KEVIN LU | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
PHARR — The PSJA Southwest Javelinas dismissed the elements during a wet 18-15 win over Brownsville Pace at PSJA Stadium on Friday night, but they still missed out on the first playoff berth in their three-year history.
Southwest needed a win and a Donna High loss to Edcouch-Elsa to get in, but Donna High romped Edcouch-Elsa 34-7 on Friday night to take care of business.
“We have no control over that,” PSJA Southwest coach Jesus Reyes said of Donna High’s performance. “We just have control of what’s in front of us. And that’s what we did.”
PSJA Southwest (6-4 overall, 4-3 District 32-5A) started with an early advantage, as the Javelinas defense forced a fumble on the Vikings first three possessions.
PSJA Southwest turned those takeaways into a 10-0 lead. The Javelinas first scored on a Jesus Acosta one-yard run and on a Homero Alanis 46-yard field goal.
“We told them, don’t let the weather be a factor. No excuses,” Reyes said. “Adapt and overcome. The weather was not a factor, we played our game and we won.”
The Javelinas kept the ball on the ground on offense, running 58 times to just seven pass attempts.
Brownsville Pace (3-7, 2-5 District 32-5A) scored on the ensuing possession after the field goal. Felix Calderon’s two-yard run pulled the Vikings within three points. The score completed an eight play, 71-yard drive that was the Vikings’ first without turning the ball over.
The score remained 10-7 until the second half, when it was Brownsville Pace’s turn to force a fumble.
It gave the Vikings possession at midfield and it led to quarterback Arturo Vilano scoring on a one-yard rush.
A PSJA Southwest penalty on the failed point-after attempt allowed the Vikings to try for two points from the one and a half yard line. Vilano ran it in for a 15-10 Brownsville Pace lead. Vilano had a team-high 99 yards rushing and 47 yards passing.
Penalties were a problem for PSJA Southwest, as it had 86 yards taken away while Brownsville Pace had just five penalty yards.
The Javelinas responded on the ensuing possession, driving the ball 88 yards for a touchdown and the eventual 18-15 final score.
Junior Hector Pecina’s 44-yard run keyed the drive and he capped it off with a five-yard scoring run where he reached over the right pylon with defenders chasing him. Acosta ran to convert the two point conversion.
Pecina gained 63 of the 88 yards on the game-winning drive, part of his game-high 102 yards rushing.
Pecina had missed parts of the last three weeks nursing an injured shoulder.
“He did a great job,” Reyes said of his running back. “We’re glad to have him back.”