By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
The final week of the regular season won’t carry the same suspense as 2014 — at least not in District 31-5A.
Unlike last year, the playoffs teams are set heading into Week 11, and about the only thing left to determine is seeding in Division I (Edinburg Vela, Mission Veterans Memorial) and Division II (Roma, Sharyland High).
Last year, Roma and Valley View played for a chance at the fourth and final playoff spot in district. Roma won to secure its first-ever berth. When both teams meet again Friday, Roma (7-2 overall, 3-2 in district) will be playing for the top spot in its division, while Valley View is simply looking to avoid going 0-10.
Should Roma and Sharyland High (5-4, 3-2) finish with the same records, Roma would hold the tiebreaker by virtue of winning its head-to-head battle 18-7.
If Roma loses, Sharyland can get the top spot by beating Rio Grande City on Friday.
Similarly in Division I, Edinburg Vela and Mission Veterans are playing for seeding and the district title. With at least a share of the crown in hand, the SaberCats will look to secure it outright with a win. By winning, the Patriots can do no better than split the trophy.
MAKING STRIDES
Despite being out of the playoff hunt, Valley View coach Carlos Saenz said he won’t promote JV players to get an early taste of varsity action Friday. Instead, Saenz said he’ll favor his seniors, many of whom have asked to play both ways in an effort to savor their final game in uniform.
Valley View (0-9, 0-5) is at risk of a winless season, despite a more competitive showing this year. They lost by an average of 24.8 points per game in 2014 before a one-point win over Rio Grande City. This year, the Tigers have lost by an average of 5.2 points through a 0-5 start.
Saenz said he’s encouraged by the team’s expanding roster, and 10 starters expected to return next season.
“I’m just really excited that the kids have played hard all year,” Saenz said. “We’ve been in tight ball games and they’ve never given up. I have my parents come up and tell me that this is the hardest they’ve seen a Valley View team play. So, the future’s bright for us.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Sharyland Pioneer came up short in its pursuit of a playoff berth, losing to Roma in Week 10 to dismiss any hope of entry.
Still, coach Jason Wheeler said he’s pleased with his team’s growth in Year 2, starting the season 6-0 before battling through the meat of their schedule without their starting quarterback the last four games.
“I felt like we’ve come a long way from 3-7 (in 2014) to 6-4 (this year),” he said. “We were a little short in coming to the playoffs but I thought we made good strides.
“To have a winning season as a second-year program, I really feel like the (32) seniors laid a good foundation. … I’m indebted to those seniors. They came over from Sharyland (High) — a new system, a new philosophy, a new coach — and they brought in. I love them for it and I respect them.”