BY ADRIAN F. TREVINO
SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
McALLEN – They say that style makes a fight, any fight. While a host of similarities can be drawn between the teams, McAllen Rowe and McAllen Memorial stand diametrically opposed in the style category.
While Rowe plays fast and never huddles, the Mustangs are methodical and deliberate.
The Mustangs’ approach prevailed Friday night as the Mustangs won 35-7 in a heated crosstown rivalry.
Sebastian Aleman’s three-touchdown performance proved to be too much for the Warriors, who held their opponent to just seven points during the first half. All night, the Mustangs lined up and handed off the ball to either Sebastian Aleman or JP Garza, and when those Mustangs seemed to run out of gas, Kane Coy contributed.
The Mustangs scored their first touchdown on an 11-play, 42-yard drive, all rushing. Aleman tumbled in for a 1-yard score.
The Aleman-Garza combination battered the line of scrimmage carry after carry, but the Warriors held early. The Warriors consistently stacked the box and held the Mustangs to only one score in the first half.
The Mustangs run-heavy offense creates all kinds of problems. They’re able to control the ball and eat up the clock. It’s the kind of offense that can really put pressure on the opponents’ offense when they don’t capitalize on opportunities.
“It was a tough matchup, we knew that we needed to put points because of their ball control and two good backs,” Rowe coach Robert Flores said. “Our defense held in the first half, but we weren’t able to take advantage of some of our possessions.”
Elijah Garza and Samuel Liguez led the charge for the Warriors. Liguez ran off five consecutive plays, but it was Garza’s scrambling and pinpoint passes that jump-started a stagnant offense to a 19-play drive that ended at the 19-yard line with 1:20 to play in the half. Although it ended with an incomplete pass, it proved the Warriors were in the game.
You can’t help but think the Warriors truly missed an opportunity to draw even at 7-7, and what magic they could muster as they received the second half kickoff.
The Mustangs reflected on missed opportunities as well. They took the Warriors’ turn over on downs at the 19-yard line and marched down to the Rowe 15. With 3-seconds left in the half, Johnny Sanchez’ 31-yard field goal sailed short, but the Mustangs still led 7-0.
Slow and methodical might describe the Mustangs’ style, but Aleman is all speed. Aleman broke open the second half with a 68-yard touchdown on the Mustangs’ first play. Aleman rocketed past defenders for his second touchdown, and the Mustangs’ led 14-0. The significance of the score cannot be overstated. The Warriors were unable to capitalize on their possession coming out of the half and punted.
The Mustangs continued to control the ball and clock, thus limiting the Warriors opportunities. The lead allowed them to run the ball and keep the clock moving even in down and distance situations like third-and-12.
Even this early in the district season, the mathematical equation that deciphers each playoff race gets a glance. Coaches start plugging in all the variables and envision every possible scenario that put them in one of four playoff spots. In the 15-5A DI playoff race, two spots are projected for the favorites, PSJA North and Edinburg Vela, leaving the six teams to figure out the remaining two spots. The McAllen ISD family has three-proverbial brothers fighting for two of those spots at the playoff table and Memorial struck first.M
