Mustangs Stampede over Rattlers 49–14 on Homecoming Night
MCALLEN — Fireworks started early and never slowed at DQ Fan Field as McAllen Memorial rolled to a 49–14 homecoming victory over Rio Grande City on Friday night.
Senior quarterback Kane Coy accounted for four touchdowns — three through the air and one on the ground — while senior receiver Michael Alaniz hauled in two scores and even converted a broken PAT into two points as the Mustangs (2–2, 1–0) opened District 16-5A DI play with authority.
“We’ve had this group together for years, and you can feel the chemistry,” head coach Moses Patterson said. “Tonight the run game, the shots downfield — it all clicked.”
Coy opened the scoring midway through the first quarter with a deep strike to Alaniz. After Rio answered with a fade route touchdown, Memorial regained control behind Braxton Speights, who sliced in for a short run to make it 14–7. Alaniz added his second score on a rollout pass from Coy in the second quarter, before Coy himself broke the game wide open. With 41 seconds left in the half, he kept on a designed quarterback draw, split the defense, and sprinted 68 yards untouched. A high snap on the PAT turned into improvisation, with Alaniz scooping and scoring on the two-point run to give Memorial a commanding 29–7 halftime lead.
Rio Grande City (0–4, 0–1) leaned on quarterback DeAndre Rodriguez rolling out to find receivers Robert Bettis Jr., Alec Garcia, Daniel Raina and Jojo Hernandez, but three turnovers doomed promising drives. Both safeties — Nehemiah Adebowale and Stevie Gonzalez — picked off passes, while linebacker Julian Castañeda pounced on a fumble. Meanwhile, the Mustang offensive line — anchored by senior tackle Shawn Reyes and center Jose Rios — paved lanes for Speights and senior Jorge Muñoz, who filled in for the injured Jaden Soliz and delivered punishing runs, including a two-yard third-quarter touchdown.
“Jorge is a great kid,” Patterson said. “Jayden could’ve gone, but we wanted to be smart. We know what we get with Jorge, and he delivered.”
Coy later connected with Hugo Rodriguez for a 72-yard touchdown strike, while Muñoz’s short score pushed the lead to 43–7. Senior kicker Robert Ruelas added field goals from 25 and 33 yards, ensuring points on nearly every Mustang drive. Rio’s lone second-half answer came on a 21-yard pass to Garcia, trimming the deficit briefly to 46–14.
Memorial out-rushed Rio 271–97 and forced three turnovers while avoiding major mistakes of their own. Coy finished with three touchdown passes and a 68-yard rushing score. Alaniz produced two touchdown receptions and the improvised two-point conversion. Speights ran for one touchdown, Muñoz added another, and Ruelas was perfect on special teams.
The Mustangs hit the road to face Mission next Friday, Sept. 26, while the Rattlers return home to host La Joya Palmview. Coy summed it up: “Being out there with my family — that’s what this team is. Me and Mikey are a duo, and with Braxton and Jorge pounding the rock we’ve got a lot of ways to attack. Tonight, we showed a little bit of everything.”
