Two of the Valley’s top Class 6A teams highlight Week 8, with No. 8 Weslaco High playing host to No. 5 Los Fresnos in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week.

The Falcons and Panthers kickoff the pivotal District 32-6A matchup at 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.

The Falcons are coming off their fourth straight win, taking down Brownsville Rivera 42-7 in their district opener last week. Meanwhile, the Panthers have lost two straight, falling on the road against second-ranked Harlingen High 31-21 on Friday.

Both teams are led into the game by first-year starters behind center. Freshman Robert Pineda commands the Falcons’ offense, accounting for more than 1,300 yards (818 passing, 560 rushing) and 17 touchdowns (nine passing, eight rushing).

Junior Andres Sepulveda leads the Panthers’ offense, throwing for 898 yards and seven touchdowns in six appearances, adding 232 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

The Falcons and Panthers have met 15 times since 2005, with the Falcons holding a 9-6 advantage during that span. Los Fresnos won last year’s meeting 44-21 at home.

RGVSPORTS.COM 5A-6A TOP 10
The following are the teams in the RGVSports.com Class 5A-6A top 10 poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through 1 point for a 10th-place vote. The four votes are the writers and editors who cover RGV high school football for AIM Media’s three newspapers: The Monitor, The Valley Morning Star, and The Brownsville Herald.
Team   Records Points Prv.
1. PSJA North (3) 6-0 39 1
2. Harlingen High (1) 6-0 37 2
3. San Benito   6-0 32 3
4. Edinburg Vela 5-1 28 4
5. Los Fresnos   5-1 24 5
6. McAllen Rowe 5-1 20 6
7. Harlingen South 5-2 12 10
8. Weslaco High 4-2 10 8
9. Sharyland Pioneer 4-2  9 NR
10. Brownsville Vets 4-2  4 7
Others receiving votes: Edinburg North (4-2); Mercedes (3-3).

RGVSPORTS.COM SUB-5A TOP 4
The following are the teams in the RGVSports.com sub-5A top 4 poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through 7 points for a fourth-place vote. The four votes are the writers and editors who cover RGV high school football for AIM Media’s three newspapers: The Monitor, The Valley Morning Star, and The Brownsville Herald.
Team   Records Points Prv.
1. Port Isabel (3) 6-1 39 T1
2. Hidalgo   5-1 35 3
3. Lyford (1)   4-2 34 T1
4. St. Joseph   4-2 28 4

VALLEY HS WATER POLO SCHEDULE
Monday’s Games
Bi-District – Girls
Sharyland Pioneer vs. Harlingen South, 2 p.m. at City of Pharr Natatorium
Sharyland High vs. Harlingen High, 3:30 p.m. at City of Pharr Natatorium
Mission High vs. PSJA High, 5 p.m. at City of Pharr Natatorium
PSJA Memorial vs. Mission Veterans, 6:30 p.m. at City of Pharr Natatorium

Tuesday’s Games
Bi-District – Boys
Harlingen High vs. Sharyland Pioneer, 2 p.m. at City of Pharr Natatorium
Mission High vs. Harlingen South, 3:30 p.m. at City of Pharr Natatorium
Los Fresnos vs. PSJA North, 5 p.m. at City of Pharr Natatorium
Sharyland High vs. PSJA High, 6:30 p.m. at City of Pharr Natatorium

McALLEN — The McAllen Rowe Warriors erased a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat crosstown rival McAllen Memorial 41-37 on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Warriors won their fifth straight to move to 5-1 and 3-0 in District 15-5A DI. The loss sends McAllen Memorial to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in district.

McAllen Rowe quarterback Isaac Sotuyo entered the game at quarterback during the second half and ran for three touchdowns to help lift the Warriors. Athlete Nelson Ramirez returned a kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown during the first half and caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Sotuyo during the second to complete the comeback.

McAllen Memorial’s Max Alaniz-Choy ran for two touchdowns and teammates Sebastian Aleman and JP Garza ran for one each. Quarterback JP Cortez also threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Goodson during the first half to build a 28-14 halftime lead.

McAllen Memorial faces La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (0-6, 0-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at La Joya ISD Pack Stadium in La Joya. Next for McAllen Rowe is PSJA North (6-0, 3-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.

DISTRICT 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH 48, MISSION HIGH 29: At Mission, sophomore quarterback Jae Santa Martia accounted for three touchdowns to lead Edinburg High to a win during their district opener.

Santa Maria scored the first two touchdowns of the game for the Bobcats, taking it in on carries of 6 and 73 yards. He added a 9-yard touchdown pass to Rivera Martinez with 44 seconds left in the third to all but seal the victory.

The Bobcats (3-3, 1-0) continue District 31-6A play Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Edinburg Economedes (1-5, 0-1) at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.

DISTRICT 16-5A DI

BROWNSVILLE PACE 64, BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ 9: At Brownsvillle, the Vikings (3-4, 2-1) bounced back after a Week 6 loss to Harlingen South with a win over the Brownsville Lopez Lobos (0-7, 0-3) Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

”We put in a better effort today as far as getting things done,” Vikings head coach Danny Pardo said. “We got up on them quick, so it helps when you can relax a little bit in a game that you never know what you are going to get from Lopez. They are not bad; they just have not had breaks. We are glad we got the win on this one.”

The Vikings went into the half up 35-0. Pardo attributed the win to the running game and the defensive performance tonight.

“They were all over the place and came up with some good turnovers,” Pardo said. “It was good for our defense. They are going to have their hands full next week. It was good for them to end the night on a good note.”

The Vikings are in action at 7 p.m. Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium against the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers (4-2, 1-1).

DISTRICT 16-5A DII

PSJA SOUTHWEST 30, PSJA MEMORIAL 13: At Pharr, the Javelinas secured their first victory of the season by running through the rival Wolverines at PSJA Stadium.

The Javelinas start district play 1-0, while the Wolverines drop to 3-3 and 0-1 in 16-5A DII.

Southwest’s defense pitched a second-half shutout, Angel Hernandez hit Josue Lopez for a 55-yard touchdown pass and running back Edgar Villarreal broke four tackles on a 25-yard touchdown run as the Javelinas surged past the Wolverines.

“We played a tough PSJA Memorial team that is well-coached. We overcame some of our mistakes and sometimes in the past that’s what really hurt us,” PSJA Southwest head coach Abel Estrada said. “Tonight, we pulled together, overcame mistakes and played to the best of our potential and that helped us get this victory.”

PSJA Memorial has a short week ahead and will take on Sharyland High (2-4, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr. PSJA Southwest moves on to face Mission Veterans (3-3, 0-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Tom Landry Stadium in Mission.

Rio Grande Valley Coaches Association Top 10

Boys

	Team	Prv.
1.	Sharyland High	1
2.	McAllen High	4
3.	Edinburg North	3
4.	McAllen Rowe	9
5.	Harlingen High	7
6.	Mission High	NR
7.	Weslaco East	8
8.	McAllen Memorial	6
9.	La Feria	2
10.	Edinburg Vela	NR

Girls

	Team	Prv.
1.	Harlingen South	6
2.	La Feria	2
3.	Sharyland High	1
4.	Harlingen High	7
5.	McAllen High	4
6.	Weslaco High	NR
7.	Edinburg Economedes	3
8.	Sharyland Pioneer	10
9.	Mission Veterans	5
10.	Brownsville Hanna	NR

Top 10 Individual Times (5,000-meters)

Boys

	NAME	SCHOOL	TIME	DATE
1.	Ayden Granados	McAllen Memorial	15:25.8	Sept. 16
2.	Diego DeLeon	McAllen Memoria	15:35.5	Sept. 16
3.	Aaron Nava	Weslaco East	15:35.7	Oct. 1
4.	Valdemar Meza	Sharyland High	15:38.0	Sept. 3
5.	Ryan Servantes	Sharyland Pioneer	15:44.2	Oct. 1
6.	Dominick Luna	Harlingen High	15:57.0	Oct. 1
7.	Jacksen Ahlman	McAllen High	16:02.7	Sept. 3
8.	Nathan Salinas	Sharyland High	16:02.9	Sept. 3
9.	Anthony Morales	La Feria	16:09.0	Oct. 1
10.	Patricio Garza	Sharyland High	16:10.4	Oct. 1

Girls

	NAME	SCHOOL	TIME	DATE
1.	San Juanita Leal	Edinburg North	17:01.5	Oct. 1
2.	Naia Gracia	Brownsville Veterans	18:32.6	Sept. 16
3.	Liana Navarro	La Feria	18:47.7	Oct. 1
4.	Maddison Surita	Edinburg Economedes	18:52.5	Oct. 1
5.	Cecilia Cavazos	Sharyland High	19:05.4	Sept. 3
6.	Kenzi Ramirez	McAllen High	19:07.3	Sept. 16
7.	Alexis Fonseca	Harlingen South	19:15.8	Oct. 1
8.	Rebecca Davila	Edcouch-Elsa	19:16.7	Sept. 16
9.	Yazmin Guerra	PSJA Southwest	19:18.2	Oct. 1
10.	Itzel Rodriguez	Brownsville Veterans	19:23.1	Sept. 16

The RGVSports.com staff recaps Week 6 action, looks ahead to the start of district play for teams across the Valley, including the RGVSports.com Game of the Week between Mission Veterans and Sharyland Pioneer, and an interview with Emily Garcia, the first girl to play in a varsity football game at Sharyland Pioneer.

Spotify Link: RGVSports.com Podcast

Brownsville St. Joseph quarterback Ethan Gallegos threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns during a 41-37 victory over San Antonio Christian in Week 6 and has been named the RGVSports.com Week 6 Player of the Week.

With the Bloodhounds down 37-34, Gallegos found Juan Pablo Vidaurri open for the game-winning touchdown with only 27 seconds remaining in the game.

Gallegos completed 22-of-33 passes and also rushed for 66 yards on 11 carries Friday night at Canales Field.

The senior quarterback threw each of his four touchdown passes to different receivers. His favorite target, Luis Adrian Del Pozo, caught seven passes for 114 yards and one touchdown.

On the season, Gallegos has 1,228 passing yards with a completion percentage of 64%. He has thrown 14 touchdowns and has rushed for 578 yards and five touchdowns on 77 carries for the Bloodhounds.

The Bloodhounds are 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in TAPPS Division II District 3.

District 16-5A DII kicks off this week with a matchup of high-powered offenses and district title contenders as Sharyland Pioneer hosts Mission Veterans in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week. The Diamondbacks and Patriots are slated for 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.

Both the Diamondbacks and Patriots are coming off bye weeks and bring identical 3-2 overall records to the table.

Sharyland Pioneer’s offense has been hot this season, averaging 34.6 points per game led by junior quarterback Julian Valdez (1,431 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 274 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns).

Meanwhile, Mission Veterans has played one of the toughest non-district schedules after being battle-tested against the likes of powerhouses Harlingen High and San Benito. Junior quarterback Vince Abrego leads the Patriots’ offensive attack with 641 yards passing, 10 passing touchdowns, 120 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

The crosstown rivals have played six times with Mission Veterans holding a 4-2 edge in head-to-head matchups while outscoring the Diamondbacks 199-150. Their most recent meeting between the two ended in a 35-0 Patriots win last season.

RGVSPORTS.COM 5A-6A TOP 10
The following are the teams in the RGVSports.com Class 5A-6A top 10 poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through 1 point for a 10th-place vote. The four votes are the writers and editors who cover RGV high school football for AIM Media’s three newspapers: The Monitor, The Valley Morning Star, and The Brownsville Herald.
Team   Records Points Prv.
1. PSJA North (3) 5-0 39 1
2. Harlingen High (1) 5-0 37 2
3. San Benito   5-0 31 3
4. Edinburg Vela 4-1 29 4
5. Los Fresnos   4-1 23 6
6. McAllen Rowe 4-1 19 7
7. Brownsville Vets 3-1 18 8
8. Weslaco High 4-1  9 9
9. Mission Vets  3-2  7 10
10. Harlingen South 4-2  3 NR
Others receiving votes: Brownsville Porter (4-1).

RGVSPORTS.COM SUB-5A TOP 4
The following are the teams in the RGVSports.com sub-5A top 4 poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through 7 points for a fourth-place vote. The four votes are the writers and editors who cover RGV high school football for AIM Media’s three newspapers: The Monitor, The Valley Morning Star, and The Brownsville Herald.
Team   Records Points Prv.
T1. Lyford (2)   5-1 38 1
T1. Port Isabel (2) 5-1 38 2
3. St. Joseph   4-1 29 4
4. Hidalgo   4-1 24 3
Others receiving votes: Santa Rosa (5-1).

District 16-4A DII teams scrambled to find non-district opponents for Week 6 and 7 during the realignment because of their four-team district.

Port Isabel (5-1) had the opportunity tonight to host a team from Mexico, Correcaminos UAT. The team from Tamaulipas had to picked up by the Tarpons at the border.

Port Isabel won the game 66-6.

“They were really good sports about everything, I was really impressed with them,” Port Isabel head coach Tony Villarreal said. “They were high class people. I loved their sportsmanship and their effort.”

Villarreal was happy that some of the backup players received reps tonight as district and playoff looms.

“We got a lot of work in with them,” Villarreal said. “Our No. 2’s have not played much because we have been in some tight ball games. So, it was really good for our No. 2’s to play alot, we needed that.”

WESLACO EAST 48, BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ 7: The Wildcats (2-4, 1-1) bounced back from a close home loss in Week 5 with a win on the road in Brownsville over Brownsville Lopez (0-6, 0-2).

“I do not think we have played bad all year,” Wildcats head coach Mike Burget said. “We are 2-4 and a lot of people are always counting Weslaco East out. The thing is, when I put together my schedule as a head coach, I am not going to put together games that are easy to win. I have never done that.”

The Wildcats opened up with Los Fresnos (6A), PSJA High (6A), Edinburg Vela (5A, perennial powerhouse) and Edinburg High (6A) in non-district.

“All I wanted to do is get better,” Burget said. “I feel like we have gotten better and better, I really believe that our team is starting to click a little bit. Tonight, we made some changes on offense and defense.”

“My coaching staff do a heck of a job, here at East we have built something and we want to play the best. I feel like we have played the best to start the year off and I think it is going to help us down the road,” Burget said.

Burget singled out the performances of Ashton Guajardo and Alex Martinez on offense. The two were key in the passing game.

BROWNSVILLE ST. JOSEPH 41, SAN ANTONIO CHRISTIAN: It was a wild one at Canales Field in Brownsville.

With a minute left San Antonio Christian went up 37-34 on a fourth down touchdown pass. A great return on the kickoff set up the Bloodhounds (4-1, 2-0) with an opportunity. St. Joseph quarterback Ethan Gallegos found Juan Pablo Vidaurri open and the receiver took it to the house.

“A win is a win at the end of the day,” Bloodhounds head coach Tino Villarreal said. “We are going to take it. The one thing that I will walk away with today is, is that I am really proud of our boys for their fight, resilience and the fact that they never gave up. That speaks volumes to them. We just have to do a better job at coaching.”

Competing in TAPPS Division II District 3, the Bloodhounds take on Austin Regents in Week 7.

“We are a young team with very few seniors, but they are big leaders for the young guys,” Villarreal said. They are figuring out how to compete and how to win games. That is an important foundation for us. Hopefully, we can improve every week from here on out. We have really tough opponent next week, so the theme of the week is going to be compete.”

SANTA ROSA 21, ODEM 20: Another big District 16-3A DII win for the Santa Rosa Warriors.

Santa Rosa (5-1, 2-0) knocked off last season’s district champion. Junior quarterback Bryan Rojas found Julius Olmedo for the go-ahead touchdown.

“A lot of hard work put into this, from our boys to our coaches,” Warriors head coach Joe Marichalar said. “Also, from the community, school and the administration. To be at this place, it is a lot of hard work. Getting a victory against a real tough team, it feels good, but a lot of hard work is still ahead for us.”

The defense and a couple of key onside kick recoveries were key for the Warriors victory, Marichalar said.

The Warriors face Taft in Week 7, at Taft. The Greyhounds defeated Odem in Week 5 by a score of 33-26.