District 32-6A play kicks off with a bang in Week 7, with the No. 4 Brownsville Veterans Chargers hosting the No. 7 Harlingen High Cardinals in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week.

Kickoff for the clash between the 6A powerhouses is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.

The Chargers wrapped up non-district play with back-to-back wins, including a dominating 45-21 win over a red-hot Sharyland Pioneer squad last week. They finish the first part of their schedule with a 4-2 overall record.

They’re led into the contest by a bruising ground-and-pound attack averaging 380.5 yards per game. Spearheading the Chargers’ offense is a trio of homerun hitters in quarterback Storm Montoya and fullbacks Cesar Belmontes and Alvin Trevillion.

Belmontes enters the game with a team-high 734 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Trevillion ranks second on the team with 600 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, while Montoya has added 400 rushing yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns.

On the opposite side, the Cardinals are led into the contest by one of the top running backs in junior Noah Huerta. The 2023 Star/Herald Newcomer of the Year has been the lifeblood of the Cardinals’ offense, rushing for over 600 yards and find the end zone 10 times through the first six week.

Like the Chargers, the Cardinals capped non-district play with a 4-2 record, picking up wins over Weslaco High (42-28), Harlingen South (29-24), Laredo United South (6-5) and Mission Veterans (38-8).

Thursday’s matchup marks the first time the two teams have played since 2015, a game which the Cardinals won 52-28. Harlingen High holds a 4-0 series lead over Brownsville Veterans heading into contest.

Despite a week loaded with byes across the RGV, Week 6 of the Texas high school football season still delivered some top notch action.

From a pair of sub-5A powers picking up dominant wins and a heartbreaking loss at the 6A level, here’s a look at some of the top action across the Valley on Friday.

PORT ISABEL 41, ROMA 14: At Roma, the Tarpons improved to 6-0 on the year with a 24-point victory over the Gladiators on the road.

The double-digit win marked the third time this season Port Isabel has won by multiple scores, only playing in two one-possession games this year.

Despite the win, the contest ended on a somber note for the Tarpons, with one of their players getting injured during the final minutes of regulation before ultimately being removed from the field via ambulance.

Port Isabel (6-0), the No. 1 team in the RGVSports.com Sub-5A Top 4 Poll, now turns its attention to its non-district finale next week, taking on the No. 2 Brownsville St. Joseph Bloodhounds at 7:30 p.m. Friday at JT Canales Field in Brownsville.

BROWNSVILLE ST. JOSEPH 62, LA FERIA 13: At La Feria, the Bloodhounds racked up over 700 total yards and nine touchdowns en route to a dominating 49-point win over the Lions.

Their 709 total yards of offense marked the first time in school history the Bloodhounds have eclipsed the 700-yard mark.

Junior quarterback Gavin Cisneros orchestrated the Bloodhounds offensive onslaught Friday, completing 18-of-25 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 10 carries for 198 yards and four scores. Do-it-all athlete Claudio Torres delivered another standout performance for the Bloodhounds as well, scoring five touchdowns during the win.

Brownsville St. Joseph (5-1) is set to close out non-district play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home against the No. 1 Port Isabel Tarpons.

MISSION VETERANS 28, BROWNSVILLE HANNA 7: At Mission, the Patriots picked up their first win of the season with a home victory over the Golden Eagles on Friday at Tom Landry Stadium.

Junior quarterback Cameron Sarinana threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns. Junior receiver Robert Sharpe hauled in five catches for 104 yards and a score, junior running back Benji Martinez totaled 130 yards and two touchdowns off 14 touches, and sophomore receiver Jordan Rodriguez caught two passes for 27 yards and a touchdown.

Hanna quarterback Ramiro Ruiz connected with running back Eduardo Chavez for the Golden Eagles’ lone score.

Next for the Patriots (1-5) is their District 15-5A DII opener against Sharyland High (3-3) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission

Brownsville Hanna (1-5) opens District 32-6A play next week against San Benito (0-6) at 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito.

DONNA HIGH 21, DONNA NORTH 14: At Donna, the Redskins totaled 367 yards of offense to take down the crosstown rival Chiefs on Friday at Bennie LaPrade Stadium.

Donna senior quarterback Dallas Zunia threw for 127 yards and ran for 110, while sophomore running back Joel Duran added 79 rushing yards.

Donna High has now won two straight contests to improve to 2-4 and 2-2 in 15-5A DI play. Donna North drops to 0-6 on the year and 0-4 in district.

CUERO 24, HARLINGEN HIGH 14: At Cuero, the Cardinals gave up 21 second-half points en route to their second loss of the year. The defeat drops Harlingen High to 4-2 on the year heading into District 32-6A play.

Harlingen High jumped out to a 14-3 advantage at the half behind a pair of touchdown runs by freshman quarterback Hassan Woolery. His first score came from four yards during the first quarter, adding a five-yard touchdown run during the second to give his team the lead at the break.

The Gobblers battled back from the halftime deficit, cutting into the lead on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Jayce Guajardo to Brayden Hernandez in the third. Guajardo found Hernandez again midway through the fourth quarter, hitting him for a 26-yard touchdown pass and the lead and never looking back.

The Cardinals (4-2) jump into District 32-6A play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, taking on the Brownsville Veterans Chargers (4-2) at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.

The outcome had long been decided before Weslaco East entered the fourth quarter of Friday’s District 15-5A Division I contest against Corpus Christi Flour Bluff. About the only thing left to determine was whether the Wildcats could avoid their first shutout loss in six years.

That was, in fact, the case when they scored two touchdowns inside of the final four minutes of play to ease the sting from a 49-14 loss at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.

Jianni Ortiz scored on an 8-yard run with 3:46 to play, and Malachi Rodriguez added another on a 4-yard touchdown with 1:43 remaining to add to his team-high eight rushing TDs this year.

PSJA North, Edinburg Vela and Weslaco East entered the week not only as the top three teams in the latest RGVSports.com 5A/6A Top 10 poll, respectively, but also as the only undefeated teams on that list. That changed, of course, when Weslaco East (4-1, 2-1) surrendered its first loss of the year.

PSJA North beat Harlingen South 42-17 on Friday to improve to 5-0 overall, including 3-0 in district. Edinburg Vela (5-0, 2-0) stood pat this week with a bye.

It took all of 67 seconds for the Hornets (6-0, 4-0) to go up 14-0, scoring twice on the first three plays of the game. Quarterback Jayden Paluseo found Andre Mimms on a 67-yard strike to break open a scoreless tie. And following a fumble on the ensuing kick, Flour Bluff recovered at the 20 and Paluseo found James Porter in the end zone.

Flour Bluff, the No. 1-ranked team in the latest RGVSports.com Coastal Bend Top 4 poll, went up 28-0 by the end of the first quarter and added another score going into halftime.

Paluseo finished with five touchdown passes, two to Mimms. Paluseo also scored on a 5-yard scramble. He connected with Cameran Dickson on a 53-yard strike for the team’s final touchdown. Dickson has reportedly committed to play for Vanderbilt next season.

The two fourth-quarter TDs assured Weslaco East that it would avoid its first shutout since Nov. 8, 2018, when it lost 21-0 to Edinburg Vela as part of a three-game skid to close out the year. Aside from that, the Wildcats’ lowest-scoring output had come Nov. 10, 2022, when they fell 49-3 in the bi-district round of the playoffs, also to Vela.

Friday’s contest marked the first time since 2008 that both teams collided. That year, the Wildcats lost 28-26 in bi-district. The year before, the Hornets also ousted them from the opening round of the playoffs following a 31-27 decision.

LOS FRESNOS — Explosive.

That’s what quarterback Robert Pineda stated he wanted the Los Fresnos’ offense to be known as. Through the first five weeks the Falcons have been that for the most part, averaging 37.6 points per game heading into Friday’s non-district finale.

Just in case there was any doubt, however, the No. 8 Falcons put an exclamation point on their offensive firepower, putting on a show with a 70-33 win over the No. 10 Sharyland High Ratters during the RGVSports.com Game of the Week on Friday at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium in Los Fresnos.

“First of all, again, I have to give all the glory and praise to my lord and savior Jesus Christ and to my teammates and coaches,” Pineda said. “Everyone from the staff to my teammates, we work hard every day in practice. They come in every day like I do. We’re blessed to be able to do it for this community and put up 70 for the fans. It’s just amazing. 70 points is the most I’ve ever had and the most that our offensive coordinator has ever put up. We’re blessed, but we have to keep going and hopefully we can put up even more.”

Pineda was at the forefront of Los Fresnos’ offensive fireworks, accounting for eight of the Falcons’ 10 touchdowns on the night, including six on the ground.

The junior signal caller set the tone for his big night on his team’s opening drive of the contest, taking his first carry 49 yards before capping the drive on the next play with a 11-yard touchdown run. The touchdown run was the first of four scored on the ground by Pineda during the first half, also adding a touchdown pass during the second quarter.

“I just trust my O-line and my receivers,” Pineda said. “I know when I see a hole they’re going to block for me. I just trust them.”

The Rattlers matched the Falcons’ offensive firepower during the opening half, racking up 303 total yards and four touchdowns.

Junior quarterback Calvin Harris commanded the offense to those four scoring drives, throwing touchdown passes of nine and 10 yards to Eduardo Mendoza and another of 70 yards to Francisco Gomez. He also added a one-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter.  Still, the Rattlers entered the break trailing the Falcons 35-26.

“Just big plays on both sides,” Los Fresnos head coach David Cantu said. “It was kind of a track meet for both teams early. Things just started kind of bouncing our way. Sharyland is a heck of a team though. I have a ton of respect for them.”

Los Fresnos took control of the contest during the final two periods, outscoring the Rattlers 35-7 behind a pair of rushing touchdowns and one passing by Pineda.

His 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joshua Laster started the scoring for the Falcons during the third quarter, adding a nine-yard touchdown run on the next drive to put Los Fresnos up 49-26.

A 72-yard touchdown pass from Harris to wideout Bruno Cavazos cut into to the Rattlers’ deficit during the third, but a 75-yard kick return touchdown by senior Josh Limon on the ensuing kickoff all but sealed the Rattlers’ fate.

The Falcons put the final touches on their win in the fourth, with Pineda scrambling in from 29 yards for his sixth rushing touchdown of the night to make it 63-33, followed by a one-yard touchdown run by backup running back Fabian Gomez to bring the Falcons’ final point total to 70.

“We just told the kids to have a short term memory and let things go,” Cantu said. “If they had a big play, it was okay. We couldn’t dwell on it or get a look in our eye like we’re scared. We just got to go out and attack the next play. At the end of the day, our guys responded.”

Pineda finished the game with 15 carries for 219 yards and six touchdowns, while also completing 11 of 14 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Tyler Stachowiak chipped in 129 total yards and a touchdown.

Harris led the Rattlers with 377 yards and four touchdowns through the air. Wideouts Francisco Gomez and Bruno Cavazos each eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark during the win, with Gomez hauling in five catches for 151 yards and one score. Cavazos added four catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.

The Falcons (5-1) head into a bye week before kicking off District 32-6A play Oct. 18 against the San Benito Greyhounds (0-6) at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito.

The Rattlers (3-3) jump into 15-5A DII play next week, hosting the Mission Veterans Patriots at 7 p.m. Thursday at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.

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BROWNSVILLE — For two quarters the Brownsville Veterans Chargers and Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks traded blows, going into the break deadlocked at 21.

The second half proved a different story, with the Chargers outgaining the Diamondbacks 300-108 and outscoring them 24-0 en route to a dominating 45-21 victory at Chargers Stadium in Brownsville.

“A phenomenal effort by our kids in the first half and second half,” Brownsville Veterans head coach JC Ramirez said. “Our offense came out with something to prove. I don’t know what our stat line is, but I know we had a good night tonight versus a very good Sharyland Pioneer defense. They hang their hat on what they do defensively. To come out with this win, it’s a great sense of pride.”

A five-play, 69-yard scoring drive to open the second half set the tone for the Chargers during the final two periods, with fullback Alvin Trevillion capping the possession with a 29-yard rumble to the end zone to make it 28-21 early in the third quarter.

The touchdown marked the second of the night for the senior, also scoring on a 28-yard run during the second quarter. He finished a game-high 209 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

“Coach told us to forget about everything,” Trevillion said. “We came out the second half like it was a 0-0 game. We forgot about all the mistakes and just executed the second half. Honestly, this year I wasn’t even expected to come back until mid-October. It was all God though. I couldn’t have done this without our Lord and savior and my teammates. I just thank them.”

The Chargers’ defense put their stamp on the third quarter moments later, with defensive back Mickey Rodriguez coming up with an interception to end a potential Diamondbacks scoring drive on the next drive, followed by a forced turnover on downs on the next possession.

Senior kicker Roman Reyna helped the Chargers capitalize on their defensive unit’s turnovers, converting a 40-yard field goal after the turnover on downs to make it 31-21 after three.

“I’ll be honest with you man, we really challenged our coaches and kids at halftime,” Ramirez said. “We told them if we needed to, we’d make some wholesale changes. But honestly, what we needed was an attitude adjustment. We know we have the pieces. They just needed to come up and perform. This is an emotional ball game, especially with 16 and 17 year old boys. They’re battling and giving their all, but sometimes you just need to remind them of who you think they are. Once they believe, you get the results that we had.”

A 13-yard touchdown run by Calvin Trevillion during the fourth put the Chargers well in control, taking a 38-21 lead with 8:30 remaining.

Still, Brownsville Veterans left nothing to chance, going for and recovering an onside attempt on the ensuing kickoff to get the offense the ball back immediately.

The Chargers’ offense turned the drive into a quick three-play drive ending in a two-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Storm Montoya. The rushing touchdown secured the Chargers win, while marking career touchdown No. 56 of Montoya’s career, making him the all-time touchdown leader at Brownsville Veterans.

He finished the game with 12 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns, adding 119 yards through the air.

“I had no idea I was near that mark,” Montoya said. “I give all my credit to my team and my linemen. They put in the work every morning. I’m really proud of them and what they did.”

Sharyland Pioneer traded blows with the Chargers early on, answering each of the Chargers’ first half touchdowns with one of their own. A 12-yard rushing touchdown by running back Marcus Perales tied the game early in the second, before back-to-back touchdowns by Brownsville Veterans put them up 21-7.

The Diamondbacks came back swinging, with back-to-back touchdown runs of over 50 yards tying the game at 21-21 heading into the break.

Quarterback William Goodloe scored the first long run of the night for the Diamondbacks, taking it 50 yards on fourth down to make it 21-14, with running back Dylan Tijerina tying the game on a 51-yard touchdown run later in the quarter.

That would be the last time they’d find the endzone, with the Diamondbacks mustering just 85 yards on the ground over the final two periods after rushing for over 200 in the first half.

Goodloe led the Diamondbacks rushing attack with 116 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries, while Tijerina added 112 yards and one score on 11 carries.

The loss snaps a four-game winning streak by the Diamondbacks, falling to 4-2 on the year. They’ll turn their attention to the start of District 15-5A DII play next week, opening against Alice at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.

Meanwhile, the Chargers finish non-district play with back-to-back wins to finish with a 4-2 record. They’ll look to keep rolling as they kick off District 32-6A play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Harlingen High at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.

“We’ll never be naïve enough to say we’re guaranteeing a victory in 32-6A because we know it’s the real deal,” Ramirez said. “The ball bounces in funny ways. We’re hoping with preparation we’ll eliminate risks. We’ll see what happens. We start off with a bang against the perennial standard for Valley football in the Harlingen Cardinals. They’re always mean and pissed off. We’ve got to match that energy. It should be a good game here next Thursday at Sams Stadium.”

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