PHARR — No team in the Rio Grande Valley has won more games over the last three seasons than PSJA North and its 35 victories.
The Raiders haven’t lost a regular season contest since Nov. 4, 2021, and while that streak may end, PSJA North is far from falling off despite graduating a strong senior class.
The Raiders return some of the RGV’s top players on both sides of the ball to start the 2024 season as the RGVSports.com No. 1 team at the 5A/6A level.
PSJA North finished last season with a 12-1 record and fell short of its goal of reaching the state semifinals and state championship game after losing in the regional semifinals against Brownsville Veterans by a score of 45-28. The Raiders’ season ended with a sour taste in their mouth as Brownsville Veterans charged on to the state semifinals, the Valley’s first team to do so in 20 years.
That motivated PSJA North’s returning group to get back to work in the offseason with hopes of putting together another deep playoff run in 2024.
“We’ve been working all summer and we have some guys back. We’re still a force to be reckoned with and I don’t think anybody should sleep on us,” senior offensive lineman Jordan Brewster said.
Offensively, PSJA North brings back five starters spearheaded by junior running back Ethan Guerra and the senior Brewster.
The 6-foot, 4-inch Brewster cooked up 91 pancake blocks and graded 95% or better in every game last season. He’ll slide from right tackle to center this season to lead the middle of the PSJA North O-line alongside senior Matthew Pompa.
That bodes well for the Raiders’ all-purpose back Guerra, who has 4.6 speed and the ability to do damage on the ground and through the air. He finished with 1,572 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 153 carries last season, while also catching 13 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns.
“The only way we got here was through hard work and thanks to the teammates I’ve had,” Guerra said. “It’s the same expectation as every year and I think we’ll be good.”
Junior Daren Garcia is taking over starting quarterback duties after playing sparingly the last two seasons late in fourth quarters with PSJA North up big. He made the most of his opportunities, however, completing 15-of-25 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Senior athlete Diego Aparicio (236 rushing yards, two touchdowns) will also be leaned on as a Swiss Army Knife in different positions in PSJA North’s multiple pro style offense.
PSJA North’s “Blackshirt Defense” has been the RGV’s top defensive unit during their run and this year’s group shouldn’t be far off thanks to key returners in several positions.
Senior four-year starters Steven Garza and Jesse Montez star as the linebackers in the Raiders’ 4-2-5 scheme and play with their hair on fire. They’re fast, physical and can blow up plays in the running and passing game. Garza posted 109 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2023, while Montez recorded a team-high 114 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss and one interception.
The Raiders also have experience in the secondary with junior defensive backs Ethan Montemayor (72 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks) and Bryan Guerrero (56 total tackles, one interception) and seniors Devante Espinosa (25 total tackles, one interception) and Raul Isasi, who also starts at kicker. The top task for the Raiders defense will be filling holes on its defensive line to play next to senior Alejandro Villarreal.
“We play at 110% and we don’t give up,” Garza said of the Raiders’ defense. “We’re looking forward to having a better season than last season.”
PSJA North will be pushed in district play this year as they join the new look 15-5A DI which features nine teams, seven of which qualified for the postseason in 2023. The Raiders will lock horns with Coastal Bend powers Corpus Christi Flour Bluff and Corpus Christi Veterans in district, while also battling against hard-nosed RGV teams in Harlingen South, PSJA Memorial, Weslaco East, Donna High, Donna North and Brownsville Rivera.
The Raiders will have to fight for a playoff spot but possess the tools to finish as a top four team in 15-5A DI while also chasing a third consecutive district title.
“It’s a tough task but I think we have the capability to keep it up,” Brewster said.
PSJA North opens the regular season with a marquee matchup against San Benito at 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito. The Raiders then face rival PSJA High in the Tri-City Classic in Week 2 before kicking off District 15-5A DI action against Donna North in Week 3.
