By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
April 18 has been marked on the Rivera Raiders’ calendars for quite some time now.
Back in January, and even before, as the 2015 soccer season was getting ready to start, the Rivera players didn’t fully understand why Raiders coach Salvador Garcia continued to emphasize that date to them. Now it’s ingrained in their minds.
April 18 is Saturday, and it marks the final day of the UIL state tournament in Georgetown .
If the Raiders (26-0) win their Class 6A semifinal against North Mesquite (22-3-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday, they’ll be playing Katy Cinco Ranch (21-0-4) or Arlington Sam Houston (23-2-2) in the state final at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. It will be the final match of the four-day, 18-game UIL event played in three classifications for boys and girls at Georgetown ISD’s Birkelbach Field.
“Since the beginning of the year, and coming off our loss in the regional final (last season to Lopez 3-2), we’ve had one goal, and that has been to go all the way,” Garcia said. “April 18 — that’s been our objective since the very beginning.
“If you ask any of my players, ‘ What is April 18?’ They’ll tell you,” Garcia added. “At the meeting we had before our first practice, I showed the players a paper with April 18 on it. We were in my classroom, and I asked them, ‘Do you know what this date is?’ They weren’t sure, and I told them, ‘This is the day of the state final, and this is the only game I want to win.’
“I told them, ‘If any of you guys don’t feel that we can do it, you better leave right now.’ From then until now, that’s been our objective — April 18, April 18, April 18. I know we can make plans, but the One upstairs decides them. Hopefully He’ll continue blessing us and we can reach our goal.”
There is no hesitation by the Rivera players now when April 18 is mentioned.
“Right now, April 18 means the world to me,” said Alexis Herrera, a senior forward for the Raiders. “It’s what we want, and it’s been our goal since the beginning of the year That’s all we’re trying to get, and that’s all we want.”
Added teammate Israel Acero, a senior defender, “It’s our only goal and the only objective we’re looking at. It’s something we’re trying to reach for, and it’s something we can’t take off our minds. We want to take advantage of the opportunity we have and get the win. I hope we can be state champs.”
Garcia said he is pleased with the way his players have embraced the significance April 18 has for his team.
“They definitely have taken it to heart,” the Rivera coach said. “It’s the only way that we’re going to get to where we want to go. It’s believing that we have what it takes and believing that we’re going to give it our best shot.
“There’s only so much we can do,” he added. “We do what we can do, and then leave everything else in God’s hands.”
Hernan Cruz, a junior defensive midfielder for the Raiders, said April 18 has been the common theme for the squad since the start of the season.
“We know that we have the team to do it with experienced starters who are seniors and juniors,” Cruz said. “Coach Garcia has had faith in us since the beginning of the season to say that. Hearing April 18 just motivates us every single time he mentions it. Our dream is coming true.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.