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District 16-5A Division I
(Mission, Texas)-“Mission Veterans is a very good football program and they played a tough non-district schedule to finish at 3-2,” said Pioneer head football coach, Eddie Galindo. “We are 3-2 and we played one heck of a non-district schedule too. We will be ready for this match-up.” Those were the words of a confident second-year head football coach. On Friday night, the Pioneer Diamondbacks will entertain Mission Veterans in a crucial District 16-5A DII opener for both teams at Richard Thompson Stadium in the Blue Diamond Realty Group Game of the Week.
The Diamondbacks are coming off a 48-21 loss to District 30-6A contender, Laredo Alexander while the Patriots escaped Brownsville Hanna 27-25 in its final non-district schedule. Now, both teams will meet in a possible district title game. “This is an important game. This could be for the outright district title,” says Galindo.
On paper, the Diamondbacks features the leading quarterback from the Rio Grande Valley, junior Julian Valdez (1,431 yards passing 16 touchdowns) while the Mission Veterans Patriots will call on junior QB Vince Abrego and senior WR Joseph Graham Jr.
Last year, the Diamondbacks missed the playoffs under then-rookie head coach, Galindo and he is determined to get his team back in the playoffs. As for the Patriots, after playing 6A teams like Harlingen and San Benito, all blow-out losses, fans can expect the defending tri-champs to play hard-nose football on Friday night. “We scheduled a tough non-district schedule, it’s what we do, to be the best,” says Patriots head coach, Dave GILPIN.
