By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
As the state playoffs begin in soccer, the Hanna Golden Eagles feel confident about their chances and being well-prepared for what is ahead.
Playing in ultra-competitive District 32-6A and winning will do that for a team.
Having finished third in 32-6A with a 9-5 record and 25 points, the Eagles consider themselves ready for the postseason because they’ve experienced pretty much a playoff atmosphere throughout their district schedule.
“Obviously, it feels good to be where we had planned to be at the start of the season,” said Oscar Cordova, a senior forward and team captain for the Eagles. “We feel we’ve earned it with hard work. Hopefully this is not where our objective ends. We want to go all the way to the last game (at state), and God willing, we get that chance.
“I’m pretty sure we can all agree that games in this district are like playoff games,” Cordova added. “Our district is considered one of the strongest in the Valley and maybe even the state. I think it has prepared all of us, not only soccer-wise, but mentally to handle hard games and know already that there’s going to be good competition out there.”
The Eagles play at District 31-6A second-place Weslaco East at 6 p.m. Thursday in the bi-district round of the Class 6A playoffs. Thursday’s winner advances to next week’s area round to face McAllen High or Del Rio.
“We feel we have as good of a chance as anybody in our district and in the state,” Hanna coach Reyes Prado said. “A fourth-place team from our district (Rivera) has advanced to state in the past (2007). We came in third (in 32-6A) and we have as good of a chance as (fellow 32-6A playoff qualifiers) Lopez, (Brownsville) Veterans and Rivera.
“It’s just a matter of getting into a rhythm and having Lady Luck on our side in the games, and we should be OK,” Prado added. “We like our chances.”
The Eagles will go with a lineup that includes Cordova and Jesus Hernandez at forward, Adir Ochoa and Eddie Arellano at center midfielder, Alexis Hernandez and Adrian Montalvo as midfielders on the wing, Diego Acevedo and Azael Raya as central defenders and Edgar Loyde and Hector Quintero as fullbacks. The goalkeeper is Lalo Cazares.
Helping off the bench are center midfielder Jose Antonio Salazar, defender Javier Padron, forward Jose Pompa and midfield winger Chris Vasquez.
“The expectations for us are high and they come from ourselves,” said Acevedo, also a senior team captain. “There may be doubt about what we can do from the outside, but not among ourselves. The biggest challenge is ourselves. I don’t think we’ve developed yet into the team we should be. The last district game (a 5-0 win at home against Los Fresnos on March 15) showed where we are and what we can do.
“We want to be a dominating team,” Acevedo added. “We’ve struggled at times trying to keep the ball moving and trying to score, but it’s better to start (the season) slow and continue getting better. What we want to do is keep improving.”
Camaraderie has been important for the Eagles, said Jesus Hernandez, also a senior.
“It’s an honor to play on this team because we are a family,” he said. “I think with more practice we can do great. We have the players and we have the team. We’re a family, and you can do so much as a family.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess