'More important than football': Texas high school game canceled after quarterback taken away in ambulance

Coaches agree to cancel game early in the second half after scary moment unfolds

A Texas high school quarterback was taken away by an ambulance Thursday evening after being injured on a sack. / Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

A gut-wrenching scene unfolded in Edinburg, Texas on Thursday night.

The non-district football game between Edinburg and Brownsville Hanna was canceled in the third quarter after Golden Eagles junior quarterback Albert Chavez was taken off the field in an ambulance.

Chavez went down after being sacked by a Bobcats defender early in the third quarter and remained on the turf as trainers attended to him. An ambulance was called, and the junior was placed on a stretcher and taken from Richard R. Flores Stadium.

As emotions poured through the stadium, Edinburg head coach Joe Pena and Hanna head coach Marc Guess agreed to end the contest with just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter. Edinburg was ahead 15-0 at the time, though the score was far from anyone's mind when the game ended.

Guess later said his quarterback was “alert, stable and moving extremities” after the injury.

“Just need to rule out anything more severe,” Guess said.

Pena told RGV Sports that the moment was about more than football.

“One of the things we talk about every day is that there are things in life more important than football,” Pena said after the game was called. “Right now we asked our team to join in a prayer for him, to help that family, that team and the staff they put together.”

Before the stoppage, the teams were locked in a defensive battle.

Edinburg had built its lead on a strong defensive showing and a pair of explosive plays, including a 46-yard touchdown run in the second quarter by senior Woodrow Villarreal to give the Bobcats a 7-0 lead at the half. Isaiah Cisneros later returned the opening kick of the second half 97 yards for a touchdown, and a two-point conversion capped the scoring.

The game was called during Hanna's first drive of the second half. Edinburg entered the night 2-0 in Class 6A Division II. The Golden Eagles were 0-2.

In his second varsity season with the Golden Eagles, Chavez - listed at 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds - was playing in his third game as Hanna's starting quarterback after playing running back as a sophomore. A dual threat, he entered the night having passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns across Hanna’s first two contests.

Contributing greatly as a sophomore in 2024, Chavez averaged 4.1 yards per carry - rushing 88 times for 364 yards and two touchdowns before making the switch to quarterback.

The Eagles are slated to entertain Mission Pioneer at 7 p.m. next Thursday.

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