By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

Before La Feria’s 28-23 win over Grulla, the last time the unbeaten Lions had an opponent finish within five points of them was a 35-31 home victory over Mercedes on Sept. 13.

The District 16-4A Division I leader is now looking to cap a daunting regular season at home with an opportunity to lock up the district title against Hidalgo after playing five of its last six games on the road, all without a bye week. La Feria has racked up a plus-283-point differential in nine games, and averaged nearly 480 yards per game on offense while limiting opponents to a mere 256 yards per game.

La Feria coach Oscar Salinas said playing in a tight contest against Grulla was helpful in their preparation for the second-best team in 16-4A DI.

“It helps to play a four-quarter game, a tight game,” Salinas said. “It brings situational football into play, and we get to work on those things that you won’t be able to get in practice. Any time (you can face a quality opponent on the road) it’s good, but especially coming into a game against (an opponent) like Hidalgo.”

In the absence of Avishai Dickerson, who was still ineligible as of Thursday afternoon, Angel Garcia stepped up to become the latest running back to have a breakout game for the Lions (9-0, 3-0 16-4A DI). Salinas also added he hopes to have right tackle Jose Lugo to return from injury, as well as linebacker Ricky Cantu.

“We’re fortunate that we’ve had some depth this year that we haven’t had in the past,” Salinas said. “Kids have stepped up, and we’ve had some consistent play — our receiving corps has been real solid. And whether it’s Angel, or whichever running back we put back there, we’ve had good rushing yardage.”

Garcia rushed for 260 yards on 29 carries and has since eclipsed quarterback Dorian Hernandez as the team’s leading rusher with 771 total yards and four touchdowns, averaging 8.1 yards per carry.

“He’s a bruiser, he’s a big kid,” Salinas said. “He’s gotten a lot more reps now, and he’s started to get the vision to find the hole and to read the (offensive line’s) blocking. He’s done a really good job of that.”

La Feria is 12-3 against the Pirates (7-1, 2-0 16-4A DI) in the last 15 meetings between the two schools. The Lions have won the last six matchups in a row handily, by an average margin of 37 points. But Salinas knows Hidalgo is a different team under coach Monty Stumbaugh.

“They’re big offensively, they’re big up front,” Salinas said. “They have some size. They do a good job of running their system, and they haven’t made any mistakes. … They’re a good football team and we’re gonna have to be ready to go.”

The Pirates are led on offense by running back Zachary Carrera, who has 19 touchdowns and 1,691 yards on the ground in eight games this season.

“He’s very patient,” Salinas said. “He’s quick, and once he gets into the open field he’s able to take it the distance. He’s not a very big kid, but he does a good job leaving the blocks and finding holes and getting positive yardage.”

Hidalgo senior quarterback Angel Lopez has thrown for 710 yards and seven touchdown passes through seven games.

Salinas said he expects to have a playoff atmosphere for what will essentially be a de facto district championship game, followed by a much-needed week of rest for his group, which hasn’t had a week off since August.

“It’s going to be a good game,” Salinas said. “We feel like we’re ready to go. We’re hoping to get some kids back that are banged up like everybody is right now.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight at Lion Stadium.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

The District 32-6A playoff picture remains very much a blur entering the penultimate week of the regular season, with four teams in contention for two playoff berths.

Los Fresnos visits Brownsville Hanna at 7 p.m. tonight at Sams Stadium with both team’s postseason aspirations on the line. The Falcons (2-6, 1-2 32-6A) are currently in sixth place in the district and are trying to snap a two-game losing skid. The fourth-place Golden Eagles (3-5, 1-2 32-6A) have also dropped two straight.

Fifth-place Brownsville Rivera will try to keep its playoff hopes alive when the Raiders (2-7, 1-3 32-6A) host San Benito at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Greyhounds (4-4, 2-1 32-6A) are in second place in the district standings.

In District 16-4A Division II, Port Isabel and Rio Hondo will square off in a matchup that will likely decide the No. 2 playoff seed behind first-place Raymondville. The Tarpons (3-5, 1-1 16-4A DII) will look to snap a five-game losing streak against the Bobcats (4-4, 1-1 16-4A DII). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Rio Hondo.

Meanwhile, Lyford will play host to Santa Gertrudis at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Bulldogs (3-5, 3-2 16-3A DI) currently hold the fourth seed in District 16-3A Division I. Lyford has won the last three meetings between the two programs by a combined score of 101-20.

Santa Rosa will try to leapfrog into playoff position with a win over Corpus Christi London. The Warriors (5-4, 2-3 16-3A DII) will face one of their toughest tests of the season when they host the Pirates 6-1, 4-0 16-3A DII) at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Santa Rosa lost to Corpus Christi London 56-20 last season.

In District 16-2A Division I, Santa Maria will play a home game against Riviera Kaufer at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Cougars (5-2, 1-2 16-2A DII) defeated the Seahawks (2-6, 0-3 16-2A DII) 32-12 in 2018, but Santa Maria had lost the four prior meetings between the two schools.

La Villa is looking to tighten its grip on the second seed in District 16-2A Division II when the Cardinals (2-6, 2-1 16-2A DI) close out their regular season home slate with a tilt against the Woodsboro Eagles at 7:30 p.m. Friday. La Villa lost to Woodsboro 42-38 last season.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Led by Kenya Ibarra and Christina Garza, Rivera completed a season sweep of Harlingen High in four sets 26-24, 26-24, 17-25, 25-21 on Tuesday to move to 7-3 in District 32-6A.

The Lady Cardinals (3-7) squandered an opportunity to boost their playoff prospects, as Hanna (3-7) lost to Harlingen South (7-3).

Rivera coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra said she and Lady Hawks coach Anissa Lucio will have a conversation to discuss whether the two teams will have a coin flip or play an extra game to decide the second playoff seed in the district. Rivera and Harlingen South split their two regular-season meetings this season.

“They’re in the same situation as we are, that we had to win,” Avelar-Guerra said. “So we’ll see what happens.”

The match featured several swings and lead changes, as Harlingen High got out ahead in the first game thanks to a pair of kills by Elaine Coronado. But the Lady Cardinals let a 17-10 lead slip away, and Laisha Izaguirre and Christian Garza helped the Lady Raiders rally to take the first game.

Avelar-Guerra said the match was significant in that it had several teachable moments for the Lady Raiders to benefit from, including learning how her players responded after building up leads and rallying after trailing.

“It was very important,” Avelar-Guerra said. “Now we’re getting ready to go into the playoffs. The girls need to have a compass for the way they play.”

The Lady Raiders’ coach cited improved communication and defense for the team’s hot start during the first two games, and its ability to move on and bounce back after the third game. She also noted that the ball was being distributed evenly, as players like Alondra Garza, Kimberly Chavez and Alondra Guzman also were involved in Rivera’s attack.

Rivera rode the hot hand of Garza during the second game after allowing Harlingen High to climb back from an 18-14 edge.

With the match tied at 23, the serve from Harlingen High’s Elena Auguinaga went out of bounds to tie it at 24, and the Lady Raiders scored the next two points to take the second game 26-24.

The Lady Cardinals responded with a decisive third-set victory as Juli Bryant recorded three key kills to preserve a three-point lead, including a block that widened the Harlingen High lead to 21-15.

Avelar-Guerra praised Bryant’s play and said she felt Harlingen High had improved from the last time the teams met Oct. 8

“They blocked really well, and they were not letting the ball drop,” Avelar-Guerra said. “They picked up a lot of balls. (Bryant) really stepped it up. She did a good job blocking, and she started hitting the ball really well.”

Neither team led by more than four points during a back-and-forth fourth game. Bryant tried to will her team to victory by giving the Lady Cardinals tying and go-ahead kills down the stretch, Harlingen High’s 18th and 19th points.

But ultimately, Ibarra delivered three of the last five crucial points for the Lady Raiders, including a kill to seal the match at 25-21.

“We were taught by our coach that you can do anything, and you have to push through every single point,” Ibarra said. “Everybody works hard, and everybody’s come along way. We’re all growing every single game.”

Pending the settlement of Rivera and South’s playoff seeding, the Lady Raiders will await a bi-district matchup with either Edinburg North or Edinburg High, the respective second and third seeds in District 31-6A.

Harlingen High and Hanna also have to resort to either a coin toss or a play-in match to determine who will face top seed Edinburg Vela, the 31-6A champion.

By STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writer

CORPUS CHRISTI — After dueling for an entire season, San Benito’s Joaquin Medina and Brownsville Hanna’s John Abrego clashed again at the University Interscholastic League Region IV cross country championship meet Monday on the campus of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Abrego bested Medina when the pair finished first and second at the District 32-6A championship meet Oct. 11, but it was the top Greyhounds runner who got the better of the leading Golden Eagles runner during the Class 6A boys 5K race, the final event of an action-packed day.

“I was running like I had a vengeance to run,” Medina said. “I just want to thank him for motivating me. That’s why I ran the way I did today. … It was good to run against him.”

Make no mistake — Medina insisted that the hard feelings exist only toward the competition between himself and the clock, and that he and Abrego have a mutual respect that extends beyond their admiration of each other on the course.

“Ever since freshman year, I’ve had that feeling,” Abrego said. “‘Man, I’m going to get this guy. I’m going to pass him up one day.’ And I have (before). It’s something we’ve built where we’ve always congratulated each other after every race and knowing that we will both be successful.”

Medina, a senior, placed sixth with a time of 16:02.49, well ahead of Abrego. The Hanna sophomore squeaked by with the second-to-last state qualifying spot in 16:22.27. Medina said he fell back after leading for the first mile and estimated his pace through two miles was around 9:53, or 4:56 per mile. He added that he felt his approach was well-planned, because the time he gained during the first two-thirds of the race helped offset the losses of the last mile.

Abrego admitted he didn’t envision barely skating by to get to Round Rock, but he was pleased he accomplished his goal nonetheless.

“My goal was to go to state,” Abrego said. “The way I executed it may have not been the way I wanted to. But God has blessed me with so much, and my surrounding community has supported me so much throughout the whole way. My coaches, Brownsville — they have all believed in me.”

Hanna coach Olaya Teran said it was important for Abrego to go into the regional meet with a goal of breaking 16 minutes, because even though he came up short in that regard, he pushed himself past the critical threshold of a sub-16:30 time, which allowed him to earn his spot.

“Each place counts, and that’s what helped him,” Teran said. “I’m really happy for him that he was able to pull it off, because it was super close.”

On the other end of the qualification bubble was Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Valeria Gamez, who saw a significant dropoff from the time that won her a district title. Finishing in 22nd place and clocking in at 20:29.88 in the girls Class 5A 5K race, the junior missed out on a trip to the state field by two tenths of a second, losing a chance at the final individual bid clinched by La Joya Palmview’s Destiny Quintanilla.

In Class 4A, the La Feria boys maintained the formula that carried them to a second-place finish in District 32-4A behind powerhouse Progreso: running together.

Despite not having a single runner with an average pace better than 5:30 per mile, the Lions (167 points) showed they could hang tough with runner-up Liberty Hill (71 points) and the Region IV Class 4A champion Red Ants (55 points).

Pacing the La Feria boys was senior Santos Botello, who ran the 5K distance in 17:16.44 and placed 15th.

The Lionettes’ leading runner was junior Marina Villanueva, who recorded a time of 12:17.30, good for a sixth-place finish in the 4A 3,200-meter race and a state qualifying spot. She said last year’s experience in the regional meet helped her better prepare this time around.

“I kind of figured out my tactic that I like to use when I’m running,” Villanueva said. “At the end when you can’t feel your legs anymore, that’s when you run faster.”

In the Class 3A boys race, Brownsville IDEA Frontier junior Victor Leos 17:56.37 finished 15th and punched his ticket to Round Rock by qualifying as an individual. Santa Rosa’s Desiree Guerra (who ran a time of 12:45.20 in the 3,200-meter distance) also qualified by placing 11th in the girls race.

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

By STEFAN MODRICH

Staff Writer

On a night when defensive stops were a rare commodity, La Joya Palmview defensive back Freddy Flores helped turn the tide of a back-and-forth offensive affair in his squad’s favor with an interception of Lopez quarterback Jose Cruz to help preserve a two-score advantage en route to an 89-49 victory in a wild District 16-5A Division I clash Saturday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

After the pick, visiting La Joya Palmview (6-2, 6-1 16-5A Division I) drove from the Lopez 46-yard line for a 7-yard touchdown run by Carlos Pena that gave the team 55 first-half points and a 20-point lead with 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

“(The interception) set the tempo for the second half,” La Joya Palmview coach Margarito Requenez Jr. said. “I told the guys hopefully we’ll go (into the locker room) with a 21-point lead and we’re going to get the ball (to start the second half), so hopefully we can come back out and score and start (substituting in different players). It was a nice feeling.”

La Joya Palmview scored at will during the first quarter, racking up three touchdowns on the first snap of its first three drives. The first, a 22-yard touchdown run by Adrian Vasquez, came at the 11:18 mark of the first quarter after the defense forced a turnover, recovering a fumble that resulted when a bad snap sailed past Lopez quarterback Jose Cruz.

Cruz and Lopez (1-7, 1-6 16-5A Division I) answered promptly with an 81-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Munoz with 10:27 to go in the first quarter for the first of four ties in the ballgame. Seventeen seconds later, Carlos Pena gave the lead back to La Joya Palmview with a 35-yard touchdown run.

Running back AJ Chapa led the visitors with six touchdowns on the evening, the first of which came with 7:35 to play in the first quarter to bring the score to 21-7.

Following an interception by Lopez defensive back Alejandro Flores, Cruz found Jacob Cortinas for a 37-yard completion, and then the Lopez quarterback called his own number for an 18-yard rushing touchdown to bring the home team within seven points. Defensive lineman Isaias Lucio recovered a fumble that led to a 29-yard touchdown reception by Cortinas to tie the game at 21 with 3:06 to go in the first quarter.

Chapa and Cruz traded touchdown runs on the opening possessions of the second quarter to even the game at 28 with 9:28 remaining in the period.

Pena took the game into his own hands with a 95-yard kickoff return that set up a go-ahead 1-yard touchdown by Vasquez to help La Joya Palmview regain the lead after just 18 seconds had elapsed between Cruz’s tying score.

Cruz capped a drive that lasted two minutes and seven seconds with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Luis Barrera to even the game at 35 points apiece. It was effectively Lopez’s last gasp, as Pena added two more touchdowns (a 47-yarder and a 7-yarder) to close out the first half, and La Joya Palmview outscored Lopez 44-14 in the second half.

Requenez Jr. said his team has struggled in the past during Saturday games, but the La Joya Palmview defense eventually settled down toward the end of the first half and came out firing again to open the third quarter.

“Game in and game out, we try to control the ball,” Requenez Jr. said. “As long as we keep the ball and don’t turn it over, we’ll be sound.”

Chapa tallied three rushing touchdowns during the third quarter — a 42-yarder, a 37-yarder and a 56-yarder — to blow the game wide open.

Alexis Gonzalez also added a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Domingo Alvarez added a 43-yard rushing touchdown during the fourth quarter.

Lopez’s 35-point first-half output and 49-point total were single-game season highs. Munoz finished with three touchdown catches for Lopez, and Cruz rushed for two touchdowns and threw five touchdown passes.

Next up for Lopez is a home tilt with PSJA Memorial on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Sams Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

La Joya Palmview is scheduled to play host to Mission Veterans Memorial on Friday, Nov. 1, at La Joya ISD Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

One of the burdens of consistent success is the pressure of high expectations.

Coming off another pair of District 32-6A titles, that is exactly what Hanna cross country coach Olaya Teran’s squad will be facing at the University Interscholastic League Region IV championship meet Monday at the Dr. Jack A. Dugan Family Soccer and Track Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

For her top runners in the boys and girls divisions — John Abrego and Magali Osowski, respectively — to earn a trip to the state meet in Round Rock, they will need to improve upon their times from the district meet. Abrego, the overall district champion, led the field with a time of 16:03.6, but Teran said he likely will need to finish at his goal of a sub-16 minute 5K to qualify for the state meet. Osowski placed third at district with a 20:51 5K. Teran said her top runner expects to run at a faster pace in the 3,200 meter race at the Corpus Christi regional.

“ It’s going to be difficult,” Teran said. “(Abrego) is going to have to run a very tough race, and the competition will be tough and it should prepare him (for state). Hopefully he’ll have a good outcome and (obtain a personal record).

“ I think (Osowski) can go under 20 (minutes). It’s a new experience for her, and for (Brissa Stinson). She’s never run at the regional course. But they’re competitors. So hopefully they and (Alexia Perez) can run together.”

Teran noted that Perez, one of most her experienced runners, competed at the regional meet last season and made significant strides at this year’s Round Rock Invitational.

Abrego’s top local competition, aside from teammates Felipe Parra and Marcos Tellez, the third- and fourth-place finishers at district, respectively, is San Benito’s Joaquin Medina, the individual runner-up at the district meet. The Greyhounds’ boys team finished third in the team standings at district behind runner-up Harlingen High.

Los Fresnos is sending three individual qualifiers to the regional, including Jasmine Ponce and Natalie Guillen in the girls division and Michael Paredes in the boys division.

Other East Valley teams and runners to watch for include Valeria Gamez and the Brownsville Veterans Memorial girls, who captured their first District 32-5A championship Oct. 17, and the San Perlita boys, winners of four straight District 32-2A titles.

Lopez’s Kenya Gonzalez and Porter’s Estrella Medellin also will be competing as individual regional qualifiers alongside Gamez in the 5A girls varsity division.

In District 32-4A, La Feria will send 18 boys and girls to the regional championship. Raymondville’s Jacqueline Mendez earned an individual berth.

District 32-3A will be represented by girls division champion Santa Rosa and individual boys division qualifier Derek Guerra.

Also in 32-3A, Brownsville IDEA Frontier will be sending 17 boys and girls to the regional. Mariana Espinosa and Sandra Garza will compete as individuals for Brownsville Jubilee.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

PORT ISABEL— For the third straight year, Raymondville defeated Port Isabel in convincing fashion, as the defending District 16-4A Division II champions rolled to a 63-7 victory Friday night to put a damper on the homecoming festivities at Tarpon Stadium.

The Bearkats (7-1, 2-0 16-4A DII) wasted no time quieting the home crowd. ZaRaivion Armendarez rushed for a 63-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage to put the visitors on the scoreboard 25 seconds into the contest.

“We just came well-prepared,” Raymondville coach Frank Cantu said. “We were firing on all cylinders on offense and defense. We got on them early, and our big thing was, don’t (let) up. All honor and all glory to God. … I’m so thankful.”

The first of Justin Cantu’s three rushing touchdowns came at the 8:10 mark of the first quarter to give the Bearkats a 14-0 lead over the Tarpons (3-5, 1-1 16-4A DII).

Cantu struck again from 1 yard out to put Raymondville ahead by three scores with 2:15 remaining in the first quarter. He was set up on the previous play after he took the snap and handed off to Armendarez on a reverse. Armendarez rolled out and threw to wide-open quarterback Jayson Cantu (who had been shifted out wide as a receiver) for a gain of 20 yards.

“They’re everywhere,” Frank Cantu said of his big three skill position players. “It’s hard to put a finger on who you want to stop. We’re very fortunate to have those kind of options.”

Justin Cantu’s third touchdown, an 85-yarder, put the Bearkats up 35-0 with 2:22 to go in the second quarter.

Armendarez also had three rushing touchdowns, including a 5-yarder with 22 seconds left in the first half and a 45-yard touchdown run with 5:07 to play in the third quarter.

Justin Smith also added his name to the scoresheet with a 35-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter and a 12-yard touchdown with 1:15 to play in the third quarter.

Sophomore Victor Oviedo tacked on a 4-yard rushing touchdown for the Bearkats with 3:23 to go in the fourth quarter. Frank Cantu said he designated the final period for his squad as an opportunity to rest starters and give backups and third-stringers extra repetitions as the team gears up for a playoff run. Freshman Diego Gutierrez also got an extended look under center.

“Our seconds and thirds, those guys work hard,” Frank Cantu said. “They gave us everything they had. … They did a good job.”

Port Isabel’s early struggles in the field position battle were Raymondville’s gain, and continued to be a problem for the home team during the second half. The Tarpons were unable to generate a sustained attack, punting on their first three drives. Each of the Tarpons’ drives that ventured into Raymondville territory was stalled due to unforced errors, including botched snaps and false starts. Mac Strunk’s 99-yard kickoff return with 59 seconds left in the third quarter ended the Bearkats’ shutout bid.

“(Strunk) is a great kid, I’m happy for him,” Frank Cantu said. “He had a hell of a run, and that’s an awesome job on his part.”

Next week, Raymondville plays host to Progreso at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Port Isabel will visit Rio Hondo, where kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

Winners of six straight, Raymondville enters tonight’s District 16-4A Division II clash at Port Isabel as one of the hottest teams in the Rio Grande Valley.

The Bearkats (6-1, 1-0 16-4A DII) boast the top defense in the district, yielding just 14.5 points per game and 219 yards per game. Port Isabel is coming off of a 69-0 win over Progreso in its district opener.

The Tarpons (3-4, 1-0 16-4A DII) are 11-6 in the last 17 meetings between the two schools, but the Bearkats have won the last two matchups by a combined magin of 70-7.

The Raymondville defensive line had one of its best performances of the season last week, recording five sacks of Rio Hondo quarterback Matthew Trevino. Dylan Ramirez accounted for two sacks, while Isaiah Gloria, Jayden Galvan, and Jaden Brooks each had one. The Bearkats also forced two turnovers, including an interception by Arturo Sayas and a fumble recovery by Jose Guajardo.

Raymondville will need a similar effort against the Tarpons. Port Isabel has averaged 391 yards per game on offense, led by workhorse Brayan Medina (who has posted 845 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground) at running back and an increasingly confident Joey Kreighbaum under center who has thrown for more than 1,000 yards through seven games.

“(Port Isabel) is very tough, they’re explosive,” Cantu said. “We’ve got our defense set, and I’m sure they’ve got theirs as well. We’re going to have to play our best football to try and come out of there with a ‘W.’”

As Kreighbaum’s poise in the pocket has improved, his receiving corps has reaped the benefits. Will Camacho, the team’s leading wideout, has nine catches for 285 yards, and Medina is the second-best pass-catcher, hauling in 16 receptions for 269 yards. Four other Tarpons have at least 100 receiving yards, including Mac Strunk (142 yards on 13 catches), Michael Perez (six receptions for 139 yards) Angel Nino (six catches for 131 yards) and Tito Zamarron (10 catches for 127 yards).

Two-way players to watch include Raymondville running back/defensive back ZaRaivion Armendarez (1,011 rushing yards on 84 carries and 369 receiving yards on 14 catches), and Port Isabel linebacker/quarterback Zaid Calderon.

Cantu said he believes the run game and time of possession will be a key factor in tonight’s contest.

“(Port Isabel) is going to be tough,” Cantu said. “It should be a good ballgame.”

Rain was forecasted for late Thursday night and earlier this morning in Port Isabel, which could affect field conditions. The temperature around kickoff is expected to be around 62 degrees, and winds approaching 28 miles per hour are expected.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. from Tarpon Stadium.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

La Feria, the only remaining unbeaten team in the Rio Grande Valley, continues its District 16-4A Division II slate when the Lions, reinvigorated by the successful return of quarterback Dorian Hernandez (8-0, 2-0 16-4A DI) travel to play at Grulla at 7 p.m. tonight.

A pivotal game in District 32-6A pits fourth-place Rivera at Harlingen South at 7:30 p.m. at Boggus Stadium. First-place Harlingen High losts Los Fresnos, as the Falcons will look to battle back into contention after dropping last week’s district game against Rivera.

A matchup between Harlingen High’s last two opponents has significant implications for the 32-6A playoff picture, when Brownsville Hanna hosts San Benito at 7:30 p.m at Sams Stadium. The Eagles (3-4, 1-1 32-6A) currently occupy the second playoff spot in 32-6A, while the Greyhounds (3-4, 1-1 32-6A) sit in third.

In a showdown of two of the most explosive offenses and the only teams to pick up a win during the first week 16-4A Division II play, Port Isabel will host Raymondville at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Bearkats (6-1, 1-0 16-4A DII) defeated the Tarpons (3-4, 1-0 16-4A DII) 48-0 last season.

In District 16-4A Division II, Rio Hondo also hits the road for a tilt with Progreso at 7:30 p.m Friday. The Bobcats (3-4, 0-1 16-4A DII) will look to secure their first district win and rebound from last week’s home loss to Raymondville when they take on the Red Ants (3-5, 0-1 16-4A DII)

After a rocky start, Lyford appears to have righted the ship and emerge as one of the hottest teams in District 16-3A Division I. The Bulldogs are primed for a road trip to face Mathis at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Several other East Valley teams will hit the road for Friday night games, including La Villa at Bruni at 7 p.m., Santa Rosa at Taft at 7:30 p.m., and Santa Maria at Refugio at 7:30 p.m.

The Cardinals (1-6, 1-1 16-2A DII) will look to gain ground in district against the Badgers, (2-5, 2-0 16-2A DI). The Warriors (5-3, 2-2 16-3A DI) have won back-to-back games and sit in fourth place in District 16-3A Division I ahead of their game against the Greyhounds (3-4, 2-1 16-3A DI). The Cougars (5-1, 1-1 16-2A DII) will hope to take a step toward earning a district crown when they do battle with the Bobcats (7-0, 2-0 16-2A DI), the top team in District 16-2A Division I.

the District 16-5A Division I slate of games this week gets underway with a trio of key matchups at 7 p.m. tonight, including Pace at Mission Veterans, Porter at PSJA Memorial and Brownsville Veterans Memorial playing host to PSJA Southwest.

The district-leading Patriots (6-1, 6-0 16-5A DI) are set to battle the fourth-place Vikings (5-2, 5-1 16-5A DI).

The Chargers (5-2, 4-2 16-5A DI) are on the outside looking in at the final playoff spot, so Brownsville Veterans will have a vested interest in the outcome of Mission Veterans’ battle with the Chargers’ archrival. Brownsville Veterans will be the first of three area teams to play a home game at Sams Stadium this week.

In TAPPS action, St. Joseph Academy hits the road to face San Antonio Christian. The Bloodhounds (2-5, 0-1 District 4 Division II) are set to play the Lions (3-4, 0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

MERCEDES — Led by Mika Vento and fueled by the motivation of ending their playoff drought, the Mercedes Lady Tigers held on to the No. 3 spot in the District 32-5A standings with a four-set win over Pace on Tuesday night, 20-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-9.

“We need to win out so we can get into that third-place spot,” Vento said. “Every little thing (we do) is going to spark that. It’s not just me. If one of the defensive players gets (the ball) up and our setter works really hard, and she gets up and gets that set … We’re all working so hard for each other to get that point and to keep pushing.”

The Lady Tigers started fast in each of the four games, including an 8-2 run to open the first game. Pace took its first lead of the night after a Vento shot hit the net.

Ana Cano punched a pair of service aces, and Lilia Guevara followed that by recording a block of a Vento hit that made it 19-17. The Viqueens went on to win six of the next eight points and the set.

Vivian Lucio and Leslie Soto also delivered in key moments for Pace to help the Viqueens take the first set.

“After we lost the first set, (the coaches) kind of just sat back,” Mercedes coach Stephanie Flores said. “Our leaders, our seniors, just went ahead and just told (the team), ‘Guys, we want this so bad, going into the end of the season to make the playoffs.’”

Mercedes’ Cerina Limas posted a kill that brought the Pace lead down to one during the second game. Vento notched back-to-back kills to give her team the lead at 12-11, and won four of the last points to take the second set and even the match.

The Lady Tigers led 5-1 and 8-2 during the early stages of the third game, before Pace’s Valerie Vera and Renatta Cano helped the visitors get to within striking distance, down 12-10.

But Vento again took over the match, giving her team a five-point edge with a kill and following it with an ace that put Mercedes ahead 22-16 and for good the rest of the way.

Pace’s bid to shake up the playoff picture in the district ultimately fell flat, as the Viqueens were outmatched during the fourth game. Vento again pounded home two straight kills to take an early lead as part of 5-0 run that quickly ballooned to 11-2 and 17-6.

The Lady Tigers relied upon the play of Ayala Ledesma, Cerina Limas and Malaya Vallejo throughout the match, and the trio came up clutch for Mercedes during the fourth game. Flores said Vallejo and Ledesma both made the switch from outside hitter to middle blocker just three days ago to fill in for injured regulars.

“Mika just did great in the middle, from the outside,” Pace coach Pamela McCumber said. “She was good everywhere.”

The Lady Tigers relied upon the play of Ayala Ledesma, Cerina Limas and Malaya Vallejo throughout the match, and the trio came up clutch for Mercedes during the fourth game. Flores said Vallejo and Ledesma both made the switch from outside hitter to middle blocker just three days ago to fill in for injured regulars.

While McCumber was pleased her team’s defensive effort in the first game, Pace was unable to maintain the same intensity for four straight sets.

“We just lost our steam,” McCumber said. “We lost (the edge) we needed to win the game.”