By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
These Rivera Raiders aren’t the same ones who captured the inaugural Class 6A state title in boys soccer April 18, 2015, in Georgetown.
Instead, with almost a completely new lineup, the 2016 Raiders have steadily improved throughout the season and now find themselves in the playoffs for the 24th time in 25 years.
It’s been quite an evolution that has seen the team come together and win four straight games to finish tied for fourth place with Harlingen South at 23 points.
Friday’s 5-1 victory against South during a “play-in” match at Sams Memorial Stadium clinched another postseason berth for Rivera.
Considering the momentum and confidence gained by the Raiders with each passing win, who knows what they might accomplish during the next few weeks. For example, Rivera finished fourth in district in 2007 and wound up advancing to state.
The Raiders play host to District 31-6A champion PSJA Memorial at 6 p.m. Thursday at Sams in the 6A bi-district playoffs, followed by Lopez taking on Edinburg Economedes at 8 p.m.
Rivera coach Salvador Garcia is impressed with his current squad.
“Even though last year we won it all, I have never felt so proud of a group of players (as these guys),” said Garcia, now in his 19th year of guiding the Raiders after serving six seasons as an assistant. “Last year we had the talent, and this year we were lacking the talent according to many people out there. Those people are probably right. If we go by talent alone, maybe we have no business staying on the same field with some of the other teams in our district.
“But we’ve been telling the guys since the beginning that if we play as a team, we can beat anyone,” Garcia added. “They’re finally realizing that it’s true and the coaches were right. It’s just remarkable what these guys are doing.”
The two starters back from last year’s state championship team are forward/midfielder Eliezer “Chaii” Acero and defender/utility player Hernan Cruz, both senior team captains.
“We have known since the beginning of district that we were going against the momentum of the other teams,” Cruz said. “But this team has stuck together and the coaches have stuck with us, too. We found a way to play Rivera’s style of soccer and qualify for the playoffs again. These wins are boosting our confidence and giving us positive feelings (about what we can do).
“It’s unbelievable. I have to be honest and say at the beginning I wasn’t really sure we could do it, but I see the way we’re playing now as a team, and it’s amazing.”
Except for Acero and Cruz, the Rivera lineup features many new faces.
They include goalkeeper Jorge Cordova, defenders Jose “Memito” Villanueva, Carlos Alvarez and Roberto Melendez, forward Roberto Figueroa and midfielders Manuel Espinoza, Roberto Castro, Alex Mendez and Julian Espinoza. Another starter sidelined with an injury is Jose Espinoza.
Contributing off the bench for the Raiders are midfielder/defenders Jose Muniz, Jorge Morales and Ivan Cruz along with midfielder Isaac Cedillo and defender Sergio Soto.
“It feels very good to get our ticket to the playoffs,” said Villanueva, also a senior. “We started out with no one really believing in us, but we believed in ourselves, and that’s the thing that has always mattered. Our coach has told us, ‘Believe, believe. God has something (good) planned for us.’
“We’ve grown emotionally strong, and that’s what has kept us going,” he added. “And now, the best is yet to come.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess