Category: High School

by Bryan Ramos

Edinburg Vela visits Harlingen High in RGVSports Game of the Week

Upper and Lower Valley powers are set to square off in Week 3 as the No. 4-ranked Edinburg Vela SaberCats collide with the No. 2-ranked Harlingen High Cardinals in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week.

Kickoff between the Cardinals and SaberCats is slated for 7 p.m. Friday at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen.

Both teams are off to 2-0 starts and enter this week’s matchup fresh off a pair of rivalry wins.

Harlingen High held off crosstown rival Harlingen South to take this year’s Bird Bowl by a score of 29-24 in Week 2. Cardinals’ junior running back Noah Huerta ran wild for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries in the win over the Hawks.

Edinburg Vela, meanwhile, picked up back-to-back wins over Edinburg North and Edinburg High to start its 2024 campaign. SaberCats’ senior running back Jonathan Flores had another big game with 199 rushing yards and two scores in their Week 2 victory over Edinburg High.

The two tradition-rich programs will look to establish the run as the Cardinals and SaberCats take the field for a Friday night dog-fight in Harlingen.

by Bryan Ramos

RGVSports.com Football Rankings (09/09/24)

Week 2 of the 2024 Texas high school football regular season is in the books and it has resulted in a shakeup in the latest RGVSports.com 5A/6A Top 10.

Last week’s No. 2 and No. 3 teams — Brownsville Veterans and PSJA High — both suffered losses leading to Harlingen High rising to No. 2 this week following the Cardinals’ 29-24 win over Harlingen South in this year’s Bird Bowl. Los Fresnos, Edinburg Vela, McAllen Memorial and Edcouch-Elsa also moved up in the ranks, while Brownsville Lopez and Weslaco East are the two newest teams to enter the top 10.

In the Sub-5A ranks, Rio Hondo lost an overtime battle against Port Isabel to slide out of the top four while Santa Rosa and Santa Maria take over at No. 3 and No. 4. No. 1 Brownsville St. Joseph, meanwhile, is coming off an impressive upset victory over the 5A/6A No. 2 team Brownsville Veterans.

The Coastal Bend top 4 poll saw minimal change, with the top three teams all remaining the same. New to the mix is Corpus Christi Veterans and Tuloso-Midway coming in tied at No. 4

Check out the rest of this week’s rankings below.

5A/6A Top 10
Rank Team Record Last Week
1 PSJA North  2-0 1
2 Harlingen High  2-0 4
3 Los Fresnos  2-0 5
4 Edinburg Vela  2-0 6
5 PSJA High  1-1 3
6 McAllen Memorial  2-0 7
7 Brownsville Veterans  1-1 2
8 Edcouch-Elsa  2-0 10
9 Weslaco East  2-0 NR
T10 Brownsville Lopez  2-0 NR
T10 Harlingen South  1-1 8
Sub-5A Top 4
Rank Team Record Last Week
1 Brownsville St. Joseph  2-0 1
2 Port Isabel  2-0 2
3 Santa Rosa  2-0 T4
4 Santa Maria  2-0 T4
Coastal Bend Top 4
Rank Team Record Last Week
1 Corpus Christi Miller  2-0 1
2 Flour Bluff  2-0 4
3 Calallen  2-0 3
T4 Corpus Christi Veterans  1-1 NR
T4 Tuloso-Midway  2-0 NR
by Henry Miller

Reported RGV and Coastal Bend high school volleyball scores from Sept. 5-6

Reported scores and stats from Sept. 5-across the Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend. Coaches, text your results to (956) 821-3834 or email [email protected] and please include overall and district records. Thanks!

 

NON-DISTRICT
SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. PSJA HIGH 25-18, 25-22, 18-25, 25-19

SHARYLAND (23-3): Kenisha Martinez 17 kills, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 1 ace; Maria Rodriguez 3 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace; Ivana Adame 2 kills, 1 block; Kassandra De La Garza 14 kills, 13 assists,4 blocks; Isabella Mendoza 2 kills; Sophia Mendoza 1 kill; Jayleen Berlanga 12 assists, 2 aces

PSJA HIGH (14-10): Information not provided

Other non-district score
Economedes def. La Feria in four sets, 3-1

DISTRICT 32-5A
BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ DEF. BROWNSVILLE RIVERA 18-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-22, 15-11.
LOPEZ (18-7, 3-0): Jasmine Cortinas 18 kills, 33 digs, 10 aces; Jenny Shank 13 kills, 22 digs, 2 aces; Paola Solis 7 kills, 5 blocks, Keren Rangel 5 kills, 4 blocks; Chalene Granado 18 assists.
RIVERA (16-8, 1-2): Not provided

DONNA HIGH DEF. DONNA NORTH 25-13, 25-14, 25-23 (no other information provided)

DISTRICT 31-5A
SHARYLAND PIONEER DEF. PSJA NORTH 25-13, 25-12, 25-4

PIONEER (20-3, 3-0): Florencia Curiel: 5 digs, 2 aces, 2 assists; Izabella Cano: 7 digs, 4 kills, 8 aces; Hailey Botello: 12 digs, 19 assists, 1 kill, 1 ace; Elle Hill: 5 kills; Itzel Hernandez: 5 kills, 1 block; Scarlet Verjel: 6 kills, 2 aces; Ava Saenz: 7 kills, 3 digs, 1 block; Sofia Chapa: 2 aces; Ashley Cervantes: 4 digs; Danica Gonzalez: 2 digs
PSJA NORTH: Not provided

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF. PSJA SOUTHWEST 25-11, 25-16, 25-17

MEMORIAL (16-6, 2-1): Larae Jones 4 kills, 8 digs; Karly Bazan 4 kills, 2 digs; Ana Davila 5 kills, 6 digs; Jozlyn Rodriguez 1 aces, 16 assist , 5 digs; Juliet Trevino 2 aces, 8 digs; Danara Cardenas 3 kills, 3 aces, 4 digs; Emma Farris 3 digs

PSJA SOUHWEST: Not provided

McALLEN HIGH DEF. McALLEN ROWE 25-18, 25-17, 25-13

McHI (17-10, 2-0): Kaylen Ottmers 1 kill, 10 digs; Karely Cantu 8 kills; Bella Rivera 10 kills 1 ace; Yaneli Rocha 3 kills 1 ace 40 assists; Gabriela Estringel 10 kills 2 aces 1 block; Giulliana Trevino 5 kills 1 block; Izabella Palacios 8 kills; Mackenzie Davidson 1 block; Braelyn Martinez 5 digs; Katelyn Vaden 5 digs 1 ace; Alyesha Morin 2 digs

ROWE (21-3, 2-0): Leana Palacios 8 digs, 4 asists; Aubry Castro 8 assists, 11 digs; Hailey Gonzalez 4 kills, 1 assist, 2 digs, 2 blocks; Brianna Sanchez 5 kills, 13 digs, 2 blocks; Kendyl Keenan 4 kills, 1 block; Katelyn Tarbutton 1 kill, 1 dig, 7 blocks; Audrina Perea 2 digs; Andrea Gutierrez 1 kill, 9 digs, 1 block

DISTRICT 30-5A
MISSION DEF. LAREDO MARTIN 25-14, 25-11, 25-11

MISSION (16-5, 2-0): Breanna Longoria 6 kills 3 blocks; Madison Garcia 3 kills 1 block; Joslyn Rodriguez 26 assists 2 blocks; Kayla Alaniz 9 kills; Vanessa Espinoza 7 kills; Victoria Guzman 2 kills 1 block 1 ace serve

MARTIN: Not provided

MISSION VETERANS DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY 25-16, 25-22, 25-12

VETERANS (18-4, 3-0): Sophia Pacheco 10 kills, 4 digs, 2 blocks; Mady Perez 11 kills, 1 ace, 19 digs; Delilah Cantu 9 kils, 3 assists, 5 digs, 3 blocks; Evioria Garcia 1 kill, 5 assists, 26 digs; Heather Flores 2 kills, 27 assists, 9 digs

RGC: Not provided

DISTRICT 29-5A
FLOUR BLUFF DEF. CC MOODY 25-9, 25-13, 25-14
FLOUR BLUFF (17-12, 3-0): Lola Fisher 21 assists, 6 digs, 4 aces; Maggie Croft 15 kills, 6 digs, 1 block, 3 aces; Kristina Rodriguez 10 assists, 2 aces; Ashby McCracken 6 assists; Kate Croft 9 kills; Alyssa Thornton 6 kills; Emily Eggleston 6 kills; Addison Mayo 25 digs; Hollie Santon 2 aces

MOODY (14-9, 0-3): Aubrey Guerra 7 assists, 11 digs, Alannah Gonzales 2 assists, 1 ace; Emery Johnson 6 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace; Delilah Flores 3 kills; Julia Perales 12 digs, Hanna J. 12 digs; Brianna Perez 8 digs; Allerina Martinez 1 block

CC VETERANS DEF. GOLIAD 25-21, 25-18, 21-25, 24-26, 15-10

VETERANS (20-4, 2-0): Kiana Lanton 23 kills, 1 block; Nya White 12 kills, 3 blocks; Lilyana Garza 25 digs, 2 aces Paige Ortiz 13 digs, 15 assists; Kayla Chavez 39 assists, 4 aces

GOLIAD: Maevyn Wunsch 23 kills, 24 digs, 1 block, 1 ace; Addison Yendrey 21 kills; Isabel Sanchez 12 kills; 12 digs, 48 assists; Karolynn Youngblood 39 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace; Ella Ulbricht 1 block; Hayle Russell 1 block; Sierra Arriazola 1 ace.

 

by Henry Miller

St. Joseph Bloodhounds sniffing around for a district title

Dolores Olguin-Trevino remembers when she left Brownsville Hanna, she had 351 wins.

Not much of one for numbers, she just left it there. She never even expected a 352.

Not long after she returned to the sideline, this time coaching St. Joseph Academy, someone told her she had hit the 400 mark.

“I hadn’t been dwelling on numbers, so it was a surprise,” she said. “I was done coaching and sat out a year.”

The idea of starting a program from scratch and building it until they reached the high school level, however, kept calling to her.

“I ended up putting everything I had into it and am still doing that – head, heart and gut,” she said last week days after eclipsing the 500-win mark. “It’s really not about the numbers but about being successful – of course that will include those numbers.”

It hasn’t been an easy task. Olguin-Trevino recalls literally begging teams to play them when they first started. Now, her pre-district schedule spans the Rio Grande Valley as the Bloodhounds play UIL teams in Classes 4A through 6A and from neighboring Brownsville schools to Roma, the other side of the Valley, some 120 miles away.

She has turned the fledgling program into competitors. The Bloodhounds recently defeated Hidalgo in the finals of the Hidalgo tournament in the best of three sets. The host Pirates are a perennial playoff team in Class 4A.

But now, as the St. Joseph Bloodhounds prepare for the TAPPS District 4-5A season, the road trips are as tough mentally, and maybe physically, as the games themselves. All games are bus trips between three and four hours long each way.

“It’s tough – they have four hours on the bus and most of time they’re not awake,” Olguin-Trevino said. “They probably stay up late thinking they have a four-hour ride, but then to get up out of that and get going, it’s tough. I don’t like it but it is what it is and we have to do what we have to do.”

Yvannia Sosa, Seanah Martinez and Gali Martinez pace the Bloodhounds’ offense while Carmina Tijerina, the libero, is an anchor on defense. In the semis and finals of the Hidalgo Tournament, Tijerina tallied 44 digs and 10 aces.

“There are just a few things we need to work on to solidify everything,” Olguin-Trevino said. “We’ve been letting everyone play heading into district but now it’s time to solidify. It’s a good start for us right now (11-3) and we want to keep it going.”

“They said they want to host a playoff game so we started looking at what it would take,” Olguin-Trevino said. “It means being district champ or finishing second and that what we have to work for that.

“I think we are perfectly capable of doing it. It comes down to the mental toughness. We have the physical ability and athleticism. They don’t even know how athletic they really are. If we stay the course we should finish first or second.”

Olguin-Trevino said having a home playoff game could be the final step in her journey – but she thought that after 351 as well. To date, she has 26 players play college volleyball. She started the St. Joseph program with two teams and has grown it to six – three high school and three middle school teams.

“I would like to see these girls go farther than that first round and go as far as they can,” the coach said. “I’ve got the girls and if they can do it this year, I think that this year is it for me. I’ve been thinking about it for a few years. It’s tough, physically and the heat, it’s draining me. I want to use my arms when I’m 80 so I had to give up hitting balls – physically, I want to be able to take care of myself when I’m 80. But as long as I’m here, I’m still giving it my all and the girls do that too.”

by Adrian F. Trevino Special to The Monitor

Vela claims Edinburg supremacy in dominant win

When crosstown rivals like the Edinburg Bobcats and Vela SaberCats collide, it’s hard to escape the overplayed clichés of sibling rivalries. This game is bigger than that. Vela staked their claim for city superiority during the latest battle Friday with a 44-13 win over the Bobcats.

Edinburg High’s JT Santa Maria, left, is brought down by Edinburg Vela’s Luis Garcia, and Sergio Briones, right, during the first half of action at Richard R Flores Stadium Sept. 6, 2024 in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])

The Bobcats and SaberCats are two perennial playoffs teams always in the mix for a district title in their respective districts. They schedule each other to ensure they are testing and challenging the best teams in the Valley; the fact that they share the same zip code is mere coincidence.

“It was going to be a tough ball game, crosstown rival. That’s a playoff team we played, but we did what we had to do tonight. We can be very explosive and we played good defense tonight,” Vela head coach Ernesto Alonzo said.

Explosive may be an understatement. On the third play of the game, Geoffrey Lefevre opened the scoring for the Sabercats with a 70-yard touchdown pass to June Garza. Lefevre’s strike up the left side found Garza, who out raced the defender. They connected a second time on a shorter but impressive pass in the back of the end zone.

“He has a lot of reps under his belt and a great quarterback; he’s fun to watch. From the cerebral standpoint, he knows the offense like the back of his hand,” Alonzo said.

Lefevre stood tall in the pocket with the confidence of an experienced quarterback. He was calm even with Bobcats defenders bearing down on him. On his 21-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Rodriguez, Lefevre was smothered and taken down while still delivering the most delicate of passes.

The Bobcats defense matched the energy. They forced turnovers and wreaked havoc early. They were led by their big man, Diego Gonzalez. After recovering a fumble at the SaberCats 41-yard line, the offense pounced. Quarterback JT Santa Maria invaded the Vela secondary while Oscar Jasso carried the offense into the red zone. The Bobcats called a timeout to rethink a 34-yard field goal attempt and lined up in the ‘Swinging Gate’ offense. Jude Vega scrambled out of the unorthodox formation and found Orly Martinez for a 16-yard touchdown pass.

“We had a great game plan, but we have to execute better. They were clicking on all cylinders, and we can’t make mistakes in big ball games…we made too many of them,” Bobcats’ head coach Rene Guzman said.

Edinburg Vela’s Jeremy Ramirez, left, runs back an interception in front of Edinburg High’s Jude Vega, right, during the first half of action at Richard R Flores Stadium Sept.06, 2024 in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])

By the end of the first quarter, the Edinburg powerhouses were tied at 7. Each defense held serve through most of the second. The Bobcats proved their mettle and held the explosive SaberCats at the 2-yard line. Later, they held again and forced a 23-yard field goal. Again, Gonzalez ruled the middle and swarmed Vela’s Jonathan Flores on goal to go situations.

Even though Vela’s offense struggled early, there was a sense they were finding their rhythm. Flores is like an old man’s pocket knife, sharp and versatile. His razor cuts got the team 8 yards when they needed 1, and his ability to bounce off tacklers like a pinball created challenges for the defense. Flores shrugged off a tackler, spun and sprinted for a 21-yard touchdown. Later, he rocketed past defenders seemingly untouched for a 41-yard touchdown.

“He’s got big shoes to fill. He runs really well and doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He’s a special back and is finally getting his opportunity,” Alonzo said.

by Mario Aguirre

Alaniz helps Mustangs win shootout over Panthers

Virtually every time Michael Alaniz has caught the ball this season, the McAllen Memorial receiver has cashed it in for a touchdown.

Such has been the case six times in two games this season, including four times Friday night during the Mustangs’ 45-38 non-district victory over Weslaco High in their home opener at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The junior scored on receptions of 80, 44, 44 and 68 yards, respectively — all from quarterback Kane Coy, the third-year starter — to help keep McAllen Memorial undefeated heading into a Week 3 matchup against San Antonio Johnson on neutral ground. It marks the final tuneup before kicking off a seven-game District 16-5A Division I schedule Sept. 20 at Rio Grande City.

“He’s a special talent,” coach Moses Patterson said. “He’s doing a great job for us, being able to mature this year and stepping in to fill a void. He has great chemistry with Kane, and they’re complementing each other well.”

Alaniz’s only two receptions last week during a 37-14 win over Brownsville Hanna resulted in touchdowns — of 35 and 11 yards — as the Mustangs (2-0) improved one spot from their preseason ranking to No. 7 in the latest RGVSports.com Top 10 poll.

After a 42-28 season-opening loss to Harlingen High, the Panthers (0-2) again found themselves in a shootout. They trailed 14-0 before narrowing the deficit 21-14 at halftime.

Weslaco High running back David Perez (20) carries the ball during a non-district contest against McAllen Memorial on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen. Photo by Emmanuel Ruiz | Special to RGVSports.

Weslaco tied the game at 38 on a 33-yard field goal by Francisco Trevino, the starting quarterback, with 3:06 to play, before Alaniz scored his fourth TD of the night on a 68-yard catch from Coy off a screen pass.

Trevino’s field goal capped what was otherwise a big night for the senior, who moved under center after playing receiver last year. He accounted for four touchdowns Friday, three on the ground. He ran for 10-, 39- and 12-yard scores, respectively, and completed 9 of 13 passes for 173 yards and a TD — a 27-yard strike to Chris Luna that brought the Panthers to within 21-14 with 0:33 seconds to play during the opening quarter.

“That Weslaco quarterback is real special,” Patterson said. “He’s going to take them very far this year.”

Trevino also tallied three interceptions — a notable statistic for a Mustangs team that scored on five of six possessions during the opening half. It helps that four of their six captains are seniors this year, all on the defensive side.

McAllen Memorial running back Jayden Soliz (1) is met by a pair of Weslaco High defenders during a non-district game Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen. Photo by Emmanuel Ruiz | Special to RGVSports.

Patterson, the fourth-year coach, described a group that took their lumps in the beginning of his tenure but is now beginning to see the fruits of their labor in qualifying for the playoffs in two of his first three seasons.

“I just like how our team went out and competed,” Patterson said. “We knew they were a tough squad. Coach (Roy) Stro(man) does a heck of a job. They’re a 6A school; we’re 5A. We knew we had our work cut out for us. But the big message going in was that we were going to finish the fight.”

Weslaco, which went 10-0 in the regular season last year, remains in search of its first win in 2024.

Last year the Panthers earned their first bi-district victory since 2015 by beating Mission High, losing in the next round to San Antonio Jay.

Weslaco High running back David Garcia (23) carries the ball during a non-district contest against McAllen Memorial on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen. Photo by Emmanuel Ruiz | Special to RGVSports.

Next week, they play host to Laredo LBJ in their home opener.

Braxton Speights — the youngest of three Speights brothers to play for the Mustangs — was responsible for scoring the only other Memorial touchdown that didn’t feature Coy to Alaniz. The sophomore back broke open a scoreless tie with 10:48 to play during the opening quarter, muscling his way 44 yards to end zone.

Braxton’s oldest brother, Trevor, was the Valley’s all-time leading rusher by the time he graduated in 2016, before moving on to Stanford. Their middle brother, Campbell, graduated in 2010 before going to the U.S. Naval Academy.

by Ivan Palacios

Three-peat: Huerta’s big night powers Cardinals to third straight Bird Bowl victory

HARLINGEN — Tone setter.

That is the best way to describe Harlingen High junior running back Noah Huerta over the past two weeks. Last week the junior broke off a 61-yard touchdown run on his first carry en route to a two-touchdown performance and a 42-28 win.

Huerta set the tone out of the gate once again this week, breaking loose for a 53-yard run on his first carry before rumbling in from 13 yards on the next play for the first of four touchdowns during a 29-24 victory over Harlingen South in the 32nd Bird Bowl on Friday at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen.

“It is in his bloodline,” Harlingen High head coach Manny Gomez said. “His family gives him great support. His brother was a beast defensive player for us and is playing at Texas State now. It is just in his blood to compete. He’s always smiling no matter what the situation. We handed him the ball tonight and it was game over. He’s a phenomenal kid. Just super excited for him, but the offensive line did a tremendous job to do what they needed to do to make those holes. He’ll be the first one to tell him it’s not just him.”

Huerta’s touchdown run to start the game was only the beginning of the junior’s big night. He added a 26-yard touchdown reception in the second, followed by a 53-yard touchdown run in the third and a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth to put the Cardinals up 29-17.

Huerta’s big night brings him to six total touchdowns on the year. He finished Friday night with 218 yards and three scores on 24 carries, also hauling in one reception for 26 yards and a score.

Harlingen High running back Noah Huerta barrels in for one of his four touchdowns during the 32nd Bird Bowl against Harlingen South on Friday at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen. (Andrew Cordero | Special to RGVSports)

“Its just the experience from last year,” Huerta said. “The team, we’ve built that chemistry heading into this year. We’ve gotten a whole lot better. We’ve been putting in that work. Those early runs set that momentum. My O-line, they set it all up for me. My receivers and quarterbacks too. They set it all up for me.”

Despite Huerta’s big night, Harlingen South wouldn’t go down without a fight, cutting the lead down to six twice during the second half. A 12-yard touchdown pass from Austin Shroyer to Dylan Anaya during the third made it 23-17, while a one-yard touchdown run by Shroyer in the fourth brought South within five again following Huerta’s fourth touchdown of the night.

The junior quarterback’s touchdown run proved too little too late, however, with Huerta sealing the Cardinals victory with a five-yard carry to run out the clock during the final moments of the fourth quarter.

Shroyer finished the night 14-of-22 for 143 yards and one touchdown, completing passes to five different receivers on the night. Anaya added 13 touches for 72 yards and one score.

Harlingen South athlete Dylan Anaya (8) looks to make a move with the ball during the 32nd Bird Bowl against Harlingen High on Friday at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen. (Andrew Cordero | Special to RGVSports)

“All the glory to God. You have to understand you have to competitors as head coach here at Harlingen CISD,” Gomez said. “This is what you’re going to see as long as we’re both here. It is what we do and who we are in Harlingen. It is always going to be competitive. Kudos to the South Hawks, but I just want to say I have the best staff in all the state of Texas. They work extremely hard, and I just want to give that shoutout to all my coaches.”

The victory marked the third straight in the rivalry series by Harlingen High, moving it to 27-5 all-time against its intracity rival.

The Hawks (1-1) turn their attention to district play, kicking it off at 7 p.m. Friday against Corpus Christi Flour Bluff at Hornet Stadium in Corpus Christi.

Harlingen High (2-0) is set to face off against another RGVSports.com Top 10 team next week, taking on Edinburg Vela (2-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen.

“We just have to keep on going,” Huerta said. “We’re undefeated right now, but we can’t take it for granted. We have to keep on working hard and giving all the glory to God.”

[email protected]

by Bryan Ramos

No. 1 PSJA North holds off No. 3 PSJA High for rivalry win

PHARR — The No. 1 PSJA North Raiders extended their regular-season winning streak to 22 and head-to-head winning streak against crosstown rival PSJA High to five after a 21-11 victory on Friday at PSJA Stadium in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week.

The Raiders improve to 2-0 overall while the Bears drop to 1-1.

“I was actually very impressed with their defense holding us down. They’ve done a great job the last three years — it’s been tougher and tougher each year to move the ball and score points against them,” PSJA North head coach Marcus Kaufmann said. “That defense, they’ve done a great job on that staff over there and done some things that were hurting us. Offensively, we were scared because they changed some of their schematics on offense and we were worried about it a bunch, and we were able to take care of business just from the sheer aggressiveness of our kids playing really hard.”

PSJA North quarterback Darren Garcia (1) carries the ball against PSJA High in a game at PSJA Stadium on Friday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Raiders’ quarterback Daren Garcia accounted for two first half touchdowns on a 1-yard sneak and an 8-yard pass to Diego Aparicio near the right-front pylon for a 14-0 PSJA North lead at the break. PSJA North defensive back Jason Almanza also came up with an interception in the end zone to shut down a PSJA High drive in the first.

PSJA North quarterback Darren Garcia (1) throws a long pass against PSJA High in a game at PSJA Stadium on Friday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

The PSJA High defense bottled up PSJA North for the majority of the second half with the exception of one big play that ended up being a back-breaker.

Raiders’ back Ethan Guerra exploded for a 60-yard rushing touchdown that started off left tackle before cutting back to the right for the score. He exited PSJA North’s Week 1 contest but was healthy enough to give it a go in the rivalry game against PSJA High and came through for his team.

“I told my boys I’d be ready to come back and ready to practice this week. I came out here and did my best for my boys,” Guerra said. “We came in here ready to go, hyped up. I told my boys we had to win this game, because if they would have won we’d never hear the end of it, so I told them let’s go, gotta keep pumping our legs and get that scoreboard up.”

PSJA North ball carrier Ethan Guerra (21) defends the ball against PSJA High defensive lineman Matthew Gamez (6) in a game at PSJA Stadium on Friday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

PSJA High trailed 21-0 before getting on the board with a third quarter safety after the snap on a PSJA North punt attempt sailed over the head of the Raiders’ punter and eventually out of the end zone to make it 21-2. The Bears found a bit of offensive rhythm late as senior quarterback Myles Lopez connected with receivers Ryan Vallejo and Caleb Salas to keep the chains moving.

That led to a 30-yard field goal from Izael Alavarez and a 9-yard touchdown pass from Lopez to Salas with 5:48 remaining in the fourth.
That’s as close as the Bears would get, however, as the Raiders picked up key first downs late to ice the game.

PSJA North defender Devonte Espinoza (2) and PSJA High intended receiver Ryan Vallejo (2) battle for a pass thrown across the field in a game at PSJA Stadium on Friday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Next for PSJA North (2-0) is the start of District 15-5A DI action with a road game against Donna North (0-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Bennie LaPrade Stadium in Donna.

PSJA High (1-1) will look to bounce back next week against Mission Veterans (0-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Tom Landry Stadium in Mission.

“We got to get healed up. We’re pretty beat up from the last two weeks playing two juggernauts, so we need to get well and get ready for district,” Kaufmann said.

by Ivan Palacios

Grinding It Out: No. 2 Port Isabel picks up OT win over No. 3 Rio Hondo

PORT ISABEL — Port Isabel junior running back Luis Ramos found the end zone from 22 yards out in overtime and the No. 2 Tarpons took down the No. 3 Rio Hondo Bobcats 27-24 in a non-district thriller Thursday at Tarpon Stadium in Port Isabel.

“Honestly, I knew I had it (in overtime),” Ramos said. “I practice hard. That’s honest and true. That is all I do. I keep going and going. I go full speed every day.”

Port Isabel running back Luis Ramos runs into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown during a non-district game against Rio Hondo on Thursday at Tarpon Stadium in Port Isabel. (Andrew Cordero | Special to RGVSports)

After trading haymakers during the first three quarters, a torrential downpour during the fourth shifted gears in the contest, with both teams unable to get much going.

A late punt by the Tarpons set up the Bobcats with a chance to win the game, getting all the way down to the 25 before attempting the would-be game-winning field goal.

The attempt proved no good, sending the game into overtime.

“We dug ourselves in a hole,” Port Isabel head coach Tony Villarreal said. “We fumbled two or three times in the first half. We just had to really regroup, settle down and play some football. Fortunately, the weather came, and we feel like that is to our advantage. We feel like we have the mud offense.”

The Tarpons did just that in overtime, buckling down on defense and holding Rio Hondo to just three points to set up Ramos’ game winning score on the ensuing drive.

Ramos finished the game with over 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns, also adding the game-tying 2-point conversion during the third.

Port Isabel running back Luis Ramos (3) looks for an opening during a non-district game against Rio Hondo on Thursday at Tarpon Stadium in Port Isabel. (Andrew Cordero | Special to RGVSports)

“The key word is trust,” Villarreal said. “He had 229 yards last week. I don’t know what he had tonight. He also blocks like a son of a gun. We just have a lot of trust in him.”

Early on the Bobcats and Tarpons looked like a pair of heavyweights trading blows, with Port Isabel drawing first blood on a three-yard touchdown run by Ramos. The Bobcats came right back and took the lead on a six-yard touchdown pass from senior Ruben Atkinson to Nate Sosa.

Port Isabel answered with some trickery, calling a wide receiver pass on fourth down from senior Christian Smith to Cleveland Smith to put the Tarpons back on top 13-7 midway through the second.

Port Isabel receiver Cleveland Smith catches a touchdown during the second quarter of a non-district game against Rio Hondo on Thursday at Tarpon Stadium in Port Isabel. (Andrew Cordero | Special to RGVSports)

“I just saw it was the perfect situation,” Villarreal said. “They weren’t expecting it. I called that one. I stepped in there for the offensive coordinator on that one.”

A quick strike from Atkinson to senior Keyan Lopez put the Bobcats on top at the break, extending their lead to 21-13 early in the third on a 10-yard touchdown reception by Sosa.

Rio Hondo would only lead once more, going up 24-21 in overtime thanks to a 42-yard field goal by Leo Quezada, but it proved to not be enough, with Ramos sealing the Bobcats fate with his third touchdown run of the night.

The Bobcats (1-1) will look to bounce back on the road against Hidalgo (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at Bill Pate Stadium in Hidalgo.

The Tarpons (2-0) will look to make it three straight wins to start the season when they take on the Valley View Tigers (0-2) at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at Tiger Stadium in Pharr.

“We’re going to build off of this,” Villarreal said. “It was a short week with it being Labor Day weekend. It was tough to get these kids going after an emotional win against Lyford last week. That is back-to-back emotional wins. We have some extra days though so we’ll be ready for next week.”

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by Henry Miller

Bulldogs bring thunder during their District 31-5A opener

McHi unveiled its version of shock and awe on Tuesday, unleashing 46 kills, playing absolute staunch defense and defeating two-time District 31-5A champion Sharyland convincingly 25-22, 25-17, 25-15 at McAllen High.

Lefty Gabby Estringel hammered away for a team high in kills and digs, with 15 apiece while middles Isabella Rivera and Karely Cantu added 12 and 11 kills respectively in what may have been the most powerful performance of the season from any Valley team.

McAllen High head coach Estefania Portillo.

It was McHi’s district opener, playing a team that was without its second leading hitter Pamela Pena.

The Bulldogs relentlessly attacked. Their passing was crisp and setter Yaneli Rocha found her hitters for 38 assists to go with nine digs and one solo block. Their middles also found huge openings along the front row corners along the net, taking advantage of it for easy points on multiple occasions. Rivera was her consistent self, tallying 28 attacks with just two attack errors. Cantu, who has been looking to find her consistency to go with her power game, did just that. She also showed a soft touch, often finding those open spots along the front row to gently drop the ball into.

“We came in with the mindset that we had to give it our all and work as a team and that’s what we did,” Cantu said. “The offense executed but I have to give it up to our defense, we couldn’t have done that without them.

“We ran the middles a lot and that helped us – they left those spots open and we tipped there all day. I was just excited for our last first district game and it was exciting to mix things up.”

When the middles weren’t doing their thing, Estringel was making craters on the opposition’s side. She hit from the right side, from the middle and from the back row, showcasing her ability to play all around.

McAllen High’s Yaneli Rocha celebrates a point on Tuesday against Sharyland High.

Libero Kaylen Ottmers stood like a human backboard and was in perfect position especially to receive Sharyland’s Kenisha Martinez and her hard-hitting blows. Ottmers finished the day with 25 error-free receptions and 15 digs to go along with a team-best 13 points. Braelyn Martinez also kept points alive, diving into the far reaches of the gym to make saving plays. She and Ottmers also tallied four of McHi’s six aces with two apiece.

“Kaylen takes a lot of pride being the reigning libero of the year for the district,” head coach Estefania Portillo said. “She really was ready for that matchup for today. She read very well tonight and played great defense.”

After McHi took the first set, there was never a “feel” that the Rattlers would battle back. Martinez and outstanding hitter/setter Kassandra De La Garza put together short runs on a few occasions, De La Garza getting points from smashes down the line, McHi’s defense, and quick turnaround offense didn’t allow the dynamic duo from going on any long point-scoring spurts.

Sharyland falls to 21-4 overall and 1-1 in District 31-5A. It was the first time they were swept in a district match since Oct. 23, 2021, also by McHi. The Rattlers face non-district opponent PSJA High at noon Saturday. McHi improved to 16-10 overall and 1-0 in district. The Bulldogs travel to McAllen Rowe at noon Saturday.