-team District 32-6A that features strong squads such as Los Fresnos, Rivera and Harlingen South.

Still, the Lady Eagles did themselves a big favor Oct. 15 at Hanna when they defeated Harlingen High in four games. The Hanna victory has created a tie in the 32-6A standings for the district’s fourth-place playoff spot. The Lady Eagles and Lady Cardinals each have a 3-5 record with two match dates remaining.

It’s quite likely both of them will finish district in a tie, creating the need for a play-in match between the two with the winner reaching the postseason.

“We faced the same situation with Harlingen High two seasons ago, and we were the ones making it to the playoffs,” Hagemann said. “We’re a team that usually peaks in the second half of the season. We hope to follow that tradition (and reach the postseason again).”

Today’s 6:30 p.m. schedule in 32-6A has Hanna at Los Fresnos, Harlingen High at Harlingen South for the Bird Bowl and Rivera at home against San Benito.

The district has an open date Saturday and completes 32-6A play next Tuesday with South at Hanna, Rivera at Harlingen High and Los Fresnos at San Benito.

CHAMPIONS AGAIN

South’s 25-21, 25-21, 25-15.win at Rivera on Saturday gave Los Fresnos (8-0) a repeat outright championship in 32-6A.

South and Rivera share second place in the district with 5-3 records. Hanna and Harlingen High come next at 3-5 with San Benito at 0-8.

The Lady Falcons want more than another district title.

“We feel we’re playing better as a team (as the playoffs get closer),” said Los Fresnos’ Tate Halford, a junior outside hitter. “We want to be ready for the playoffs.”

The Class 6A state playoffs are scheduled to start Nov. 4. If Hanna and Harlingen High have a play-in match, it would likely take place Nov. 1 or 2.

32-5A UPDATE

Edcouch-Elsa continues to lead District 32-5A with an 11-0 record. Brownsville Veterans Memorial is second at 10-1 with Donna High in third at 6-5 and Mercedes fourth at 5-6.

Rounding out the 32-5A standings are Lopez (4-7), Porter (4-7), Pace (4-7) and Valley View (0-11).

An upcoming showdown in 32-5A is set at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 when E-E is at Brownsville Veterans.

TAPPS PLAYOFFS

St. Joseph Academy has finished third in TAPPS Class 5A District 6 and has received word that it will play at home during the opening round of the TAPPS playoffs, probably Saturday.

This is the Lady Bloodhounds’ third varsity season and it’s their second in TAPPS. This year marks the second time they’re advancing to the TAPPS playoffs.

RANKINGS WATCH

Several Rio Grande Valley volleyball teams continue to be state-ranked this week by the Texas Girls Coaching Association.

In Class 6A, McAllen Memorial is No. 11 and McAllen High is No. 18, although the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lady Mustangs 25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 25-18 on Saturday during a District 30-6A match.

Also in 6A, Los Fresnos (30-8) is ranked No. 25.

In Class 5A, Mission Veterans Memorial (35-5) is No. 6, and Edcouch-Elsa (32-7) is No. 13.

EAST VALLEY TOP FIVE

1. Los Fresnos

2. Harlingen South

3. Brownsville Rivera

4. Brownsville Veterans Memorial

5. Brownsville Hanna

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

St. Joseph Academy’s girls finished ninth and its boys 17th in the Class 5A division at Monday’s TAPPS state cross country meet at Waco’s at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course.

Winning state team titles in the TAPPS 5A division were the San Antonio Christian boys (55 points) and girls (75 points).

SJA took squads to state that included a number of underclassmen runners, particularly for the boys.

“It was very much a learning experience (at state) for us,” SJA coach Teddy Lopez said. “I’m looking forward to seeing our runners grow.

“We finished 10th in the girls division last year and got ninth this time,” Lopez added. “I’m pleased with that.

SJA took seven female and five male runners to state this year. There were 164 runners in the 5A girls’ two-mile race, and 175 runners in the 5A boys’ 5K race.

Among the top-five finishers for SJA in the girls race were Valeria Bazan (36th), Camila Martinez (45th), Isabela Douglas (46th), Emma Gonzalez (53rd) and Marcela Valenzuela (54th). Also competing for the Lady Bloodhounds were Amanda Hinojos (56th) and Lucia Gonzalez (89th).

Among the finishers for SJA in the boys race were Pedro Cardenas (18th), Alejandro Ramirez (32nd), Antonio Garza (83rd), Jose Pablo Butron (146th) and Rolando Vasquez (167th).

Lopez said the most improved runner for his team this season was Ramirez, a freshman.

The SJA coach said Ramirez improved his work ethic and his workout schedule, which in turn, helped Cardenas, a sophomore, become more motivated to improve. Lopez said Cardenas thanked Ramirez for pushing him to improve, too.

“Alejandro just decided he wanted to get better,” Lopez said. “He stepped up for us this season, and Pedro stepped up, too.”

Another member of the boys squad was Garza, a standout tennis player and a senior.

Another senior who came out for the team for the first time and was a boost to her squad was Martinez.

I’m very happy with our seniors, especially Camila,” Lopez said. “Most of them are multi-sport athletes, and they helped us out a lot.”

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — The Harlingen South Lady Hawks knew in their hearts they had one of the best volleyball teams in District 32-6A.

Saturday was the day they proved it to themselves and everyone else.

Having lost twice already to 32-6A leader Los Fresnos and once to district second-place Rivera, it was a different story Saturday at the Lady Raiders’ gym.

The Lady Hawks came out on fire and didn’t let up in sweeping past the Lady Raiders 25-21, 25-21, 25-15.

South lost at home to Rivera 25-16, 20-25, 25-15, 25-22 on Sept. 28 during the first round of 32-6A play.

“This feels really great,” said Mikela Mireles, a senior all-around player for the Lady Hawks who leads the team in hitting. “The first time we played Rivera in district was a really tough loss for us. We knew they had stolen one from us, and we really wanted to get back into the running for a high spot in the district standings. This win helped us get there.

“I think this win really makes us feel a lot more confident going into the postseason,” Mireles added. “Rivera has a very good defensive team, and we do as well. It just shows how composed we were able to stay today to get this win.”

Los Fresnos, a 25-15, 25-10, 25-21 winner against Harlingen High on Saturday, is the 32-6A leader with an 8-0 record. South and Rivera now share second place in the district with 5-3 records. Harlingen High and Brownsville Hanna are tied in fourth place at 3-5, and one of them will make it to the playoffs. San Benito is 0-8.

Two match dates remain on the 32-6A schedule in the six-team district.

“We knew this match was going to be tough, so I’m glad to see how we showed up (to play),” Lady Hawks coach Anissa Lucio said. “This win helps boost our confidence, especially (now) that we’re here in the second round. This is what we needed. We wanted this win before (during the first round of district), and now that we got it this time, it’s going to help us for sure.

“I just thought the difference today was our composure,” Lucio added. “I thought our girls were composed, and we knew we had to keep on staying in control and we did that, so our composure was really good.

“I’m just proud of our girls and how they showed up today, and I’m excited for the rest of the second round (of district). Our girls are playing well, so we’re definitely going to use the confidence (gained from this win) in the future.”

Saturday’s opening set got off to a close start, but it wasn’t long before the Lady Hawks surged to leads of seven points with scores of 18-11, 19-12 and 20-13. Eventually, a hit off a Rivera player carried out and gave South a 25-21 win in the first game.

Rivera went up 13-12 during the second game when South hit into the net, but the Lady Hawks forced a tie at 13 and went ahead for good, 14-13, on a service ace by Mya Pearl Aguirre.

The Lady Hawks won the second game 25-21 when the Lady Raiders hit a ball out on the final point of the set.

South led 8-0, 10-2, 20-10 and 24-12 en route to taking the third set 25-15 on a powerful kill by Mireles.

Rivera coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra let her team know she was displeased with its subpar showing after the match.

“Harlingen South played really well,” she said. “They came to win. They showed a lot of desire, they went after the ball and they didn’t let it drop. We, on the other hand, were very flat today. The girls did not play together. We had little sparks where we would play well, but then we’d just go flat again. I don’t know why that happened. We just did not play well today.

“South really stepped up and did a good job,” Avelar-Guerra added. “They came to win.”

Leaders in stats for the Lady Raiders were Kenya Ibarra (20 kills, 12 digs), Clarissa Olivares (35 assists, 11 digs), Richelle Guerra (20 digs) and Christina Garza (six kills, nine digs).

For the Lady Hawks, the stat leaders were Mireles (23 kills, 18 digs), Aguirre (10 kills, 18 assists, 13 digs), Alexa Encinia (16 assists, 10 digs), Odemarys Vidana (three kills, three blocks), Allyah Guevara (16 digs), Zoe Garcia (29 digs) and Evelyn Yanez (26 digs).

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

The Pace Vikings stayed on course for the playoffs in District 16-5A Division I with a 53-21 victory against the Lopez Lobos on Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The Vikings improved to 5-2 on the season and 5-1 in district.

Lopez, coming off last week’s 24-21 win against PSJA Southwest that snapped an 11-game losing streak, slipped to 1-6 and 1-5.

“(What stood out to me about this game) was the way we came together as a team,” said Pace quarterback Jose Banda, who rushed for a 13-yard TD and threw a 30-yard scoring pass during the first half for the Vikings. “We came together and had a good start (by scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter).

“The way we’re playing, I think we have a good chance to make the playoffs,” Banda added. “We’re going against three of the best teams in our district (Mission Veterans Memorial, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Rio Grande City) in the next three weeks, so we’ve got to keep working hard for wins in those games.

“All I can say is ‘Go Vikings.’”

Pace running back Dylan Barron highlighted the game by scoring on back-to-back second-half runs of 95 and 82 yards. He also had a first-quarter scoring run of 3 yards and finished the contest with 258 yards rushing on 15 carries.

It was a night of big rushing plays by Pace as Matthew Cuellar scored on a 43-yard run during the third quarter and Ilijah Solis went to the end zone on a 77-yard scamper during the fourth period.

Solis’ TD run made it 53-7 with 7:37 remaining.

During the final 4:47, Lopez QB Jose M. Cruz threw TD passes of 8 yards to Jonathan Munoz and 52 yards to Jacob Cortinas. Also, Cortinas caught a 27-yard scoring pass from Cruz with 48 seconds left before halftime to make it 24-7.

It was 27-7 at intermission after Pace kicker Christopher Zapata booted a 34-yard field goal with six seconds to go in the second quarter. Earlier during the second period, with 3:52 showing, Zapata kicked a 28-yard field goal to make it 24-0.

The Vikings led 14-0 after one period, 27-7 at halftime and 47-7 going into the final quarter.

District action continues next week for both teams. Pace is at Mission Veterans Memorial next Thursday, and Lopez returns to Sams to play La Joya Palmview next Saturday.

The Pace Vikings stayed on course for the playoffs in District 16-5A Division I with a 53-21 victory against the Lopez Lobos on Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The Vikings improved to 5-2 on the season and 5-1 in district.

Lopez, coming off last week’s 24-21 win against PSJA Southwest that snapped an 11-game losing streak, slipped to 1-6 and 1-5.

“(What stood out to me about this game) was the way we came together as a team,” said Pace quarterback Jose Banda, who rushed for a 13-yard TD and threw a 30-yard scoring pass during the first half for the Vikings. “We came together and had a good start (by scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter).

“The way we’re playing, I think we have a good chance to make the playoffs,” Banda added. “We’re going against three of the best teams in our district (Mission Veterans Memorial, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Rio Grande City) in the next three weeks, so we’ve got to keep working hard for wins in those games.

“All I can say is ‘Go Vikings.’”

Pace running back Dylan Barron highlighted the game by scoring on back-to-back second-half runs of 95 and 82 yards. He also had a first-quarter scoring run of 3 yards and finished the contest with 258 yards rushing on 15 carries.

It was a night of big rushing plays by Pace as Matthew Cuellar scored on a 43-yard run during the third quarter and Ilijah Solis went to the end zone on a 77-yard scamper during the fourth period.

Solis’ TD run made it 53-7 with 7:37 remaining.

During the final 4:47, Lopez QB Jose M. Cruz threw TD passes of 8 yards to Jonathan Munoz and 52 yards to Jacob Cortinas. Also, Cortinas caught a 27-yard scoring pass from Cruz with 48 seconds left before halftime to make it 24-7.

It was 27-7 at intermission after Pace kicker Christopher Zapata booted a 34-yard field goal with six seconds to go in the second quarter. Earlier during the second period, with 3:52 showing, Zapata kicked a 28-yard field goal to make it 24-0.

The Vikings led 14-0 after one period, 27-7 at halftime and 47-7 going into the final quarter.

District action continues next week for both teams. Pace is at Mission Veterans Memorial next Thursday, and Lopez returns to Sams to play La Joya Palmview next Saturday.