By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The Lopez Lobos’ 2016 soccer season will be remembered as the year they advanced to the UIL state tournament in Georgetown for the fourth time, tying a Rio Grande Valley record shared with Southmost neighbor Porter.
The Lobos (21-3-1), whose season came to an all-too-soon finish following a 2-1 loss to Austin Lake Travis in the Class 6A state semifinals April 15, will also be remembered as a team with strong faith — faith in everyone on their roster and faith in God.
“This team is unique,” said Ruben Sauceda, a senior midfielder/defender for the Lobos. “This team is made of faith and a belief in each other. It’s a team I wouldn’t trade for any other team.”
Prior to Lopez’s fourth appearance at state last weekend, teammate German Vera, a senior defensive midfielder, said, “We look for help from God every day, and I believe that’s the most important thing that is keeping us moving forward.”
Led by a group of determined and focused seniors along with contributions from some up-and-coming underclassmen, the Lobos continually moved forward from the start of the season in January.
Their accomplishments were many, including a District 32-6A championship with a 12-2 record and five victories in the playoffs to secure a return trip to Georgetown.
Along the way, Lopez reached the regional tournament for the sixth time in nine years and played in the regional final for the fourth time in six seasons.
A couple of weeks ago, assistant coach Abraham Torres described the 2016 Lobos by saying, “This is an all-around, well-balanced team that works very hard, so I think it’s a team that is prepared to do well. Some of the players have had family members, including uncles and maybe some older brothers who have played for past Lopez teams that have done well.
“The players have set the bar pretty high for themselves,” Torres added. “It’s a (winning) tradition, and they want to do well, too.”
Lopez won the Class 4A state title in 2004 and finished as the Class 5A state runner-up in 2009. The Lobos lost in the 5A state semifinals in 2014.
Lobos coach Amadeo Escandon said the trip to state this year meant a lot because sister school Porter went as well in Class 5A. It was the first time two Brownsville squads advanced to Georgetown during the same season.
“Two teams from the same area of the city were representing the entire region (at state), and that made it special,” Escandon said. “(Porter) coach (Jose) Espitia (a former Lopez assistant) and I have a close relationship as coaches and outside of our professional careers.
“The players we have coming back next year already know how hard it is to get to state and have already started working towards that goal,” Escandon added.
Vera and Sauceda were team captains this season for Lopez along with Benito Cazares, a senior central defender, and Allan Ramos, a senior midfielder on the wing.
The remainder of the Lobos’ lineup consisted of Andrew Flores, a freshman, at goalkeeper and Ulysses Ortegon and Ernesto Pulido as defenders. The midfielders included Alan Reyes and Jose Echavarria with Edson Solis at forward.
Echavarria, a sophomore attacking midfielder with “Chevy” as his nickname, sparked the Lobos with 17 goals and 20 assists.
Leo Casanova was a starting defender prior to being injured in the Lobos’ third playoff game. His replacement in the lineup was Arturo Salazar.
Other players helping off the bench included Sebastian Benavides, Eloy Lozoya, Esequiel Gonzalez and Jose Alviar.
The Lobos’ path to Georgetown included playoff victories against Edinburg Economedes (6-1), La Joya High (4-1), La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (2-1), Schertz Clemons (3-2) and San Antonio Reagan (1-0).
Then came state.
Against Lake Travis in the 6A semifinals, the Lobos fell behind 2-0 during the first half. They rallied with a goal by Ortegon on an assist by Cazares with 10 1/2 minutes remaining to make it 2-1, but that was as close as they came to Lake Travis’ lead.
“I’ve never been on a team like this one, it’s an unforgettable team,” Ortegon said. “We gave it our all, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough.”
Escandon said he has known several of the players on this year’s squad since they were children, including Ramos and Vera, who played soccer with Escandon’s children, Juvian and Christie, in elementary school, so it was a bittersweet experience to see the season end short of a state title.
“We made adjustments at halftime and came out on fire the second half,” Escandon said. “Unfortunately, we ran out of time.
“The second half went a lot better, and that’s the team that I’ve been seeing play all season long,” added Escandon, who just completed his 19th season of guiding the Lobos. “I’m just proud of these guys. I always give thanks to God for putting me in this situation and giving me the opportunity to work with athletes like these. To me, they’re the best in the world.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess