RAYMONDVILLE — Raymondville goals in the beginning of each half were the difference Thursday night in a bi-district meeting with Rio Hondo.
The Bearkats won the Class 4A UIL playoff clash 7-3 at Burnett Stadium. The win is the first playoff victory in program history.
Rio Hondo’s Shovanna De Leon gave the Bobcats hope after cutting the Raymondville lead to 5-3 with only four minutes left, but the Bearkats saw out the match with goals by Mia Sayas and Adrianna Sanchez during the final two minutes.
“We have been building,” Raymondville head coach Alex Delgado said. “This is our first district championship as well.”
Bearkats forward Elizabeth Torres picked up her hat trick during the 56th minute.
Torres found space in the box with her right foot and curled a beauty over the keeper to restore Raymondville’s three-goal advantage after Rio Hondo pulled back a goal to make it 4-2.
Raymondville went up 4-1 shortly after the restart through Sanchez. The forward helped create many chances in the first half and was rewarded with the eventual match winner.
“All year long, we have been able to score goals,” Delgado said. “We knew up front we have the girls to do it. All these girls are ready to play, and they put in those goals for us.”
A Rio Hondo own goal made it 3-1 in favor of the Bearkats midway through the first half. The Bobcats threatened on the break all night. Serena Quinones finished off the counter to make it 2-1.
Torres could have had three goals within the first five minutes. The offside flag kept the goal scorer from the five-minute hat trick, but Torres grabbed two goals following a ferocious start to the match by the Bearkats.
“It was teamwork,” Torres said. “We put in the work, we did it. Great communication from everybody, the passing was great. I think it was amazing. You just have to focus, and this happens.”
The Bearkats had plenty of other opportunities to grab goals, but heroic clearances by the Bobcats’ defenders and saves by goalkeeper Cody Tamez kept Rio Hondo in the match.
Raymondville faces the winner of Beeville Jones and North Mission IDEA in the area round.