Villalpando, Palmview rally past Mission to remain unbeaten in district
LA JOYA — For a moment Friday night, Palmview quarterback Edgar Villalpando admitted his confidence wavered.
The senior quarterback and the Lobos found themselves trailing Mission at halftime after a back-and-forth first two quarters, but Palmview leaned on its ground game and defense down the stretch to rally for a 25-21 win Friday night at La Joya ISD Pack Stadium.
“At a point, I lost faith, I’m not gonna lie,” Villalpando said. “But, you know, I’m glad that we trust our whole team, and I’m glad that our team was able to execute at the end. Big moments, you know, we’re destined for big moments. So I trust my whole team. I trust my O-line. I trust my defense.”
The victory moved Palmview to 3-2 overall and gave the Lobos back-to-back wins after defeating PSJA Memorial 25-20 a week earlier. Palmview entered Friday 1-0 in District 16-5A DI play, making the win over Mission its second district victory.
Mission wasted little time jumping in front, with senior Santiago Gonzalez returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown to give the Eagles an early 7-0 advantage.
Palmview answered behind senior Adrian Rivas, who broke through the middle for a touchdown to tie the game at 7. The Lobos later added a field goal to take a 10-7 advantage into the second quarter.
Mission responded with its ground game. Junior running back Noah Torres punched in a touchdown to put the Eagles back on top before Villalpando answered with his legs, breaking through the middle for a rushing touchdown that gave Palmview a 16-14 lead.
The Eagles regained the lead before halftime when junior Juan Chavez found the end zone, sending Mission into the locker room with a 21-16 advantage.
That would be the last time Mission scored.
Palmview’s defense shut the Eagles out in the second half, while Villalpando and the Lobos began grinding their way back into the game.
Villalpando helped move Palmview down the field with his legs before connecting with senior Julio Guerra for a touchdown in the third quarter. The score pushed the Lobos ahead 22-21, and they carried that one-point advantage into the fourth.
The senior quarterback continued to become a bigger part of Palmview’s rushing attack as the game wore on.
Villalpando repeatedly kept the football during a fourth-quarter drive, picking up yards and helping extend the possession. Senior tight end Kevin Soliz also came through with a key reception for a first down, while senior running back Ayden Ramirez helped keep the drive moving on the ground. Palmview eventually finished the possession with a field goal, extending its lead to 25-21.
The physical carries took their toll on Villalpando, but he said that was simply part of what was required in a game of that magnitude.
“I’m not gonna lie, it kind of hurt,” Villalpando said. “But this is where the tough mentality is built. I’m just glad that I was able to do part of my job and help execute this win.”
Mission had one final opportunity to retake the lead, moving the football late in the fourth quarter, but Palmview’s defense kept the Eagles out of the end zone to preserve the four-point victory.
For Villalpando, the win was about more than simply getting above .500. Palmview entered the night focused on beginning district play 2-0 and putting itself in position for a postseason run.
“The only thing that we were thinking about was being 2-0 by tonight, and that’s what happened,” Villalpando said. “We’re already shooting for playoffs. So that was just going through our mind — to come into this game and finish today being 2-0.”
The Lobos now have some time to prepare for their next test.
Palmview has a bye before returning to District 16-5A DI action against Nikki Rowe at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Villalpando said the extra week will give the Lobos an opportunity to prepare for another important district matchup.
“We have two weeks to prepare for Nikki Rowe,” Villalpando said. “We’re excited. We’re ready. I think it should be a good game. I know that we can compete. I know that we’re built for these type of games.”
