DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
The reigning District 32-5A champs meet up with this year’s 32-5A favorites for The Monitor’s Game of the Week.
Mercedes (3-2, 2-0 32-5A) hosts Donna High (3-2, 2-0) at 7:30 Friday night at Tiger Stadium in a test of two teams expected to contend for the 32-5A crown.
“It’s going to be exciting with them coming in as the favorites,” Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. said.
The Tigers breezed their way to a district title last season, but are far from the same team.
While the defense has remained stellar thanks to veteran pieces in linebackers Fabricio Quintanilla and Roger Adame III, and defensive backs Damien Ledesma and Joel Gomez, among others, the offense is working its way to the same standard of play.
Behind sophomore quarterback Zach Gomez (281 rushing yards, five touchdowns) and sophomore running back Fabian Ledesma (503 rushing yards, eight touchdowns), Mercedes has looked better offensively during district play, averaging 47.5 points opposed to 15.7 during non-district competition.
But Donna High was the expected force in the district coming into this season, and the Redskins have not disappointed.
Behind a pick-your-poison backfield trio in seniors Amonte Bowen (13 touchdowns), Paul Guerra (four touchdowns) and Edward Dougherty (six touchdowns), Donna High is averaging 36.2 points, 49 in district play.
The gaudy numbers for each team so far in district play are largely because of the competition. Donna High has faced off against two-win PSJA Southwest and winless Brownsville Pace. Mercedes, meanwhile, has played winless Pace and winless Donna North.
Friday’s game marks the first true test for either team in district play.
“I could sit here and downplay the game, but it’s critical,” Donna High coach Ramiro Leal said. “We know we’re in for a better matchup and we know we’ll expect a tougher game. We’re in for a tough one.
“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Mercedes has run the ball well this season, and undersized Donna High has had trouble in defending the run. On the other hand, the Tigers are going up against a dominant offensive force that will test their ability to cover the edges as well as up the middle.
Mercedes employs an uptempo, open system, while Donna High wants to control possession and ground-and-pound.
Donna High’s defeats have come to RGVSports.com Top 10 teams Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Weslaco High. The Tigers have fallen to perennial regional power Calallen and McAllen Rowe, the latter in double overtime.