Palmview cross country runner Jose Jaime overtakes the field en route to winning the District 30-5A cross country championship. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra.At Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, Saturday, 107 of the best high school long distance runners from across the Lone Star State were off and running at the sound of the starter’s pistol signaling the start of the class 5A boys varsity cross country state championship race. Sixteen minutes, thirty-one and one tenth seconds later, Jose Jaime of Palmview High School crossed the finish line as the 39th best 5A runner in the state.

Having just completed his third year of running cross country for Palmview High School, Jaime has already attained a level of success that few high school athletes ever attain. Inspired by his sister and her coach, Jaime’s success began the very first year he ran cross country.

Read more: Palmview’s Jose Jaime among best in state

A Mercedes defender breaks up a pass intended for Mission's Robert Veliz during the first half of the Eagles 23-14 loss to the Tigers. Progress Times photo by Luciano GuerraCoach Mario Peña entered the 2012 season with three goals for his Mission Eagles football team. The first was to make the playoffs. The second was to win the district championship. The third was to have an undefeated season.

Coming off of a 2-8 2011 season, those goals might have seemed to be nothing more than pipe dreams in some peoples’ eyes, but with only one game left in District 32-4A play last week the Eagles were within one win of achieving all three goals. Enter the Mercedes Tigers.

Read more: Eagles open playoffs against C.C. Ray tonight

Both Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) high school football teams are advancing to the playoffs this week. Tickets for the games are on sale. Season ticket holders can purchase tickets from 8 a.m.-noon. General ticket sales will be held 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Mission CISD Athletic Department located at the Central Administration building, 1201 Bryce Drive, Mission. These will be reserved seats at $8. General admission tickets will be available prior to each game at the gate for $7.

Veterans Memorial High School will take on Corpus Christi Flour Bluff on Thursday, November, 15, at Tom Landry Stadium. Kick-off is at 7 p.m.

Mission High School will play Corpus Christi Ray on Friday, November 16, at Tom Landry Stadium. Kick-off will be at 7:30 p.m.

Ticket sales at the athletic office will continue through the rest of the week leading into the games, ending at 12 p.m. on the individual game day.

For more information, contact the Mission CISD athletic department at 323-5684.

With Week 10 of Valley high school football upon us, three of the Big 6 football teams are in the playoffs and a fourth is on the verge of making it in for the first time in its school history. With perfect 9-0 records the Mission Eagles and the Sharyland Rattlers are both seeking outright district titles this week as Mission played the 8-1 Mercedes Tigers last night and Sharyland plays at winless Edinburg Vela tonight. Regardless of the outcomes of those two games, the Eagles and the Rattlers will be moving on to the bi-district round of the state playoffs next week.

Read more: Big 6 football playoffs: Three are in, one more possible

La Joya alumni running back Jose Bocanegra (Juarez-Lincoln class of 2010) stiff arms Mission Eagles’ alumni Abraham Villanueva (MHS class of 2006) as he breaks the tackle and picks up positive yardage. Progress Times photo by Luciano GuerraLA JOYA — In the 1986 comedy “The Best of Times,” former high school football players re-play a 13-year-old game in an attempt to relive their glory days. For one player in particular the game was all about an opportunity to make good on a play that would’ve won the game for his alma mater had he only not dropped the ball.

At the La Joya Independent School District Stadium on Nov. 3, former Mission Eagles and Veterans Memorial Patriots took the field against former La Joya Coyotes, Juarez-Lincoln Huskies and Palmview Lobos to play a game much like the one in the movie. The participants in this game, however, did not suit up and risk injury to themselves for selfish or self-glorifying reasons. Instead, the alumni football teams were motivated to play to raise money for two local Boys & Girls Clubs.

Read more: La Joya defeats Mission in alumni football benefit game

A charity football game between alumni football players from Mission and La Joya high schools will be held Saturday Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at La Joya I.S.D. Stadium.

Read more: Mission and La Joya face off in Alumni Football Game