By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

PORT ISABEL — Patience has been the most underrated virtue of the La Feria offense in its dominant start to the 2019 season.

La Feria’s moxie was on display again in a 47-7 win over Port Isabel on Saturday night at Tarpon Stadium, as senior quarterback Dorian Hernandez ran for two touchdowns and threw for five scores in the rout.

The Lions (4-0) punted twice on their first two possessions of the game, giving the Tarpons great starting field position.

“We haven’t started as fast as we’ve wanted to,” La Feria coach Oscar Salinas said. “After that, we kind of get ourselves going. But we are struggling a little bit in our first possession a little bit. But once we get going, and we figure out the (defensive) fronts, that’s what our spread (offense) is about, recognizing what they’re going to give us.”

Salinas said that another key aspect of the offense’s success under Hernandez is his ability to react and adjust to schemes of opposing defenses, especially when they show him a look that he and the La Feria coaches may not have expected.

Port Isabel squandered its quality chances from the outset of Friday night’s contest. The Tarpons began their first drives on their own 44-yard line and own 45-yard line.

Junior quarterback Joey Kreighbaum and senior wide receiver/running back Mac Strunk formed an effective rushing tandem, but failed to get any closer than field-goal range.

The Lions also shut down Port Isabel star running back Brayan Medina. The senior’s touches were limited, as was his overall impact once the stout La Feria defense rendered the run-dependent Port Isabel attack one-dimensional.

“That was the game plan tonight,” Salinas said. “We knew we had to stop No. 25. He’s been a threat, he’s a great athlete and a great running back as well. We tried to neutralize him as best as we could, and that was our game plan, to let the rest of them make plays if they could.”

The real trouble for the Tarpons began after Hernandez opened the scoring with a 19-yard rushing touchdown with 1:16 to play in the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, La Feria senior defensive end Eliseo Cruz recovered a fumble. Port Isabel was penalized for an illegal wedge formation on the play, which allowed the Lions to start inside the Tarpons’ 20-yard line. Moments later, Hernandez rushed for a 3-yard touchdown as the clock ran out on the first quarter.

With 5:36 remaining in the second quarter, La Feria running back Chris Diaz outraced the Port Isabel defense to etch his name into the scoresheet with an 80-yard touchdown run. Hernandez also found Dereck Perez for a 48-yard touchdown pass to widen the margin to 34-0 with 34 seconds to play in the first half

Diaz’s 30-yard punt return set up the first of two touchdown connections between Hernandez and tight end Caleb Flores. The first was a 16-yarder that made it 27-0 with 3:35 to play in the second quarter, and the second, a 40-yarder, made it 41-0 in favor of La Feria with 2:09 to play in the third quarter.

Salinas said the timing between Hernandez and his top targets has been a process of continuous improvement atop a foundation of already solid chemistry.

“They’ve been working together for a while, and you can tell by the timing,” Salinas said. “They know where they need to go when (Hernandez) scrambles. Right now we’re playing really well, and we just need to keep getting better from there.”

Port Isabel linebacker/backup quarterback Zaid Calderon got the Tarpons on the board with a 75-yard touchdown pass to Michael Perez with 1:58 to go in the third quarter.

The Lions retained their 40-point advantage when Hernandez linked with Diaz again for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 9:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.

La Feria next plays Brownsville Rivera at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville, and Port Isabel will play host to Brownsville St. Joseph, at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.

Stefan Modrich | Staff Writer

After a tough road trip to Converse Judson resulted in Harlingen High’s first loss of the season, the Cardinals returned to the Rio Grande Valley only to hit the road once more for another non-district test at Weslaco East at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The Wildcats (1-2) dropped their last game at Brownsville Hanna 21-19. The Cardinals (2-1) are looking to set themselves back on a winning trajectory in their second-to-last non-district contest.

Harlingen South will have a chance to build on a dominant showing at McAllen High last Thursday, a 44-14 win. The Hawks (2-1) are slated to take on Weslaco High at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The Panthers (2-1) picked up a 24-7 victory over PSJA North last week.

Meanwhile, San Benito will leave the Rio Grande Valley again for a showdown with Laredo United. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday from Laredo. The Longhorns (2-1) lost their season opener in a shootout with Edinburg Vela, 51-46.

The Greyhounds (2-1) dispatched PSJA High on the road last week, 34-13.

In District 16-4A Division II action, Raymondville will host Brownsville St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Bearkats (2-1) will be the third team from 16-4A Division II to play the Bloodhounds (2-1) this season.

Raymondville is coming off of a 42-0 victory over rival Lyford, which is on a bye this week and opens District 16-3A Division I play at home against George West at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27

Rio Hondo, which also picked up a win over St. Joseph in Week 3, hosts Hidalgo at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Pirates (2-1) and former Port Isabel coach Monty Stumbaugh have earned wins over the Bulldogs and Tarpons so far this season.

The Bobcats (2-1) defeated Rio Hondo 56-0 last season.

Port Isabel will look to be the first team to knock off the undefeated La Feria Lions at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Tarpons (1-2) will have their work cut out for them when they a 3-0 La Feria squad with an average margin of victory of 31 points through three weeks.

Fresh off a 38-28 win in the Sugar Bowl over La Villa, Santa Rosa will travel to play Progreso at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Warriors (2-1) topped the Red Ants (2-1) 21-0 in their 2018 meeting.

After a resounding 34-0 victory over Premont, Santa Maria will take its bye week and then head to La Villa at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27. The Cougars (2-1) lost in a close contest to the Cardinals (2-1) last season, 14-13.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

LA FERIA – La Feria’s first real test of its 2019 season came under an appropriate backdrop, a September sky featuring a moon that, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, was about 99.9 percent full at sundown on Friday the 13th.

The Lions (3-0) prevailed 35-31 in a come-from-behind thriller over Mercedes in front of a packed house at Lion Stadium, a contest which marked the first time La Feria trailed at home this season and the first time all year that the Lions trailed in the second half of a game.

“This was a tough win,” La Feria head coach Oscar Salinas said. “You need these games. You need to get better like that, and we got it done. The kids got it done and we showed a lot of character.”

Leading 28-24 with 1:40 to play in the fourth quarter, Mercedes defensive back Ramiro Ortiz stepped in front of and intercepted a pass from La Feria quarterback Dorian Hernandez, and Ortiz returned it 52-yards for a touchdown that put the visitors ahead 31-28.

Less than 20 seconds later, Hernandez (four touchdowns and two interceptions) delivered a 45-yard strike to Caleb Flores and then delivered the game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass to a heavily-covered Aaron Trevino.

Like Hernandez, Flores had also made a couple of crucial mistakes that came in the form of dropped passes, but the veteran leaders redeemed themselves when they linked up on the Lions’ final offensive drive.

“(Flores) has grown up so much,” Salinas said. “He could have got down on himself, but he didn’t, he picked everybody up, and he made the plays. It’s great to see his maturity to overcome a mistake like that.”

Salinas could have been speaking about Hernandez too, who made what could have been a consequential mental mistake with under nine minutes to play in the third quarter, when he mishandled a snap on fourth down and tried to look for a receiver on fourth down deep in his own territory instead of his usual punting duties.

But the Lions defense picked up its quarterback by forcing the Tigers to kick a field goal, who in turn made several plays with his legs and his arm to rally his team to victory.

Mercedes kicker Rodrigo Martinez was good on each of his three field goal attempts on the night, which were from 15, 32, and 36 yards respectively.

The late La Feria touchdown left 1:19 for new Tigers quarterback Horacio Pequeno to engineer a go-ahead drive of his own. While the La Feria defense bent, it did not break. With 12 seconds remaining, safety Jaden Torres intercepted a Pequeno pass along the same sideline Ortiz made his game-changing play minutes prior to clinch the victory for the Lions.

“We did give up some big plays, and we didn’t want to,” Salinas said. “At the end of the day we made two more plays than we did, and we’re very proud of the kids for that.”

The Tigers (1-2) struck first Friday night, when sophomore quarterback Michael Cisneros found wide receiver Josiah Cantu for a 40-yard touchdown at the 10:19 mark of the first quarter.

La Feria answered with a long drive in which Hernandez connected three times with Dario Sanchez, the last of which was a 23-yard touchdown which would even the game at 7-7 with 3:16 to play in the first quarter.

Following a fumble recovery and a 25-yard burst by running back Avishai Dickerson, the Lions took their first lead of the evening when Hernandez fired a dart on an inside slant to Dereck Perez on 4th-and-goal from the 3 for a go-ahead score. Lions take their first lead of the night with 11:26 to go in the second quarter.

Evan Avila also had an interception, which came off of a throw by Mercedes starting quarterback Michael Cisneros in the second quarter. Hernandez’s first interception came a few plays later to Jarred Rincon, who returned it 39 yards.

The Lions led 14-10 at halftime. A 57-yard touchdown reception and a corresponding successful 2-point conversion attempt from Cantu on a reverse sparked Mercedes’ late push, which brought the Tigers to within four points of the home team with 9:35 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Hernandez opened the scoring for La Feria in the second half with a 6-yard rushing touchdown at the 5:29 mark of the third quarter. Dickerson’s 8-yard touchdown run with 10:24 to play in the fourth quarter gave La Feria its largest lead of the evening at 28-16.

Salinas said he felt the game revealed the many similarities between La Feria and Mercedes, which featured comparable talent across the board, particularly at quarterback and receiver.

“We knew it was going to be a great battle,” Salinas said. “It always is (against Mercedes). We were very fortunate to come out ahead.”

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

McALLEN — In a game featuring the wild momentum swings that are nearly inevitable when both sides combine for 10 turnovers, the one rock-solid constant was the Harlingen South defense, which came up big on several occasions in a 44-14 non-district road win over McAllen High on Thursday night.

“Tonight we were a little sloppy with the ball,” said Harlingen South coach Brian Ricci. “But I was proud of how the kids were able to respond after we (turned the ball over) and the momentum started changing.”

Ricci added he was particularly proud of his sophomore starters on defense, including free safety Devin Montemayor, outside linebacker Joshua Cantu, and middle linebacker Levi Ince.

“They’re growing up very quickly,” Ricci said. “I think they should get a lot of credit for going out there as starters and really competing.”

The Hawks (2-1) built up an early lead after two Leo Torres field goals and senior running back Israel Vasquez found paydirt on fourth down from the McHi 1-yard line. Vazquez picked up his second touchdown of the night with 10 seconds to go in the first half, also from a yard out.

The margin grew to 19-0 with 6:02 to play in the first half when senior quarterback David Torres hit Jacob Carreon on 4th-and-2 for a 16-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone.

“(Torres) did a great job tonight,” Ricci said. “He controlled the game. He threw the ball well. He does a great job of keeping our kids level-headed and focused on the game.”

Cornerback Kike Alvarado had two interceptions for Harlingen South, including one that was deflected.

“(Alvarado) is really playing well,” Ricci said. “Im proud of him. He’s always in position, and he’s a good player.”

The Bulldogs (2-1) were able to generate momentum after forcing and recovering three fumbles off of Harlingen South kickoffs. They also recovered two fumbles by the Hawks’ backfield.

The Hawks kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard until the 2:53 mark of the second quarter, sparked by Dylan Suarez’s 60-yard interception return for McHi that brought the ball into Harlingen South territory, stopped at the 8-yard-line by David Torres.

McHi sophomore quarterback Hunter Curl then found senior wide receiver Aldo Morin for a 4-yard touchdown reception to give the home team its first points of the evening.

Curl brought the Bulldogs within two scores when he tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to wideout Felipe Magana with 11:28 to go in the third quarter. Curl’s backup Robert Amador threw two interceptions, one to Jeremiah Rivera, and the other to Michael Becerra.

When tight end Brady Bennett hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass from David Torres, the Hawks went up 34-14 with 6:07 to go in the third quarter and effectively put the game away.

Senior running back Chad Roy’s one-yard touchdown run and a chipshot field goal by Leo Torres brought the scoresheet to its final margin.

The Hawks will host Weslaco High next Friday, and the Bulldogs are on a bye.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

After winning its first two games with relative ease, the La Feria Lions will face their first test of their non-district slate when the Mercedes Tigers come to town Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

In some ways, Mercedes is a mirror image of La Feria. The Tigers (1-1) lost a tight game to McAllen Rowe 28-25 last week, and brought back 16 returning starters this season.

The Tigers’ defense is anchored by linebacker Brandon Adame, who was named District 16-5A DII’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2018. Mercedes is quarterbacked by sophomore Michael Cisneros, who recorded 439 all-purpose yards in a losing effort last Friday.

WEEK 3 ACTION AROUND THE EAST VALLEY

Harlingen South will look to rebound after dropping last Friday’s contest against PSJA North 32-16 when the Hawks (1-1) head to McAllen High to take on the Bulldogs (2-0) in a non-district matchup tonight at 7 p.m.

Harlingen High also faces a daunting road test. The Cardinals (2-0) will play at Converse Judson at 7 p.m. Friday. The Rockets (2-0) lost to Austin Lake Travis in the University Interscholastic League Class 6A Region IV championship game last season, 38-21.

Rio Hondo will square off with Brownsville St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Bobcats (1-1) defeated the Bloodhounds (2-0) 59-33 in 2018. St. Joseph is coming off wins against Grulla and Progreso, while Rio Hondo picked up its first victory of the season last week against Zapata, 17-16 in overtime.

Raymondville is set for the Cotton Bowl with rival Lyford at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Bearkats (1-1) picked up their first win of the season 31-19 against Grulla last week, putting up 389 total yards. Zaraivion Armendarez rushed for 170 yards on 14 carries, while Justin Cantu racked up 146 yards on 15 carries.

Lyford dropped a non-district matchup with Hidalgo last week as the Bulldogs fell to 0-2.

La Villa is still winless heading into the annual Sugar Bowl with Santa Rosa at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Cardinals (0-2) and Warriors (1-1) are both looking to bounce back after difficult losses in Week 2.

After losing 21-14 to the Los Fresnos JV squad, Santa Maria will hit the road again to face Premont at 7:30 p.m. The Cougars (1-1) and Cowboys (1-1) are both looking to go above .500. Premont forfeited last year’s game against Santa Maria.

Marine Military Academy lost 40-20 in last week’s home opener against Benavides. The Leathernecks (0-2) will try to turn things around when they play at Monte Alto at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Blue Devils (0-2) lost 35-0 to Falfurrias and are also in search of their first win of the 2019 season.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

RAYMONDVILLE — Led by senior libero Estrella Vasquez’s four service aces, the visiting Port Isabel Lady Tarpons defeated the Raymondville Lady Bearkats 25-21, 15-25, 25-23, 25-17 on Tuesday night.

Port Isabel coach Julie Breedlove said Vasquez’s leadership was crucial to the outcome of Tuesday’s match.

“I thought she did a great job of playing defense, staying back and covering her area,” Breedlove said. “When (the game) was really on the line, she got back on the service line and kept the ball in.”

Breedlove felt the key for her team’s successful performance was the vision and patience of setter Whitney Zaloski, who was effective in spreading the ball around to her hitters. Zaloski waited for openings in the Raymondville defense to develop and allowed the Lady Tarpons’ outside hitters to pick their spots when on the attack.

“The biggest thing for us was we started to let (attacking opportunities) come to us,” Breedlove said. “We didn’t force it. We tried to force it a little bit in that second game, but not as much in the third and fourth game.”

Gisel Borjas was pivotal for Port Isabel’s comeback effort during the first game, registering a kill that tied the score at 13 and providing the go-ahead point on the next play.

Raymondville twice surrendered five-point leads during the first and third games. The Lady Bearkats were paced by outside hitter Aliceana Thompson’s 10 kills and two blocks.

Raymondville’s Dominique Dominguez had an ace during the first game and recorded a kill that put the Lady Bearkats ahead 13-6 in the second game. The Lady Bearkats opened up that game 5-1 before the Lady Tarpons responded to tie it at 5 apiece.

Illanie Zamora helped maintain the Lady Bearkats’ lead when she added a kill that brought the score to 15-7. Thompson came up big for Raymondville when she pounded home a kill that gave the Lady Bearkats a game point, and then delivered the game-clincher.

The match swung in Port Isabel’s favor after a tightly contested third game in which the teams were tied six times in the early stages. Raymondville never led by more than a single point in the third game.

Borjas again gave her team the edge by snapping a 12-12 tie with a kill. She delivered an ace that put the Lady Tarpons up 16-12 and further padded the lead at 21-15 with another kill.

Breedlove said aggressive serving has been a point of emphasis for her squad.

“That’s been one of the things our girls have gotten really good at,” Breedlove said. “We really encourage that to try to get the other teams out of their systems.”

Other key contributors for Port Isabel were Madison Ramos (two kills, one block) and Ava Moore, whose kill won the third game for the Lady Tarpons.

In the decisive fourth game, Raymondville led 10-8 before Port Isabel rallied to tie it. With the game even at 12, the Lady Tarpons went on a 10-3 run, punctuated by Vasquez’s fourth ace of the night to widen the lead to three points and Allison Gonzalez’s kill that put Port Isabel in command, up 21-14.

Ultimately, Breedlove said the most important lesson her team learned was to not force the issue when trailing, and the players’ relaxed approach helped them play well from behind and remain even-keeled even as their lead began to grow rapidly in the fourth game.

“We just need to stay within a couple of points and just let it happen,” Breedlove said. “We have a tendency to force things and force hits that aren’t there. But that was the biggest thing, us learning to just let it come.”

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

MERCEDES — The Progreso boys had two key slots open in their varsity lineup due to injury ahead of their race in the Mercedes Invitational.

But the experienced Red Ants did as they have done all season long, relying on the next man up when necessary and earning a first-place finish Saturday.

“We’re not a team that has one superstar,” Progreso assistant coach Ivan Gonzalez said. “We’re a team that has depth. We have a lot of strength in terms of our numbers, trying to stay together. When our second man pushes up, the third, fourth and fifth follow, and our No. 1 doesn’t want to let up.”

The individual winner in the boys varsity division was La Joya Juarez-Lincoln’s Freddy Calvillo. Hector Perales was the top individual finisher for the Red Ants, placing sixth. Jonathan Vega finished in 11th place for Progreso.

Gonzalez said Alex Pecina (18th place) and David Cervantes both recorded personal bests on the 3.1 mile grass course at Mercedes High School.

Checking in at fourth place in the boys and girls varsity team standings was Brownsville Hanna, which saw three of its boys place in the top 10.

John Abrego finished second and Felipe Parra was fourth, behind Mercedes’ Lupe Reyes. Marcos Tellez placed eighth for the Golden Eagles. Abrego and Parra steadily climbed from ninth and 10th, making their move around Mile 2.

Hanna coach Olaya Teran wanted the pair to lessen their pace slightly, a move that paid dividends when her top two runners surged into the top five. Parra said he beat his previous personal best by 20 seconds.

“From the beginning we knew who we wanted to keep up with,” Parra said. “(Reyes) and (San Benito’s Joaquin Medina) were the top two finishers at the San Benito meet. Obviously those were our guys, and we wanted to keep at them.”

Sharyland High’s Danielle Salinas picked up another individual victory, as the Lady Rattlers also prevailed atop the team standings. Finishing just behind Salinas was Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Valiera Gamez.

Gamez, who found herself in a similar situation as that of the Hanna boys, was in the middle of the leading pack on the girls side. She was eager to put some distance between herself and her competitors.

“I knew I had to start in the front, especially at this race,” Gamez said. “When I started I was in fourth or fifth, and after that I was, like, ‘You have to go’, and I had to push myself to go further.”

Estrella Medellin placed third for Brownsville Porter, and Hanna’s Magali Osowski was 11th overall.

Official times were not made available by meet officials as of press time.

BOYS

Team results

Progreso, 80; 2. McAllen Memorial, 86; 3. La Joya-Juarez Lincoln, 89; 4. Brownsville Hanna, 100; 5. San Benito, 163; 6. Economedes, 203; 7. La Feria, 232; 8. Edinburg High, 250; 9. Sharyland High, 279

Individual results

Freddy Calvillo, La Joya-Juarez Lincoln; 2. John Abrego, Brownsville Hanna; 3. Lupe Reyes, Mercedes; 4. Felipe Parra, Brownsville Hanna; 5. Gerardo Munoz, IDEA Pharr; 6. Hector Perales, Progreso; 7. Ayden Granados, McAllen Memorial; 8. Marcos Tellez, Brownsville Hanna; 9. Jorge Perez; McAllen Memorial; 10. Daniel Lopez, La Joya-Juarez Lincoln; 11. Jonathan Vega, Progreso; 12. Jose Suarez; Edinburg IDEA; 14. Esteban Avila, Economedes; 14. Joaquin Medina, San Benito; 15. Raul Rojas, McAllen Memorial; 16. Hugo Chavarria, Edinburg IDEA; 17. Jorge Gutierrez, Sharyland High; 18. Alex Pecina, Progreso; 19. Sebastian Salinas, McAllen Memorial. 20. Luis Hinojosa, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

GIRLS

Team results

Sharyland High, 39; 2. Economedes, 82; 3. Edinburgh High, 91; 4. Brownsville Hanna, 149; 5. La Feria, 162; 6. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 215; 7. San Benito, 250; 8. Donna North, 270

Individual results

Danielle Salinas, Sharyland High; 2. Valeria Gamez, Brownsville Veterans, 3. Estrella Medellin, Brownsville Porter; 4. (not provided) 5. Dayan Lozano, Economedes; 6. Mel Marroquin, Edinburgh High; 7. (not provided) 8. (not provided) 9. Nancy Maldonado, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln; 10. (not provided) 11. Magali Osnaski, Brownsville Hanna; 12. Arianna Rodriguez, Harlingen South; 13. (not provided) 14 (not provided) 15. Jacqueline Medina, Edinburg High; 16. (not provided) 17. Audrey Chavez, Economedes; 18. Francesca Alvarado, Economedes; 19. Anahita Fuentes, IDEA Pharr; 20. Dianette Garcia, Economedes

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Bolstered by the return of senior outside hitter Lexi Gonzalez, the No. 16 McAllen High Lady Bulldogs cruised to a road sweep of the Harlingen High Lady Cardinals on Saturday afternoon, 25-14, 25-14, 25-8.

Gonzalez’s play helped to mitigate the absence of defensive specialist Sabrina Garza.

“(Gonzalez) adds another dimension,” McHi coach Paula Dodge said. “Her leadership is outstanding out there on the floor.”

McHi got out to a 14-6 lead during the first game, and led by as many as 11 points. Andrea Tovar notched the game-winning kill.

Harlingen High’s Elaine Coronado helped jump-start the Lady Cardinals to an early 4-2 lead in Game 2 with consecutive kills, but the Lady Bulldogs quickly surged back even after block attempts by Elaina Aguinaga and Juli Bryant sailed out. Gonzalez retook the lead for McHi with a kill that brought the score to 8-7, and the Lady Cardinals never led again from that point onward.

The third game belonged to the Lady Bulldogs from the outset, as the visitors opened up a 13-1 advantage.

The highlight of the day belonged to libero Audrey Zamora, who tracked an errant ball beyond the service line, striking it backward over the net to make a sensational save and lengthen a rally that was punctuated by a McHi kill that put the Lady Bulldogs up 21-4 during the third game.

Bryant’s kill that brought the score to 21-5 was the first point that did not come via an unforced error during the third game for the Lady Cardinals.

“Our defensive game has helped keep us in a lot of plays,” Dodge said. “They help extend plays for us, and they’re doing a really good job right now.”

The Lady Bulldogs conclude their non-district slate at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at San Benito. The Lady Cardinals wrap up their non-district schedule when they visit Edinburg Vela at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

LA FERIA — Dorian Hernandez accounted for five La Feria touchdowns, Avishai Dickerson rushed for three scores, and the Lions routed rival Santa Rosa 63-0 in the annual Battle of 506 on Friday night at Lion Stadium.

“You can’t ask for a better way to start off (the home schedule),” La Feria coach Oscar Salinas said. “A big win against our rival school. Being 1-0 here is a great start to our season.”

After punting on its opening drive, Hernandez kicked the La Feria offense into high gear, putting the team up three scores one minute into the second quarter.

Daniel Garza, Dereck Perez and Caleb Flores all had receptions of at least 20 yards during Friday night’s contest for the Lions (2-0). The latter two also each had touchdown catches.

Dickerson’s last touchdown came late in the third quarter, good for a game-high 66 yards on the ground to put La Feria ahead 55-0.

“We’re trying to get (Dickerson) going,” Salinas said. “He had a good game tonight. We’re going to need him and (Angel Garcia), that one-two punch that we have, to give us that balance this year.”

The Lions relentlessly pressured Santa Rosa quarterbacks Reese Lara and Jose Ruiz, as Guillermo Vargas and Andrew Rodriguez recorded sacks during the first quarter and never allowed the Warriors’ offense to settle in.

“That’s where the youth is, up front,” Salinas said. “But those kids are playing hard, and they’re getting after it. That (effort) has been there. They’re overcoming their size (disadvantage) with their quickness and their discipline.”

Santa Rosa also was harmed by four defensive penalties that helped sustain La Feria scoring drives, and was penalized nine times during the game.

The Lions thwarted the Warriors’ best scoring chance of the night when Aaron Trevino intercepted a Ruiz pass intended for Mike Bermea on first-and-goal from the La Feria 7-yard line with 2:30 to go in the third quarter.

The longest Santa Rosa drive of the game by duration was made possible by Jose Diaz-Mendez’s 49-yard kickoff return that gave the Warriors their best starting field position of the evening.

Backup running back Devin Spears, working with backup quarterback Dario Sanchez, was a workhorse for the Lions in this fourth quarter, and finally cashed in with a 3-yard touchdown run of his own with 5:01 to go in the game to cap an explosive offensive night for the home team.

HERO’S WELCOME

La Feria alumnus and Air Force firefighter Randy Cantu had a surprise in the works for his family, particularly senior linebacker Ricky Cantu, before Friday night’s game during the parent’s night ceremony.

“It was a really special moment,” Salinas said. “Even I got emotional, with Randy being like a son to us. For him to be here was really great.”

Randy, a former linebacker, was a four-year starter for the Lions. He emerged from an inflatable tent, shielded by La Feria coaches standing behind the end zone as Ricky’s name was called, and he was escorted by his mother and youngest brother.

The brothers embraced with handshakes and hugs, and enjoyed a warm reception from the La Feria crowd.

When Randy and Ricky’s father relocated to the Marshall Islands for work, it meant he wouldn’t be able to make Ricky’s first home game of the season. But Randy knew he could try to make up for his father’s absence by surprising his brothers and his mother on the newly installed turf at Lion Stadium.

“I just figured I’d take my dad’s position,” Randy said. “I knew someone else would do the same for me, so I just wanted to surprise my mom and my brother.”

Randy, who is stationed at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., arrived Friday morning in the Rio Grande Valley.

“I was just so fascinated,” said Ricky, who sports the No. 6 like his older brother. “I didn’t know anything about it. I saw him, and I knew I had to give it all on the field tonight.”

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

This year’s edition of the Battle of 506 figures to have a little something extra on the line, with an experienced La Feria squad eager to continue its dominance against a Santa Rosa team that hasn’t beaten its rival since Sept. 21, 2012.

But forgive Warriors coach Hector Ayala for not stepping aside to crown the Lions as the kings of the Rio Grande Valley just yet. Though La Feria’s 41-13 rout of Raymondville made them the talk of the town, Santa Rosa opened its 2019 season against Lyford in similar fashion with a 32-12 victory.

“ If you win, you might have bragging rights when you go over to your aunt’s house,” Ayala said. “And it’s yours for a year. These kids understand that, and they want that. I think the environment of it all helps us get ready for a playoff atmosphere.”

Ayala has coaches on his staff that have themselves played in the Battle of 506 rivalry game, one he characterizes as “friendly” and “not as heated” off of the field due to the close proximity of the schools and having family ties on both sides.

But don’t think for a minute that there will be any moral victories standing in as a consolation prize for either side.

“ Our mindset is, we’re showing up to win,” Ayala said. “We’re going to fight hard… The kids are excited; they’re not down about it or anything like that. They see it as a challenge, and a chance to improve, so they’re ready to step up to that challenge.”

The history of the Battle of 506 rivalry has been rather one-sided, with La Feria winning by double digits in each of the last six seasons.

And yet, there’s potential for Santa Rosa to pull off an upset bid, if it can establish the run game with Jose Diaz-Mendez, who rushed for 148 yards on 11 carries in last week’s victory over Lyford. The Warriors will also need to keep La Feria’s stout secondary on its toes with the quarterback tandem of senior Jose Ruiz (six completions for 92 yards and a touchdown) and junior Reese Lara, who is also a threat to run, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and rushed for 64 total yards in Santa Rosa’s first game.

The Warriors went with a rotation under center last week, so the two should both see the field tonight and for the time being, unless Ayala decides to declare one the official starter.

“ I would prefer to settle (the quarterback battle) going into district,” Ayala said. “But both kids are playing real well. They both had their share of mistakes, they weren’t perfect, but they also did good things. They feed off each other.”

La Feria’s fearsome front line, led by junior Michael Elizondo, senior outside linebacker Erick Luna, senior defensive end Guillermo Vargas, and defensive tackle Andrew Rodriguez will aim to make things difficult for the Warriors offensively.

Much of the burden of protecting the Santa Rosa signal callers will fall on Adam Cavazos, the only returner on the Santa Rosa offensive line. Ayala said he will also line up on the other side of the ball.

“ He’s really helped us a lot with our younger guys,” Ayala said. “He’s been like a coach on the field for us.”

Ultimately, the game will be significant to Santa Rosa no matter the result, as the Warriors assess themselves going forward .

“ That’s a good measuring stick right here,” Ayala said. “Almost every year, La Feria has been a playoff team, and last year they had a great run. So if we can show our stuff there and matchup well and even get a victory, that’s going to say a lot for our program.”

Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. tonight at La Feria High School.