EDINBURG — Edinburg High served as Edinburg’s lone school for nearly 75 years, founded in 1917. In 1991, Edinburg North opened its doors, causing a split of students between the two schools.
Among those students moving from Edinburg High to Edinburg North was then-junior Damian Gonzalez.
Gonzalez was a part of the Cougars’ first district championship football team in 1992, helping Edinburg North to a 10-1 overall record during his senior season.
Thirty years later, Gonzalez, now the head coach of the Cougars, is trying to bring a district championship back to Edinburg North.
“It means a lot, but really it means a lot more to these kids,” Gonzalez said. “They’re the ones who have been through it. From me taking over to us going through some hard times, these guys now, through their hard work and effort, they’re the ones reaping the benefits of success. … It means quite a bit to them because they’ve gone through it and stayed with the process we’ve gone through at North. It’s time to for them to step up and play in a game of this magnitude.”
Standing in their way of a district title is sister school Edinburg High, who also holds a 3-0 district mark.
The Bobcats (5-3, 3-0) and Cougars (6-2, 3-0) put their undefeated records on the line at 7 p.m. tonight at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg, with the winner securing at least a share of the district title.
“It is a great thing to be able to be involved in one of these games,” Edinburg High head coach Rene Guzman said. “We’ve been working since November, when our offseason ended. Once the breakdown of the district came out, it became more and more inevitable that the district was up for grabs. It was just a matter of who could put the team together to do it. We believe we’ve done that. My hats off to our coaching staff. We’ve put ourselves in this position to fight for that championship.”
Tonight’s meeting marks the 30th between the two teams, with Edinburg North holding a 17-10-2 advantage.
This year’s contest, however, might be bigger than any previous year, with both teams looking to secure at least a share of the district title for the first time in nearly two decades. Edinburg High’s last district championship came in 2004, with Edinburg North last winning in 2001.
“We know it is going to be a tough task,” Gonzalez said. “This is the original rivalry. Anytime you get Edinburg High and Edinburg North to play in any type of game, no matter whether it is football, basketball or baseball or whatever, it is going to be a tough matchup. That’s been the theme up all week, just show up and play and give us everything you’ve got.”
BIG-TIME RUNNERS
Tonight’s matchup between the Bobcats and Cougars presents a tough matchup for both defenses, with District 31-6A’s top two rushers set to take the stage.
Edinburg North’s Ulysses Melendez, a senior, enters the contest as the district’s leading rusher, racking up 714 yards and eight touchdowns on 100 carries. He’s ramped up his play the past two contests, eclipsing the 175-yard mark during both.
On the opposite side sits Edinburg High senior Noel Serna, the district’s No. 2 rusher. Despite missing a pair of contests, Serna has tallied 692 yards and eight touchdowns on 88 carries. During district play, he has recorded 403 rushing yards on 49 carries, finding the end zone at least once in each of the three contests.
“It’s going to be a tall order,” Gonzalez said. “They do a great job running the ball. Coach (Rene) Guzman has put together a great scheme over there. It’s basically responsibility football. Our guys have to know who they’re responsible for. … Edinburg High presents some difficulties, but on the flip side our defense has done a good job all year and we’re expecting them to do the same thing. It’s going to be a good game.”
POSITION BATTLE
District 32-6A also features a battle between two of its playoff contenders, with San Benito (7-1, 2-1) and Los Fresnos (6-2, 2-1) set to clash in a game featuring seeding implications.
In Class 6A football, the two playoff qualifying schools with the largest enrollment are seeded into the 6A DI bracket, and the two playoff qualifying schools with the smallest enrollment are seeded into 6A DII.
With Los Fresnos and San Benito having the largest enrollment numbers in District 32-6A, the two are bound for the 6A DI bracket, each all but securing a postseason berth. The winner of Friday’s contest takes the next step in securing the No. 1 seed heading into the postseason.
