BROWNSVILLE — The Brownsville Veterans Chargers heard all the chatter this offseason. Despite a run to the Class 5A DI state semifinals, many outside the program expected a drop-off by the Chargers after realignment moved them up to the Class 6A level.

A 2-2 start to the season only added fuel to the fire, with more writing off the Chargers just four games into the season.

If back-to-back wins to close out non-district play was enough to silence the doubters, Thursday’s performance might be, with the No. 4 Chargers thrashing the No. 7 Harlingen High Cardinals 40-9 in their District 32-6A opener and the RGVSports.com Game of the Week at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.

“I’m extremely proud of our kiddos,” Brownsville Veteran head coach JC Ramirez said. “We had a great week of practice. We knew this game was big for us. Since we got classified as 6A and the schedule was released, we knew this was a tough matchup. Not only because it was the Harlingen Cardinals, the powerhouse of the Valley and everyone wants to be them. Not only that but it was our first game in 32-6A. We have very realistic goals. This was step one of meeting one of our goals to capture a gold ball in 32-6A.”

The Chargers jumped out on the Cardinals during the opening quarter, taking a 10-0 advantage behind a 23-yard field goal by senior Roman Reyna and a 39-yard touchdown run by senior fullback Cesar Belmontes.

A 44-yard field goal by Reyna added to the Chargers lead, going up 13-0 with 9:47 remaining.

The Cardinals answered back with a 62-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback Hassan Woolery with 8:15 remaining in the opening half, putting the Cardinals within six points heading into the break.

Woolery left the game later in the second quarter due to an injury and did not return. He finished with a team-high 92 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries.

“The first two quarters we were trying to figure out the defense and see what they do,” Belmontes said. “Coming out of halftime we said we were going to play smashmouth football like we always do.”

Brownsville Veterans did just what Belmontes said on its opening drive of the third quarter, chewing up three minutes of clock on a five-play, 54-yard scoring drive capped by a seven-yard touchdown run by the senior fullback.

The scoring drive was the first off three by the Chargers during the third quarter, adding two more touchdowns on runs of 34- and 3-yards by senior quarterback Storm Montoya.

The defense matched its offense with a dominant performance during the third, forcing a pair of three-and-outs during the period and allowing -9 yards.

Brownsville Veterans finished with 336 total yards, with nearly half of them coming during the second half when they outscored the Cardinals 27-2. Trevillion paced the way with 100 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. Belmontes added 89 yards and two scores on 12 carries, while Montoya chipped in 55 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries.

The defense allowed just 211 total yards, including just 49 during the final two quarters. Brownsville Veterans fullback Alvin Trevillion put the final touches on the win with a two-yard touchdown run during the fourth, securing the Chargers first win over Harlingen High in school history.

“This whole week we’ve been training hard,” Belmontes said. “Ever since Saturday we’ve had the mentality that we’re going to come out here and make a statement. Class 6A football is a whole different level. We just came out here tonight and made a big statement.”

The Cardinals (4-3, 0-1) get a week to recover following the district loss before returning to 32-6A action against Brownsville Hanna at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen.

Meanwhile, the victory moves the Chargers to 5-2 overall and 1-0 in their return to District 32-6A. They’ll continue their quest for the school’s first district title at the 6A level against Brownsville Hanna, taking on the Eagles at 7 p.m. Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.

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Non-district play officially is in the books for the Valley’s 6A football teams, with teams gearing up for the road to the playoffs.

District 31-6A is coming off a league-wide bye week in Week 6, meaning every team should be fresh coming into the start of league play.

Meanwhile, the five-team District 32-6A wrapped up non-district play last week and is jumping right into league action.

Here’s a look at each district game taking place in the RGV’s 6A districts this week.

NO. 7 HARLINGEN HIGH AT NO. 4 BROWNSVILLE VETERANS: Arguably the biggest Class 6A game in the Valley takes place Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium, with the No. 4 Chargers hosting the No. 7 Cardinals.

The 6A titans enter the District 32-6A opener with identical 4-2 overall records after six weeks of non-district play, each picking up their share of convincing wins.

The Chargers sat at 2-2 through their first four games, picking up wins over PSJA Memorial (34-3) and Rio Grande City (49-10), dropping contests to Brownsville St. Joseph (41-21) and Laredo Alexander (44-42).

They’ve put in their best performances over the past two weeks, taking down No. 5 PSJA High 35-23 in Week 5, followed by a dominant 45-21 win over Sharyland Pioneer last week.

Fullback Alvin Trevillion has come on strong the past two contests, racking up 343 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries during that span.

The Cardinals opened their season up with back-to-back wins over Weslaco High (42-28) and Harlingen South (29-24) before dropping their first game of the season in Week 3 to No. 2 Edinburg Vela 34-16.

Harlingen High bounced back strong after its first loss, defeating Laredo United South (6-5) and Mission Veterans (38-8) to improve to 4-1. A loss to Cuero in Week 6 dropped the Cardinals to 4-2 to close out non-district play.

While Harlingen High running back Noah Huerta (102 carries, 738 yards, nine touchdowns) remains the focal point of the offense, the Cardinals will look to first-year quarterback Hassan Woolery to get up to speed fast as they kick off district play, with the freshman taking over as the starter last week after an injury to senior Jonas Serna.

Woolery put together a promising performance during his first varsity start despite the loss, throwing for 54 yards on 4-of-9 passing and adding 80 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Kickoff for the RGVSports.com Week 6 Game of the Week between the Cardinals and Chargers is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

NO. 5 PSJA HIGH at EDINBURG HIGH: Like in 32-6A, District 31-6A play kicks off with a banger between the reigning league champion Bears and the playoff contender Bobcats.

The Bears and Bobcats enter the contest with 3-2 marks after the bye week, two of four teams in the district with the same record.

PSJA High’s passing attack has been among the best in the RGV this season, averaging 323.8 yards per game. The Bears’ aerial assault is complemented by a running game averaging 95.2 yards per game, forcing defenses to defend against both.

Quarterback Myles Lopez and wideout Ryan Vallejo pace the Bears’ passing game, with Lopez averaging ranking third in the RGV in passing yards (1,619) and Vallejo ranking second in receiving (655).

Running back Jorge Alanis leads the Bears in rushing with 283 yards and one touchdown on 50 carries. The senior did miss PSJA High’s last non-district contest due to injury, leaving his status for Thursday unsure. Senior Gabriel Ramirez (25 carries, 108 yards, one touchdown) likely will step into the lead back role if Alanis is unable to go.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats have deployed a more balanced attack through five games this season, averaging 117.4 passing yards and 142.2 rushing yards this year.

Senior JT Santa Maria and sophomore Aidden Sanchez have split the reps at quarterback this season, combining for 571 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Sophomore running back Oscar Jasso has paced the Bobcats’ ground game, toting the rock 66 times for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Santa Maria also offers a weapon in the Bobcats’ ground game, ranking second on the team in rushing with 273 yards and four touchdowns on 46 carries.

Kickoff between the Bears and Bobcats is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.

WESLACO HIGH AT LA JOYA HIGH: Realignment sent the Panthers from District 32-6A last year to District 31-6A this year. They’ll make their league debut at 7 p.m. Thursday at La Joya ISD Stadium against the Coyotes.

Weslaco High enters district play as one of the hottest teams in the area, winning three straight after an 0-2 start to the season. The emergence of new faces at quarterback, running back and receiver have been key to the Panthers’ turnaround.

Senior Franky Trevino, who stepped into the QB1 role this season after playing receiver last year, has emerged as a dual threat behind center, throwing for 613 yards and seven touchdowns and adding 337 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Receiver Chris Luna has helped Trevino’s transition to the quarterback position, serving as his primary target out wide this year. The junior is a big-play threat every time he touches the ball, averaging 21.7 yards per catch en route to 413 yards and five touchdowns.

Junior running back David Garcia was left big shoes to fill after the graduation of Eli Rodriguez, The Monitor’s 2023 All-Area Player of the Year. He’s done his best to fill that void, rushing for 441 yards and five touchdowns through five games this year, including three games with more than 100 yards.

Though winless through five games, the Coyotes aren’t to be taken lightly by the Panthers during their district opener, with La Joya High fielding one of the top rushers in the RGV in Mauricio Mendoza.

The junior running back ranks third in the Valley in rushing with 786 yards and six touchdowns on 123 carries through five games.

EDINBURG NORTH AT EDINBURG ECONOMEDES: The Cougars have had the Jaguars’ number the past eight years, with Edinburg North winning eight straight games against their crosstown rival.

The Jaguars‘ last win over the Cougars came during the 2015 season, with Economedes beating Edinburg North 35-28.

The Jaguars might have the team to snap their losing streak to the Cougars this year, with Economedes off to its best start since 2016.

Their 3-2 record is already more wins than the past two years combined, with a win against Edinburg North tying for their best season since 2018, when they finished 4-6.

Taking down the Cougars won’t be a cakewalk, with Edinburg North fresh off a dominating win over PSJA Southwest.

Kickoff between the Cougars (2-3) and Jaguars (3-2) is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.

BROWNSVILLE HANNA AT SAN BENITO: The final 6A contest in the RGV pits a pair of struggling programs head-to-head as the Eagles travel to Bobby Lackey Stadium to take on the winless Greyhounds.

San Benito enters the game without a win this season after playing arguably the toughest non-district slate of anyone in the area.

The Greyhounds opened the season against RGVSports.com 5A/6A’s top-ranked team, the PSJA North Raiders, followed by a game against 6A powerhouse Austin Westlake and perennial playoff contender Laredo United. Losses to UANL Monterrey (28-21), No. 8 Weslaco High (28-14) and Carthage (56-0) ended San Benito’s non-district slate with a 0-6 mark.

On the opposite side, Brownsville Hanna enters the District 32-6A opener with just one win under its belt. The Eagles opened the year with four straight losses before picking up their first win of the season in Week 5, a 13-3 victory over La Joya High.

They closed out their non-district slate with a loss to Mission Veterans last week, dropping to 1-5 on the year.

Kickoff between the Greyhounds and Eagles is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito.

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Two RGV football teams eclipsed the 60-point mark this past week, with Brownsville St. Joseph beating down La Feria 62-13 and Los Fresnos routing Sharyland High 70-33.

Leading the offensive explosions were a pair of dual-threat quarterbacks in the Bloodhounds’ Gavin Cisneros and the Falcons’ Robert Pineda.

The pair of junior quarterbacks are the RGVSports.com Week 6 Co-Players of the Week.

Cisneros’ arm talent and explosiveness on the ground was on full display against the Lions, as he racked up 498 total yards and seven total touchdowns during the win.

He diced up the defense through the air for 300 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-25 completions, a season-high for the gunslinger.

Cisneros also slashed his way through the defense with his legs, averaging 19.8 yards per carry en route to 198 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Bloodhounds finished the game with a school-record 709 total yards.

Cisneros and the Bloodhounds will look to close out their non-district slate with a third straight win, taking on the Port Isabel Tarpons (6-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Canales Field in Brownsville.

Pineda put together a masterclass of his own during the RGVSports.com Game of the Week against Sharyland High, exploding for 389 total yards and eight total touchdowns in the win.

The third-year starter was surgical through the air, completing 11-of-14 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He did his best work on the ground, however, eluding defenders play after play on his way to a monster 217 yards and six touchdowns on 15 carries.

His performance vaulted him into the top five in passing and rushing in the RGV heading into Week 7, as he has thrown for 1,028 yards and 10 touchdowns, and added 766 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

The Falcons enter their bye week with a 5-1 mark, only losing to PSJA High during Week 4. They’ll jump into 32-6A action after their off week, taking on the San Benito Greyhounds (0-6) at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium in Los Fresnos.

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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