BY NATE KOTISSO | THE MONITOR
Rio Grande City coach Aaron Garcia attended the Mission Veterans versus Sharyland High game in Hidalgo on Friday night. After Sharyland’s 48-42 win, Garcia came away more unsure of his team’s playoff position than before.
“After the game, I didn’t really know the playoff scenarios that well, and I lost a lot of sleep that night,” Garcia said. “I couldn’t find it in me or how to tell my kids that we may not have a chance anymore. Then I find out, by the grace of God, we still have a chance. So we talked Monday morning, and that’s what we said: ‘All you can ask for is a chance.’”
Rio Grande City (5-4) is tied at 4-3 in District 31-5A with Sharyland Pioneer, but Pioneer holds the fourth and final playoff spot because of its 28-20 win at RGC on Oct. 13. In order to secure the 11th playoff berth in program history, Rio Grande City will have to win its final road game of the season at Sharyland High (7-2, 6-1) on Friday and see Pioneer to lose at Roma.
Rio Grande City will be healthier coming out of the bye week than the team was entering its home finale against Mission Veterans on Oct. 27.
“(Senior defensive end) Ivan Reyes and (senior) Matt Soto, one of our outside backers, were both out with concussions,” Garcia said. “(Senior wide receiver) Edgar Chapa was out with a virus, too. Those were three key starters for us that were out.”
Garcia said Reyes, Soto and Chapa will all return for Friday’s game.