NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
PHARR — Edinburg North and PSJA High were locked in the rare combination of a high-scoring game and a close result. The Cougars rode the ebb and flow of the match to a 5-3 victory on Tuesday night at PSJA Stadium.
The up-and-down could have been a microcosm of Edinburg North’s season. The Cougars struggled early to build on the success of a five-round playoff run in 2017 but came on strong in the latter half of the district season.
While Edinburg North had already qualified for the playoffs, Tuesday’s win solidified third-place seeding and a matchup against District 32-6A No. 2 seed Brownsville Hanna.
“We started a little weak, losing the first six games,” Cougars coach Elias Moran said. “After that, we won the next seven (and) tied one against Economedes. Like they say, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. All I want to say is we’re ready.”
Moran didn’t start the season behind the bench but resumed coaching responsibilities mere days before the district season. His return wasn’t immediately positive with the aforementioned six-game losing streak to start district play, but Edinburg North rebounded to finish 7-7 with 26 points. Four of North’s losses came in penalty kicks, yielding one point each in the standings.
“The kids were carrying an unreal pressure,” Moran said. “In their heads, they thought they were pressured to repeat to be the powerful team they were last year. I put a lot of emphasis on the mental aspect of the game. You have to be humble, or else the game is going to humble you.”
One of the Cougars’ most consistent players through good times and struggle was four-year letterman Carlos Rodriguez, who said the group didn’t change everything after the slow start.
“The team never gave up, since the beginning of the season,” Rodriguez said through an interpreter. “We always played the same system, same style with the same motivation. We just lacked the definition or finishing at the end of the game, but we always kept the same system, and things improved.”
Edinburg North’s Edgar Aguilar scored the game’s first goal, and Rodriguez scored the fourth to tie the score at 2 just before halftime.
The goals were bookends to PSJA High (3-11, 9 pts) goals from Alan Alvarado and Angel Medina. Alvarado sent the ball off the inside of the post, and North’s attempt at a clearance ended up in the net. Medina scored with 9:36 to play on a leading pass from Alvarado.
“The game always finishes at the last whistle of the referee,” Rodriguez said. “Our mentality is, if they score one goal, we have to score two. That always keeps us motivated.”
The start of the second half looked similar to the first, as both teams had similar time on the ball but Edinburg North’s position and touches were more dangerous.
Rodriguez got back on the score sheet with the first goal of the second half. Cougars midfielder Jared Garcia sent a corner that bounced from team to team but eventually found Rodriguez in a soft spot to the left of the net.
Garcia was noticeable in the first half on free kicks, corner kicks and rushes downfield. With PSJA leading 2-1, he sacrificed his body after a Bears corner kick, getting in the path of a powerful shot from Alvarado.
“We have to be everywhere trying to help the team,” Garcia said. “That’s how we are. We are a team altogether.”
The Bears continued to be resilient on the field, even with their season ending regardless of the outcome. PSJA tied the game when Adolfo Morales hit home a centering feed from Alvarado.
Edinburg North took the lead for good after Adolfo Rodriguez’s shot produced a rebound from PSJA keeper Jose Quiroz. The rebound turned into a goal when Victor Serna’s thigh guided the ball in for a 4-3 advantage.
“Everything’s in the process,” Garcia said. “We had faith. We stayed with our mindset — what we had to do. We stayed trying to accomplish that process.”
The insurance goal came from Juan Gonzalez, who headed in the Cougars’ fifth of the evening after a flurry of chances with less than seven minutes to play.
“We never doubted in our system. We trusted in our coaches and the ability they have to train us,” Rodriguez said. “We always believed until the end, and thank God we achieved this.”
Rodriguez and Edinburg North have their confidence back strong for the postseason and feel they can match up with any team moving forward.
“Not all the teams play the same, but we trust in our team, and we think we have a pretty good offense, and we can play on the same level as anybody,” Rodriguez said.
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