MCALLEN — For most of his varsity career, Braxton Speights had a familiar group around him; the same group of guys he had grown up playing football with. That group, the graduated class of 2026, accumulated years of varsity experience and closed out their time together as undefeated District Champions last season: a fitting climax for a lifetime of playing ball side by side.

This year is different.

The McAllen Memorial senior running back is now one of the few veterans on a Mustangs team featuring several players getting their first taste of varsity football. For Speights, that has meant taking on a bigger responsibility beyond simply carrying the football.

“Nothing crazy,” Speights said. “But there’s obviously a lot of young guys, a lot of guys that don’t have varsity experience. So it’s been really just coaching them up and trying to get them ready for the moment.”

Thursday night, Memorial showed what that young group can look like when everything comes together.

The Mustangs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 75-49 district victory over Rio Grande City, piling up 646 rushing yards in an offensive explosion at McAllen Stadium. Speights scored five touchdowns on runs of 1, 61, 14, 35 and 5 yards. Fellow senior running back Oscar Jasso added six touchdowns as the two combined for all 11 of Memorial’s scores.

The win came after a difficult three-game losing stretch against Weslaco, Los Fresnos and McAllen High, three of the RGV’s best varsity football programs in 2026.

Speights believes that difficult early schedule under head coach Moses Patterson was intentional — particularly for a roster trying to bring younger players up to varsity speed.

“Obviously, just to get us ready for the season,” Speights said. “Especially younger guys that haven’t seen as good or fast or strong competition. Why not just go against the best, the fastest, the strongest? Just get those out of the way, so everyone else seems like a piece of cake.”

For Speights, keeping those younger players confident has become one of his biggest responsibilities.

He said mistakes have sometimes caused the Mustangs to lose energy, something he and the other veterans have tried to prevent.

“Just try to get the energy going,” Speights said. “There’s a lot of times we mess up and we get down. I try to get them to be confident when we’re playing. Just trust each other and go make plays.”

Speights has plenty of experience for those younger players to lean on.

The senior entered Thursday with 3,226 career rushing yards on 424 carries, averaging 7.6 yards per attempt during his varsity career. With over 300 yards against Rio Grande City, Speights surpassed the 3,500-yard mark for his career. He rushed for 2,080 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior and now has over 900 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns through five games this season.

But even with career milestones piling up, Speights said the numbers are not his primary focus.

“My biggest thing is just trying to get this team to win, whatever that takes,” Speights said. “If that’s me going lead blocking for Oscar or blocking on the pass, whatever it takes to win.”

His willingness to do whatever is needed has gone hand-in-hand with his role as a leader for younger players.

“I just try to be helpful or point them to other guys that have been there before,” Speights said. “Obviously, I don’t know everything. But if it’s something I can help with, I try my best to help.”

Speights still provided plenty of the explosive running that has defined his career Thursday.

His longest touchdown came on a 61-yard run in the second quarter, shortly after Tomas Gutierrez intercepted a pass from RGC. Speights followed his blockers, broke a tackle and cut into the open field before outrunning the defense to give Memorial its first lead of the night, 35-28.
When Speights breaks into the open field, his mind goes back to another sport.

“In my head, I just go back to track season,” Speights said. “Just drive, drive, drive and don’t get caught.”

With the victory, Memorial improved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in district play. The Mustangs now enter their bye week before returning to action Oct. 8 on the road against PSJA Memorial.

For Speights and the Mustangs’ captains, the extra week represents a chance to continue bringing the young roster along before the heart of district play.

“We’re going to polish out some of the details and have the mentality that we’re going to win, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to win,” Speights said. “That’s something that me and the other captains are going to preach the next couple weeks.”

Speights, Mustangs Run Wild in 75-49 Victory Over Rio Grande City

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