DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
PHARR — All season, Mercedes senior cornerback Roel Garcia longed for the program’s career interceptions record. Nothing fueled him more, and when he had an interception taken away during last week’s affair against Edcouch-Elsa that would have tied it, he fumed.
So when he snared an errant PSJA High pass and returned it for a 35-yard score late in the second quarter of Friday’s 28-14 win at PSJA Stadium, Garcia had the record he worked so hard for, career interception No. 22, now one away from it being his outright.
“It was a lot of pressure,” a relieved Garcia said. “A lot of people were telling me, ‘Are you going to get it? Are you going to get it?’ Them taking it away against Edcouch was heartbreaking, but I got it here.
“I feel like it’s off my shoulders now. It’s hard work, it’s all the hours after practice.”
And with it, the Tigers had the playoff berth they have worked for.
The accomplishments went hand in hand as the Tigers (7-1 overall) improved to 5-0 in District 32-5A and remained the frontrunner for another goal of theirs, a league title.
“We clinched and we’re good to go,” said receiver Joshua Garza, who hauled in eight passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns, almost all coming amidst double and triple teams. “We’re ready for the playoffs.”
In a game the Bears desperately needed to boost their hopes of a playoff spot, the Tigers weren’t accommodating. PSJA High (4-4 overall) is now 2-3 in 32-5A with two games left. Donna High and PSJA Southwest is each 3-2.
The Redskins beat the Bears two weeks ago in overtime, and the Bears own a 27-0 decision over Southwest.
“I know it’s near the end of the year, but we still have a great shot at the playoffs,” PSJA High coach Steve Marroquin said. “We’re in this race all the way through. There’s no hanging heads. We have to get back to work.”
A battle of the district’s top defenses turned out like it, at least early as the two teams worked into a stalemate with mere minutes left in the first half.
And then the tide turned. Drastically.
After a Mercedes fumble, PSJA High gave it right back on the first of two interceptions by Troy Flores. On their own 49, it didn’t take long for the Tigers to find the end zone. Garza hauled in a 36-yard pass and then capitalized moments later, taking in a 6-yard pass in the left corner of the end zone.
On the second play of scrimmage seconds later, Flores again turned it over, this time right into the hands of Garcia. A 0-0 game turned into a 14-0 Mercedes advantage in 46 seconds.
“My man blocked down and Coach told me to help out on the screen,” Garcia said. “I just read it.”
From there, the Tigers rolled. The Bears did not get on the scoreboard until late in the fourth quarter against Mercedes’ reserves.
Mercedes amassed 327 total yards to PSJA High’s 257. Like most teams this season, the Bears had no answer for the Tigers’ 1-2 punch of Garza and quarterback Rene Presas, the Valley’s top passer statistically who completed 18 of 29 passes for 279 yards and two TDs.
“We knew it’d be a tough game,” Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. said. “They were playing for their playoff lives and they were going to come out and give us everything we could handle.
“But I knew it was only a matter of time before our offense would make plays, and with the way our defense was playing I knew it’d be very tough for them to come back.”
Starting running back Isaac Vela and starting linebacker David Alvarado missed the game for Mercedes.
Vela, the team’s leading rusher, missed his fifth straight game with a leg injury. Adame did not know the timetable for his return, but Vela has not progressed as the coaches have liked. He is still limping.
Alvarado injured his jaw during last week’s game against Edcouch-Elsa and had stitches removed Friday. He was held out for precautionary reasons, but is expected to return next week.
UP NEXT
Mercedes hosts PSJA Southwest, which lost to Edcouch-Elsa 33-21 on Friday and fell to 3-2 in District 32-5A.
PSJA High hosts Brownsville Porter, which was blown out by Donna High 56-21 on Thursday night and fell to 1-4 in 32-5A.