DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
After 17 games and well into its second year as a varsity football program, Donna North notched that elusive ‘W’ in convincing fashion last week.
The Chiefs accomplished the feat on the road, at Brownsville Pace. They won, 17-7, and the win doubled as the program’s first in district play as well.
“No doubt about it, the kids are more excited,” Donna North coach Tommy Sauceda said. “The win was further due than what we expected, but our kids have always worked to get better and we’ve been close.”
Donna North was successful in executing what Sauceda hopes it can become: a run-dominant, defensive-minded group that can grind out games against any opponent.
Dominic Ochoa ran for 144 yards and a touchdown. Richard Gomez caught another touchdown.
Neither team scored during the second half, but Sauceda credited Raymundo Galarza’s 47-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the first half as a big play that gave his team needed breathing room.
A defense ignited by Manuel Lerma (25 tackles) and Carlos Hurtado (17 tackles, 1 sack) won the second half by forcing Pace to work east-west. Donna North’s defense has been a strength all season.
“I’ve said all along that whatever plan we put together, the kids need to see the reward at the end of the day,” Sauceda said. “You work all week to get a paycheck, and we want it to be a good paycheck.
“Saturday was a good one and we look forward to our last two games.”
The Chiefs close the season against Donna High this week and winless PSJA High next week.
SEGURA O.K.
Edcouch-Elsa avoided potential calamity when senior quarterback Andrew Segura returned to practice Monday after missing the second half of Friday’s win against PSJA Southwest.
Segura was held out because of “wooziness,” but was evaluated and nothing serious was found wrong.
“Andrew’s good,” E-E coach Joe Marichalar said. “He told me he’s good and he told me just felt light-headed that day. Even the trainers said it wasn’t a concussion. We just held him out for safety measures.”
Segura is the second-string quarterback, and had he been forced to miss some time the ‘Jackets would have had to go to fourth-stringer Moses Gomez. Third-stringer Tey Valdez is out with injury.
Starters Marco Aguinaga (quarterback), Valdez (running back), A.J. Rodriguez (receiver), Norby Fuentes (defensive tackle) and Miguel Quintana (offensive lineman) are still hurt and not expected to play this week against Brownsville Pace.
REDSKINS CAN CLINCH
With a win against inner city rival Donna North on Friday, Donna High can clinch a share of the District 32-5A championship.
The Redskins, winners of six games in a row, have not won a district title since 2007.
“That’s our approach. I know we have a big game against Edcouch-Elsa coming up, but we’re not looking past Donna North,” Donna High coach Ramiro Leal said. “We know we can get a share of the title if we take care of business.”
Donna High is 5-0 in district, 6-2 overall, and ranked No. 8 in the latest RGVSports.com Top 10 poll.