By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
It was a long time coming.
After waiting 25 years or so, the Harlingen South Hawks have captured what is believed to be the school’s first playoff win in boys soccer.
Having achieved such a feat, the District 32-6A runner-up Hawks are eager to build upon their postseason success.
“Our players have put in a lot of hard work, and they’ve wanted a win like this one for a very long time,” South coach Julian Robles said. “I think the past teams we’ve had set the foundation for this team, and this one is putting up the building blocks for what our future teams can do.
“It’s family,” he added. “There’s a brotherhood here, and it’s one of the biggest things that is keeping us together.”
On Friday, the Hawks triumphed 3-2 at their mini-stadium against Edinburg Economedes during the Class 6A bi-district playoffs.
The score was 2-2 until about 12 minutes remained. Angel Ortega, a senior defender and a team captain, headed in the ball off a corner kick taken by Isaac Garza from the right side. It was a game-winner that Ortega will never forget.
“When it came to that corner kick, I was there at the right moment at the right time,” Ortega said. “Thankfully, God gave me a chance to score that goal. Isaac crossed the ball into the box and I was able to head it in. The whole game was very intense.
“Playing on this team means everything to me,” Ortega added. “Since the beginning of the year, I’ve told these guys that we had to break the curse of not getting past the first round of the playoffs. What we did (in that bi-district game) was unbelievable, and it’s going to stay in the (history) books of South. We’re always going to look back and enjoy it every time we remember it, and cherish every moment.
“I want to thank everyone for their support. Without that support, we couldn’t have done it.”
What was notable Friday for the Hawks was having all three of their senior captains score a goal. Besides Ortega, also putting the ball in the net for South were Eric Lopez Jr. and Jose Lerma.
“To be able to get past the first round is amazing, especially with a team like this one,” said Lerma, a four-year starter at forward for the Hawks. “These are guys that I’ve made friends with, and I love to be a part of this team.
“It was incredible to have all three captains score in that game,” Lerma added. “It showed leadership, especially from these other two guys. They kept their heads up high. When Economedes tied the score (at 1 and then at 2), we tried to motivate our team and keep it going.”
Added Lopez, a defender/midfielder, “We really showed up against Economedes and broke that curse of 25 years. To be completely honest, this is probably one of the best teams I’ve ever played with in my life. I’ve played with Angel and Jose since we were younger, and it’s great to be able to go on (in the playoffs) with all of these guys to form the brotherhood that we have. The atmosphere on this team and the companionship we have is really cool.”
The next challenge for the Hawks comes Tuesday in the area round of the 6A playoffs. The South boys and girls have a playoff doubleheader at McAllen Rowe. It starts with the Lady Hawks going against the Lady Warriors at 6 p.m. and ends with the Hawks playing the Warriors at 8 p.m.
Another 6A area-round game involving a local team is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday as the Harlingen High Lady Cardinals play La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at Sharyland High.
“We have a good chance to win our next game, but we can’t go into it with our heads up too high, thinking that we’re (automatically) going to win,” Lopez said. “We know Rowe was the fourth-place team in their district, and they knocked off a No. 1 team (in Laredo United 4-2) in bi-district. They have fight in them, and they’re not going to go down easy. We’ll have to go out there and play with all that we have.”
(Harlingen South team photo courtesy of Alex Mendez)