Two dominant backs in Jay Herrera and Ethan Guerra are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Weslaco East Wildcats will be playing at home against the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Weslaco East is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Donna North: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Wildcats blew the Chiefs out of the water with a 64-20 final score. The Wildcats haven't had any issues with the Chiefs recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Weslaco East had a senior duo take command as Aiden Gonzalez rushed for 83 yards and two scores on only eight carries and Elias Rodriguez gained 202 total yards and three touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Josiah Contreras, who picked up 102 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Weslaco East, adding 14 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Herrera, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North got themselves on the board against Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial on Friday, but Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial never followed suit. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 48-0 victory over the Wolverines. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Raiders' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 264th, while the Wolverines are ranked 954th).
Weslaco East better keep an eye on Daren Garcia. He was instrumental in Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North's win, throwing for 179 yards and five touchdowns while completing 77.8% of his passes. Those five passing touchdowns gave Garcia a new career-high. Bryan Guerrero also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North's run defense was locked in: Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial could only muster 1.6 yards per carry. While four picked up at least nine total tackles, Rey Martinez stood above the rest. He picked up two sacks and made nine total tackles (5.0 for loss) in addition to snagging an interception. Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 8.3.
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Martinez with two. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one sack the last three times he's played. Jacoby Herrera was another major factor on D, forcing one fumble and making nine total tackles (5.0 for loss).
Weslaco East now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North, their win bumped their record up to 7-0.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Weslaco East has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 301.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 309.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Weslaco East was dealt a bruising 42-0 defeat at the hands of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Raiders' Guerra, who rushed for 195 yards and a pair of scores, and also picked up 30 receiving yards. Now that the Wildcats know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
