Bully Ball: Weslaco High's Rodriguez, Luna power Panthers past Cardinals in season opener

HARLINGEN — Weslaco High sophomore running back Malachi Rodriguez wasted no time reminding the Rio Grande Valley why he was last year’s Newcomer of the Year.

The bruising tailback powered the Panthers to a statement win Friday, scoring three first-half touchdowns to spark a 49-28 victory over Harlingen High at Bobby Lackey Stadium.

Rodriguez, who burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2024, found the end zone on runs of 1, 1 and 11 yards, giving Weslaco a commanding 35-13 halftime lead. He finished with 12 carries for 42 yards and three scores, setting the tone for an offense that piled up nearly 500 total yards.

"I have no words, man," Weslaco High senior Chris Luna said about Rodriguez. "He’s a stud. He can line up at quarterback. He’s been lining up at running back, at receiver. He’s just a big blessing. I’m glad to have him on my team. I don’t take that lightly."

While Rodriguez handled the ground-and-pound, Luna brought balance to the offense in his first start under center. The versatile Panther accounted for four touchdowns and 286 total yards, proving his Swiss Army knife label still holds true.

Luna was flawless in the first half, going 6-of-6 for 108 yards and two scores through the air while adding 65 yards on the ground. He capped the night 8-of-9 for 139 yards and three touchdowns, plus 147 rushing yards and another score on 14 carries.

"Like I've said before, I'll play wherever Coach Stroman needs me," Luna said. "I don't care if he puts me at receiver, running back or quarterback. Wherever he needs me, I'm going to be there and show out."

Weslaco ballooned its lead to 42-13 in the third quarter on a Luna touchdown pass to Hunter McCandless before turning to its second unit. That allowed Harlingen High to cut the deficit to 42-28, highlighted by a 20-yard pick-6 from Daven Halvorsen and a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Hassan Woolery to Gerardo Sanchez.

Woolery finished 10-of-13 for 100 yards with a score and added 33 rushing yards for the Cardinals.

With Harlingen threatening, Stroman reinserted his first unit. Rodriguez’s hard running helped set up Luna’s 1-yard keeper to ice the 49-28 win.

"We're still evaluating and it's still early," Stroman said. "We tried to put people in positions to get experience, but man these Manny Gomez-led teams don't quit. They fought back and we had to put our first team back in and they took care of business."

The Cardinals (0-1) turn their attention to intracity rival Harlingen South (0-1) in the 2025 Bird Bowl, scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Boggus Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Panthers (1-0) brace for another tough opponent, hosting McAllen Memorial (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco.

"I haven't seen McAllen Memorial yet," Stroman said. "I put in all my efforts to focus on this very well coached Harlingen team. I'm going to enjoy this one tonight, then start breaking down the Mustangs and come up with a game plan for next week."