Ayloni Garcia makes her presence known on and off the field for the McAllen Rowe girls soccer team.
On the field, head coach John Martinez said she’s a pit bull.
Off the field, teammates and coaches can hear her 10-speed Ford Mustang coming “from a mile away,” Garcia said.
“And I want to make it louder,” said the former mini-drag racer, whose dad also competes on the drag strip.
Garcia, a junior, was one of the loudest players on the field this week for the Warriors as they compiled a 4-0 record during the Mcallen ISD Girls Soccer Showcase, a three-day event hosted by the three McAllen ISD high schools. She is part of what Martinez calls his “Five-fecta,” which also includes senior Esperanza Cantu, juniors Mia Mata and Abby Rocha and sophomore Camila Gil.
Gil and Garcia were named The Monitor’s All-Area Girls Soccer Newcomers of the Year the past two years. Gil won the distinction last season while Garcia earned it the year before.
Garcia, however, had to sit out last year after transferring from Mission High, following the UIL’s 365-day rule. She said it was extremely difficult to watch her team play.
“I have a hard time not playing, even when I’m watching any game,” she said. “So it was bad last year with all the COVID and everything else. I was working out at the parks even though I wasn’t playing. I love this game, ever since I was a little girl. I want to be in the game.”
Garcia scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over San Antonio Taft with couple of minutes remaining. She took the rebound off the left post following on a penalty kick and knocked it in. She ended with three goals and three assists during the showcase. Mata led the Warriors with five goals and Gil dished out seven assists.
“They have played beyond my expectations,” Martinez said. “Going into this tournament, we had a few girls out so we had to make some changes, even tactical ones. We had six girls playing different positions — those four (Garcia, Gil, Mata and Rocha) with Esperanza on top. We have some other girls who were making overlapping runs and working hard and they are as much a part of the team’s success. It’s a special group. They make my job easier.”
With two top newcomers and one of the top Valley forces in Mata and Martinez, the Warriors have high expectations this year. Those expectations start at practice, and Martinez likes what he sees there, ever since last year.
“We were playing a short-sided game, on a short field and Mia would play a ball and continue to run, then play a ball and keep sprinting. She was sprinting for 45 seconds or more and I stopped practice,” Martinez said. “I said, ‘Mia,’ and she looked at me like saying, ‘What did I do wrong?’ And I told the team that this is how you practice, the way Mia is. This is what is going to get us farther in the playoffs.”
With Garcia’s return and Gil’s second year (she scored 37 goals as a freshman last year), the competition on the field is as, or more, intense than ever.
“Everything starts at practice and they bring it full speed,” Martinez said. “Ayloni has raised that level. The girls don’t want to give her a bad pass. Her presence is made known out there and once she gets going, she’s special.
“She and Mia take it personal if you beat them on a play. They don’t like it. They won’t do anything dirty but they’ll let you know to not do that again. I’m glad they’re on our team.”
Garcia echoed her coach’s stance regarding Mata.
“At my previous school I didn’t have anyone who really loved to play,” Garcia said. “Mia is just different. She sets everything aside and gives her all in the field on every play, the entire time. She really loves this sport, too.”
“We all knew the teams coming down were going to be thinking, ‘Oh, it’s just the Valley. How much can they have?’ And we took it to heart and gave it our all.”
Perennial powerhouse and defending District 31-5A champion McAllen High went 3-1 during the event, defeating Corpus Christi Calallen, San Antonio Warren and Corpus Christi Veterans. The Bulldogs’ one loss came to Class 6A power San Antonio O’Connor.
Gabriela Gonzalez led McHi with four goals, while Briana Claudio and Haley Nixon each added three. Savannah Ruiz scored twice against Calallen and Juliana Millen scored once.
Martinez was quick to point out however, the perfect weekend record against staunch opponents does not serve notice that there’s a new sheriff in town.
“I think McHi has the past few trophies, so that target is still, rightly so, on them,” he said. “I’d rather fly under the radar.”