By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

RAYMONDVILLE — ZaRaivion Armendarez led Raymondville with three touchdowns, including a pick-six, in a 51-32 bi-district round victory over Corpus Christi West Oso to open the University Interscholastic League Class 4A Division II playoffs on a chilly Friday night at Burnett Stadium.

The win by the Bearkats (9-1, 3-0 16-4A DII) was their seventh straight over the Bears (4-7, 2-3 15-4A DII). Raymondville’s area-round opponent will be Wimberly, which defeated Poteet 49-35.

While Raymondville coach Frank Cantu and his staff have prided themselves on a stingy defense, they showed they were equipped with the offensive skill needed to prevail in a shootout.

“It was one of those (games) where we couldn’t afford not to score,” Cantu said. “We needed to score every time we got the ball and count every single stop. … All honor and glory to God that we were able to do that.”

The visitors made it known from the jump that they were in for a fight, as West Oso’s Zephaniah Rankin rushed for a 29-yard touchdown with 5:53 to go in the first quarter to give the Bears a 6-0 lead after a missed extra point attempt.

With just less than two minutes to go in the first quarter, Raymondville sophomore running back Nathan Munguia answered with 9-yard rushing touchdown to give the Bearkats their first lead of the game.

The West Oso duo of quarterback Malachi Flores and receiver Cameron Williams gave Raymondville trouble for much of the night. Flores hit Williams on a short screen pass for a 17-yard West Oso touchdown to take a 13-7 edge at the 9:35 mark of the second quarter.

Raymondville’s Justin Cantu responded with the first of his two rushing touchdowns to put the Bearkats ahead by one point with 6:27 to play in the second quarter.

And then, as he has so often for the Bearkats during their nine-game winning streak, Armendarez made another game-changing play.

With West Oso starting at its own 6-yard line, Flores’ pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and deflected by a Bears receiver. It ended up in the hands of Raymondville’s top playmaker, who returned it for a 12-yard touchdown to inject the home team with a momentum boost with less than 90 seconds to go in the first half.

“That was humongous,” Cantu said. “I thought that play was big. And the fact that we got the stop right after they got the ball to start the second half. So we flipped (the advantage) they had of having the ball first.”

And right on cue, after the defense came up with a big stop, Armendarez picked up right where he left off, running for a 51-yard touchdown to give Raymondville a 28-13 lead over West Oso with 9:11 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bears’ offense appeared undeterred by the daunting task in front of them, as West Oso’s Flores took a huge hit in the pocket but had just enough time to throw a deep ball to Williams for a 67-yard touchdown to bring West Oso within nine points with 8:30 to play in the third quarter.

West Oso’s defense also gave Raymondville a brief scare, as Anthony Peña intercepted a long pass attempt from Jayson Cantu that gave the visitors the ball near midfield.

On the ensuing drive, Justin Powell hauled in a pass from Flores on a post route for a gain of 46 on third-and-15 to set up Anthony Peña’s 23-yard touchdown run to draw the Bears as close as they got to threatening to tie the game or retaking the lead. The score trimmed Raymondville’s lead to 28-26 with 5:39 to play in the third quarter.

“They had us on the ropes,” Cantu said. “We normally (apply) a lot of pressure. (West Oso) had a good scheme, they had time to complete some passes. I thought we tackled poorly, but a lot of credit to them, coach Pete Guajardo and a great scheme and a great job that he’s doing there.”

The Bearkats outscored West Oso 23-6 from that point forward. A Saul Garcia field goal, 28-yard touchdown run from Braeden Lopez during the closing seconds of the third quarter, a 3-yard Armendarez touchdown run and a 50-yard touchdown run from Justin Cantu late in the fourth quarter helped seal the win.

During that same span, West Oso only mustered a 3-yard touchdown catch by Rankin that came with 2:43 to go in the fourth quarter.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

TAFT — Third-seed Santa Maria was dealt an early University Interscholastic League Class 2A Division I playoff exit at the hands of Weimar with a 35-13 loss Thursday night at Taft.

“We tried to withstand their initial pressure,” Santa Maria coach Israel Gracia said. “We tried to hang in there, and we hung in through the third quarter. They made us pay.”

After quarterback Nathaniel Rodriguez completed a 45-yard pass to Bernie Castellanos, Rodriguez helped even the game at 7 points apiece with a first-quarter touchdown run.

With about two minutes to go in the second quarter, Rodriguez threw an interception that enabled Weimar to drive for the go-ahead score and take a 14-7 lead at the half.

The second seed in District 15-2A Division I proceeded to reel off 21 second-half points — which were interrupted only by a 30-yard touchdown reception on a slant to Santa Maria’s Bernie Castellanos — to cruise to a bi-district win.

“(Weimar’s players) were big,” Gracia said. “They were real tough to stop. They got us through the air, that was the catch. We stopped the run a little bit, and we made them work for it. But they got some cheap ones through the air. It happens. … They pulled away on a trick play, it was a toss-pass. It got a little chippy.”

The Cougars (7-3, 3-2 16-2A DI) had won four of their previous six games and two in a row to close the regular season, including a come-from-behind 35-30 victory against Freer to clinch the third seed in District 16-2A.

The Wildcats (10-1, 3-1 15-2A DI) advance to the area round to play Mason, which defeated Thrall 41-20 on Thursday.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

After quietly becoming one of just three Rio Grande Valley teams to finish the 2019 regular season with one loss or fewer, the Raymondville Bearkats are chomping at the bit for the chance to improve upon last season’s abrupt second-round exit in a 35-27 loss to Geronimo Navarro.

Standing in Raymondville’s way before a potential rematch with the Panthers is a bi-district matchup with Corpus Christi West Oso.

The Bearkats (8-1, 3-0 16-4A DII) have won back-to-back District 16-4A Division II titles and are a combined 26-5 in the past three seasons. Raymondville has not lost since its season opener against La Feria on Aug. 30.

The Bearkats are 6-0 in their last six meetings with the Bears (4-6, 2-3 15-4A DII). Most recently, Raymondville defeated West Oso 38-10 in a 2017 regular-season road tilt.

The Raymondville offense has been firing on all cylinders since sophomore Jayson Cantu took over under center against Orange Grove on Oct. 5. Coach Frank Cantu’s squad boasts a positive point differential of 252, but West Oso has allowed 20 more points than it has scored this season.

Raymondville will rely upon familiar faces, namely a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in senior Justin Cantu (1,006 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns) and ZaRaivion Armendarez (1,364 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns), as well as up-and-coming sophomore receiver Nathan Mungia (seven catches for 72 yards). Also, Armendarez is the team’s leading receiver, with 425 yards and 16 receptions.

“I think we’ve just all come together and meshed well together,” Jayson Cantu said of his squad’s offensive approach. “(When I became the starter) I had to step up as a leader and command the offense.”

Defensive end/middle linebacker Dylan Ramirez will continue to anchor the Bearkats on the other side of the ball. Raymondville’s defense allowed just 215 yards per game during the regular season.

“It was tough (coming into the season) because we lost a lot of guys (last year),” Ramirez said. “But we know we’re a dangerous group and what we’re capable of. We can turn (the intensity) up, and we’re very powerful and quick.”

During its regular-season finale, Raymondville dispatched Progreso 50-6, and West Oso defeated Ingleside 28-13 to claw its way into the playoffs as the fourth seed in District 15-4A Division II.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. tonight from Burnett Stadium in Raymondville.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

SANTA MARIA— The Santa Maria Cougars are set to embark upon their first playoff journey under coach Israel Gracia, who recently completed his first regular season with the program and has instilled a culture of versatility and can-do spirit for a school that has often found itself playing the role of the underdog.

By virtue of a 35-30 win over Freer, the Cougars (7-2, 3-2 16-2A DI) earned the third seed in District 16-2A Division I and will travel to Taft to face Weimar in the bi-district round of the Class 2A University Interscholastic League playoffs at 7 p.m. tonight.

The Wildcats (9-1, 3-1 15-2A DI) are led by junior running back Ravon’Dre Wicks, who has rushed for 1,339 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 10.7 yards per carry.

“(Weimar is) really talented on both sides of the ball,” Gracia said. “I think with the skill position kids we match up well.”

Anchoring a defense that allowed a mere 164 yards per game is middle linebacker Marcos Sandoval.

“Whatever position we play, all of us work together as a team,” Sandoval said. (In order to) be able to accomplish our goals and finish the game strong. … We all have contributed, and I give credit to all of my teammates.”

Santa Maria clinched its third straight playoff berth through a combination of factors — a seasoned coaching staff and a veteran core, and players who were willing to adapt and make sacrifices. Most notable among them is starting quarterback Nathaniel Rodriguez. In addition to being a dual-threat option with 521 rushing yards and 764 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, he is also a first-team defensive tackle.

Rodriguez, a transfer from Los Fresnos, had grown up in Santa Maria and played in middle school in his hometown. He said Gracia met with him prior to the season and told Rodriguez that the quarterback position was his for the taking if he was willing to earn it.

Rodriguez took that message to heart and established himself as the clear frontrunner after an injury to Jesse Ortiz forced Gracia to start Rodriguez after experimenting with both players under center.

As a result, Ortiz was shifted out to receiver and became another weapon of choice alongside Bernie Castellanos, the teams’ leading scorer. Castellanos, a wideout with 706 yards on 31 catches and 13 touchdowns, also handles the kicking duties for the Cougars.

Ortiz is one of four Santa Maria receivers with at least 100 yards, hauling in seven catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns. The Cougars’ top running back, Erick Castellanos, is the only rusher with more yards than Rodriguez. Castellanos has rushed for 575 yards on 87 carries and six touchdowns.

“(Ortiz) is good at blocking,” Rodriguez said. “He’s also good at those slants on the inside and those corner routes. He’s my main target on those routes.”

Gracia said earning signature wins over Progreso, a Class 4A school, and La Villa, Santa Maria’s traditional rival, was in a way a paradigm shift for Santa Maria’s expectations.

“It’s exciting to just watch the program grow,” Gracia said. “We have grown up big time from day one.”

He is confident after the come-from-behind win over Freer that his team has an opportunity to elevate itself in a similar fashion against Weimar.

“These kids have grown up a lot,” Gracia said. “They’re finally realizing that we’re never out of it. … These kids are confident because of what we were able to pull off last week.”

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

Brownsville Veterans Memorial girls basketball coach Arnold Torres understood the opportunity in front of him when he became the head coach after a brief stint working alongside decorated boys coach Larry Gibson.

After picking up his first win at the helm of the Lady Chargers (1-0), a 45-16 rout of Weslaco East, Torres, who was previously the coach at Pace, expressed a great deal of confidence in Brownsville Veterans’ infrastructure as he embarks on his first season with the program.

“The girls have already had great tradition in the past years,” Torres said. “The coaches before me have done a good job building that foundation. I’m trying not to mess it up. I’m trying to add a few things that might benefit us.”

Indications of what the Torres era might portend came in bunches against the Lady Wildcats (0-1). The Lady Chargers’ coach said he was pleased with his team’s speed in advancing the ball up the court to make up for a relative lack of height. He was also impressed by the defensive pressure his players applied.

Cati Esquivel’s hustle was one such element of an identity that Torres hopes the rest of his team will emulate.

Torres said Esquivel’s role for Brownsville Veterans is often similar to the one Dennis Rodman for several teams as a tough and scrappy enforcer and rebounder.

“She has a good nose for the ball,” Torres said. “She does a really good job rebounding. She always knows where the ball is going, and she gives us a presence inside. She gets a lot of her boards off of offensive rebounds. Having her down there allows our girls to be a little more aggressive attacking the basket.”

Esquivel and Elizabeth Garza led all scorers with 11 points. Alyssa Esquivel had nine points, and Alexandra Parchmont had six points for the Lady Chargers (1-0).

After a low-scoring first quarter in which the home team got out to a 10-6 lead following a 7-2 run, Brownsville Veterans began to pull away as early as the 2:29 mark of the second quarter when Alexa Torres found Garza in transition for a layup that gave the Lady Chargers a 16-6 lead.

Garza swished a three in the corner off of an inbounds pass with less than three seconds to play in the second quarter to give Brownsville Veterans a 25-8 advantage heading into the locker room at halftime.

Torres stole an inbounds pass and finished with a reverse layup to stretch the Lady Chargers’ lead to 35-9 with two minutes to go in the third quarter.

The play prompted a Weslaco East timeout, and shortly thereafter Lady Wildcats coach Jesse Plecker substituted his entire starting five in favor of the second unit.

Brownsville Veterans led 39-9 after three quarters, and limited Weslaco East to three points in the second and third quarters combined. The Lady Chargers outscored the Lady Wildcats 20-8 in the second half. Brownsville Veterans made four of its eight free throw attempts and Weslaco East was 2 of 6 from the charity stripe.

“Another thing that I liked today is that we made the extra pass when we had to,” Torres said. “That’s a good sign and we’re playing team ball right now.”

Garza and Esquivel’s stifling defense obstructed passing lanes and created turnovers which led to several easy buckets in transition.

“I think we did a good job defensively,” Torres said. “We have several girls who are athletic and focused on the defensive side, and I think that’s going to be good for us in the long run.”

The Lady Chargers were equally fearsome in the halfcourt, as centers Annah Trevino and Valentina Mar locked down the Lady Wildcats in the paint and allowed few easy looks from close range.

Amber Saucedo led the way for Weslaco East with seven points. Janelle Tanguma had three points and Sammantha Jasso chipped in two points for the Lady Wildcats.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

ROUND ROCK — Empowered by his team’s senior leaders, La Feria’s Jose Dominguez rose to the occasion to front the program’s first top-10 team finish in school history at the University Interscholastic League state cross country championship meet Saturday at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.

“It’s a big accomplishment,” Dominguez said. “Because we had never done it (before.)”

The junior finished 26th overall with a time of 16:31.1 in the Class 4A boys 5,000 meter race. The Lions (248 points) were rounded out on the scoresheet by senior Anthony Cepeda (16:38.01), sophomore Joshua Marquez, senior Santos Botello (17:26.51) and junior Ethan Torres (17:27.19).

“The boys ran a good race,” La Feria boys coach Joe Martinez. “We had some young guys that ran very well. It was a pretty consistent race. … Top 10 is nothing to sneeze at. It’s a pretty big accomplishment.”

That consistency enabled Dominguez to take the reins when he was most needed on the biggest stage. In his third trip to Round Rock, the first of which took place during his freshman season, Botello, who admitted he didn’t race as well as he wanted to, and Cepeda both said they were proud of their teammate for embracing his newfound opportunity and were eager to see him continue his success in his senior season.

“We’ve done it all year in practice, we try to stay together to keep our points down,” Botello said. “It ended up working out for us at district and regionals, and (at state).”

The Progreso boys placed third in Class 4A with 135 points, as seniors Jonathan Vega (16:06.32) and Gerardo Gallardo (16:11.44) finished 15th and 17th, respectively, to lead the Red Ants.

The Lionettes’ La Feria Marina Villanueva ran a 12:38.24 in the 3,200 meter Class 4A girls race and finished 36th in her third straight trip to the state meet, an improvement of nearly 12 seconds from her sophomore state performance. Zapata’s Adan Jonjuitud also ran as an individual qualifier in the boys division and posted a time of 16:05.44, finishing 21st.

“I’ve been blessed to have several injury-free seasons,” Villanueva said. “I just want to get better every year. That way I can surprise myself each year and set more goals for myself.”

A pair of Brownsville boys who qualified as individuals had specific target times they were aiming to finish under — and both of them accomplished their objectives. Hanna sophomore John Abrego had been aiming to hit a sub-16:00 5K since the regional meet, and did so with a 15:56.47 that put him in 77th place in Class 6A. Brownsville IDEA Frontier junior Victor Leos broke the 17-minute barrier with a 16:59.1 to finish 44th in Class 3A.

“(Abrego is) just a sophomore,” Hanna coach Olya Teran said. “He’s going to work harder and get better. … He was able to run under 16 (minutes) on the toughest course he’s run on all season.”

Abrego said San Benito’s Joaquin Medina texted him a note of support ahead of his race. Medina — a state qualifier who placed sixth at the Region IV Class 6A championship in Corpus Christi — attended the state meet but did not compete due to a pulled hamstring.

“I did want to give him a big thank you,” Abrego said. “The (message from Medina) was on my mind this whole week. I (am thankful for) all the people that have run with me (from the Rio Grande Valley) this season. … My community is my support (base), and that’s what gets me to come to places like this.”

The top team from the Rio Grande Valley in Class 6A was Donna North, which placed 16th. The Chiefs were fronted by Jorge Ponce, who ran a 16:05.96 to finish 95th. The fastest 6A boy from the Valley was PSJA North’s Hector Solis, who posted a 15:30.22 to end up 34th. Jeremy Nino, a senior from Edinburg Vela, placed 67th with a time of 15:48.83. La Joya Juarez Lincoln’s Freddy Calvillo (15:55.27) finished 76th, one spot ahead of Abrego.

Mission High’s Leila Arriola (18:41.12) was the fastest girl representing the Rio Grande Valley in Class 6A. Weslaco East’s Tessie Garcia (18:44.07) placed 51st, and Weslaco High’s Amity Ebarb (18:58.03) was 65th.

Santa Rosa’s Desiree Guerra (13:40.74) finished 108th out of 150 runners in the Class 3A girls division’s 3,200 meter race.

In Class 5A, the Sharyland High girls posted an eighth-place finish, led by sophomore Danielle Salinas (18:43.54) and senior Ana Hernandez (18:47.40).

In the boys division, Edcouch-Elsa featured two top-20 finishers. Seniors Albino Rodriguez (15:36.78) and Dominik Medrano (15:37.66) placed 17th and 18th overall, and the Yellowjackets finished 14th as a team.

Also in 5A, Samuel Martinez (15:50.80) was 40th in the individual standings for Donna High. PSJA Memorial junior Williams Macias (16:03.84) finished 55th. Mercedes’ Lupe Reyes ran a 16:15.47, good for 75th.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

The La Feria boys team and six individual qualifiers will be representing the East Valley and competing at the University Interscholastic League state meet Saturday at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.

Hanna’s John Abrego will be looking to leverage his past success at the McNeil Invitational on the same course on Sept. 28, where he ran the 5,000 meter race 16 minutes, 08.20 seconds.

San Benito senior Joaquin Medina was sixth in the Class 6A boys regional championship 5K race with a time of 16:02.49, or 5:10 per mile.

Abrego, a sophomore, earned the second-to-last 6A state qualifying spot by running a 16:22.27 and placing 16th in Corpus Christi.

“It’s a very challenging course, it’s probably the toughest course that they’re going to run,” Hanna coach Olaya Teran said. “He’s been running it since last year, so he knows what the course looks like.”

Teran said the course’s layout this year, which features 10 relatively sharp turns, has changed from the 2018 course, but Abrego’s familiarity with it should help him in Saturday’s competition.

The La Feria boys placed third at the Region IV championship meet in Corpus Christi on Oct. 28. The Lions were led by senior Santos Botello, who ran a 17:16.44 5K and finished 15th overall. La Feria finished 12th at state as a team in 2018.

The Lionettes will send their top runner, Marina Villanueva, who placed sixth in the 4A 3,200-meter race with a time of 12:17.30. At the state meet in 2017, Villanueva ran a 13:22.29 as a freshman, followed by a 12:50.72 in the 3,200 meter distance as a sophomore last season.

In Class 5A, Mercedes’ top runner, senior Guadalupe Reyes, placed 15th at the state meet in 2018 with a 5K time of 15:39.48, or a 5:01 mile pace.

Brownsville IDEA Frontier’s Victor Leos was the lone state qualifier from the East Valley in the boys division in Class 3A. The junior finished 15th overall and punched his ticket to Round Rock by clocking in with a 17:56.37 5K. As a freshman, Leos ran a 17:42.19 at the state meet, and followed that with 27th place overall finish in 17 minutes flat at Round Rock in 2018.

Chargers coach Albert Alanis said the focus for his runners in postseason meets is less on mileage and more on time, an inverse of the approach at the beginning when runners need to build up a base of high mileage.

“By hitting their times on a daily basis, their confidence goes up,” Alanis said. “And that helps tremendously in these big meets.”

Santa Rosa’s Desiree Guerra qualified as an individual in the 3A girls division with a time of 12:45.20 in the 3,200-meter distance that earned her an 11th place finish at the regional meet.

Guerra recorded a time of 13:26.02 at the state meet in 2017 as a sophomore.

“Really we’ve just been working on her mileage and speed,” Santa Rosa coach Larissa Hernandez said. “Figuring out how to find her place and being smart with her running. … This year she wants to be able to beat her time and place. All she really wants to do is run her best and hardest since it is her last year.”

The UIL state cross country meet is scheduled for Nov. 9 at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.

The Class 3A girls 3,200 meter race is scheduled to start at 10:50 AM, followed by the 3A boys 5K at 11:20 AM. The Class 4A girls 3,200 meter race is set to start at noon, followed by the Class 4A boys 5K at 12:30 p.m. The Class 5A boys 5K is slated for a 1:50 p.m. start, and the final event of the day is the Class 6A boys 5K at 3:10 p.m.

A complete schedule is available on the UIL website.

La Feria boys coach Joe Martinez, La Feria girls coach Graciela Campos, and San Benito boys coach Mark Buddle could not be reached for comment.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

Brownsville Veterans Memorial coach David Cantu’s motivation for his program after failing to meet the playoff qualification bar he has set for the last five seasons was simple.

The Chargers demonstrated they were eager to get back to achieving that goal in 2020 by closing out the 2019 season on a high note, emerging with a 34-24 victory over La Joya Palmview in the team’s regular season finale Thursday night at Sams Stadium.

“We sure did still have a lot to play for this week,” Cantu said. “We weren’t going to let a team win a district title here in Brownsville on our field. … This was our playoff game. It was a very powerful week for us.”

And while Cantu and the team prepared as such, he also told wide receiver Damian Maldonado he had the option to sit out the game to avoid an injury that could impact his role as the star of the Chargers’ basketball team.

Fortunately for the team on the gridiron, Maldonado opted to play and made several highlight-reel catches, including two catches that went for more than 50 yards, one of which went for a touchdown.

“I’m really proud of him,” Cantu said. “That’s what we’re all about here.”

The Chargers (7-3, 6-3 16-5A DI) will finish in fifth place in the district standings, and while Cantu has set a high bar of playoff performance as the standard for Brownsville Veterans, he and his squad can feel vindicated by an outing against one of the most prolific offenses in the Rio Grande Valley.

With Pace’s 33-22 loss at Rio Grande City also coming on Thursday, the Lobos (7-3, 7-2 16-5A DI) will be the third playoff seed from 16-5A DI. Rio Grande City clinched at least a share of the district title, which it would co-own with Mission Veterans should the Patriots win tonight against Lopez.

Senior running back J.R. Moran exploded for a 50-yard gain to get into Palmview territory and put a bow on the Chargers’ first drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to give Brownsville Veterans a 7-0 lead at the 10:04 mark of the first quarter.

“(Moran) had the game of his life,” Cantu said. “He’s a slashing type back that’s able to have quick bursts, and he brought something extra special for the last game of his career.”
Palmview responded after senior running back/wide receiver Cruz Barrientos rushed for a gain of 23 to set up junior running back Carlos Peña’s 1-yard Palmview touchdown to pull the Lobos back even with 1:57 to go in the first quarter.

Chargers senior quarterback Liam Longoria went deep for senior wide receiver Damian Maldonado with 10 seconds to go in the first quarter for a 57-yard touchdown to put Brownsville Veterans back ahead.

Cantu said he was proud of his quarterback for playing through severe ankle ailments.

With senior quarterback David Gonzalez at the helm of the Palmview offense, the Lobos continued to feed Peña the ball, as their leading rusher pounded the ball across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game up once again with 4:50 to go in the second quarter.

Brownsville Veterans junior running back Marlon Montelongo helped the Chargers retake the lead after accepting a delayed handoff up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown. After the ensuing extra point attempt was blocked, the Chargers led by six with 2:26 left in the first half.

After AJ Chapa rushed for a 41-yard gain on a draw to the Chargers’ 41-yard line at the two minute mark, the Lobos threatened to take their first lead of the ballgame, advancing as far as the 4-yard line after being backed up by a pair of procedural penalties. Palmview opted to put the ball in the hands of Gonzalez instead of Pena or Chapa, and the Brownsville Veterans defense came through with a key goal line stand to take a 20-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Peña’s 34-yard field goal brought the Lobos within three points with 8:31 to play in the third quarter, but the Brownsville Veterans defense stonewalled the potent Palmview attack for much of the half.

Cantu said Thursday’s defensive unit was patched together after missing three to four key senior starters due to injuries, which he added was a tribute to defensive coordinator Dave Evans and his staff, as well as the JV players who were unexpectedly called upon to suit up for the Chargers’ homecoming game.

The Lobos did not score again until the 1:17 mark of the fourth quarter, when Gonzalez hit senior tight end Jerry Galvan for a three-yard touchdown pass to bring the visitors back within 10 points.

Longoria threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Marlon Montelongo that gave the Chargers a 27-17 lead with 9:11 to play in regulation and Elijah Masten rushed for a 31-yard touchdown on a reverse to provide Brownsville Veterans with its largest advantage, 34-17, with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

The only thing standing in the way of Harlingen High’s bid for a perfect District 32-6A record to cap the 2019 regular season is perhaps one of the teams best suited to play the role of spoiler – Brownsville Rivera.

While the Cardinals (8-1, 4-0 32-6A) have a seven-game winning streak against the Raiders (2-7, 1-3), there is a case to be made for a David vs. Goliath scenario. Harlingen High will be playing to earn the District 32-6A title outright and deny rival San Benito any chance of sharing the district championship in the event that the second place Greyhounds (5-4, 3-1 32-6A) take care of business against Los Fresnos.

And Rivera has, in a close win over the Falcons and a close loss to Brownsville Veterans Memorial, demonstrated an ability to hang tough against quality opponents. But the Raiders will likely need a flawless performance and a significant amount of good fortune to slow down Jaime Galvan (who recently surpassed 2,000 all-purpose yards on his own) and Co. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sams Stadium.

In District 16-5A Division I, the Chargers (6-3, 5-3 16-5A DI) will be on the outside looking in at the 2019 playoffs no matter the outcome of their regular season finale against La Joya Palmview at 7 p.m. tonight at Sams Stadium. But with the Lobos (7-2, 7-1 16-5A DI) being one of three one-loss teams atop District 16-5A DI, Brownsville Veterans could shake up the playoff picture considerably by defeating Palmview, which prevailed in last year’s meeting between the two programs, 28-10.

Pace, which defeated Brownsville Veterans last week, sits in the fourth playoff spot. The Vikings (6-3, 6-2 16-5A DI) will pay a visit to Rio Grande City at 7 p.m. tonight. The Rattlers (8-1, 7-1 16-5A DI) lost to Mission Veterans Memorial on Sept. 20, and lost last year’s game against Pace 57-28.

Many of the remaining Brownsville schools in 16-5A have been reduced to spoiler roles, including Lopez, which will hit the road to play district-leading Mission Veterans at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Porter will look to finish in sixth place in the district when they host PSJA Southwest to conclude the regular season slate at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sams Stadium.

In TAPPS action, St. Joseph Academy will try to bolster its playoff seeding in District 4 Division II when it visits San Antonio Christian at 7 p.m. Friday. The Bloodhounds (3-6, 0-2 4-DII) would clinch the third seed with a victory over the Lions (4-5, 1-2 4-DII).

SUB 5A ROUNDUP

Lyford has won four of its last five District 16-3A Division I contests, including a 27-21 victory over San Diego.

The Bulldogs (4-5, 4-2 16-3A DI) come into their Friday night matchup at Corpus Christi Bishop all but assured of a playoff spot, but they still have to win to assure they retain the third seed. A Lyford loss combined with a San Diego win would result in a playoff showdown with Jourdanton, the District 15-3A Division I champion.

Lyford is 5-0 in its last five meetings against the Badgers (1-9, 1-6 16-3A DI).

In District 16-2A Division I, Santa Maria will travel to face Freer at 7:30 p.m. Friday. At stake for the Cougars (6-2, 2-2 16-2A DI) is also the third playoff seed in the district. If Santa Maria wins against the Buckaroos (5-4, 2-2 16-2A DI), it will play Weimar, and if the Cougars lose, they would fall to fourth place and have a bi-district matchup against District 15-2A Division I champion Shiner.

Santa Maria is 1-2 in its last three games against Freer, dropping last year’s meeting against the Buckaroos at home 15-14.

Ahead of a visit to Premont at 7 p.m. Friday, La Villa has won three consecutive District 16-2A Division II games, including a 43-0 rout of Woodsboro last Friday.

The Cardinals (3-6, 3-1 16-2A DII) would hang on to the second seed in the district with a win, and lose their position to Bruni with the combination of a Bruni win and La Villa loss. The Cardinals would play the winner of the game between D’Hanis and Runge if they finish in second place. La Pryor would be La Villa’s bi-district playoff opponent in the event it finishes in third.

The Cardinals defeated the Cowboys (4-5, 2-2 16-2A DII) 35-6 in 2018.

LA FERIA — The La Feria Lions secured their third straight District 16-4A Division I championship in as many years, defeating Hidalgo 28-12 on Friday night to wrap up an undefeated regular season.

With the victory, La Feria coach Oscar Salinas picked up his third season of 10 wins or more at the helm of the Lions (10-0, 4-0 16-4A Division I) since becoming the program’s head coach in 2011.

“It’s just a wonderful feeling to finish at home with a district championship,” Salinas said. “There’s no better way. We have such great fans, so to be able to celebrate with them is just a fantastic feeling. We did a fantastic job tonight.”

Despite their defeat, the Pirates (7-2, 2-1 16-4A Division I) proved to be one of La Feria’s most daunting regular-season foes, with a defense that kept the Lions in check for much of the first half. However, the La Feria defense was even more intimidating, fronted by consistent pressure and jarring hits by defensive tackle Andrew Rodriguez and defensive end Guillermo Vargas.

After a scoreless first quarter that featured a turnover forced by safety Jayden Torres and a goal-line stand by the Hidalgo defense, La Feria quarterback Dorian Hernandez got the home team on the board with a 20-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Dereck Perez. Perez struck again to double the Lions’ lead after a 3-yard rushing touchdown with 8:30 to play in the third quarter.

Hidalgo responded at the 10:07 mark of the fourth quarter when quarterback Angel Sanchez connected with Gus Sanchez for a 12-yard touchdown that brought the Pirates’ deficit to eight points following a missed extra point.

Perez appeared to put the game away with a 47-yard gain and a 19-yard touchdown run on the following play with 8:06 remaining in the fourth quarter to give La Feria a 21-6 edge.

But Hidalgo running back Zachary Carrera, the focal point of the Pirates’ offense, gave the visitors a sudden jolt of momentum with a 75-yard touchdown run to bring Hidalgo back within single digits of La Feria at 21-12 with 6:22 to play.

La Feria stamped out the Hidalgo comeback bid for good when Dorian Hernandez fired a dart to a double-covered Caleb Flores for a leaping 35-yard touchdown grab with 2:05 to play.

“(Hernandez) found his playmakers when he needed them,” Salinas said. “He did a great job. He’s limited right now with his foot and his wrist, but he’s a warrior. He has the heart of a lion. He’s a legend for us. He’s won three district titles at quarterback, and I can’t say enough about how much we respect his work and what he’s done for us.”

For good measure, cornerback Evan Avila intercepted a desperate pass attempt with 10 seconds to go to allow Hernandez and the Lions to kneel out the clock, and the celebration ensued.

La Feria nose guard Israel Rodriguez, who is regarded as the team’s spiritual and emotional leader, had led the team in a postgame prayer for each of the past 10 weeks. This time, the senior listened quietly as a Hidalgo assistant coach delivered the prayer as both teams huddled together, arm-in-arm at midfield.

But he took a moment afterward to speak in front of the large group and praise the effort of players from both teams, referring to them all as “brothers” and wishing Hidalgo well as it also goes on to represent District 16-4A Division I in the postseason.

“These boys motivate me a lot,” Rodriguez said. “I love what I do, and I know they love what they do. And I want what’s best for them. I’ll do everything in my power to get us to be the best we can be. … In practice we work hard and we work double. … We just keep that energy, and we bring it to the field.”