BROWNSVILLE — It was going to be a daunting task for teams in District 32-5A to compete with reigning District 32-6A champion Harlingen South.
The Hawks moved a step closer to the District 32-5A title Saturday with a 10-0 win against Brownsville Lopez at Lopez. Harlingen South is undefeated in district at 7-0.
Harlingen South already defeated Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Brownsville Porter early in the season. The Chargers are second in the district and the Cowboys are third. There are only two matches left in district play.
“It does not matter who we play, we focus on ourselves and what we can do better,” South head tennis coach Ernesto Escamilla said. “If we play a good team, we approach it the same way as if we were playing against team that was not as competitive because we have a lot of things to work on.”
The match against Brownsville Lopez was quick because the Lobos were short-handed on the day. Only six matches were played. Harlingen South won all six of them and the rest by forfeit.
“We are taking it one match at a time,” Escamilla said. “We are just focused on what is controllable, which is our effort, our focus and our attitude. We have to eliminate distractions and focus on the task at hand.”
With district almost finished, playoffs are on the horizon. The Hawks made it to the area round of the playoffs in Class 6A last season.
“I am real proud of the work our kids have done from the summer to our first day of practice,” Escamilla said. “We have a united team, a team that cares about the tradition of excellence at Harlingen South, academically and athletically. Every team is different every year and people have sacrificed a lot to put this program in a good position.”
Harlingen South finished off the season with Donna High and Weslaco East.
Harlingen South and Harlingen High meet at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at Harlingen High before the playoffs start.