By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald
It doesn’t happen too often that Brownsville is the site for a playoff game in football.
This week the city is hosting two playoff games at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Pace (7-3) is the home team against Corpus Christi Ray (6-4) at 7 p.m. today at Sams for a Class 5A Division I bi-district matchup, while Hanna (8-1) will be the home team at Sams against Weslaco East (5-4) at 7:30 p.m. Friday for a Class 6A Division II bi-district game.
“We didn’t really want to travel,” Pace coach Danny Pardo said. “It worked out pretty good for us (to play at home).
“Ray has a good quarterback (Brad Breckenridge) who can run and throw,” Pardo added. “We’ll have our hands full. Ray presents several challenges for us.”
Another local team in the postseason mix is Brownsville Veterans Memorial. The Chargers (7-3) play their 5A Division I bi-district game at 7 p.m. today against Corpus Christi Veterans (10-0) at Corpus Christi’s Buccaneer Stadium, the site where the two teams met in an area-round contest last season. The Chargers are making their fourth straight playoff appearance.
Other area teams in the playoffs this week are Port Isabel and St. Joseph Academy.
Port Isabel (4-5) takes on West Oso (6-4) in the Class 4A Division II bi-district playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mercedes’ Tiger Stadium, while SJA (2-7) travels to Houston to go against Houston Second Baptist (9-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in the TAPPS Division II area playoffs.
Pace is preparing to face a talented senior QB for Ray in Breckenridge who has passed for 2,142 yards and 25 touchdowns with three interceptions. He also has rushed for a team-high 851 yards and 11 TDs. He averages 8.0 yards per carry. Breckenridge has four receivers who have caught at least 32 passes this season. The top pass catcher for the Texans is Joey Calero with 40 receptions for 689 yards and eight TDs.
The Vikings are coming off Saturday’s 57-28 victory at Sams against Rio Grande City to end the regular season. The win enabled the Vikings to finish second in District 16-5A Division I with a 7-2 record behind undefeated district champion Mission Veterans (9-0).
This is Pace’s second straight year in the postseason, and the Vikings would like to make it an extended stay.
“We’re just hoping to play a lot more games,” said Ilijah Solis, Pace’s junior wide receiver.
Added Jose Banda, Pace’s sophomore quarterback, “I believe that we’re peaking. I’m pretty confident in my team that we can get past the first round. It’s huge to be playing at home (for bi-district).”
Just like the Vikings, Hanna’s players are just as enthusiastic about playing at home for bi-district.
“It’s a big factor for us,” said Miguel Payan, a senior wide receiver/QB/kicker for the Golden Eagles. “It’ll be a home crowd and we’ll have everyone cheering for us. We want to play for our fans and make them proud. That’s what motivates us.
“We have to communicate with each other and execute the plays, obviously,” Payan added. “We have to work as a team like we’ve been doing. That’s it.”
Brownsville Veterans perhaps faces the biggest challenge of all the area squads as the Chargers go against 10-0 Corpus Christi Veterans, the District 15-5A Division I champion.
When the two teams played last season in the area round of the playoffs at Buccaneer Stadium, the Eagles won 55-41.
Chargers coach David Cantu said he and his staff remain proud of the players as they go against a strong foe.
“Corpus Christi Vets is a great combination of talented athletes and excellent coaching,” Cantu said. “They create problems for any opponent. That said, the anticipation is high for the incredible opportunity to compete against the best. We are confident in our seniors to lead the way.”
The Chargers may be without some of their starters, particularly on defense, due to injuries. Through the course the of the season, the team has had eight starters sidelined by injury, including quarterback Liam Longoria and middle linebacker Mauricio De La Cerda during last week’s 28-10 loss at La Joya Palmview.
“In regards to injuries, both players (Longoria and De La Cerda) who sustained injuries last Friday are doubtful,” Cantu said.
Meanwhile, Port Isabel is back in the playoffs after a one year’s absence. The Tarpons’ last postseason appearance in 2016 resulted in a 36-21 bi-district setback against Sweeney.
SJA is playing its first season in TAPPS Division II. The Bloodhounds advanced to the third round of the playoffs in TAPPS Division I last season before falling 47-14 to Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal.