Garza, McHi spoil Memorial's plans for 30-5A showdown

McALLEN — A build up to next week’s McAllen Memorial-Sharyland game had already begun. That was supposed to be for the District 30-5A championship.

McAllen High couldn’t have cared less.

Down to their last tackle, the Bulldogs and their birthday boy Nick Garza clawed and scratched their way to a dramatic 45-42 district win on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, ruining what was supposed to be the game of the year in the district.

Garza rushed for 187 yards, caught six passes for 72 yards and scored five touchdowns. His last TD was an 85-yard kickoff return that proved to be the game winner for the Bulldogs, who are now 6-2 overall and 4-1 in district.

“When you got a Division I football player, you dance with the one that brung you,” Bulldogs coach Tony Harris said about Garza, who will attend the University of Texas-San Antonio next season.

Garza’s kickoff return left 9 seconds on the clock and it was almost enough time to ruin the moment.

“I told my guys, it’s not over yet,” Garza said. “There is still 9 seconds left in the game. It is not over until it’s over. We had to make one more stop. There was no time for celebration.”

Five different Mustangs (6-2, 3-2) players touched the ball on the final kickoff. After Ben Garcia fumbled the ball past the 50-yard line, Humberto Garcia picked it up and bolted to the end zone.

As he crossed the 10, McHi’s Rylan Rock wrapped his arms around Humberto’s legs as Ryan Serna knocked him down at the 4-yard line to preserve the dramatic win.

“I was just hoping the hell he gets in the end zone,” Mustangs coach Bill Littleton said.

Only moments before, Littleton watched helplessly as Garza returned his kickoff for the TD. Garza also scored on TD runs of 60, 61 and 2 yards. He also caught a 16-yard pass for a score

“You have to tip your hat off to Nick,” Littleton said. “He made a hell of a run. He has a lot of speed and we just didn’t match up well with him.”

Garza’s return erased what was a poised seven-play, 70-yard drive that ended in a 17-yard TD pass from Matthew Kaufmann to Jacob Garza that gave the Mustangs their first lead of the second half, 42-38, with 21 seconds left.

But that would not be enough, and the battle for first next week lost some luster.

“It’s kind of anticlimactic, ain’t it,” Harris asked after the game.

Peter Rasmussen covers District 30-5A for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448.