NATHANIEL MATA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
Goals are hard to come by against District 31-6A championships Edinburg North. On the final day of the regular season, with PSJA High needing a three-point win to automatically qualify for playoffs, the Cougars forced penalty kicks after a scoreless regulation and won a marathon PK shootout 7-6.
“Our defense is pretty much our strength, our spinal cord of the team,” Edinburg North coach Elias Moran said. “We have Azael De Leon and Esteban Lopez, which are probably the best two defenders in our district. We were the team that allowed the least goals throughout the season, and this is pretty much what gave us the championship.”
Coming into the last day of District 31-6A action, PSJA High controlled its fate. With a regulation win, the Bears would qualify for playoffs for the first time since winning a district title six years ago.
The shootout took nine rounds, including a miss off the post for both teams and clutch saves by PSJA’s Jose Quiroz and North’s Dany Meija.
Jeremy Garcia clinched the victory for the Cougars, depositing a goal in the second attempt of the ninth round.
Many PSJA players fell to their knees after the loss. The Bears earned only one point on the day and had to hope for help PSJA Memorial beat PSJA Southwest in PKs later in the afternoon. With PSJA Memorial winning in regulation, PSJA High’s playoff hopes were dashed.
“We talked about it yesterday and early today that it was in our hands to get the three points,” PSJA High coach Jesus Ochoa said. “Since we didn’t get the three points, we had to go to PKs, get some points and then wait to see what happens. It’s pretty intense. We have to wait four more hours to see if we get in.”
During regulation, Edinburg North did not allow PSJA High to get many clean looks at goal, clearing a majority of plays and blocking shot attempts.
Ochoa, in his first season with the Bears, broke the streak of three consecutive seasons losing at least 13 of their 14 district games.
“The coach has been there pushing us since the very beginning, in the summer,” PSJA High junior defender Ulysses Coronado said. “He was telling us it was going to be a hard season. He gave us hard training, even on those hot days. When people were calming, chilling down, we were out there working with the coach.”
All game, Edinburg North’s defense limited and contained any pressure PSJA tried to create. Long passes were cleared before they reached their intended targets. PSJA wasn’t given much time and space to possess the ball.
The Cougars had an opportunity to break through in the final 15 minutes. Adolfo Rodriguez had one defender to beat. He cut back to evade him, but the extra time allowed a second Bear to help clear the scoring chance.
The final 15 minutes saw more pressure from PSJA than the rest of the match, but corner kicks and attempts toward the net did not pose much threat to Cougars keeper.
PSJA High will be outside of the playoffs this year but has laid the foundation to a turnaround that’s already visible.
“We have to be proud for lots of things,” Ochoa said. “I think last year, they won one or two games. This year, we’ve won 16-17 games. I knew what kind team I had. It was up to them to believe it. They believed it throughout the year.”
Edinburg North will face Harlingen South in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks secured the fourth and final position in District 32-6A.