District 16-5A DII football steps into the spotlight in Week 8 as the No. 10-ranked Brownsville Lopez Lobos square off against the Mercedes Tigers in the RGVSports.com Game of the Week.
Kickoff between the Lopez Lobos (5-1, 1-0) and Mercedes Tigers (3-3, 0-1) is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Tiger Stadium in Mercedes.
The Lobos are fresh off a 41-14 win over PSJA Southwest in Week 7 and have won three straight games since their Week 3 loss against La Joya Palmview.
Lopez has one of the hottest offenses in the Rio Grande Valley and has put up points in bunches this season. The Lobos enter the RGVSports.com Game of the Week scoring 33.2 points per game while giving up 18 points per game defensively.
Senior quarterback Guadalupe Ramirez leads the Lobos’ spread offense with 1,468 passing yards and 22 touchdowns to just three interceptions. His top target, senior receiver Gabriel Rios, has hauled in 32 receptions for 633 yards and 12 touchdowns.
While the Lobos can light it up through the air, the return of senior running back Eddie Slovak provides a dangerous threat on the ground. He’s rushed for 610 yards and five touchdowns in just four games.
Mercedes, meanwhile, has been battle-tested this season with experience playing in shootouts and low-scoring dog fights.
The Tigers will be motivated to put last week’s 21-7 rivalry loss against Edcouch-Elsa behind them by getting in the District 16-5A DII win column Friday night against the Lobos.
Mercedes enters Week 8 scoring 24.8 points per game while allowing 23.3 points per game.
The Tigers’ offense revolves around the running game with junior back Robert Sanchez, who has rushed for 703 yards and six touchdowns in five games. He’s also caught 12 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
Mercedes has trotted out two quarterbacks in each game this season with senior Aaron Cortez throwing for 535 yards, rushing for 185 yards and scoring four total touchdowns. Junior quarterback Diego Bravo has thrown for 377 yards, ran for 384 yards and scored five total touchdowns.
Both teams enter the Week 8 Game of the Week with district championship aspirations. A win for Lopez keeps them at the top of the 16-5A DII standings, while Mercedes tries to scratch and claw its way back into title contention.