SAN ANTONIO — With less than two minutes left in regulation, Buda Johnson Joe Margiotta lined up for a 32-yard field goal to give his team the lead.

On the opposite side stood the RGV’s last football team standing, the Los Fresnos Falcons, looking to block the field goal and keep their third round hopes alive.

Their hopes were not to become a reality, with the senior nailing the field goal and the Jaguars defense forcing a turnover on downs on the ensuing drive to end the Falcons season with a 23-20 loss in the Class 6A DI area round Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela started strong, showing flashes of why they were undefeated heading into Friday night’s matchup. Senior quarterback Geoffrey LeFevre connected with wide receiver Juan Garza for a 23-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, bringing the SaberCats within three points of Smithson Valley.

That momentum didn’t last long.

Smithson Valley took control and never looked back, rolling to a commanding 55-13 victory in the Class 5A DI area playoff game at Richard R. Flores Stadium.

Turnovers were the story of the night for Edinburg Vela. Three first-half interceptions set the Rangers up for quick scores, and by halftime, they had built an overwhelming 41-7 lead.

CORPUS CHRISTI — No team in the Rio Grande Valley has won more playoff games over the last five years than PSJA North.

The Raiders established themselves as a gritty group who will punch you in the mouth and fight for 48 minutes until the clock reads zeroes.

Their Region IV-5A DI area round playoff game against the New Braunfels Unicorns was no different, but the Raiders failed to land one last blow in the bout as they fell in a 35-32 thriller on Friday at Phil Danaher Stadium in Corpus Christi.

PSJA North wraps up its season as District 15-5A DI tri-champs with a 10-2 overall record. The win sends New Braunfels to 9-3 overall and into next week’s regional semifinals for a matchup against Smithson Valley.

“These guys have the heart of a champion,” PSJA North head coach Marcus Kaufmann said. “They do not want to lose. They do not want to let anybody down, and it’s more about letting the fans and the community down more than winning and losing for these guys. They’re down because they wanted to win for the community and we weren’t able to pull it out, and you can tell it hurts right now.” 

SAN ANTONIO — With 3:53 left in the third quarter, the Brownsville Veterans Chargers seemed headed to their third straight regional semifinal appearance.

A 42-yard touchdown run by Calvin Trevillion had just given the Chargers a 35-17 lead during the period, the third straight score by Brownsville Veterans.

New Braunfels Canyon wiped away the Chargers third round hopes with three straight touchdowns of their own en route to a 38-35 comeback win over Brownsville Veterans on Friday at Heroes Stadium in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO — PSJA High couldn’t have asked for a better start to Thursday’s 6A DII area round contest against Cibolo Steele.

Less than twenty seconds into the game, PSJA High quarterback Myles Lopez did what he’s done all year, hitting senior Ryan Vallejo in stride for an 80-yard touchdown to take a 6-0 lead.

The lead and momentum were short-lived, however, with Cibolo Steele wideout Royal Capell taking the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to the house to spark a 63-point first half by the Knights en route to a dominant 63-12 win over PSJA High at Heroes Stadium in San Antonio.

MISSION — The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks advanced to the area round of the playoffs after defeating the Brownsville Lopez Lobos 35-21 in a bi-district matchup at Richard Thompson Stadium. "It was just a total team victory," said Pioneer head coach Eddie Galindo. "Offense came up big when they needed to. Defense came up big when they needed to."

PHARR - In a dominant performance at PSJA Stadium, the PSJA North Raiders secured a convincing 43-3 victory over the La Joya Palmview Lobos in a bi-district playoff game. The win propels the Raiders into the area round for the fourth consecutive season, showcasing their continued excellence in high school football.

MCALLEN - In a decisive 5A Bi-District championship game at DQ Fan Field, the Flour Bluff Hornets demonstrated their offensive strength to defeat the McAllen Memorial Mustangs 35-10. The Hornets, now boasting a 10-1 record, advance to the Area round of the playoffs, while the Mustangs conclude their season at 7-4.

The game began with both teams showing promise. The Mustangs' defense made key stops, and their offense found early success through the air. Junior quarterback Kane Coy, returning to the field after a three-week absence due to a torn oblique muscle and a fractured wrist, showcased remarkable resilience. Despite playing through significant pain, Coy connected multiple times with junior wide receiver Michael Alanis, who made notable receptions of 52, 32, and 41 yards, amassing 120 yards in the first half alone.

PHARR — PSJA High quarterback Myles Lopez threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns and the defense forced four turnovers as the Bears dominated the Harlingen High Cardinals 55-28 during a Class 6A DII bi-district contest Thursday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.

“We talked about all week how the tables were turned from the last time we played these guys,” PSJA High head coach said. “That year they were the No. 1 seed. Now we were the No. 1 seed, and they were coming into our house. We wanted to make sure we did a little payback for what they did to us two years ago. Our guys came out and stood up to the challenge tonight.”

PSJA High’s aerial assault was on full display during the opening half, with all four of Lopez’s touchdowns coming during the first two quarter.

Pacing the way for the Bears’ receiving corps were seniors Caleb Salas and Ryan Vallejo, with the duo combined for 404 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

McALLEN — Bragging rights and pride were on the line for the McAllen High Bulldogs and McAllen Rowe Warriors in their Week 11 rivalry contest.

For the Warriors, a win would send them to the postseason as District 16-5A DI’s No. 4 seed. For the Bulldogs, who were eliminated from playoff contention Thursday evening due to La Joya Palmview’s win over McAllen Memorial, an opportunity to play spoiler against their rival in the final week of the regular season.

EDINBURG, TX — The Edinburg Vela Sabercats closed out their regular season with a commanding 55-21 win against the Rio Grande City Rattlers on Thursday night. With this victory, Vela capped off an undefeated season with a 10-0 record and claimed the District 16-5A Division 1 title with a flawless 7-0 district record.

MCALLEN, TX — The La Joya Palmview Lobos secured a 20-17 victory over the McAllen Memorial Mustangs on Thursday night, concluding the regular season in a game with significant playoff implications. A disciplined defensive showing and a late field goal proved decisive for Palmview, who overcame an early deficit to win at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Bears cruised to a 41-7 victory over the Edinburg North Cougars in Friday night's District 31-6A matchup, dominating on both offense and defense.

Right from the start, the Bears took control of the game. Quarterback Myles Lopez led the way with sharp passes and quick-footed runs, keeping the Cougars’ defense on edge all night. His smart reads and precise timing proved to be key as he moved the Bears down the field.

The Bears’ offensive line played a major role, giving Lopez plenty of time to make plays and opening up running lanes for the backs. Their steady performance kept the offense moving smoothly, with consistent gains through both the air and ground.

MISSION, TX — The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks secured a 33-27 victory over the Sharyland Rattlers in the 11th annual Snakeskin Classic on Friday night at Richard Thompson Stadium. The win places Pioneer (6-3 overall, 2-1 in district) in second place in District 15-5A Division II, confirming their postseason spot.

McALLEN — Fresh off a blowout loss to Edinburg Vela a week ago, McAllen Memorial entered Friday’s contest against McAllen Rowe looking to deliver a bounce back performance.

The Mustangs did just that, erupting for 28 second-half points to take down their city rival 42-28 at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen.

McAllen Memorial’s victory secured the city championship for the Mustangs, while also punching their ticket to the Class 5A DI postseason. They improved to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in district with the win, locking up the No. 2 seed in District 16-5A DI.

“We wanted revenge,” McAllen Memorial athlete Jaydin Soliz said. “We were embarrassed how we lost last week and just wanted revenge. It feels great being city champs, but we want to expand more and go deep into the playoffs.”

When the District 16-5A DI schedule was announced, both Edinburg Vela and McAllen Memorial circled their game against each other as one with the potential to be for a district championship.

On Thursday, the two District 16-5A DI heavyweights went toe-to-toe, but the SaberCats landed a flurry of devastating first-half punches to put the game away early as Edinburg Vela cruised to a 56-0 victory over McAllen Memorial at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.

The SaberCats (8-0, 5-0 district) are now alone in first place in 16-5A DI with two weeks remaining. The Mustangs (6-2, 4-1 district) slide into second in 16-5A DI after their first loss in league play.

“It was just preparation and it all started Monday. We start Monday off looking to go 1-0 against whoever we play,” Vela center Ronnie Ramirez said. “Memorial is a good team but we showed we’re the better team. We came out and executed to a T.”

Edinburg Vela’s defense came out intensity, the SaberCats offense followed suit, and the Mustangs were unable to match it. 

MCALLEN - The McAllen Memorial Mustangs defeated the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies 45-7 on Thursday night, controlling the game from start to finish in a district matchup. The Mustangs improved to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in district play.

The Mustangs scored on their first six possessions and rushed for 437 yards in total. Running back JP Garza opened the scoring with a short touchdown run on the first drive, and Memorial never looked back. Garza added a second touchdown later in the first quarter, finishing with two scores.

Jaden Solis and Braxton Speights also contributed to the scoring, each finding the end zone on powerful runs. Quarterback Kane Coy connected with wide receiver Hugo Rodriguez for a 46-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, extending the lead.

MCALLEN - The Edinburg Vela Sabercats continued their impressive campaign with a commanding 40-14 victory over the McAllen Nikki Rowe Warriors on Friday night. Both teams entered the contest undefeated in district play, but Vela’s offensive firepower and defensive prowess overwhelmed the Warriors, keeping the Sabercats perfect on the season and setting up a critical matchup next week against McAllen Memorial.

The game began with a bang as Sabercat running back Jonathan Flores returned the opening kickoff 50 yards, giving the offense excellent field position. Senior quarterback Geoffrey Lefevre immediately capitalized, launching a 51-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver George Fauls just 18 seconds into the game. Although the extra point was missed, the quick strike gave Vela a 6-0 lead.

The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Bears continued their impressive season with a 42-7 victory over the Edinburg Economedes on Friday night. The Bears' offense was unstoppable, with quarterback Myles Lopez throwing for three touchdowns and running back Jorge Alanis adding two touchdowns on the ground.

The game started with a bang, as the Bears scored on their opening drive with a 6-yard touchdown run by Alanis. Economedes was unable to respond, and the Bears continued to pour it on in the second quarter with another touchdown pass from Lopez and a field goal.

LOS FRESNOS — Los Fresnos quarterback Robert Pineda has made the end zone his home during the first half of the Texas high school football season.

Through five games the junior signal caller has rushed for nine touchdowns, already eclipsing his mark of six from a year ago.