NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER
The stage is set for the final week of the most unpredictable district in the Rio Grande Valley, District 30-6A.
If the top team in the district, PSJA High (5-1), can beat winless La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (0-6) Thursday night the Bears will secure the outright championship.
PSJA North (4-2) is in an enviable spot with a Thursday meeting at home against 1-5 McAllen High. A Raiders win leaves them in the postseason and even with a loss, they own head-to-head wins over McAllen Rowe, La Joya High and Mission High.
Most of the drama will unfold Friday night. Mission High and La Joya High will fight for a playoff spot at Tom Landry Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Eagles are hot off their 24-7 win over PSJA High. If Mission can beat La Joya for a second-straight season the Eagles will be playoff bound.
La Joya Coach Reuben Farias knows another game impacts their fate, but to his players the message is clear.
La Joya (3-3) at Mission High (4-2)
“We need to win, bottom line, win and worry about whatever happens happens,” Farias said.
The Coyotes will hope for Memorial to continue its dominance over Rowe in Week 11 and of course, take care of business on their end.
“If (McAllen) Memorial wins, Rowe is eliminated,” Farias said. “But if Rowe wins and we win, it would be Mission and Rowe (in) and us and La Joya eliminated. It all depends on the points but it’s pretty much cut and dry.”
The Coyotes will look to improve hanging onto the football; the lack of that skill hurt their chances to stay out of the drama last week in a 35-31 overtime loss to Rowe.
They gave the ball away five times, including two interceptions.
“We just need to avoid the big play, and play Coyote football, bottom line. At the end of the night if they give me everything they got and we got beat it says we got beat by a better ball club. But if we’re not ready to play then that’s when the questioning and they start second-guessing themselves and so forth.”
La Joya High and McAllen Rowe are 3-3 but if they defeat their 4-2 opponents things can get messy.
McAllen Memorial 4-2 vs. McAllen Rowe 3-3
The rivalry between the Warriors and Mustangs goes to a new level with both teams fighting to reach the postseason.
Win and in for Memorial. If Rowe wins, the Warriors still will need to wait to see if the scenarios are in their favor. Coach Bobby Flores says there’s no reason to overthink what they can’t control.
“We’re going to take it as win and get in,” Flores said. “That’s what we can control and that’s what we’re going to go for.”
Memorial has made the rivalry one-sided over the course of the last seven season. Rowe’s last win was a 27-13 win back in 2010.
“As seniors, this is their last shot as far as playing Memorial,” Flores said. “It’s an opportunity for all of our team. It’s a challenge that we need to take. We know that we have to come out and play hard, seniors, juniors and sophomores.”
With city championships, playoffs and a streak on the line, Flores is glad last week’s win put them in a position for a meaningful finale.
“This year it holds a lot more weight on it. We’re playing for hopefully a spot in the playoffs so the energy’s up. They’ve earned it.”
McAllen Memorial is playing its best football of the season in recent weeks but coach Bill Littleton knows it must continue.
The Mustangs won the turnover battle against PSJA North 2-0 and won the game 42-21. Rowe won the turnover battle as well and hanging onto the football will be a focus from the start.
“I think anytime you’re in a ball game when two teams are equal, if you can win the turnover battle you definitely have a chance to win the ball game,” Littleton said. “It doesn’t always turn out that way but defensively you have a chance to win. We feel like both teams are equal this week. So we’re going to try to win the turnover battle, play smart football not get unnecessary penalties and do the little things that make you a championship football team.”