STAFF REPORT
They had all the talent and coaching in the preseason, but they needed to prove it on Friday nights.
The SaberCats were tested in their quest to prove if they were the best team in the Rio Grande Valley. They passed every test, finishing the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in the RGVSports.com poll for the 12th time in 12 weeks.
Edinburg Vela wrapped up its district schedule with a 21-0 win against Weslaco East. The Wildcats had the best total defense in the Valley entering the final week of the regular season (178.1 yards/game). The SaberCats, who had the third-best total defense going into Week 11, held the Wildcats to just 105 yards, all of them rushing yards, on 41 carries.
Edinburg Vela finished the regular season with its 10th win by 10 points or more. Weslaco East slipped from No. 5 to No. 9 in this week’s poll.
The eight voters are the writers and editors who cover RGV high school football for AIM Media’s three newspapers: The Monitor, The Valley Morning Star, and The Brownsville Herald.
No. 2 Brownsville Hanna sealed the outright district title after defeating Harlingen South 30-7. Mission Veterans held onto the No. 3 slot thanks to a 50-21 victory at Brownsville Lopez. Weslaco High didn’t have a hangover following its dramatic win in the Tinaco Bowl. The Panthers thumped the Edinburg North Cougars to stay at No. 4.
Mission High now has sole possession of No. 5 after sharing the spot with Weslaco East last week. No. 6 PSJA High officially clinched its first district title in 13 years with a win at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln. The Bears moved up four spots this week.
No. 7 San Benito, No. 8 Sharyland High and No. 9 Raymondville remained in the same positions this week. The only difference: Raymondville shares the No. 9 spot with Weslaco East.
The following are the teams in the RGVSports.com top 10 poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through 1 point for a 10th-place vote. The eight voters are the writers and editors who cover RGV high school football for AIM Media’s three newspapers: The Monitor, Valley Morning Star, and Brownsville Herald.
Team Record Points Previous
1. Edinburg Vela (8) 10-0 80 1
2. Brownsville Hanna 8-1 70 2
3. Mission Veterans 9-1 63 3
4. Weslaco High 9-1 58 4
5. Mission High 8-2 39 5
6. PSJA High 7-3 35 10
7. San Benito 6-4 30 7
8. Sharyland High 7-3 24 8
T-9. Raymondville 8-1 15 9
T-9. Weslaco East 5-4 15 5
Other teams receiving votes: PSJA North (6), Brownsville Pace (3), McAllen Memorial (2).