BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — Hidalgo coach Zeke Morales knows winning isn’t always determined by talent and know-how. Sometimes, it takes a little luck.
And while the Pirates spent the bulk of Friday’s Class 4A regional semifinal against Giddings controlling time of possession and receiving the lion’s share of shots on goal opportunities, it was the Buffaloes who prevailed, winning 1-0, with a 6-5 score during penalty kicks.
The loss marks the second year in a row in which Hidalgo saw its season conclude with a loss in the fourth round of the postseason.
“I think if we could go out anyway, I think this is the only way we could have gone out,” Morales said.
It’s fitting the game ended so dramatically and in highly contested fashion. The two teams played through 100 scoreless minutes at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, all while trying to exert their strengths over the other. Though Hidalgo spent much of the game in Buffaloes territory, the Pirates rarely got a clear look at the goal.
For Giddings, their defensive strategy included patience, and clustering players in the backfield to clog passing lanes.
Hidalgo opened penalty kicks with three consecutive goals courtesy of Jesus Nino, Marco Garcia, and Filiberto Sustaita. All took aim at the lower right corner. Giddings began with a rough start and trailed 3-1 at one point after a Sergio Medina kick bounced off the top of the goal.
But Giddings goalie Alexis Hernandez would respond to Hidalgo’s attack, blocking three of the Pirates’ next six attempts while the Buffaloes found their stride, connecting with the net on their final four kicks to pull out the win.
“We practice that a lot, to read the body and the movements of the offensive players,” Giddings coach Pedro Eguez said. “He’s good at that. He’s been clutch for us. He’s been a big part of our success in the playoffs. When we’ve needed a goalie he’s been there for us, and he’s stepped up.
The walk-off goal came from Juan Gallardo, who sent the ball sailing past Hidalgo goalie Jose Ramirez with use of misdirection before the kick.
Upon defeat, some crestfallen Pirates fell to the turf, their tears mingling with rain drops put their by a brief afternoon rain shower. Meanwhile, the Buffaloes formed a celebratory dog pile, burying Gallardo with elevation.
“We knew we wanted to shoot on the bottom corners, just a regular penalty kick, and I know every one of my kids tried to do that, even the ones that missed,” Hidalgo coach Zeke Morales said. “In their hearts, I know they wanted to make those shots, but it’s a funny thing. When you step up, that goes from being a huge 12-foot goal to a very tiny square.”
Though the Pirates once again played in a high stakes game, many players on the roster were newcomers to such an atmosphere. Hidalgo graduated 15 seniors from last year’s team, calling up eight seniors from junior varsity to fill the void.
Midfielder Alek Macias, whose lone penalty kick was blocked, is one of 18 upperclassmen for the Pirates. Macias was among several Hidalgo players with a shot on goal, but as many times as the Giddings bent during regulation, it never surrendered a point.
“We gave our best, it just didn’t go the way we wanted it to go,” Macias said. “It was a tough game.”
Defensively, the task for Hidalgo was limiting Chris Orocio, Gidding’s top offensive threat with with 60 goals scored on the season. It appeared as if Hidalgo would make good on forward Andres Hernandez’ boast of holding Orocio without a goal, but the high-scoring forward eventually got his, scoring on a penalty kick to draw even with the Pirates 5-5, forcing sudden death.
“They did a fantastic job, they played their hearts out with the season we had,” Morales said. “We went undefeated in district, and here we are again with kids who have not been at this stage. It says a lot about them.”