Football UIL STATE
PLAYOFFS > Class 5A DI Regional
Championships Mission Veterans 35 Dripping Springs 69
> Class 5A DI Regional
Championships Edcouch-Elsa 0 Victoria East 48
>Class 6A DI Regional
Championships Los Fresnos 7 Austin Lake Travis 54
>Class 6A DII Regional
Championships Weslaco East 0 Cibolo Steele 56
November 20-December 20, 2016
Football Playoff Highlights All-District Selections
Season Patriots Make Third Round
Over...
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November 20-December 20, 2016
Nice Smile! Weslaco East HS head coach Michael Burget leads his Wildcats to another third round appearance. (HSSMImages/Alec Amador)
04
features
Long Road to State
Teams try to repeat to win state title? It’s a tough road to repeat and follow
15 Polls and Stats
Which team remains No.1? See how teams fared District by District in 2016
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
districtbydistrict
05 Patriots
Make History
The Mission Veterans Memorial goes three-rounds deep in state playoffs
19
Playoff Results
See all scores from South Texas-Rio Grande Valley teams in state playoffs
08 Too Strong East Falls
Weslaco East Wildcats makes regional finals for fourth time in school history
columns
12 Back-to-Back Yellowjackets Edcouch-Elsa HS repeats as UIL 5A DII Area Champions under Marichalar
21 Four Edinburg 27
Schools Qualifies All four schools makes the state football playoffs for first time in one season
onthecover
> Class 5A DI Regional
Championships Mission Veterans 35 Dripping Springs 69
> Class 5A DI Regional
Championships
Cards Win 9th Title
Harlingen Cardinals defeats San Benito to win 9th consecutive district title
November 20-December 20, 2016
Football UIL STATE
Football Playoff Highlights
PLAYOFFS
Edcouch-Elsa 0 Victoria East 48
>Class 6A DI Regional
Championships Los Fresnos 7 Austin Lake Travis 54
>Class 6A DII Regional
Championships Weslaco East 0 Cibolo Steele 56
All-District Selections
Season Patriots Make Third Round
Over...
OnTheCover... Diego Hernandez Mission Veterans QB
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from defending its title. They will play 13-5A Navarro (14-0) this weekend. After the UIL realigned teams, defending State 2A DI champions, District 1-3A Canadian (12-2) moved up to Class 3A from 2A, and they will play 6-3A Gunter (14-0) in the semifinals. Will they win another state title? In a different classification? In Class 2A DII, 10-2A Bremond is closer to repeating as state champions, should they beat 13-2A Burton this week in the semifinals. The UIL State Championships will begin next week in Arlington, Texas. It’s the final destination to winning a state title. UIL State Championship Finals AT&T Stadium-Arlington, Texas
Tough Titles to win... Qualifying for the University Interscholastic League’s State Football playoffs is a challenge. It’s the start of a new football season. Teams begin the quest of winning a possible state football title. Every team dreams about making the trip to AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys on December 15-17th. It’s a tough road to follow. Teams compete from four regions and only one team from every region will meet in the state semifinals. Four teams will then play one another, with only two teams meeting for a state title. Region I, Region II, Region III, and Region IV competes against every district. The top four teams from every district, in every classifications, are grouped by student enrollements, and play each other. Some schools find themselves outmanned, with players who are bigger, faster, and stronger. It’s the state playoffs. Once teams surpassed the second round, teams just seem to keep getting better. Still, its fair play with opportunities. That’s where “practice makes perfect”. Coaches preach this philosophy to their players every season. Coaches tell their players “you have to believe” and “you have to play four quarters of football.” This year, the State 6A DI finals will not feature a returning state champion. Last year’s champion, 21-6A Galena Park North Shore lost to Atascocita Eagles (12-1) Mustangs 33-27 and in Class 6A DII, 19-6A Katy (7-time champions) lost to North Shore in the regional finals 20-17. In Class 5A, Cedar Park (DII Champs) and George Ranch (DI Champs) both made early exits. Newcomers, Denton Ryan, Dallas Highland Park, Temple, and Foster HS will meet for the Class 5A DI title while College Station, Calallen, Poteet, and Aledo will compete for the DII title. Longtime head coach Phil Danaher from Calallen is the winningest football coach amongst Texas High Schools. He is a former Harlingen High School graduate too. To date, Danaher has recorded more than 427 wins. His Wildcats won the state title in Class 4A DII in 2005. He surpassed coaching legend G.A. Moore with more wins. In Class 4A DII, 12-5A West Orange Stark (14-0) is one win away
Thursday, December 15th 2A DII 10:00 a.m. 2A DI 1:00 p.m. 3A DII 5:00 p.m. 3A DI 8:00 p.m. Friday, December 16th 4A DII 12:00 noon 4A DI 4:00 p.m. 5A DII 8:00 p.m. Saturday, December 17th 5A DI 12:00 noon 6A DII 4:00 p.m. 6A DI 8:00 p.m.
Phil Danaher of Corpus Christi Calallen Wildcats (13-1) leads his team against College Station (14-0) on Friday 7:30 p.m. at the Alamodome in San Antonio in 5A DII semifinals. Fans may Email story ideas to: hssmonline@Yahoo.com
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November 20-December 20, 2016
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District 31-5AAAAA
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T O P S T O R Y/////
Mission Veterans Makes Playoff History
Three-Deep!
Mission Veterans Memorial HS ended their season ranked No.1 in the HSSM Polls. The Patriots advanced to the Class 5A DI Regional Championships for the first-time in school history under head coach Dave Gilpin. They lost to Dripping Springs in the third round. (HSSMImages/Montalvo)
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T O P S T O R Y/////
Patriots DL Abram Martinez and OLB Jazz Vallejo tackle Dripping Springs WR Johnny Holye. (HSSMIMages/Montalvo)
K
(San Antonio, Texas)- Mission Veterans Memorial High School (8-5) quarterback, Diego Hernandez took a knee for the last time in his football career and gave “thanks� after losing to Dripping Springs (12-1) 69-35 in the Class 5A Division I Regional Championships at Alamo Stadium. By the time game started, it ended, as the Tigers scored 35 first-quarter points Saturday before a sellout crowd. In the area finals, Dripping Springs needed a last-second touchdown pass from senior quarterback Reese Johnson to defeat Angleton 12-11, but that was last week. The Tigers scored on the ensuing kickoff when the ball bounced near the 25-yard line, and with no Patriots players within five yards of the ball, two Dripping Springs players raced down the field and fell on the unintentional onside kick. Senior running back Teo Brinckmann started the scoring two plays later, with a 19-yard run into the end zone. Patriots quarterback Diego Hernandez threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns to finish his senior season with 4,175 yards and 45 touchdowns.
Flyin! Jazz Vallejo and Jesus Gonzalez from Mission Veterans and Angel Andaverde defend Dripping Springs Curt Raymonds. (HSSMImages/Montalvo)
High School Sports Magazine
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F O O T B A L L P L A Y O F F S /////
District 32-6AAAAAA
Weslaco East Meets Cibolo Steele Again
Too Strong!
(Corpus Christi, Texas)-The 32-6A Weslaco East Wildcats (8-5) faced the state-ranked 27-6A Cibolo (13-1) Steele Knights for the second time since 2014 at Buccaneer Stadium, losing again 56-0. Head coach Michael Burget was proud of his Wildcats despite their loss. “We made it this far,” said Burget. “I’m so proud of you guys and the accomplishments we made this year.” Steele scored touchdowns on its first seven
Cibolo Steele Knights defeated Weslaco East 56-0 in the Class 6A DII Regional Championships.
(HSSMImages/Montalvo)
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November 20-December 20, 2016
possessions and rolled up 551 total yards against the district fourthplace qualifiers, Wildcats. “Our defense is playing really well,” Scott Lehnhoff, Cibolo head coach said. The Knights began resting starters after halftime. Brenden Brady rushed for a score and caught a TD pass. He finished with 92 yards on six carries. Steele is aiming for its third-straight appearance in the state semifi-
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F O O T B A L L P L A Y O F F S/////
Second Straight Appearance! The Weslaco East Wildcats faced Cibolo Steele for the second time since 2013. (HSSMImages/Montalvo)
High School Sports Magazine
Page 9
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F E A T U R E S T O R Y/////
Class 6A DII Regional Championships! 27-6A Cibolo Steele held the 32-6A Weslaco East Wildcats scoreless for the first time this season. (HSSMImages/Montalvo)
nals. The Knights will now play Katy Cinco Ranch in the state semifinals this week at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Knights senior running back Travell Lumpkin scored on runs of 38 and 9 yards. He finished with 71 yards on seven carries. RB senior, Joshua Weathers had 116 yards on five carries, including a 48-yard score with :07 remaining in the first half. The Knights opened its season against San Antonio Madison winning 37-7 but, on September 2nd, the Knights lost to Austin Lake Travis 59-56 in overtime. The five-time state champions, Cavs are now in the UIL State 6A DI Semifinals and will play Atacosita HS. Since then, the Cavaliers have won 12-straight games. The East Wildcats, picked to finish fifth overall in District 32-6A HSSM polls, made the playoffs by defeating Weslaco on September 23rd by a convincing score of 24-7. The Wildcats faced elimination after losing to San Benito 25-19, Los Fresnos 17-16, and then Harlingen 24-10, during a three-week stretch. The Wildcats stood at 1-3 after its first four district games. Three straight wins followed and they needed a Weslaco loss in their season finale to make the playoffs. It happened. Weslaco lost
High School Sports Magazine
to the Falcons 27-0 and the Wildcats qualified for the state playoffs. Since 2013, Burget has led the Wildcats to two regional championship appearances, including four-straight playoff bids. Burget could see another banner season in 2017 with key players returning again. Junior quarterback Richard Leferve (6’5, 265lbs) will return along with running backs Joshua Pedraza (1,922 yards rushing 20 Tds) and J.C. Vargas (701 yards 6 TDs; 350 yards rec). The Wildcats posted big wins early on this season against Sharyland (21-14) and McAllen Memorial in overtime, 37-29. Then came the streak of three-straight losses in a row had Burget’s team facing a 3-4 overall record. In the playoffs, the Wildcats defeated favorite, Edinburg Vela 31-28 in the bi-district championships and they would regroup again, in another rematch from last season, and this time, defeat Del Rio 31-13. “We played some tough teams this season,” added Burget. The Wildcats will enter the 2017 as one of the teams to beat in South Texas and they could put in another third round appearance next season. Overall, the Wildcats scored 330 points offensively and averaged 302 yards rushing per game and scored 45 TDs.
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Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets Wins 5A DII Area Championships
(Edcouch, Texas)-Edcouch-Elsa High School head football coach, Joe Marichalar led his Yellowjackets to its second straight Class 5A Division II Area championship title by defeating Corpus Christi King 58-28. “Winning a second straight area championship title is tough,” says Marichalar. The Jackets started its season with a loss against Los Fresnos (40-50) and then surprised top-ranked Edinburg Vela (34-30) in non-district action. That win ignited three more wins over Donna North, LJ Juarez-Lincoln, and Donna. Still, many fans questioned Marichalar’s success after two losses to Brownsville Vets and Mercedes. Those losses cost the Jacket a district title. “Playing for a district title every year is great, but we want to play for state titles,” added Marichalar. “We were the last team standing in the Class 5A DII playoffs from the Rio Grande Valley.” Most importantly, the Yellowjackets advanced to its second straight regional championships. Senior quarterback Marco Aguinaga was the main reason the Jackets went three rounds deep in 2016. He passed for 2,166
(Defending 2015 5A DII Area Champions)
L W W W W L L W W W
Los Fresnos 50-40 Edinburg Vela 34-30 LJ Juarez-Lincoln 47-14 Donna North* 45-12 Donna HS* 53-14 Brownsville Vets* 50-20 Mercedes HS* 27-12 Brownsville Pace* 41-7 Brownsville Lopez* 33-6 Brownsville Porter* 56-14 2016 UIL State Playoffs
W Pioneer Bi-Dist Champs 45-28 W CC King Area Champs 58-28 L Victora East Reg Finals 0-48 Edcouch-Elsa HS head football coach, Joe Marichalar watched his team drop another loss in the third round of the UIL State 5A DII Regional Championships. (HSSMImages/Montalvo)
Page 12
November 20-December 20, 2016
District 32-5AAAAA Overall Record 9-4, 5-2
Edcouch-Elsa H against Victoria
Champs! //////2 0 1 6
F O O T B A L L P L A Y O F F S/////
yards yards passing and 30 touchdowns. He also rushed for 948 yards to lead the team and scored nine more times. In the UIL State 5A DII Regional Finals, the Victoria East Titans scored 27 points in the first quarter and twentyone more points in the second quarter to defeat the Jackets 48-0. The Titans QB Bailey Zappe (6’4 200lbs) passed for 141 yards and three touchdowns, completing 10-of-11 passes. Most of the damage by the Titans came on the ground as they rushed for 319 yards and four more scores.
HS Aaron Rodriguez tries to make a catch a East Titans. (HSSMImages/Montalvo)
Edcouch-Elsa HS RB John Michael Gonzalez is tackled by Victoria East Titan defenders in the Class 5A DII Regional Championships. (HSSMImages/Montalvo)
High School Sports Magazine
Page 13
www.eeisd.org
Edcouch-Elsa High School Principal Miguel Castillo Edcouch-Elsa ISD Superintendent Dr. Richard Rivera
Edcouch-Elsa ISD Athletic Director Christian Navarro Edcouch-Elsa HS Athletic Coordinator Joe Marichalar
UIL State 5A DII Regional Finalist!
Playoff Seasons, Playoff Years.
1948, 59, 65, 86, 87, 88, 89, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Yellowjackets GameDay Schedule
Aug. 26 @ Los Fresnos Sept. 2 Edinburg Vela Sept. 15 @ LJ Juarez-Lincoln Sept. 23 Donna North Sept. 30 @Donna Oct. 7 Brownsville Veterans Oct. 14 @ Mercedes Oct. 21 Brownsville Pace Lopez Oct. 28 Page 14 Brownsville Sept 30-Oct 30, 2016 Nov. 3 @ Brownsville Porter
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FINAL Region IV Football
District Standings District 29-6AAAAAA Del Rio HS* Laredo United South* SA Southwest Laredo United Laredo Alexander Eagle Pass Laredo LBJ South San Antonio District 30-6AAAAAA McAllen Memorial* La Joya Palmview HS McAllen Nikki Rowe LJ Juarez-Lincoln La Joya HS Mission HS McAllen HS District 31-6AAAAAA Edinburg Vela HS* Edinburg Edinburg Economedes Edinburg North PSJA North HS PSJA Southwest PSJA HS PSJA Memorial District 32-6AAAAAA Harlingen HS* San Benito Los Fresnos HS Weslaco East HS Weslaco HS Bro Hanna Harlingen South HS Bro Rivera HS
North Division Overall Record
10-2, 6-1 10-3, 6-1 8-4, 5-2 9-4, 5-2 3-7, 3-4 4-6, 2-5 1-9, 1-6 0-10, 0-7 Overall Record
8-3, 6-0 5-6, 4-2 7-4, 3-3 4-7, 2-4 3-7, 2-4 3-7, 2-4 3-7, 2-4 Overall Record
9-2, 7-0 7-4, 6-1 7-4, 4-3 4-7, 4-3 7-3, 4-3 4-6, 2-5 3-7, 1-6 0-10, 0-7
Overall Record
9-3, 7-0 10-2, 6-1 8-5, 4-3 8-5, 4-3 5-5, 3-4 3-7, 2-5 5-5, 2-5 1-9, 0-7
District 30-5AAAAA CC Calallen* CC Ray Gregory-Portland Alice Tuloso-Midway CC Miller
Overall Record
13-1, 6-0 7-3, 5-2 5-5, 4-3 7-3, 3-3 1-9, 1-5 1-9, 1-6
District 16-4A DII Port Isabel Rio Hondo Orange Grove Raymondville Progreso CC West Oso
Overall Record
9-2, 4-1* 7-4, 4-1* 7-4, 4-1* 3-8, 2-3 2-8, 1-5 4-7, 1-5
South Division
Flour Bluff CC King CC Carroll CC Moody CC Veterans Mem
District 31-5AAAAA Laredo Nixon* Sharyland Pioneer* Sharyland HS Mission Veterans Rio Grande City Roma HS Laredo Martin Valley View HS Laredo Cigarroa District 32-5AAAAA Mercedes* Brownsville Veterans Edcouch-Elsa HS Brownsville Lopez Brownsville Pace Donna HS Donna North HS Brownsville Porter District 16-4A DI Grulla HS* La Feria HS Kingsville HS Zapata HS Hidalgo HS
6-6, 5-1 7-5, 3-1 5-6, 4-4 3-7, 2-5 4-6, 0-4 Overall Record
10-2, 7-1 8-3, 7-1 7-4, 6-2 8-5, 5-3 6-4, 4-4 5-5, 3-5 3-7, 3-5 2-8, 1-7 1-9, 0-8
Overall Record
7-5, 6-1 8-3, 6-1 9-4, 5-2 7-4, 5-2 3-7, 3-4 3-7, 2-5 2-8, 1-6 0-10, 0-7
District 16-3A DII Odem Hebbronville Banquete CC London Skidmore-Tynan Monte Alto District 16-3A DI Lyford Santa Gertrudis Bishop Falfurrias San Diego Santa Rosa District 16-2A DI Bruni Kaufer Benavides Woodsboro Agua Dulce
Overall Record
11-2, 5-0* 7-4, 4-1 8-3, 3-2 4-7, 2-3 5-5, 1-4 2-7, 0-5
Overall Record
8-4, 4-1* 6-5-1, 4-1* 7-4, 3-2 4-7, 3-2 2-8, 1-4 2-8, 0-5 Overall Record
9-4-1, 4-0* 7-5, 3-1 5-6, 2-2 3-8, 1-3 2-8, 0-4
Overall Record
7-5, 4-0 7-3, 3-1 5-6, 2-2 2-8, 1-3 1-9, 0-4
As of December 10, 2016
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Littleton, Ramirez, Wheeler Named
Coaches of the Year (McAllen, Texas)-McAllen Memorial High School longtime head football coach, Bill Littleton captured 30-6A Coach of the Year honors after leading the Mustangs to the district title in 2016. In District 31-5A, Jason Wheeler and Tommy Ramirez were both named Co-Coaches of the Year after ending the season tied for first place.
Jason Wheeler Sharyland Pioneer HS
It was the first district title for the Pioneer Diamondbacks. Mission Veterans Memorial senior quarterback, Diego Hernandez captured 31-5A Offensive Player of the Year honors after passing for 4,175 yards and 45 touchdowns. He also led the Patriots to the third round for the first time in school history.
Bill Littleton McAllen Memorial HS
30-6A Coach of the Year Bill Littleton-McAllen Memorial
30-6A Offensive Player of the Year Campbell Speights-McAllen Memorial
30-6A District MVP Joel Pina- LJ Palmview HS Emilio Mendez-McAllen Memorial
30-6A Defensive Play of the Year Rey Hernandez- La Joya HS Jaryd Lara-McAllen Memorial
Campbell Speights McAllen Memorial HS
DISTRICT SELECTIONS///// Steven De Leon-Mission HS 30-6A Offensive Newcomer Moises Morales-LJ Palmview HS 30-6A Defensive Newcomer Luis Vega-McAllen HS Rolando Andrade-LJ Palmview HS Ace Chavez-McAllen Memorial HS Defensive-1st team DL Daniel Villarreal, La Joya HS; Jose Perez, McAllen Rowe; DE Jean Cesar, LJ Juarez-Lincoln, Joseph Valdez, La Joya; LBs Jose Pena, McAllen; Joseph Valdez, LJ Juarez-Lincoln; Anthony Chapa, La Joya; Lou Gomez, Mission; DB Omar Vera, Mission; Manny Briseno, LJ Juarez-Lincoln; Jesus Herrera, LJ Palmview; SS Joey Delgado, McAllen Memorial; Eliutt Gonzalez, LJ JuarezLincoln; Andrew Puente, LJ Palmview Offensive-1st Team Split Ends-Adrian Bernal, McAllen Rowe; Tristan Mayende, LJ Palmview; Slot/WR Joseph Moreno, La Joya; Gunnar Henderson, McAllen; Mark Salinas, LJ Palmview; Fullback, Steven De Leon; Quarterback, Johnathan Zeiske, LJ Palmview; TE Freddy Ayala, McAllen Rowe; Gilbert Romero, LJ Juarez-Lincoln; RB Raudel Garcia, McAllen Rowe; Adoinis Barillas, LJ Juarez-Lincoln; Center, Armando Garcia, McAllen Memorial; Guards Aaron Ramirez, McAllen memorial; Fernando Hernandez, LJ Juarez-Lincoln; OT Noah Godinez, McAllen Memorial, Ulises Garcia, LJ Juarez-Lincoln Special Teams ATH Tristan Mayende, LJ Palmview Punter, Livian Pequeno LJ Juarez-Lincoln; Kicker Ricky Garcia, McAllen Memorial; Jesus Zaleta, LJ Juarez-Lincoln; Return Specialist Joseph Moreno, La Joya; Jo Jo Williams, McAllen Memorial 31-5A FOOTBALL 2016 ALL DISTRICT SELECTIONS
Diego Hernandez Mission Veterans High School
High School Sports Magazine
CO-COACH OF THE YEAR: Tommy Ramirez, Laredo Nixon HS Jason Wheeler, Sharyland Pioneer Most Valuable Player QB Danny Ledesma, Laredo Nixon Offensive Player of the Year Diego Hernandez, Mission Veterans Defensive Player of the Year LB Gerardo Gonzalez, Roma HS Offensive Newcomer of the Year RB Michael Benavides, Pioneer HS Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year LB Joey Garcia, Mission Veterans SS Izrael Lambert, Rio Grande City First Team Offensive QB Jacob Rosales, Pioneer HS; RB Esteban Guerra, Laredo Nixon; Bryan Garcia, Roma HS; FB Eric Ybarra, Laredo Nixon; SB Blake Klein, Sharyland; Alec Garcia, Pioneer HS; Center Marco Munoz, Laredo Nixon; OG Josue Tobias, Laredo Nixon; Juan Quiroz, Roma HS; OT Jesus Pescador, Laredo Nixon; Juan Ramirez, Roma HS; TE Fernando Hernandez, Laredo Nixon; Juan Balderas, Roma HS; WR Jacob Guerrero, Mission Veterans; Edgar Alanis, Sharyland; First Team Defensive DL David Chapa, Laredo Nixon; Alejandro Islas, Rio Grande City; Elder Manuel, Roma HS; DE Christian Salinas, Sharyland; Senon Moya, Pioneer; LBs Joel Manzo, Laredo Nixon; Marco Serna, Pioneer; Felipe Vasquez, Laredo Nixon; Angel Chapa, Pioneer; SS Rene Cardenas, Laredo Nxion; Tyler Bulthius, Pioneer; Albert Ruiz, Pioneer; CB J.J. Pena, Roma; Antony Jimenez, Pioneer Special Teams Punter Jacob Rosales, Pioneer; Andres Tamez, Sharyland; Kicker Sergio Aguirre,Laredo Nixon; Kickoff ReturnerBobby Acosta, Pioneer.
Israel Lambert Rio Grande City HS
Page 17
2016
Ricardo Saenz Rio Grande City HS Principal
Rio Grande City Rattlers-District 31-5A Aaron Garcia-Head Football Coach
2016 Football Schedule Aug. 25 La Joya Home Sept. 2 Zapata Home Sept. 9 @ Valley View Sept. 16 Laredo Martin Sept. 23 @ Roma Sept. 30 Laredo Cigarroa Oct. 7 @ Pioneer Oct. 14 Laredo Nixon Oct. 21 @ Mission Veterans Nov. 4 Sharyland Nicole Smedley Girls Athletic Coordinator
2016
Grulla Gators-District 16-4A Division I Abel Gonzalez-Head Football Coach
2016 Football Schedule Aug. 26 St. Joe Sept. 2 @ Raymondville Sept. 9 PSJA Southwest Sept. 16 @ Lyford Sept. 23 @ Rio Hondo HS Sept. 29 Nikki Rowe HS Oct. 13 Zapata Oct. 21 @ Kingsville King Oct. 28 Hidalgo Nov. 4 @ La Feria
Guadalupe Garza Grulla HS Principal Interim Cita Jimenez Girls Athletic Coordinator
Page 18
Football PreviewGarcia 2016 Interim RGCCISD Superintendent-Alfredo
August 22, 2016
Director of Athletics-Rey Ramirez
30-6A Playoffs
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FOOTBALL PLAYIOFFS/////
Rowe, Mustangs
Make Playoffs
2016 Football Playoffs Class 6A DI Region IV Bi-District Championships Harlingen 43 Economedes 28 Laredo United 52 McAllen Mem 21 Los Fresnos 19 Edinburg North 17 United South 33 LJ Juarez-Lin 17
(McAllen,Texas)-The McAllen Nikki Rowe Warriors made their way into the UIL State 6A football playoffs for the first time since 2012 under first-year head coach, Bobby Flores. “I’m so proud of these players,” said Flores. The Warriors finished their season with an impressive 7-4 overall record and played 29-6A Del Rio in the first round of the UIL State 6A Division II Bi-District Championships. The end result was not what Flores expected, a 40-7 loss in the bi-district championships. Still, Flores feels that the Warriors im-
Area Championships Laredo United 30 Harlingen 26 Los Fresnos 27 SA Southwest 19 Regional Championships Los Fresnos 7 Austin Lake Travis 54 Class 6A DII Region IV Bi-District Championships Del Rio 40 McAllen Rowe 7 Weslaco East 31 Edinburg Vela 28 LJ Palmview 33 Laredo United 54 San Benito 47 Edinburg 10 Pictured is Hector Ramirez (14) and Raudel Garcia (32) from McAllen Nikki Rowe. The Warriors made the state playoffs for the first time since 2012. (HSSMIMages/Alec Amador)
proved and he is looking forward to next season. District 30-6A champions, McAllen Memorial faced 29-6A Laredo United in the first round of the UIL State 6A Division I Bi-District Championships at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium. The final score was a loss to the Longhorns 52-21. “This is not what I expected tonight,” said Bill Littleton, McAllen Memorial head football coach. “We should have played better.” The Mustangs boasted the best running game in the league, averaging 353 yards per game. Freshman running back, Campbell Speights led the team with 1,494 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. Senior running back, Emilio Mendez added another bruising 1,141 yards on theground and scored 14 touchdowns. Still, the Mustangs struggled with the Longhorns (9-4) passing attack. Senior quarterback David Sanchez (2,475 passing yards 22 TDs) proved to be too much for the Mustangs as he led the Longhorns early on. Both McAllen schools enjoyed a banner season in 2016 and will return a nucleus of underclassmen in 2017. “We will be looking forward to next season,” said Littleton.
High School Sports Magazine
Area Championships Weslaco East 31 Del Rio 13 San Benito 21 Laredo United So 28 Regional Championships Weslaco East 0 Cibolo 56 Class 5A DI Region IV Bi-District Championships Laredo Nixon 23 Bro Lopez 17 Mission Veterans 35 Bro Vets 14 Area Championships Mission Veterans 28 Flour Bluff 14 Laredo Nixon 6 Winn 20 Regional Championships Dripping Springs 69 Mission Vets 35 Class 5A DII Region IV Bi-District Sharyland Pioneer 28 Ed-Elsa 45 Mercedes 17 Sharyland 7 Area Championships Calallen 49 Mercedes 0 Edcouch-Elsa 58 CC King 28 Regional Championships Edcouch-Elsa 0 Victoria East 48 Class 4A DI Region IV Bi-District Championships Kingsville 0 Somerset 31 Zapata 13 Beeville Jones 62 Grulla 49 La Vernia 28 La Feria 21 Rockport-Fulton 25 Area Championships China Springs 55 Grulla 7 Class 4A DII Region IV Bi-District Championships Port Isabel 21 Sweeney 36 Orange Grove 14 Wharton 48 Cuero 59 Raymondville 20 Rio Hondo 29 Sinton 30
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Congratulations! All 4 Edinburg CISD High School Football Teams Make the 31-6A Playoffs.
First Time in District History! Edinburg Vela HS District Champions
Edinburg HS 2nd Place
Edinburg Economedes 3rd Place
Edinburg North 4th Place
All Four Teams finished as 2016 Bi-District Finalist! Board of Trustees Oscar Salinas, President Jaime R. Solis, Vice-President, Sonny Palacios, Secretary Members Carmen Gonzalez, Robert Pena Jr., Xavier Salinas, & Ellie Torres Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rene Gutierrez
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Edinburg CISD Qualifies Four Teams Edinburg, Edinburg North, Economedes, Edinburg Vela Makes 6A State Playoffs
(Edinburg, Texas)-For the first time in Edinburg CISD history, all four football teams qualified for the UIL State 6A Football playoffs. Edinburg, Edinburg North, Edinburg Economedes, and Edinburg Vela all made their debut in the football playoffs. “This was a first and it says alot about our success here at Edinburg CISD,� says athletic director, Roy Garza. Last February, the University Interscholastic League announced the new realignments for 2016-2018, grouping all four Edinburg CISD schools with all four PSJA ISD schools. The reigning District 31-5A champion, Edinburg Vela moved up to 31-6A and won another district title with a 7-0 record. Edinburg High School decided to make a change with head football coaches and brought in firstyear head coach, J.J. Lejia. The former Bobcat football player and graduate surprised 31-6A by finishing second overall with an impressive 6-1 record. Economedes and Edinburg North both tied for third place at 4-3, along with PSJA North, but both schools held the edge over the Raiders to claim the final two playoff spots. In the playoffs, Edinburg Economedes (7-4) head football coach Gabe Pena faced Harlingen in the first round before losing 43-28. The Jaguars showed a lot of promise too. In the first quarter, the Jaguars tied the District 32-6A champions, Harlingen Cardinals 7-7 before the Cardinals scored twenty points in the second quarter to take a 27-14 lead at the half. Cardinal quarterback Jesse Castro overcame his two interceptions to finish the night at Boggus Stadium
completing 18-of 32 passes for 292 yards. Touchdown passes to Cardinal receivers Hayes
Duffy (7 catches 114yards one touchdown) and Kaynon Fuentes (3 catches 91 yards two
TDs) proved to be too much for the Jaguars. Leo Tienda also rushed for 168 yards on
The Edinburg Economedes HS Bony Rios makes a catch. The Jaguars finished 7-4 overall this season. The Jags lost to Harlingen 43-28 in the Class 6A DI Bi-District Championships. (HSSMImages/Alec Amador)
High School Sports Magazine
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24 carries and one touchdown to lead the Cardinals. The Jags have made the playoffs four times since 2010 under Pena. District 31-6A champion, Edinburg Vela had high hopes of going deep in the playoffs after last year’s Class 5A Regional championships against Austin Vandegrift. Head coach Michael Salinas was named the new head football coach at Vela High School back in 2012 and went from 0-10 that first year, followed by a 5-5 season in 2013. His third season with the Sabercats proved to be a huge turn around, finishing second overall in 31-5A and he led the Sabercats to a 10-2 finish and second round playoff appearance. The Sabercats ended
their season that year with an area championship loss to Victoria East 61-45. The Sabercats took off quickly in 2015 by outscoring their opponents 602 points and allowed just 324 points on defense. Another rematch with Victoria East in the Class 5A Division I Area championships favored the Sabercats as they won 42-33. With all the emotions from that game, the Sabercats faced Austin Vandergrift in the third round and lost 49-39. With high expectations in 2016, the Sabercats faced many obstacles throughout the season and were eliminated in the first round of the Class 6A Division I Bi-District Championships against Weslaco East
Here comes the Jags! The 31-6A Edinburg Economedes HS head coach Gabe Pena leads his Jaguars to an overall 7-4. The Jags lost to Harlingen 43-28 in the Class 6A DI Bi-District Championships. (HSSMImages/Alec Amador)
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November 20-December 20, 2016
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The Edinburg Vela HS Sabercats were eliminated in the first round of the UIL State 6A DI Bi-District Championships by Weslaco East HS 31-28. (HSSMImages/Alec Amador)
High School Sports Magazine
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31-28 after winning their second straight district title. The Sabercats were led by junior quarterback Nathan Garcia (1,809 yards passing 22 TDs/803 yards rushing, 8 TDs) and sophomore running back Cristian Flores (984 yards rushing, 11 TDs). Sophomore quarterback/all-purpose player Marc Buhidar also gave the Sabercats the spark they needed on offense. Defensively, junior Nathan Enriquez led the team with
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138 solo tackles along with Luis Vasquez 72 tackles. After two straight frustrating seasons, the Edinburg Bobcats went 3-17 under then Joaquin Escobar, the Bobcats hired J. J. Leija to take over the struggling program. The Bobcats started off their season with non-district losses to McAllen Nikki Rowe (30-14) and Brownsville Lopez (20-15). “We’re not done yet,” Leija told
his team. And boy, was he right too. The Bobcats posted a 7-1 record from that moment and made the playoffs. Their biggest win of the season came on November 3rd against PSJA North 10-7. That win over the Raiders eliminated the black and silver from playoff contention. In the Class 6A DI playoffs, the Bobcats travel to play runner-ups, San Benito from 32-6A at Bobby Morrow Stadium. The Greyhounds won 47-10 to end the Bobcats state title run. The Bobcats will return twenty-six underclassman for 2017. If there was one team that never stopped fighting on Friday nights, that team was the Edinburg North Cougars and head coach Rene Saenz. The Cougars entered the season as a playoff hopeful. Those hopes started to fade after the Cougars posted a 1-5 record in their first six games. Saenz still kept his team believing as the Cougars faired much better to end their season at 3-1. That finish vaulted them into the playoffs as the fourth place team, leaving PSJA North out. In the State 6A Division I Bi-District playoffs, the Cougars hosted Los Fresnos and lost a heart-breaker 19-17. The Cougars will graduate thirty-three seniors but they will will also return 23 underclassmen. Junior running back Ethan Vela (805 yards rushing 142 carries) will return to give the Cougars the much needed running game for 2017. The 31-6A Edinburg North HS Cougars was one of four Edinburg CISD schools to make the playoffs in 2016. The Cougars (4-7) lost a heart-breaker to Los Fresnos 19-17 in the Class 6A DI Bi-District Championships. Pictured are Brandon Vega (91), Julius Jimenez (54), and Sebastian Bulos (50). (HSSMImages/Alec Amador)
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The Edinburg Bobcats finished in second place overall in District 31-6A. The Bobcats made the playoffs for the first time since 2011 under first-year head coach J. J. Leija. (HSSMImages/Alec Amador)
High School Sports Magazine
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Huskies, Lobos Clinch //////2 0 1 6
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La Joya Juarez-Lincoln and Palmview Make Playoffs
(La Joya, Texas)-Head coach Tomas Garcia has found a way to make the playoffs, even it means waiting till the last week. The La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies (4-7) did not possess the best record in District 30-6A and they even went 1-2 in their last three
games in district play. Still, the Huskies qualified for the State 6A DII playoffs for the second year in a row. The Huskies lost to San Antonio Southwest 33-17 in the bi-district championships. Just like last season, the Huskies ended their season with identical 4-7 re-
cords and again, made the playoffs after capturing three striaght wins over La Joya Palmview, Mission, and La Joya. The Huskies would eventually lose to Laredo United 63-13 in the first round. Like the Huskies, the Lobos, also clinched back-to-back playoff
bids under head coach Magarito Requenez. In 2015, the Lobos went 4-7 and lost to 29-6A Del Rio 58-30 in the first round. Again, the Lobos qualified for the State 6A playoffs after posting a 4-2 district record. In the state playoffs, Laredo United South won 54-33. The Lobos have made the playoffs for three consecutive season under Requenez. The Lobos will graduate twenty-seven seniors but, will return plenty of experienced players.
Back-to-Back Playoff Appearances! The La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies have made the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. (HSSMImages/Alec Amador)
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Cards Win 9th Straight District Title //////2 0 1 6
FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS/////
Harlingen, San Benito, East, Falcons Dominate Playoff Teams
(Harlingen, Texas)-Before a sellout crowd of more than 10,000 fans at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen, it was the annual “Battle of the Arroyo” football game between San Benito (102) and Harlingen (9-3). Both teams entered the game perfect at 6-0 in District 32-6A and for the first time in three years, an outright district champion would be crowned. The Cardinals scored on a 52-yard field goal to take a 29-27 lead with less than 4:00 minutes left to play. For the
Harlingen senior, Giovanni Guillen, his field goal would prove to be the winning kick. Most importantly, a kick he will never forget for the rest of his life. He had converted 11of-13 field goals this season. “I did think much of it. It was perfect,” said Guillen. It was that kind of a season in District 32-6A. It was expected too. After the University Interscholastic League realigned teams throughout Texas, some teams moved up a classification, some moved
down, while others teams were shuffled from district to district. District 32-6A was shuffled and it became, probably, one of the most competitive districts in the state of Texas. “It was a tough district,” said Weslaco head football coach, Tony Villarreal. The Panthers failed to make the playoffs after winning two-straight district titles in 31-6A. Eight teams were mixed, with five teams all making the playoffs in 2015. Worst, the district titles had been shared
since 2014 by at least four teams from 32-6A. But, this year would prove to be different.
How Bout’ Them Cards!
Season
Nine-Time District Champions! The Harlingen Cardinals celebrates their win over San Benito 29-27, clinching their ninth-straight district title. Head coach Manny Gomez’s career record is 97-27, all with the Cardinals. (HSSMImages/Alec Amador)
High School Sports Magazine
Record
2016 District Champs 2015 Tri-Champs 2014 Quad-Champs 2013 District Champs 2012 Co-District Champs 2011 District Champs 2010 DistrictChamps 2009 District Champs 2008 Co-District Champs 2007 Playoffs
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9-3 10-3 6-5 10-2 8-4 13-1 12-1 12-1 10-3 7-4
Result
Area Finals Regionals Bi-District Area Finals Area Finals Quarters Regionals Regionals Regionals Bi-District
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Head coach Manny Gomez opened their season against Class 31-5A Mission Veterans, winning 44-14. The next two games did not favor the Cardinals as they lost to 29-6A Laredo United South (10-3) and 26-6A San Antonio Reagan (9-2) in non-district action. Both South and Veterans all advanced three-rounds deep in the state playoffs. Reagan lost to State 6A Quarterfinalist, Austin Westlake 48-3 in the first round. “We knew we had a tough schedule ahead of us,” said Gomez. In the UIL State 6A playoffs, Harlingen, Los Fresnos, Weslaco East, and San Benito showed the dominace of 32-6A by eliminating all four teams from District 31-6A. In the second round, San Benito lost to Laredo United South 28-21, while Los Fresnos knocked out San Antonio Southwest 27-19, and Weslaco East uphended Del Rio 31-13. The Cardinals watched their year come
to an end with a loss to Laredo United 30-26. With only two 6A teams from the Valley still alive, both teams came from District 32-6A. Weslaco East and Los Fresnos both had Thanksgiving Weekend dates with two powerhouses. The Wildcats met stateranked and 2010 state champions, Cibolo Steele, losing 56-0 while the Falcons tangled with five-time state champions, Austin Lake Travis and lost 54-7. “It only gets better at this level,” Michale Burget told his players after their loss. “You have nothing to be ashamed of and I’m so proud of you guys.” Both Lake Travis and Steele will play in this week’s state semifinals. Still, Gomez and his Cardinals, winners of nine straight district titles since he took over coaching duties in 2007 will prepare for next season. It’s a record that will probably, never be matched by any South Texas coach from the Rio Grande Valley. Los Fresnos WR freshmen, caught 25 passes for 327 yards and five touchdowns.
San Benito QB Erick Retta passed for 2,473 yards and 34 TDs. He also rushed for 588 yards. (HSSMImages/Alec Amador)
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FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS/////
Sharyland Pioneer and Sharyland Both Qualify
District 32-5A (Mercedes, Texas)-Yes, the Mercedes Tigers won the District 32-5A title with a record of 6-1. And yes, the Tigers, along with the Edcouch Elsa Yellowjackets, and Sharyland Rattlers all advanced to the Class 5A Division II State Football Playoffs. But, only the Yellowjackets advanced three rounds deep into the state playoffs for the second straight season by defeating Sharyland Pioneer (45-28) in the first round followed by a 58-28 victory over Corpus Christi King. In the regional finals, the Yellowjackets would get shut out by 27-5A Victoria East (48-0) to end their hopes for winning a State 5A title. QB Marco Aguinaga led his Yellowjackets in his final year by throwing 2,166 yards and 30 touchdown passes and and also rushed for almost 1,000 yards on the ground. The District 32-5A Champions, Mercedes Tigers would defeat the 31-5A Sharyland Rattlers for the Bi-District title but, like the Jackets, they would also get shutout in the second round by Corpus Christi Calallen 49-0. QB Zach Gomez led his Tigers in his junior year by throwing for 1,235 yards and 12 touchdown passes. Gomez along with Marc Ledesma, and Fabian Ledesma, both all purpose athletes will be returning next year for the Tigers for their senior year. , District 31-5A (Mission, Texas)-Laredo Nixon Mustangs head coach Tommy Ramirez along with head coach Jason Wheeler and his Pioneer Diamondbacks, both tied for 1st place for the 31-5A District Title as Co-Champions.
Both finished at 7-1 for the season along with Sharyland (6-2) and Mission Veterans (5-3) making the State Playoffs. The Mustangs were eliminated in the 5A Area Championships by Eagle Pass Winn 10-6 after defeating Brownsville Lopez 23-17 for the Bi-District title. Mission Veterans, who finished fourth in district, advanced to the Regional Quarterfinals against Dripping Springs. It was the first time the Patriots and head coach Dave Gilpin had ever ventured this far in the state playoffs. Mission Veterans defeated Brownsville Veterans for the Bi-District title 35-14 and then, knocked off Flour Bluff 28-14 for the Area Championships. The Patriot’s road to a State 5A title came to an end when they lost to Dripping Springs 69-35 in the Regional Quarterfinals. Senior quarterback Diego Hernandez led his Patriots to the third round of the state playoffs. He threw for 4,175 passing yards along with 45 touchdown passes and only 9 interceptions in his 298 completions to end his career.
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