Edcouch-Elsa hasn't had much luck against Mercedes recently, but that could start to change on Friday. After each having a week off, the two teams will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. This will be Edcouch-Elsa's first chance to prove their worth in the conference.
Edcouch-Elsa will bounce into Friday's matchup after beating Port Isabel, who they had gone 0-3 against in their three prior meetings. The Yellowjackets put the hurt on the Tarpons with a sharp 28-7 victory last Friday. The win was some much needed relief for the Yellowjackets as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Ayden Mercado
| 09/18/25 vs Edinburg | 95 |
| 09/26/25 vs Port Isabel | 82 |
| 09/12/25 @ McAllen | 60 |
| 08/29/25 vs Donna | 25 |
| 09/05/25 @ Mission Veterans Memorial | 22 |
Jason Pena had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 76 yards and one TD, and also threw for 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Ayden Mercado helped out on the ground, rushing for 82 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Meanwhile, Mercedes is still undefeated this season after their game against Sharyland last Friday, but Sharyland came as close as anyone has to beating them. The Tigers came within a single point of losing the streak, but they secured a 34-33 W against the Rattlers. The score was all tied up 14-14 at the break, but the Tigers were the better team in the second half.
Mercedes' win came from a few key players Edcouch-Elsa will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Diego Bravo, who threw for 227 yards and a pair of TDs, and also rushed for 67 yards. Those 227 passing yards gave him a new career-high. Robert Sanchez was another key player, rushing for 109 yards and two scores.
Mercedes didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Sharyland to a completion percentage of just 44%. The team can thank Frankie Salinas for the heroic effort on defense: he. Mercedes wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 66.7%.
Mercedes' defensive line didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Jerrin Gonzalez, Aiden Reyes, and Noah Buenrostro, who each picked up one sack apiece. Mercedes got some further help from Gonzalez: he picked up a sack and made seven total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Mercedes' victory bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Edcouch-Elsa, their win bumped their record up to 2-3.
Edcouch-Elsa strolled past Mercedes in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 by a score of 21-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Yellowjackets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
