MISSION — Three state bids were on the line during Saturday’s Snake Pit Classic 7-on-7 tournament, with teams from across the RGV and Laredo fighting for a spot.
All three berths went to RGV teams for a second straight year, with PSJA North, Weslaco High and PSJA High winning their respective brackets to punch their tickets to the state tournament.
The 2023 7-on-7 state tournament is scheduled for June 22-24 at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station.
AT TOM LANDRY STADIUM
The PSJA North Raiders were the undisputed No. 1 team in the RGV last season, running through the competition en route to a perfect 10-0 regular season and an appearance in the Region IV-5A championship game.
Last year’s success has placed a target on the Raiders heading into the 2023 campaign, with every team wanting to take them down.
That didn’t seem to phase PSJA North on Saturday, as the Raiders went 4-0 in Bracket A at Tom Landry Stadium en route to a state 7-on-7 bid.
“It feels good to be back,” PSJA North quarterback Ale Aparicio said. “We feel honored to be going back there. We aren’t guaranteed another tournament after this one, so we had to come out here and take advantage of the opportunity. We have a lot of hype everywhere we go, but we don’t let that get to us. We stay humble and play our game. We go out there and execute every play and fight until the end.”
The Raiders cruised through Pool 2 play to secure a spot in the state qualifying game, taking down Harlingen High (41-7), Sharyland High (25-14) and Laredo United (27-12). Their 3-0 mark set up a matchup against the McAllen Rowe Warriors, who finished 2-1 in Pool 1 to advance.
While 7-on-7 normally features high-scoring affairs, it was PSJA North’s defense that stole the show during the qualifying game, forcing turnovers on three of McAllen Rowe’s five possessions.
Offensively, Aparicio and senior tight end Julius Arredondo led the charge, connecting twice for touchdowns, including the go-ahead score from 8 yards with five minutes remaining to make it 20-13.
Senior defensive back Leroy Palacios came up with the game’s biggest turnover on the ensuing possessions, picking off McAllen Rowe quarterback Lance Salinas to secure the victory and the Raiders’ spot at the state tournament.
“I was always told by my dad to just play the ball,” Palacios said. “I just got up there and got it. I fell really hard, but that’s just football. It feels good to be back after we did last year. We lost a few guys but we’ve had kids step up. Nothing really matters. We’re just coming out here to play ball.”
AT MISSION VETERANS HIGH SCHOOL
The Weslaco High Panthers prevailed over Laredo United South in the state qualifying round by a score of 13-6 to punch their ticket to the state 7-on-7 tournament for the first time since 2017.
Quarterback Andres Sepulveda tossed a pair of touchdown passes, one in each half, to Jayden Garcia and Chris Luna.
The Panthers’ defense came up big in all four games with seven combined interceptions on the day, including one on the first play of the second half in the state qualifying round against United South.
Laredo United South made it a one-score game with three minutes remaining, but Sepulveda connected with Elijah Rodriguez for two big first downs to seal the victory for Weslaco.
“We knew we had to attack the middle, and if they’re playing man, just win those 1-on-1 routes. Defense did what they needed to do, and we just all came together and clicked,” Sepulveda said. “We went home on a loss last year in the state qualifying round, so we took it a little personal and just came back and gave it our all.”
AT KENNETH WHITE MIDDLE SCHOOL
The PSJA High Bears ran the table in Bracket C, going 4-0 en route to the third and final state bid of the tournament.
PSJA High opened play with a tight contest against Sharyland Pioneer, edging the Diamondbacks 27-26. From there, the Bears picked up wins over La Joya High (34-0) and Laredo LBJ to secure a spot in the state qualifying game against San Benito.
The Bears picked apart the Greyhounds in the final game, defeating San Benito 35-13 to stay perfect and punch their ticket to the state tournament.
For full results from the Snake Pit Classic, visit RGVSports.com.
