By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald
Brownsville soccer teams are more determined than ever to advance a boys squad to state after failing to do so last season.
The past year marked the first time since 2012 that Brownsville didn’t have a representative playing at the UIL state tournament in Georgetown.
Going to state has become pretty much a habit for Brownsville boys teams in recent years, and they don’t want that routine to stop.
Along with all other teams, the Brownsville schools get their chance for somebody to make it to Georgetown in 2019 as a new UIL season starts today across the state with virtually all squads playing in tournaments.
In Brownsville, the second annual Southmost Classic begins at 9 a.m. today and runs through Saturday with Lopez and Porter as the hosts. Rivera, Los Fresnos and Port Isabel are among the 13 teams entered in the event.
Porter won the tournament last year with a 1-0 victory against Lopez in the final.
Other city teams such as Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Hanna are going out of the Rio Grande Valley to open the regular season at tournaments in the Houston area.
It figures to be a busy weekend for boys and girls soccer teams.
Here is a team by team look at boys squads in the Metro area, which includes Brownsville, Los Fresnos and Port Isabel:
DISTRICT 32-5A
PORTER COWBOYS
The Cowboys advanced two rounds in the playoffs last season after finishing third in 32-5A with a 10-4 record. Porter fielded a young team in 2018, and the squad figures to be relatively young again with three seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and one freshman in the starting lineup.
“I like the chemistry this team has,” said Porter coach Jose Espitia, who is entering his 12th season of guiding the Cowboys. “This team is very coachable. Most of the players have at least one year playing together. They know each other and they’re familiar with our playing style.
“I’m happy the boys believe in our program,” Espitia added. “They’re disciplined and they know what it takes (to do well). We have players who are very technical. They know the game. My main concern is our lack of size. I (still) believe we’ll be up to the challenge.”
Isaac Acevedo, last year’s goalkeeper, has transferred to Houston, but the Cowboys have a solid replacement in Mario Rios, who started as a freshman in the 2016 Class 5A state championship match against Frisco Wakeland. Porter won that game in penalty kicks for its second state title to go with the one won in 2006. It was Rios’ first varsity start.
To start the season, the Cowboys have Jose Xavier Mateos and Agustin Pizano at forward with Ossiris Hernandez, Erick Esparza, Brandon Montes and Oscar Garcia in the midfield. On defense, fronting Rios, it’s Alan Luis Romero, Edward Rodriguez, Rodolfo Armendariz and Jean Carlos Villegas.
Other players expected to help off the bench include Marco Casarez, Alex Prado, Daniel Martinez, Tino Rangel Jr. and Wilver Chavez.
BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL CHARGERS
The past two seasons have seen the Chargers go five rounds in the playoffs and reach the Region IV-5A final. With a solid group of returnees, including nine starters back, the Chargers, 27-3-3 last season, hope to take the next step in 2019 under coach Alberto Vasquez.
Brownsville Veterans finished second behind Lopez with a 13-1 record in the 32-5A race one season ago.
The starters back include defensive midfielder Juan Amieva, forward/midfielder Mark Boswell, and midfielders Albert Maradiaga, Diego “Kat” Bernal, Jose Balboa and Orlando Sanchez. Starting defenders back are Luis Capistran and Frankie Moreno Jr., plus goalkeeper Moises Navarro.
“It’s always exciting to start off a new season,” Vasquez said. “I know we had a great season last year. We just have to make sure we’re working hard and we’re ready to go (this season). There are a lot of things to like about this group we have coming back. We have such a great group of hard-working players.
“We have some incoming players who look good as well,” he added. “The fact that we have so many starters back makes it difficult for the newcomers to be able to get on the field and make an impact, but we’re always looking for people who can contribute and maybe earn a starting role.”
LOPEZ LOBOS
The Lobos open the season as defending 32-5A champions under Amadeo Escandon, now in his 22nd season as the Lopez coach. The Lobos won district with a 13-1 record last year and advanced three rounds in the playoffs to finish with a 27-2-3 overall mark.
While Lopez graduated a four-year all-star playmaker in Jose “Chevy” Echevarria, there are still plenty of talented players on hand to carry on the Lobos’ tradition of winning district titles and going to state (a Rio Grande Valley-best five times).
Top players for the Lobos this season include defenders Raudel Ramirez, George Ruiz, Milton Solis and Jesus Pena along with midfielders Alan Reyes, Guadalupe Sauceda, Marco Mendoza and Daniel Cruz.
Lopez boasts a pair of solid goalkeepers in Andrew Flores and Angel De La Garza. The Lobos may try to find ways to include both players in the starting lineup.
PACE VIKINGS
It was a tough situation for the Vikings last season as they came up just short of qualifying for the playoffs after advancing three rounds in 2017 and going to the regional final in 2016. They finished fifth in 32-5A one year ago with a 5-9 record, so the goal this time around is to make it to the postseason and go deep into the playoffs.
Pace coach Mario A. Zamora believes his team can do it considering quite a few players are back.
He lists top players coming back for the Vikings as center back Raul Mendoza, left center back Gabriel Gracia, right center back Christopher Zapata and center midfielder Max Rivas along with left wing Ian Perez.
Zamora enters the season with 85 career wins as Pace’s coach. Zamora said he’s looking forward to getting his 100th career win in 2019.
DISTRICT 32-6A
HANNA GOLDEN EAGLES
The Eagles are coming off last season’s runner-up finish in 32-6A with a 12-2 record. They advanced three rounds in the playoffs.
A strong group of returning players plus some talented newcomers has coach Reyes Prado believing his team can duplicate or even surpass the Eagles’ accomplishments of one year ago.
Prado is beginning his seventh year of directing the Hanna boys after a long stint of coaching the Hanna girls.
Players to watch in the Hanna lineup this season include stopper Roberto Palomo, sweeper Miguel Payan, right wing/midfielder Kevin Ochoa and attacking midfielder Hector Quintero.
“That will be the spinal column of the team,” Prado said. “We are looking solid defensively. With the addition of a few newcomers into the program, we should be able to compete against any team. But we are a long way from reaching our top form.”
RIVERA RAIDERS
Salvador Garcia is beginning his 22nd year of guiding the Raiders as they prepare to defend their 32-6A championship of last season.
In 2018, the Raiders went 13-1 in district and finished 22-5-4 overall while advancing to the Region IV-6A Tournament in San Antonio. Rivera advanced to the playoffs for the 26th time in 27 years last season.
Garcia said Kevin Zarrazagas will anchor the team as a center midfielder while Alex Mendez and J.P. Garza will be the go-to guys at forward. Joaquin Hernandez, Alex Villanueva and Totti Morales will head the defense.
Originally, the Raiders had planned to open the season this week at a tournament in The Woodlands, but the team has since opted to stay at home and play in the second annual Southmost Classic.
LOS FRESNOS FALCONS
The Falcons went to the playoffs last season as the third-place team from 32-6A with a 10-4 record. They finished with a 24-11-6 overall mark following a 5-4 setback in penalty kicks against Edinburg Economedes in bi-district.
Matt Molina is taking over as the Falcons’ coach.
He said there are five starters back, including defenders Alexis Silva and Carlos Venegas, defensive midfielder Angel Mancillas, midfielder Jaime Casanova and forward Leo Ocana.
“I think we’re ready to continue the past successes the team has had,” Molina said. “I like the depth we have. There’s not much of a drop off when we have players go in and out. The team is really excited about the new season.”
OTHERS
PORT ISABEL TARPONS
The Tarpons played in District 31-4A last season. They’re switching back to District 32-4A this year.
Port Isabel finished third in district one year ago and was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by Hidalgo.
The Tarpons have a new coach in Josh Kirton.
Kirton lists his top players for this season as midfielder/forwards Marcos Peralta and Angel Fernandez, midfielder/defender Carlos Gonzalez, midfielder Alan Hernandez, goalkeeper Adrian Mendoza, and forwards Carlos Portales and Brayan Medina, who is coming off a standout football season as a running back for the Tarpons.
JUBILEE BROWNSVILLE TITANS
Robert Coronado is the coach of the Titans, who compete in the Texas Charter School Academic and Athletic League.
“The Jubilee Brownsville soccer program is growing and we do have some players with a great skill set,” Coronado said.
The Jubilee coach said his top players for the new season are a pair of sophomores. They are midfielder Eduardo de Ledesma and midfielder/forward Fabian Covarrubias.
IDEA FRONTIER CHARGERS
Steven Martinez returns for his second season as the coach of the Chargers, who missed out on the playoffs last season.
IDEA Frontier plays in 32-4A along with Port Isabel, Brownsville IDEA Riverside and four other schools.
The Chargers are again scheduled to play home matches at Brownsville Sports Park. They have an away game scheduled next Tuesday at Edinburg IDEA Quest.
ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY BLOODHOUNDS
The Bloodhounds play in TAPPS Division II this season. The TAPPS winter soccer season usually starts approximately one month before the UIL season.
SJA’s season one year ago ended with a 4-1 TAPPS state quarterfinal loss to Dallas Bishop Lynch in San Antonio on Feb. 17. The defeat gave the Bloodhounds an 8-14-1 record for the 2018 season. This year, they again are scheduled to play in the Brownsville ISD Tournament on Jan. 10-12.
The Bloodhounds already have played five matches.
SJA coach Edgar Tovar said the team this season is a combination of experienced players such as captains Antonio Salum and David Rodriguez plus some newcomers that include Santiago Balderas, Bernie Rodriguez, Manolo Garcia Moreno, Jose Padilla and Pedro Cardenas.
Other experienced players include Kevin Moran, Luis Elizondo, Carlos Porras and Alejandro Ledezma.
Tovar said the Bloodhounds are trying to see who might emerge as a reliable forward.
(Courtesy photo by Maria Esteves)