“It is just a great environment we’re playing in,” UTRGV wide receiver Xayvion Noland said. “Great team win. Everybody is playing to their standard. We still need to clean up some mistakes, but just a great environment. My adrenaline and all the guys’ adrenaline is just rushing out there. Just a big shout out to the 956.”

Noland was a catalyst to UTRGV’s 80-point outing, scoring the game’s first touchdown on a 42-yard pass from senior quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger. The score marked the second time this season Marburger and Noland have connected at home for the opening touchdown.

After Noland’s touchdown, the Vaqueros’ special teams unit got in on the scoring with a 70-yard run by linebacker Tyler Day on a fake punt with 1:58 left in the first.

MISSION — The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks leaned on grit, versatility, and a few breakout performances to take down the Edinburg North Cougars on Friday night at Richard Thompson Stadium.

Head coach Eddie Galindo’s team, still navigating a wave of injuries, showed resilience in a game that demanded constant adjustments. “You just got to get these guys to accept the challenge and be selfless — to do what’s best for the team and not themselves,” Galindo said. “It’s about stepping up, being resilient, and finding a way to get it done.”

EDINBURG — Robert Vela stacked five passing touchdowns, a short scoring run and three takeaways to roll past Harlingen 52–10 on Friday night at Richard R. Flores Stadium.

Harlingen struck first on a 33-yard field goal by kicker Rowan Deleon late in the opening quarter, but Vela answered with 28 straight points in the second and never looked back.

“We had a couple penalties go against us and they went down and scored,” Vela head coach Ernie Alonzo said. “We came right back, responded with a big play to go up 7–3, and after that our defense took over.”

PHARR — Mission Veterans’ 2-9 finish to the 2024 campaign was an anomaly for a tradition-rich program that left Patriots with a bad taste in their mouth entering the offseason.

Through spring ball and summer workouts, the Patriots used last season’s disappointment as motivation. 

Now, three weeks into the 2025 Texas high school football regular season, Mission Veterans has completely flipped the script from last year’s 0-3 start with an impressive 3-0 record, and the Patriots don’t look like they’re slowing down after securing a dominant 37-14 win over PSJA High on Thursday in non-district action at PSJA Stadium.

The Patriots are now 3-0 for the first time since the 2017 season.

EDINBURG — Thursday night’s non-district contest between the Edinburg High Bobcats and Brownsville Hanna Eagles ended less than two minutes into the third quarter after an injury to junior quarterback Albert Chavez.

Edinburg High head coach Joe Pena and Brownsville Hanna head coach Mark Guess met at midfield after Chavez was helped off the field, with both electing to end the game as it stood.

The Bobcats led 15-0 prior to the stoppage, with the Eagles facing a fourth-and-long.

“One of the things we talk about every day is that there are things in life more important than football,” Pena said. “Right now we asked our team to join in a prayer for him, to help that family, that team and the staff they put together. We just have to understand that there are things more important in life.”

PHARR — Senior running back Ethan Guerra cemented his reputation as one of the Rio Grande Valley’s premier athletes Friday night, with five touchdowns and 167 yards rushing, he powered PSJA North to a commanding 49–3 victory over PSJA High in the annual Tri-City Classic at PSJA Stadium.

The dominate performance began from the opening drive. After PSJA High elected to receive, North’s Blackshirt unit forced a three-and-out, and Guerra immediately cashed in. Guerra scored off a 14 yard handoff which was quickly followed by another 4 yard rushing touchdown in the opening quarter.

Ehan broke tackles and energized the packed home crowd.

EDINBURG — For 11 years straight, the Edinburg High Bobcats have lost to crosstown rival Edinburg Vela. That streak ended Friday night. This time, the Bobcats came out on top, grinding out a 19–6 victory at Richard R. Flores Stadium in front of more than 5,000 fans.

“This feels unbelievable,” senior running back Woodrow Villarreal said. “The Bobcats are back. We came together as a team and got the job done.” Villarreal, one of 33 seniors on the roster, scored the game’s opening touchdown with 4:20 left in the first quarter, powering in from two yards out to give Edinburg a 7–0 lead.

PHARR — McAllen High overcame a shaky start to dominate PSJA Memorial 53–10 in its second game of the season Thursday night at PSJA Stadium.

The Bulldogs opened with a surprise opportunity when Memorial mishandled the kickoff, giving McHi possession at the Wolverine 6-yard line. But McAllen failed to capitalize, turning the ball over on downs in what head coach Patrick Shelby called a missed chance.

“We started off slow,” Shelby said. “We recovered the fumble on the kickoff but didn’t finish the drive. The boys shook it off, made some adjustments, and came out here and finished the game.”

UTRGV football made history with a dominant 66-0 win in its inaugural game at Vackar Stadium. The Vaqueros scored on every first-half possession, racking up 674 yards of offense while shutting out Sul Ross State. Head coach Travis Bush called it “about as good as we could start” as the program begins a new era in the Valley.