If Sharyland was feeling good fresh off their 40-7 takedown of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Southwest last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Rattlers and the Mercedes Tigers were almost perfectly matched up on Friday, but the Rattlers suffered a 34-33 defeat. The game was a 14-14 toss-up at halftime, but the Rattlers couldn't quite close it out.
Oscar Cantu
| 09/26/25 vs Mercedes | 155 |
| 09/19/25 @ Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Southwest | 77 |
| 09/12/25 @ Mission | 60 |
| 08/29/25 vs Weslaco East | 21 |
| 09/04/25 @ Hanna | 1 |
When it comes to explaining why Sharyland lost, don't look at Calvin Harris. Despite the final result, he rushed for 92 yards and three scores on only eight carries, and also threw for 220 yards on ten of 24 attempts. Harris really tore up the turf during one magnificent 76-yard run. Oscar Cantu also helped out with an impressive 155 receiving yards.
Even if they lost, Sharyland's defensive line still kept up the pressure with four sacks. Mercedes' QB won't forget Mauricio Benavides anytime soon given he sacked him twice. Sharyland got some further help from Michael Ryan Esquivel: he made 18 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Mercedes' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Diego Bravo, who threw for 227 yards and a pair of TDs, and also rushed for 67 yards. Those 227 passing yards gave Bravo a new career-high. Robert Sanchez was another key player, rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
Having lost for the first time this season, Sharyland fell to 4-1. As for Mercedes, their victory was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Sharyland will host Los Fresnos at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Mercedes, they will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Edcouch-Elsa at 7:00 p.m. on October 10. The Tigers are facing the Yellowjackets at the right time seeing as the Yellowjackets are stuck on a three-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
