By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Perfection on the soccer field is quite a high standard to achieve.
Yet it has been attained in recent seasons by a pair of Brownsville boys soccer teams at the high school level.
In determining the city’s top all-time teams since the UIL sport started in Texas in 1983, the unblemished records achieved by the 2015 Rivera Raiders (28-0) and 2016 Porter Cowboys (28-0-1) go a long way in setting those two squads apart from all the others throughout the years in the city’s storied history on the soccer field.
It also helps that each of them brought home a UIL state championship. In all, city teams have captured four UIL titles.
Thanks to input from local coaches plus former coaches and players, The Brownsville Herald has put together a list of Brownsville’s all-time best boys high school soccer teams. Those two squads from 2015 and 2016 share the top spot in The Herald’s Top 10.
The 2015 Raiders won a remarkable seven games during the playoffs to bring home Texas’ first Class 6A state championship in boys soccer. A season later, the Cowboys also won seven games in the postseason en route to obtaining their school’s second Class 5A soccer title.
The memory of such an achievement will stay with the Rivera players and coaches for a lifetime as it will for all others from Brownsville who won a state championship.
“What really stood out to me with this amazing team was that we were all in the same boat to achieve the same goal and become the 2015 state champs,” said Eliseo Ortiz, a standout senior forward who led Rivera with 26 goals in 2015. “All the hard work put in by my teammates and I during the whole season was incredible, and it stood out a lot when we reached our goal.
“Yes, the 2015 team was the best team I have ever played on since I started playing the sport,” added Ortiz, who is now playing college soccer in Laredo. “I’ve had great coaches and great teams during all my years of playing, but this (2015) team and these coaches were the greatest. It was an unstoppable team. I always said if there was more (competition) than just state for high schools, we would have taken that, too. I have no doubt.”
The feeling is much the same for Porter’s Alexis Armendariz, a junior forward who tallied three goals, including one in penalty kicks, to help the Cowboys win a second 5A state championship for their school last April 16 in Georgetown. Armendariz was named 5A boys MVP at state.
“You live in the moment every day, but remembering what it was like to win state is something that feels new all the time because it’s something that just doesn’t happen very often,” said Armendariz, who finished the 2016 season with 31 goals and 17 assists while earning All-Valley boys MVP honors at a recent awards banquet in McAllen. “Everything we accomplished in winning state was thanks to God and it motivates us to battle hard again next season for another state title.”
Here is a team by team summary of each Top 10 squad:
No. 1 (tie) 2015 RIVERA RAIDERS (28-0)
Featuring an unrelenting offensive attack that included Eliseo Ortiz (26 goals), Isidro “Chelin” Martinez (23) and Alexis Herrera (22), the 2015 Raiders were virtually unstoppable in their journey to the state’s inaugural 6A state title in boys soccer.
Rivera coach Salvador Garcia told his squad during a team meeting at school one month before the season began that if anyone didn’t believe the Raiders would be playing in the state final on April 18, 2015, in Georgetown to just leave then and not bother playing on the team. No one left the room and the rest is history.
The Raiders went through the regular season unimpeded at 21-0 and then recorded Brownsville’s most dominating showing ever in the playoffs. Only La Joya Juarez-Lincoln came close to slowing down Rivera in the regional quarterfinals. But the Raiders prevailed 2-1 in penalties kicks over the Huskies. From there, Rivera blew by San Antonio Reagan (3-1) and San Antonio Brandeis (3-1) at the regional tournament at Brownsville Sports Park.
At Georgetown, the Raiders downed North Mesquite 5-1 in the state semifinals before shutting out Katy Cinco Ranch 2-0 in the state final, thus completing their April 18 mission. The following day, which was a Sunday, the Raiders were welcomed home with a victory parade to the high school.
Other key members of the squad that season included Isreal Acero and Jesus Alex Torres on defense and Hernan Cruz, David Alexander and Eliezer “Chaii” Acero in the midfield.
No. 1 (tie) 2016 PORTER COWBOYS (28-0-1)
Just like the Raiders from one season earlier, the 2016 Cowboys were strong from the start and kept their record unblemished all the way through to winning the 5A state title. Porter became the only Valley school to capture more than one UIL state championship in any sport.
The Cowboys thrived with a talented lineup across the field. They were particularly strong in the midfield with players such as Alexis Anzures, Marco Don Juan, Uriel Sepulveda and Enrique Soto. Standouts on defense included Anthony Cuellar and brothers Roberto and Daniel Briseno. Alexis Armendariz (31 goals, 17 assists) and Ricardo Vidal were stalwarts up front for Porter.
Freshman goalkeeper Mario Rios made his first starts of the season in the state semifinals and final to earn all-tournament honors at Georgetown.
It took a come-from-behind 2-1 victory in overtime in the regional final against crosstown rival Pace for Porter to earn its spot at state. The Cowboys then defeated El Paso Eastlake 4-1 in the state semifinals before prevailing in penalty kicks over previously unbeaten and highly regarded Frisco Wakeland in the state final. The score was tied 2-2 after 100 minutes of regulation and overtime play before the Cowboys triumphed 10-9 in penalties. Amazingly, all 10 players for Porter who attempted a PK converted their shots. The PK attempt of the 10th player for Wakeland bounced off the right post, lifting the Cowboys to a dramatic and emotional victory.
No. 3 2004 LOPEZ LOBOS (25-4-1)
The Lobos of 2004 were the first of six Valley teams to win a UIL state title in soccer.
Due to a downpour and lightning in Georgetown the day of the Class 4A state boys final, the match was postponed until one week later at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi. There, on April 17, 2004, the Lobos confronted favored Brenham, a team on a 32-game winning streak.
The Valley fans at Cabaniss Field outnumbered the Brenham faithful 2-to-1 and the day belonged to Lopez. The Lobos went up 2-0 during the first nine minutes thanks to goals by Jose “Bebo” Ramos and Ivan Morales and Lopez wound up winning 2-1 against a stunned Brenham squad. Brenham scored during the 77th minute, but it was not enough.
In the state semifinals on April 9 in Georgetown, Lopez rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to defeat El Paso Del Valle 3-2.
The Lobos were blessed with a pair of talented forwards that season in Ramos and Enrique “Chicle” Rivera. Each finished the year with approximately 30 goals. The Lopez midfield consisted of talented players such as Morales and Roberto Galvan. The defense was led by Joe Lopez, the team’s designated spokesman.
No. 4 2006 PORTER COWBOYS (22-4-5)
The Cowboys were truly “Comeback Kids.” After defeating Fort Bend Clements 2-1 in a shootout during the 5A state semifinals in Round Rock, the Cowboys went against No. 2 nationally ranked Coppell in the state final on April 15, 2006.
The championship match went to overtime after 80 minutes of scoreless action in regulation. Having posted a decided edge in shots on goal, it was no surprise that Coppell went up 1-0 in OT. But then the Cowboys came alive and scored the next two goals to win 2-1 in OT. It was a stunner to Coppell, whose fans had been yelling “USA, USA” to spite Porter. Sadly, the same thing happened 10 years later when Porter played Frisco Wakeland in the 2016 state final.
Jorge Briones, a senior forward in 2006, scored both of Porter’s goals against Coppell and was named 5A boys MVP of the UIL state tournament. Also selected to the all-tournament team at state for Porter that season were defensive midfielder Diego Rodriguez, defender Michael Cedillo, center midfielder Mario Perez and goalkeeper Eric Chapa, who made 12 saves vs. Clements and 11 saves vs. Coppell.
Other standouts for Porter that season included Edgar Acuna, Jovanny Briones, Juan Razo, Wilfredo Fernandez, Aldo Sierra and Gerardo Herrera.
No. 5 2013 HANNA EAGLES (26-2-3)
The Golden Eagles came oh so close to winning state.
In the 5A state final that season on April 20 at Georgetown, Hanna led 2-1 with 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation against another strong Coppell team thanks to a pair of goals by Carlos Acevedo. Coppell’s late goal tied the match 2-2 and sent it to OT. With 56 seconds remaining in the second half of OT, the Cowboys scored again to win 3-2, barely avoiding a penalty kicks finish.
The Eagles came up with a huge defensive effort and received one first-half goal from Acevedo to prevail 1-0 against a highly regarded Alief Elsik squad in the state semifinals.
All-tournament selections at state for Hanna were Acevedo at forward, Juanito Garcia at midfielder and Angel De La Garza at defender.
Other standouts for the Eagles that season included Andres Cervantes at forward, Daniel Olivares and Diego Acevedo at defender and Eduardo “Pana” Vargas at goalkeeper.
No. 6 2009 LOPEZ LOBOS (30-6-1)
One of Lopez’s best teams was the 2009 group that reached the 5A state final in Georgetown before falling to Plano High 3-1 on April 11 that season.
The Lobos advanced to the championship match by edging Spring Klein Oak 5-4 in a shootout after leading 4-1 at halftime in the state semifinals.
Named to the all-tournament team at state for the Lobos in 2009 were forward Jorge Cantu, forward/goalkeeper Mauricio Lugo and midfielder Hugo Ballesteros.
Lopez advanced to state for the second time in 2009 after capturing the 4A state title in 2004.
No. 7 1990 HANNA EAGLES (19-3-1)
The Hanna squad became the first Valley team to defeat a San Antonio opponent in the regional final at Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio. The Eagles that season captured an emotional 1-0 victory against previously unbeaten and nationally ranked San Antonio MacArthur in the regional final to earn their first trip to state.
The UIL state tournament was played at Austin Westlake that year and Hanna went against Tyler Lee in the state semifinals. The Eagles season came to an end following a 4-3 loss on a marathon 22-player shootout to Lee.
Members of the Hanna squad included Kevin Salgado, Freddy Figueroa, David Ruiz, Reynaldo Alvear, Eduardo Sanchez, Juanay Macias, Jose Hernandez, Alfonso Medina, Louie Garza, Javier Sanchez, William Ramirez, David Viramontes, Antonio Salazar, Ricardo Vital and Jose Vilano.
No. 8 2016 LOPEZ LOBOS (21-3-1)
The Lobos squad of the past season advanced to the UIL state tournament for the fourth time in school history and fell to Austin Lake Travis 2-1 in the 6A state semifinals on April 15 in Georgetown.
It took a gutsy 1-0 victory against San Antonio Reagan in the regional final at Brownsville Sports Park to secure Lopez’s fourth appearance at state. The Lobos became the first Valley team and perhaps only one of few in Texas to have played at the state tournament in soccer in all three divisions of competition — 4A, 5A and 6A.
Selected to the all-tournament team at state were midfielders German Vera and Jose Echavarria.
No. 9 2007 PACE VIKINGS (22-3-8)
This is the only team in the Top 10 that didn’t advance to state, but it certainly came close.
Led by four-year starters Juan Gamboa at goalkeeper and Miguel Davila at forward, the Vikings won District 32-5A four straight seasons from 2004 to 2007 and reached the regional final in San Antonio in 2006 and 2007.
The Vikings, then coached by Alfredo “Chico” Jimenez, are the only Valley team to have beaten South Texas powerhouse San Antonio Churchill at the regional tournament. They beat Churchill in the regional semifinals in 2006 and 2007, but then lost to Porter and Rivera, respectively, in the regional final for a trip to state.
On a cold, rainy and windy afternoon in San Antonio in 2007, 32-5A fourth-place Rivera prevailed over 32-5A champion Pace 1-0 in a shootout to prevent the Vikings from getting to state. Porter had edged Pace 1-0 in the 2006 regional final in San Antonio.
No. 10 2014 LOPEZ LOBOS (22-3-1)
Yet another standout season came to a close at state for the 2014 Lobos. This time Lopez’s season ended in the 5A state semifinals.
A 3-2 victory over Rivera in the regional final ushered Lopez to its third appearance at the UIL state Tournament in Georgetown. But the trip didn’t last as the Lobos had planned as they were beaten in the semifinals 3-2 by eventual 5A state champion Fort Bend Clements. Leo Martinez scored both of the Lobos’ goals against Clements.
Chosen to the all-tournament at state that season for Lopez were midfielder Kevin Maldonado and defender Julio “J.C.” De La Garza.