By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

The District 32-6A season is heading into extra innings.

Results from the final day of the district season yielded a three-way tie between Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Hanna and Harlingen High.

The trio is deadlocked with a 7-7 record thanks to an eventful conclusion to the season that was made possible by Hanna’s somewhat unexpected win over Los Fresnos.

The Lady Falcons had just two blemishes on their district record — a pair of losses to the San Benito Lady Greyhounds — prior to Friday’s contest against the Lady Eagles. And the last time the teams met, Los Fresnos won 6-2 at Hanna.

After Cassie Abrego hit a game-tying home run during the sixth inning, the Lady Eagles scored five runs during an extra-inning battle and picked up a road win to save their season.

The three-team tie will be resolved via a pair of games.

First, Hanna will play host to Harlingen High at 7 p.m. Monday. The winner will advance to play Brownsville Veterans in a game that will decide which squad will be the district’s final representative in the postseason

If Hanna defeats Harlingen High, the Lady Eagles will play host to Brownsville Veterans at 7 p.m. Tuesday. If Harlingen High wins, it will face the Lady Chargers at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Brownsville.

For Brownsville Veterans, it’s season-changing win came April 17 against Harlingen High at home. The Lady Chargers scored the winning run during the bottom of the seventh inning on a wild pitch to even their record with the Lady Cardinals with two games remaining for each team.

Brownsville Veterans split its final two games, losing Tuesday to Los Fresnos and winning Friday against Lopez.

Harlingen High also split its games during the final week. The Lady Cardinals defeated Lopez on Tuesday and lost to Harlingen South on Friday.

Elsewhere in the Metro area, Porter finished its District 32-5A season with a 10-4 record. The Cowgirls finished tied for second place with PSJA High but won a coin flip to secure the No. 2 seed.

In District 32-4A, the Port Isabel Lady Tarpons closed out their regular season with a 12-2 record following an 8-1 victory over La Feria on Friday. P.I. lost its coin flip with Rio Hondo and will be the No. 2 seed in the bi-district round.

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

LOS FRESNOS — The District 32-6A season ended on a high note for the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles.

With their game against the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons tied at four runs apiece after seven innings, the Lady Eagles piled on five runs during the top of the eighth. The barrage earned Hanna a 9-5 victory Friday.

Britany Rey and Itxel Martinez each led off the extra inning with singles, and Cassie Abrego, who had three hits in the game, drove in Rey for the go-ahead run with a single to right field.

A throwing error by Los Fresnos shortstop Maya Guevara on a ground ball by Salome McManus allowed Martinez to score the game-winning run from third.

“I just feel fantastic for (the team),” Hanna coach Rey Lerma said. “They’re the ones that went out and did it, so I’m very happy. They stayed together as a team.”

The Lady Eagles continued their aggressive approach at the plate against Marisela Gaytan, who replaced Vivikah Pesina on the mound during the sixth inning.

Three additional Hanna players — Abrego, McManus and Lauren Rivera — scored to give the Lady Eagles a 9-4 lead.

“We were wanting to make good, solid contact,” Lerma said. “We just wanted to put the ball in play. We just felt that if we made them make plays, that it was to our advantage.”

The Lady Falcons attempted to respond during the bottom half of the inning. After the first two batters were retired, Samantha Padilla was hit by a pitch and scored a run after Marisela Gaytan popped up to shallow center field. The popup induced a collision and was dropped by a trio of Hanna players.

Amber Dutton then drew a walk and Pesina was hit by a pitch. Guevara stepped to the plate representing the tying run but popped up to foul territory to end the game.

“Maybe it was a blessing in disguise,” Los Fresnos coach Traci Blackman said. “We’re starting playoffs, so maybe we’ll get all that out and get back to reality.

“They played a great game, Juliette pitched a great game, they hit the ball well and we left too many runners on base. We had a couple errors and it cost us runs, and you just can’t play like that.”

Los Fresnos took an early lead during the first inning. Guevara reached base via a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Victoria Loa. The bunt was fielded, thrown to first for the out and then thrown to third, but Guevara scored following an errant throw.

Hanna gained the lead during the third inning when McManus, Sabrina Fernandez and Sammy Ibarra each scored to give the Lady Eagles a 3-1 lead.

The home team regained the lead after Vicky Rodriguez scored one run during the fourth, and Pesina and Guevara added a pair in the fifth to give their team a 4-3 edge.

However, with the game winding down, Abrego delivered the first of her two big hits on the night. With one out in the sixth, she tied the game on a long solo home run to left-center field. The tying run eventually forced extra innings, where she tied the game with an RBI-single.

The win moved Hanna, now with a 7-7 district record, into a three-way tie for fourth place in 32-6A with Harlingen High and Brownsville Veterans Memorial. The tiebreaker format has yet to be determined.

Los Fresnos finished with an 11-3 district record and is in sole possession of second place.

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

When Karina Gonzalez decided to play softball in college, it did not come as a surprise to those who have seen her play.

The Los Fresnos third baseman signed Tuesday to play softball at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, where she will fight for a starting spot on the team.

She’ll pursue a degree in elementary education.

The school competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

“I did more research, and the more I looked into it the more interested I became,” Gonzalez said. “I know it’s my freshman season, but I’m going to put in a lot of work and whatever happens, happens.”

The senior has played varsity softball since her freshman year and has developed into a formidable player.

“(Gonzalez) is very capable of playing any position on the field,” coach Traci Blackman said. “For me, I liked her at third base because she’s very aggressive and quick. She has a great glove and a great arm.

“Playing third base in softball is not easy. You play closer up because you have to field the bunt, but at the same time you have to be ready for a line drive to come at your face. (Gonzalez) has no fear. She does whatever she can to make the play. I strongly believe that she’s the best third baseman in the Valley.”

Gonzalez is a member of a Los Fresnos team that ranks No. 2 in District 32-6A and is gearing up for the postseason. She has been an integral part of her team’s success, something Blackman came to realize when she first saw Gonzalez play.

“When (I) first came here, (Gonzalez) was not in our softball class,” Blackman said. “She had a schedule conflict that wouldn’t allow her to get into the class until the spring semester.

“All we kept hearing was how good this girl was. I’m one of these people that I have to see it to believe it, and boy was I happy when I saw it.”

If Gonzalez continues with the same drive she has displayed as a member of the Los Fresnos team, Graceland recruiter and assistant football coach Isaac Martinez believes she’ll make an impact.

“(The softball coach is) a great woman, she loves softball, she loves Graceland and she cares about her athletes,” said Martinez, a Los Fresnos alumnus. “If she puts the work in and if she puts in the effort and if she commits herself, she’ll fit in just right. She’ll not only make it, but she’ll thrive and flourish.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

Jose Lerma fits the mold of a player whose work ethic has earned him the opportunity to continue his passion.

The Los Fresnos defensive back signed to play football at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, where he will likely play strong safety or linebacker.

He will pursue a degree in criminal justice.

The school competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

“A couple weeks ago I really started to think about it, and I decided that it was the school for me,” Lerma said. “It means a lot (to play in college),because it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I’ve been working all my life.”

Still a member of the junior varsity team as recently as his junior year, Lerma worked his way into a starting role on the varsity squad. His effort has since paid dividends.

“A lot of kids that start as a junior on JV quit because they think they’re entitled to be somewhere,” Los Fresnos coach Clint Finley said, “but I never heard one peep, I never heard one complaint. (Lerma) put his nose down and went to work. And next thing you know, he’s my starting (strong side linebacker) on varsity.”

The senior was a member of a Falcons team that reached the regional quarterfinal this season after winning a co-district championship in 32-6A.

“When I think of Jose Lerma, I think of consistency and hard work ethic,” Finley said. “He fits the picture of what we ask for in a Los Fresnos Falcon.

“He started off doing a great job for us. You never had to worry about his effort. He gave it everything he had. Attitude and effort, those are the two things we ask for at Los Fresnos.”

While at Graceland, Lerma realizes it will take the same level of hard work and dedication to make the squad his first year, but based on what recruiter and assistant linebackers coach Isaac Martinez has seen, he likes his chances to make an impact.

“When I first got the call about Jose, they said ‘He’s a kid that has ‘it”. He just knows how to get the job done,” said Martinez, a Los Fresnos alumnus. “No matter what it is, he may not be the biggest, the strongest or the fastest, but he just finds a way to get it done, and that’s something I came to appreciate.”

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

LOS FRESNOS — The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers entered Tuesday’s game against the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons in search of a win to ease their playoff berth concerns.

However, a pair of late errors by the Lady Chargers blemished what had been a scoreless pitchers’ duel for five innings, and Los Fresnos took advantage of the miscues to earn a 2-0 victory.

“I think defensively we played a great game,” Los Fresnos coach Traci Blackman said. “We put the ball in play, we didn’t have any strikeouts and that’s all we can ask them to do, is put the ball in play and see what happens.

“In this game sometimes it’s whoever makes the most errors, and we capitalized on those things and we were able to pull out the win. But it was a close game, and their pitcher pitched a great game.”

Maya Guevara scored the winning run during the bottom of the fifth inning. She reached first base on a single to center field and advanced to second on a ground ball by Victoria Loa.

With two outs, Guevara stole third, and when the throw by catcher Harley Morales trickled into left field, Guevara ran home to give Los Fresnos a 1-0 lead.

During the sixth inning, Samantha Padilla gave the Lady Falcons an insurance run. After making it to first on a fielder’s choice, she scored when Dori Alcalde hit a hard ground ball that went under shortstop Rheanna Gomez’s legs, resulting in a two-base error.

“When you play a really elite team like Los Fresnos or any elite team, you have to minimize your mistakes,” Brownsville Veterans coach Ray Cardenas said, “and we made a few key mistakes in the late innings and they came back and they got us.

“But I’m proud of the way these girls fought. To come here where there’s a lot of history and tradition, we knew it was going to be a tough place to win and a tough environment, but I’m proud of my girls. They fought and they played hard, and I really couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Sarah Sandoval reached first with one out in the seventh inning to bring the tying run to the plate for Brownsville Veterans. Darlena Galvan grounded into a fielder’s choice, and again the tying run was up to bat.

Kiwi Silva hit a ground ball to second base, and Loa stepped on the bag for the forceout of Galvan, and the Lady Falcons extended their District 32-6A record to 11-2. The Lady Chargers fell to 6-7. Each team will play its final game of the regular season Friday.

“They needed this win, and we wanted to stay on the winning side going into the playoffs,” Blackman said. “Overall I thought it was a good game.”

For the first five innings, the teams were locked in a pitchers’ duel. The few runners that did make it into scoring position failed to score.

Gomez led off the game with a single and quickly made it to second when Cassie Valdez advanced her on a ground ball. But when Thalia Perez hit a ground ball to the shortstop, Gomez took off for third but fell victim to a 6-3-5 double play to end the inning.

The only other time the Lady Chargers were in scoring position was when Sandoval led off the second with a double. However, she was stranded when the next three batters were retired in order.

The Lady Falcons’ best scoring chance aside from the two runs they tallied came during the second. Alcalde reached first on a fielder’s choice and, after Marisela Gaytan hit a double down the right field line, she took off for home.

However, Gigi Richeson corralled the ball and tossed it to Lydia Fernandez, who fired it home to Morales to get the tag on Alcalde to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

Rivera’s Julissa Rostro has made the most of her senior season on the court.

For the first time in her time as a Raiders tennis player, Rostro is set to represent the Metro-area in the Region IV-6A tennis tournament today at McFarlin Tennis Center in San Antonio.

“I’m very proud of her,” Rivera coach Danny Espinosa said. “She’s set the standard on work ethic for how much work it takes to be successful in this game.”

Rostro, a senior, earned a spot in the regional by winning the District 32-6A singles tournament April 9. She’ll begin her trip through the single-elimination tournament at 8:30 a.m. today against Beatriz Benavides from Laredo Alexander.

“I expect to do my best,” Rostro said. “It feels good to represent Rivera.”

Espinosa agreed, and said he hopes she’ll make the most of her opportunity.

“I expect her to go a couple rounds,” her coach added. “She’s as prepared as she can be. We’ve been working on simple drills trying to add power to her attack.”

Earning a spot in the tournament comes as a result of playing tennis year-round. When she’s not competing and practicing in either the team tennis season or the individual tennis season for Rivera, she plays in monthly tournaments hosted by the United States Tennis Association. In August 2014, she reached the championship level — the second of three tiers — after accumulating enough points.

Rostro attributes a portion of her success to playing frequently.

“I’m constantly playing in tournaments,” she said. “I play in tournaments in and out of school.”

If she’s going to perform well in the regional tournament, she admits consistency will be a factor. And her coach thinks if she plays her game and implements the things she’s been working on, she’ll be effective.

“She’s got the ability to stay on the baseline and keep the ball in play consistently, and she can move into more of an attack position,” Espinosa said.

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

With the District 32-6A season winding down, each game holds added weight for teams in the hunt for a spot in the postseason.

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers are among the teams that need favorable outcomes down the stretch. Entering Friday’s game against Harlingen High, the Lady Chargers trailed the Lady Cardinals by one game.

Brownsville Veterans can thank timely hitting and fortuitous bounces for giving it a chance to play meaningful games during the final week of the season. During the bottom of the seventh inning, a pair of hits from the bottom of the Lady Chargers’ batting order, an RBI double by freshman Cassie Valdez and a wild pitch by Harlingen High’s pitcher may have saved their season.

“I truly believed we were going to win that game no matter what,” Brownsville Veterans coach Ray Cardenas said. “I knew we were going to find a way. We were hitting balls right at them, but I knew that sooner or later we were going to have the fortune to get a few hits together.”

Following the completion of the contest, Brownsville Veterans owned a 6-6 district record, tying them with the Lady Cardinals.

Later that evening, Cardenas and his team had their eyes on another important game: Hanna-Harlingen South.

The game that went 10 innings and ended with the Lady Hawks grabbing a 3-2 win over the Lady Eagles mildly cleared the playoff picture.

With the loss, Hanna dropped to 5-7 in district and Harlingen South improved to 7-5, preventing a potential four-team tie to start the final week.

For the two teams at 6-6 — Brownsville Veterans and Harlingen High — their remaining two games could decide whether they will play beyond the regular season.

Brownsville Veterans takes on Los Fresnos at 7 p.m. tonight in Los Fresnos and plays Lopez at 7 p.m. Friday at Lopez.

Harlingen High plays host to Lopez at 7 p.m. tonight and takes on Harlingen South at 7 p.m. Friday at South.

ROOM TO SPARE

With two games remaining in the District 32-6A season, the San Benito Lady Greyhounds secured the No. 1 seed in the postseason with a 17-0 win over Lopez on Friday.

The Lady Greyhounds boast a 12-0 district record and are next trailed by Los Fresnos, which sits at 10-2. Though it is possible for the Lady Falcons to tie San Benito’s record during the final week and share the district title, the Lady Greyhounds own the tiebreaker for playoff seeding by sweeping the season series with a 4-1 win March 10 and a 4-0 victory April 7.

CONTINUING THE DREAM

Los Fresnos Lady Falcons third baseman and pitcher Karina Gonzalez will be furthering her softball career after graduation.

The senior is scheduled to sign a letter of intent to attend Graceland University in Iowa to play softball. The ceremony is set to take place at 2 p.m. today at the Los Fresnos lecture hall.

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

The relationship between a pitcher and catcher is among the most unique in sports. The teamwork required to execute a game plan takes an immense amount of trust and experience.

For the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers, their current pitcher-catcher tandem is in its infancy. Freshman pitcher Cassie Valdez and freshman catcher Harley Morales join junior pitcher Sarah Sandoval, and the trio is working to become one of the more formidable groups in the Rio Grande Valley.

Morales is the anchor behind the plate, balancing the two-player pitching staff and learning along the way. She’s been catching since she was in seventh grade and is still developing her craft of calling pitches.

“I had to work hard because I haven’t been catching for a long time,” Morales said, “so I had to work from the bottom and work all summer to get where I am right now.”

Her coach, Ray Cardenas, agrees with his catcher, who owns a .382 batting average to accompany a .488 on-base percentage and a .605 slugging percentage. In the field, she’s registered 145 outs, nine assists and zero errors.

“She’s a great player and has great instincts,” Cardenas said. “And the part that amazes me is that, for a person who’s learning that position, she’s able to get the respect of the pitchers and their trust. They believe she’s going to make every stop, they believe that every pitch called is the one that’s going to get the out they need. It’s just amazing that a girl this young can command the respect of Sarah, who’s accomplished a lot, and the freshman phenom.”

The phenom he’s referring to is Valdez, the young pitcher who is both a threat at the plate and on the mound. She’s worked to become a formidable force on the Lady Chargers’ squad.

“It’s been a little tough because people think, ‘She’s just a freshman, we don’t expect much from her,’” Valdez said, “but I’ve been really working hard to prove them wrong.”

Valdez owns a .372 batting average, .449 on-base percentage and a .605 slugging percentage so far in district. Those numbers complement a 3.16 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and 47 strikeouts from the mound in six starts.

“She’s learning what it means to be successful at this level, and she’s learning extremely quick,” Cardenas said. “She pitched in the scrimmages and in the non-district games. She’d pitch well and then she’d get into trouble, and she learned what she needed to do and what needed to happen.

“Now since we’ve been in district, she could be ranked up there with some of the best pitchers in the Valley, in my opinion, with Crystal (Castillo of San Benito) and with the (pitcher from Edinburg North).”

The freshman pair is fortunate to have a veteran like Sandoval to model their approach after. The junior leads the team with a 1.46 district ERA and a 1.07 WHIP to go with 40 strikeouts. From the plate, she’s got a .250 batting average, a .467 on-base percentage and a .344 slugging percentage.

“She’s the rock, she’s the leader of this team,” Cardenas said. “She’s played in so many big games before, and she’s a winner at everything she does. She’s one of the leaders on the volleyball team, she’s one of the leaders on the basketball team and we needed that here.

“She’s shown a lot of growth, and the maturity in her has grown a lot in the last couple of weeks. All the players respecter her, and she leads by example.”

The Lady Chargers own a 6-6 record in District 32-6A and are in a battle for a playoff spot.

Playing competitive softball is somewhat of new feeling under Cardenas, who is in his first year with the Lady Chargers.

“(This season) is different compared to the last two years that I’ve been here,” Sandoval said. “Since we got more girls with more experience and we got a new coach, it’s just a whole new program.

“Most people expect us to roll over during the games, but it’s not like that anymore. We’re not the same team we were in past years, we’re different now.”

Cardenas, formerly a coach at Los Fresnos, returned to coaching this season after spending some time away from the game. Upon his return to the dugout, he’s happy with the direction his program is headed.

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

With the season rapidly winding down, the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers drastically brightened their playoff picture with a 3-2 win over the Harlingen High Lady Cardinals on Friday in Brownsville.

The Lady Chargers (6-6 in District 32-6A) pulled off a walkoff victory after trailing 2-1 to Harlingen High (6-6 in district) when they were down to their final three outs as they began the seventh inning.

The bottom of the order was due up for Brownsville Veterans with Kiwi Silva leading off. She popped up to third base for the first out of the seventh, giving way to Gigi Richeson.

After falling behind in the count with zero balls and two strikes, Richeson hit her second single of the game: a line drive up the middle.

Lydia Fernandez was next up, representing the winning run. She hit an infield single to the shortstop that put Richeson in scoring position.

“We have a lot of faith with the bottom of our order,” Brownsville Veterans coach Ray Cardenas said. “They’ve been producing actually a little bit more than the top of our lineup has. It was ironic that it ended with the last three batters, because those are the ones we have the most faith in.”

With two on and one out, Rheanna Gomez hit a long fly ball to left that was caught, holding the runners in position.

Down to their final batter, pitcher Cassie Valdez tied the game on a long double down the left-field line that scored Richeson and advanced Fernandez to third.

With the winning run 90 feet away, Harlingen High pitcher Torrie Parra let a ball get away from her. As the ball bounced to the backstop, Fernandez crossed home plate for a walkoff victory.

“I truly believed we were going to win that game no matter what,” Cardenas said. “I knew we were going to find a way. We were hitting balls right at them, but I knew that sooner or later we were going to have the fortune to get a few hits together.

“It was unfortunate for them that it was a passed ball, but if you keep working things happen for a reason. I had faith in that last inning we would pull it out.”

In a game that was filled with miscues by the Lady Cardinals, coach Lance White was not pleased with the outcome.

“We made a lot of errors, and that’s what cost us,” White said.

Two errors in particular accounted for Lady Chargers’ first run.

When Richeson reached on a single in the fifth, a throwing error by Lady Cardinals catcher Kim Martinez allowed her to reach third base. One out later, Valdez hit a ground ball that was bobbled by shortstop Zelda Ortiz, and everyone was safe, including Richeson at home.

The run came one inning after the Lady Chargers surrendered a pair of scores to Harlingen High. Martinez led off with a walk in the fourth, and Parra hit a single two batters later to drive her in. Two batters after that, Alyssa Salinas tried to stretch a single into a double, but nevertheless scored Parra.

For most of the game, Parra pitched efficiently. During the five innings when Brownsville Veterans did not score runs, Parra allowed just three hits and recorded 10 strikeouts.

Adam Kujawskicovers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.

By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer

The regional boys golf tournaments concluded Tuesday, and members of four Metro-area schools competed.

Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Hanna competed as a team, and Adrian Saenz and Tyler Francis represented Porter and Port Isabel, respectively.

A Hanna Eagles team that comprises Ruben Samaniego, Santiago Garcia, Alex Cortez, J.P. Quijano and Austin O’Brien shot a 329 on Monday and a 331 on Tuesday. The score placed them sixth out of 16 teams. It’s not the score for which Hanna coach Adrian Garcia had hoped, but given his team’s unfamiliarity with Cedar Creek Golf Course in San Antonio he’s pleased.

“It was a rough one,” Garcia said. “They hit the ball good from tee to green, but the putting is what hurt them.

“We had a good year,” he added. “We’ve got two freshmen, two juniors and one senior. We placed second in the Border Olympics and second in the district. We’ll be top two or three in the (Rio Grande) Valley next year.”

The Brownsville Veterans team of seniors Rich Tarpey, Ivan Gonzalez and Ricky Shwartz as well as sophomores Kevin Gomez and Manolo Alvarez finished in ninth place after shooting 333-334.

“Overall as a team, we could have done better,” Brownsville Veterans coach Jose Zarate said, “but I’m real proud of what we did this year. I’m super proud of what they accomplished. They set the bar for future teams (at Brownsville Veterans).”

In the individual competition, Porter’s Saenz was competing in his fourth regional tournament, and after posting an 80 during his first round Monday, he rebounded with a 74 on Tuesday, his best round at a regional tournament. The six-stroke improvement moved him from 38th place (out of 94 competitors) to 18th place after his second round.

“I think his head was in it a little bit more today, he was more relaxed,” Porter coach Jose Saenz said.

Saenz added that his senior has demonstrated consistent growth as a golfer since he was a freshman and was pleased with his mentality at the regional tournament.

Port Isabel sent freshman Tyler Francis to the Class 4A regional tournament in Corpus Christi. Francis shot a 101 during the first round but did not get a chance to improve because the tournament was cut short due to rain early Tuesday.

“I think he had some jitters,” Port Isabel coach Craig Smith said. “He was looking forward to playing (Tuesday) because he was a lot more comfortable.”

Francis had posted rounds in the 80s at times this year, and Smith thinks now that he’s got experience playing in the district and regional tournaments, he’ll only get better in the future.

Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.