PSJA North powers past Weslaco East to stay perfect

PHARR — PSJA North and Weslaco East have established themselves as two smashmouth football programs in recent years.

On Friday, the Raiders and Wildcats went head-to-head, and while it may not have been pretty, PSJA North was too much for Weslaco East as they secured a 42-0 victory at PSJA Stadium in Pharr to stay perfect on the year and unbeaten in District 15-5A DI play. The regular season victory is PSJA North’s 28th in a row.

“Defense did a great job. Coach (Brett) Esparza does a heck of a job getting those guys ready to play, getting them focused, and they’re hitting,” PSJA North head coach Marcus Kaufmann said. “Weslaco East will hit you. They didn’t back down all night long. It took us forever to get where we felt comfortable in this ballgame. They do a good job every single game, they work their butts off, we just have to get things fixed offensively.”

PSJA North running back Ethan Guerra carries the ball during a District 15-5A DI game against Weslaco East on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 at PSJA Stadium in Pharr. Photo by Jason Breeden – Special to RGVSports.com.

PSJA North’s “Blackshirts Defense” recorded its second consecutive shutout and didn’t allow anything easy for the Weslaco East offense. The Raiders limited the Wildcats to just 89 yards of total offense on the evening.

“We came out knowing they were going to be a tough team. Practice makes perfect and we practice hard every day,” Raiders defensive end AJ Villarreal said. 

The Raiders backfield accounted for five touchdowns on the night as running back Ethan Guerra scored twice, fullback Andrew Alvarado scored a pair, and quarterback Daren Garcia added another on the ground.

Backup quarterback Drayden Espinoza capped off the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown pass to receiver Isaiah Garza late in the fourth quarter for the final 42-0 margin. 

PSJA North athlete Diego Aparicio catches a pass during a District 15-5A DI game against Weslaco East on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 at PSJA Stadium in Pharr. Photo by Jason Breeden – Special to RGVSports.com.

“Every week, we treat every team like they’re the same. We try to come out here and dominate. Defense got the shutout and our offense is out there scoring as many points as we can,” Garcia said. 

The Raiders finished with 384 total yards of offense. Guerra led PSJA North with 183 yards rushing and 33 yards receiving while Garcia added over 100 total yards on the ground and through the air.

The win by PSJA North (8-0, 6-0) sets up a showdown next week against Corpus Christi Flour Bluff (8-0, 6-0) for the District 15-5A DI championship. Kickoff between the Raiders and Hornets is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Hornet Stadium in Corpus Christi.

“We’re ready to go out there and get the job done,” Guerra said.

Next for Weslaco East is a home game against Corpus Christi Veterans (6-2, 5-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.