By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
In District 32-6A, every game is important and every win is a step closer to a postseason berth.
It may be just the second game of district play, but Hanna and Weslaco High know how important a victory is in regards to the playoffs, even early on.
The Golden Eagles (3-1, 1-0) play host to the Panthers (1-2, 0-1) in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Hanna comes into the game after winning its last three contests, including a 35-0 triumph over Rivera to open District 32-6A in Week 5. Weslaco High has lost two straight following a 35-7 setback to Weslaco East last week. The Eagles have the momentum coming in, but the Panthers know they just need to play well to get back on track.
During Hanna’s winning streak, the defense has been a big reason as the unit allows less than 12 points per contest.
“Our defense has stepped up and put the clamps down on some of these offenses that had been lighting up the board,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said. “The defense has been a really big impact.”
For the season, the Eagles’ defense allow 269 yards and less than 14 points per game. They’ll have to contend with Weslaco High quarterbacks Marco Leal and Jacob Cavazos, who have combined to throw for 401 yards and Cavazos (210 yards and three touchdowns) and Matt De Santiago (165 yards and a score) lead the ground game.
“They have several different weapons,” Guess said. “We just have to make sure we’re playing good fundamental defense.”
Weslaco High’s offense averages 279 yards and 18 points per game, but has struggled at times.
“We’ve been trying to fix the things that need fixed,” Weslaco High coach Michael Salinas said. “We’re trying to control what we can and get better as a ball club. We’ve run the ball more than we’d like, but we haven’t had that execution we’d like on offense.
“Our defense is playing good football … we just need to play better and more consistent on offense.”
The Panthers’ defense allows 363 yards and a little less than 26 points per game and will certainly have its hands full with the Hanna offense, which averages 361 yards and 32 points.
Junior running back Cesar Mancias leads the way with 414 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and sophomore quarterback Victor Campos has thrown for 388 yards and four scores. Campos is under center after Joe Cavazos III was injured early in the season. Cavazos III returned last week and played wide receiver, the position he played for the past two seasons, and caught a touchdown pass. Cavazos III’s return gives the Eagles another viable option on offense.
“Wherever we put him, he’s going to make plays,” Guess said about Cavazos III. “With Mancias and Campos, we have a lot of weapons … we just need to keep these weapons healthy.”
For Weslaco High to get back in the win column, Salinas said his team has to take care of the ball.
“We have to play cleaner, eliminate some penalties and be better fundamentally,” he said. “We’re playing a team that’s riding high … we’re going to have our work cut our for us. We have to go out and execute our game plan. It’s going to take a team effort to win on Friday … we have to play well in all three phases and eliminate turnovers and penalties to have a chance to come out on top.”
Guess feels the game could come down to defense.
“We’re going to have to make some stops,” he said. “But the more our offense keeps the defense off the field, the better off we’re going to be. We’re going to have to put some points on the board. I think the team that plays the best defense is going to come out on top … both offenses have a lot of weapons and can score at any time.
“But someone has to get a stop at some point or a turnover and that could make the difference.”
Both the Hanna and Weslaco High offenses can move the ball and put points on the board. The Eagles average 361 yards and score 32 points per game, while the Panthers average 279 yards and 18 points per game. Hanna junior running back Cesar Mancias leads the way on the ground and sophomore quarterback Victor Campos leads the passing attack. Plus the Eagles have receiver Joe Cavazos III back from injury. The Panthers counter with quarterbacks Marco Leal and Jacob Cavazos. Cavazos is a dual threat and along with Matt De Santiago lead the ground game. The defense could decide this game, whether its stops or coming up with a few turnovers and ultimately could be the difference in the final score.
PREDICTION: Hanna 28, Weslaco High 21
Thursday
District 32-5A
DONNA NORTH AT LOPEZ
WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Donna North (0-4, 0-1); Lopez (4-0, 1-0)
GAME NOTES: Donna North lost to Edcouch-Elsa 41-10 to open District 32-5A … The Chiefs’ offense averages 215 yards and 10 points. The unit is led by freshman running back Juan Jaramillo, who has 316 yards and a touchdown on the ground this season. … The Donna North defense allows 324 yards and 40 points per game. … Lopez defeated Porter 35-7 in the district opener for both teams in Week 4. … The Lobos’ offense is the top unit in the district, averaging 403 yards and nearly 40 points per game. Senior running back/receiver Jose Echavarria leads the way with 629 yards rushing and four touchdowns. … The Lopez defense is once again leading the district allowing just 166 yards and less than 13 points per game. … Lopez defeated Donna North 31-0 last season, one of two shutouts last year.
PREDICTION: Lopez 35, Donna North 10
— Andrew Crum
Friday
District 32-5A
BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL AT MERCEDES
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Mercedes
RECORDS: Brownsville Veterans (3-1, 1-0); Mercedes (3-1, 1-0)
GAME NOTES: The Chargers and Tigers meet in a highly anticipated District 32-5A matchup that could put the winner in the 32-5A driver’s seat. … Brownsville Veterans is looking to go 2-0 in district play after a 27-14 win over Pace. … Chargers QB Gustavo Vasquez is coming off a big game against Pace in which he racked up 173 yards and a TD and passed for 82 more. He has rushed for at least 116 yards in all three wins this season. … As a defense, the Chargers held Pace’s offense to 226 yards. They also forced two turnovers. Mercedes has won three straight. … The Tigers are led by their own dual threat quarterback in senior Marc Ledesma. Ledesma leads the Tigers in rushing with 314 yards and five touchdowns on 37 carries. He also has passed for 499 yards and three scores on 29 of 63 passing.
PREDICTION: Mercedes 38, Brownsville Veterans 35
— Mark Molina
District 32-6A
RIVERA AT HARLINGEN HIGH
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Boggus Stadium, Harlingen
RECORDS: Brownsville Rivera (1-3, 0-1); Harlingen (3-1, 1-0)
GAME NOTES: Harlingen High continues to chug along in 2017. … It feels like light years ago when Mission Veterans beat the Cardinals in Week 1. … Since then, Harlingen has won three straight and is fresh off a 36-7 drubbing of Harlingen South. … The Raiders dropped their district opener 35-0 to Hanna in Week 5. … Harlingen will lean on its linebacker duo of Garrison Medley and Eladio Flores while quarterback Daniel Ramirez continues to sling the rock to Ethan Martinez and Joe Reyna. … Look for Harlingen’s defense to force some turnovers and Reyna to have another big night. … Harlingen High is averaging 26.25 points per game while the Raiders counter with 21 per contest.
PREDICTION: Harlingen 42, Rivera 6
— Kevin Narro
Non-District
ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY AT HIDALGO
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Bill Pate Stadium, Hidalgo
RECORDS: St. Joseph (2-3); Hidalgo (0-5)
GAME NOTES: St. Joseph is coming off a drubbing of Hidalgo coach Monty Stumbaugh’s former team, Port Isabel. SJA won 62-20. … The win was only its second of the season after being been matched up tough in the early going. … The Bloodhounds look to senior QB Kai Money to lead the offense. Money has completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,127 yards and 15 TDs to six interceptions. Money has also run for 665 yards, the most on the team. … The team’s second leading rusher is senior Anthony Cantu who has 451 yards and five touchdowns on the season. … Hidalgo has gotten much of its offense from junior RB Bryan Aleman, who has found a home in Stumbaugh’s run-heavy scheme. Aleman has carried 89 times for 347 yards and a four touchdowns.
PREDICTION: St. Joseph 49, Hidalgo 23
— Saul Berrios-Thomas
District 32-6A
HARLINGEN SOUTH AT LOS FRESNOS
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE: Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Harlingen South (1-3, 0-1); Los Fresnos (2-2, 0-1)
GAME NOTES: This is a matchup between two teams eager to bounce back after losing their 32-6A openers last week. Harlingen South suffered a 36-7 setback against Harlingen High in the 25th Bird Bowl, while Los Fresnos was defeated by the Valley’s No. 1-ranked San Benito Greyhounds 43-33 in San Benito … South upended Los Fresnos 21-14 last year in Harlingen after the Falcons triumphed 39-21 over the Hawks in Los Fresnos in 2015 … The two teams have played each other as district opponents every year since 2012 with South winning three times and Los Fresnos winning twice … The two teams staged quite a shootout in 2013 with South winning 59-48 in Los Fresnos as the Falcons and Hawks each advanced two rounds in the Class 5A playoffs that season.
PREDICTION: Los Fresnos 31, Harlingen South 21
— Roy Hess
Saturday
District 32-5A
PORTER AT PACE
WHEN: 7 p.m., Saturday
WHERE: Sams Memorial Stadium
RECORDS: Porter (0-4, 0-1); Pace (1-3, 0-1)
GAME NOTES: Pace looks to snap a three-game skid, while Porter just looks to get something going in each team’s second District outing. … Pace fell to Brownsville Veterans 27-14 last week and gained just 230 yards of offense. … QB Randy Aguilar struggled, passing for 112 on 8-of-15 passing with an interception. It was his third straight game with an interception and second without a TD. … On the ground, the Vikings ran for 118 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns, led by Dylan Barron’s 61 on three carries. He also had a touchdown. … The Viking defense are coming off a game in which they allowed 357 yards of offense to the Chargers, but they have a favorable matchup this week against the Cowboys. … Porter has been outscored 146-41 in four losses.
PREDICTION: Pace 35, Porter 10
— Mark Molina