By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Thanks to their 3-1 victory over San Antonio Brandeis in Saturday’s Region IV-6A Tournament boys final at Brownsville Sports Park, the Rivera Raiders have become the latest Brownsville soccer team to advance to the UIL state tournament.
Except for 2008, 2010 and 2012, Brownsville teams have represented the city and the Rio Grande Valley at state in soccer every year since 2004.
Now it’s Rivera’s turn to go — again.
Lopez went in 2004, Rivera in 2005, Porter in 2006, Rivera in 2007, Lopez in 2009, Porter in 2011, Hanna in 2013 and Lopez in 2014.
Rivera joins Brownsville’s three-peat to state club along with Porter (1984, 2006, 2011) and Lopez (2004, 2009, 2014).
Lopez won state in 2004 and was a state runner-up in 2009. Porter won state in 2006 and Hanna was a state runner-up in 2013.
During its two previous trips to state in 2005 and 2007, Rivera was eliminated in the state semifinals both times.
DIFFERENT RESULT
Saturday marked a far different result for Rivera than when it played in the regional final last season in San Antonio.
One year ago against Lopez in the regional final at Blossom Athletic Center, the Raiders fell behind 3-0 as Lopez scored three goals within a six-minute span just before halftime.
Rivera could never quite recover and wound up losing to the Lobos 3-2.
That loss has served as a motivation this season for the Raiders.
On Saturday, the Raiders never trailed, building a 1-0 halftime lead and winning 3-1 against the Broncos to secure their third trip to state.
GOOD HABIT
San Antonio Reagan coach Frankie Whitlock has guided girls soccer teams to the UIL state tournament seven times prior to doing it again Saturday with a 2-1 come-from-behind win against Los Fresnos.
Whitlock coached at San Antonio Churchill from 1991 to 1999 and took the Lady Chargers to state three times. She’s been at Reagan since her time at Churchill ended and now has guided the Lady Rattlers to state five times, including back-to-back trips in 2014 and 2015.
“It’s a good habit to have,” Whitlock said of her frequent trips to state. “It’s a (winning) habit I live with day by day.”