Young Cards: La Villa growing up during seven-game win streak, looking for second-round win

La Villa is back in the area round after winning in the bi-district round in 2023.

This season, the Cardinals have accomplished a trip to the area round with a younger team.

The Cardinals take on the Granger Lions at 7 p.m. Friday at Lion Stadium in Kenedy. La Villa advanced to the Class 2A Division II area round by defeating Louise 42-20 last week.

“It was a good win for us,” La Villa head coach Dan Perez said. “Louise was the fourth-place team over there and we were the first-place team so there was a lot of pressure on us, but it was a good win.”

La Villa is doing it this season with a younger team. The Cardinals graduated some talented players the past two years who had a lot of experience.

Perez’s team has shaken off three defeats to begin the season and is on a seven-game win streak that started in September. The Cardinals lost to Santa Maria, Lyford and Santa Rosa by a combined score of 21 points despite being in a lower classification than their early season opposition.

“We are small school, so it is hard to find games in the Valley,” Perez said. “It has happened to us before where we play these teams with more players and they were close games. So if we can match up with these guys that are bigger than us, I feel that if we play schools that are the same size, we win.”

Perez’s logic led the Cardinals to a District 16-2A DII title and the bi-district win with key skill positions filled with younger players.

Sophomore Isaiah Felix took over the starting quarterback position when his brother, Brandon, graduated. Sophomore running back Andrew Gonzalez has stepped up on both sides of the ball, as well another sophomore receiver, Sean Saenz.

“The future is exciting over here,” Perez said.

Perez said he will graduate some of his lineman, but he has high regard for some of his younger lineman waiting in the wings.

The young Cardinals could gain even more experience as they prepare to meet Granger this week. The Lions finished second in District 13-2A DII and beat La Pryor 49-6 last week.

Perez said Granger runs a power offense — something his team has faced before — and expects the Lions to have the size advantage, but because of prior experience La Villa will be ready.

“I am just proud of these guys, it is a young team and doing what they (have) done this year speaks volumes for them and the coaching staff. It is the coaches that come out every day, coach these guys and they perform on Friday night. I am excited for them because they will remember this for the rest of their life,” Perez said.

Port Isabel vs. Lago Vista

The Tarpons are another sub-5A team back in the second round of the playoffs. Port Isabel split the Class 4A DII title with Kingsville King and La Feria but left those two behind last week with an impressive win over Ingleside 28-21 to move to 9-2 on the season.

Port Isabel defeated Ingleside two seasons ago as well to make it three straight seasons the Tarpons have made it to area under head coach Tony Villarreal.

The Tarpons face the Lago Vista Vikings at 7 p.m. Friday at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville.

Port Isabel running back Luis Ramos looks for an opening during a non-district game against Rio Hondo. (Andrew Cordero | Special to RGVSports)

It should be a battle in the trenches as Port Isabel has many lineman that have been part of the program for every one of those playoff wins and have held their own against District 13-4A DII opposition in the past.

Port Isabel has punched above its weight already this season with wins over Class 5A teams Edcouch-Elsa and Roma.

Rio Hondo vs. Universal City Randolph

Rio Hondo lost one of its best players, Keyan Lopez, early in the season. Despite that the Bobcats have been on fire, winning six games in a row, including a 52-20 over Corpus Christi London last week in Harlingen.

The Bobcats meet the Randolph Ro-Hawks at 7 p.m. Friday at Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway for the Class 3A DI area title.

Members of the 2024 Rio Hondo Bobcats. (Victor Dominguez | Special to RGVSports)

The Ro-Hawks are 9-2 on the season but finished third in District 13-3A DI and made it past the bi-district round by beating Hondo 59-39.

Rio Hondo quarterback Ruben Atkinson threw for 148 yards and one touchdown, and added 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns against London. Sophomore back Mario Lopez added 180 rushing yards and three touchdowns to lift the Bobcats over the Pirates.

The post Young Cards: La Villa growing up during seven-game win streak, looking for second-round win appeared first on MyRGV.com.