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DONNA — As stunning as it is that McAllen Memorial is in this predicament, there is no sense to downplay the magnitude of the game for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs not only need to win, they need to win by 10 over Donna at 7:30 tonight at Bennie La Prade Stadium in The Monitor’s Game of the Week or they’ll be turning in their pads come Monday morning.

"We are going into the game like it is 9-0 (in favor of Donna)," Mustangs coach Bill Littleton said. "There is no room for error. At the same time, I don’t think you can put too much into it. You just have to go out and play your football game. You can’t go into the game pressing the importance on every play.

"Just like in the Sharyland game (last week), we got down 7-0 quick in that ball game. In the (McAllen High) game we fumbled and we got down by a field goal early. … It is not like we have not been in those positions where we had to play from behind before. I don’t think playing from behind will affect us mentally because we have been from behind."

Memorial, which is 6-3 overall and 3-3 in District 30-5A, has lost its three games by a combined 19 points. One of those losses was a seven-point setback to Rio Grande City, giving the Rattlers the head to head advantage with the Mustangs and putting Memorial in the situation it finds itself.

"We have a lot to fight for," Mustangs running back Ben Garcia said. "We just have to come up big this week."

Littleton laughed when he asked if he bribed Redskins coach Manny Moreno, whose team has clinched a playoff spot, to take it easy on the Mustangs.

One thing is for sure, Rio Grande City will be cheering for Donna to at least keep it close.

"We are all competitive," Moreno said. "Our kids are competitive and their kids are competitive. They are going to go out there and give it their all."

Donna insists the game is as big for them as it is for Memorial. Putting the role as spoiler aside, the Redskins will play in front of a homecoming crowd and they say it is not in their tradition to allow a team to just roll past them.

The Redskins would also enjoy some momentum heading into the postseason.

"We don’t want to go into the playoffs with a loss," Redskins quarterback Alahn Yanez said. "It is our homecoming and it’s the game of the week. There is a lot of stuff at stake. We really want to come out with a win."

Peter Rasmussen covers District 30-5A football for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com.