BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
PHARR — When PSJA North boys soccer player Gustavo Conejo found out he would be switching from forward to midfield during his senior season, his response was simple: ‘Alright, coach.’
Last year, Raiders coach Jacob Hinojosa might not have had such an easy time. PSJA North claimed a District 31-5A title with a 15-1 record, and Hinojosa admits that team was more talented than this year’s.
But the 2015 group has bought in to doing whatever is best for the whole, be it a position switch or a change in role. That unity is what Hinojosa and his players have cited as the biggest reason PSJA North has advanced to today’s Region IV-6A semifinal match against San Antonio Brandeis at Brownsville Sports Park.
“I didn’t think that (we would be as good), but the difference between last year’s team and this year is that this year, we play as a team,” Conejo said. “There are no individual players.”
Jonathan Aguilera, a senior and one of seven returners from last year’s squad, said the 2014 team had “a lot of bad behavior.” This season, those attitudes are gone, replaced instead by “brotherhood.”
“Last year, it was all juniors and sophomores in practice,” Aguilera said. “The seniors, they were not here. I think they just didn’t care”
Hinojosa has also seen an improvement in the team’s attitude. Conejo and Juan Rodriguez tied for the team lead — and the overall lead in District 31-6A — with 11 goals. But there was never any competition between them. On the contrary, Hinojosa said the players weren’t even counting. When they found out after the fact, they would “just applaud him, and say, ‘Go get some more.’”
“This year, the attitude has been getting better,” Hinojosa said. “There are team players, but then there are ones that just want to win, and are very competitive within their own team. They don’t want to be on the bench. This year, there isn’t any of that.”
Conejo had played forward for his first three seasons, but Hinojosa wanted his experience in the middle this year. So Conejo took on a more defensive role, scoring just three goals during the first half of district play.
The goals started to flow as he moved to more of an offensive style of midfield during Round 2, but he still considers long passes his biggest strength. His height, experience and footwork make him a natural in the middle, Hinojosa said.
“We didn’t care about how many goals he scored,” Hinojosa said. “And we asked him, ‘Hey, how do you feel?’ He said, that’s his position.”
For all last year’s talent, the group hit a roadblock in the regional quarterfinals against Brownsville Rivera, falling 6-1. Aguilera said “we were all scared” by Rivera’s talent and missed out on chances to make the game more competitive.
That loss has stuck with North. The seniors are keeping an eye on Rivera, knowing that with a win today, they could potentially force a rematch on Saturday. The possibility has been on Conejo’s mind since the beginning of the season.
“Get revenge versus Rivera,” Conejo said of his team’s preseason goals. “I want my revenge. I want to play Rivera. … The team we’re playing is San Antonio (Brandeis), but we want to beat Rivera.”
Hinojosa said the main goal of the senior class was to pass last year’s limits, something the group has already done. He’s been pushing for the classic “one game at a time” approach, but his players have eyes on the big picture.
After being knocked from the playoffs by Brownsville schools in 2012 and 2013, the seniors have twice earned revenge, beating Lopez 2-1 in bi-district and Hanna 1-0 in the regional quarterfinals. PSJA North is hopeful that’s just the beginning.
“Last year we had a good team, but I think this team is a better team,” Aguilera said. “We’re going to win state.”