By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
LOS FRESNOS — Hello state soccer playoffs, my old friend.
The Los Fresnos Lady Falcons secured a return trip to the postseason on Friday with a 4-1 District 32-6A victory on the practice field at their high school against Hanna.
In the nightcap of Friday’s 32-6A doubleheader at the same site, the Los Fresnos boys also clinched a spot in the playoffs by prevailing 1-0 against Hanna on a penalty kick with 11 minutes remaining.
The matches were moved from Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium to the artificial turf field on the Los Fresnos High School campus due to a track meet.
The 32-6A defending champion Lady Falcons improved to 10-1 in district with 29 points. The Hanna girls slipped to 4-7 with 14 points.
The win kept Los Fresnos in first place in the district girls race.
“It’s a winning tradition here at Los Fresnos with this group of girls (and going to the playoffs is part of that),” Lady Falcons coach Patricia K. Hernandez said. “I’m happy to be here with them. They deserve the success they’re experiencing. They’ve worked really hard all season to be where they’re at.
“Right now, it’s one game at a time for us,” she added. “We have to prepare for our next opponent, which is Harlingen High, and obviously, it’s going to be a battle for the first-place spot.”
The Lady Falcons’ win was highlighted by freshman Yulianna Moreno’s hat trick.
“It felt good to help out the team,” Moreno said. “This is the best game I’ve had (as a varsity player). I’m just glad I could help out the team.
“It feels great because it’s my freshman year and we’re going to the playoffs,” she added. “I’m very happy.”
The Lady Falcons went up 1-0 during the eighth minute when Moreno scored on a header off a corner kick taken from the right side.
Hanna’s Samantha Galvan scored on a free kick taken from 35-plus yards out on the left side during the 24th minute. Her free kick hit the right post when it came in and deflected into the left corner of the net to tie the match 1-1.
The Lady Falcons tallied goals in the 35th and 37th minutes to make it 3-1 in their favor at halftime.
Cassie Lozano scored into an open net when the goalkeeper was caught out of position to make it 2-1 and Moreno was inside the penalty box when she sent a ball into the right corner of the goal on a crossing shot for a 3-1 advantage.
Moreno’s third goal during the 74th minute sealed the 4-1 triumph and the Lady Falcons’ return trip to the postseason.
The boys match was intense from start to finish. The difference came about with 11 minutes left when the Falcons’ Adrian Torres converted his PK attempt on a shot to the right corner of the net.
The playoff-bound Falcons, third place in 32-6A, are now 8-3 with 24 points. The Eagles are 9-2 with 27 points. Hanna had already secured a playoff spot prior to Friday.
“Our goal is to win district and this win puts us one step closer,” Falcons coach Javier Navarrete said. “We just clinched a trip to the playoffs, so we’re excited. I think we had a good game plan tonight. Our players believed in it and everyone saw the result.
“We played well and I thought it was a playoff atmosphere tonight,” Navarrete added. “A game like this gets us ready for the playoffs.
“In the first round of district I thought we gave Hanna a good fight, even though they won 2-0,” Navarrete added. “We’ll just keep working hard and improving the things we want to improve on.
“Taking one game at a time is all we can do. That’s been our motto all season long — ‘Have faith and take it one game at a time.'”