By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Earlier in the season, Rivera struggled at times and looked like it would fall short of the postseason. It wasn’t for a lack of talent, there were so many talented teams in District 32-6A and only four spots available.
The Lady Raiders relied on tough defense to help them believe they could play with any team on any night. With that mentality and the confidence that came with winning, Rivera clinched the fourth playoff berth in the district. The Lady Raiders finished with the same record as Los Fresnos but earned the tiebreaker by defeating the Lady Falcons twice this season.
“They were all big games,” Rivera coach Willie Brown said of the district games down the stretch.
Rivera had an early setback against Hanna but knew it had a shot late in the season by keeping in the mix.
“We let the first Hanna game get away from us,” Brown said. “I told the girls if we can win the (second meeting with Los Fresnos), we’ll be in good shape. God has a way of doing things. It’s the path and the destiny He laid out for us. Either way, win or loss, that’s the way it was meant to be.”
With the postseason berth, Brown has one more promise to keep. The Rivera coach told his team they could dye his hair if they made the playoffs.
Brown is staying true to his word. The color?
“I think red,” Brown said of his team’s choice. “Flaming red.”
Rivera plays host to Weslaco High for their bi-district game on Monday.
DEFENSIVE MINDED: Brownsville Veterans Memorial knew defense was going to help win more games. But it was the postseason games they have prepared for.
The Lady Chargers were more aggressive on the defensive end this season to be tougher for the postseason and hopefully advance further.
Brownsville Veterans clinched a playoff berth before the last week of the season, but it didn’t waste an opportunity. When the Lady Chargers played Los Fresnos on Friday, it helped them prepare for their playoff opponent, Edinburg High.
“We felt this game was an important game for us because of the way (Los Fresnos plays), how scrappy, how physical they are,” Brownsville Veterans coach Valentin Paz said. “That is how (Edinburg High is) going to play, with a lot of energy and trapping like Los Fresnos does. We used this game as prep for our playoff game.”
Brownsville Veterans will hit the road for its bi-district game Monday at Edinburg High.
TOUGH DISTRICT: Los Fresnos did everything in its power to make a return trip to the postseason. But it wasn’t meant to be this season for the Lady Falcons.
Los Fresnos finished tied with Rivera for fourth but lost on a tiebreaker with the Lady Raiders, who defeated them twice during district play. Injuries limited the Lady Falcons early in the season, but they started well in district. Down the stretch, they played every opponent tough, especially Harlingen High and Brownsville Veterans, who finished 1-2.
Los Fresnos coach Kim Edquist thought it was just good competition from top to bottom as six teams were in the postseason hunt until the last week of the district season.
“We played fairly well the first half of the season,” she said. “I attribute it to our district being tough. It could go any way, we’ve been in every game in our district, we just couldn’t pull it out.
“It’s the way it goes. I think we have one of the tougher districts in the Valley.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.