By ANDREW CRUM | The Brownsville Herald
Pretenders or contenders?
Four teams — Los Fresnos, Hanna, Lopez and Brownsville Veterans Memorial — are all coming off district wins in Week 7, although none of those teams had it easy. In District 32-6A, Los Fresnos outlasted Weslaco East 17-14 with a huge defensive effort and Hanna had to comeback to top Harlingen South 21-17 on the road. In District 32-5A, Lopez held off Donna High 21-7 on the road and Brownsville Veterans slipped by Edcouch-Elsa 21-19. It may be just three games into district play, but these four teams are about to show whether they belong in the race for the district title and/or a postseason spot with a month before the playoffs begin. In District 32-6A, Los Fresnos (4-2 overall, 2-1 in district) is on the road against Hanna (5-1, 3-0) on Friday and in District 32-5A, Brownsville Veterans (5-1, 3-0) faces Lopez (6-0, 3-0) at Sams Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Each team hopes to prove its status during its Week 7 matchup and prove if it is indeed a contender in the postseason races in either District 32-6A or District 32-5A. In a few short days, we’ll get our answer.
Falcons’ defense saves the day
Los Fresnos knew it had a good defense coming into this season and during the last two weeks, it has proved it. Two weeks ago, the Falcons’ defense allowed just a touchdown and defeated Harlingen South 35-7. In Week 7, it was the defensive unit again that stepped up when it needed to. Junior defensive back Johnny Cadengo had two interceptions, the latter on the final Weslaco East drive late in the fourth quarter and it sealed a 17-14 victory over the Wildcats. The defense also scored a touchdown on a punt block and return by Mathew Ortiz that was Los Fresnos first score of the game and helped it gain momentum that propelled them to the district victory. The Falcons know they’ll be tested on both sides of the ball against Hanna, but if the defense can continue its production against the Golden Eagles, it takes the pressure off the offense and give the unit confidence with games against Harlingen High and Weslaco High still on the horizon.
Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s defense shines, too
Brownsville Veterans’ offense usually makes the headlines, but the defense has been stellar as of late as well. In back-to-back weeks, the Chargers’ defense has made a statement. Against Mercedes on the road, the unit held the Tigers on their last two possessions — it forced a pair of turnover on downs — in the fourth quarter and held on to a 24-17 win. Last week against Edcouch-Elsa, the defense stopped a two-point conversion with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter and later in the final quarter, senior defensive back Sammy Chapa intercepted a pass to seal the 21-19 district win. The Chargers’ defense is fourth in the district in total defense, but with efforts like the past two weeks, Brownsville Veterans has to be confident heading into its District 32-5A showdown with Lopez and another step toward a possible repeat for the district title. The Lobos have the top offense in the district, so the Chargers will have their hands full, but it looks like they’ll be up for the challenge this week.
Hanna shows some grit ahead of key District 32-6A tilt
In Week 7, Hanna started slow against Harlingen South on the road, but regrouped to tie it before halftime and used an early third quarter as the difference in a 21-17 victory over the Hawks. The Eagles have now won five straight games, including their first three District 32-6A contests and have put themselves at the top of the district with San Benito and Harlingen High at this point in the season. We’ve learned a lot from Hanna’s win and its winning streak. The Eagles are third in District 32-6A in offense and fourth on defense and both units have stepped up at various times during the last five games to keep earning W’s in the win column. Heading into a huge test against Los Fresnos this week, a game like Hanna had against Harlingen South was probably welcomed (again). The Eagles were tested similarly the week before against Weslaco High. Hanna trailed early and had to comeback in the third quarter to take the lead. In both games the past two weeks, the Eagles’ defense has withstood any rally and has held on to get the win. Its experience like that will be crucial in a game against Los Fresnos, a playoff-type game that is pivotal in the District 32-6A race.
The Vikings are suddenly facing in a must-win situation in District 32-5A
At times this season, Pace (2-4, 1-2) has looked like it can beat anyone. Unfortunately, the Vikings have had moments where they look like they’re still learning and growing. At times, the offense has looked sharp and has the ability to keep up with anybody, but it has had its struggles with turnovers as well. The defense has looked stout at times and other times haven’t been able to put the clamp on strong running teams. The roller coaster ride of the season thus far has put Pace in a tough situation. The Vikings find themselves in a must-win situation to stay in the hunt for a postseason berth. Pace travels to Donna North this week before a home game against Edcouch-Elsa. The Vikings finish the season with a return trip to Donna to face Donna High and end the season at home against Lopez. If Pace wants to end its playoff drought, it must start with a win against the Chiefs and hopes it continues the momentum over the next month.
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.