RGVSPORTS.COM
Just as it was last year, Week 10 will be critical in determining the playoff landscape in District 31-5A, particularly for Roma and Sharyland Pioneer.
Both teams battle one another at 7:30 p.m. Friday in The Monitor’s Game of the Week, with postseason hopes on the line at Richard Thompson Stadium.
Roma (6-2 overall, 2-2 in district) can take a step toward trying to solidify its entry with a victory, while Pioneer (6-3, 2-3) faces a must-win situation heading into its final game of the regular season.
Last year, the Gladiators won this matchup before going on to beat Valley View, securing their first-ever playoff berth. If they beat the Diamondbacks on Friday, they will finish no worse than .500 in district and remain in the playoff conversation, with potential tiebreakers taking its course.
Pioneer, on the other hand, needs to win to keep alive its chance. Losing to Sharyland High in Week 9 put even more pressure on the Diamondbacks this week. But despite a three-game skid, they remain in the mix for their first berth.
Roma is coming off a bye in which injured players were allowed time to heal, namely Ramon Espinoza. The district’s rushing and scoring leader sat out a Week 8 game against Sharyland High after being hampered the previous two outings with a right forearm injury.
The Gladiators won, nonetheless, putting themselves in position to gain favorable playoff seeding, if they close out the remaining two games. Roma faces Valley View (0-8, 0-4) in Week 11.
It is unclear if Espinoza will play against Pioneer on Friday, though coach Max Habecker Jr. said last week there was no pressure to hurry back the junior.
Pioneer has also dealt with injuries, especially at quarterback. The team went down to its third and fourth options the past three weeks with starter Alejandro Ramirez sidelined in Week 8 with a hip contusion before returning in Week 9 and tearing his ACL and MCL. They Diamondbacks, which started the year 6-0, endured their first and second losses of the season during that stretch.
Against Edinburg Vela, sophomore receiver Tyler Bulthuis, the third option under center, picked up his first start as Ramirez nursed his initial injury. Then with Ramirez ruled out for his senior year, freshman Jacob Rosales, a JV call-up, started in just his third varsity game against Sharyland.
Both games were relatively close losses for Pioneer. The Diamondbacks relinquished a 21-14 lead over Mission Veterans Memorial by surrendering two touchdowns in the final two minutes. And last week against Sharyland, they gave up an insurance score with 1:46 to play to stretch a 13-10 edge to a 19-10 cushion.
Roma has the head-to-head advantage against Pioneer, having won 37-3 in 2014.