Chavez, Mercedes finally break through at Edcouch-Elsa

ELSA — Another team at the Black Hole and another emotional celebration by the visitors.

Dominating the competition for six years has Edcouch-Elsa opponents licking their chops for the banged up and young Yellowjackets’ squad this season. Two weeks ago it was Weslaco East and on Friday night it was rival Mercedes’ turn.

And it ended in a big drubbing, with the Tigers sailing past La Maquina 28-0 in District 32-4A action.

Playing at less than 100 percent, there were questions with how the Tigers’ quarterback would respond. The senior, nursing what head coach Michael Uribe called “strained muscle to the upper leg,” threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns — two of them to his favorite target Jonathan Ayala. He finished 18-of-25 passing and one interception.

The last time Mercedes beat Edcouch-Elsa in 2002, Chavez was a fifth grader sitting in the stands rooting for the Tigers.

 “Finally, after so many years,” said Chavez, who said he felt 110 percent after the game. “It means a lot to me and everybody in the community. It gives us big confidence … The community believed in us, and we didn’t want to let them down.”

The game was the first meeting between the two teams since Mercedes and former coach Gilbert Leal challenged E-E’s playoff eligibility before the first round of last year’s postseason. Though E-E was eventually allowed by the UIL to play on, the messy controversy took the spotlight away from the ’Jackets’ 10-0 regular season and sixth straight district title.

After being held in check for a quarter-in-a-half, Chavez made the first big play when he found Ayala open down the field after a break down in the secondary for a 75-yard touchdown to go up 7-0. Chavez exploited the Yellowjackets’ defense, going underneath to his targets including Ayala (7 receptions, 149 yards, two touchdowns), Ruben Sosa, Thomas Cisneros and Jaime Castañeda.

The Tigers (3-3, 2-1) hit pay dirt in three of the next four possessions, including another TD catch to Ayala with 50 seconds left in the first half to take a 14-0 lead into the half.

“We started slow, but coach picked us up and got us going,” Ayala said.

So did the defense, which only allowed 171 yards total and stuffed the running game.

E-E quarterback Isaac Prado had a rough night, throwing for only 37 yards to go with three turnovers.

“We’re not consistent,” said E-E head coach Joe Solis.