A community will show off its passion for football – and team spirit – Friday in what’s evolving into one of the most respectful rivalries in the state.

The two high schools of Weslaco ISD - Weslaco and Weslaco East - meet in a game that’s as much about celebrating the community as it is determining a winner, and in the case of the 2019 edition of the Tinaco Bowl, the District 31-6A champion.

The rivalry honors one of Weslaco’s proudest features: El Tinaco, the 100-foot tall water tower that’s stood since 1941. More than 15,000 fans will pack into Bobby Lackey Stadium to witness the event, which will end with the town lighting the tower with the winning team’s colors following the game.

“It’s the community event of Weslaco,” said Weslaco coach Roy Stroman. “This is about two very competitive teams representing a community that is very proud of both. It’s going to be a competitive game and a fun game for the community, the city and both schools.”

Before the community files into Lackey Stadium, there are rallies and the week’s signature [non-football] event: a breakfast hosted by the designated home team that includes both teams, the community and pieces of each school’s ROTC, band and other student groups.

“The home team hosts, and we’ll have breakfast and talk about what the game means,” Stroman said. “Overall, we want to display good sportsmanship and not create any division within the district.”

Unlike most tried-and-true rivalries, the Tinaco Bowl is still very young – the game has been played just seven times, though Weslaco East began playing football in 2002.

“Years ago, we had a superintendent who, when we were 6A and [Weslaco East was] 5A, didn’t want the teams to play, so we didn’t play,” Stroman explained. “But the community wanted to see it. It had been a while, so we started playing.”

“Football in Weslaco has always been big,” said Michael Burget, Weslaco East’s coach. “[Our school has] been here 20 years or so, and I think the community loves that we play each other now.”

For the players on each side, the only thing that changes is the size of the stage. They’ve been teammates or opponents or both for much of their young lives. Friends – and even family members – will be wearing opposing uniforms Friday.

“A lot of these guys are related,” Stroman said. “They have been on the same team or opponents for as long as they can remember.”

The teams first met on the big Lackey Stadium stage in 2012 and split the first six games before Weslaco gained the slight advantage with a 23-21 comeback win last season.

“We took the lead last year and then [Jacob Cavasos] led them down on a 2-minute drive to beat us with a field goal,” Burget recalled. “He’s a tough kid.”

The win allowed Weslaco and its purple-clad supporters to claim bragging rights for the year. That’s really the only spoil that goes to the winner, and that’s fine with both coaches. They celebrate that unique community aspect of their rivalry.

“The community takes a lot of pride in this game,” Stroman said. “I’m happy to be a part of that. These are two schools that take great pride in representing their community.”

“The community pride…either you wear purple or you wear black,” Burget said. “Next week, someone is going to go to work with their chest out.”

And no matter what happens Friday night – even winning the district championship -- both teams will get back to task of preparing to make their playoff stays lengthy.

“A lot of people stress out about winning the district,” Burget said. “That’s great, but if you win the district and lose in the first round [of the playoffs], I have a hard time calling that a successful season. We have won five area titles in nine years, and that means more to me. The district title is important, but maybe not as important as putting up a few playoff wins each year.”

Stroman shares a similar philosophy. Most of his team’s goals involve reaching well beyond the Tinaco Bowl.

“We want to compete for a district title,” he said. “We want to make the playoffs. We want to practice on Thanksgiving. We want to play football in December.”

The teams approach their football a little differently, and that contrast adds to the rivalry. Weslaco, led by dynamic Cavazos, utilizes a more wide-open offense and aims to outscore the opposition. Weslaco East, on the other hand, relies on its punishing ground game featuring and a defense that’s been dominant.

“Our defense has been number one in the district,” Burget said. “We had three shutouts going into last week and gave up nine points.”

Giovanni Barrera, Jordan Velasquez and Irwin Morin lead East’s defense, and they’ll be focused on slowing Weslaco’s dynamic attack that features Cavazos’s dual-threat ability and the punishing running of Peyton Knaub.

“This has been our best offensive team,” Stroman said of a unit that averages 40 points and 400 yards per game. “We like to try and put the defense in conflict. If they load the box to stop the run, it opens up our passing game.”

While the coaches may not agree on offensive philosophies, they agree that one thing will be a key to success Friday night.

“We don’t need to play a perfect game,” Stroman said. We just need to be disciplined and sound, and we need to grab that momentum.”

Though the playoffs are still two weeks away, the bowl serves as a dress rehearsal for the atmosphere each team could see, especially if they advance beyond the bi-district or area rounds.

“There will be about 15,000 people at the game,” Stroman said. “The community will show up, and it will be a playoff atmosphere.”

“It’s a big game with way more fans than we’re used to playing in front of,” Burget said. “That’s great for high school kids.”

For Burget, it all comes back to the community and the pride it has for both of its teams, and the pride each team takes from the community.

“Every town in Texas should be as proud of their teams [as Weslaco is of these],” he said. “We represent Weslaco ISD and you can see the pride factor involved. The winner of this game gets to display that for 365 days, and that is part of what makes this game very competitive.”

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