LAREDO — Del Rio’s big-play game in the first half and all-around tough defense was plenty enough to beat Donna 31-7 in a Class 5A Division I bi-district playoff on Saturday at the Student Activity Complex. It was the Rams’ first playoff win since 1971.

Del Rio (9-2) will face Edinburg High (6-5) in the area round at 6 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio.

DONNA — Manny Moreno asked Fernando Sanchez where he wanted the spot.

The Donna kicker told his coach he wanted the ball between the hash marks so he could boot the kick right down the middle, win the game and send McAllen Memorial home for the season. Once Moreno gave Sanchez what he had asked for, one of the Rio Grande Valley’s best kickers took care of the rest. It was a 27-yarder, but with the game on the line in front of the home crowd, nothing is ever as easy as it looks.

EDINBURG — Donna’s come-from-behind win over McAllen Memorial last Friday is even more impressive because of how the Redskins did it. No team had really slowed the Mustangs’ talented skill players all season until the second half of their game against the Redskins.

Donna did a strong job of containing Memorial’s big threats. All season the Mustangs’ receivers exploded for big yardage after the catch. Last Friday, Memorial mustered only 65 yards passing. Some of that had to do with Donna’s offense controlling the clock during the second half.

DONNA — Ivan Estrada kept shaking his head.

“I can’t believe it,” Donna’s junior defensive back said after his team’s stunning 24-21 come-from-behind win Friday night during The Monitor’s Game of the Week at Bennie La Prade Stadium.

Estrada picked off Memorial quarterback Matthew Kaufmann, who threw an uncharacteristic four interceptions in the game, with 55 seconds left, setting up a game-winning 27-yard field goal as the clock expired by Fernando Sanchez.

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.

DONNA — It is not often that this happens at Donna but a Redskins quarterback has more than 1,000 yards passing before any of the team’s ball carriers have reached that number on the ground.

Senior QB Alahn Yanez has passed for 1,264 yards. The closest a Redskins rusher is to 1,000 yards is Gabriel Martinez (540).

Can this possibly be true at Donna? Even Redskins coach Manny Moreno got a good laugh about it.

“Not at Donna,” he said jokingly.

Rio Grande City coach Jesus Lozano said his team is treating its game with Donna at 7:30 tonight at Joe R. Sanchez Stadium as a playoff game.

The winner of the game will hold sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot in District 30-5A.

“I know this game is as important to Donna as it is for us,” Lozano said. “We have been telling the kids to stay focused and to make sure to play football on both sides of the ball.”

McALLEN — If McAllen High loses to Donna at 7 tonight at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, the Bulldogs would be in a position where they would have to win three of their last four games to be considered for the playoffs.

In only a way Bulldogs coach Tony Harris can respond to the concern he said, “We plan on winning three of our last four games, anyway.”

Yes, it is early in district but there are only five district games remaining and any loss would push a team already with a setback further in the corner.

Redskins coach Manny Moreno said he hopes his team continues to improve offensively like it has been week to week when they host the Warriors.

In Week 0 vs. PSJA North, the Redskins had only 221 yards but have eclipsed the 300-yard mark in every game since, including last week’s 426 ygainst La Joya Palmview. Donna averages 337.0 yards per game.

LA JOYA --- Arguably the biggest improvement La Joya Palmview has made this year is on the defensive side of the ball.

Going into their first league game at 7:30 Friday night at La Joya ISD Stadium against Donna, the Lobos lead District 30-5A in defense, yielding only 244.3 yards per game. Last season, the Lobos gave up 376.8 ypg.

Redskins coach Manny Moreno says it begins with defense for the Lobos.

"They bring it every down," Moreno said. "Those kids are aggressive."