HARLINGEN — Only one Rio Grande Valley girls soccer team remains after two rounds of the UIL Class 6A playoffs, and that is the Harlingen High Cardinals.
The Cardinals have not lost a match since the beginning of the new year and are hoping to continue their run in the playoffs when they take on San Antonio O’Connor at 6 p.m. today at Cabaniss Athletic Complex in Corpus Christi.
“We haven’t been here in a while, and we are ready to show what the Valley can do,” Harlingen High defender Maya Quiñones said.
Goals from Naeori Resendez, Camila Hernandez and Emma Duarte fired the Cardinals past their second-round hurdle and into the regional quarterfinal round with a 3-1 win over San Antonio Brennan.
Harlingen Head coach Jose Galvan was hoping the goals would not dry up in the playoffs. The Cardinals put five past Edinburg North in the first round. Resendez has two of the team’s eight playoff goals.
“It feels good,” Resendez said about scoring goals in the playoffs. “My confidence is able to go up, and it motivates me to do more. It keeps me going.”
Resendez led the team in goals during the season. Quiñones also has been scoring goals this season despite making the switch to defense. The former forward is the sweeper this season on a stingy defense that has only given up nine goals.
“It is a lot different playing in the back,” she said. “But I feel like even as defenders we work really hard to help the offense, so even though it is different I still feel like I am a really big part of the team and I need to do my best every game.”
The basketball season overlaps a decent portion of the season. Senior midfielder Rosa Zapata was a key member of the Cardinals’ basketball team and was awarded District 32-6A Co-MVP.
Zapata has come back into the side with ease. Zapata, a point guard on the court, plays as an attacking midfielder on the pitch. Both positions require similar skill sets, especially distributing the ball.
“I think I am equally good at both,” Zapata said. “I am grateful to still be a part of this team. I am thankful for the coach for letting me have a chance to be on the field.”
The Cardinals face a familiar foe Friday. Harlingen High beat San Antonio O’Connor 1-0 on Jan. 7. The Panthers are in good form. They beat Weslaco High and Del Rio handily to set up the meeting with Harlingen High.
San Antonio O’Connor’s last loss was to San Antonio Brennan.
“Our mentality is to go as far as we can in the playoffs,” Galvan said. “We just need that mentality of play hard, play how we ask them to and implement that on the field.”
The only loss for the Cardinals (16-1-1) this season was to San Antonio Taft. The Raiders defeated Los Fresnos in the second round 3-0.
San Antonio Taft is on the other side of the Region IV bracket. Harlingen High could possibly meet the only team that bested it in the regional championship, but the Raiders have to make it past Warren — fourth in the same district — and the winner of Round Rock High and Dripping Springs.
If Harlingen High beats San Antonio O’Connor it faces either Austin Vandegrift or Round Rock Westwood, the second- and third-place teams respectively in District 25-6A. Round Rock High won the District 25-6A title.
“I am proud of the girls,” Galvan said. “We are showing that hard work and dedication can reach our objectives that we had this year. We are still in it and show that girls soccer in the Valley is growing and it is getting better every year.”