By Andrew Crum | The Brownsville Herald
Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s offense is on the rise
Brownsville Veterans Memorial is known for its ground game — it has already rushed for more than 1,000 yards through four games for an average of better than 250 per game — but its passing game has continued to improve. The Chargers’ offense added dimension would only make them harder to defend throughout District 32-5A. Brownsville Veterans (3-1, 1-0) started district play with a 27-14 win over Pace on Saturday and it was the multi-dimensional attack that kept the Vikings off-balanced all evening. The Chargers’ offense racked up 357 yards, including 266 on the ground, but it was senior quarterback Gustavo Vasquez (7 of 8 for 82 passing yards) that kept Pace guessing. Three passes were caught by senior receiver Cristian Chapa, who finished with 71 yards and along with his receiving corps, spread the field out and make to Brownsville Veterans’ offense even more dangerous. Vasquez ran for 173 yards and a touchdown and senior running back Abel Martinez added 56 yards and a score as BVM continued to show its well-rounded offensive strength. If the Chargers can continue their offensive output, especially with a options on the ground andthrough the air, they will give defensive coordinators fits as they continue to pursue a district crown.
Hanna is looking dangerous
After Hanna dropped its season opener to Edinburg Economedes, it has won three straight, including its District 32-6A opener against Rivera 35-0 last week. The Golden Eagles (3-1, 1-0) haven’t just been good on one side of the ball; they’ve looked sharp on both sides. The Hanna offense piled up 424 yards, including 258 yards on the ground with junior running back Cesar Mancias leading the way with 139 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Victor Campos threw for 134 yard and a score to senior receiver Joe Cavazos III, who was slated to be the starting quarterback to open the season and just returned from an early injury. While the offense is clicking, the defense is doing its part too. Senior defensive end Sebastian Diaz already has five sacks and a fumble recovery and senior free safety Matthew Garcia has a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns. Through three games, the Eagles were third in District 32-6A allowing just 272 yards per game and allowed just 259 against Rivera last week. The Eagles have some tough district matchups coming up, but they certainly look like a team that could be in the postseason mix.
New week, same story for Lopez
Lopez remained unbeaten on the season with a 35-7 win over Porter to start District 32-5A. The Lobos (4-0, 1-0) were the top defensive unit last season in district, but their offense has made strides as well. Through three games, Lopez’s offense led the district with 406 yards and 41 points per game. Against the Cowboys, the Lobos totaled 395 yards, including 317 on the ground. Senior running back/receiver Jose Echavarria continues to carry the load with 629 yards and four touchdowns to lead the team. The Lopez defense may be even better than last year’s version. Through four games the Lobos have allowed just 166 yards and less than 13 points per game. With the heart of its schedule coming up next week at Donna High, playing host to Brownsville Veterans in Week 8, at Mercedes in Week 9 and playing host to Edcouch-Elsa in Week 10, Lopez has its challenges ahead. The Lobos will be tested in the next few weeks, but if they can continue to play as well as they have on both sides of the ball, Lopez will be not only fighting for a playoff berth, but in the mix for the district title.
Los Fresnos looked formidable in defeat
Los Fresnos fell just short at San Benito, 43-33, in the District 32-6A opener for both teams in Week 5, but the Falcons could have easily come out on top in the back-and-forth thriller. Los Fresnos (2-2, 0-1) got within three points with less than four minutes left, but the Greyhounds scored a touchdown with just a minute to play in the game to keep the Falcons at bay. It’s no shame to lose to unbeaten San Benito on the road, but Los Fresnos’ response will show where it stands. The Falcons came into the game with plenty of momentum with a pair of victories over McAllen High and McAllen Memorial, but couldn’t overcome a potent Greyhounds’ offense last week. The Falcons may be down, but they’re certainly not out and remain of the toughest teams in a tough district. Los Fresnos is near the top of both offense and defense in the district and if it continues to do so, will certainly remain the hunt for a district title, or at the very least a postseason berth. The Falcons will look to rebound this week against Harlingen South and get back in the mix.
A trio of teams are shooting themselves in the foot
Three Metro-area teams, Rivera, Porter and Pace, have each experienced their struggles in the early part of the season. Rivera (1-3, 0-1) has been explosive on offense at times, but when the offense makes mistakes or hurts itself with penalties, the defense hasn’t been able to make up the difference. After a big offensive output in a Week 1 win, Rivera has slowed its progress. In Week 2, the Raiders tried, but couldn’t keep up with Brownsville Veterans in a 43-28 loss. A week later, Rivera struggled in the first half and although it rallied in the second half, the damage was done in a 37-21 loss to PSJA High. The Raiders had more trouble last week and dropped the District 32-6A opener to Hanna 35-0. Porter (0-4, 0-1) hasn’t been able to get quick starts and it’s been costly. In all four losses, the Cowboys have fallen behind early and the offensive production hasn’t been enough to catch up, averaging just better than 10 points per game. Penalties have also been the detriment for the Cowboys, usually on offense, often taking away good offensive plays. Pace opened the season with a shutout, but has fallen short during the last three weeks. The Vikings (1-3, 0-1) have fallen behind and rallied, but it hasn’t been enough to overcome some of their deficits. Pace has plenty of weapons on offense, but its miscues early on in games have played a part in all three losses. Each team hopes to regroup as district games have begun, but it won’t be easy in either district.
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.