The Lopez Lobos surged to the front of the District 32-6A boys soccer race with Friday’s 3-1 come-from-behind win at Hanna.
At the midpoint of 32-6A’s first round, Lopez leads the way at 4-0 with 12 points. Hanna now is second at 3-1 with eight points. Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Harlingen South come next with 2-2 records and seven points each.
The Golden Eagles led an intense, fast-paced city rivalry matchup 1-0 on a goal from the right side by Hector Quintero during the 32nd minute. Teammate Oscar Cordova crossed the ball to Quintero from the left side with a perfect pass to set up the goal.
But Hanna’s lead didn’t last long.
Just 3 1/2 minutes later, Lopez’s German Vera sent a free kick taken from the left side into the right corner of the goal on a narrow angle from approximately 30 yards out to equalize the score. That impressive goal seemed to bring life to the Lobos.
“I was just thinking (before I took the kick) that a goal in that situation would pump us up and bring us back, and that’s what happened,” said Vera, a senior midfielder/defender. “This win means a lot. I feel that no one believed in us (as a district title contender), and here we are.”
With one minute left before intermission, the Hanna goalkeeper couldn’t quite secure a high ball that came falling from the sky into the box, and once it slipped out of his hands Lopez’s Allan Ramos was there to knock it into an open net from the doorstep of the goal. It gave the Lobos an all-important 2-1 advantage going into halftime.
“Getting a win against a hard team like Hanna feels great,” said Ramos, a senior midfielder on the wing. “My teammates and I have been working hard every day during practice so we can pull through and get the victory. A win like this one gets us motivated and helps us keep on going in district.
“Our team is made up with faith, and we’re coming strong,” he added.
Midway through the second half, Lopez’s Leo Casanova scored from close range to account for the final score of 3-1.
“One thing I have to say about our guys is they’re really focused,” Lopez coach Amadeo Escandon said. “This year they seem to really embrace a strong faith. They always want to pray and praise God. I see that as a big plus for us. They do it on their own, and I’m glad.
“I think that (devotion) is something that is helping us,” Escandon added. “I think God hears their prayers and sees their hard work.”
Hanna coach Reyes Prado said his team started off the match with a lot of momentum, but missed scoring opportunities eventually took a toll.
“Yes, it’s a tough loss, but it came against a very good team,” Prado said. “We made some mistakes, and Lopez capitalized on them. We had four or five really good chances early in the game but only got one goal. If we had converted a few more of those chances, it might have been a different story.”
District action continues at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday with Hanna at Harlingen South and Lopez playing host to San Benito at Sams Memorial Stadium.