Memorial’s Senior Core Leaves as District Champions After Area-Round Exit

CORPUS CHRISTI — McAllen Memorial closed a 9–3 season Friday at Buccaneer Stadium, falling to New Braunfels 63–29 in the UIL 5A Division I area round. With starting quarterback Kane Coy sidelined by a recent collarbone injury, sophomore No. 14 Vicente Valdez took the reins and kept the Mustangs organized, leaning into the team’s identity: a physical run game and clock-chewing drives.

New Braunfels landed first and often, capitalizing on an early turnover on downs and a muffed kickoff to build a 42–7 halftime margin. Memorial’s lone first-half score came after the Mustang defense forced a three-and-out and the ensuing punt glanced off a Unicorn blocker, setting the ball at the 1. Running back Braxton Speights powered in behind the offensive line to cut the deficit to two scores at the time.

Memorial answered the break with the poise it showed all year during a 7–0 district run. Speights ripped off chunk gains on the opening third-quarter series and finished a quick march with his second rushing touchdown, trimming the gap to 49–14. The Mustangs struck again early in the fourth when Valdez dropped a strike over the top to senior receiver Michael Alaniz for a long touchdown, showcasing the play-action threat the ground game creates. Later, senior back Jaden Solis knifed in inside the 10 for another score, and Memorial converted a two-point try on a fake PAT from holder Javi Izaguirre to cap the night’s scoring.

The Memorial defense produced a first-half three-and-out that flipped the field, then strung together short-yardage stops in the third before New Braunfels’ depth and tempo reasserted control. Up front, linemen Zeke Ozuna and company kept creating seams for Speights and Solis into the final minutes, mirroring the blueprint that carried Memorial through close district wins over Vela, Rowe (OT), and Palmview. Memorial’s 2025 arc remains a success: an unbeaten district title, and a bi-district win over Harlingen South.