Lobos and Eagles face off tonight
Tonight at Tom Landry Stadium, the 1-1 Palmview Lobos will face off against the 0-2 Mission Eagles in a District 16-5A showdown. Both teams are determined to make a statement in their competitive district and a win tonight could shift the momentum for either squad. With each team coming off a bye week, they’ll be fresh, refocused, and ready to go in what is set to be an exciting Big 7 football matchup.
The Eagles have had a rough start to their district schedule, opening with two tough losses. Their first game was a hard-fought battle against the Vela Sabercats, where they almost completed a comeback but ultimately fell 24-21. The second game, however, was a different story, as the Memorial Mustangs overwhelmed the Eagles, handing them a 48-0 loss.
Despite these setbacks, Eagles head coach Danny Longoria told Progress Times about his thoughts going into this matchup, “We gotta play better football,” Longoria said. “To be focused on ensuring that we are taking care of our responsibilities, making correct calls, recognizing the formation, and overall playing great football. We have a great football team, and I know the outcome of the last game is not indicative of how good our team is. It was a very unfortunate game that we experienced, but it gave us sort of a wake-up call that we need to do things better, and it comes down to playing fundamental football.”
Santiago Gonzalez, Mission Eagle #3, is caged in by two Mustangs Friday, September 27, 2024. Progress Times photo by Mario Magallon
Longoria believes the recent bye week came at the perfect time for his team, “The bye week for us was going back to the little things that we thought we found success in early in the season. We focused on the fundamental part of football, which are the fine things that sometimes we ignore because we get caught with the big picture. I think the bye week was perfect because we were able to reset. We said, ‘What are the important things? What are the things that we have to get better at? It’s the little things. The little things are the most important. It’s the little things that make a football team better.”
The Eagles will rely on dual-threat quarterback Diego Salinas to lead their offense. Salinas has shown he can make plays with both his arm and his legs and he has several capable receivers to throw to. In the backfield, running back Thomas Aparicio provides a reliable rushing option, making the Eagles a balanced offensive threat. However, they have struggled to execute consistently, often faltering in key moments. If the Eagles can eliminate mistakes and play a complete game, they have the potential to put up a lot of points.
Defensively, the Eagles have had their ups and downs. While they’ve managed to hold their own at times, their defense has been vulnerable to big plays, which is something they’ll need to emphasize against a Lobos team known for their ability to break off explosive runs. The Eagles defense will need to be sharp tonight and avoid letting the Lobos control the game with their running attack.
The Lobos enter the game with an even 1-1 district record. They opened district play with a heartbreaking 21-17 loss to the Rowe Warriors, a game in which they led going into halftime but couldn’t hold on for the win. However, they bounced back with a 20-6 victory over the Rio Grande City Rattlers, a win that demonstrated their ability to respond and adjust after a tough loss. The strength of the Lobos’ offense lies in their ground game. The Lobos have a running back room as deep as any and they have been able to wear down opposing defenses.
Quarterbacks Josue Esparza and Joseph Martinez are both capable runners, adding a dual-threat element to the offense. Running backs Kyle Bazan and Angel Chapa handle the majority of the work in the backfield. Palmview will look to dominate the game at the line of scrimmage as they’ll strive to establish their run game against the Eagles.
Palmview’s Josue Esparza, #16 QB, connects with Michael Harley, #1 WR, on September 20, 2024. Progress Times photo by Mario Magallon
On the defensive side, Palmview has shown improvement from previous seasons. Their defense held Rio Grande City to just six points in their last game, a performance that has put confidence in the Lobos and their ability to compete in the district. The Lobos will be going up against the explosive offense that is the Eagles and what separates this offense from the rest is their ability to get it done either passing or rushing the ball. They’ll need to maintain their discipline and avoid giving up big plays against this Eagles offensive attack.
Lobos head coach Margarito Requenez told Progress times about what the team worked on over the bye week in preparation for the Eagles, “We’re just trying to perfect our plays and execute what we have been doing. We’re trying to keep our playoff hopes alive. We missed the playoffs the last two years and we’re trying to get back in it. The Eagles are just another team that we need to get through to achieve our goals.”
Requenez went on to say, “Everyone knows the name of our game. We’re going to run the ball. If we can’t run we’ll get into our passing game and hopefully that’ll work. Our best offense is our defense. If we can keep them (the Eagles) off the field then that’s what we’re going to try to do. That’s one of the main goals. Making sure that their explosive offense doesn’t touch the ball that much.”
As the two teams prepare to play tonight, the stakes are high. The Eagles are looking to avoid falling to 0-3, a hole that would be incredibly difficult to climb out of in such a competitive district. A victory tonight could be the spark they need to turn their season around and get them back on track with a 1-2 record.
The Palmview Lobos are looking to keep their momentum going after their recent win. A victory tonight would strengthen their position in District 16-5A and show they can compete with the top teams there. Their run-focused offense will challenge the Mission Eagles’ defense, and if the Lobos can control the game with their rushing attack, they could set the pace and leave with a 2-1 record.
Tonight’s game will likely be decided by which team makes fewer mistakes and takes advantage of key moments. Both teams have what it takes to best the other and after a week of rest, they’ll be more than ready for a tough battle tonight at Tom Landry Stadium.
The Progress Times wishes both the Palmview Lobos and Mission Eagles the best of luck in this important district matchup.