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

At Rio Grande City High School Tuesday, the 18^th ranked Veterans Memorial Lady Patriots defeated the Laredo Nixon Lady Mustangs in the bi-district round of the state playoffs. After taking the first two sets 25-11 and 25-21, it looked as if Coach Diana Lerma’s Lady Patriots were well on their way to a straight sets victory when the Lady Mustangs bounced back to take the third set 25-22. Not having lost a set to any team other than 8^th ranked Edcouch-Elsa all season, Veterans Memorial got back on their game in the fourth set to finish off the Lady Mustangs 25-12.

Read more: 32-4A V-ball Playoffs: Lady Patriots win, Lady Eagles lose

Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra.On a cold windy morning at Bentsen Palm Park Saturday, the Mission Lady Eagles cross country team was red hot when they put it all together at just the right time to win the 32-4A district championship. With the sum of their top five runners’ placings giving Mission a team score of 48, Coach Iris M. Garza’s Lady Eagles pulled off what some considered to be an upset, finishing just one point ahead of the Edcouch-Elsa Lady Yellow Jackets.

Read more: Lady Eagles win CC district championship

Patriots' ball carrier Victor Meza (24) gets upended by the Eagles' Nick Garza (3) as fellow Eagles Adonis Juarez (22), Sabas Garcia (55), Erick Flores (13) and Ulises Moreno (27) look on. Progress Times photo by Luciano GuerraFor as long as most Mission residents can remember, Mission High School’s football team has been known as the Mighty Mission Eagles. As is the case with all sports teams, there are good years and there are bad years and while the Eagles have certainly suffered through some bad years, they remained the Mighty Mission Eagles to their fans regardless of their win-loss records.

Read more: Mission Eagles are ‘mighty’ once again