MERCEDES --- Coach Michael Uribe predicted before the season there would be up to six teams fighting for a playoff spot, but was confident his Mercedes Tigers would be one of them.

In his first season at Mercedes, Uribe guided his team to its fourth consecutive playoff berth with a 49-0 thumping of Valley View Friday night at Tiger Stadium.  With Mission’s win over Weslaco East, Mercedes (5-1 District 32-4A, 6-3 overall) has secured the top seed in Division II and will face Tuloso-Midway in the Class 4A bi-district round in two weeks.

“It turned out I was right, we knew this would be a grudge match,” Uribe said. “This was earned making the playoffs. This was no cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination.”

A share of the district championship is still not out of the picture if the Tigers could win next week and the Eagles lose to Valley View.  Mercedes quarterback Albert Chavez accumulated 315 yards of offense before he was taken out late in the third quarter with his squad ahead 42-0. Chavez rushed for a team-high 159 yards and scored three touchdowns.  He passed for156 yards and two scores.

Valley View (0-6, 1-8) played well in spurts putting together some long drives, but Mercedes’ defense led by Rick Izaguirre and Eric Maganas stopped a couple drives inside Mercedes territory.

It only took less than a minute for Mercedes to strike first blood as Chavez led the march on a 75-yard drive culminated by a Ruben Sosa 20-yard TD catch for a quick 7-0 lead. Mercedes poured it on with four more first half touchdowns highlighted by a one-handed catch by wide receiver Jonathan Ayala on a 64-yard reception.