high school sports magazine-november 2007 issue

2007 State Football Playoff Edition VOL 3 ISSUE 4November 16-26, 2007

Playoffs!

State HS PastChampions

RGV Statsand Standings

RGV Playoff Team by Team Features

State HS PastChampions

RGV Statsand Standings

RGV Playoff Team by Team Features

State High School Football...State High School Football...

Watch the All-New HSSM “In The Garage” Sports Show at www.hssmonline.net

Contents

The State MatchupsHarlingen South, PSJA, Weslaco,and others ready to play.

HSSM Players ofthe monthPI’s Nunez gets honored.

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ContentsGame

Vol 3 Issue 4Nov. 16-26, 2007

Pictured are McHi’s Steven Garcia and Santa Rosa’s Sam Salazar.Cover: Rolando Salinas of Harlingen South, Weslaco RB Mishak Rivas, PSJA Juan Palomin, Edinburg North Mario Medrano, Ed-Elsa Eric Nino, San Benito Abel Aguirre.

State ChampionsListed from 1A-5ASouthlake Carroll dominates.

33

PSJA Quarterback Juan Palomin gets face-masked by Harlingen South’s Rolando Salinas. (HSSMImages)

See story on next page

State H.S. FootballState H.S. Football

Harlingen South and PSJA Ready; Weslaco FavoredMATCHUPSMATCHUPS

By DAVID A. AMADOR, HSSM Sports Director

2007 HSSM November Issue4

(McAllen, Texas)-So much drama will take place this weekend as the Rio Grande Valley football teams hit the field to begin the first round of the state football playoffs. Football fans will flock to the bleachers eager to get their game tickets so that they can cheer on their teams. The Harlingen South Hawks (10-0), enter the playoffs as the No.1 ranked team in the HSSM Fans Poll and they have earned too. With new head coach Alan Cherry at helm, he says that “these players are the great and coach able” and he also added that quarterback

MATCHUPSMATCHUPS


Get the Ball! The Edinburg North Cougars are back in the State 5A Division II playoffs and they will travel to play Weslaco. The winner meets Laredo United South/McAllen winner. A great defense leads

the Cougars into the playoffs. (HSSMImages)

Sean Messick has been a great leader all season long. “Players respect Sean and he respects them too,” adds Cherry. The Hawks will play host to a dangerous No. 10 San Benito (7-3) team on Friday night in the first round of the Class 5A Division II playoffs. Last year the Hawks advanced to the Regional Quarterfinals, losing to San Marcos. The winner of Friday’s game will play the winner of the Eagle Pass/McAllen Nikki Rowe match up. The only thing that favors the Greyhounds is that they defeated the Harlingen Cardinal at Boggus Stadium this year and if this is any edge, the Greyhounds might as well take it. Last week the Greyhounds made a strong statement by defeating Brownsville Pace 63-0 in District 32-5A. The Hawks, on the other hand, defeated the PSJA Bears last weekend 34-20 to win the 31-5A title. The No.3 Bears (8-2) settled for second place and a meeting with Brownsville Pace at home. Either way, for head coach Mel Rios, he says that he’s just happy to see the district race is now over. “This was a tough district and now we can focus on the state playoffs. The last time the Bears made a run at a state title was back in 1962 and 1963 when the Bears lost in back-to-back years in the state 3A finals to Dumas and Corsicana. The winner will play the winner of the La Joya/Laredo United in the second round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs. Leading the Bears will be Juan Palomin at quarterback and running backs Justin Villanueva.

Class 5A Division I PairingsBrownsville at PSJA 7:30 p.m.

La Joya at Laredo UnitedClass 5A Division II

McHi at Laredo United South(CC Cabaniss Field)

Edinburg North at WeslacoSan Benito at Harlingen

SouthNovember 17th

Class 5A Division ILaredo Nixon at Donna 3:00p

Los Fresnos at Harlingen 6:30p

Class 5A Division IIMcAllen Rowe vs Eagle PassFarris Stadium, San Antonio

6p

Class 5A Division I PairingsBrownsville at PSJA 7:30 p.m.

La Joya at Laredo UnitedClass 5A Division II

McHi at Laredo United South(CC Cabaniss Field)

Edinburg North at WeslacoSan Benito at Harlingen

SouthNovember 17th

Class 5A Division ILaredo Nixon at Donna 3:00p

Los Fresnos at Harlingen 6:30p

Class 5A Division IIMcAllen Rowe vs Eagle PassFarris Stadium, San Antonio

6p

UIL State 5A H.S. Football MatchupsUIL State 5A H.S. Football Matchups


Harlingen Cardinals-Redbird Pride! Head coach Manny Gomez watches as he will lead the Harlingen Cardinals against Los Fresnos in the first round of the State 5A Division I playoffs. (HSSMImages)

Last week free safety Mark Garcia had a big afternoon intercepting Messick for three passes and he will be counted on against an unpredictable Pace Viking team. Moving over to more playoff action, the Edinburg North Cougars managed to secure the fourth place slot after dropping a heartbreaking loss to Edinburg Economedes in the season finale last week. With the loss, the Cougars will travel to take on a wounded Weslaco Panther team in the Class 5A Division II Bi-District playoffs. Panther starting quarterback Dylan De Leon sustained an upper ankle sprain in the Panther’s 31-28 loss to Los Fresnos last week. According to head coach Tony Villarreal, he is listing De Leon as probable for Friday night’s match up against the Cougars. “We have two quarterbacks that are ready to step in and it’s


not Mishak Rivas,” says Villarreal. Many have speculated that Rivas will get under center but Villarreal says Rivas is their go-to-running back. Rivas has rushed for 2,411 yards and scored 33 touchdowns and the Cougars will need to find a way to stop Rivas and the Panther’s high-powered

offense. In more playoff match ups, the Harlingen Cardinals’s “many doubters” have now turned into “Cardinal Believers” after criticizing new head coach Manny Gomez from the start of the season. And when the Cards lost to San Benito in the Battle of the Arroyo, a meaningless non-district game on the schedule, fans were already wanting a replacement. What fans are now starting to realize is that the Cardinals won their first two games against district champions of 32-5A, Los Fresnos (30-13) and Donna of 31-5A (21-14). The red-hot Cards have won four of their last five games and finished tied for second place in 31-5A. They will now play Los Fresnos, a rematch of the first game of the season in the first round of the State 5A Division I playoffs. The winner will face the

Weslaco’s Top Rushing Back Mishak Rivas has rushed for 2,411 yards and 33 touchdowns this season. Can he end the season with 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns? The Panthers play host to Edinburg North in the Class 5A Division II playoffs at Bobby Lackey Stadium Friday night at 7:30 p.m. (HSSM IMages)


Laredo Nixon/Donna winner in the State 5A Division I Area playoffs next week. And finally, if anyone predicted this outcome, nobody would have not believed it as to how the Donna Redskins would sneak up and surprise District 30-5A with a 6-0 record and district title. First-year head coach Manny Moreno has been praising God all season long for this opportunity to coach at his Alma Mater and after spending some 18 years with the Donna School District as a coach and teacher, he finally got his chance and now his waiting time has paid off in 2007. The Redskins started their season with wins over Weslaco (27-20) and Edinburg (21-14). They would drop two non-district games to PSJA North (16-14) and Harlingen (21-14). The Redskins will play host to Laredo Nixon this Saturday afternoon at Bennie La Prade Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. The Redskins defeated Sharyland 31-0 to win their district championship and they also defeated a hot McAllen Nikki Rowe Warrior team 24-21. The Warriors slipped into the State 5A playoffs with a season ending win over Rio Grande City. Last week the Redskins found three running backs to carry the load for Robert Guzman, who was injured with a C5 neck injury in Week 8. Guzman finished the season as the 30-5A rushing champion, with a total of 1,251 yards and 15 touchdowns. Good enough to probably win a most valuable player award. The Redskins will play Josh Reyna (301.0 ypg), Albert Aleman (347.0 ypg), and Jacob Medina (214 ypg) against the Nixon Mustangs. Quarterback Derrick Ramirez has been superb all season long. For football updates log on to: www.hssmonline.net

Redskins No.1! Donna won the outright 30-5A District title and will play Laredo Nixon at Bennie La Prade Stadium at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday in the first round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs . (HSSM IMages)


Dave R. Smith, HSSM Columnist

Speaking OUT

CPositives Worth Remembering...

ongratulations to the Rio Hondo Bobcats of 2007 for their undefeated regular season record and district

championship. An article in the Valley Morning Star on November 10th about the Bobcats and their success included a short reference to this being the first undefeated Bobcat team since 1972. That year, the Bobcats were coached by Richard Flores who later in his career became the head coach / AD at Edinburg. I was glad to see the mention of that team, as I believe it was one of the most fundamentally sound and disciplined football teams I have ever seen.

During the football seasons of 1971 -1972, part of my duties as a Lyford High School assistant coach was to scout each upcoming opponent. The schedule those years had Rio Hondo playing the team that Lyford would be playing the coming week, so I saw the Bobcats play at least 6 times each year. I became very familiar with all the players, coaches, and the fans, becoming somewhat of a Bobcat fan myself, except when the Bulldogs of Lyford were playing them.

Why mention a team that played 35 years ago and what relevance would a 1972 team have to the teams of 2007 and beyond? There are many positives from remembering this 1972 Rio Hondo Team.

The Bobcats were coached by head coach Richard Flores and assistants Ed Morgan, Oscar Perez, Noel Solis and Roque Rodriguez. These men did an excellent job of coaching and did so with class and professionalism. In a past HSSM article, I posed the question: Are we just coaching or making a positive difference; these men did, an indication of their character and exceptional leadership of Richard Flores. I think this is a positive worth remembering and attempting to emulate.

The discipline, teamwork, confidence and focus of this team were so evident. These qualities don’t just happen; they come from leadership, teaching, training and caring by the coaches, school administrators, team leaders and fans. All positives worth remembering 35 years later.Key players on this team were David Horton, Pasqual

Rangel, Fred Carpenter, Tommy Weisman, Mike Rojas, Mike Roiz, Rolando Muniz, John Mark, and Juan Escamilla. I mention these players because my scouting reports always seemed to include them. Throughout the year, these players and the entire Bobcat team just methodically did their job and produced wins - each player and coach doing their job and working cohesively together. A positive worth remembering.

Horton, an excellent quarterback was as good of a high school punter as I have ever seen. In a driving rain, a quagmire of a field, at Port Isabel, I watched in amazement as he punted a wet ball for a 55 yard plus average. Port Isabel was a good team and Horton’s booming punts kept them pinned back on their end of the field for most of the night. Horton’s punts and Rio Hondo’s tough defense led by Muniz, Escamilla and others were the difference that night.

Many of us remember this Bobcat team and their success, however, the most positive story and current positive lesson about this team was not the 10-0 season in 1972; it was prior.

To truly appreciate the 10-0 season of 1972, one must go back to 1971 and 1970 and remember what only a few people beyond Rio Hondo may recall. In 1971, the Bobcats struggled through a mediocre season of 5 wins and 5 losses. Prior to that, the young 1970 team, during Richard Flores first year at Rio Hondo also had a season whereby there were 10 wins – all by the opposing team! From no wins in 1970 to 10 and 0 in 1972 – a positive worth remembering.

As some Valley teams are excitingly preparing for the playoffs, others are disappointingly storing their equipment and may be resigned to thinking what may have been, or “wait until next year’. Coach Flores, his assistants, and players in 1970 did not merely “wait”, they began a building process and work which lead to the success of 1972. A positive worth remembering!

From the pages of motivational books, from pulpits and podiums, we are told about “strength, staying the course, and persevering”. High School Sports provide fertile learning fields for these life lessons – Rio Hondo’s story from 1970 to 1972, a positive worth remembering.

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PHOTO GALLERY at www.hssmonline.net TOP Athletes-South Texas

ATHLETESof the month

WR Jorge Mata of Los Fresnos Seven Catches for 114 yards against Weslaco

More Burger King/HRMI TOP PERFORMERS

>San Benito HSQB Abel Aguirrerushed for 191yards on 10carries and fivetouchdowns intheir win overPace 63-0.

>Port Isabel HSRB Nolan Nunezrushed for 1,628yards on 131carries and 21touchdowns forthe season.He avg. 12 yardsper carry.

HSSMImages/David A. Amador

>Read more on www.hssmonline.net >Read more on www.hssmonline.net

Mishak Watch...Weslaco RB Mishak Rivas rushed for 421 yards and fourtouchdowns in Weslaco’s win

over San Benito41-21.

HSSMImages

>Harlingen South HSQB Sean Messickhas passed for112 yards andtwo scores in the HarlingenSouth Hawks winover PSJA 34-20win to remainundefeated 10-0at District 31-5A.He also rushedfor two tds.

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WR Jorge Mata catchesthe winning touchdown 31-28.

Rivas ended

theregular season

with2,411

and33 tds

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Volume 3 Issue 4November 16-26, 2007

Publisher & CEODavid A. Amador

Brent WatersHSSM Sales Manager

Alec D. AmadorHSSM Photographer

Jason O. MartinezB.B.A., C.P.T.

HSSM Columnist

Dave R. SmithHSSM Columnist

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All stories and photos published by High School Sports Maga-zine may not be reprinted without written premission. All stories may be submitted for consideration in the upcoming issues. High School Sports Magazine prints 13 issues annually beginning in

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District 32-1A Standingsxy-La Villax-Brunix-Ben BoltSanta MariaAgua DulceBenavides

District 32-2A Standingsxy-Santa Rosax-Banquetex-HebbronvilleFreerBishopPremontRiviera

District 31-3A Standingsxy-Raymondvillex-Zapatax-LyfordFalfurriasSan Diego

District 32-3A Standingsxy-Rio Hondox-Port Isabelx-HidalgoLa FeriaProgreso

District 32-4A Standingsxy-Edcouch-Elsax-Mercedesx-Weslaco EastMission VeteransMission HSRomaValley View

District 30-5A Standingsxy-Donnax-McAllenx-La Joyax-McAllen Nikki RoweSharylandRio Grande CityMcAllen Memorial

District 31-5A Standingsxy-Harlingen Southx-PSJAx-Harlingenx-Edinburg NorthEdinburg EconomedesPSJA NorthPSJA MemorialEdinburg

District 32-5A Standingsxy-Los Fresnosx-Weslacox-San Benitox-Brownsville PaceBrownsville LopezBrownsville PorterBrownsville HannaBrownsville Rivera

8-18-24-63-72-70-8

9-17-35-45-52-82-82-8

7-35-55-41-81-9

10-06-37-36-44-6

9-16-44-64-53-71-91-9

8-27-34-65-55-55-51-9

10-08-27-37-35-55-53-70-10

8-28-27-33-74-62-81-91-9

5-04-13-22-31-40-5

6-04-24-24-22-41-50-6

4-03-12-21-30-4

4-03-12-21-34-4

6-04-23-33-33-31-51-5

6-05-13-33-32-42-40-6

7-05-25-24-33-43-41-60-6

7-06-15-23-43-42-51-61-6

Season District

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State 5A Division I Bi-District Championships

Austin Bowie

Converse Judson

SA Southwest

SA Clark

Laredo United

La Joya

PSJA

Brownsville Pace

Region IVUpper BracketClass 5A Div I

Coyotes Looking To Rebound(La Joya, Texas)-The La Joya Coyotes will try to rebound from their 37-7 whipping last week from the McAllen Bulldogs that end-ed their season with many questions for head coach Leonel Casas, now heading into the State 5A playoffs this weekend. The Coyotes will play Laredo United (8-2), who swept the 29-5A district with a perfect 8-0 record. Their only loss was to CC Calallen at the Dave Campbell’s Football Classic at the Alamodome. Like the Long-horns, the Coyotes also played there and lost to SA Warren. The Longhorns won back-to-back district championships title United is averaging 32 points a game and they also dominate on defense with holding opponents to 15 points per game. Head coach Casas says that “we need to play football and stay focused.” The Coyotes al-lowed McHi to rush for 201 yards and another 245 yards in the air. They will have to play better defense if the Coyotes expect to ad-vance to the next round against the winner of the PSJA/Brownsville Pace match-up. “This school will split into three high schools next year so we need to play our best one more time, says Casas.

2007 HSSM November Issue 19

Howling Coyotes. The La Joya Coyotes will play Laredo United in the first round of the State 5A Division I playoffs at the Laredo Student Athletic Center. The winner will play the winner of

the PSJA/Brownsville Pace in the Area Championships next week. (HSSMImages)


Tough Bulldogs! Ther McAllen Bulldogs will play at Laredo United South in the Class 5A Division II Bi-District playoffs on Friday night at Corpus Christi in Cabaniss Stadium. (HSSM IMages)

State 5A Division II Bi-District Championships

McHi Bulldogs To Play Laredo United SouthSan Benito Greyhounds Meet Harlingen South at Boggus Stadium; Nikki Rowe Plays Eagle Pass

(McAllen, Tx)-The McHi Bulldogs (7-3) are back in the playoffs for the second straight year under veteran head coach Tony Harris and they will travel to Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi to play the Laredo United South Panthers (7-3). The winner will meet the winner of the Weslaco/Edinburg North game next week. In other playoff games, the San Benito (7-3) Greyhounds will travel to Harlingen South (10-0) and McAl-len Nikki Rowe will travel to San Antonio to meet Eagle Pass at Farris Stadium on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. All three games are Class 5A Division II Bi-District games. Last year the Bulldogs captured a Bi-District title with their win over Laredo Cigarroa 45-12 and then played the Hawks and lost 38-34. As for the Greyhounds, this will be a rematch of last year’s bi-district game, in which the Greyhounds lost 21-16. In 2004, the Greyhounds advanced to the third round of the State 5A Division II playoffs under head coach Mario Pena and lost to Smithson Valley 51-0. The last time Rowe made the playoffs was in 2004 when they won the Bi-District title against Laredo Alexander 35-14, then ended their season with a 42-12 loss to San Benito. Head coach Gary Lauer is eager to make an impact in the state playoffs with quarterback Michael Enriquez who has passed for 2,037 yards and 12 tds.


San Benito Ready! The San Benito Benito Greyhounds will travel across the Arroyo Colorado to play the undefeated Harlingen South Hawks in State 5A Division II Bi-District playoffs. Pictured is Celso Saldi-

var breaking loose from a defender. (HSSM IMages)


State 4A Playoffs Get more sports at www.hssmonline.net

Yellowjackets To Meet Alice Coyotes(Edcouch,Tx)-The Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets (9-1, 6-0) stayed perfect for the fifth-straight year as they captured their fifth 32-4A District title by defeating the Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots 21-17 in their season finale. With luck now running on the Yellowjackets side, they will host the Alice Coyotes in the first round of the State 4A Division II playoffs at “The Black Hole” or Yellowjacket Stadium this Friday night. This marks the first time that Edcouch-Elsa will play at home since 1997, the year the Jackets’ made it to the State 4A quarterfinals against Corpus Christi Calallen. The year that Joe Solis was the quarterbacks

Five-Time District Champions! The Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets will host Alice in the first round of the State 4A Division II Bi-District playoffs. Pictured is Ronnie Perez leading the way. (HSSM IMages)


El Nino! Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets QB Eric Nino will lead his team in the state playoffs. (HSSM IMages)

Class 4A Division II Football Playoffs

coach. That was then, this is now. And if fate plays the same role, then Solis, now the head coach, will lead Yellowjackets against the No.2 ranked team in the state in the quarterfinals. Tonight’s winner will face the winner of the Beeville-Jones/SA McCollum game next week. Schertz-Clemens ended the Yellowjackets hopes of a state title in the third round last year 56-14, and then eliminated CC Calallen 27-7 in the State 4A Division II quarterfinals. E-E fans might have thought that when senior running back Ronnie Villalapando quit during the South San game things would go sour. Instead, the Yellowjackets have resorted to sophomore sensation, Roger Garcia. He caught the winning touchdown pass from QB Eric Nino last week. Nino has rushed for 818 yards this year, including a 99-yard touchdown run against the Pats.

Mercedes Travels To MeetNo. 2 Ranked CC Calallen(Corpus Christi, Tx)-Two years ago the Calallen Wild-cats made it to the State 4A Division II Championship game and lost to Lewisville Hebron 27-0 and last year Mercedes hosted their first playoff game against this team under head coach Gilbert Leal. The Tigers lost 27-0 to the Wildcats. Now, the Tigers will travel this Friday night to Wild-cat Stadium, with hopes of upsetting head coach Phil Danaher and his Cats’. Mercedes finished second in 32-4A with a 6-4, 4-2 record while the Wildcats finished 10-0 and 5-0 in District 31-4A. The Wildcats played two Valley teams and easily defeated San Benito (39-13) and La Joya (23-14) earlier in the year. Both teams are now in the playoffs. QB Jeramie Marek (93-of-153, 1,261 yards) leads the Wildcats offense and he has also rushed for 915 yards. If the Wildcats need to pass, they will find WR Matt Garza (516.0 yards) or WR Logan Verett (360.0 yards). For the Tigers, they averaged 335 yards per game with running back Alex Trevino rushing for 1,026 yards this season. The Tigers also have Albert Chavez back at quarterback after missing a few games due to No Pass, No Play rule. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m.

www.hssmonline.netFor more sports...


Inside SPORTSJason O. Martinez

B.B.A., C.P.T.HSSM Columnist

Jump Like Mike?

T he most c o m m o n question I hear from y o u n g

athletes concerned with improving performance is “How can I jump higher?” Jumping is a very explosive movement that can, believe it or not, be improved with proper training. The definition of vertical jump is the jump reach minus the standing reach. The “standing reach” is how high you can extend one arm above your head while keeping both feet together and flat on the floor. The jump reach, for a true vertical jump test, is to jump straight up without taking a step and touch the highest point possible. Since the vertical jump is an explosive movement, both strength and power need to be developed. Strength exercises are slow, controlled movements. The best strength exercises for increasing the vertical jump are squats, lunges and step ups. These are

the best because they are compound movements, which work the knee joint and the hip joint at the same time. Let’s take a look at each of these exercises. Squats are the best exercise an athlete can do for strength if it is performed correctly. If not, it can be the most dangerous exercise. I have observed many people perform squats incorrect. This will lead to injuries, not improved athletic performance. The two main problems are: an excessive forward lean of the upper body (which can cause low back injuries) and excessive forward

movement of the knees (which can lead to knee problems). The key points of a good squat are: Athletic stance,the bar across the upper back (on traps and shoulders, not the neck), the chest out and the back tight with a slight forward lean, the knees stay directly above the feet at all times, sit back deep to parallel, keeping weight on the heels Step ups are performed with dumbbells and a step-up box or bench (usually 16 inches-18 inches high). Standing in an upright holding the dumbbells, you step up on the box or bench at the height that would put your knee at a 90-degree angle. Do 15 repetitions with one leg and repeat with the other. Lunges can be done holding dumbbells or with the bar across your upper back. Standing in an upright position, step as far forward as possible with no forward lean of the upper body until your front knee is at 90 degree angle. Then step back to the original position in one step. Do this 15 times with one leg, then 15 with the other. Power exercises involve explosive quick movements. They include power cleans, plyometrics and weight box jumps. Let’s take

a look at each of these exercises. Power cleans are a very advance technical exercise. I highly recommend assistance from a certified strength and conditioning specialist or trainer before attempting power cleans. Plyometrics are very explosive bounding, hopping and jumping drills. Plyometrics must have maximum effort for results. Performing squat jumps with a weighted vest or medicine ball overhead will increase your explosive power, which will lead to higher vertical jump. Weighted box jumps are a form of plyometrics. A quality box jump should be heavy duty with landing area of 2 feet by 2 feet. The box should be 16 inches to 32 inches in height based on one’s ability. Put on a weighted vest, stand in front of the box and jump as high as possible landing softly as possible. Step down and repeat for 3 sets of 10 jumps. This should be done twice a week. With consistent, proper training, I have seen young athletes increase their vertical jump by 6 inches in one summer. Good luck with your training and reach for the stars.


Israel Vela Ben Beltran

Austin Lake TravisNB CanyonKerr TivySA LanierFloresvillePort Lavaca CalCC CalallenMercedes

BurnetSchertz SteeleFredricksburgSA Fox TechSA McCollumBeeville JonesAliceEcouch-Elsa

2007 State 4A Division II Region IV Brackets

Galindo Campos Justin Rodriguez


Ricky Alaniz Manny Pena

Weslaco East to Meet Flour BluffClass 4A Division I Football Playoffs

(Weslaco, Tx)- The celebration has begun. The Weslaco East Wildcats are in the playoffs for the first time in school history. “I’m glad that’s over. We are in the playoffs,” said head coach Armando Cuellar of Weslaco East. The Wildcats needed two losses by Mission and Mission Veterans Memorial in order for them to make the playoffs. Now, Cuellar will take his Wildcats (4-6, 3-3) on the road this Friday night to play Flour Bluff in the first round of the Class 4A Division I playoffs. Cuellar knows that

Flour Bluff (7-3) is very physical team so he adds that they “must play the very best”. “They are very multiple offensive team. We need to be at the right places at the right time,” he added. The Wildcats feature the top running back in 32-4A Andrew Alvarado, who has rushed for 1,475 yards and fullback Rick Alaniz. The Wildcats rotate two quarterbacks with senior Gary Scoggins and freshmen Pepe Gonzalez. Offensively, Donald Moore, Frank Ginez, Josh Martinez, Catarino Salazar, and Jacob Garcia will be counted on to open the holes for Alvarado. Tightend Marcos Bazan and receivers Devin Ybarra, Tony Rodriguez, and JD Cuellar will lead the Wildcat’s passing attack. On defense, linemen Jorge Carbrera, Rolando Segura, Adrian Ortiz, Johnathon Garcia, and Justin Castillo will step in to penetrate Flour Bluff’s line. Linebackers David Aguilar; Lupe Garcia, Randy Ruiz, Jake Perez, Sergio Dominguez, Joe Ureste, and Albert Arrendondo will have to play tough defense. Gustavo Martinez has been poised leading the kickoffs and extra point attempts for the Wildcats. Other players to watch are Joe Castillo OLB; Manny Pena secondary; DL Eric Maganas; and Nate Andrade, OL who is back in the line up after injury. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Flour Bluff Stadium in Corpus Christi, Texas. The winner will play the winner of the San Antonio South San /Gregory-Portland game.


Tarpons Are Back! The Port Isabel Tarpons will play Ray-mondville in the first round of the State 3A Division II playoffs. The winner will meet Cuero/Mathis winner. (HSSM IMages)

PI and Raymondville Clash Again

WimberleySA West CampusLytleCrystal CityCueroMathisRaymondvillePort Isabel

LlanoLulingPoteetDevinePalaciosCC West OsoLyfordRio Hondo

2007 State 3A Division II Region IV Brackets


(Raymondville, Tx)-When Alex Leal took this job a few years ago, he prob-ably thought he was crazy for doing it since he had already “retired” from coaching. Maybe it was the elusive “200” victory mark that brought him back to coach once again at the school that first gave him his opportunity. The Port Isabel Tarpons will be wait-ing at Tarpon Stadium for the Raymond-ville Bearkats as they meet once again this season, but this time the winner ad-vances to the State 3A Division II area championships. The Tarpons defeated the Bearkats in Week 1 by a lopsided score of 37-13. Now the Bearkats are a much seasoned team and they won the outright 31-3A title too with a perfect 4-0 record while the Tarpons had to settle for second

place after Rio Hondo pounded them 31-20. The Bearkats are led by RB Dustin Alejo (668 ypg)

and Mesa with 608 yards per game. The Tarpons will counter with their own running game


31-3A District Champions! The Raymondville Bearkats will play Port Isabel in the first round of the State 3A Division II playoffs. Pictured are Hector Ramirez, JC Cortez, Eli Tamez, John H. Constante, Jake Garcia, Raul H. Pena, Raul Salinas, DJ Rodriguez, Dustin Alejo, Nathan Vasquez, and Victor Sanchez. (HSSM IMages)

Class 3A Division II Football Playoffstoo. Senior running back Nolan Nunez has rushed for 1,628 yards and aver-ages 12 yards per carry and has 21 touchdowns for the season. If the Bearkats expect to oust the Tarpons in the first

round, defense must play harder than ever to stop an offense that nets 356 yards per game. Head coach Monty Stumbaugh has built a lot of tradition in the years he has been at

Port Isabel. He has led his Tarps to the State 3A semifinals in 2003 and they have won six Bi-District titles in a row since 2001, the latest, a 33-6 win over Lyford in 2006. Last year they lost

to Orange Grove 12-7 in the Region IV area play-offs. This rematch will de-termine how poised the Bearkats are now or the Tarpons just got better in Week 11.


32-3A Champions! Rio Hondo Bobcats head coach Gus Cavazos led his team to a 10-0 record.

(HSSM IMages)


Rio Hondo Primed For Playoffs at 10-0(Rio Hondo, Tx)-Gus Cavazos was on his way to coach the Harlingen South Hawks only if they would have hired him and strange as it may seem, Cavazos opt-ed to stay in Rio Hondo and the Hawks job was awarded to Alan Cherry. Now both teams are perfect at 10-0 and enter the playoffs as favored to make it to the third round. The Rio Hondo Bobcat’s quest in 2007 was to de-feat the Port Isabel Tar-pons at Tarpon Stadium. The Bobcats made sure that this would be for the outright district title too with no ties. So they stayed perfect all season long until their meeting would have the Bobcats cheering for joy as they defeated the Tarps 31-20. Now the Rio Hondo Bobcats will play Lyford

in the Class 3A Division II playoffs. Head coach

Cavazos knows that they must stop the Bulldogs

passing attack as they led the 31-3A league with 2,789 yards in the air. The Bobcats won the Bi-District title last year with their 37-0 win over Raymondville and then lost 21-6 to Cuero. The path to the Class 3A title begins with Lyford in the first round. The winner will meet the winner of the CC West Oso/Palacios win-ner next week. Looking ahead, Poteet/Devine will meet and the winner will play Llano/Luling winner. Llano defeated Luling 26-20 in the first round last year with Po-teet and Devine both playing for the first time since 2005. Devine ad-vanced the third round before losing to Liberty Hill 21-17. “This team is special and hopefully we can go deep in the playoffs,” said Gus Cavazos.


Pirates are In! The Hidalgo Pirates will play Zapata in the State 3A Division I playoffs at Tom Landry Stadium on Friday night. Pictured are Martin Carrasco, Ricky Dominguez, Roy Santana, Luis Peraza, Mark Puente, Alex Trevino, Aaron Aleman, Oscar Perez, Angel Nava, Jaime Contre-ras, and Abraham Garcia. (HSSM IMages)

Hidalgo, Zapata Meet in 3A Playoffs(Santa Rosa)-The Zapata Hawks (5-5) and Hidalgo Pirates (7-3) will meet this Friday night at Tom Landry Stadium in Mission in the first round of the Class 3A Division I Bi-District Championships. The Pirates are coming off a well-adjusted performance against Progreso (35-0) last Friday night and the Hawks are still licking their wings after their 35-33 shoot-out against the Lyford Bulldogs last Friday night. All three teams are in the playoffs but only the Hawks and Pirates will meet to determine who will play the winner of the Ingleside/Gonzales matchup next weekend. Quarterback Oscar Perez

Class 3A Division I Football Playoffs


31-3A Runner Ups! The Zapata Hawks will play Hidalgo at Tom Landry Stadium in Mission on Friday night. Pictured are Robert Nunez, AJ Gutierrez, Emmanuel Lopez, Aaron Solis, Robert Duran, Juan Gutierrez, Glibert Cruz, and Diego Ramirez. (HSSM IMages)

BanderaLaVerniaPleasantonHondoGonzalesInglesideZapataHidalgo

2007 State 3A Division I Region IV Brackets

Class 3A Division I Football Playoffs

rushed for 181 yards on 20 carries to lead the Pirates into the state playoffs by defeating Progreso. The Pirates will now face a Hawk team that averages 263.0 yards rushing per game and a defense that ranks first in District 31-3A, allowing less than 249 yards per game in total offense.The Pirates, on the other hand, boast the number one offense in 32-3A with 356.0 yards per game despite their third place finish. The Pirates also have the toughest defense, next to Rio Hondo’s, allowing just 162.0 yards to opposing teams. Their biggest boost is holding oppo-nents to just a total of 536 yards passing throughout the season. Perez has rushed for 1,331 yards this season and he also has passed for 875 yards. If the Hawks expect to keep Perez contain, they must keep him from crossing the red-zone where he has score 21 touchdowns. For the Hawks, Robert Duran leads the team with 625 yards and sev-en touchdowns with quarterback Juan Gutierrez picking defenses for 502 yards and just four interceptions. Zapata ended district play with a 3-1 re-cord while Hidalgo made the playoffs with a 2-2 record, losing both games to Port Isabel and Rio Hondo.


Santa Rosa to Play George West

2AA State Playoffs

(Santa Rosa)-Head coach Josh Gonzalez is pleased and content with his 2007 season. And why not? The Santa Rosa War-riors (9-1) won the outright District 32-2A title by beating Hebbronville 7-6 last week. Now the Warriors will play 31-2A runner-up George West (7-3) at Texas A&M Kingsville/Javelina Stadium at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday night. The Warriors completed one of the most storied tale seasons any football team would like to tell their children in the years to come. Gon-zalez knows that quarterback Buddy Garza will have to step it up this weekend against a Cowboy team that has been in the state playoffs. The Warriors average 353.0 yards per game, with 2,239.0 yards on the ground and when needed, the War-riors have passed for more than 1,296 yards in the air. Sam Salazar broke the 1,000 rushing yard barrier last week and with R.J. Alaniz and Michael Lopez able to go long, the Warriors can do the unthinkable: defeat the Cowboys. This marks the first time since 2002 that the Warriors are back in the state playoffs and not since 1993 have the Warriors won a bi-district title. With only 32 teams in Division I, the winner advances to the Regional Finals against Universal City/Cotulla winner.

Class 2A Division IFootball PlayoffsGeorge West (7-3)vs Santa Rosa (9-1)at Javelina Stadium

Texas A&M Kingsville6:00 p.m.Bi-District


Safety Central Suite E

1995 5A Division I - Converse Judson 31, Odessa Permian 28 5A Division II - San Antonio Roosevelt 17, Flower Mound Marcus (Lewisville) 10 4A - La Marque 31, Denison 8 3A - Sealy 21, Commerce 20 2A - Celina 32, Alto 28 1A - Thorndale 14, Roscoe 7 6-Man - Amherst 78, Milford 42

1996 5A Division I - Lewisville 58, Converse Judson 34 5A Division II - Westlake (Austin) 55, Abilene Cooper 15 4A Division I - Grapevine 34, Hays Consolidated 19 4A Division II - La Marque 34, Denison 3 3A - Sealy 36, Tatum 27 2A - Iraan 14, Groveton 7 1A - Windthorst 41, Tenaha 12 6-Man - Gordon 51, Whitharral 50

1997 5A Division I - Katy 24, Longview 3 5A Division II - Flower Mound Marcus (Lewisville) 59, Alief Hastings 20 4A Division I - Texas City 37, Corsicana 34 4A Division II - La Marque 17, Denison 0 3A - Sealy 28, Commerce 21 2A - Stanton 33, Rogers 7 1A - Granger 40, Wheeler 0 6-Man - Borden County 48, Panther Creek 16

1998 5A Division I - Duncanville 24, Converse Judson 21 5A Division II - Midland Lee 54, San Antonio MacArthur 0 4A Division I - Grapevine 22, Bay City 0 4A Division II - Stephenville 34, La Marque 7 3A Division I - Aledo 14, Cuero 7 3A Division II - Newton 21, Daingerfield 0 2A Division I - Omaha Paul Pewitt 28, Brookshire-Royal 26 2A Division II - Celina 21, Elysian Fields 0 1A - Tenaha 20, Wheeler 13 6-Man - Trinidad 62, Borden County 16

1999 5A Division I - Midland Lee 42, Aldine Eisenhower 21 5A Division II - Garland 37, Katy 25 4A Division I - Texas City 27, Hereford 14 4A Division II - Stephenville 28, Port Neches-Groves 18 3A Division I - Liberty Eylau 49, Mathis 6

3A Division II - Commerce 17, Sealy 10 2A Division I - Mart 40, Boyd 7 2A Division II - Celina 38, Elysian Fields 7 1A - Bartlett 35, Aspermont 6 6-Man - Gordon 54, Groom 34

2000 5A Division I - Midland Lee 33, Westlake (Austin) 21 5A Division II - Katy 35, Tyler John Tyler 20 4A Division I - Bay City 24, Denton Ryan 2 4A Division II - Ennis 38, West Orange-Stark 24 3A Division I - Gatesville 14, Wylie (Abilene) 10 3A Division II - La Grange 20, Forney 17 2A Division I - Sonora 27, Blanco 24 2A Division II - Celina 21, Mart 17 1A - Stratford 49, Burkeville 14 6-Man - Panther Creek 42, Highland 36

2001 5A Division I - Mesquite 14, San Antonio Taft 13 5A Division II - Lufkin 38, Westlake (Austin) 24 4A Division I - Denton Ryan 42, Smithson Valley 35 - OT 4A Division II - Ennis 21, Bay City 0 3A Division I - Everman 25, Sinton 14 3A Division II - Commerce 14, La Grange 11 2A Division I - Blanco 16, Van Alstyne 0 2A Division II - Celina 41, Garrison 35 1A - Burkeville 27, Celeste 8 6-Man - Whitharral 27, Richland Springs 20

2002 5A Division I - Converse Judson 33, Midland 32 5A Division II - Southlake Carroll 45, Smithson Valley 14 4A Division I - Texarkana 42, New Braunfels 11 4A Division II - Denton Ryan 38, Brenham 8 3A Division I - Everman 35, Burnet 14 3A Division II - Bandera 27, Greenwood 24 - OT(2) 2A Division I - Corrigan-Camden 33, Bangs 14 2A Division II - Rosebud-Lott 34, Cisco 0 1A - Petrolia 39, Celeste 18 6-Man - Calvert 51, Sanderson 46

2003 5A Division I - Galena Pk North Shore 23, Conroe The Woodlands 7 5A Division II - Katy 16, Southlake Carroll 15 4A Division I - North Crowley 20, Bay City 6

4A Division II - La Marque 43, Denton Ryan 35 - OT(3) 3A Division I - Gainesville 35, Burnet 24 3A Division II - Atlanta 34, Marlin 0 2A Division I - San Augustine 28, Tuscola Jim Ned 7 2A Division II - Garrison 27, Bangs 0 1A - Windthorst 28, Shiner 27 6-Man - Strawn 67, Fort Davis 62

2004 5A Division I - Tyler Lee 28, Spring Westfield 21 5A Division II - Southlake Carroll 27, Smithson Valley 24 4A Division I - Ennis 23, Marshall 21 4A Division II - Kilgore 33, Dallas Lincoln 27 - OT(2) 3A Division I - Wylie (Abilene) 17, Cuero 14 3A Division II - Gilmer 49, Jasper 47 2A Division I - Boyd 17, Newton 14 2A Division II - Crawford 28, Troup 14 1A - Shiner 33, Stratford 19 6-Man - Richland Springs 58, Turkey Valley 38

2005 5A Division I - Euless Trinity 28, Converse Judson 14 5A Division II - Southlake Carroll 34, Katy 20 4A Division I - Highland Park (Dallas) 59, Marshall 0 4A Division II - Lewisville Hebron 28, Calallen (Corpus Christi) 0 3A Division I - Wimberley 21, Gainesville 7 3A Division II - Tatum 38, Hutto 34 2A Division I - Newton 28, Argyle 20 2A Division II - Celina 28, Omaha Paul Pewitt 12 1A - Stratford 21, Big Sandy 20 6-Man - Throckmorton 68, Turkey Valley 22 2006 5A Division I - Southlake Carroll 43, Austin Westlake 29 5A Division II - Cedar Hill 51, Cypress Falls 17 4A Division I - San Antonio Alamo Heights 40, Copperas Cove 28 4A Division II - La Marque 34, Waco 14 3A Division I - Texarkana Liberty-Eylau 35, Robinson 34 3A Division II - Liberty Hill 22, Celina 19 2A Division I - Tatum 32, Littlefield 14 2A Division II - Mart 23, Cisco 13 1A Division I - Alto 42, McCamey 13 1A Division II - Chilton 20, Windthorst 10 6-Man Div. I - Richland Springs 78, Rule 58 6-Man Div. II - Vernon Northside 60, Jayton 41

University Interscholastic League-State Champions 1995-2006


This could be the year for a title

b y D a v i d A. A m a d o r

“the Dragons have won state titles in 1992, 1993, 2002,

2004, 2005, and 2006...”

W

OnTheSideLines

ill the Rio Grande Valley ever win another state football c h a m p i o n s h i p ? Why is it that

Southlake Carroll can win five times in this modern era? Odessa Permian, Converse Judson, and Plano have all won multiple state titles, but in the Rio Grande Valley, only Donna won it all in 1961 with a win over Quanah 28-21 in Class 2A. In Class 3A, PSJA managed to reach the finals in 1962-63. The Bears, led by running back Baldemar “Poppy” Rodriguez, now the McAllen ISD Athletic Director, lost to Dumas 14-3 in 1962 and again, the Bears and Rodriguez would fall to Corsicana 7-0 in the State 3A finals in 1963. Since then, only a few teams have made it to the state semifinals. Port Isabel lost to Sealy in the 1994 State 3A Semifinals under head coach Tony Villarreal. Even Koy Detmer of the Mission Eagles led the Eagles to the State 5A Semifinals in 1992, where they faced Houston Yates.

Again, another Valley team would fall short of the big show. The late Robert Vela also led the Edinburg Bobcats

to the State 5A Semifinals, losing to Houston Aldine Eisenhower in 1999. Port Isabel, under head coach Monty Stumbaugh would lead the Tarpons back to the Class 3A Semifinals in 2003, where they lost to Marlin. This would be the last time a Rio Grande Valley team would make the trip up-state. The Southlake Carroll Dragons are back in the playoffs again, ranked No.2 in Class 5A and they will compete in Division II classification. The Dragons have won state titles in 1992, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006. The Dragons lost the title in 2003 to Katy 16-15 in Class 5A Division II. From 1998-2001, Celina of Class 2A Division II won four consecutive titles and Sealy of Class 3A won four titles in a row from 1994-1997. In 2006, Los Fresnos, McAllen Memorial, and Harlingen South went three deep in the State 5A playoffs and the Mustangs almost pulled off the upset of the decade when one-point kept them from playing in overtime. The Mustangs lost 34-35 to San Antonio MacArthur. Oh well. Can teams the Rio Grande Valley make a run and create a new era of teams? With Donna back in the State 5A playoffs and new head coach Manny Moreno winning a 30-5A title in his first season, heck, maybe this could be the year for a title.

For more Southlake Carroll Football: www.carrolldragons.org

high school sports magazine-november 2007 issue

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