BROWNSVILLE — Leander Rouse raised eyebrows with their 5-2 victory over Brownsville Lopez Friday night, murmurs all over the Brownsville Sports Park about the quality that came down from Leander.
The Raiders are a talented side and they showed that this weekend in Brownsville.
So are the Sharyland High Rattlers.
Sharyland High took the match to Rouse and came out with a 2-1 come-from-behind win and a Region IV-5A title Saturday at the Brownsville Sports Park.
From the opening whistle, the Rattlers were brave into challenges. They twisted and turned Raiders defenders and played a clean match. Even after going up in the final minutes, the Rattlers were on the front foot.
“I think we were the better team,” Sharyland High head coach Jorge Guerra said. “Not by a lot, Leander Rouse was right there with us. It could have gone either way. We had the chances and put them in.”
Rattlers winger Iker Urueta bagged the match winner eight minutes from time.
The winger cut inside well throughout the match and did the same to move the ball onto his left foot. It was a speculative effort that probably would have found the arms of the Rouse keeper, but a wicked deflection rooted the keeper to his spot and the ball rolled in the back of the net.
“I am very happy because I took it to the next step,” the winger said. “I am just so happy we are going to the state tournament.”
Rattlers midfielder Juan Treviño leveled the match with a header only five minutes after going down. The build-up play to find Treviño’s head was outstanding.
Senior Edward Morales held off his opponent and delivered a perfect pass to Jose Sanchez on the wing. Sanchez fired in a beautiful cross with pace. All the Raiders could do was watch as Treviño steered his header into the gaping opening at the back post.
“I knew he was going to put a cross in, so I just tried to get my head on it,” he said. “Fortunately, I got the goal.”
Leander Rouse took the lead 15 minutes into the second half when senior Brendon Fournier looped a header over Rattlers keeper Luis Chavez. Fournier was terrific in the midfield. The senior glided with the ball at his feet and looked just as good off the ball.
Both teams had moments where they possessed the ball with intent to carve out chances. A Chavez save denied the Raiders of a goal and the edge of the cross bar and post kept out Sharyland High in the final minutes of the first half.
Sharyland High says goodbye to the Brownsville Sports Park after winning three-straight matches on the Sports Park’s pitch. The Rattlers now head to Georgetown where they are set to play Thursday in the Class 5A state semifinal. If the Rattlers win Thursday they play in the state championship Saturday.
Sharyland High previously won a state championship in the 2011-2012 season.