KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star
HARLINGEN — As we get closer to the end of the regular season, District 32-6A has not disappointed as one of the toughest districts in the Valley.
Heading into the season, many penciled in Harlingen versus Weslaco East as one of the top games. Entering Week Eight, both teams come in on different pages.
“Every week is important,” said Cards coach Manny Gomez. “Throughout the Valley we have seen some injuries and that’s just part of the game, that’s why every week we make it a goal to win one game a week. Any time you can win in this district it’s an accomplishment.”
Harlingen enters Friday night with a 5-1, 3-0 record and has won five in a row. Senior quarterback Daniel Ramirez continues to lead the offense with 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He has thrown for 1,263 yards and boasts a dazzling 116 QB rating.
Ramirez has leaned on his top two targets, Joe Reyna and Ethan Martinez. The duo wide receivers have caused headaches for opposing defenses. Martinez leads the team in receiving yards with 438 and in catches with 29. Reyna, meanwhile, leads the team in receiving touchdowns with seven.
The offense will have a tall task against a strong Weslaco East defense, which has the ability to rush the passer with Jacob Banda and Gerald Garza.
LeFevre pacing offense for East: With Weslaco East missing running backs Freddy Gonzalez and Roy Pedraza as well as utility man JC Vargas, senior quarterback Richard LeFevre has carried a bulk of the work on the ground and through the air.
In a Week Seven loss to Los Fresnos, LeFevre ran for 104 yards on 13 carries which both marked season highs. Josh Gonzalez led the backfield with 14 carries and 86 yards.
East’s offense, like Harlingen’s, will have a tough task against a Cardinal defense that has been clicking over the past few weeks. Big Red’s defense is yielding just 15 points per game, which leads District 32-6A.
“They (East) are a physical team, but that’s what Weslaco East does they’re an aggressive team. We just need to be ready to meet their physicality and make sure we bring our will and aggressiveness. It’s going to be a challenge and the kids will be ready,” Gomez said.