EDINBURG — The McAllen High Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered second-half points to surge past the Edinburg High Bobcats 39-23 during their non-district opener Thursday at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.
Quarterback Joaquin Valdez and running back Jayden Herrera led the charge for the Bulldogs, combining for six total touchdowns in the win.
Valdez finished the night 11-of-20 for 174 yards and two scores, adding a pair of scores on the ground. Herrera chipped in 161 yards and one score on 20 carries, along with two receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown.
“It feels good to start 1-0,” McAllen High head coach Patrick Shelby said. “It is something we’ve been talking about. We have got to make sure we start off right. We can’t look ahead. We must take care of the first one. Extremely proud of the kids for getting that done on the road tonight.”
The two teams traded blows through the first three quarters, with the Bobcats seemingly stealing the momentum on a 78-yard touchdown burst by Ryen Abrego to put Edinburg High up 23-18 with four minutes remaining in the third.
The Bulldogs answered almost immediately, with Valdez punching it in from 2 yards for his second score of the game to make it 26-23.
A forced fumble by the McHi defense set the Bulldogs up in prime territory early in the fourth, with Valdez capitalizing on the field position with a 26-yard bomb to Diego De Saavedra to extend the lead.
Herrera put the final nail in the coffin with 5:10 remaining, barreling in from 6 yards to make it a two-possession game.
“Really not a lot of changes that second half, but more about teaching the kids the importance of the game and understanding the game,” Shelby said. “It came down to paying attention to situations that happened throughout the course of the game, the biggest one being momentum. … It was just about trying to educate them about football IQ as much as possible at halftime so when we come back out we learn from the past so we don’t make that mistake again in the second half.”
Quarterback JT Santa Maria and receiver Jude Vega did their best to keep the Bobcats in the game, opening the scoring for Edinburg High with a 38-yard pass from Santa Maria to Vega during the first.
Another long connection between Santa Maria and Vega set up the Bobcats deep in enemy territory late during the second quarter, with the QB capping the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 18-16 at the break.
The duo’s efforts ultimately fell short, with their offensive momentum stalling during the final period.
Santa Maria finished 9-of-17 for 153 yards and one touchdown, adding 97 yards and one score on 15 carries. Vega hauled in five receptions for 130 yards and a score.
“Hats off to the QB here at Edinburg,” Shelby said. “He’s a tough one. He’s a great thrower and a tough runner. We knew we had to prepare for him. He’s going to be a great player and he’s going to continue to be a great player this season. He’s going to make some big plays in district. I’m happy with what my defense did.”
The Bulldogs (1-0) return to McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium for a two-game homestand, beginning next week with a clash against the Mission High Eagles at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
The Bobcats (0-1) turn their attention to intracity rival Edinburg Vela, taking on the Sabercats at 7 p.m. Thursday at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.
