Chavez Injury Brings Early End to Edinburg-Hanna Matchup

EDINBURG — Thursday night’s non-district contest between the Edinburg High Bobcats and Brownsville Hanna Eagles ended less than two minutes into the third quarter after an injury to junior quarterback Albert Chavez.

Edinburg High head coach Joe Pena and Brownsville Hanna head coach Mark Guess met at midfield after Chavez was helped off the field, with both electing to end the game as it stood.

The Bobcats led 15-0 prior to the stoppage, with the Eagles facing a fourth-and-long.

“One of the things we talk about every day is that there are things in life more important than football,” Pena said. “Right now we asked our team to join in a prayer for him, to help that family, that team and the staff they put together. We just have to understand that there are things more important in life.”

The Bobcats shook off a slow start during the second quarter, with an interception by senior defensive back Isaiah Cisneros flipping the momentum in favor of the home team.

Edinburg High turned the pick into points three plays later, with senior athlete Woodrow Villarreal breaking free down the middle for a 46-yard touchdown run. He finished with 86 rushing yards and one score, adding 24 receiving yards on two catches.

Edinburg High extended its lead seconds into the second half, with Cisneros returning the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. A successful two-point conversion followed, with quarterback Aidden Sanchez connecting with David Garza to make it 15-0.

The game was halted shortly after, when Chavez went down with an injury just a few plays later. The junior quarterback left the game in good spirits, raising his fist to signal to the crowd he was okay.

“We’re still growing a little bit,” Pena said. “Last week was a good win for us, but we have to learn to keep stacking our days on top of each other. We started off a little slow in the first half, but our guys showed the resilience to fight back in the second. We didn’t get to finish the game, but like I said before, there are more important things in life.”

The Bobcats (2-1) return to action at 7 p.m. Thursday against Edcouch-Elsa at Benny Layton Memorial Stadium in Elsa.

The Eagles (0-3) return home to face Sharyland Pioneer at 7 p.m. next Friday.