McALLEN — McAllen Rowe head coach Robert Flores took charge in 2016. Upon his arrival, the Warriors had missed the playoffs seven times in the previous 10 years, including three consecutive absences.
Flores immediately turned the program around, going 7-4 and making the postseason in his first season.
The Warriors have made three additional playoff appearances since then, winning their first playoff contest since 2007 during the 2019 season.
While the Warriors have experienced success on the field recently, one thing has eluded them — a district championship.
The Warriors hope to capture their first district title since 2001 this year, returning 13 starters.
Mateo Llanes, the Warriors’ senior quarterback, has the offense brimming with potential, taking over as full-time starter after sharing time last season. In six games last season, he threw for 467 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 402 yards and three scores.
“Mateo has been in the system for four years,” Flores said. “He got more experience last year, stepping into the fire. We expect him to come out with a good frame of mind. He’ll be able to control the offense and make correct reads. He needs to be able to read defense, but we’re hopeful that the experience he got last year will help him do that.”
He’ll have several weapons in his arsenal this season. Junior tight end Marco Cisneros, who measures 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, will be a force across the middle for the Warriors, looking to serve in an expanded role in his second year on varsity.
Receivers Diego Pacheco and Nelson Ramirez give Llanes a pair of speedy playmakers out wide. Pacheco hauled in 16 catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns last season, while Ramirez added two scores on eight catches.
“Man, we’re about to go off,” Llanes said. “Watch out for us this year. The speed is there. There is some amazing speed. The connection is great. We’ve been working a lot from 7-on-7 to just running routes. I expect speed, fast and quickness. We’re going to put a lot of points on the board and get out there and attack.”
On defense, eight starters return, including Yahir Garcia, a dynamic linebacker who had 35 tackles and one interception last season. He’ll be joined by defensive end Victor Vega, who had 20 tackles and three sacks last season.
“We’re hoping they come out and make big plays for us,” Flores said. “Like the old saying goes, ‘Defense wins championships.’ We have a group of guys that have been together. We’re hoping they come out firing and ready to go because we got some good offenses in our district.
“I think it’s going to be important to stay healthy and be aggressive because we’ll have a challenge every week.”
The road to a district championship won’t be a easy, with the Warriors a part of a 10-team district, which includes perennial powers McAllen Memorial and Weslaco East. Still, the goal remains the same: bringing home a district championship.
“It’s going to be tough week in and week out,” Flores said. “You have some strong coaches in the Valley, and across the board in our district you have good players.
“It’s going to be important for us to do our homework and be able to come out with good game plans. Then, obviously, our kids have to go out there and execute those game plans for us to have a successful season.”
McAllen Rowe hits the road Aug. 27, opening its season with a non-district contest against San Benito at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito. The Warriors open District 16-5A DI play Sept. 3 at La Joya ISD Stadium against La Joya Palmview.