RGVSports.com
Fighting to stay in position to secure the fourth and final playoff spot in District 30-6A, McAllen Rowe survived a back and forth battle with Mission High 34-29 on Thursday.
Coach Paul Reyes said Jose Barrera made a game-saving interception and John Perez had another big passing game, connecting with Joseph Moreno and Hector Bosquez for big plays.
Bosquez was District 30-6A’s leading passer through six weeks but has transitioned smoothly to the wide receiver position the past two games. In a loss to La Joya Palmview last week, Bosquez made nine catches for 145 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s embraced it,” Reyes said. “Hector is one of those type of kids that will do whatever it takes. He still takes his reps as the quarterback in practice. At this moment, he understands that’s where we need him, and he’s done a pretty good job.”
JAGS STILL FIGHTING
Entering Week 9 as the only winless team in District 31-6A, Edinburg Economedes got the victory it desperately needed to keep its playoff hopes alive, topping Edinburg High 43-7.
“More than anything else, it gives us continued hope,” Economedes coach Gabe Peña said. “I truly feel we control our own destiny over the next two weeks. If we play like I know we can play and we have a little luck on our side, our aim is to get into the playoffs for the third year in a row.”
With wins in the final two games — against Weslaco High and Edinburg North — Economedes could potentially finish the district season 3-3. Weslaco East and Weslaco High are tied atop the district standings at 3-1, with PSJA North at 3-2, Edinburg North at 2-2, PSJA Memorial at 2-3, and Edinburg High also at 1-3.
“We preached all year long that more than likely in this district, it being so competitive and everything being somewhat even, nothing was going to be decided until Week 10 or 11,” Peña said. “Lo and behold, here we are.”
Economedes continued to ride its stable of backs on Friday, handing the ball to eight different players. The Jaguars’ leading rusher entering the game, Doroteo Arreola, missed his second straight contest, but Peña said Arreola would be back this week.
RGC HANGS TOUGH
Rio Grande City played arguably its best game of the year, yet it still fell short of defeating Edinburg Vela, the Valley’s No. 4-ranked team, in Week 9.
The Rattlers (2-6, 1-3) scored on their final offensive possession, milking four minutes off the clock as they came to within 21-10 with seven seconds left. RGC initially went for 2 points, trying to convert on a run, but was called for a procedure penalty and pushed back 5 yards.
“We were going to run it,” RGC coach Longoria said. “We felt like we had the momentum going. We had been running the ball well. We said, ‘Hey, why not? Let’s go for the win. We’re at home.’”
After the officials called it back, the Rattlers opted to kick instead. RGC came up short and Edinburg Vela hung on to remain in second place in district.
“It was a heck of a ballgame,” Longoria said. “Our kids showed up to play. There was no quit in them.”
It was the second heartbreak the Rattlers endured in as many weeks, after a 14-13 loss to then-winless Valley View in Week 7.
“You feel for the kids because they go out and they do what you tell them to do,” Longoria said. “But I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The injury-plagued Rattlers escaped Week 9 relatively healthy, even welcoming back Jason Gorena, who left a Week 7 game with an unspecified injury. He threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another.
“I was surprised,” Longoria said. “He looked rusty at first. But from one series to the next year, it was like (he said), ‘It’s my senior year, ain’t got much time left.’”
On a fourth-and-12, Gorena connected on a scoring strike with Justin Guerra, making what Longoria describe as “a Sunday night catch.” Bobby Guerra caught the first TD pass from about 36 yards out.
Gorena finished with 150 passing yards.
BACK IN ACTION
Mission Veterans Memorial (6-2, 3-1) won its third consecutive game and its first with Santos Villarreal back under center.
The senior starting quarterback, who has been sidelined with a sprained ankle since the district opener in Week 6, threw for three touchdowns, completing 26 of 35 passes for 361 yards, in the Patriots’ 49-0 road win over Valley View.
Villarreal, who also rushed for 28 yards on one carry, helped lead an offense that produced 437 yards. Roman De Leon (130 yards), Bobby Tovar (90 yards) and John Garcia (60 yards) paced the ground game with a touchdown apiece.
Despite the limited playing time, sophomore Diego Hernandez became the fourth-best passing quarterback in district heading into Week 9. In two games and one quarter, Hernandez completed 61.3 percent of his attempts (57 of 93) for 723 yards and five touchdowns.
The Patriots were 2-0 with Hernandez starting. On Friday, he connected on 1 of 4 passes for 3 yards and one interception.
ANOTHER CHECK
La Joya Palmview has accomplished plenty of firsts during the 2014 season, and the Lobos added another to the list on Friday with a 24-19 win against La Joya Juarez-Lincoln — Palmview’s first ever win against its sister school.
“We know any time we play a sister school, they’re going to try to take us down,” coach Margarito Requenez said. “That’s what they tried doing. They probably played their best game Friday night against us.”
Although the Huskies got a spark by returning a kickoff for a touchdown, the Lobos continued to employ a run-first, ball-control offense, mixing in a few extra passes to try to move the defense out of the box.
At 6-1-1 and 4-0 in District 30-6A, the Lobos have already secured the first playoff berth and first winning season in school history.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Requenez said. “It’s very emotional. I just keep telling them: It’s one week at a time.”