(Harlingen, Texas)-“Our defense played lights out tonight,” said McAllen High School head football coach, Patrick Shelby. “They played amazing.” The 15-5A Division I McAllen Bulldogs (6-5) are headed to round two of the University Interscholastic League’s Football playoffs after knocking out 16-5A Division I Harlingen South (7-4) 24-15 on Thursday night at Boggus Stadium in the 5A Division I Bi-District Championships. With the win, the McAllen Bulldogs will await the winner between 13-5A San Antonio Southside (9-1) or 14-5A Victoria East (4-6). Should McAllen defeat either team. they could meet Edinburg Vela or CC Veterans Memorial in the third round.
On Thursday night, the Bulldogs forced Harlingen South to five turnovers and one safety, including a touchdown return by defensive lineman Salomon Arroyo, a stomping, 40-yard run into the end zone with his arm lifting the football with joy to put an end to the Harlingen South Hawk’s probable comeback.
The Hawks scored first and it looked pretty. South punted the ball after their first possession and the pigskin landed inside the three-yard line. The Bulldogs took over and on the first play, McHi running back Jayden Herrera was stop in the end zone for a safety by DB Nicolas Garcia with 8:51 left in the first quarter. After the Hawks forced McAllen to punt, a 62-yard touchdown bomb from Hawk’s sophomore Dylan Anaya to WR Jacob Cano made it 9-0 over McAllen in the first quarter.
The never-say-die Bulldogs kept pushing on defense. With 1:49 left in the half, Hawks quarterback Anaya watched hungry Bulldogs coming at him and was tackled, stripped, and DE Heriberto Baleras was headed to the end zone until he was tackled inside the ten-yard line. One play later, McAllen sophomore QB Joaquin Valdez spotted WR Obed Alvarez for the score to put McHi up 14-9.
Then the Hawks started to fall apart. An interception by McHi DB Natan Rocha gave the Bulldogs another opportunity to put more points on the board and they would lead 17-9 at the half, enroute to giving McAllen Head Coach, Patrick Shelby his first bi-district title in four years. “This is amazing,” said Shelby.
