(La Joya, Texas)-In the High School Sports Magazine’s Featured Game of the Week, La Joya Palmview head football coach Margarito Requenez knew that District 15-5A DI would be tough to compete in, he also knew that they would enter the season as underdogs too. On Friday night at PACK Stadium, the La Joya Palmview Lobos (6-2, 3-2) defense did all that they could to stop the McAllen Bulldogs at the Lobos 27-yard line with :01 second left to play, trailing 31-30. McAllen head coach Patrick Shelby gave the call to kick the potential game-winning field goal. The kick sailed left, sending the entire bench into a celebration with La Joya Palmview players chasing head coach Requenez with the water bucket, for the soak. “I saw my players coming at me and I started to run, the water is cold,” laughed Requenez. “They still soaked me.” With the win, the Lobos needs just one win against Edinburg Vela or LJ Juarez-Lincoln to clinch a spot in the UIL State 5A DI playoffs as the fourth place seeding. The Bulldogs (3-5, 2-3) has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
Down 24-21 with 10:43 left to play, the La Joya Palmview defense kept pressuring McAllen HS sophomore quarterback Joaquin Valdez and facing third down, the sophomore quarterback rolled out to the right and he let go of a pass, with Lobos senior DB Eddie Valdez waiting for the interception. He returned the ball to the Bulldogs 29-yard line. “Our defense came up big tonight. I give thanks to my teammates, coaches, and above all, I wouldn’t be here without God,’ said the National Honor Society player, Valdez. “This is amazing to be so close to making the playoffs, I’ve been waiting for four years.”
The interception proved to be a costly one for the Bulldogs as the Lobos connected on a field goal to tie the game 24-24 after Lobos quarterback Christian Reyna picked up the needed yardage for the first down. On the kick off, the Bulldogs returned the ball to the midfield on a great run by WR Max Alvarez. The Bulldogs would score to take a 30-24 lead, after the missed extra point with 2:02 left to play.
“That last drive was amazing, the best I have seen in my career,” said Requenez. And he was right too. Starting from their own 35-yard line, Lobos senior QB, Christian Reyna picked up a crucial fourth down and then connected with 6’2 WR Jesus Hinostroza three times, including the game-winning, double-pump pass from Reyna to Hinostroza wide open in the end zone form 25-yards to make it 31-30. “I was alone and made the catch,” said Hinostroza. “It was a great pass from my quarterback.”
The Palmview Lobos (6-2, 3-2) will travel to play the Edinburg Vela Sabercats (7-1, 4-1) next Thursday night while the Bulldogs (3-5, 2-3) will meet McAllen Nikki Rowe (6-2, 3-2) on Friday.
