Tostado scores four TDs to carry Vikings past Panthers

Just when Weslaco High started to gain momentum during the second half, Pace’s Rodrigo Tostado put an end to it.

Tostado completed a six-minute drive with his third rushing touchdown of the game with four minutes left in the fourth quarter to give the Vikings a 32-13 win over the Panthers on Saturday night at Bobby Lackey Stadium.

"I knew we needed one more score to clinch the game," Pace coach Rene Medrano said. "It was really big for us. (Weslaco High) was moving the ball in spurts, and I knew we needed one more drive. Tostado did a heck of a job."

The Vikings’ senior QB ended with 121 yards with three scores on the ground. His fourth touchdown came through the air as he went 8-of-11 for 146 yards to help keep Pace unbeaten in district at 2-0 and Weslaco High winless.

"We’ve been in the situation before," Panthers coach Tony Villarreal said. "We started 0-2 last year and won the rest of our games to make the playoffs. The only thing this year is the schedule is against us. We’re on the road a lot."

After holding Pace to a three-and-out to start the third quarter, Weslaco High marched 75 yards in 11 plays and R.C. Cervantes capped the drive with a 6-yard score with 10:09 left in the game.

"We felt good," Villarreal said about the fourth-quarter touchdown. "We had a bunch of injuries at the half and we go out there and cut the lead, it was very positive."

One of those injuries is to quarterback Randy Lopez, and his status was still unclear after the game.

Pace then scored eight plays later, milking six minutes off the clock and putting the game away at 32-13 with four minutes remaining.

Weslaco High opened the scoring with a 99-yard drive after Pace fumbled on the goal line during its first possession.

Joe De Leon’s 53-yard reception from Lopez set up John Rojas’ 24-yard touchdown run, giving Weslaco High an early 7-0 lead in the first.

The Vikings, though, shook off the early turnover and scored three plays later to answer Rojas’ touchdown. Tostado scored from 15 yards out on the 53-yard drive.

Pace also score on its next three possessions, including drives of 75 and 85 yards. They resulted in a Tostado rushing TD and a 21-yard touchdown reception by Alan Perez with 1:34 before halftime, giving the Vikings a 25-7 advantage at the break.

The Vikings’ last touchdown before half completed a 14-point swing as the Panthers looked poised to score after a 53-yard run by Rojas, putting Weslaco High on the Pace 5-yard line.

On the ensuing play, Lopez was tackled by a handful of Vikings and lost the football, ending the Weslaco High threat.

"We both wanted to win tonight," Medrano said. "Weslaco High fought hard in the second half and they didn’t want to go 0-2, but our kids really stepped up and made the plays when they had to."

Louie Vera covers District 32-5A football for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via e-mail at lvera@brownsvilleherald.com.