Salinas’ Pick-Six Lifts Mercedes Over Edinburg in Season Opener
EDINBURG — A defensive spark from Frankie Salinas set the tone as the Mercedes Tigers opened their 2025 campaign with a 21-7 road victory over the Edinburg Bobcats on Thursday night at Richard R. Flores Stadium.
Both teams struggled to find rhythm early, with turnovers and unforced errors keeping the game scoreless deep into the second quarter. That changed when Edinburg quarterback Aidden Sanchez was intercepted by Frankie Salinas, who returned it for a touchdown to give Mercedes a 7-0 lead at halftime.
“I feel we did good. We came out to dominate, and that’s what we did,” Salinas said. “All the hard work, summer practices, and 7-on-7 got us this win today.”
In the third quarter, Mercedes extended its advantage when quarterback Diego Bravo connected with Jacob Vega near the goal line, setting up a short touchdown run by Noah Buenrostro. The Tigers entered the fourth quarter up 14-0.
Edinburg cut the deficit late, with Sanchez finding wideout Jude Vega for a touchdown to make it 14-7 with under five minutes remaining. But the Tigers responded immediately, as return man Isaiah Valdez provided a key kickoff return to set up another Buenrostro touchdown, sealing the 21-7 victory.
Mercedes head coach Roger Adame praised his team’s resilience after the win. “It’s hard to win road games, especially the first game of the season,” Adame said. “But we dominated together as a team. That’s what our brotherhood is all about, holding each other accountable. I want you all to enjoy this win and remember all the hard work you’ve put in since the beginning of the season. I’m proud of you all.”
Looking ahead, Salinas emphasized the importance of staying sharp. “There are a lot of adjustments we can make as a team, on both offense and defense,” he said. “As long as we stay focused and keep pushing to get better in practice, we’ll continue to win.”
Salinas’ pick-six highlighted the night, cementing him as one of Mercedes’ players to watch as the Tigers move forward at 1-0.
