GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

ROMA — From the opening tip of Tuesday’s Class 6A regional quarterfinal, McAllen Rowe senior Alex Keith saw his team get flustered by Laredo Alexander’s defense. Whenever the Warriors got the ball past halfcourt, the Bulldogs jumped forward to trap, relentlessly hounding Rowe into turnovers and tough shots.

Rowe never got anything going offensively, falling behind early and rarely threatening in a season-ending 73-53 loss.

“We were a little shell-shocked by the defensive pressure, non-stop, 100 percent,” Keith said. “It kind of caught us off-guard, and on offense we rushed things. It threw everything off.”

Rowe hit just 14 of 51 shots for the game (27.4 percent) with 12 turnovers. Typically a potent 3-point shooting team, Rowe’s looks from beyond the arc were almost always contested or from well beyond 20 feet. The Warriors finished the game just 4 of 26 from 3-point range.

“We just didn’t compete as well as we usually do,” Rowe coach Jose Luis Yebra said. “We were tentative. We were not attacking. We were not working together as a group. Their trap hurt us there for a little bit, and we just kind of panicked.”

Keith said the Warriors hadn’t seen a defense that stout this season, adding that Alexander’s harassment tired Rowe out over the course of the game.

The Warriors tried to adjust by pulling their post players back to catch outlet passes and relieve the pressure. Yebra urged his team to move the ball side to side before attacking with penetration. Neither strategy worked.

“They were just all over the place,” Keith said. “It was pretty tough for us.”

Keith finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists on 2-of-12 shooting, while Freddy Ayala also had 13 points with 5 rebounds.

Daniel Sotuyo, who entered as Rowe’s leading scorer with 13.7 points per game, finished with 10. Seven of those came during the fourth quarter, before which Sotuyo had connected on just 1 of 13 shot attempts.

“As soon as we got the ball, we kind of rushed it on offense,” Keith said. “We had to take quick shots. That kind of messed us up. We have to learn to relax. When we have a good shot, we have to take advantage. Tonight, we just didn’t.”

Alexander scored the first nine points to build an early lead as Rowe misfired on its first eight shot attempts. The Warriors found their stroke to pull within 9-7, but from there it was all Alexander.

The Bulldogs stretched their lead to 17-7 with an 8-0 run, then pressed the advantage to 25-11 early in the second quarter. Rowe never again got within single digits.

“We put our heads down a bit,” Keith said. “We can’t do that. We’ve been down before. We came back and won. It was nothing new. Just being in the playoffs puts a lot of pressure on the other guys. It’s hard trying to play catch-up.”

Rowe finishes the season with a 26-11 record, having advanced to the regional quarterfinals for the first time since 2013.

With Keith the only senior graduating from the starting lineup, Rowe seems a strong bet to notch a 24th consecutive playoff appearance in 2017.

“We’re very happy with the season that we had,” Yebra said. “Our kids came a long way from when we started the season to now. Nobody thought the way we started the season that we were going to be any good at all, and here we are being one of 32 teams in the state of Texas in the 6A playoffs. A lot of teams would love to have that opportunity.”

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VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Tuesday, March 1

District 31-6A

Weslaco East 4, PSJA Memorial 3, PKs

Edinburg North 1, PSJA North 0

Weslaco High 1, Edinburg High 0

District 32-6A

Brownsville Lopez 3, Brownsville Rivera 2

Brownsville Veterans Memorial 2, Brownsville Hanna 1

Harlingen South 1, Los Fresnos 0

San Benito 3, Harlingen High 2

District 31-5A

Roma 2, Mission Veterans 1

Sharyland Pioneer 1, Edinburg Vela 0, PKs

Valley View 15, Rio Grande City 0

District 32-5A

Brownsville Porter 3, PSJA Southwest 1

Donna High 2, Mercedes 1, PKs

Donna North 7, Edcouch-Elsa 0

Brownsville Pace 5, PSJA High 2

District 32-4A

Port Isabel at IDEA Frontier, not reported

Progreso at La Feria, not reported

Friday, March 4

District 30-6A

McAllen High vs. McAllen Rowe at McAllen ISD Stadium, 6 p.m.

McAllen Memorial at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 6 p.m.*

La Joya Palmview at La Joya High, 6 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg High at Edinburg North, 6 p.m.

PSJA North vs. PSJA Memorial at PSJA Stadium, 6 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at Weslaco East, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna at Brownsville Lopez, 5:30 p.m.

San Benito at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 5:30 p.m.

Brownsville Rivera at Harlingen South, 5:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Los Fresnos, 5:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer at Mission Veterans, 6 p.m.

Roma at Sharyland High, 6 p.m.

Valley View at Edinburg Vela, 6 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna North at PSJA Southwest, 6 p.m.

PSJA High at Donna High, 6 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at Mercedes, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Brownsville Pace, 6 p.m.

District 32-4A

Port Isabel at Progreso, 7:30 p.m.

IDEA Frontier at La Feria, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 31-6A

WESLACO EAST 4, PSJA MEMORIAL 3, PKs

PSJA Memorial 2 1 — 3

Weslaco East 2 1 — 4

WESLACO EAST (3): Osvaldo Villanueva, Giovanni Salinas

PSJA MEMORIAL (3): Not reported

RECORDS: Weslaco East (5-3); PSJA Memorial (7-1)

District 31-5A

VALLEY VIEW 15, RIO GRANDE CITY 0

Rio Grande City 0 0 — 0

Valley View 7 8 — 15

VALLEY VIEW (15): Avi Garcia 4, Rafael Garcia 2, Jose Rodriguez 2, Jose Pesina 2, Ivan Rodriguez, Max Tapia, Damian Magallan, Juan P. Cantu, Gerardo Garza

RECORDS: Valley View (7-1); Rio Grande City (2-7)

District 32-5A

BROWNSVILLE PORTER 3, PSJA SOUTHWEST 1

PSJA Southwest 0 1 — 1

Brownsville Porter 1 2 — 3

PSJA SOUTHWEST (1): Jose Benavides

BROWNSVILLE PORTER (3): Not reported

RECORDS: Brownsville Porter (10-0); PSJA Southwest (6-4)

DONNA NORTH 7, EDCOUCH-ELSA 0

Edcouch-Elsa # # — 0

Donna North # # — 7

DONNA NORTH (7): Hector Rendon 3, Gabriel Magallan 2, Jose Martinez, Pedro Gomez

RECORDS: Donna North (5-5); Edcouch-Elsa (3-7)

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Tuesday, March 1

District 31-6A

Edinburg North 1, PSJA North 0, PKs

Weslaco High 2, Edinburg High 1, PKs

PSJA Memorial 4, Weslaco East 1

District 32-6A

Brownsville Lopez 3, Brownsville Rivera 0

Brownsville Veterans Memorial 2, Brownsville Hanna 0

Los Fresnos 2, Harlingen South 1

Harlingen High 2, San Benito 1

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer 1, Edinburg Vela 0, PKs

Mission Veterans 3, Roma 1

Valley View 5, Rio Grande City 0

District 32-5A

Brownsville Pace 2, PSJA High 1

Mercedes 1, Donna High 0

Brownsville Porter 1, PSJA Southwest 0

Edcouch-Elsa 2, Donna North 1, PKs

District 32-4A

Port Isabel 6, Brownsville IDEA Frontier 0

La Feria at Rio Hondo, not reported

Friday, March 4

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.

McAllen High at McAllen Rowe, 8 p.m.

La Joya Palmview at La Joya High, 8 p.m.

District 31-6A

Weslaco East at Edinburg Economedes, 8 p.m.

PSJA North at PSJA Memorial, 8 p.m.

Edinburg High at Edinburg North, 8 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna at Brownsville Lopez, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Rivera at Harlingen South, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Los Fresnos, 7:30 p.m.

San Benito at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Roma at Sharyland High, 8 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Sharyland Pioneer, 8 p.m.

Valley View at Edinburg Vela, 8 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna North at PSJA Southwest, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA High at Donna High, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Brownsville Pace, 7:30 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at Mercedes, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-4A

Raymondville at Grulla, 7:30 p.m.

District 32-4A

IDEA Frontier at Progreso, 6 p.m.

La Feria at Lyford, 6 p.m.

Port Isabel at Rio Hondo, 7 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 31-6A

WESLACO HIGH 2, EDINBURG HIGH 1, PKs

Weslaco High 0 1 — 2

Edinburg High 0 1 — 1

EDINBURG HIGH (1): Yessi Molina

WESLACO HIGH (1): Not reported

RECORDS: Edinburg High (10-12-1, 2-5); Weslaco High (3-5)

District 31-5A

MISSION VETERANS 3, ROMA 1

Mission Veterans 3 0 — 3

Roma 0 1 — 1

MISSION VETERANS (3): Amanda Lozano 2, Alexa Ramirez

ROMA (1): Not reported

RECORDS: Mission Veterans (4-4); Roma (3-5)

District 32-5A

BROWNSVILLE PACE 2, PSJA HIGH 1

Brownsville Pace 1 1 — 2

PSJA High 1 0 — 1

BROWNSVILLE PACE (2): Alma Perez, K. Rivera

PSJA HIGH (1): Syney Escobar

RECORDS: Brownsville Pace (8-2); PSJA High (2-8)

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb. 26

District 30-6A

McAllen High 4, La Joya High 2

Mission High 5, La Joya Palmview 2

McAllen Memorial 4, McAllen Rowe 3, PKs

District 31-6A

PSJA Memorial 2, Edinburg Economedes 1, PKs

Weslaco East 2, Edinburg North 1

Weslaco High 1, PSJA North 0

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans 2, Brownsville Rivera 0

Brownsville Hanna 4, Harlingen High 1

Los Fresnos 2, San Benito 1, OT

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 7, Mission Veterans 1

Sharyland Pioneer 3, Rio Grande City 1

Roma 2, Edinburg Vela 1, PKs

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 5, PSJA High 1

Brownsville Pace 3, Donna High 1

Brownsville Porter 6, Edcouch-Elsa 1

Donna North 3, Mercedes 1

District 31-4A

Hidalgo 2, Grulla 0

District 32-4A

La Feria at Port Isabel, not reported

IDEA Frontier at Progreso, not reported

Tuesday, March 1

District 31-6A

Weslaco High at Edinburg High, 6 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at Weslaco East, 6 p.m.

Edinburg North at PSJA North, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Lopez at Brownsville Rivera, 5:30 p.m.

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Brownsville Hanna, 5:30 p.m.

Los Fresnos at Harlingen South, 5:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at San Benito, 5:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Mission Veterans at Roma, 6 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Sharyland Pioneer, 6 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Valley View, 6 p.m.

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest at Brownsville Porter, 6 p.m.

Donna High at Mercedes, 6 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at Donna North, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at PSJA High, 6 p.m.

District 31-4A

Port Isabel at IDEA Frontier, 7:30 p.m.

Progreso at La Feria, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 32-5A

PSJA SOUTHWEST 5, PSJA HIGH 1

PSJA High 1 0 — 1

PSJA Southwest 3 2 — 5

PSJA SOUTHWEST (5): Miguel Vasquez 2, Basilio Beltran, Humberto Medina, Roberto Colula

PSJA HIGH (1): Not reported

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest (6-3); PSJA High (0-9)

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 4,

McALLEN ROWE 3, PKs

McAllen Rowe 0 3 — 3

McAllen Memorial 1 2 — 4

McALLEN MEMORIAL (4): Ricky Hernandez, Armando Perez, Jorge Flores

McALLEN ROWE (3): Not reported

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial (4-4); McAllen Rowe (1-7)

MISSION HIGH 5, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 2

Mission High 4 1 — 5

La Joya Palmview 1 1 — 2

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (2): Elio Molina, Abel Carmona

MISSION HIGH (5): Not reported

RECORDS: Mission High (3-5); La Joya Palmview (3-4)

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER 3,

RIO GRANDE CITY 1

Sharyland Pioneer 0 3 — 3

Rio Grande City 1 0 — 1

SHARYLAND PIONEER (3): Chris Carnes, Alex Garcia, Diego Ramires

RIO GRANDE CITY (1): Not reported

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer (4-4); Rio Grande City (2-6)

District 32-4A

HIDALGO 2, GRULLA 0

Hidalgo # # — 2

Grulla # # — 0

HIDALGO (2): Jesus Niño, Raul Ramos

RECORDS: Hidalgo (7-0); Grulla (not reported)

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb. 26

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial 3, McAllen Rowe 2

McAllen High 9, La Joya High 1

Mission High 1, La Joya Palmview 0, PKs

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes 6, PSJA Memorial 1

PSJA North 2, Weslaco High 0

Edinburg North 3, Weslaco East 1

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans Memorial 3, Brownsville Rivera 0

Brownsville Hanna 1, Harlingen High 0

Los Fresnos 4, San Benito 0

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 3, Mission Veterans 0

Sharyland Pioneer 10, Rio Grande City 0

Edinburg Vela 2, Roma 1

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 4, PSJA High 0

Donna North 5, Mercedes 2

Brownsville Pace 4, Donna High 0

Brownsville Porter 4, Edcouch-Elsa 1

District 32-4A

Port Isabel 3, Lyford 0

Tuesday, March 1

District 31-6A

Edinburg North at PSJA North, 7:30 p.m.

Weslaco High at Edinburg High, 8 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at Weslaco East, 8 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Brownsville Hanna, 7:30 p.m.

Los Fresnos at Harlingen South, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at San Benito, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez at Brownsville Rivera, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Edinburg Vela at Sharyland Pioneer, 8 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Roma, 8 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Valley View, 8 p.m.

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest at Brownsville Porter, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at PSJA High, 7:30 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at Donna North, 7:30 p.m.

Donna High at Mercedes, 7:30 p.m.

District 32-4A

Port Isabel at IDEA Frontier, 6 p.m.

La Feria at Rio Hondo, 6:30 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN HIGH 9, LA JOYA HIGH 1

La Joya High # # — 1

McAllen High # # — 9

McALLEN HIGH (9): Gaby Gonzalez 2, Serena Cervantes 2, Laura Sanchez, Quetzal Toren, Zoe Flores, Miranda Munoz, Jackie Lemus

LA JOYA HIGH (1): Not reported

RECORDS: McAllen High (8-0); La Joya High (1-7)

McALLEN MEMORIAL 3, McALLEN ROWE 2

McAllen Rowe 1 1 — 2

McAllen Memorial 1 2 — 3

McALLEN MEMORIAL (3): Daisy Robles 3

McALLEN ROWE (2): Veronica Dougherty, Victoria Castro

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial (7-1); McAllen Rowe (4-4)

District 31-6A

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 6,

PSJA MEMORIAL 1

Edinburg Economedes 3 3 — 6

PSJA Memorial 0 1 — 1

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (6): Ayssa Ozuna 2, Krysta Armstrong 2, Laura Gonzalez, Priscilla Vela

PSJA MEMORIAL (1): Not reported

RECORDS: Edinburg Economedes (1-6); PSJA Memorial (2-5)

EDINBURG NORTH 3, WESLACO EAST 1

Weslaco East 0 1 — 1

Edinburg North 1 2 — 3

EDINBURG NORTH (3): Not reported

WESLACO EAST (1): Xitlaly Hernandez

RECORDS: Edinburg North (5-2); Weslaco East (3-4)

PSJA NORTH 2, WESLACO HIGH 0

PSJA North # # — 2

Weslaco High # # — 0

PSJA NORTH (2): Tiffany Borrego, Sarah Serrano

RECORDS: PSJA North (4-3); Weslaco High (2-5)

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER 10,

RIO GRANDE CITY 0

Sharyland Pioneer 3 7 — 10

Rio Grande City 0 0 — 0

SHARYLAND PIONEER (10): Olivia Vasquez 3, Savannah James, Alyssa Escalante, Shelby Fernald, Yulissa Acuna, Brittney Landavazo, Astrid Cavazos, Nikki Cuellar

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer (7-1); Rio Grande City (0-8)

SHARYLAND HIGH 3, MISSION VETERANS 0

Sharyland High 1 2 — 3

Mission Veterans 0 0 — 0

SHARYLAND HIGH (3): Isabella Marinaro 2, Kaitie Watson

RECORDS: Sharyland High (8-0); Mission Veterans (3-4)

District 32-5A

DONNA NORTH 5, MERCEDES 2

Mercedes 1 1 — 2

Donna North 1 4 — 5

DONNA NORTH (5): Elizabeth Reyes 2, Karla Rodriguez, Nicole Hernandez, Ariel Perez

MERCEDES (2): Not reported

RECORDS: Donna North (5-4); Mercedes (3-6)

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — When Paul Castañeda tried out for the Sharyland High soccer team as a freshman, his coaches told him he was talented enough to play on varsity. But his weight and conditioning weren’t where they needed to be, so Castañeda spent the year with the JV team.

That summer, Castañeda ran three miles each day Monday through Friday, plus five more on Saturday. He said his diet consisted mostly of chicken and broccoli.

“I wouldn’t starve myself, but I would eat a lot less than what I used to eat,” Castañeda said. “No more chips, no more Cokes, nothing. I’ve stuck to that.”

Castañeda lost 50 pounds during the summer, more than enough to secure a varsity spot as a sophomore. In the years since, Castañeda has added muscle and continued to develop his game, becoming the leading scorer for a Sharyland High team that stands as one of the Valley’s best despite heavy offseason turnover.

During his senior season, Castañeda’s physique has allowed him to shield defenders away from the ball, a major reason he’s scored a team-high nine goals in seven District 31-5A games.

“It was tough, but it worked well in the long run,” Castañeda said. “I can run more in the field, and my skills show. So it was good for me.”

Coach Rev Hernandez sees Castañeda reaping the rewards for his work. Hernandez describes the senior as a more mature player.

“When he got to us, he was a little chubby guy,” Hernandez said. “Now, he goes to the gym after practice every day. He’s a workaholic. … He did it on his own. It takes a lot of dedication, and a lot on your own. I tell everybody to go, but not everybody is going to go. Only the ones who want to do something different.”

Hernandez said that maturity has been a trademark not just of Castañeda, but the entire Sharyland High team. It’s an unlikely asset given that the Rattlers graduated 17 seniors, many of them starters, from last year’s 11-1 district champion. Goalie Marco Alanis graduated as the All-Valley Defensive Player of the Year, forward Eric Izaguirre took his talents to Louisville, and senior midfielder Brandon Longoria had played a key role.

Coming back with so many new faces expected to start, the outlook wasn’t always bright.

“We thought that we weren’t going to be as good this year, but we came together and started playing together, and we really clicked,” junior Romeo De Leon said. “At the beginning, we were a little skeptical, but just because we are Sharyland and we’ve always had a great soccer program, we wanted to prove that we are the best. And so far, we’ve been doing that.”

Sharyland High has a strong soccer history, winning a state title under Hernandez in 2012.

But Sharyland was a different school at that time, playing in the state’s highest classification with an enrollment of 3,040.5. Since the split that formed Sharyland Pioneer, Sharyland High’s enrollment has been almost halved, down to 1,707, as the school moved from Class 6A to 5A.

“When we split, we knew it was going to be more difficult, but I think it’s worked out better for us like that,” Castañeda said. “It’s a big surprise for us. They have a lot of good players that were our players, but since the split, we’ve just blossomed. It’s been better for us like this.”

What the team lacks in talent versus previous years, Hernandez believes it makes up in chemistry. Some of the starters are new to varsity, but not new to playing with each other after coming up together through elementary school, middle school and independent leagues.

That cohesion has resulted in a different type of team — one that moves the ball more rather than relying on star players.

Sharyland is hesitant to look too far ahead after an upset loss at the hands of Donna High in last season’s bi-district round, but the players are already whispering about the possibility of going to state. The Rattlers are 7-0 this season and have outscored their district opponents 31-6.

“They didn’t believe last year,” junior Martin Gonzalez said. “Everyone said, ‘Yeah, let’s go to state.’ Everyone said it, but nobody really thought we could do it. This year, people have told us we have a really good team, and we’ve started believing in ourselves.”

[email protected]

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCORES

Tuesday, Feb. 23

District 30-6A

McAllen High 6, Mission High 1

La Joya High 3, McAllen Memorial 2

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 4, McAllen Rowe 1

District 31-6A

PSJA North 2, Edinburg High 0

Weslaco East 4, Weslaco High 2

Edinburg Economedes 2, Edinburg North 1, PKs

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna 3, San Benito 0

Brownsville Rivera 4, Harlingen High 1

Los Fresnos 2, Brownsville Lopez 1, PKs

Brownsville Veterans 2, Harlingen South 0

District 31-5A

Valley View 2, Sharyland Pioneer 0

Sharyland High 7, Edinburg Vela 0

Rio Grande City at Roma, not reported

District 32-5A

Donna High 2, PSJA Southwest 0

Brownsville Porter 1, Donna North 0

Brownsville Pace 5, Mercedes 0

Edcouch-Elsa at PSJA High, not reported

District 31-4A

Hidalgo 3, Zapata 1

Progreso 3, Port Isabel 1

La Feria at IDEA Frontier, not reported

Friday, Feb. 26

District 30-6A

La Joya High at McAllen High, 6 p.m.

Mission High at La Joya Palmview, 6 p.m.

McAllen Rowe at McAllen Memorial, 6 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes vs. PSJA Memorial at Murphy Middle School, 6 p.m.

Weslaco East at Edinburg North, 6 p.m.

PSJA North at Weslaco High, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

Rivera at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 5:30 p.m.

Harlingen South at Lopez, 5:30 p.m

Hanna at Harlingen High, 5:30 p.m.

Los Fresnos at San Benito, 5:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Sharyland High at Mission Veterans, 6 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at Rio Grande City, 6 p.m.

Sharyland High at Mission Veterans, 6 p.m.

District 32-5A

PSJA High at PSJA Southwest, 6 p.m.

Donna High at Brownsville Pace, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Edcouch-Elsa, 6 p.m.

District 31-4A

Hidalgo at Grulla, 7:30 p.m.

La Feria at Port Isabel, 7:30 p.m.

IDEA Frontier at Progreso, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN HIGH 6, MISSION HIGH 1

McAllen High 3 3 — 6

Mission High 0 1 — 1

McALLEN HIGH (6): Miguel Rocha 2, Brandon Rangel, Elias Garcia, Sergio Sanchez, Oscar Davila.

MISSION HIGH (1): Not reported

RECORDS: McAllen High (7-0, 15-3-2); Mission High (2-5)

LA JOYA HIGH 3, McALLEN MEMORIAL 2

McAllen Memorial 1 1 — 2

La Joya High 0 3 — 3

LA JOYA HIGH (3): Not reported

McALLEN MEMORIAL (2): Sergio Sanchez, Ricky Hernandez

RECORDS: La Joya High (5-2); McAllen Memorial (3-4)

District 31-5A

VALLEY VIEW 2, SHARYLAND PIONEER 0

Valley View 2 0 — 2

Sharyland Pioneer 0 0 — 0

VALLEY VIEW (2): Avinadan Garcia, Rafael Garcia

RECORDS: Valley View (6-1); Sharyland Pioneer (3-4)

District 31-4A

HIDALGO 3, ZAPATA 1

Zapata 0 1 — 1

Hidalgo 3 0 — 3

HIDALGO (3): Marco Garcia 2, Rodolfo Elizondo

RECORDS: Hidalgo (6-0)

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCORES

Tuesday, Feb. 23

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial 3, La Joya High 0

McAllen High 2, Mission High 0

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 1, McAllen Rowe 0

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes 3, Edinburg North 2, PKs

Weslaco East 3, Weslaco High 0

Edinburg High 2, PSJA North 1, PKs

District 32-6A

San Benito 1, Brownsville Hanna 0

Harlingen High 2, Brownsville Rivera 0

Harlingen South 4, Brownsville Veterans 1

Brownsville Lopez at Los Fresnos, not reported

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 4, Edinburg Vela 0

Sharyland Pioneer 4, Valley View 0

Roma 4, Rio Grande Cith 0

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 4, Donna High 1

Edcouch-Elsa 2, PSJA High 1

Brownsville Porter 3, Donna North 0

Brownsville Pace 6, Mercedes 0

District 32-4A

La Feria 1, Port Isabel 0

Brownsville IDEA Frontier at Lyford, not reported

District 31-4A

Raymondville at Monte Alto, not reported

Friday, Feb. 26

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe at McAllen Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

La Joya High at McAllen High, 8 p.m.

Mission High at La Joya Palmview, 8 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes at PSJA Memorial, 8 p.m.

PSJA North at Weslaco High, 8 p.m.

Weslaco East at Edinburg North, 8 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Rivera at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen South at Brownsville Lopez, 7:30 p.m

Brownsville Hanna at Harlingen High, 7:30 p.m.

Los Fresnos at San Benito, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Sharyland High at Mission Veterans, 8 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at Rio Grande City, 8 p.m.

Roma at Edinburg Vela, 8 p.m.

District 32-5A

PSJA High at PSJA Southwest, 7:30 p.m.

Mercedes at Donna North, 7:30 p.m.

Donna High at Brownsville Pace, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Edcouch-Elsa, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN HIGH 2, MISSION HIGH 0

McAllen High 1 1 — 2

Mission High 0 0 — 0

McALLEN HIGH (2): Gaby Gonzalez, Emily Gurwitz

RECORDS: McAllen High (7-0); Mission High (2-5)

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH 2, PSJA NORTH 1, PKs

PSJA North 1 0 — 1

Edinburg High 1 0 — 2

EDINBURG HIGH (1): Melanie Mercelita

PSJA NORTH (1): Not reported

RECORDS: Edinburg High (10-11-1, 2-4); PSJA North (3-2)

WESLACO EAST 3, WESLACO HIGH 0

Weslaco East 1 2 — 3

Weslaco High 0 0 — 0

WESLACO EAST (3): Xitlaly Hernandez 2, Clarissa Hernandez

RECORDS: Weslaco East (3-3); Weslaco High (2-4)

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH 4, EDINBURG VELA 0

Edinburg Vela 0 0 — 0

Sharyland High 1 3 — 4

SHARYLAND HIGH (4): Marifer Farias 2, Vanessa Guevara, Estefi Hinojosa

RECORDS: Sharyland High (7-0); Edinburg Vela (2-5)

SHARYLAND PIONEER 4, VALLEY VIEW 0

Valley View 0 0 — 0

Sharyland Pioneer 3 1 — 4

SHARYLAND PIONEER (4): Andrea Reyes 2, Hannah Padilla, Olivia Vasquez

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer (6-1); Valley View (3-4)

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCORES

Friday, Feb. 19

District 30-6A

McAllen High 2, La Joya Palmview 1

Mission High 2, McAllen Memorial 0

La Joya High 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 1, PKs

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes 2, Weslaco High 1, PKs

Weslaco East 3, Edinburg High 2, PKs

PSJA Memorial 3, Edinburg North 0

District 31-5A

Edinburg Vela 3, Mission Veterans 1

Sharyland High 5, Rio Grande City 1

Valley View 2, Roma 0

District 31-4A

Port Isabel 1, Brownsville IDEA Frontier 0

Hidalgo at Monte Alto, not reported

La Feria at Progreso, not reported

Tuesday, Feb. 23

District 30-6A

McAllen High at Mission High, 6 p.m.

McAllen Memorial at La Joya High, 6 p.m.

La Joya Juaez-Lincoln at McAllen Rowe at McAllen ISD Stadium, 6 p.m.

District 31-6A

PSJA North at Edinburg High, 8 p.m.

Weslaco East at Weslaco High, 8 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg North, 8 p.m.

District 32-6A

San Benito at Hanna, 5:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Rivera, 5:30 p.m.

Lopez at Los Fresnos, 5:30 p.m.

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Harlingen South, 5:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Valley View at Sharyland Pioneer, 6 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Sharyland High, 6 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Roma, 6 p.m.

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest at Donna High, 6 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at PSJA High, 6 p.m.

Donna North at Brownsville Porter, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at Mercedes, 6 p.m.

District 31-4A

Zapata at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

La Feria at IDEA Frontier, 6 p.m.

Progreso at Port Isabel, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN HIGH 2, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 1

McAllen High 0 2 — 2

La Joya Palmview 1 0 — 1

McALLEN HIGH (2): Not reported

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (1): David Almazan

RECORDS: La Joya Palmview (3-3); McAllen High (6-0)

District 31-5A

VALLEY VIEW 2, ROMA 0

Valley View 1 1 — 2

Roma 0 0 — 0

VALLEY VIEW (2): Jose Rodriguez, Fermin Hernandez

RECORDS: Valley View (5-1); Roma (2-4)

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCORES

Friday, Feb. 19

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial 1, Mission High 0

McAllen High 1, La Joya Palmview 0, PKs

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 3, La Joya High 0

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes 1, Weslaco High 0

Weslaco East 3, Edinburg High 2

Edinburg North 1, PSJA Memorial 0

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 8, Rio Grande City 0

Mission Veterans 4, Edinburg Vela 0

Valley View 2, Roma 1

District 32-4A

La Feria at IDEA Frontier, not reported

Port Isabel at Progreso, not reported

Non-District

Edinburg IDEA Quest at Raymondville, not reported

Tuesday, Feb. 23

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial at La Joya High, 7:30 p.m.

McAllen High at Mission High, 8 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at McAllen Rowe at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, 8 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg North, 6 p.m.

Weslaco East at Weslaco High, 6 p.m.

PSJA North at Edinburg High, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

San Benito at Hanna, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Rivera, 7:30 p.m.

Lopez at Los Fresnos, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Harlingen South, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Edinburg Vela at Sharyland High, 8 p.m.

Valley View at Sharyland Pioneer, 8 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Roma, 8 p.m.

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest at Donna High, 7:30 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at PSJA High, 7:30 p.m.

Donna North at Brownsville Porter, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at Mercedes, 7:30 p.m.

District 32-4A

IDEA Frontier at Lyford, 6 p.m.

La Feria at Port Isabel, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-4A

Raymondville at Monte Alto, 7 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 1, MISSION HIGH 0

McAllen Memorial 0 1 — 1

Mission High 0 0 — 0

McALLEN MEMORIAL (1): Daisy Robles

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial (5-1); Mission High (2-4)

District 31-6A

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 1, WESLACO HIGH 0

Weslaco High 0 0 — 0

Edinburg Economedes 1 0 — 1

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (1): Ayssa Ozuna

RECORDS: Edinburg Economedes (4-1); Weslaco High (2-3)

WESLACO EAST 3, EDINBURG HIGH 2

Edinburg High 1 1 — 2

Weslaco East 3 0 — 3

WESLACO EAST (3): Xitlaly Hernandez 2, Joyce Garcia

RECORDS: Weslaco East (2-3); Edinburg High (1-4)

District 31-5A

MISSION VETERANS 4, EDINBURG VELA 0

Edinburg Vela 0 0 — 0

Mission Veterans 3 1 — 4

MISSION VETERANS (4): Amanda Lozano 3, Leslie LIcea

RECORDS: Mission Veterans (3-3); Edinburg Vela (2-4)

SHARYLAND HIGH 8, RIO GRANDE CITY 0

Rio Grande City 0 0 — 0

Sharyland High # # — 8

SHARYLAND HIGH (8): Vanessa Guevara 2, Kim Cano, Marifer Farias, Elise Townsend, Estefi Hinojosa, Nallely Garza, Isabella Marinaro

RECORDS: Sharyland High (6-0); Rio Grande City (0-6)

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

To help bring the PSJA North girls soccer team from 0-12 last season to a 3-2 start in District 31-6A play in 2016, senior captains Bernice Moreno and Mariel Gonzalez had to make sacrifices. Moreno, a wing player last season, had to move back and play goalie. Gonzalez, seeing that her team had a deficiency at defense, went to coach Margeaux McCarthy before the year and volunteered to start on the back line.

“I said, ‘Is this Mariel? Am I talking to Mariel right now?’ I even felt her forehead,” McCarthy said. “She said, ‘I don’t want this year to be like the last two years, coach. I’m not going to let it happen.’”

So far, she hasn’t. McCarthy said three her captains have been the biggest factor in PSJA North ranking near the top of the district standings. The focus for the Lady Raiders has been on anchoring the back line with Moreno, Gonzalez and La Joya Palmview transfer Consuelo Hernandez, a junior who is in her final year of eligibility.

“She’s an angel. She’s blessed us with her presence,” McCarthy said. “She doesn’t realize how much talent she actually has, so that’s something that’s still kind of working out.”

Last year’s team was top-heavy with freshmen, McCarthy said. Now, the Lady Raiders have only a few. North has also found success by adding players from other sports. Sarah Serrano has been an offensive force when not playing with the girls basketball team, and Samantha Rivera and Tiffany Borrego are splitting time with track.

“Soccer is a very taxing sport,” McCarthy said. “If you have more legs, you have more energy.”

GOOD MOVE

After weeks of tinkering with lineups and rotations, PSJA Memorial boys coach Alejandro Cruz found the payoff he was looking for: Humberto Bernal had proven to be a fit at forward.

A defender last season, Bernal has already scored six goals during the Wolverines’ 5-0 start to district play. Cruz labels Bernal the biggest surprise on a surprising PSJA Memorial team, which is atop the district standings after finishing last season 4-8.

“He even told me, ‘Coach, you made a good move putting me up there,’” Cruz said. “He liked it, of course. Everybody wants to be up there scoring goals.”

Cruz said Bernal isn’t the fastest player on the pitch but instead uses his game knowledge to find scoring opportunities.

Many of his setups have come from central midfielder Osvaldo Villanueva. Goalie Juan Campos has also been key for the Wolverines after moving up from the JV team.

Cruz said the majority of the roster is made up of returning players, and the group has matured and committed to improve its conditioning by participating in cross country before the season

“Last year we were in every game, but towards the end, that’s where we started lacking more endurance,” Cruz said. “We we made a pact between last year’s kids and this year’s kids that it’s not going to happen again.”

FOUR IN BACK

Knowing that his team might struggle to score this season, La Joya Palmview boys coach Mario Ribera switched from having three defenders in the back to a flat four.

The change has resulted in Palmview playing stout defense, leading to a 3-2 start in District 30-6A.

“I think it’s just the system itself,” Ribera said. “We’ve been doing that from the beginning of the season, and we scrimmage a lot after practice. They learned the system, and they’re fast.”

The quickest players on the back end are senior central players Jose Cordova and Erick Jimenez. That duo is flanked by senior Ulysses Jaimes and sophomore Miguel Orozsco, although the rotation might change a bit when Luis Rodriguez returns from injury.

The Lobos also have a three-year starter at keeper in 6-foot-2 senior Heriberto Maldonado.

“He’s been a great player for us, especially the last two years,” Ribera said. “He’s been a key player in the back.”

RGVSports.com Boys Top 10
1. Brownsville Porter
2. Sharyland High
3. Valley View
4. Brownsville Veterans Memorial
5. Brownsville Lopez
6. McAllen High
7. Edinburg North
8. Brownsville Hanna
9. Harlingen South
10. PSJA Memorial

RGVSports.com Girls Top 10
1. Sharyland High
2. Sharyland Pioneer
3. Brownsville Lopez
4, McAllen High
5. McAllen Memorial
6. Harlingen South
7. Los Fresnos
8. PSJA Southwest
9. McAllen Rowe
10. Edinburg Economedes

Boys Soccer Standings

District 32-6A

W L Pts

Brownsville Lopez 6 1 18

Brownsville Veterans Mem. 5 2 16

Harlingen South 4 3 14

Brownsville Hanna 5 2 13

Los Fresnos 4 3 12

Brownsville Rivera 3 4 8

San Benito 1 6 3

Harlingen High 0 7 0

District 31-6A

W L Pts

PSJA Memorial 5 0 13

Edinburg North 4 0 11

Edinburg Economedes 2 2 7

Weslaco High 2 2 6

Edinburg High 1 3 5

Weslaco East 1 3 2

PSJA North 0 5 1

District 30-6A

W L Pts

McAllen High 5 0 13

La Joya High 3 2 10

La Joya Palmview 3 2 8

McAllen Memorial 3 2 8

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 2 3 8

Mission High 1 4 4

McAllen Rowe 1 5 3

District 32-5A

W L Pts

Brownsville Porter 7 0 21

Brownsville Pace 5 2 15

PSJA Southwest 5 2 14

Donna High 3 4 10

Donna North 3 4 10

Mercedes 3 4 7

Edcouch-Elsa 2 5 6

PSJA High 0 7 1

District 31-5A

W L Pts

Sharyland High 5 0 15

Valley View 4 1 12

Sharyland Pioneer 3 3 8

Roma 2 3 7

Edinburg Vela 2 3 6

Rio Grande City 2 4 5

Mission Veterans Memorial 0 5 1

Girls

District 32-6A

W L Pts

Brownsville Lopez 7 0 20

Los Fresnos 5 2 15

Harlingen South 5 2 15

Brownsville Veterans Mem. 4 3 12

Brownsville Hanna 4 3 12

San Benito 2 5 5

Harlingen High 1 6 5

Brownsville Rivera 0 7 0

District 31-6A

W L Pts

Edinburg North 3 1 9

PSJA North 3 1 9

Edinburg Economedes 3 1 8

Weslaco High 2 2 6

PSJA Memorial 2 3 6

Edinburg High 1 3 4

Weslaco East 1 3 3

District 30-6A

W L Pts

McAllen Memorial 4 1 13

McAllen High 5 0 12

McAllen Rowe 4 2 12

Mission High 2 3 8

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 2 3 6

La Joya High 1 4 2

La Joya Palmview 0 5 1

District 32-5A

W L Pts

PSJA Southwest 6 1 17

Brownsville Pace 5 2 14

Brownsville Porter 4 3 14

Edcouch-Elsa 4 3 13

Donna North 4 3 11

Mercedes 3 4 8

PSJA High 2 5 6

Donna High 0 7 1

District 31-5A

W L Pts

Sharyland Pioneer 5 1 16

Sharyland High 5 0 14

Roma 2 3 7

Mission Veterans Memorial 2 3 6

Valley View 2 3 6

Edinburg Vela 2 3 5

Rio Grande City 0 5 0

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCORES

Tuesday, Feb. 16

District 30-6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 5, Mission High 0

McAllen Memorial 2, La Joya Palmview 1

La Joya High 5, McAllen Rowe 0

District 31-6A

Edinburg High 4, Edinburg Economedes 3

PSJA Memorial 4, Weslaco High 2

Weslaco East 2, PSJA North 1, PKs

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans 2, Brownsville Lopez 0

Los Fresnos 1, Brownsville Hanna 0, OT

Harlingen South 3, Harlingen High 0

San Benito at Brownsville Rivera, not reported

District 31-5A

Rio Grande City 1, Mission Veterans 0, PKs

Sharyland High 1, Roma 0, PKs

Sharyland High 2, Valley View 1

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 3, Brownsville Pace 2

Donna High 4, Edcouch-Elsa 2

Brownsville Porter 6, Mercedes 0

Donna North at PSJA High, not reported

District 31-4A

Hidalgo 8, Raymondville 0

Progreso 2, IDEA Frontier 1

Port Isabel at La Feria, not reported

Friday, Feb. 19

District 30-6A

McAllen High at La Joya Palmview, 8 p.m.

McAllen Memorial at Mission High, 8 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at La Joya High, 8 p.m.

District 31-6A

Weslaco High at Edinburg Economedes, 7:30 p.m.

Edinburg High at Weslaco East, 8 p.m.

Edinburg North at PSJA Memorial at Murphy Middle School, 8 p.m.

District 31-5A

Edinburg Vela at Mission Veterans, 7:30 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Sharyland High, 8 p.m.

Valley View at Roma, 8 p.m.

District 31-4A

Hidalgo at Monte Alto, 7:30 p.m.

IDEA Frontier at Port Isabel, 7:30 p.m.

La Feria at Progreso, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-BOYS BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 2,

LA JOYA PALMVIEW 1

La Joya Palmview 1 0 — 1

McAllen Memorial 1 1 — 2

McALLEN MEMORIAL (2): Emiliano Cruz, Armando Perez

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (1): David Almazan

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial (3-2); La Joya Palmview (3-2)

District 31-6A

PSJA MEMORIAL 4, WESLACO HIGH 2

PSJA Memorial 1 3 — 4

Weslaco High 1 1 — 2

PSJA MEMORIAL (4): Humberto Bernal 2, Geovany Salinas, Andreas Martinez

WESLACO HIGH (2): Not reported

RECORDS: PSJA Memorial (5-0); Weslaco High (2-2)

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH 2, VALLEY VIEW 1

Sharyland High 1 1 — 2

Valley View 1 0 — 1

SHARYLAND HIGH (2): Not reported

VALLEY VIEW (1): Fermin Hernandez

RECORDS: Sharyland High (5-0); Valley View (4-1)

District 32-5A

PSJA SOUTHWEST 3, BROWNSVILLE PACE 2

PSJA Southwest 1 2 — 3

Brownsville Pace 1 1 — 2

PSJA SOUTHWEST (3): Humberto Medina, Miguel Vasquez, Roberto Colula

BROWNSVILLE PACE (2): Not reported

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest (5-2); Brownsville Pace (5-2)

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCORES

Tuesday, Feb. 16

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial 7, La Joya Palmview 1

McAllen Rowe 5, La Joya High 0

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 1, Mission High 0, PKs

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes 2, Edinburg High 1, PKs

PSJA Memorial 2, Weslaco High 0

PSJA North 2, Weslaco East 1

District 32-6A

Brownsville Lopez 2, Brownsville Veterans Memorial 1

Los Fresnos 5, Brownsville Hanna 2

San Benito 1, Brownsville Rivera 0

Harlingen South 1, Harlingen High 0, PKs

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 9, Valley View 0

Sharyland Pioneer 4, Roma 0

Mission Veterans 6, Rio Grande City 0

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 5, Brownsville Pace 1

PSJA High 2, Donna North 1

Edcouch-Elsa 5, Donna High 0

Mercedes 3, Brownsville Porter 2, PKs

District 32-4A

Port Isabel 7, Rio Hondo 1

Progreso at IDEA Frontier, not reported

Lyford at La Feria, not reported

District 31-4A

Raymondville at Hidalgo, not reported

Friday, Feb. 19

Non-District

Edinburg IDEA Quest at Raymondville, 5:30 p.m.

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial at Mission High, 6 p.m.

McAllen High at La Joya Palmview, 6 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at La Joya High, 6 p.m.

District 31-6A

Weslaco High at Edinburg Economedes, 6 p.m.

Edinburg High at Weslaco East, 6 p.m.

Edinburg North at PSJA Memorial, 6 p.m.

District 31-5A

Rio Grande City at Sharyland High, 6 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Mission Veterans, 6 p.m.

Valley View at Roma, 6 p.m.

District 32-4A

La Feria at IDEA Frontier, 6 p.m.

Port Isabel at Progreso, 7 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE 5, LA JOYA HIGH 0

La Joya High 0 0 — 0

McAllen Rowe 3 2 — 5

McALLEN ROWE (5): Victoria Castro 2, Ashley Carlos, Amaris Lopez, Mela Baena

RECORDS: McAllen Rowe (4-2); La Joya High (1-4)

McALLEN MEMORIAL 7,

LA JOYA PALMVIEW 1

La Joya Palmview 0 1 — 1

McAllen Memorial 2 5 — 7

McALLEN MEMORIAL (7): Carolina Guerrero 2, Abby Barth 2, Cameron Alaniz, Daisy Robles, Connie Avila

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (1): Not reported

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial (4-1); La Joya Palmview (0-5)

District 31-6A

PSJA NORTH 2, WESLACO EAST 1

Weslaco East 1 0 — 1

PSJA North 2 0 — 2

PSJA NORTH (2): Sarah Serrano 2

WESLACO EAST (1): Not reported

RECORDS: PSJA North (3-2); Weslaco East (1-3)

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 2,

EDINBURG HIGH 1

Edinburg Economedes 1 1 — 2

Edinburg High 0 1 — 1

ECONOMEDES (2): Yessi Molina.

EDINBURG HIGH (1): Ayssa Ozuna.

RECORDS: Economedes (3-1); Edinburg High (9-10, 1-3)

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH 9, VALLEY VIEW 0

Sharyland High 2 7 — 9

Valley View 0 0 — 0

SHARYLAND HIGH (9): Isabella Marinaro 4, Marifer Farias, Kaitie Watson 2, Emilia Ramos, Kim Cano

RECORDS: Sharyland High (5-0); Valley View (2-3)

MISSION VETERANS 6, RIO GRANDE CITY 0

Mission Veterans 4 2 — 6

Rio Grande City 0 0 — 0

MISSION VETERANS (6): Amanda Lozano 3, Maria Contreras, Denisse Martinez, Alexa Ramirez

RECORDS: Mission Veterans (2-3); Rio Grande City (0-5)

SHARYLAND PIONEER 4, ROMA 0

Roma 0 0 — 0

Sharyland Pioneer 3 1 — 4

SHARYLAND PIONEER (4): Andrea Reyes 2, Hannah Padilla, Julie Alanis

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer (5-1); Roma (2-3)

District 32-5A

PSJA HIGH 2, DONNA NORTH 1

Donna North 1 0 — 1

PSJA High 1 1 — 2

DONNA NORTH (1): Not reported

PSJA HIGH (2): Anahi Robles 2

RECORDS: Donna North (4-3); PSJA High (2-4)

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER SCORES

Friday, Feb. 12

Non-District

La Feria at St. Joseph, not reported

District 30-6A

McAllen High 3, McAllen Memorial 1

McAllen Rowe 3, Mission High 2

La Joya Palmview 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0

District 31-6A

Edinburg North 2, Weslaco High 1, PKs

PSJA Memorial 1, Edinburg High 0, PKs

Edinburg Economedes 3, PSJA North 1

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna 2, Brownsville Rivera 1, OT

Brownsville Veterans Memorial 3, Los Fresnos 1

Brownsville Lopez 2, Harlingen High 0

Harlingen South 5, San Benito 3, OT

District 31-5A

Valley View 3, Mission Veterans 0

Rio Grande City 2, Edinburg Vela 1

District 32-5A

Mercedes 4, PSJA Southwest 3

Donna High 2, Donna North 1

Brownsville Pace 3, Edcouch-Elsa 0

Brownsville Porter 11, PSJA High 0

Saturday, Feb. 13

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 4, Sharyland Pioneer 1

TAPPS

St. Joseph 3, San Antonio Antonian 2

Tuesday, Feb. 16

District 30-6A

Mission High at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 8 p.m.

La Joya Palmview at McAllen Memorial, 8 p.m.

La Joya High at McAllen Rowe, 8 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg High, 8 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at Weslaco High, 8 p.m.

Weslaco East at PSJA North, 8 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Brownsville Lopez, 7:30 p.m.

San Benito at Brownsville Rivera, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Hanna at Los Fresnos, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Harlingen South, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Rio Grande City at Mission Veterans*, 7:30 p.m.

Roma at Sharyland Pioneer, 8 p.m.

Sharyland High at Valley View, 8 p.m.

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest at Brownsville Pace, 7:30 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at Donna High, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-4A

Hidalgo at Raymondville, 7:30 p.m.

Port Isabel at La Feria, 7:30 p.m.

Progreso at IDEA Frontier, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-BOYS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

LA JOYA PALMVIEW 1,

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 0

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0 0 — 0

La Joya Palmview 0 1 — 1

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (1): Saul Delgado

RECORDS: La Joya Palmview (3-1); La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (1-3)

McALLEN HIGH 3, McALLEN MEMORIAL 1

McAllen Memorial 1 0 — 1

McAllen High 2 1 — 3

McALLEN HIGH (3): Miguel Rocha 2, Brandon Rangel

McALLEN MEMORIAL (1): Charlie Castillo

RECORDS: McAllen High (5-0); McAllen Memorial (2-2)

District 31-5A

VALLEY VIEW 3, MISSION VETERANS 0

Valley View 2 1 — 3

Missoin Veterans 0 0 — 0

VALLEY VIEW (3): Avinadan Garcia, Ivan Rodriguez, Damian Magallan Jr.

RECORDS: Valley View (4-0); Mission Veterans (0-4)

District 32-5A

MERCEDES 4, PSJA SOUTHWEST 3

Mercedes 3 1 — 4

PSJA Southwest 0 3 — 3

PSJA SOUTHWEST (3): Francisco Montoya, Miguel Vazquez, Basilio Beltran

RECORDS: Mercedes (3-3); PSJA Southwest (4-2)

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER SCORES

Friday, Feb. 12

District 30-6A

McAllen High 2, McAllen Memorial 1, PKs

McAllen Rowe 4, Mission High 1

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 2, La Joya Palmview 0

District 31-6A

PSJA North 3, Edinburg Economedes 0

Edinburg North 1, Weslaco High 0

Edinburg High 5, PSJA Memorial 1

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna 2, Brownsville Rivera 0

Brownsville Veterans Memorial 2, Los Fresnos 0

Brownsville Lopez 1, Harlingen High 0

Harlingen South 1, San Benito 0

District 31-5A

Valley View 3, Mission Veterans 2, PKs

Edinburg Vela 4, Rio Grande City 1

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 3, Mercedes 0

Brownsville Porter 3, PSJA High 0

Brownsville Pace 2, Edcouch-Elsa 1

Donna North 1, Donna High 0, PKs

District 32-4A

Port Isabel 4, Brownsville IDEA Frontier 0

Rio Hondo at La Feria, not reported

District 31-4A

Grulla at Raymondville, not reported

Saturday, Feb. 13

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 2, Sharyland Pioneer 1, PKs

Tuesday, Feb. 16

District 30-6A

La Joya Palmview vs. McAllen Memorial at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, 6 p.m.

La Joya High at McAllen Rowe, 6 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg High, 6 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at Weslaco High, 6 p.m.

Weslaco East at PSJA North, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Brownsville Lopez, 5:30 p.m.

San Benito at Brownsville Rivera, 5:30 p.m.

Brownsville Hanna at Los Fresnos, 5:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Harlingen South, 5:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Sharyland High at Valley View, 6 p.m.

Roma at Sharyland Pioneer, 6 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Rio Grande City, 6 p.m.

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest at Brownsville Pace, 6 p.m.

Donna North at PSJA High, 6 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at Donna High, 6 p.m.

Mercedes at Brownsville Porter, 6 p.m.

District 32-4A

Progreso at IDEA Frontier, 6 p.m.

Lyford at La Feria, 6 p.m.

Rio Hondo at Port Isabel, 7 p.m.

District 31-4A

Raymondville at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY-GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE 4, MISSION HIGH 1

McAllen Rowe 2 2 — 4

Mission High 0 1 — 1

McALLEN ROWE (4): Victoria Castro 2, Nyssa Davila, Veronica Dougherty

RECORDS: McAllen Rowe (3-2); Mission High (2-2)

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH 5, PSJA MEMORIAL 1

Edinburg High 2 3 — 5

PSJA Memorial 1 0 — 1

EDINBURG HIGH (5): Yessi Molina 2, Sam Vasquez 2, Silvina Calderon

PSJA MEMORIAL (1): Not reported

RECORDS: Edinburg High 9-9-1, 1-2-0 district

EDINBURG NORTH 1, WESLACO HIGH 0

Weslaco High 0 0 — 0

Edinburg North 0 1 — 1

EDINBURG NORTH (1): Gloria Gutierrez

RECORDS: Edinburg North (3-1); Weslaco High (2-1)

District 31-5A

VALLEY VIEW 3, MISSION VETERANS 2, PKs

Valley View 2 0 — 3

Mission Veterans 2 0 — 2

MISSION VETERANS (2): Amanda Lozano, Maria Contreras

RECORDS: Valley View (2-2); Mission Veterans (1-3)

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — With her McAllen High team needing one last penalty kick to put away McAllen Memorial, Jackie Lemus finally had the chance to get out of the net.

The District 30-6A Newcomer of the Year last season as a center midfielder, Lemus is taking one for the team in 2016, filling a need at goalkeeper.

But after making a pair of saves to limit Memorial to just two makes in five attempts, Lemus returned to a scoring roll, moving out of goal and drilling McAllen High’s final penalty kick to lift the Lady Bulldogs to a 2-1 (3-2 in PKs) win on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“It was a really tense game, and I felt really proud of the team and myself,” Lemus said. “I was really glad that my team was confident in me. That made me feel more motivated to play better, and I did.”

Lemus finished last season with 10 goals and 21 assists, thriving in her role reading the game and starting McHi’s counter attack. But with a talented group of freshmen ready to fill in up front, coach Pat Arney wanted Lemus to play on the back end, especially against a Lady Mustangs team that had scored 11 goals in three district games after pouring in a Valley-best 63 last season.

“Coach said they needed me, and all the players knew me and told me I could do it,” Lemus said. “At first I didn’t like it. I wanted to play the field. But I said, ‘I’ll do it for the team, not just for me.’”

Lemus made one key save during the first half, added two more on long shots in the second and stifled numerous Memorial attempts to get a score off crosses and corner kicks.

In penalties, she made one stop leaning to her right and stuffed another that came at her straight on. The situation was a comfortable one for Lemus, who has been in net for McHi’s two previous shootout wins this district season.

“We’re having Jackie back at goal, which I know she hates, but she’s just so good,” Arney said. “You can see the confidence just ooze from her. She knows what to do, and she just settles the whole team down. It’s nice to have her back there. We really appreciate that.”

Lemus said she’s played three years as a goalkeeper and three years in the field, so taking McAllen High’s final penalty wasn’t anything out of the norm.

“I was really calm,” Lemus said. “I was really confident with myself, so it wasn’t really that tough.”

The teams played back and forth throughout regulation, trading chances on counterattacks.

Senior defender Gabby Gonzalez broke the initial deadlock for the Lady Bulldogs with 12:36 to play in the first half, taking control of a loose ball near the top of the box and tucking it just under the crossbar.

“I quickly looked up and saw that the goalie was to one side, so I tried to aim to the other side,” Gonzalez said. “Luckily, it just ended up going in.”

McAllen Memorial answered less than a minute later when Jackie Quintero converted a penalty kick after a questionable call on a handball in the box.

But the Lady Mustangs could never crack Lemus again, ending an undefeated start to District 30-6A play. McAllen High moves to 5-0 and is the league’s only remaining unbeaten.

“I think we definitely had our chances and should’ve won the game,” McAllen Memorial coach Matthew Kaiser said. “I’m not disappointed. Like I told the girls, the effort was there. They played hard the whole game.”

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