Big 7 Football Week 5 in Review
Pioneer 28, Valley View 7
The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks won the first district football game in Pioneer school history last Thursday night when they defeated the Valley View Tigers 28-7. In a game in which the Diamondbacks found themselves on the wrong end of a 7-0 score after three quarters, Coach Jason Wheeler’s squad put 28 points on the board in the final period with rushing touchdowns by junior quarterback Alex Ramirez, junior running back Gabriel Benavidez and sophomore Alec Garcia. The Diamondbacks other score came as the result of a fumble return for a touchdown by junior Joe Garza.
Two first half red zone scoring opportunities by the Diamondbacks were thwarted by two of the three interceptions thrown by Pioneer quarterbacks on the night. Jonathan Jones completed three of six passes for 14 yards and one interception while Alex Ramirez completed three of nine passes for 21 yards and two interceptions. Caleb Hernandez completed the only pass he threw against Valley View for 27 yards.
Benavidez was the top rusher for the Diamondbacks with 15 carries for 114 yards while Jose Blanco’s single catch for 27 yards made him the top receiver. In total Pioneer accumulated 250 yards on offense while giving up only 120 total yards to the Tigers.
Defensively, Garza led Pioneer with 12 solo tackles, five assisted tackles and three tackles for losses.
McAllen Memorial 21, La Joya 17
The La Joya Coyotes gave the highly touted McAllen Memorial Mustangs all they could handle last Friday night as they took an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter, led 10-7 at the half and 17-14 at the end of the third quarter. But the Mustangs pulled out the win with a fourth quarter touchdown to improve their record to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in district play and drop the Coyotes to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in district.
Coyotes senior quarterback Julio Garcia completed eight of 19 passes for 151 yards while junior running back Justin Leanos carried the ball 14 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns against the Mustangs. Junior wide receiver J.C. Maldonado caught three passes for 78 yards to lead the way for LJHS.
Defensively senior Ricardo Ornelas led the Coyotes in tackles with four solos and 10 assisted while junior Gabriel Rios contributed with three solo and eight assisted tackles of his own.
Nikki Rowe 28, Juarez-Lincoln 21
The La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies dropped to 0-5 on the season and 0-1 in District 30-6A play last Friday night when they fell to the Nikki Rowe Warriors by a score of 28-21. LJJL quarterback Edward Garcia completed ten of 16 passes for 109 yards one touchdown and one interception. Garcia also ran the ball 12 times for an additional 92 yards and another touchdown against the Warriors. Garcia’s touchdown pass went to Genaro Avila for 19 yards. Carlos Barrera was the Huskies’ top receiver with five receptions for 62 of LJJL’s 109 yards total receiving on the night.
Zeke Rodriguez ran the ball 12 times for 52 yards as LJJL’s top rusher behind Garcia. Dustin Ruiz scored the Huskies other touchdown against the Warriors when he ran the ball into the end zone from three yards out.
Defensively for LJJL, linebacker Dustin Ruiz led the way with one quarterback sack, three hurries, 12 solo tackles and 6 assists.
Mc Hi 48, Mission 7
Coach Mario Pena’s Mission Eagles lost their district opener to the McAllen High Bulldogs last Friday night by the score of 48-7. With the loss Mission drops to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in District 30-6A action.
The Eagles offense compiled a total of 166 yards offensively with 96 yards on the ground and 70 yards through the air. Defensively Mission gave up 379 total yards to the Bulldogs with 295 coming on the ground and 84 through the air.
Mission junior running back Juan Salazar led the way for the Eagles with 10 carries for 53 yards.
Sharyland 27, Edinburg Vela 24
The Sharyland Rattlers used two BIG plays to open their 2014 District 31-5A schedule with a 27-24 come-from-behind victory over the Edinburg Vela Sabercats at Richard Thompson Stadium last Friday night. A 68-yard run by quarterback Lance Madden and a 78-yard pass completion from Madden to James Cole, both in the third quarter, sealed the victory for Coach Ron Adame’s squad after the Sabercats had taken a 17-14 lead earlier in the period.
The Rattlers’ two first half touchdowns came on a four yard keeper by Madden with 5:08 left in the first quarter and a Madden to Seth Carter 15-yard touchdown pass with 3:20 left in the half that gave Sharyland a 14-7 lead at the intermission.
With the win Sharyland improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in District 31-5A play.
