LA JOYA — Palmview went two consecutive games without putting a point on the scoreboard.
It took the Lobos less than three minutes Thursday night to change that.
Palmview recovered a muffed kickoff to open the game, Adrian Rivas turned the posession into one of his touchdowns on the night, rolling past Donna North 50-6 at La Joya Stadium.
The win snapped Palmview’s two-game skid following consecutive shutout losses to Rowe, 33-0, and unbeaten McAllen High, 55-0.
Palmview improved to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in District 16-5A Division I, keeping the Lobos in the middle of the district playoff race. Donna North fell to 0-8 overall and 0-5 in district.
“First and foremost, I want to say none of this is possible without the Lord above us,” Palmview running back Adrian Rivas said. “The key was every play clicking and executing every play. It lights up the fire in us.”
The Lobos recovered Donna North’s muffed opening kickoff inside Chiefs territory before leaning on Rivas during the ensuing possession. Senior quarterback Edgar Villalpando also connected with Kevin Soliz to move Palmview deeper into Donna North territory before Rivas finished the drive with a rushing touchdown.
The Lobos continued pouring it on from there, scoring twice more before the end of the opening quarter to build a 21-0 advantage.
One of those scores came through the air, with Villalpando finding Soliz for a touchdown as Palmview’s offense mixed its running game with Villalpando’s ability to make plays outside the pocket.
Palmview carried that momentum immediately into the second quarter.
Senior running back Ayden Ramirez scored on a run just seconds into the period to extend the advantage to 28-0.
Villalpando later added another touchdown with his legs, pushing Palmview ahead 34-0 in the first half.
Rivas reflected on the intensity the Lobos brought into the week.
“We practice hard every day,” Rivas said. “Every day there’s a lot of intensity from the get-go.”
Out of the locker room, the Chiefs put together one of their best drives of the night behind quarterback Brandon Trevino, sophomore Caleb Garcia and senior receiver Armando Sanchez.
Trevino scrambled down near the goal line before Garcia finished the drive with Donna North’s lone touchdown of the night.
But even that scoring play ended with Palmview adding points.
The Lobos blocked the ensuing extra-point attempt and returned it the length of the field for two points, immediately pushing the advantage to 36-6.
Palmview quickly regained control.
Villalpando helped move the Lobos back downfield with his arm and legs before Rivas found the end zone again late in the third quarter, extending Palmview’s lead to 43-6.
For Rivas, reaching the end zone carried a feeling he said was difficult to put into words.
“It’s a feeling you can’t describe,” Rivas said. “Being in there feels like home. Thursday lights, Friday night lights, it’s a big blessing. None of this is possible without Jesus.”
Another touchdown pass in the closing seconds of the third quarter made it 50-6, sending the Lobos into the fourth with the final margin already in place.
Palmview spent much of the final period draining the clock and getting additional players onto the field while its defense kept Donna North out of the end zone.
The Chiefs had one final opportunity in the closing minutes, but Palmview came away with an interception before closing out the 50-6 victory.
For Palmview, the result provided a needed response after consecutive losses to two of the district’s top teams.
The Lobos opened district play with wins over PSJA Memorial and Mission before losses to Rowe and McAllen knocked them back to 2-2. Thursday’s victory moves them above .500 in district again with two regular-season games remaining.
Palmview now turns to one of its most important remaining matchups, traveling to face McAllen Memorial at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.
Before leaving Pack Stadium, Rivas had a simple message for the Palmview crowd.
“Thank y’all for supporting us,” Rivas said. “God bless.”
