The 50^th renewal of the Frontier Bowl might be remembered almost as much for McCollum’s gutty effort as for Harlandale’s dramatic win. If nothing else, it fit nicely within the framework of what is becoming the San Antonio area’s heartiest rivalry.

Harlandale (8-2, 5-2) wasn’t assured of the win Friday until 2:13 remained, when James Mendoza corralled a pass from Brandon Ramon for a three-yard touchdown. McCollum (3-7, 1-6), which was eliminated from playoff consideration last week, led 17-13 entering the final quarter – making its upset bid seem very plausible.

The Indians snared a 27-17 victory in the District 28-4A matchup at Harlandale Memorial Stadium. They finished as part of a three-way tie for second in the district with Medina Valley (7-3, 5-2) and Uvalde (6-4, 5-2).

Harlandale drew first blood when Ramon scored on a six-yard run less than two minutes into the game. The Cowboys signaled their readiness by putting together a drive that ended with Guillermo Carrillo’s 42-yard field goal – one the longest in the area this season.

The Indians extended their lead to 13-3 with 6:01 left in the first quarter. Ian Martinez (73 yards, 5 receptions) scored on a 19-yard pass from Ramon (15 of 19, 171 yards).

To that point, the game seemed to be morphing into a shootout. It eventually transformed to a defensive struggle.

McCollum sophomore back Mike Ramirez scored on a two-yard run with 8:52 until halftime, bringing the Cowboys within a field goal. They remained that close until Ramirez (141 yards, 17 attempts) reached the end zone again.

His 36-yard dash with 3:46 remaining in the third quarter gave McCollum a 17-13 lead.

The Indians wrestled the lead away from their rivals little more than a minute into the last quarter.

Ramon to Mendoza culmination of an eight-play, game-clinching touchdown drive. It began with a defensive stop at the end of a once-promising McCollum drive.

The Indians finished with a slight, 287-264 edge in total yards. In his second start in place of Ralph Leal, McCollum quarterback Nicolas Guerra completed nine of 18 passes for 79 yards. Nick Martinez ran for 49 yards for Harlandale.

The win put Harlandale ahead of fifth-place Kennedy (7-3, 4-3) for a playoff spot. The Rockets won the Salsa Bowl and had the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over the Indians.

Harlandale leads the all-time series against McCollum 25-23-2. The Indians’ bi-district opponent hadn’t been announced Friday night.

Salsa Bowl

Kennedy 54, Memorial 33

The Rockets made the final margin deceptive but, for most of the 48 minutes, the Salsa Bowl was as tension packed as the Frontier Bowl.

Kennedy, which Floresville shut out in its previous game, scored four unanswered touchdowns before Memorial senior Richard Casares (76 yards, 8 receptions) caught a seven-yard pass from Alfred Ramos as time expired. The Minutemen (3-7, 1-6) led 27-25 with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter.

Rockets senior Mathew Avalos (273 yards, 31 carries) scored all of those four touchdowns and finished with six. He scored on a nine-yard run a little more than a minute later. Two fourth-quarter touchdowns of slightly less than 10 yards preceded a pair of two-point conversions. The sixth score, with 4:20 to play, was a coffin nail for Memorial, which will returns the bulk of its skill-position players.

Kennedy scored first, on a one-yard dive from sophomore quarterback Eric Lira. Memorial junior Raul Rangel (100 yards, 15 attempts) tied it with a two-yarder late in the first quarter.

Avalos regained the lead for the Rockets 48 seconds into the second quarter, but the extra-point failed. That opened the door for Memorial’s first lead, accomplished on a 55-yard pass to David Manzano (106 yards, 5 receptions).

Casares scored on the Minutemen’s next possession, catching a seven-yard pass from Ramos (21 of 34, 270 yards). Memorial led 21-14 with 6:56 left in the first half.

Kennedy scored twice before halftime, on a one-yard plunge by Avalos and a 44-yard pass to Isaiah Garcia from Lira, who completed eight of 12 attempts for a season-best 204 passing yards. The Rockets amassed 523 total yards.

Rangel broke the ice after halftime for Memorial, which finished with 382 total yards. His two-yard run seemed to trigger the late avalanche of scoring.

The Rockets have posted a winning record in the last three seasons, but have not advanced to the playoffs since 2009. Memorial’s three wins represented its best total in several years.