McALLEN — For 364 days out of the year, the McAllen Memorial and McAllen High football teams dislike each other.

On that 365th day, when the Mustangs and Bulldogs meet on the gridiron, it’s deeper than that.

“This rivalry runs deep,” Memorial quarterback Kane Coy said. “For this game, you hate each other so much.”

The crosstown rival Mustangs and Bulldogs battled for 48 minutes Friday night, or what seemed like a 12-round fight, as McAllen Memorial ended the 16-5A DI bout with its hand raised after earning a 35-21 victory.

“It’s a rivalry game — it means the world,” Memorial senior running back Jayden Soliz said.

McALLEN — The Nikki Rowe Warriors kept their momentum rolling Friday night, scoring touchdowns in all four quarters and overpowering the Rio Grande City Rattlers 49–21 at DQ Fan Field inside McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Senior quarterback Eli Garza threw three touchdown passes and accounted for 117 yards through the air, guiding a Warriors offense that showcased both balance and depth. Rowe’s rushing attack piled up more than 150 yards, with Jose Jimenez, Alexander Lopez Negrete, Ivan Ramas, and Anthony Hernandez each contributing key carries throughout the night.

PHARR — Defense, special teams gambles, and one late kick decided it. Edinburg survived PSJA High’s fourth-quarter surge to win 17–14 on Thursday at PSJA Stadium in the District 31-6A opener.

Edinburg built a 14–0 cushion behind a steady first half from quarterback Aiden Sanchez, who guided a 10-yard rushing score and later floated a touchdown to the back of the end zone before halftime. “We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we came out and showed out,” Sanchez said. “That loss earlier this year changed everyone as a person and as men. Every game since then has been different.”

UTRGV picked up its first-ever conference win Saturday night, defeating Houston Christian twenty-seven to seven at Vackar Stadium in Edinburg. Quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger led the way, rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns, showing flashes of his high-school form from Sharyland Pioneer.

“The O-line did a great job. They were giving us holes left and right to run through,” Marburger said after the game.

The Vaqueros’ defense dominated the second half, holding HCU scoreless and coming away with four sacks — including big plays from Ian Box, Abdon Mata, and Logic Hudgens.

Head coach Travis Bush praised the team’s growth, saying, “With the youth of our program, every week we’re getting better. I’m just so proud of the way they battled tonight.”

UTRGV heads into its bye week 5-1 overall and 1-1 in conference, before facing No. 25 Lamar in two weeks.

EDINBURG — UTRGV quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger was known as a dual threat during his high school days at Sharyland Pioneer. The former Diamondback rushed for 2,381 yards and 44 touchdowns during his four-year career.

In college, however, Marburger hadn’t showcased his wheels much, totaling just 40 rushing yards and no scores during his time at UTSA.

Marburger turned back the clock to his high school days Saturday, rushing for a team-high 105 yards and two touchdowns to lift the Vaqueros past Houston Christian University 27-7 at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium in Edinburg.

PHARR — On a night filled with fireworks and homecoming festivities, PSJA North leaned on its workhorse once again. Senior running back Ethan Guerra delivered one of the finest performances of his career, rushing for 317 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Raiders past Harlingen South 48–35 on Friday at PSJA Stadium.

The win kept the Raiders undefeated at 5–0 overall and 3–0 in district play, extending their home dominance in front of a packed crowd.

Early in the second half, the Hawks threatened to flip the momentum. Trailing by two touchdowns, South capitalized on a long punt return and a personal foul to set up a short field, with Caden Edwards punching in his third touchdown of the night to trim the deficit to 28–21 midway through the third quarter.

MISSION — Finding the end zone on defense or special teams is never an easy task. Doing both in the same night is even harder.

The Los Fresnos Falcons made it look routine Friday, scoring on offense, defense and special teams during a 63-20 blowout of the Sharyland High Rattlers at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.

“That is the second time we’ve done that this season,” Los Fresnos head coach David Cantu said. “It’s an amazing thing to get off to a start like that. We have a new special teams coordinator, Los Fresnos grad Charlie Rivas. I’m just happy he put that together. That was huge. We were able to score on special teams, offense and defense. When that happens, you’re just happy for the kids.”