By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — The path to the District 31-5A championship did not come without its share of challenges for Edinburg Vela.
For as much as they won games handily for most of the season, the SaberCats sweated out a one-point win over Rio Grande City in Week 9 before having to rally in the second half Thursday to secure the first district title in the program’s four-year history.
By posting a 39-27 victory over Mission Veterans Memorial at Tom Landry Stadium, Vela finished 6-0 in district to take sole possession of the 31-5A crown.
“It feels good,” coach Michael Salinas said. “Our kids worked extremely hard. They were here in the worse of times, and now some of these seniors are able to enjoy this record, and it’s because of their preparation and hard work.”
The SaberCats’ 10-0 season comes on the heels of a 9-1 march to the playoffs in 2014. Their only loss came to Sharyland High, which was on its way to a third consecutive district trophy. But in avenging that loss, Vela took another step toward realizing its district-title aspirations.
They used a 29-0 run between the second and fourth quarters Thursday to have it all come full circle. Quarterback Fabian Pedraza found Elijah Reyna on a 38-yard scoring strike to go up 32-21 with 6:29 left to play, right after Pedraza scored on a 15-yard keeper.
It was the second of two rushing touchdowns for the senior signal caller, who had 40 yards on seven carries, while completing 11 of 20 passes for 98 yards and a TD.
“We knew we needed to move at a faster tempo than in the first half,” Pedraza said. “We needed to flip the script. We just had to try harder and do what we had been doing in practice to get us here.”
Pedraza helped ignite an offense that churned out 441 yards. He scored on an 11-yard scamper that kick-started their run, reducing their deficit 21-10 with 3:04 left to play in the half.
And teammate Robert Guerra (283 yards, 29 carries) scored twice on the ground to boost his touchdown total to 20 (best in 31-5A).
“By winning these close games, it opens our eyes,” Pedraza said. “We’re not winning by a lot of points, but we’re working hard in practice. And we just have to go out there and win by a larger margin like we were in the beginning, and we’ll be OK.”
COMING UP SHORT
Mission Veterans (7-3, 4-2) saw its four-game win streak come to a halt Thursday after holding a 21-3 advantage midway through the second quarter.
Quarterback Landry Gilpin led the charge, connecting on 25 of 45 passes for 350 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The freshman, who made his fourth start of the season, also rushed 16 times for 100 yards and a score.
But Gilpin’s 12-yard TD pass to Eric Gandaria with 5:40 left in the opening frame did not hold as Vela remained undefeated.
“They’re legit. There’s a reason they’re the No. 12-ranked team in the state (by the Associated Press),” coach David Gilpin said. “We knew a run was coming, and that was my concern.
“We struggled tackling in the second half, and there were several times where we were at a point of attack but didn’t make the play. Give those guys credit, because we knew it was coming.”
FIRST ACTION
Nearly six weeks since his last varsity game, George Olivarez returned to the field Thursday.
The former PSJA North quarterback transferred in late September following a 56-7 loss to Weslaco High. Olivarez received unanimous approval by the District 31-5A Executive Committee on Oct. 21 to play out his senior season at Edinburg Vela.
Though he was listed as a cornerback on the SaberCats’ roster, Olivarez also played on special teams against Mission Veterans.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
Outside of the district title, Thursday’s game also helped determined seeding in District 31-5A’s Division I.
Edinburg Vela earned the top seed, setting up a bi-district battle against Brownsville Porter (6-3, 4-2) at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.
Mission Veterans will take on Donna High (7-2, 6-0), which has clinched at least a share of the 32-5A title, at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at Bennie LaPrade Stadium in Donna.