By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
It’s really not too much of an exaggeration to say the road to state in Region IV-5A boys soccer runs through District 32-5A.
Thanks to the UIL’s most recent district realignment in February 2018, this season’s 32-5A boys race includes past UIL state tournament qualifiers Lopez (a Valley-best five times), Porter (four times) and Valley View (three times). Also playing in 32-5A are past regional finalists Pace and Brownsville Veterans Memorial. The Vikings have come within one win of advancing to state three times and Veterans has come that close twice.
Put those teams all together in one district, plus add Donna High, Mercedes and Edcouch-Elsa, and those are the eight schools comprising an ultra-competitive 32-5A this soccer season.
Conference competition in 32-5A begins Friday with boys (5:30 p.m.) and girls (7:30 p.m.) doubleheaders.
Friday’s schedule of 32-5A boys and girls openers has Brownsville Veterans at Pace, Edcouch-Elsa at Lopez, Porter at Donna High and Valley View at Mercedes.
The Lopez boys and Pace girls are defending 32-5A champions.
“I believe we must play with high intensity from the first to the last minute in every district game in order for us to do well,” Lobos coach Amadeo Escandon said. “The first district game (against E-E) is crucial, for it will give us an idea of where we are and where we need to be as a team.”
Lady Vikings coach Jesus O. Villarreal is telling his team to be ready for a long process in district that will reward the ones who emerge as survivors.
“The beginning of district is just exactly that — the beginning,” Villarreal said. “We can’t say anyone will be a champion or be a dominant team (at the start) because the season is long, and many, many things are going to change the direction of the season for every single team. It is just the beginning, and (actually) a final test as well of what players have done (to be ready for district) during the preseason. We might have some teams that will not peak just yet, but will at a later time.
“For Pace, it means to be ready to defend our successful (14-0 district) season we had last year as well as to continue growing in the program,” Villarreal added. “Many teams will play tougher when it comes to going against Pace, and we need to be ready for that. No team will make it easy for us. We will respect every team for that, and we will take every single game very seriously.”
The first of the Valley View vs. Brownsville matchups in 32-5A comes next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. when Lopez goes on the road to face the Tigers on their home field.
ALL-SHOWCASE TEAM
First- and second-team All-Showcase honorees have been announced from the inaugural South Texas Futbol Showcase played last weekend in Brownsville and Los Fresnos.
From Hanna, the honorees are Miguel Payan (first team) and Hector Quintero (second team). The Rivera honorees are Joaquin Hernandez (first team) and Juan Pablo Garza (second team), and for Los Fresnos, they are Obed Sepulveda (first team) and Leo Ocana (second team).
For Lopez, the honorees are Alan Reyes (first team) and Guadalupe Sauceda (second team). Porter’s honorees are Oscar Garcia (first team) and Brandon Montes (second team), and those for Brownsville Veterans are Mark Boswell (first team) and Juan Amieva (second team). For Pace, it’s Gabriel Gracia (first team) and Ian Perez (second team).
Honorees for Jubilee Brownsville are Eduardo de Ledezma (first team) and Diego Araujo (second team).
ON THE RISE
The St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds improved to 5-1 in TAPPS Division 2 District 6 with a 2-1 victory against Laredo St. Augustine.
The next action for the Bloodhounds comes today at the fifth annual Progreso Tournament. It’s a three-day, 12-team event with pool play in three groups. The championship match is scheduled at noon Saturday.
The Bloodhounds won the tournament in 2017 and were the runners-up in 2018 after coming up short 1-0 against Boerne High in last year’s championship match.