Speights big night lifts Mustangs past Hawks
McALLEN — McAllen Memorial junior Braxton Speights remembers the last time the Mustangs squared off against Harlingen South. The then-freshman was on the sidelines in 2023 when the Hawks defeated Memorial 10-7 in the first round of the playoffs, ending the Mustangs’ season.
Speights and the Mustangs got their revenge Friday. The now-junior exploded for nearly 250 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead Memorial past South 35-21 during a Region IV-5A DI bi-district contest at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“It’s great,” Speights said. “My first ever varsity game we lost against these guys in the playoffs. So today was kind of cool. That was the mentality today. We wanted to come out and get our get back.”
Speights rumbled through and around the Harlingen South defense all night, finishing with 247 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.
His first score came just minutes into the third quarter. The junior broke a pair of tackles before sprinting to the end zone for a 39-yard touchdown that gave the Mustangs their first lead of the game.
A 33-yard touchdown run by Harlingen South senior Kaden Edwards tied the game minutes later, but Speights answered again, getting the edge and walking into the end zone untouched from 15 yards out to make it 28-21.
“It was win or go home. I had to leave it all on the field for my seniors especially,” Speights said. “We just had to play our best ball and leave it all out there.”
Speights’ back-to-back second-half touchdowns were complemented by big plays from the defense, including a forced fumble by Mateo Gutierrez that was recovered by senior defensive end Javi Izaguirre.
The turnover resulted in a quick six points, with Memorial extending its lead on a 37-yard scoring run by senior wideout Michael Alaniz. He finished with 101 total yards and two touchdowns, including a 22-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.
With a two-score lead, the defense took over in the fourth. The Mustangs held the Hawks to minus-2 yards in the period behind an electric three-sack quarter from Izaguirre.
The senior defensive lineman finished with three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
“It’s all glory to God,” Izaguirre said. “He helped me. I believe he helped me. He gave me the strength and the speed that I ask for every time before games. I just had the motor going. It’s all glory to God. Then my team, if it wasn’t for my secondary making the quarterback hold on to that ball, I wouldn’t be able to get those sacks. All props to the secondary.”
McAllen Memorial finished with 390 total yards, including 301 on the ground. The defense held the Hawks to 248 total yards and won the turnover battle 2-1.
The Mustangs (9-2) now turn their attention to a Region IV-5A DI area-round matchup against New Braunfels (9-2). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Buccaneer Stadium in Corpus Christi.
“We got to keep up the intensity,” Izaguirre said. “We have to be fast and physical and have everyone relaxed. Round 2, everyone starts to get tense. We just have to relax and have everyone come through.”
