EDINBURG — All the pressure laid on the shoulders of the Edinburg High Bobcats entering the final week of the regular season.
A win against PSJA High and Edinburg High clinched a playoff berth. A loss would have allowed crosstown rival Edinburg North to sneak into the postseason, with the Bobcats left on the outside looking in.
It was also an opportunity to put the tainted finish to the 2020 season behind them for good — losing their playoff spot due to a forfeit after former player Emmanuel Duron rushed onto the field and struck a referee after he was ejected from the game.
The Bobcats, with first-year head coach and Edinburg High alum Rene Guzman at the helm, came out and answered the call by dominating PSJA High for four quarters on the way to a 51-20 victory to punch their ticket to the playoffs.
Edinburg High (5-5, 5-3) will face Harlingen High (7-3, 5-2) in the bi-district round at 2 p.m. Saturday at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen.
“Postseason play is always a great thing. It’s great for these kids, especially with the events that took place last year,” Guzman said. “They made the playoffs, but because of that incident, that chance was taken away from them, so a lot of these kids when I got here were very hungry to get into the postseason. To make that happen, especially in the fashion we did last week, it’s great for this program.”
Senior quarterback Roland Abrego and senior running back Noel Serna chipped in three touchdowns apiece to lead the Bobcats to victory, while the defense played lights out by slowing one of the district’s top offenses to a snail’s pace.
“It was a matter of execution. We did what we had to do — fired on all cylinders, played good on defense and executed on offense,” Abrego said.
“We didn’t sugarcoat it. We told them the facts and sent the message out that they needed to play with a purpose and come out with a chip on their shoulder and execute the game plan offensively, defensively and special teams wise,” Guzman said. “The kids rose to the occasion, they knew what was at stake and they showed up and delivered.”
The No. 2 leading rusher in District 31-6A, Abrego finished the regular season with 1,083 passing yards and six passing touchdowns and 997 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 140 carries.
The Bobcats quarterback said last year’s end to the season motivated this group to prove they belong in the playoffs.
“It was heartbreaking because we earned that last year and it was taken away from us. The motto this year was, ‘answer the call,’ and we answered the call,” he said. “We worked really hard, woke up at 6, 7 in the morning, and came to work out two to three times a day sometimes. It shows it’s paying off and I’m proud of all these guys.”
The Bobcats’ reward for qualifying for the postseason is a first-round matchup against perennial power Harlingen High.
“I expect physicality for all 48 minutes,” junior defensive lineman Jordan Ayala said.
Edinburg High owns the No. 3 defense in District 31-6A surrendering 241.5 total yards per game, while the Cardinals finished with the No. 1 offensive unit in District 32-6A with 394.2 total yards per game.
“It’s two classic schools — old school,” Abrego said. “It’s going to be a great feeling, not only for the players, but for the fans too.”
