EDINBURG — When Raul Salas took over as Edinburg Economedes’ head football coach in 2022, he knew he had some work to do.

Salas, who was the third head coach hired by Economedes in as many years when he took over, inherited a team coming off five straight losing seasons.

Year 1 and Year 2 at the helm proved challenging, with the team going a combined 2-18 during Salas’ first two years at the helm.

This year, however, the Jaguars look different, sporting an unbeaten 3-0 mark through the first three weeks in the regular season. The record marks ties best start to a season since 2016, when they won three straight to start the regular season en route to a 7-4 overall record and their last playoff appearance to date.

“I took this program over in July over two years ago,” Salas. “That first year was about what do we have and what we could do. I spent pretty much that first year evaluating everybody and seeing where we were at. That year was kind of on the run. … Fast forward two years, we’ve turned over some coaches, brought in some new coaches. The kids are a little bit older. They’re still fairly young. I think that is paying off for us right now. They’ve had it all along. This group was just young.”

The Jaguars’ success this season comes as no surprise to Salas. Most of the players starting for the program have been with him since he took over in 2022.

The experience, combined with a bought-in mentality to Salas’ vision has Economedes playing with a different energy in 2024.

On paper, Economedes’ opponents haven’t been the toughest, with wins over Donna North, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln and Brownsville Porter. Don’t let the strength of schedule fool you. The Jaguars have handled their opponents with ease, winning their first three games by a combined score of 122-13.

“Having those players that have been in this system is big,” Salas said. “They’re pretty much the same kid, except now they’re stronger and a little bit more mature. … I’ll put it this way. My first year when we move that group of freshmen up, our subvarsity lost a lot of games. Now, two years later, this is the first year I don’t touch a single freshman. All three levels are undefeated now. It goes to show the process and the growth we have now because of the fact we no longer have to take the young ones and allow them to win at those levels. The system is kind of in place now.”

On offense, the Jaguars are bullying defenses, with four different players rushing for at least 175 yards. Each also has found the end zone multiple times.

Junior Johan Nunez leads the pack with 36 carries for 365 yards and four touchdowns. Slow down Nunez, and three other players are ready to step up in sophomore quarterback Jon Carreon (24 carries, 285 yards, four touchdowns), junior running back Carlos Garcia (25 carries, 264 yards, three touchdowns) and junior running back Max Reyna (23 carries, 197 yards, five touchdowns).

Defensively, 2023 District 31-6A defensive newcomer of the year Jaime Eguia leads a physical defense. The sophomore linebacker leads the team with 27 total tackles through three games and has added three tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.

Senior defensive lineman Joel Salinas and Josh Cameron add experience in the trenches, giving Salas and the Jaguars a formidable defense alongside their ground-and-pound offense.

The Jaguars still have two more games to go before they start district play. Up next is a matchup against another unbeaten squad, the Brownsville Pace Vikings (3-0).

A win over the Vikings would tie their win total from the past three years combined while also giving the Jaguars their best start in program history.

Salas knows the real games that matter are down the stretch, however, with he and his team having their sights set on a return to the postseason or the first time since 2016.

“We had this conversation this morning in practice,” Salas said. “I try to be up front with the guys and speak the truth and not sugarcoat stuff. I tell them if they don’t come to work every day, they’re going to get beat by teams they aren’t supposed to get beat by. If they show up every day and do what they’re asked, then they have a chance on Friday nights.

”My thing to them is don’t let that head get real big. We haven’t beaten anybody yet. We haven’t started district. Those are the games that really count. These games right now prepare you for district. Now it is just about keeping them at ground level, keeping them at base.”

BOUNCEBACK

Brownsville Veterans and Weslaco High delivered bounceback performances in Week 3, both picking up dominant victories.

The Chargers, who were coming off a Week 2 loss to Brownsville St. Joseph, responded to the defeat with an impressive 49-10 victory over Rio Grande City on the road.

Senior quarterback Storm Montoya led the offensive charge for Veterans during the win, completing 3-of-6 passes for 39 yards and a score, and he added 13 carries for 158 yards and five touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Panthers got in the win column for the first time this season thanks to a convincing 27-8 victory over Laredo LBJ on Friday at home.

Senior do-it-all athlete Chris Luna powered the Panthers to the Week 3 victory, racking up 104 total yards and three total touchdowns during the win.

Both teams will look to continue righting the ship with district play quickly approaching.

STOCK RISING

The Los Fresnos Falcons have risen quickly in the RGVSports.com 5A/6A poll, moving from No. 7 to start the season all the way to No. 3.

A big reason for their ascension has been the play of third-year starting quarterback Robert Pineda.

The junior signal caller has been among the Valley’s best dual-threat options this season, throwing for more than 600 yards and seven touchdowns, and adding more than 200 yards and four scores on the ground.

Last week, Pineda demonstrated his clutch ability, leading a last-minute drive for the win, capping it with a 2-yard touchdown run as time expired to give the Falcons the 33-32 victory.

Up next for the Falcons is a tough road test against No. 4 PSJA High at 7 p.m. Friday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.

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Predicting a winner for the Edcouch-Elsa and McAllen football game was shaking a Polaroid picture, you’re just going to have to wait until the end for things to clear up. As the Yellowjackets defenders peeled off the pile, and the play came into focus, quarterback Joaquin Valdez was found at the bottom, short of the goal line. The Yellowjackets secured a 17-14 win over the Bulldogs with a huge defensive stand late in the fourth quarter.

“It’s an emotional victory… It’s a big statement win for us. We went into the half down, and we came back proud, we showed a lot of resilience,” Yellowjackets’ head coach Victor Cardenas said.

Resilience aptly describes the Yellowjackets’ victory tonight. Most teams are able to manage the ebb and flow of the game, but the ‘Jackets seemed almost snake-bit as they could not cash in on opportunities  early. For example, the opening kickoff was bobbled by a McAllen returner, but the ‘Jackets were held at the 7-yard line on fourth down.

The ‘Jackets were not only resilient, but patient. After a Brandon Morales’ 29-yard run that got them inside the Bulldog 35, they fumbled. They finally settled for a 23-yard field goal from Jesus Ramirez. Ramirez would account for 9 of the ‘Jackets points connecting from 25 and 39-yards.

“Our kicker has been going through some adversity. We put him into some tough situations in Donna where he went 1-4, and today, he came through,” Cardenas said.

The ‘Jackets scored their only touchdown with 5:24 in the fourth quarter. Elijah Trevino tumbled into the pylon on an 11-yard scamper that ultimately gave the ‘Jackets the lead, 17-14.

“It was a twisted game; we struggled to put up points in the first half. Coach gave us a great speech, and we came out and executed,” Trevino said.

The Bulldogs struggled to get on track in the beginning after the fumbled kick return. They turned the ball over twice before finally taking the lead 7-3. On their fourth possession, the Bulldogs found a spark in the passing game as Valdez connected with Tristan Keith. Keith turned short screen passes into gains of 13, 14, 5. Keith’s success drew the defense’s attention and set up the grift. As it seemed Keith would be catching his 4th pass of the drive, Talan Garcia darted past the secondary for a 27-yard touchdown pass.

Garcia’s touchdown provided some security as the Bulldogs held the lead at half 14-6. Both defenses got stingy in the second half, and offenses suffered through punts and turnovers. Drives were plagued with penalties and miscues, and both teams seemed pretty even. Even when it seemed like the ‘Jacket offense broke through the lull, the Bulldogs held fast allowing only a field goal.

When it was 14-9, there was a sense in the stands that Bulldog fans hoped the clock would just run out. The Bulldogs recovered a fumble at their 22-yard line, and the offense was back on the field. And then it happened. Valdez rolled left but was tripped up for a big loss of 13. On the next play, the snap from center sailed over Valdez’ head. As Valdez gathered the ball in the end zone, he smartly chose to concede only a safety and ran out the back of the end zone, 14-11.

With 5:18 left in the game, the Bulldogs found hope. Valdez, Garcia, and Keith drove them to within inches of securing the win, but ultimately, the ‘Jacket defense held on fourth down.

“We knew it was a tough game, tough environment. The kids did everything we asked them to do all week as part of their preparation, and they did that…Every play has a life of its own, and unfortunately, it didn’t go in our direction,” McAllen head coach Patrick Shelby said.

Another week of RGV high school football is in the books, resulting in more shakeup atop the 5A/6A top 10 rankings.

PSJA North held steady at No. 1 after another dominating victory, but the rest of the top five saw some movement, with Edinburg Vela and Los Fresnos moving up to the No. 2 and 3 spots, respectively. PSJA High moved up one spot after a dominating Week 3 victory over Mission Veterans on Friday, while Harlingen fell three spots from No. 2 to No. 5 after a loss at home to the SaberCats.

Things remained steady at the Sub-5A level, with all teams holding onto their ranking from a week ago. Brownsville St. Joseph picked up another win over a bigger school to tighten their grip on the No. 1 spot, taking down Corpus Christi Carroll 29-28. Meanwhile, Port Isabel, Santa Rosa and Santa Maria each moved to 3-0 on the year to retain their spot in the rankings.

In the Coastal Bend poll, Miller remains atop despite a Week 3 loss to state-ranked Desoto, while Flour Bluff holds tight to No. 2 after a dominating district opener against Harlingen South.

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

For a second straight week a pair of RGVSports.com 5A/6A top five teams are set to square off, with the No. 4 PSJA High Bears hosting the No. 3 Los Fresnos Falcons in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week.

The highly anticipated contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.

The Falcons are coming off a thrilling last-second victory over Laredo United South last week, with junior quarterback Robert Pineda finding the end zone as time expired for the 34-33 victory.

Pineda’s heroics kept Los Fresnos perfect to start the season, moving to 3-0 with the win.

Meanwhile, the Bears bounced back from a Week 2 loss to PSJA North in dominating fashion, steamrolling the Mission Veterans Patriots 34-0 on the road.

Senior quarterback Myles Lopez tossed three touchdown passes during the win, while the defense forced six turnovers.

Friday’s matchup marks the third straight year the Bears and Falcons have met during the regular season, with Los Fresnos winning the past two meetings by a combined four points. The Bears did get the last laugh last year, however, knocking Los Fresnos out of the playoffs during the bi-district round with a dominating 35-7 win.

HARLINGEN — Edinburg Vela’s Jonathan Flores entered the 2024 season with big shoes to fill. The senior running back was tasked with replacing now UTRGV running back and 2023 All-Area running back Jamal Polley.

Through two weeks of play Flores has more than filled those shoes, ranking sixth in the RGV in rushing and tied for fifth in scoring heading into Week 3.

He continued to establish himself as one of the top backs in the area Friday, erupting for over 200 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns to lead the No. 3 Sabercats past the No. 2 Harlingen High Cardinals 34-16 in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week.

“Those are some big shoes he’s filling,” Edinburg Vela head coach Ernie Alonzo said. “He’s not a pleasant surprise like some people think he is though. We knew what he could do and he’s very capable of it. But also, the guys up front. They do a tremendous job. We know we have an experience O-line, and we ride those guys.”

Flores looked like a threat to play every time he touched the ball Friday, finding his way through any small crease he could find.

His elusiveness led to touchdown runs of 4, 6 and 13-yards during the first three quarters. He finished the game with 31 carries for 138 yards and three scores on the ground.

His biggest play, however, didn’t come from the backfield but rather on special teams, taking back a kick 90 yards with less than nine minutes remaining to put his team up by two possessions.

“I didn’t feel no pressure,” Flores said. “I don’t mind what people say. I play my own ball and do what I do best. Anytime I touch the ball I feel like I can’t be stopped. Every time I touch that ball I’m trying to score. If you want to stop me, try and stop me. I’m going to try and get that touchdown.”

Flores work on the ground was complemented by a lockdown defense, which picked off Harlingen High quarterback Jonas Serna three times during the second half, including a pair of drive-killing interceptions during the third and a pick to all but seal Harlingen’s fate during the fourth.

Harlingen High running back Noah Huerta was the lone bright spot in an offense that struggled most of the night, eclipsing the 100-yard mark and find the end zone at least twice for a third straight game.

His 8-yard touchdown run during the third brought the Cardinals within one after a missed extra point, but Harlingen High would get no closer, with a pair of fourth-quarter field goals by Edinburg Vela kicker Robert Gonzalez putting the SaberCats in the driver’s seat down the stretch.

Huerta finished with 19 carries for 195 yards and two touchdowns, adding two catches for 14 yards.

Edinburg Vela quarterback Geoffery LeFevre turned in a solid showing through the air, completing 19-of-32 passes for 240 yards. Derek Rodriguez, Sergio Briones and Luis Garcia each recorded an interception.

“We knew it was going to be a tough test for us,” Alonzo said. “Coach (Manny) Gomez does a great job with his team. There is great tradition here in Harlingen. To be on the road and win in this playoff type atmosphere, it is a great learning experience.”

The victory improves Edinburg Vela to 3-0 against the Cardinals all-time, also moving them to 3-0 to close out non-district play. Harlingen High falls to 2-1 with the loss.

The SaberCats (3-0) kick off District 16-5A DI play against Mission High (2-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Tom Landry Stadium in Mission.

The Cardinals (2-1) will look to get back in the win column at 7 p.m. Friday, hitting the road for the first time all season to take on Laredo United South at the Student Activity Center in Laredo.

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Every two years, district realignment reshapes the RGV football landscape. Old matchups get bumped in favor of a more fluid schedule, and sometimes, new matchups emerge. Sharyland Pioneer took charge of the third edition of this matchup with a 31-14 win over Edinburg North on Thursday night in a non-district football game.

“We schedule teams like this, they’re a quality ball club… we have a long preseason, and we want to schedule teams that will get us better for our district season. They’re a well coached and tough team, and a long preseason allows us to get quality reps,” Pioneer head coach Eddie Galindo said.

With a month until their first district game, the Diamondbacks looked sharp. They have a plethora of weapons led by quarterback, William Goodloe. Goodloe, a former receiver, commanded the offense with confidence. His 35-yard strike to Matthew Maldonado set the Diamondbacks up first-and-goal at the 10. On the next play, Goodloe bounced his way through the Cougars’ defense with a 10-yard touchdown for the first score. It capped a 7-play, 62-yard drive. Two possessions later, Goodloe and Maldonado connected again, but this time Maldonado found the end zone on a 68-yard catch. Despite the tight coverage, Maldonado was able to win the one-on-one matchup and outrun his defender.

“We worked for this all week, it was a team effort. The line was blocking, the receivers were catching, everything just flowed together,” Goodloe said.

Everything was flowing for the Diamondbacks. Running backs Marcus Perales and Dylan Tijerina added to the rushing threat already imposed by Goodloe. Weapons-a-plenty, Goodloe connected with Luis Orozco on a 51-yard touchdown as he streaked through coverage virtually untouched.

“It was just a great team victory, I’m proud of them. I’m proud of my defense too,” Goodloe said.

The Diamondbacks’ defense cannot go unnoticed. They had their hands full with the Cougars backfield, quarterback Jose Ramirez and running back, Angel Rodriguez. The Diamondbacks were like weeds in the wind, bending but never breaking. They allowed an early score, but then proceeded to shut down a 15-play, 78-yard drive short of the goal line. Cornerback Evan Rodriguez stymied Adrian Maldonado at the edge of the goal line on fourth and goal for a momentum-killing stand that may have led to a Cougars 14-13 lead. The Diamondbacks defense held tough and shut the Cougars offense two more times on fourth down.

“The defense is the heart of our team, we have a lot returners…I’m proud of them, they’re playing hard,” Galindo said.

The Cougars kept pushing the Pioneer defense to its breaking point. Osmar Alanis drew the game even at 7 when he shot around the right side for a 66-yard jet sweep that landed him in the end zone. Alanis was an all-around threat for the Cougars. Alanis returned kicks and was the go-to receiver for Ramirez; he consistently found holes in the defense and converted third downs that kept drives alive.

“Offensively we moved the ball, but things weren’t running on all cylinders. They did a job of doing things that put us in bad situations,” Cougars head coach Damian Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez also has a month before his first district matchup, so the lessons found in such losses are not lost. Gonzalez found solace in his young quarterback’s passion at the end of the game as Ramirez addressed the team.

“He’s done an admirable job of stepping in and leading his team…he’s learning. He’s learning how to read defenses, he’s learning how to lead young men and learning how to own up to the mistakes he’s making…it’s says a lot about him,” Gonzalez said.

LA JOYA — La Joya Palmview fullback Kyle Bazan scored twice and the defense forced three takeaways as the Lobos defeated the Brownsville Lopez Lobos 42-27 during a non-district contest Thursday at La Joya ISD Stadium in La Joya.

The victory sends Palmview into the start of district with a 3-0 mark, picking up wins over PSJA Southwest (35-14), Roma (28-14) and Lopez.

“I think going 3-0 in non-district sends a message to everyone in district that we’re ready to play,” La Joya Palmview head coach Margarito Requenez said. “We’re going to line up against anybody. We’re not afraid of nobody.”

Bazan set the tone for Palmview from the opening drive, barreling into the end zone from 16 yards to put the Lobos up 7-0 just four minutes into the contest.

With Lopez clawing back into the contest with back-to-back touchdowns during the third, it was Bazan sparking Palmview again, breaking off a 42-yard touchdown run minutes into the fourth to put his team back up by two scores and never looking back.

“I just wanted to step up for the team and set the tone for this defense and offense,” Bazan said. “It went great tonight though. Shoutout to the defense and the line for stepping it up.”

Trailing 28-7 at the break, Lopez roared to life during the third quarter. A turnover on downs by Palmview opened things up for Brownsville, with wide out Diego Guerra taking it in from 11 yards out to make it a 14-point game.

A successful onside attempt gave the ball immediately back to Lopez, with senior running back Eddie Slovak punching it in from two yards to cut Lopez’s deficit down to seven.

Bazan’s long touchdown run put Palmview back up by 14, but the Lobos wouldn’t back down, making it a one possession game on a four-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Guadalupe Ramirez to Gabriel Rios with 22 seconds left.

That would be as close as they’d get, with Mario Blanco taking the ensuing kickoff to the house to seal Palmview’s victory.

“We knew that they were explosive,” Requenez said. “They’re a good ball club. Like I said, they’re explosive. We saw that the last two weeks on film, so we were ready for battle. We came out throwing punches, but I guess we turned off the light switches too early and it almost cost us. It feels nice to be 3-0 going into district play. We just have to make sure we correct our mistakes from tonight and we’ll be ready to play.”

Ramirez finished the game with 25-of-35 for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Rios led all receiver with seven catches for 105 yards and two scores, while running back Eddie Slovak added 106 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries.

Bazan led Palmview with 11 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Esparza and Cristian Martinez each added touchdown runs of their own, while Joseph Martinez and Max Solis each snagged one interception each.

Lopez (2-1) looks to bounce back at 7 p.m. Thursday against Grulla at Joe R. Sanchez Stadium in Rio Grande City.

Palmview (3-0) turns its attention to their first district game of the season, kicking off 16-5A DI play against McAllen Rowe (0-2) at 7 p.m. Friday.

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