District 31-5A rivals Sharyland High and McAllen High needed all five sets to determine a winner as the Rattlers emerged victorious against the Bulldogs, 25-20, 25-17, 19-25, 17-25, 15-10, on Saturday at Sharyland High School in Mission.

Sharyland’s win avenges its earlier district loss at the hands of McHi as the Bulldogs swept the Rattlers, 25-22, 25-17, 25-15, on Sept. 3 at McAllen High School.

This time around, the Rattlers (34-3) dealt the Bulldogs (24-11) their first defeat in district play and are now tied for the top spot in 31-5A with identical 9-1 district records.

“It just comes down to experience, that’s what’s really helped this team,” Sharyland head coach Lydia De Leon said of her Rattlers’ squad. “You watch my seniors and they’re staying calm and collected and I think that’s what helps the team stay calm and collected as well.”

In a Saturday night matchup, PSJA Memorial faced off against Brownsville Rivera, securing a 33-14 win with a strong performance led by quarterback Ryan Reyna and an overall team effort in all phases of the game.

The first quarter started off with a bang as Emi Colunga broke through the defense on a handoff from Ryan Reyna, putting PSJA Memorial on the board early. Reyna followed up with a beautifully executed pass to Robert Morelez for another touchdown, pushing the team’s momentum forward. Kicker Omar Garcia kept the points coming, nailing a field goal to extend the lead.

BROWNSVILLE — The Brownsville Veterans’ defense pitched a second-half shutout, and the offense poured on 24 second-half points as the Chargers downed the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks 45-21 on Thursday at Chargers Stadium in Brownsville.

The victory moves the Chargers to 4-2 heading into district play, ending their non-district slate with back-to-back wins. The Diamondbacks fall to 4-2, with loss snapping a four-game winning streak.

“We came out a little sloppy in the first half,” Brownsville Veterans quarterback Storm Montoya said. “We just had to make some adjustments. We finished hard and that’s all that matter. The defense played lights out the second half. The offense did what we had to do. That was all that mattered.”

PHARR – Three different Brownsville Veterans players rushed for over 75 yards and at least one touchdown and the defense forced two turnovers as the Chargers took down the PSJA High Bears 35-23 on Friday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr. 

Senior fullback Alvin Trevillion led all rushers for the Chargers during the win, toting the rock 10 times for 113 yards and one touchdown. Montoya added 77 yards and a score on eight carries, while fullback Cesar Belmontes chipped in 75 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

PHARR — PSJA High quarterback Myles Lopez and receiver Ryan Vallejo surgically sliced up the Los Fresnos defense in the second half as the Bears erased a 10-point halftime deficit to take down the Falcons 40-24 on Friday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.

The victory marks the second straight by the Bears, moving them to 3-1 on the year, while also marking the first loss of the year by the Falcons, dropping them to 3-1.

Lopez finished the day 38-of-58 for 459 yards and six touchdown passes, while Vallejo racked up 19 catches for 224 yards and five scores.

EDINBURG - With a month until their first district game, the Pioneer Diamondbacks are already looking like a stand-out team. Led by quarterback William Goodloe, the Diamondbacks showcased their offensive firepower and defensive grit in a 31-14 win over Edinburg North.

Goodloe, a former receiver, showed poise and command at the quarterback position. On the Diamondbacks’ opening drive, he hit Matthew Maldonado with a 35-yard strike that set Pioneer up at the Cougars’ 10-yard line. Goodloe followed up by weaving his way through the defense for a 10-yard touchdown run, capping a 7-play, 62-yard drive.

HARLINGEN — Two of the Valley’s powerhouse programs went toe-to-toe Friday, with traditional power Harlingen High hosting one of the area’s fastest rising programs in Edinburg Vela.
The meeting marked the third matchup all-time between the two programs, with Edinburg Vela getting the best of Harlingen High during their previous two meetings.
Friday’s matchup belonged to the SaberCats once again, with Vela taking down Harlingen High 34-16 during a non-district contest at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen.

MCALLEN—The McAllen Memorial Mustangs edged out the Weslaco Panthers 45-38 in a high-stakes matchup at McAllen Memorial Stadium, pushing their record to 2-0 while Weslaco fell to 0-2. The game saw strong offensive performances from both teams, with Memorial quarterback Kane Coy playing a key role in the victory, scoring a total of five touchdowns, one on the ground and four passing.

HARLINGEN — Since 1993, the Harlingen Cardinals and Harlingen South Hawks have clashed on the gridiron in a rivalry game dubbed the “Bird Bowl.”

The series has largely belonged to the Cardinals during the 32-year span, with the Cardinals holding a 26-5 series advantage heading into the 2024 rendition of the rivalry.

• PSJA North Raiders secured a 21-11 victory over the PSJA Bears, with key contributions from their offense and defense.

• Daren Garcia led the scoring with a 4-yard rushing touchdown in the 2nd quarter, followed by a 6-yard passing touchdown to Diego Aparicio.

The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks rode their ground game and stingy defense to a 21-14 victory over the Rio Grande City Rattlers on Thursday at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.

The win is Pioneer’s first of the season while RGC drops to 0-2 in non-district action.

The Mission Eagles secured a narrow 23-21 victory over their crosstown rivals, the Mission Veterans Patriots, courtesy of an 18-yard game-winning field goal by freshman kicker Angel Gabriel Leyva in the closing minutes. Despite a significant lightning delay, the Eagles remained composed under head coach Daniel Longoria’s leadership, adhering to a game plan centered on patience, emotional control, and sound football fundamentals.

HARLINGEN — Harlingen High juniors Aiden Flores and Noah Huerta scored on back-to-back drives during the fourth quarter as the Cardinals soared past the Weslaco High Panthers 42-28 during their 2024 season opener Friday at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen.

The victory marked Harlingen High’s seventh straight Week 1 victory, last losing a season opener during the 2017 season. The loss snaps a 10-game regular season winning streak by the Panthers.

EDINBURG — The season opener between 6A Edinburg North and 5A Edinburg Vela was neck and neck for 46 minutes, until back to back touchdowns by Vela's senior running back Jonathan Flores (20) stretched the final score to 29-10.

The final score doesn't reflect the critical role the Sabercats' defense had in the victory. Vela made stops that turned the tide of the game, particularly in the second half, where they thwarted North in their own territory four times, allowing just a single field goal despite multiple drives into or starting on Vela's side of the field.

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The first half ended in a 14-14 tie, with both teams trading touchdowns and defensive stops, setting the stage for a competitive second half.

In the third quarter, PSJA North took control with a 1-yard rushing touchdown and later extended their lead to 28-16 after a key interception and another rushing touchdown with a successful two-point conversion.

McAllen Rowe came up short on a two-point conversion with 20 seconds remaining in the game and Harlingen South held on to a 16-14 victory during the team’s mutual season opener Thursday at McAllen Veteran Memorial Stadium.

The fact that Rowe was even in position to tie the game was a testament to the Warriors as they continue to deal with the death of teammate/classmate and friend Adan De La Cruz just a little less than two weeks ago...

The 2024 football season kicked off this Thursday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr, Texas, where PSJA Memorial met with Brownsville Veterans. Vets took control early thanks to a standout performance by their running back, Cesar Belmontes (15). With approximately nine minutes remaining in the first quarter, Belmontes made a 51-yard rushing touchdown, giving Veterans Memorial a 7-0 lead.

The Rio Grande Valley’s top 2A and 5A athletes took centerstage during Day 2 of the UIL state track and field championships, with more than half of the Valley’s 2024 qualifiers competing.

Day 2 of the state meet offered plenty of action, with some athletes making their state debut, to others competing for the last time in their high school careers.

Here’s a look at how some of the RGV’s competitors performed…