By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
The second round of the state soccer playoffs gets underway today with six Brownsville teams still alive in the UIL postseason.
One of the them is the Brownsville Veterans Memorial boys squad, which plays a Class 5A area-round match at 8 p.m. today against Laredo Cigarroa at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field.
The Pace Lady Vikings are another Brownsville team playing an area match today. Their game is scheduled at 6 p.m. at Raymondville’s Burnett Stadium. Pace’s opponent is Flour Bluff.
Regardless of today’s weather conditions, unless there is lightning, Brownsville Veterans’ match will be played at Cabaniss. If the natural grass field in Raymondville is affected by the weather and too wet to be used, the Pace-Flour Bluff match will be moved to Calallen, Lady Vikings coach Jesus O. Villarreal said. That game site determination will be made this morning, he said.
Other Brownsville teams set for UIL area-round playoff action Tuesday are the boys from Hanna and Rivera, along with the girls from Hanna and Lopez.
Jubilee Brownsville competes in the Texas Charter Schools Academic & Athletic League, and thanks to Saturday’s girls soccer victory over IDEA Pharr in the South Texas regional championship, it is headed to the TCSAAL state tournament later this week.
Meanwhile, the UIL Region IV-5A Tournament will be played April 12-13 at Cabaniss Field.
Brownsville Veterans has played there in the regional final the past two seasons. Coach Alberto Vasquez welcomes the chance his team is getting to play tonight at Cabaniss with the hope that the Chargers can return to the regional tournament again this season.
First of all, Vasquez knows his team must win against Cigarroa to keep its season alive before thinking about playing in the regional tournament at Cabaniss.
“It’s always great to play on what is the only (artificial) turfed field that’s exclusively (designed) for soccer in South Texas,” Vasquez said. “Our team’s goal is to get past the elite eight and make it to the final four.
“That’s what we really want, so hopefully we will get to play two more games after Monday’s game,” he added. “Our players are focused and ready, so God willing, things will go our way.”
On Tuesday for Brownsville boys teams, Hanna plays Laredo United South at 5:30 p.m. at Roma and Rivera goes against Laredo LBJ at 7 p.m. at Legacy High School in San Antonio.
For the Brownsville girls Tuesday, Hanna plays at 6 p.m. at McAllen High and Lopez faces Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial at 8 p.m. at Cabaniss.