ROMA — Roma senior running back Isaac Lozano leads the Rio Grande Valley in rushing with 1,036 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns through six games.
Sharyland Pioneer senior Julian Valdez ranks first among RGV quarterbacks with 1,778 yards and 23 touchdown passes.
Both have led their respective squads to 6-0 overall records and a 1-0 start in District 16-5A DII competition, but there will be only one unbeaten after Friday night as the No. 8 Gladiators host the No. 4 Diamondbacks at 7 p.m. at Gladiator Arena in Roma.
Last year’s meeting between the two required double overtime to determine a winner as Pioneer prevailed 43-35 at home. This time, the Diamondbacks will hit the road to take on a red-hot Gladiator team.
Roma is riding its best start in program history at 6-0. The Gladiators, who made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2015, appear destined to make it back into the postseason again for just the fourth time since beginning varsity competition in 1990.
Lozano said last year’s success and playoff experience proved to the Gladiators that they can hang with anybody on the gridiron.
The Gladiators rank third in 16-5A DII with 455.3 yards of offense per game and second on defense by allowing 265.3 yards per game this season.
“We can play against anyone. We know what it takes now, and we’ll be ready,” Lozano said at the start of the season.
Sharyland Pioneer has been on a tear of its own and is coming off a 56-36 victory over Mission Veterans in its District 16-5A DII opener last week. The Diamondbacks are averaging a district-best 468.2 yards of total offense. After coming out on top of last year’s double-overtime thriller, Pioneer head coach Eddie Galindo knows his group will be tested tonight against the Gladiators.
“Roma is going to be physical and we have a big task at hand with them. We know the challenge that’s ahead of us, so we just have to outwork this week, get our job done and see where the chips lie,” he said.
