EDINBURG — Week 2 of the high school football season delivers a marquee matchup as the No. 1 Edinburg Vela SaberCats are set to host the No. 3 Harlingen High Cardinals in a showdown of RGVSports.com top 10 teams in The Monitor’s Game of the Week.
Harlingen brings a lengthy, rich tradition with nearly 700 all-time wins dating back to 1913, while Edinburg Vela has been one of the most dominant programs in South Texas since opening its doors in 2012. The SaberCats have won three of four district championships with head coach John Campbell at the helm. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have won 10 district titles during head coach Manny Gomez’s 14-year tenure.
Kickoff between the Cardinals (1-0, 0-0) and SaberCats (1-0, 0-0) is set for 7 tonight at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.
“We prepare to win a game a week and this happens to be the next one. It’s a big game based on the media hype, but we know it’s going to be a very intense and physical game, but that’s why you have games like this early on,” Gomez said. “It’s important to prepare you for what’s down the road. It’s going to be a very significant game for the purposes of Valley hype, but this is what makes Valley football fun.”
Both Gomez and Campbell aren’t the type to shy away from tough games. The “iron sharpens iron” mentality is what’s helped build the Cardinals and SaberCats into perennial powerhouses in the South Texas high school football scene.
After taking down defending District 16-5A DI co-champion McAllen Memorial 42-6 in Week 1, the SaberCats will square off against another defending district champ in Harlingen.
“We feel fortunate that we get to play against stiff competition early in the year, because I think that truly helps develop not only the physical talent of your team, but more importantly, the mental and character traits of your team,” Campbell said. “We look forward to it, but at the same time, we truly believe in doing it one day at a time and trying to get better each day.”
The two programs have met just once before — a bi-district playoff matchup in 2019 which the SaberCats won 42-35, ending the Cardinals’ season. Edinburg Vela senior running back P.J. Rivera, who was a sophomore during the playoff game two years ago, ran wild with 141 rushing yards and one touchdown against Harlingen.
While the game is a non-district contest and won’t affect either team’s playoff or district title hopes, it’ll be a battle for bragging rights as Cameron County’s top Class 6A program Harlingen High takes on Hidalgo County’s in Edinburg Vela.
