McAllen High is an interesting team to judge this season. All teams have confidence this time of year. Yeah, I get that. I haven’t met a team so far that doesn’t think it will make the playoffs, win district and make a deep run in the playoffs. But in the case of the Bulldogs, they really seemed to be beaming with confidence when I visited them earlier this week.
But I just don’t see it happening. They only return three starters on each side of the ball. They must replace QB Joaquin Hinojosa. Coach Tony Harris promises that one of he QBs (Andrew Balderas, Adrian Leal) are more than qualified to step under center. But neither have legit varsity experience under center. Andrew complete just 2-of-6 passes in back-up time last season, usually when the game was well, well already put away. That, coupled with an offensive line with absolutely no varsity starting experience, to me, only spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E for the Bulldogs this season.
And that’s why I can’t see them making the playoffs, winning district or making a deep run in the playoffs. But truth be told, all the Bulldogs likely need is three — maybe even two — district victories to qualify for playoffs, with District 30-5A expected to be a neck-and-neck battle this season.
Wade Baker, 30, is Sports Editor of The Monitor. He graduated from Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C. in 2000 with a degree in Mass Communications and moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 2002 for a sports reporter opening at The Monitor. Baker was promoted to his current position in August of 2007 after serving as assistant sports editor for two years. 
