Thanksgiving week was stuffed with high-quality non-district games across the Rio Grande Valley and beyond, as RGV teams look to challenge themselves in the final weeks before the start of district play.
A pair of District 31-6A teams, however, stood out more than the rest during a week which featured the entire Valley in action multiple times with some day-game action sprinkled in, too: the Edinburg Economedes Jaguars and Mission High Eagles.
Economedes rolled to a pair of big wins to improve to 3-0 on the young season and establish themselves as one of the prime contenders standing in the way of another district title for crosstown rival Edinburg High.
The Jaguars steamrolled Brownsville Porter early in the week for a 35-point win, and kept adding to that with a win over former 31-6A rival Weslaco East on Saturday.
The Eagles, meanwhile, stumbled early in the week against former District 30-6A foe McAllen Rowe, one of the Valley’s top teams in the early going, but found their groove in a major way Saturday.
Mission manhandled a talented Brownsville Hanna squad, scoring a near-40 point win over the Golden Eagles in Brownsville to drop Hanna to 6-2 on the season.
The Eagles improve to 3-2 on the year with the all-around team victory and have flexed one of the Rio Grande Valley’s most physically imposing frontcourts so far.
Elsewhere in the Rio Grande Valley, Santa Maria notched another pair of wins to keep rolling as one of the Valley’s top small schools while nearly falling Tuesday at upstart San.
Monday was the opening night of district play for 31-3A too, as Donna IDEA and Pharr Vanguard picked up season-opening wins. The Titans of Donna IDEA look to be an early favorite in that West Valley district thanks in large part to the team’s prolific offensive attack.
PSJA North earned a pair of key wins too over San Benito and Mission Veterans to remain a favorite in 31-6A, while the district’s defending champion Edinburg High Bobcats lost narrowly in a marquee matchup against Laredo United South on Saturday in Edinburg.
The Panthers eliminated the Bobcats in the third round of the Class 6A state playoffs last year. The Harlingen High Cardinals, another 6A RGV hoops powerhouse, lost at home to the Laredo United Longhorns on Saturday as well.
Harlingen scored an impressive win earlier in the week over Class 5A East Valley foe Brownsville Veterans.
The Los Fresnos Falcons, meanwhile, were humbled in a six-point loss to Brownsville St. Joseph on Tuesday, the Valley’s lone TAPPS representative, but rebounded nicely to secure a two-point win over reigning district champion McAllen Memorial.
The Falcons and Golden Eagles are beginning to emerge as two of the main challengers to Harlingen and the Weslaco High Panthers at the top of District 32-6A.
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