In the RGVSports.com preseason rankings, neither Hidalgo nor Brownsville St. Joseph Academy were ranked in the sub-5A top four.
The two have clawed into the mix early in the season.
Hidalgo (2-0), No. 3 in the latest ranking, had eight different ball carriers during the Pirates’ Week 1 win against Valley View. Anthony Nava and Enrique Hernandez have solidified themselves as the primary ball handlers.
Hernandez ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns during a 27-21 win at home against Grulla. Against Valley View, Nava ran in three touchdowns and tossed two more during a 48-16 win at Valley View.
The duo will face Rio Hondo at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bobcat Stadium. Rio Hondo (0-2) will be itching for a win after dropping games to Raymondville (1-1) and Port Isabel (2-0).
Entering the season, the Bloodhounds, tied for No. 4 in the rankings, had some questions, especially at quarterback.
Brownsville St. Joseph (2-0) graduated Luigi Cristiano’s 3,100 passing yards and 36 touchdowns from the position. Weslaco High-transfer Ethan Gallegos is showing his Class 6A experience early on.
During his first two games, Gallegos has completed 74% of his passes for 477 yards and five touchdowns. The dual threat signal caller has also rushed for 247 yards and two touchdowns.
Gallegos has plenty of skill players around him to make plays. Luis Del Pozo, for one, has 201 receiving and 63 rushing yards to go along with two touchdowns. Juan Pablo Vidaurri has 77 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
The Bloodhounds defeated Brownsville Lopez (0-2) and Santa Rosa (1-1) in their first two games. The TAPPS school will face its biggest test of the season against Brownsville Veterans Memorial (0-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at J. T. Canales Field.
RGVSports.com’s No. 1 -ranked Port Isabel Tarpons travel to Pharr to take on Valley View (0-2). The Tarpons took care of business last week against Rio Hondo, 41-21. The Tarpons’ defense tightened up after a narrow 41-40 victory against Lyford.
Tarpons turnovers during both games put the defense in tough spots, but they have come up strong at times in the red zone, leading the team to a 2-0 start.
No. 2 Lyford takes on Raymondville in the Cotton Bowl. The Bulldogs have not beaten the Bearkats since 2016.
Last year, the Bearkats defeated the Bulldogs 30-14. Raymondville could have easily been 2-0, but a fourth-quarter comeback by Edcouch-Elsa to win 13-6 ended those hopes.
The Lyford skill players led the Martinez twins versus the Raymondville linebacking core is an intriguing battle. Bearkats linebackers Hunter Posas, Chris Guerrero and Gustavo Oviedo have 47 combined tackles between the three. Posas has half. Guerrero returned a fumble 88 yards for a touchdown last week.
The two meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Burnett Stadium in Raymondville.
La Villa, tied for No. 4 in the rankings, takes on Santa Rosa. The Cardinals lost to Lyford 46-7 last week. The game will start at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Cardinal Stadium.