GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

PROGRESO — Progreso High School soccer player Juan Puentes does his best to steer clear of the issues surrounding the Progreso ISD school board. But as much as he tries to focus on only academics and athletics, it’s impossible to not hear the rumblings in the halls or on the news. Talk of litigation, accreditation, bribery and corruption.

This week, Puentes hopes to help lift the community above all of that, if only for a short while. For the first time in school history, Puentes and the Red Ants soccer team have qualified for the UIL Class 4A state tournament. Progreso faces Argyle at 6:30 p.m. tonight in Georgetown.

“I think we’re helping, because we’re putting the Progreso name up high,” Puentes said. “We’re trying to get the community to forget about what’s happening with the school board. We want people not just here, but around the state, to know who we are and how strong we are as a team.”

The Progreso school district remains locked in a prolonged legal battle as the current board of trustees attempts to block the Texas Education Agency from instituting a state-run board of managers.

The TEA held a nearly two-year-long investigation into the district in connection with corruption and bribery charges dating back to 2013 involving four members of the influential Vela family. As part of their findings, the TEA announced a decision to lower the district’s accreditation status to Accredited-Warned.

“In the past three years, all we hear is negative stuff about the school district,” Progreso football coach Tom Salazar said. “I think it’s great that somebody from our athletic department is putting our name in the newspaper and throughout the state in a positive way.”

Salazar said the concerns had minimal affect on Progreso’s athletics programs, but Progreso ISD Superintendent Martin Cuellar said he was sure the entire community felt the trickle-down effects.

Progreso school board president Victor Ramos, who knows some of the soccer players from his days working within the district, told them to try to disregard the issues unfolding around them.

“I said, ‘Don’t’ worry what’s going on,’” Ramos said. “Of course we have the media and this deal with TEA. I told the teachers as well. ‘This is our responsibility. We’ll take care of that. You guys take care of doing good academically wise, and representing the district.’ That’s what these students, and these coaches, and everybody has done in this community.”

Ramos said having some success in athletics makes blocking out the negatives a little bit easier. He also noted the efforts the school board has undergone to regain the community’s trust: things like hosting fundraisers and tailgating for every football game.

Cuellar spoke at the team’s pep rally on Monday at Red Ant Stadium, addressing the crowd that more than half-filled the home stands. He was followed by performances from the Progreso band and cheerleaders and messages from coach Margarito Jimenez, his assistants, and the team captains.

“This generates some buzz, most definitely. Right now, it’s the talk of the town,” Cuellar said. “It raises the overall school climate. The morale of the school and the staff. The community and the district are being portrayed and displayed in a positive manner.”

Salazar said that soccer specifically is an integral part of the Progreso community. On his drive home each day, he regularly sees children playing in their neighborhoods. Puentes remembers discovering the game in sixth grade, when a group of friends invited him to play at Progreso City Park.

The fan support for the Red Ants hasn’t always matched the community interest in the sport, but Salazar said Progreso’s home regional quarterfinal matchup last week against La Vernia was the best turnout he’s ever seen for a soccer game.

Jimenez has noticed the upswing in interest since Progreso started having playoff success last season, and he hopes to this week earn a state title and continue serving as a beacon of positivity for a troubled school district.

“I think our community feels that there’s something special going on,” Jimenez said. “We just want to do our best to bring happiness to the community.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

PROGRESO — Progreso senior captain Rogelio Zamora only gets to see his mother once or twice per year. She still lives in Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas — about a three-hour drive south from Brownsville.

Zamora called that area home before relocating to the United States four years ago in search of a better opportunity.

“When she talks to me on the phone, she’s always sad and missing me,” Zamora said. “But she sent me here for a reason.”

When it came time for Zamora to begin high school, his parents wanted him to do so in America. So Zamora’s father brought his son’s immense talent to Progreso, where he quickly became one of the Red Ants’ leading scorers. Now, Zamora is a senior captain on a team that begins play in the UIL Class 4A state tournament against Argyle at 6:30 tonight in Georgetown.

“It’s been kind of hard,” Zamora said. “I miss my family over there in Mexico. But I’ve learned these four years I’ve been here that it’s not too bad. There’s a lot of opportunity here, and I’m going to take advantage of it.”

Zamora first moved to the United States in third grade, quickly distancing himself from soccer. He said the sport was in his blood, but at the time he had no issue putting it on the back burner.

“I started getting more into basketball and football, too,” Zamora said. “I forgot everything about soccer.”

Moving back to Soto la Marina for grades five through eight, Zamora rediscovered his passion and skills for the game. Now, Progreso coach Margarito Jimenez says Zamora’s biggest developments as a player have been his knowledge and maturity.

Zamora joined the varsity team about halfway through his freshman year and has been a fixture ever since.

“He has shown a lot of character,” Jimenez said. “I see it, because when he gets the group together, they listen to him. He’s shown a lot of those leadership skills that we need in a team. Most of the time, we don’t have to tell him what to do.”

Zamora admits he wasn’t always strong in that area. He said the Red Ants had difficulty communicating at the start of the season, but he took it upon himself to facilitate better relationships.

“Now I yell at them, but not for bad things,” Zamora said. “I tell them what to do, what not to do, and they say, ‘OK.’ They take it as a good way. They listen.”

Between the lines, Zamora has been one of the team’s leading scorers for the past three years. This season, he’s found the back of the net a team-best 15 times since the start of district play, exploiting the opposition with dazzling dribble moves and an ability to shoot from all angles.

“He can do basically anything with that ball,” Jimenez said. “He’s a dangerous forward.”

Even so, Jimenez has tinkered with using Zamora at midfielder during the playoffs, recognizing the Red Ants’ depth of talent at forward.

Zamora said he’s found a home in the mid since the third-round game against Rockport-Fulton. Although the position requires more running, passing and controlling the game, Zamora said it’s been an easy transition.

“It’s not tough. I actually like it,” Zamora said. “I have more activity on the field. That’s what I’m pretty good at right now.”

Zamora hopes to put all of those skills on display today, with college coaches and scouts sure to be in attendance. Although nearing the end of his senior year, he remains unsure about his plans for his future.

“I would like to play soccer in college. That’s my first goal,” Zamora said. “Going to state is going to be a really good ticket for us.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

PROGRESO — Progreso coach Margarito Jimenez was teaching at the school for six years before it ever fielded a soccer team. When he finally got one off the ground in 1998, he faced a severe lack of roster numbers typical of any first-year program.

Training camp would start with about 20 players, and by the end of the six-week preseason he’d be left with maybe a dozen.

“It was a struggle,” Jimenez said. “Barely enough to field a team.”

One of those players was Antonio Costante, then a junior goalie and now a third-year assistant coach.

Looking back, Costante said he never imagined that Jimenez would be able to bring the Red Ants program as far as he has. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Progreso will play in its first state tournament, taking on Argyle in Georgetown.

“At that time, it was just dreams,” Costante said. “It was just a dream to play in a big tournament. Now, the kids go out and play in the Boerne Tournament with 5A schools. And not just play, but give them competition. That’s something I never thought of.”

Costante remembers entering a program with Jimenez as the only coach and playing alongside a group of students who were mostly interested in having fun and imitating their favorite professional players.

As the program started to have some success and show promise, more and more players grew interested in taking part.

“You build it through being honest with the kids,” Jimenez said. “Being there every single day, through thick and thin. Good seasons and bad seasons. We’re now seeing the results of the good seeds that we planted a few years ago.”

Before 2015, Progreso endured more bad seasons than good. Because of the way the UIL classified soccer programs, Progreso competed against much larger schools. From 2009-14, the Red Ants were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs four times by teams that are now ranked a classification above Progreso, in 5A. Progreso failed to even make the playoffs the other two seasons, trapped behind bigger, stronger programs including Valley View, Weslaco East and PSJA Southwest.

“We had some down years, because we were playing against the bigger schools,” Jimenez said. “Now that we are playing at the same level, I think we can play with anybody around the state.”

All the while, Jimenez continued to preach an attacking style out of a 4-4-2 formation. Costante still recognizes it now, although he sees that Jimenez has evolved to start utilizing new drills, stealing strategies from professional teams or even taking feedback from his players.

Progreso’s two captains, Juan Puentes and Rogelio Zamora, credit Jimenez for their development. Zamora noted that Jimenez played soccer in college, a path he hopes to follow.

“He’s taught us really good things. A lot of experiences that help us on the field and in life,” Zamora said. “He always tells us that if we have a goal, we have to take it step by step. In the beginning of the season, we weren’t going to rush to state. Our goal was district, and step by step, that has worked for us.”

Added Puentes: “Our coach is amazing. He’s shown me a lot of things. He’s the one that started showing me leadership.”

Jimenez has also pushed many of the right buttons on the field. He moved Puentes from midfielder to stopper and Zamora from forward to midfielder during the playoffs, helping the Red Ants reach their peak as a team. He’s also seen dividends from Fabrizzio Gonzalez’s late-season call-up from junior varsity, as the sophomore scored twice in the regional semifinals.

“I’m very proud of the kids that we have, and this means that we’re doing something right,” Jimenez said.

Formerly an ESL teacher and cross country coach at Progreso, Jimenez took on the role of athletics director three years ago. He said he’s enjoyed the new position, even as it keeps him busy following every team on campus.

His first love and focus has always been soccer, and this week he faces the challenge of preparing the Red Ants for a bigger, stronger, faster Argyle team. He exposed his players to those types of opponents with a preseason tournament in Boerne, so this week is all about jogging their memory.

“Mentally, you have to prepare the kids better,” Jimenez said. “Even though we went to this tournament, we did not see that in the Valley. But I think mentally, they’ll be ready to score.”

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UIL State Tournament

At Birkelbach Field, Georgetown

Wednesday, April 13

4A Girls Semifinal: Salado vs. Jasper, 11 a.m.

4A Girls Semifinals: Kennendale vs. Kilgore, 1:30 p.m.

4A Boys Semifinals: Palestine vs. Kilgore, 4 p.m.

4A Boys Semifinals: Argyle vs. Progreso, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 14

5A Girls Semifinals: College Station vs. Grapevine, 9:30 a.m.

5A Girls Semifinals: Frisco Centennial vs. Cedar Park Vista Ridge, noon

4A Girls Finals: TBD vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m.

5A Boys Semifinals: Frisco Wakeland vs. Pflugerville Connally, 5 p.m.

5A Boys Semifinals: Brownsville Porter vs. El Paso Eastlake, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 15

6A Girls Semifinals: Dallas Highland Park vs. San Antonio MacArthur, 9:30 a.m.

6A Girls Semifinals: Katy Cinco Ranch vs. Lewisville Flour Mound, noon

4A Boys Finals: TBD vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m.

6A Boys Semifinals: Coppell vs. Katy Cinco Ranch, 5 p.m.

6A Boys Semifinals: Austin Lake Travis vs. Brownsville Lopez, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 16

5A Girls Finals: TBD vs. TBD, 11 a.m.

5A Boys Finals: TBD vs. TBD, 1:30 p.m.

6A Girls Finals: TBD vs. TBD, 4 p.m.

6A Boys Finals: TBD vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m.

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Throughout the year, junior Chris Rojas had been pestering coach Margarito Jimenez, yearning for a chance to move to forward.

Playing in his first varsity season, Rojas had been used almost exclusively at midfielder. But with Progreso desperate to find a game-tying goal in the final minutes of Saturday’s Region IV-4A semifinal against Giddings, Jimenez decided to switch to a 3-4-3 formation. In need of an extra forward, he tabbed Rojas for the job.

“All year (Rojas said), ‘Coach, put me forward. Coach, put me forward. I can score. I can score,’” Jimenez said. “I remembered that, and I said ‘Go, do it!’ And he did.”

After Fabrizzio Gonzalez came through with the game-tying goal with 11:03 to play, Rojas provided the game-winning tally. The junior punched in a header from about 10 yards out on a cross with 1:49 remaining, lifting Progreso a 3-2 win.

As a result, the Red Ants advance to the 4A state tournament and will face Argyle at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Birchelbach Field in Georgetown. With a win, Progreso will play in Friday’s state final.

“We needed that one goal,” Jimenez said. “I was hoping that he was the man, and it was him.”

Although playing as a midfielder since the beginning of the season, Rojas always felt he had the offensive skills to fit at forward.

Either way, he said the transition to varsity wasn’t much of an issue for him.

“I was feeling pretty OK,” Rojas said. “I should’ve been there since last year, but I didn’t get to play, because of my grades. Now, I’m here.”

Jimenez describes Rojas as a silent player, the type who simply shows up and performs well.

He’s seen Rojas show a lot more discipline than he did last season, both in terms of passing from the midfield position and in raising his grades enough to crack the varsity roster.

For Rojas, those off-the-field obligations were a bigger challenge than anything on it.

“It was very tough, but I had to focus more on school and less on soccer,” Rojas said. “That’s what got me here.”

At 21-5-2, Progreso is the only team with more than one loss to reach the state semifinals. Argyle is 19-1-2, claiming the Region I championship with a 4-3 win in penalty kicks against Life Oak Cliff on Saturday. Argyle, the District 5-4A champion, also defeated Wylie, Alvarado and Midlothian Heritage during the playoffs by a combined score of 11-2.

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Down two goals in Saturday’s Region IV-4A final, the Progreso boys soccer team thought back to a preseason game against Valley View. Facing one of the Valley’s best teams, the Red Ants had clawed back from three scores down to earn a draw in the final minute.

“We had a feeling we were going to do the same thing,” senior Rogelio Zamora said, “or even better.”

Progreso indeed had another comeback in reserve, scoring twice in the final 12 minutes to earn a 3-2 win against Giddings at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The victory advances the Red Ants to the state tournament for the first time in the program’s 18-year history. Progreso will play in the 4A state semifinals on Wednesday at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown.

“It’s really incredible emotion,” Progreso coach Margarito Jimenez said. “It’s a reward for the hard work and dedication that these kids have day in and day out. You cannot measure their heart. You cannot measure their character. They’re just outstanding kids.”

Trailing 2-1 with less than 12 minutes to play, Progreso sent a crossing pass into the box. The feed rolled past a number of potential attackers and defenders before finding Fabrizzio Gonzalez on the far side of the net. From only about 10 yards away, Gonzalez buried the tying strike.

The game appeared headed to overtime before Chris Rojas finished another cross via header with 1:49 to play.

“I just saw it coming, and I was already expecting that goal,” Rojas said. “I was unmarked, so I couldn’t be stopped.”

Rojas sprinted to the sideline to celebrate with his teammates, many of whom came bounding off the bench to embrace Rojas and the rest of the starters.

“I cried,” Zamora said. “All of the stadium came behind us. All of our family, our friends came to our heart, and we believed in ourselves.”

That faith was tested early, as Giddings jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the first half on goals by Sergio Medina and Jesse Portales at 20:39 and 16:56, respectively.

Jimenez saw that his team was somewhat overconfident after picking up an 8-1 win against Gonzales in Friday’s regional semifinal.

“We reminded them that this was not going to be an easy game, and it showed,” Jimenez said.

The two scores came on the Giddings’ first two shots, as the Red Ants had controlled possession and peppered the Buffaloes goal with try after try. Progreso had racked up seven shots to that point in the game, as Zamora needed just 30 seconds to put his first attempt of the game off the crossbar.

“It was frustrating for me, because I had chances,” Zamora said. “But in this team, it’s not only our forwards who can score.”

Gonzalez said his teammates never lost their focus, and Hector Avila brought the Red Ants within one on a strike from 30 yards out with 3:37 to play during the opening period.

In the second half, Jimenez switched to a more aggressive 3-4-3 formation in search of an equalizer. Even playing against the wind, Progreso continued to control possession, setting up the eventual breakthrough.

“We were feeling down, but like coach always says, we have to keep on going until the game is finished,” Rojas said. “We did not give up, we kept on fighting, and that’s why we won.”

Rojas said he’d never been so excited, and a large and vocal group of Progreso friends, family and fans seemed to share his joy.

After the Red Ants’ win became final, many of those in attendance came down onto the pitch, congratulating the players and coaches or posing for photos, ignoring the public address announcer asking them to clear the field so the girls regional final could begin.

The Red Ants enter the state tournament this week having outscored their opponents 25-3 through five playoff games.

“We’re going hard,” Zamora said. “It’s our first time, and we’re not going to let it go.”

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VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Class 6A Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 8

Brownsville Lopez 3, Schertz Clemens 2

Class 5A Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 8

Brownsville Porter 4, Alamo Heights 1

Brownsville Pace 2, Vandegrift 1

Class 4A Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 8

Giddings 1, Hidalgo 0, PKs

Progreso 8, Gonzales 1

Class 6A Regional Finals

Saturday, April 9

Brownsville Lopez 1, San Antonio Reagan 0

Class 5A Regional Finals

Saturday, April 9

Porter 2, Pace 1, OT

Class 4A Regional Finals

Saturday, April 9

Progreso 3, Giddings 2

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Class 6A Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 8

San Antonio O’Connor 2, Los Fresnos 0

Class 5A Regional Semifinals

Friday, April 8

Vista Ridge 4, Sharyland High 2

Vandegrift 5, Sharyland Pioneer 0

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — Entering the Region IV-5A semifinals, Sharyland Pioneer had allowed just two goals in regulation all season. On Friday, Vandegrift found the back of the net three times in less than 14 minutes.

The Lady Vipers scored three early goals, all off corner kicks, and went on to cruise past the Lady Diamondbacks 5-0 at Cabaniss Field.

“When you go up against a team that has that type of speed, that type of skill and is able to maneuver around you on a wide field like this, we’re not used to it,” Pioneer coach J.J. Lopez said. “They certainly looked a lot more comfortable than we did.”

Vandegrift is the defending regional champion, looking to make another run after reaching the state final last season. The Lady Vipers have outscored their four playoff opponents by a combined 13-0 and haven’t allowed a goal since Feb. 5, according to Maxpreps.

Sophomore Andrea Reyes said Vandegrift was a difficult matchup for Pioneer both physically and in terms of skill.

“Height and speed, and I think they just knew the game better,” Reyes said. “They knew how to connect passes. They were a great team. We tried our very best.”

Vandegrift’s Grace Erdman created the team’s first three scores off corner kicks at 38:30, 28:02 and 26:08 of the first half. Her first two tries found the back of the net without any help, and her third was touched home by Lauren Brideau.

The Lady Vipers extended the lead to 4-0 with 3:01 to play in the first half, as Sarah Mahosky scored on another set piece from the outside. Vandegrift only stretched its advantage as the game went on, with Savannah Andres tallying with 28:52 to play.

For the game, Vandegrift outshot Pioneer 14-1. Reyes — the Lady Diamondbacks’ leading scorer — and the rest of the offense never found space to operate.

“Everywhere I looked, they were there,” Reyes said. “We tried our best to formulate passes and some combinations. We tried to come out as much as we could.”

Pioneer’s season ends in the same manner it did last year: in the regional semifinals at the hands of Vandegrift. The Lady Rattlers lost to the Lady Vipers 1-0 last year during Pioneer’s inaugural season.

“We definitely worked hard to get back here,” senior Julie Alanis said. “We wanted to go further. We pushed every day in practice. We kept our heads up, and kept a positive outlook every day. So that was good.”

Alanis hopes the team can follow her example next season, even as she graduates along with fellow senior starters Stephanie Barrientos, Taylor Marquez, Pricilla Alanis and Hannah Padilla.

Reyes said she expected the returning players to grow even closer and ease the transition for the new starters.

“I’m not going to say it’s going to be a rebuilding year,” Lopez said, “but certainly we need to get some pieces of the puzzle back in there and move some people around to try to be competitive again next year.”

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SUGHED: Sharyland Pioneer overwhelmed by Vandegrift in regional semifinal loss

BY GREG LUCA

STAFF WRITER

Entering the Region IV-5A semifinals, Sharyland Pioneer had allowed just two goals in regulation all season. On Friday, Vandegrift found the back of the net three times in less than 14 minutes.

The Lady Vipers scored three early goals, all off corner kicks, and went on to cruise past the Lady Diamondbacks 5-0 at Cabaniss Field.

“When you go up against a team that has that type of speed, that type of skill and is able to maneuver around you on a wide field like this, we’re not used to it,” Pioneer coach J.J. Lopez said. “They certainly looked a lot more comfortable than we did.”

Vandegrift is the defending regional champion, looking to make another run after reaching the state final last season. The Lady Vipers have outscored their four playoff opponents by a combined 13-0 and haven’t allowed a goal since Feb. 5, according to Maxpreps.

Sophomore Andrea Reyes said Vandegrift was a difficult matchup for Pioneer both physically and in terms of skill.

“Height and speed, and I think they just knew the game better,” Reyes said. “They knew how to connect passes. They were a great team. We tried our very best.”

Vandegrift’s Grace Erdman created the team’s first three scores off corner kicks at 38:30, 28:02 and 26:08 of the first half. Her first two tries found the back of the net without any help, and her third was touched home by Lauren Brideau.

The Lady Vipers extended the lead to 4-0 with 3:01 to play in the first half, as Sarah Mahosky scored on another set piece from the outside. Vandegrift only stretched its advantage as the game went on, with Savannah Andres tallying with 28:52 to play.

For the game, Vandegrift outshot Pioneer 14-1. Reyes — the Lady Diamondbacks’ leading scorer — and the rest of the offense never found space to operate.

“Everywhere I looked, they were there,” Reyes said. “We tried our best to formulate passes and some combinations. We tried to come out as much as we could.”

Pioneer’s season ends in the same manner it did last year: in the regional semifinals at the hands of Vandegrift. The Lady Rattlers lost to the Lady Vipers 1-0 last year during Pioneer’s inaugural season.

“We definitely worked hard to get back here,” senior Julie Alanis said. “We wanted to go further. We pushed every day in practice. We kept our heads up, and kept a positive outlook every day. So that was good.”

Alanis hopes the team can follow her example next season, even as she graduates along with fellow senior starters Stephanie Barrientos, Taylor Marquez, Pricilla Alanis and Hannah Padilla.

Reyes said she expected the returning players to grow even closer and ease the transition for the new starters.

“I’m not going to say it’s going to be a rebuilding year,” Lopez said, “but certainly we need to get some pieces of the puzzle back in there and move some people around to try to be competitive again next year.”

[email protected]

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — Down 3-0 in Friday’s Region IV-5A semifinal against Cedar Park Vista Ridge, Sharyland High finally started to find its footing. The Lady Rattlers scored a pair of goals and kept pressing forward, even after losing a player to a red card.

In the final five minutes, Sharyland had the best look at a tie it could possibly ask for, with the ball on the foot of leading scorer Isabella Marinaro in space only about 12 yards from the goal. But Marinaro’s final shot was turned aside, as was Sharyland’s comeback effort in a 4-2 loss at Cabaniss Field.

“We knew it wasn’t over yet, and we had plenty of time to come back. It came down to heart,” Sharyland sophomore Kaitie Watson said. “We knew we could’ve done it, and we should have won.”

The Lady Rattlers, undefeated champions in District 31-5A, end their season in the regional semifinals for the second consecutive year.

On Friday, Sharyland coach Aaron Clemons said a slow start brought on by playing against the wind and trying to feel out Vista Ridge led to the Lady Rattlers’ downfall.

“Had we played a little bit better in the first half, this would’ve been a tight game and gone into overtime,” Clemons said.

While Sharyland failed to put a shot on net during the first half, Vista Ridge relentlessly pushed towards the Lady Rattlers goal, generating six shots and a pair of goals by Brooke Shank.

Shank opened the scoring with 25:53 to play in the opening period, pushing a low, driven shot into the left side of the net. She scored her second with 13:44 remaining in the half, dribbling into a comfortable position about 25 yards from goal and burying a shot across her body.

Vista Ridge extended its advantage to 3-0 with 31:58 remaining in the game, when Kaitlyn Johns tucked a ball just inside the near post from about 10 yards away.

“It was a little much to eliminate that deficit and be able to come back for us,” Clemons said. “But the girls played very well. They never gave up. They kept playing, and what more can I ask for? We made it a game towards the end. I don’t think they expected that after the first half, but I tell the girls, ‘If you go out there and play with heart, anything can happen.’ And it sure did.”

Sharyland High scored its first goal of the game on its first shot, as Marifer Farias touched home a corner kick by Watson from point-blank range with 26:58 left on the clock.

Vanessa Guevara was the Lady Rattlers’ standout on offense, consistently evading her markers with dribble moves and engaging in regular shoving matches with a physical Vista Ridge team. Her efforts yielded a foul call in the box with 12:43 to play, and Marinaro put the chance into the right half of the net.

“We already made two goals, and there were a few minutes left, so why don’t we make another goal to beat them?” Guevara said.

That challenge grew even tougher when Sharyland’s Marcela Jarvis was sent off with a red card. Clemons said Jarvis was shoved by Vandegrift’s Erynn Johns — who received a yellow — and was given a red for retaliating.

Clemons adjusted by bumping Nallely Garza forward from sweeper to midfielder, allowing the Lady Rattlers to keep the pressure on. But it was Vista Ridge that netted the game’s final tally, as Johns scored with 2:37 to play.

“It obviously got into our head, like, ‘We can’t lose. We can’t lose,’” Guevara said. “But the fans and everyone were like, ‘You guys can keep on doing it.’ We just hoped for a win, but you can’t get everything you want.”

The shoving match that spawned the red card was one of many physical altercations between the teams. Clemons warned his group that Friday’s game would be physical, and the Lady Rattlers responded by regularly throwing their bodies into their markers.

Clemons said Sharyland proved it was no pushover — an important message from a group that hopes to return to the regional tournament in 2017. The Lady Rattlers are set to graduate only three seniors.

“Next season, we obviously want to make it back to this point,” Watson said. “We want to go farther. We have higher expectations for our team next year.”

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CORPUS CHRISTI — Down 3-0 in Friday’s Region IV-5A semifinal against Cedar Park Vista Ridge, Sharyland High finally started to find its footing. The Lady Rattlers scored a pair of goals and kept pressing forward, even after losing a player to a red card.

In the final five minutes, Sharyland had the best look at a tie it could possibly ask for, with the ball on the foot of leading scorer Isabella Marinaro in space only about 12 yards from the goal. But Marinaro’s final shot was turned aside, as was Sharyland’s comeback effort in a 4-2 loss at Cabaniss Field.

“We knew it wasn’t over yet, and we had plenty of time to come back. It came down to heart,” Sharyland sophomore Kaitie Watson said. “We knew we could’ve done it, and we should have won.”

The Lady Rattlers, undefeated champions in District 31-5A, end their season in the regional semifinals for the second consecutive year.

On Friday, Sharyland coach Aaron Clemons said a slow start brought on by playing against the wind and trying to feel out Vista Ridge led to the Lady Rattlers’ downfall.

“Had we played a little bit better in the first half, this would’ve been a tight game and gone into overtime,” Clemons said.

While Sharyland failed to put a shot on net during the first half, Vista Ridge relentlessly pushed towards the Lady Rattlers goal, generating six shots and a pair of goals by Brooke Shank.

Shank opened the scoring with 25:53 to play in the opening period, pushing a low, driven shot into the left side of the net. She scored her second with 13:44 remaining in the half, dribbling into a comfortable position about 25 yards from goal and burying a shot across her body.

Vista Ridge extended its advantage to 3-0 with 31:58 remaining in the game, when Kaitlyn Johns tucked a ball just inside the near post from about 10 yards away.

“It was a little much to eliminate that deficit and be able to come back for us,” Clemons said. “But the girls played very well. They never gave up. They kept playing, and what more can I ask for? We made it a game towards the end. I don’t think they expected that after the first half, but I tell the girls, ‘If you go out there and play with heart, anything can happen.’ And it sure did.”

Sharyland High scored its first goal of the game on its first shot, as Marifer Farias touched home a corner kick by Watson from point-blank range with 26:58 left on the clock.

Vanessa Guevara was the Lady Rattlers’ standout on offense, consistently evading her markers with dribble moves and engaging in regular shoving matches with a physical Vista Ridge team. Her efforts yielded a foul call in the box with 12:43 to play, and Marinaro put the chance into the right half of the net.

“We already made two goals, and there were a few minutes left, so why don’t we make another goal to beat them?” Guevara said.

That challenge grew even tougher when Sharyland’s Marcela Jarvis was sent off with a red card. Clemons said Jarvis was shoved by Vandegrift’s Erynn Johns — who received a yellow — and was given a red for retaliating.

Clemons adjusted by bumping Nallely Garza forward from sweeper to midfielder, allowing the Lady Rattlers to keep the pressure on. But it was Vista Ridge that netted the game’s final tally, as Johns scored with 2:37 to play.

“It obviously got into our head, like, ‘We can’t lose. We can’t lose,’” Guevara said. “But the fans and everyone were like, ‘You guys can keep on doing it.’ We just hoped for a win, but you can’t get everything you want.”

The shoving match that spawned the red card was one of many physical altercations between the teams. Clemons warned his group that Friday’s game would be physical, and the Lady Rattlers responded by regularly throwing their bodies into their markers.

Clemons said Sharyland proved it was no pushover — an important message from a group that hopes to return to the regional tournament in 2017. The Lady Rattlers are set to graduate only three seniors.

“Next season, we obviously want to make it back to this point,” Watson said. “We want to go farther. We have higher expectations for our team next year.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

HIDALGO — Andres Hernandez, Julio Ramos and Ken Hosanna had never played soccer at any level before they got to Hidalgo High. Even then, they were football players first.

But Hidalgo coach Zeke Morales is willing to take a chance on any available athletes as he looks to build a state title contender from an enrollment of 1,018.5, so he gave the three football players a shot.

“If you would’ve asked me if I thought they were going to be starters at any point, I would say, ‘You’re kidding me. They won’t. They can’t even kick the ball,’” Morales said. “But now, they’re starters, and that’s amazing to me. I’m just so happy and so proud of them.”

As Hidalgo enters a regional semifinal matchup with Giddings at 10 a.m. today, none of the three converted football players are consistent starters.

Regardless, their speed, toughness and athleticism have been invaluable as the Pirates reloaded for another playoff run this year after losing 15 seniors from last season’s regional semifinal qualifier.

“We all play with no fear,” Hosanna said. “You get that from football. If you get hurt, you get hurt. It’s basically all out every time.”

Hernandez remembers being a varsity linebacker and running back while taking Morales’ class as a freshman and sophomore. During the second year, he joked with Morales about joining the team, but the coach took him up on the offer.

He made the Hidalgo soccer roster on sheer speed and athleticism, but he still had a lot to learn. His dribbling was limited to kicking the ball out in front of him and sprinting after it.

“I didn’t even know how to touch the ball, but he taught me in practice,” Hernandez said. “It was a long process.”

At first he rarely played, coming off the bench. Then he started to carve out a role as a substitute forward, and late in the season he proved himself a capable defender.

In the area round against King, he recovered a loose ball in the box to net the game-winning goal, and in the regional quarterfinals against Port Isabel, he played almost the entire game on the back end.

“He went from being a forward on Friday, and on Tuesday he goes to being a stopper, and he played a heck of a game for us,” Morales said. “It’s just because of his heart, of his aggressiveness, and his spirit of, ‘I’m not going to give up.’”

Hosanna and Ramos have proven to be similarly versatile assets for Hidalgo. They showed Morales potential because of their speed, strength and hip movement, and they honed their soccer skills through persistence.

Very regularly both players missed the final bus from Hidalgo High to their hometown of Granjeno, opting to stay until the end of practice at 6:30 p.m. rather than getting on board at 6.

“I value them for them,” Morales said. “For their attitude, for their hearts, for their courage, for their commitment, and for their sacrifice, sometimes, too. I’m proud to have those three guys. I wish I had a couple more guys like that.”

Ramos said he doesn’t see himself as a talented player, just one with quick feet and a willingness to play hard. As a result, he and Hernandez have both carved out roles as enforcers for Hidalgo, typically marking the other team’s top scoring threats.

The duo will have their hands full today against Giddings senior Chris Orocio, who has 61 goals on the year, according to Maxpreps.

“He shouldn’t be scoring anything,” Hernandez said. “If he has 60 goals, OK, but if I’m going to be on defense on my team and he wants to score, he better not go home crying that he didn’t score.”

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