BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

LA VILLA — In a little town about 20 miles north of Mercedes High School, surrounded by farmland, senior Zach Gomez is thrilled to be back to work.

“I think just the way we played overall on Friday, we had so much fun,” Gomez, who played in his first game for La Villa last Friday, said. “Of course, getting the win under our belt was awesome.”

In nine games for Mercedes last year, Gomez amassed 1,235 passing yards and 12 TDs. He added 519 yards on the ground.

But an interesting situation emerged in the other games Mercedes played last season. Then-junior Marc Ledesma proved he, too, was a capable passer.

During the spring and fall preseason this year, Ledesma and Gomez battled it out for the starting spot. Ledesma was named the starter, and Gomez wasn’t sure what his role would be.

“They wanted me to play receiver,” Gomez, who had never played receiver before, said. “Growing up, I played running back. But I have been a quarterback since seventh grade.”

Gomez made what he said was the hardest decision of his life.

“I have officially decided not to play football my senior year,” Gomez wrote on Twitter Aug. 7. “My decision.”

Gomez knew what awaited him after he made that proclamation.

“I already knew that people were going to tell me stuff,” Gomez said. “‘Zach, you are wrong for this. You are wrong for that.’ At the end of the day, it’s me and what I want to do with my life. So I can care less what anyone else has to say.”

Gomez was not dissuaded, though. He never stopped working out, and he was dedicated to the game he loves.

Meanwhile, another move was already happening. Gomez’s mom and dad, Rebecca and Pedro Martinez, both worked for Mercedes last year. Pedro is still a track and cross country coach at Mercedes. But this year, Rebecca got a job working at La Villa Middle School as the dean of instruction. The family thought long and hard about what made sense logistically, and in the end decided it was best to move to La Villa.
With the change in surroundings came a change in school for Gomez. He began attending La Villa High School.

La Villa coach Daniel Perez was an assistant at Edcouch-Elsa during Gomez’s junior year, and he was on the sidelines when Gomez went 15-of-19 passing for 145 yards and two touchdowns in Mercedes’ 27-12 win over Edcouch-Elsa on Oct. 14, 2016.

“I knew he was the QB there at Mercedes,” Perez said. “I have seen him play. I have coached against him. So, I know what he can do.”

Gomez was ready to get back out onto the field, so Perez went through the process of getting the move done.

“We sent the paperwork in,” Perez said. “We followed the procedure. We sent it to the (district chair) Ben Bolt. They took a look and sent it to all the superintendents. They look at it. If anybody has a question, then we have a meeting. … Somebody did raise a question, so we had a meeting. We talked about it, and we got it done. They voted in favor of allowing the transfer to go through, so he was ready to play.”

Gomez got to pull on the black and red and get back to what he loves doing — making defenders miss.
In the Cardinals’ game on Friday, Gomez danced and dodged his way to 53 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also showed off his arm, going 4 for 7 with 115 passing yards and another score. Even more than his performance, Gomez said he was excited about helping the Cardinals get their first win of the season, 52-20 over Benavides.

“Seeing him play, he exceeded my expectations,” junior quarterback Rey Felix said. “I knew he was good, but I didn’t think he was super good. Now, we know he is super good.”

Felix has been the driving force for the offense this year, rushing for 307 yards and passing for 692. Felix was glad to have Gomez next to him this week.

“He has been a big help to the team,” Felix said of Gomez. “He’s done a lot for us, and he helped us get that ‘W’ on Friday.”

Gomez is still learning the offense, but Felix is happy to have Gomez as his quarterback.

“I’m comfortable sharing the snaps with him,” Felix said. “I played running back before and I liked it, so now I can play running back again. And if him being quarterback is best for the team, I support that.”

As the team continues to mesh with its newest addition, the Cardinals turn their attention to Friday. La Villa begins play in District 16-2A Division I with a home game against Ben Bolt at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Cardinal Stadium in La Villa.

“Now that we got a win, we are hungry,” Felix said. “We want another one. We can’t wait to get back on the field and show what we are capable of.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

Edinburg Vela has talent all over the field.

That even extends to the SaberCats’ place kicker. Senior Austin Garza has exploded out of the gate this year to become District 31-6A’s third-leading scorer with 42 overall points.

“He has been consistent for us all year,” Vela coach John Campbell said. “He has worked hard this year, and he is a major asset to our team.”

As a junior, Garza handled kickoff and extra point duties, but he didn’t kick field goals. After Campbell came on board in the spring, Garza got to prove himself in new ways.

“He is one of the best high school kickers I have ever been around,” Campbell said. “When I got here and I saw the talent he had, I knew he could have a good year for us.”

So far this season, Garza is 28 for 28 on extra points, and he has made 5 of 7 field goal attempts.

“You can’t ask for much more out of a kicker,” Campbell said.

One of his two misses came on Sept. 15 against Brownsville Veterans.

“He lined up for a 50 yarder,” Campbell said. “And he just missed it. We have a lot of confidence in him from 45, and we know he can make it from 50. He has hit from 50 in practice, but, of course, practice is different than an in-game scenario.”

Garza was 56 for 56 on extra points last year, but he hasn’t been satisfied with his game. This season, Garza has focused on his kickoff skills. Campbell said one thing they worked on was targeting kickoffs and pooch kicks. Garza has also been improving his touchback rate.

This week, the SaberCats host the PSJA Southwest Javelinas at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Richard R. Flores Stadium.

“They are one of the best-coached teams out of anyone we have seen this year,” Campbell said. “A lot of credit to coach Evans and his staff. They will have their team ready.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

Coming into Week 6, PSJA North was looking for ways to shore up its defense.

North coach Marcus Kaufmann made the call to return one of his senior leaders to his roots.

Juan Elizondo played linebacker last year. This year, he has been the team’s top rusher, with 344 yards on the season.

“He was playing outside linebacker this week,” Kaufmann said. “He made a bunch of plays. He did a great job out there for us. We figured we could move him over there, because that is what he is familiar with, and we figured we could use some help over there. … He went right back to that spot, and he played it so well that he probably got that spot back. He will be playing outside linebacker again this week.”

Moving Elizondo caused a chain of events for the Raiders. To make up the production in the backfield, Kaufmann moved dynamic junior Arturo Beltran from wide receiver to running back. The move worked for Beltran, as he rushed for 115 yards.

That move will create another switch this week.

“We have one of our DBs Marco (Salinas, senior), he will be playing both ways, as well,” Kaufmann said. “He will probably be playing a little bit of receiver. We are going to get him involved on offense to get a little bit more of a pass threat, because when we moved Arturo to the backfield, we completed two passes after that.”

Kaufmann feels like he has had to find the right fit for his team this year, but he remains confident the talent is there and that they are closing in on the perfection combination.

“The kids are football smart, so they are able to move around,” Kaufmann said. “We only had four negative plays on offense last week. We are getting close. We are just running out of time. We have to win four out of the next five. But that is our goal is to get that stuff done and improve and finish.”

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RGVSPORTS.COM

PSJA High junior quarterback Trey Guajardo passed to senior receiver Nathaniel Miranda to put the Bears ahead in the first quarter, and they never looked back in a 23-0 win against the PSJA North Raiders on Friday at PSJA Stadium.

“It’s like I told the kids against Southwest, normal two-school towns play their rivals once. We have three schools that we consider our rivals,” PSJA High coach Lupe Rodriguez said. “So I tell the kids, throw the records out the door. They are going to get up for you. Defensively, we played a great game. Our offense struggled a little bit in the first half, but in the fourth, we picked it back up.”

The Bears (5-0, 2-0) picked up a field goal in the second quarter to take a 9-0 lead to halftime. Guajardo completed passes to seniors Joachim Almaguer and Nathan Sanchez in the fourth quarter to round out the scoring for the Bears.

The story of the game was the PSJA High defense shutting down the PSJA North (0-5, 0-2) running game.

“They became a little bit predictable with their run game,” Rodriguez said. “They were able to move the ball on us a little bit, but we bent, but we didn’t break. We had a lot of crucial stops on fourth down, and we didn’t give them too many opportunities. … Our defense has been good for us all year, and tonight was no different.”

DISTRICT 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 63, MISSION HIGH 28: At McAllen, the Mustangs are starting to remind everyone that they are head and shoulders above the rest of their district. They provided fireworks on homecoming night for their fans.

“Our running game was really good tonight,” coach Bill Littleton said. “Our offensive line was really good, and our running backs hit the holes hard.”

Campbell Speights turned in another multiple-TD performance, and Sean Skaugen and Emiliano Cruz also found the end zone with their legs.

Ace Chavez scored a punt return TD.

Littleton gave a hat tip to the play of the Eagles, who he said were tough opposition even in the loss.

“I thought they played extremely well. They had no quit in them tonight,” Littleton said. “For a game that we had a comfortable lead in, we never felt like we were comfortable.”

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 31, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 21: At La Joya, the Huskies overcame turnovers to knock off their sister school. Juarez-Lincoln had four turnovers but still outscored the Huskies.

Juarez-Lincoln snapped a two-game losing streak and got back on the right path. The Lobos dropped to 0-2 in district play.

“Anytime you play a rivalry game, records go out the door, and it was close,” Juarez-Lincoln coach Tommy Garcia said.

Adonis Barillas scored his first TD of the season after joining the team late. Elias Gutierrez, Albert Martinez and even left tackle Julio Monsivais, who fell on a fumble, put up points for the Huskies.

DISTRICT 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH 35, ROMA 14: At Roma, senior Blake Klein caught two touchdowns and ran for another to lead Sharyland High to a 35-14 victory. Quarterback Edgar Longoria and running back Danny Escalera each ran for a touchdown for the Rattlers.

The win gives Sharyland a four-game winning streak since its season-opening defeat at Weslaco East and a flawless 3-0 record in District 31-5A. Roma checks in at 0-6 and has lost its fourth district game in four tries.

RIO GRANDE CITY 38, LAREDO CIGARROA 3: At Laredo, Rio Grande City got two touchdown passes from quarterback Jason Perez to wide receivers Edgar Chapa and Demencio Venecia. The Rattlers also registered another defensive touchdown, as defensive lineman Ivan Reyes intercepted a pass and ran it back for six.

The Rattlers improve to 5-1 overall and a perfect 4-0 in district, while the Toros dropped their third district game in three tries.

DISTRICT 32-5A

EDCOUCH-ELSA 27, DONNA HIGH 7: At Elsa, Yellow Jackets quarterback Albert Trevino’s confidence under center continues to improve after throwing a touchdown to sophomore Jared de los Santos in a win over Donna High.

“It was a mixture of things,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said. “Albert had a great game that we named him our player of the game. He’s getting more comfortable in the pocket, which is a good thing for us. But overall we had a great performance offensively.”

Running back Jorge Gomez also registered another 100-yard rushing game on the ground with one rushing touchdown for the Yellow Jackets (4-1, 2-0). Donna High fell to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in district play.

NON-DISTRICT

LA VILLA 52, BENAVIDES 20: At La Villa, senior Zach Gomez made his debut with the Cardinals in impressive fashion.

The quarterback who transferred from Mercedes scored twice, had another called back and orchestrated a few more to lead the Cardinals (1-5) to their first win of the year on Friday.

“Everybody was excited,” La Villa coach Daniel Perez said. “We have been playing some bigger teams. These guys were more on our level. They had about 20 guys. They were going both ways just like us. It was good to play some similar competition. Our team was excited. They had a different energy level today.”

Gomez wasn’t the only one who got rolling for La Villa. Freshman running back Christopher Rivera and junior quarterback Rey Felix also sparked the Cardinals offense.

“It was very important to get some momentum before district play,” Perez said. “A lot of times, when things don’t go your way, the kids don’t want to be there. The good thing is our kids have been coming every day. We have been stressing hard work and they have been coming.”

Friday was Gomez’s first game with La Villa. Gomez participated in preseason with Mercedes this year, but withdrew from the team on Aug. 7, according to his Twitter account.

BROWNSVILLE ST. JOSEPH 42, HIDALGO 10: At Hidalgo, the Bloodhounds improved to 3-3, and the Pirates dropped to 0-6.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela junior running back Aaron Alvarez iced the game with a 46-yard run with just more than four minutes left in the game.

“It felt great,” Alvarez said. “Seeing (junior tight end) Nico (Rodriguez) get that good block, and for me just to go, it was great.”

The score put Edinburg Vela up 43-21 over Edinburg High, which would end up the final score of Friday’s game at Richard R. Flores Stadium.

“We got the win. That’s the main thing,” Vela coach John Campbell said. “We are 2-0 in district, and that’s the important thing. We knew going into a rivalry game — we see it all the time in football — tale of the tape does not mean a hill of beans. EHS came after us and did a heck of a job. They really got after us. We needed the challenge. It forced us to make some adjustments.”

It’s not the type of score Alvarez is usually responsible for. Alvarez is Vela’s big back. He scored on two other occasions Friday, and both were 1-yard runs.

“I tell you what, I was impressed by Aaron’s performance,” Vela coach John Campbell said. “Aaron has been that kind of workhorse guy for us all year. He’s mister steady and had the big one at the end to seal the whole thing.”

Against the Bobcats, Alvarez finished with 97 yards to go along with those three touchdowns.

Alvarez has been responsible for many big short-yardage first downs this year, and Friday was no exception, as he extended Vela’s drives several times with bruising runs down the middle.

“It’s super fun to watch him run,” senior quarterback Nathan Garcia said. “You always know you can rely on that guy to run over people.”

Edinburg Vela got the advantage early and never relinquished it. After the teams early 1-yard touchdown runs, Garcia completed a 60-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Justin Cantu.

Vela lined up in a formation meant to cause the defense confusion on the conversion attempt. Vela got the look it wanted and Garcia passed to Cantu again, putting the SaberCats up 15-7.

That pesky conversion would hold the SaberCats slightly ahead, as the teams went back and forth on the scoreboard.

The lead at halftime for Vela was 29-21.

Edinburg High junior Hearlin Benavides had an impressive showing. He scored all three of Edinburg High’s touchdowns and ran for 96 yards in the game.

Perhaps his most impressive score came in the second quarter. The Bobcats were down 22-14 and facing a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Benavides powered through the Vela defensive front and scored to bring the Bobcats within 1 point.

For the SaberCats, it wasn’t all Alvarez. Last week, against Edinburg North, junior wide receiver Aziel Garcia had a big game. On Friday, he had 2 catches for 21 yards. Vela instead relied on its pair of steady targets — Cantu and senior wide receiver Brandon Guzman. Each had over 100 yards, and between them they had three touchdowns.

Campbell was glad to see his defense clamp down after the early scoring outburst from the Bobcats.

“I think it was the tempo,” Campbell said. “They were coming after us. We were ready for those plays, but we weren’t playing them the way we needed to for the tempo. Once we got them in at halftime and settled them down a little bit — nothing significant — we just had to rehash what we had practiced during the week.”

After the game, during the handshake line, a skirmish broke out as players exchanged blows while teammates tried to hold them back. Garcia, Alvarez and Campbell declined to comment on the matter.

Alvarez finished with a new career high in rushing yards (97) on Friday. His 12 carries marked the second-highest total of his career. And his three scores matched his career high.

“I just have to thank the good man upstairs and my linemen,” Alvarez said. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to have these touchdowns. It felt pretty good. If I were to say it felt normal, not really. I try to stay hungry every game.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

EDINBURG — Edinburg High junior running back Hearlin Benavides has exploded onto the scene this season and become the top running back in District 31-6A.

Even Benavides himself has been pleasantly surprised with his output.

“I didn’t see THIS coming,” Benavides said. “I have worked hard, the coaches have pushed me a lot, and my team has helped me a lot, too, and it happened.”

Benavides is atop 31-6A with 551 rushing yards. He will lead the Bobcats into their game in Week 6 against the Edinburg Vela SaberCats at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.

“This one is a special game,” Edinburg High coach J.J. Leija said. “It’s a rivalry game. You are playing one of the top dogs in the Valley. We are going to just play our Bobcat football and play the way that we are taught to play.”

Benavides did a lot of learning last year, which has shown in the way he has played “Bobcat football” this fall. Last season, he was third on the depth chart at running back behind two prolific seniors in Nathan Marez (1,103 yards) and Saul Ramirez (737 yards). So Benavides watched and learned.

“I got to see how they played, and it taught me a lot,” Benavides said. “They helped me a lot, as well. During practices, they taught me a lot of things. I didn’t know, and I got to experience a lot of things in practice.”

Leija noticed Benavides’ willingness to learn right away. That trait has allowed Benavides to grow into the Bobcats’ featured back.

“He is a great learner, and he is very coachable,” Leija said. “Those are things that you look for in athletes — they need to be coachable. He learned by watching Nate, and they had a good relationship to where they would speak to each other, and he would watch how Nate handled himself. Hearlin has done a good job. And we are looking to him to be one of our team leaders next year as a senior, because he has those great leadership qualities.”

Benavides has shown what he picked up on the practice field last year on Friday nights this year.

“I’ve improved a lot on how to read the tackles, how to read blocks,” Benavides said. “I read the linebackers when it comes to hitting the holes and everything.”

Benavides is part of a skilled junior class for the Bobcats. Another impact player for that junior class is quarterback Matt Cruz, who helped lead the 27-point comeback against Edinburg Economedes in Week 5 with 144 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. Junior safety Mannie Salinas iced the 27-17 win over Econ with an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, junior wide receiver Antoine Woodard has 2 touchdowns in the last two games, and junior outside linebacker Raymond Quintanilla is a defensive leader.

Cruz and Benavides represent the present and the future of the Bobcats backfield, and that bond on the field extends to their relationship off of it.

“We are pretty close,” Cruz said. “We are good friends. We have lockers right next to each other. We have been talking outside of class and in practice.”

“We are always helping each other out,” Benavides added. “We help each other with classes and on the field. We always have each others’ backs on the field and off.”

Benavides grew up slightly differently than the rest of the Bobcats.

His family is from Nicaragua, so the language and accent he spoke with were dissimilar from those around him. Unlike many Edinburg High students, he is the first in his family to attend the school.

During the summer of his sixth-grade year, Benavides had the opportunity of a lifetime when he went back to his family’s homeland. While in Nicaragua, he visited relatives in Leon and Wiwili.

“I had never been before,” Benavides said. “I got to see where my family grew up over there. It’s a really beautiful place.”

Another beautiful part of the trip was getting to enjoy the food of Nicaragua. Some of his favorite dishes are gallo pinto and nacatamales.

“The food is really good,” Benavides said. “My mom cooks. She is the best cook. She often makes gallo pinto. It’s the best.”

Just as he chews up the savory flavors of his heritage, he often chews up defenders on Friday nights.

Benavides has never been one to shy away from contact. On the contrary, he often gets an extra burst of energy after the first hit of a game.

“I like hitting people,” Benavides said. “The first good hit of the game pumps me up. I’m ready for the next play after that.”

Because of his willingness to take on defenders and glean information from coaches and teammates, his teammates weren’t surprised with his strong start to the season, even if he was.

“I did know this was coming,” Cruz said. “I was hoping he would explode, and I’m glad he did it. He’s just now coming out of his shell. The best is yet to come.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

PSJA Southwest had its best offensive week of the season in Week 5.

The Javelinas posted their highest point total of the season (14) and their highest yardage total of the season (245).

A change at the quarterback position sparked the Javelinas, who led 14-13 in the third quarter of a 41-14 to PSJA High. Senior Jose “JZ” Zamora took over for senior Greg Bostic.

“We just changed some things up,” Southwest coach Michael Evans said. “We were having trouble on offense. Bostic had been doing fine. We just wanted to see if maybe having a thicker runner would work. We just experimented with it, and it worked out, so we just kind of stayed with it.”

Coming into Week 5, Bostic had completed 15 of 48 passes for a 31.3 completion percentage. He also had three interceptions.

Against the Bears, Zamora completed 9 of 18 passes, including a touchdown. Bostic had 137 yards through four games, and Zamora threw for 136 in Week 5.

Prior to the switch, Zamora had been used on both sides of the ball: as a running back on offense and a middle linebacker on defense.

The Javelinas kept it close last week, entering halftime down just 13-6 against PSJA High. After the break, Southwest scored first, taking a 14-13 lead. The Bears capitalized on some Javelinas mistakes down the stretch to pull away for the win, but Evans liked what he saw from his team in the first half.

“We had a whole lot of bright spots from the game as a team,” Evans said. “We have been telling them all year that these guys can play football with anybody. The Bears are a great-coached football team, and they played with them. We were playing our best football game of the year, and you could definitely see the belief.”

As for what Zamora’s spark means for this Thursday, when the Javelinas host the Edinburg North Cougars at 7 p.m. at PSJA Stadium in Pharr, Evans was clear about one thing.

“Right now, he is taking the first-team reps,” Evans said. “After last week, we scored the most points all year, I foresee him getting the start. But Greg will be there, and Greg is a team player and he understands what we are trying to do.”

In fact, Bostic will have his helmet nearby, because he may still be utilized.

“He is still a good passer,” Evans said. “And if we have definite throwing situations, we may still take a peak at him.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

Edinburg North needed a jolt after a 5-15 non-district run.

Freshman Evana Ramos provided that spark for the Cougars.

Ramos moved up from junior varsity dark to varsity just in time for the Cougars last non-district match, against McAllen Memorial on Sept. 5.

“In that first game, right away I noticed it was different from JV Dark,” Ramos said. “It was a lot faster, and the defense was a lot harder.”

Ramos said she had some nerves, but her teammates were there to help her focus.

“I feel like when she got onto the team, she was overwhelmed at first,” senior Amber Dreyer said. “If you help her calm down and relax, tell her little tips of where to go and what to do, it helped her. It was all mental, that she was kind of maybe just off a little bit, but she never really was off. It was just a big thing for her to move up, so just helping her relax and calm down and really get adjusted well.”

Edinburg North coach Adrian Cavazos sees a lot of potential in Ramos and was excited to add her to the roster.

“She is very athletic,” Cavazos said. “She is a natural defensive specialist, but we kind of need someone setting. I was looking down the line and seeing how things would play out over the next few years. So we moved her over to setter. She can probably play either one, but right now, we are looking at her to set.”

Ramos is part of a newer generation of players who play volleyball close to year-round.

“It’s really exciting being a freshman and getting to play on varsity,” Ramos said. “It’s not that hard anymore because of club. That has helped the transition.”

Another thing that has helped ease the transition is her teammates’ support. Ramos said she has gotten a lot of help from Dreyer and fellow seniors Amanda Cavazos and Brittany Keller. Another player who has made an impact is senior Natalie Rodriguez.

“She has helped a lot,” Ramos said. “She has helped me on the court and off of it, too. She is the one who encourages me not to quit when things get tough.”

Ramos quickly shook off the nerves, and it helped the team. North opened district against Edinburg Vela, and while the Cougars didn’t get the win, they hung tough against one of the top teams in District 31-6A.

After that, the Cougars picked up their first district win against PSJA Southwest.

“That felt really good,” Ramos said. “Being a starter and also getting the win was incredible.”

They now sit at 8-20 overall and 3-4 in district, which puts them into a tie for fourth place with PSJA High.

Ramos has played a big part in the Cougars’ success.

“She is obviously really good,” Dreyer said. “That’s why she is on varsity as a freshman.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

EDINBURG — The Garcia connection was in full effect for Edinburg Vela on Friday night.

Senior quarterback Nathan Garcia and junior wide receiver Aziel Garcia (no relation) combined on eight passes for 139 yards and one touchdown in Vela’s 52-14 romp of Edinburg North on Thursday at Richard R. Flores Stadium.

“Our relationship is very good,” Nathan Garcia said. “Of course, we already know what we want, what route we want, the timing, we are on the same page. It worked out well for us.”

Aziel Garcia worked out at quarterback early in the spring, but his athleticism forced Vela coach John Campbell to find a place for him in the offense.

“(Aziel Garcia) has been coming around,” Campbell said. “(Aziel Garcia) got his number called tonight, and he came through. Nate has been throwing the ball really, really well, and he made some good decisions for us tonight.”

Coming into the game, Aziel Garcia had 5 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. He more than doubled all three season totals on Thursday.

Vela was explosive, but also controlled the ball. The SaberCats showed that on their first three scores.

The SaberCats are known for their big-play ability, like their third score of the game, a 52-yard touchdown pass from Nathan Garcia to senior wide receiver Brandon Guzman.

The first score, though, was the one that got the team excited.

The SaberCats went on an 11-play, 65-yard drive, culminating in a 4-yard touchdown run for senior running back Sam Valenzuela.

The drive chewed up four minutes of game clock, which is a lot considering how quickly the Vela offense moves play to play. The SaberCats often snap the ball with 20 seconds remaining on the play clock, and are often lined up for the play before the referee has even placed the ball. The drive was made up of seven rush plays and four pass plays, which is a rarity for Vela. The SaberCats only had 32 running plays in the entire game.

Vela’s second score was also an example of how quickly the team can strike.

On the kickoff following Vela’s first score, North senior Ethan Vela broke away for a long return. Just as he was about to be tackled, the SaberCats stripped the ball. Senior defensive back Nick Enriquez scooped up the loose ball and ran about 60 yards for the score.

“I was concerned all week about their return unit,” Campbell said. “Sure enough, they rattled off a big run after we scored. For that to be them losing really good field position and turning it into points for us, that turned the momentum for us, and we didn’t let it go.”

The SaberCats used that momentum to take a 38-0 lead into halftime.

Edinburg North junior running back Cristian Flores, who transferred from Vela over the summer, wanted to have a big game against his former team. He did, to the tune of 123 yards and a touchdown to open the second-half scoring.

“It was good to see him,” his former teammate, Nathan Garcia said. “I have nothing but respect for him.”

Flores’ score came with 5:41 left in the third quarter, and to make sure the Cougars didn’t get too much momentum from the score, Vela scored twice before the end of the quarter.

Under first-year coach Campbell, Vela set out to make a statement in its first district clash.

“We came out strong defensively and offensively, and it was a good game overall,” Nathan Garcia said. “I hope it was a good statement. I hope it was a strong statement.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

ALAMO — For PSJA Memorial junior Carlos Vaquera, just getting to school growing up was an adventure.

His family had only one car, so he wasn’t able to get a ride to school in Brookshire, where he grew up.

That’s when Vaquera started to develop his athleticism. He would run 6 miles to school and 6 miles home. He did that every day for much of his early teen years.

When he was able to, he worked. He had odd jobs he worked on the weekends and in the summer, and he finally saved up enough money to get a bike.

“It was really good,” Vauqera said. “I bought it for $100. It was a really nice chrome bike. I rode it everywhere I went — to the park, the movies. Anywhere I could go, I would go with my bike.”

He rode his shiny new bike the same 6 miles. And once he got into high school at Brookshire High, he would ride to school, have cross country practice before school, go to his classes, go to football practice after school and then ride his bike home.

With all that work, it’s no wonder he’s a stamina machine.

At Brookshire High, he played running back and linebacker.

Then, before his sophomore year, family issues caused him to leave Brookshire. He has five brothers and sisters, but he now lives with just one younger brother and his mother.

Things were even tougher for Vaquera when he got to PSJA Memorial. In Brookshire, family members were around to help when times got tough. In the RGV, Vaquera and his family struggled.

“Money has always been a problem for us,” Vaquera said. “Sports is my way of relieving all of that. It makes me feel a lot better to be on the field, or in any sport.”

Vaquera even considered leaving school to go back to the Houston area for work because the family’s financial situation was so bad.

Memorial’s players and coaching staff rallied around their new brother, Vaquera, and helped him find some stability. Calls were made, and Vaquera landed a job at Wendy’s. His mother got a job at Walmart. Things were trending up as he entered his sophomore year. He was playing junior varsity and learning a new position. Memorial coach Michael Uribe saw a ton of talent and athleticism in Vaquera and decided to move him to safety, where he could have a bigger impact.

In Vaquera’s third game of the season, his sophomore year took a turn for the worse.

“We were playing against (the Edinburg High) Bobcats,” Vaquera said. “It was the second play of the game, and (a player) went in for a cheap shot right after the whistle blew, and I broke my fibula. … It was really painful. I felt like crying, but I didn’t. I held it in. I was out five or six months.”

Vaquera was not deterred, though. He went right to work trying to get healthy.

“He was working just as hard as anybody,” Uribe said. “He was trying to run the fastest sprints. He was trying to be the hardest worker in the weight room, even though he was still healing. He was here all summer for conditioning, even though he was working full-time jobs. His commitment level has been through the roof.”

Vaquera loves sports. He plays five: cross country, football, basketball, wrestling and baseball. The injury took him out of four of the five. And even though he was able to play baseball, he wasn’t quite at 100 percent throughout the season.

“I started to feel close to 100 percent in the middle of baseball season,” Vaquera said. “I was at least able to work out my upper body. By the fourth or fifth game of the season, I really started to feel good about my leg.”

Vaquera’s hard work paid off, and he was ready to go coming into his junior year. He has blossomed this year, starting every game on varsity and becoming a pivotal part of the Wolverines’ defense.

“He is making our secondary adjustments,” Uribe said. “He is kind of our quarterback in the secondary. He makes all the little subtle adjustments that we need him to make back there. He is someone that can recognize formations as well as being athletic to be a run supporter.”

Success hasn’t just come on the field, court or diamond for Vaquera. He is a star student.

“He is a tremendous young man,” Uribe said. “Everybody that I talk to, his teachers, they love him in class. He is one of those kids that does everything right on and off the field.”

To add to that, he recently won state for his drawings in an art competition. Vaquera never let the hard times he faced bring him down.

Vaquera is thrilled about one more improvement. The job his team helped him get supplied him with a car. That bike that isn’t as shiny as it used to be doesn’t get as much use as it used to, and that’s a good thing. Vaquera lives in San Juan, a pretty far commute for school.

“It felt really good,” Vaquera said. “Now I am able to drive to school. I don’t have to wake up that early anymore.”

Like with everything else in his life, getting his 2004 Chevrolet Impala wasn’t easy.

“It did have some problems when I got it,” Vaquera said. “It had a broken engine. I had to fix it. After I started working, I was able to pay more to fix it up.”

Now it’s running well, and he’s getting himself to all his practices and events.

One event he can’t wait for is the beginning of district play. PSJA Memorial faces PSJA North at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr in what will be both teams’ District 31-6A opener.

“I really want to get the Raiders. I am pumped for it,” Vaquera said. “This will be my first ever district game here. The coaches and my teammates have treated me well, and it’s really exciting. I want to play well for them.”

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