High Octane: Explosive Bears open at No. 3 in preseason poll

PHARR — The 2023 campaign was a year of firsts for PSJA High. The Bears went 5-0 during district play, capturing their first outright district title since 2018.

PSJA High also picked up its first postseason win since 2008, snapping a streak of seven playoff appearances with first-round losses.

This year’s PSJA High squad is aiming for more, with a solid core of seniors ready to lead the charge. The Bears open as the No. 3 team in the RGVSports.com 5A/6A preseason poll.

“I was excited last year, but I’m even more excited this year,” PSJA High senior running back Jorge Alanis said. “We had a pretty good season last year and I expect even better this year. We’ve been good in the weight room and throughout the summer. Then all the success we had in 7-on-7, it has been building up for this season.”

The biggest question mark for the Bears heading into the new year came from the quarterback position, with four-year starter Jaime Lopez gone to graduation.

Enter former Edinburg Vela starter Myles Lopez.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound signal caller is slated to step into the QB1 role this season, bringing two years of varsity experience with him.

Lopez will have his work cut out for him on offense, with the Bears returning some of the top offensive weapons in the RGV.

Senior wideouts Emiliano Fraga, Caleb Salas and Ryan Vallejo make up arguably the top receiving corp in the Rio Grande Valley, combining for 2,491 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns last year.

Left to right, PSJA High receiver Ryan Vallejo (Joel Martinez | The Monitor), quarterback Myles Lopez (Andrew Cordero | Special to RGVSports) and receiver Caleb Salas (Joel Martinez | The Monitor)

“I’m loving the new offense for sure,” Lopez said. “The air raid, I’m really liking it a lot. I’ve been putting in work with the receivers pretty much every day. I just feel really excited to show that chemistry off.”

Add in do-it-all running back Alanis (1,313 total yards, 17 touchdowns) and the offense, which averaged 33.7 points and 411.3 yards per game last season, shouldn’t skip a beat this year.

“I think the offense is going to be better than it ever has been,” Alanis said. “We’re still the same Bears, so expect us to score a lot of points every game. Nothing new. Just expect it to be even better than last year.”

PSJA High running back Jorge Alanis. (Joel Martinez | The Monitor)

The defense brings back its own set of standout seniors, including District 31-6A defensive MVP Cody Longoria. The four-year letterwinner racked up 150 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss and two sacks a year ago.

Hybrid linebacker Armando Davila adds another high-motor weapon in the middle of the field, finishing second on the team in total tackles (111), while also adding a team-high two interceptions.

Defensive lineman Jayden James (66 total tackles, 15 TFL, five sacks) and defensive back Diego Santos (30 total tackles, four passes defensed, one interception) add playmakers at each level on a defense that could be among the best in the area this year.

PSJA High defensive lineman Jayden James, left, makes a tackle on an Edinburg Economedes’ ball carrier. (Delcia Lopez | The Monitor)

The Bears’ non-district slate consists of five playoff teams from a year ago, including a Week 2 game against intracity rival PSJA North on Sept. 6 and a Week 5 contest against 2023 Class 5A DI state semifinalist Brownsville Veterans on Sept. 27.

They’ll kick off their district title defense on Oct. 10 against Edinburg High. Their biggest test could come in Week 9 against new district rival and last year’s 32-6A champion Weslaco High.

“I love having a target on our back this year,” Alanis said. “It gives us a lot of motivation knowing people want to come at us and beat us. We’re excited to face off the district competition. It’s a similar district, but we’ve just got a bigger target on our back now.”

ivan@themonitor.com

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