By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
Players from past Lopez soccer teams are finding it a little more difficult these days to keep up with just how many times the Lobos have made it to the UIL state tournament.
Whatever the count is now, they’re always elated to see it happen.
“I’m really proud and honored to see my Lobos at state again,” said Ivan Morales, a midfielder on Lopez’s 2004 Class 4A state championship team. “Is it five times now?”
For the record, yes, the Lobos are going to state this week for a Rio Grande Valley-record fifth time after defeating crosstown rival Brownsville Veterans Memorial 1-0 in last Saturday’s Region IV-5A final in Corpus Christi.
District 32-5A third-place Lopez (17-4-6) plays District 20-5A runner-up Waller (21-5-3) in the Class 5A semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Georgetown ISD’s Birkelbach Field.
If the Lobos win, they face District 13-5A champion Frisco Wakeland (20-4-1) or District 5-5A champion Wichita Falls High (16-2-6) in the 5A state final at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
“For me, it’s a proud moment every time Lopez goes to state,” Morales said. “I’m really proud of those players who have put in so much and have sacrificed a lot to get to this point. I’m also really happy for (head coach Amadeo) Escandon and (assistant Ramon) Zuniga, who always emphasize teamwork and unity over individual talent.
“It’s become almost a habit to see a Brownsville school at state now,” he added.
Added former 2004 teammate Enrique “Chicle” Rivera, a forward who scored more than 30 goals that season for the 4A champion Lobos, “I’m proud of them because they’ve worked hard as a team to make it back to state. No one believed in them. Nothing would make me more happy than to see Coach Escandon and his team win the title at state this year. They deserve it.”
The Valley’s first of six UIL state titles in soccer was won by Lopez in 2004. Lopez was the 5A state runner-up in 2009 and reached the 5A state semifinals in 2014 before advancing to the Class 6A state semifinals in 2016.
Now the Lobos are returning to Georgetown with another chance to bring home a state championship. Brownsville schools have won it four times already, including Rivera in 2015 and Porter in 2016.
“It’s amazing to see Lopez constantly at such a high level,” said Kevin Maldonado, a midfielder on the 2014 squad. “It’s unbelievable what Coach Escandon and his assistants can do with different players each year. Congratulations to the whole team for their accomplishment this season. It’s an outstanding job of representing that logo on their jersey.”
Julio “J.D.” De La Garza is a 2015 Lopez graduate who also played on the team that went to state in 2014. He’s spent some time getting to know the current Lopez players because his younger brother, Angel De La Garza, a freshman, is the backup goalkeeper this season.
“Being around them last summer I could see that they’re a family like we were in 2014,” said De La Garza, a sophomore at Texas A&M-Kingsville who is a standout kicker on the Javelinas’ football team. “Hopefully all of Brownsville goes out to Georgetown to support these guys because they’re representing our city and our soccer (programs).”
Julio said his older brother, Sergio De La Garza, played on the 2009 Lopez team that made it to state and now his younger brother is getting his chance at Georgetown.
“We’ve all gone to state once now,” he said. “It’s all in the family.”
Besides De La Garza and Maldonado, another member of the 2014 Lopez squad was Juvian Escandon, son of the head coach.
The younger Escandon said he will be in Georgetown to support his father and the squad. Amadeo Escandon has coached the Lobos now for 20 seasons.
“I’m really happy for my dad and for the team that they’ve pushed and pushed to make it back to state,” Juvian said. “Players come and go, but (it seems) my dad has a chance (to reach Georgetown) every year. That’s always stuck with me. Lopez is known for going this far, so I definitely want to be there at state.
“Even though I’m not playing for him anymore, my dad knows he always has my support,” Juvian added.