GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Memorial running back Trevor Speights has decommitted from the University of Arizona, but he says the Wildcats remain his top choice.

The decision to reopen his recruitment, first reported by Rivals on Sunday, comes 13 months after Speights announced on Twitter his commitment to join Arizona’s 2016 recruiting class.

“I just wanted to weigh all of my options,” Speights said Tuesday. “I didn’t want to leave that decision that I made from freshman year. I wanted to reevaluate all of my options.”

“My lead is to Arizona, but I have several schools not too far behind,” Speights added.

Since first committing, Speights has picked up offers from four Southeastern Conference schools: Texas A&M, Tennessee, Missouri and Vanderbilt. He also has offers from Texas State and Rice.

During the past two months, images of Speights visiting A&M, Tennessee and Texas State have been posted to Twitter or Facebook.

“I didn’t think it was fair for me to be committed to Arizona and still taking visits, so I decided to open up my recruitment,” Speights said.

Speights said he came to the decision last Wednesday and talked it over with Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez on Monday.

“He was asking why I changed my mind, and I just let him know that I didn’t think it was fair, me taking visits with other schools,” Speights said. “I wanted to give everyone else a shot. A decision I make freshman year shouldn’t determine my decision as a senior. Of course, my decisions have changed because I grew as a person. As a freshman it’s cool, I don’t mind leaving out of state. But once you get closer to that date where you have to go to college, you start double thinking it.”

Speights plans to study either physical therapy or engineering, and he noted that Texas A&M’s graduate engineering program was ranked 12^th in the latestU.S. News & World Report survey.

“That’s very important to me, because that’s what I’m trying to major in, so I’m always looking at that,” Speights said. “I think Kevin Sumlin is doing a great job with the program. He’s really getting it turned around, and I would love to be a part of that.”

This summer, Speights plans to visit A&M, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arizona and Missouri. He said those are the “main leaders” right now, but “it just depends on who offers me.”

With National Signing Day for the 2016 class not until Feb. 3, Speights said he plans to take his time.

According to Rivals, Arizona has a pair of 2016 backs already committed, but Speights said that isn’t a factor.

“I’m not scared of competition,” he said.

Rivals ranks Speights as a three-star prospect and the No. 25 running back in his class. He is unranked by ESPN.

As a junior at Memorial last season, Speights posted the third best single-season rushing total in Valley history, amassing 2,655 yards with 30 touchdowns. Speights has earned both AP first-team All-State status and All-Valley Player of the Year honors for two straight seasons.

As a sophomore in 2013, Speights ran for 2,114 yards and scored 26 total touchdowns.

For his career, Speights has totaled 6,673 yards and 66 touchdowns. He needs just 1,130 yards next season to become the Valley’s all-time leading rusher, and 2,182 would put him fourth all-time in Texas.

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

DONNA — For Donna High’s Vince Castillo, the two-time defending state champion in the 300-meter hurdles, Saturday was all about
buying time.

He needed only to coast through the District 32-5A meet to earn another two weeks to rest his injured hamstring before regionals.

Even after almost a month without a competitive race, everything went according to plan for Castillo, as he cruised to wins in both the 110-meter and 300 hurdles to punch his ticket to the next round.

“I feel really good, really confident,” Castillo said. “The strategy for today was to get back used to the races, buy myself another two weeks, and have another two weeks to plan and to get back on track for regionals.”

At the Judson Relays last month in Converse, Castillo said he felt the strain in his right hamstring as he passed the second hurdle of the 300, jogging through the rest of the race.

For the next two weeks, his practice routine consisted mostly of stretching and jogging.

Castillo started slowly going over hurdles two weeks ago, and on Monday, Donna’s trainer cleared Castillo to get back in cleats and start practicing the 110. In the 300, all Castillo worked on was his approach.

After every rep, hurdles coach Guillermo Cuellar would check with Castillo to make sure he was OK.

“That’s what I told him this whole time: Just get in, qualify, and buy some more time to get better,” Cuellar said.

After taking a 45-minute warmup, holding every stretch a few seconds longer than usual and putting even more attention towards staying hydrated, Castillo opened his day by running the 110 hurdles at what he called 80 percent effort. That was still enough to run a 14.54 — a beat slower than his season-best of 14.22 and the 14.07 he ran at state last year, but enough to win the district title by a full second over Joel Gomez of Mercedes.

Castillo said he brought that same effort level to the 300, building a huge lead before coasting through the final 100 meters, calmly measuring his steps before each hurdle and pulling up a few meters before the finish line. His final time of 39.45 was well off his season best of 38.40 and his career best of 36.71, but it was more than 2 seconds faster than the next closest finisher.

“I make sure I get out with a nice, comfortable lead, and I’ll hear my coach tell me to shut it down or pick it up,” Castillo said. “I heard I was right where I’m supposed to be, so I just kind of coasted it in or played it safe.”

In reality, Castillo was ahead of where he needed to be. Cuellar said that he told Castillo leading up to the race to aim for an even easier mark.

“We’re trying to hold him back a little bit here, but he’s still running sub-40s,” Cuellar said. “I’m thinking that’s as slow as he can go.”

After another week of treatment, Castillo will start to ramp up his training for the regional competition. Cuellar said that final week is when Castillo will “start actually, really attacking.”

At regionals, Castillo hopes to hit at least 37.5 seconds in the 300, and 14.0 seconds in the 110. His goal, just like last season, is to peak at state, claiming a third consecutive title in the 300 and breaking the Valley record of 36.46. That mark was set in 2011 by Randy Bermea of Harlingen High.

“The Valley record will go down,” Castillo said. “I try my best, and records are meant to be broken. That’s why they have them.”

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

DONNA — After missing almost all of her freshman season due to injury, Donna North’s I’Dasha Sorrell was hesitant to join the track and field team this season.

She participated only in the district meet in 2014, failing to qualify for the finals in the 100-meter hurdles. At first, she didn’t see why she’d have any more success in Year 2.

But at the urging of her mother, Aide, and coach Roy Corpus Jr., I’Dasha decided to give it a shot. She quickly proved herself as one of the Valley’s best and most versatile athletes, thriving in five events. She finished second in the long jump and triple jump at the District 32-5A meet, and today she’ll compete for district titles in the 100-meter dash, 200 dash and 400 relay. All following preseason thoughts of ditching the sport entirely.

“It was very hard, I kind of had a mental breakdown,” I’Dasha said. “I really didn’t want to join track, because I thought I had no chance. But when I got out and did my first meet, I told myself that I do have it. I have the potential. The more I practice, and the more I get into it, I will come along.”

Practice time was not a luxury I’Dasha had last season. During North’s third-to-last district basketball game, against Mercedes, I’Dasha said she was pushed from behind as she was attempting a layup, and “my ankle just kind of snapped.”

She suffered cracks low on her fibula and tibia, which required three or four months of rehab. At first, the pain was so severe that she said she missed three or four days of class. I’Dasha’s rehab work included bands, biking and exercises in a pool. She wore a cast for about two months, then switched to heavy wraps and tape. She was also on medication for pain and swelling.

“I kind of pushed myself through the pain,” I’Dasha said.

She was cleared just two days before the district meet, and clipping the last of the 100 hurdles was enough to keep her out of the finals.

Once track was over, I’Dasha played with the Valley Heat volleyball team, then returned to North for a second season of volleyball and basketball. I’Dasha is a three-sport athlete, just as her mother was at Brownsville Porter.

When basketball finished, I’Dasha decided not just to come back to track, but to do so at full throttle. She said juggling five events is a “very tiring” routine, one that forces her to alternate between “field days” and “track days” at practice. For I’Dasha, just getting down to five events has been her biggest challenge this season.

“I had to choose between the 100 hurdles or the 200, and I chose the 200 only because I ran that also in my seventh- and eighth-grade year. It makes me faster, and gets me ready for the 100-meter dash.”

Handling such a heavy workload can be a challenge, especially for someone who is only a sophomore. But coach Corpus knows I’Dasha is up to the task.

“She’s still young, but I know she can handle it,” Corpus said. “She’s a tough young lady, and I know she can handle the pressure. She’ll be all right.”

The 100 has been I’Dasha’s strong point this year, as she ranks third among Valley girls with a mark of 12.08. Her goal is to get that time down into the 11-second range, which would give her a better chance to beat her district rival from PSJA High, Valerie Mancha, who holds the Valley’s second-best time in the 100 at 11.98 seconds.

Whether I’Dasha can hit that mark this season or not, Corpus believes she has the potential to someday make it to state.

“We’re trying to get to that state level, but we have to go step by step,” Corpus said. “She is a very young and very developed young lady, where I know she can excel.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISI — PSJA Southwest Javelinas boys soccer junior Humberto Medina stood among his teammates with tears dripping down his face, but with the region IV-5A runner-up trophy proudly raised overhead.

While the Javelinas fell short of state with a 4-2 loss to Georgetown East View on Saturday at Cabaniss Soccer Field, they were happy to have advanced to the regional finals for the first time in school history, hopefully laying the groundwork for a young program to continue to grow.

“I know we feel very bad right now, because of all the hard work we did throughout the season, and for us to lose in this game,” senior Uriel Garcia said. “But I’m very proud of my team. No matter what happened on the field right now, I know they gave it all.”

After the final seconds ran off the clock, many of the Javelinas started to cry. Senior keeper Diego Blanco lay face up on the field as the teams went through the handshake line. Others dropped to their knees for a final prayer.

“Some of the guys were a little bit down, but we told them they’re pioneers,” PSJA Southwest coach Jesus Palomin said. “They’re building a pathway for the next generation.”

Southwest never led but seemed to trade chances and possession evenly from start to finish.

East View broke a scoreless tie with 17:35 to play in the first half, when Eduardo Zuluaga wrangled the ball away from a Southwest defender and poked it past Blanco from 10 yards out.

A controversial ruling early in the second half allowed East View to extend the lead. Following a save by Blanco, East View’s Bryan Argueta corralled the rebound and put it home. The sideline official had his flag raised to signal offsides, but the referee overruled him, allowing the goal to stand as Southwest’s players stood with their arms extended in confusion.

After East View’s Zuluaga finished a cross from point-blank range to extend the advantage to 3-0 with 15:45 to play, a few of the Javelinas were slow to return to their feet, knowing the deficit was a crippling blow.

But PSJA Southwest found a spark when Garcia took the ball from the East View keeper and scored an easy goal to draw the Javelinas within 3-1 with 10:58 on the clock. Palomin waved his arms to signal for players and fans to get fired up, while Medina clapped and yelled to his teammates.

“Even though we were 3-0 with 10 minutes left, we knew we could still make it,” Garcia said.

East View quickly put down the rally, scoring with 5:48 to play to all but ice the game. The Javelinas defense opted to let a 40-yard free kick through to Blanco, but the keeper slipped on the play, allowing the ball to sneak into the net.

The wet, rainy conditions proved to be a factor all day for Southwest, which wanted to use quick, precise passing and sharp cuts to overcome East View’s size advantage.

“For our style of play, it hindered us quite a bit,” Palomin said.

Francisco Montoya’s goal with 46 seconds to play proved inconsequential.

As the players lingered on the field for the trophy presentation, Garcia gathered the group and began yelling to them in Spanish. He told his teammates that they had a chance to return to this point next season, as long as they put in the work.

“I know they can make it further,” Garcia said. “I’ve seen it in their face how much they want it. I know they can make a better team next year. I know they will.”

A trip to state would fit the pattern for Southwest, which advanced to the regional quarterfinals in 2013, the regional semifinals in 2014 and the regional finals this season.

Even with 12 seniors set to graduate, Palomin said he was already seeing the possibilities. The Javelinas start their offseason program on Monday.

“It’s hard to see them like this, but we got one step further than last year,” Palomin said. “Hopefully, next year is the breakout season where we’re able to win state. They already called it. That’s their main goal for next year: State.”

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Regional Semifinal Round

Boys

Class 6A

Friday, April 10

Brownsville Rivera 3, San Antonio Reagan 1

San Antonio Brandeis 5, PSJA North 1

Class 5A

Friday, April 10

Georgetown East View 1, Brownsville Porter 0

PSJA Southwest 4, Leander Vandegrift 1

Class 4A

Friday, April 10

Fredericksburg 1, Hidalgo 0

Regional Semifinal Round

Girls

Class 6A

Friday, April 10

Los Fresnos 1, Corpus Christi Carroll 0, PKs

San Antonio Reagan 2, McAllen Memorial 0

Class 5A

Friday, April 10

Leander Vandegrift 1, Sharyland Pioneer 0

Cedar Park 2, Sharyland High 0

Regional Final Round

Boys

Class 6A

Saturday, April 11

Brownsville Rivera vs. San Antonio Brandeis at Brownsville Sports Park in Brownsville, 3 p.m.

Class 6A

Saturday, April 11

PSJA Southwest vs. Georgetown East View at Cabaniss Soccer Field in Corpus Christi, Noon

Regional Final Round

Girls

Class 6A

Saturday, April 11

Los Fresnos vs. San Antonio Reagan at Brownsville Sports Park in Brownsville, 1 p.m.

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — As Sharyland High coach Aaron Clemons prepared to address his team after a its season-ending loss, senior Nikki Gonzalez was squatted in the middle of her teammates, crying into her jersey.

The Lady Rattlers ran into a bigger, faster, stronger team on Friday in the region IV-5A semifinals, falling 2-0 to Cedar Park at Cabaniss Soccer Field.

“The team and I are all upset that we lost the first game here at this tournament, but we all know that we gave it our all,” Gonzalez said. “We know that, in the end, we love the team.”

Clemons said Sharyland was prepared to face a physical challenge from Cedar Park. One of his points of emphasis from Day 1 in his first season at the helm of the Rattlers has been developing physicality, knowing just how important it can be in playoff situations.

But Sharyland still had no answers for Cedar Park’s ability to win seemingly every header, or to track down every long ball with superior speed.

“Within our district, we hadn’t come up against a team that would spread the field that much, and do it so quickly,” Gonzalez said.

Cedar Park opened the scoring with 29:04 to play in the first half on a goal by Vanessa Rangel from about 25 yards out. Sharyland High keeper Kimberlee Cano was tracking the ball cleanly the whole way, but in the end it was placed too perfectly above her outstretched arms.

“I can’t expect my goalie to get that,” Clemons said. “But we shouldn’t have freed her up to take that shot.”

In the second half, Clemons felt the Lady Rattlers started to get a foothold. With 32:35 to play, sophomore Isabella Marinaro dribbled through a crowd of three defenders and struck a shot just wide of the far post, igniting both the Lady Rattlers’ players and fans. But Sharyland never cracked Cedar Park, and a 45-minute lightning delay with 23:57 left to play sent both teams to the locker rooms and allowed Cedar Park to rest and regain its composure.

“I feel like if we hadn’t had that lightning delay, that they were starting to wear down,” Clemons said. “You let a team like that get a little bit of rest, and they’ll hurt you.”

Cedar Park did just that, building a two-goal cushion after a crucial defensive misplay by Sharyland left an easy shot for Sarah Davidson with 14:58 to play.

Clemons hopes the loss goes down as a learning experience. With eight starters back for next season, he expects the team to have a bright future.

“Right after the game, I told the girls, ‘Hey, we’ll be back,’” Clemons said. “We’ll be back.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — Sharyland Pioneer girls soccer juniors Julie Alanis, Hannah Padilla and Taylor Marquez all used the same word to describe Friday’s loss: “heartbreaking.”

Pioneer seemed outclassed by defending state champion Vandegrift for most of the game, keeping the score close but mounting very little offense in a 1-0 region IV-5A semifinal loss at Cabaniss Soccer Field.

“It’s very heartbreaking knowing that we tried our best and still couldn’t come out with a more positive outcome,” Alanis said. “But I’m just glad that we can say we all know we pushed our hardest. We can say that we tried to the very end.”

Alanis said Vandegrift had advantages in speed and height, and coach J.J. Lopez complimented the Vipers’ touch and ability to spread the field.

Vandegrift seemed to have the ball in Pioneer’s box about as often as Pioneer had it on the offensive half. The Vipers used crisp passing to generate chance after chance, showing why they’ve outscored their opponents 12-0 across four playoff wins.

“I feel accomplished, because we’re a first-year program, and they’ve been around for a while,” Marquez said. “They were state champions, and they were good. I’m proud of my team for keeping up with them.”

Vandegrift’s lone breakthrough came with 25:45 to play in the opening half. Lopez said one of Pioneer’s wings failed to drop back correctly on defense, leaving Gracie Erdman a clear lane to run onto a pass at the top of the box and fire it into the lower-left portion of the net.

“The bottom line is that a lot of those girls play together and have been playing together, so they get to know each other a little bit better,” Lopez said. “The skill level is obviously a little bit higher than what we have. That’s just something we need to work on.”

The Lady Diamondbacks will have plenty of opportunity to grow closer next season with just one senior reserve set to graduate.

For now, a trip to the fourth round and loss to the defending state champion as a first-year program is something Pioneer is proud of.

“We did really great this year for a first-year team,” Padilla said. “We worked hard all season and we never gave up. We never listened to what other people were saying about us because we’re a first-year team.”

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RGVSports.com

BROWNSVILLE — Brownsville Rivera’s boys soccer team amassed a three-goal cushion by halftime to withstand San Antonio Reagan and advance to the regional final on Saturday.

Rivera will face the winner of PSJA North-San Antonio Brandeis in the Elite 8.

BOYS CLASS 5A

PSJA SOUTHWEST 4, LEANDER VANEGRIFT 1: At Corpus Christi, PSJA Southwest Javelinas boys soccer senior Michael Martin scored four goals in the team’s 4-1 win against Leander Vandegrift on Friday at Cabaniss Soccer Field in Corpus Christi.

Martin put the Javelinas on the board first with 29:55 to play in the opening half when he converted a rebound opportunity after a strong run by forward Luis Escudero.

After Vandegrift scored to tie the game before half, Martin drilled a shot from the corner of the box off a Vandegrift defender to put Southwest out in front 2-1 with 26:23 to play. His third goal came on a shot over the keeper’s head from the top of the box with 11:00 on the clock, and he iced the win when he beat his defender one-on-one and tucked a shot past the keeper on the near side with 5:09 remaining.

GEORGETOWN EAST VIEW 1, BROWNSVILLE PORTER 0: At Corpus Christi, Georgetown East View got an early goal and held on the beat Porter.

With 24:53 to play in the opening half, Ricky Aviles made a move to get past a Porter defnder and scored to give his team the advantage. Although Porter had chances throughout, East View kept the pressure high, showing why the team moves to an undefeated 24-0-1 this season.

GIRLS CLASS 5A

CEDAR PARK 2, SHARYLAND HIGH 0: At Corpus Christi, one nearly perfect shot and one costly misplay were all it took for Cedar Park to end Sharyland High’s season.

Cedar Park’s Vanessa Rangel scored from 20 yards out on a shot that tucked just under the crossbar, putting Cedar Park ahead 1-0 with 29:04 to play in the first half. The lead moved to 2 with 14:48 to play in the second half, when the Rattlers botched a clearance to set up an easy look for the Timberwolves’ Sarah Davidson.

During the second half, the game was delayed about 45 minutes by lightning.

VANDEGRIFT 1, SHARYLAND PIONEER 0: Sharyland Pioneer kept the score close against defending state champion Vandegrift, but was ultimately unable to mount much of an attack.

While Vandegrift peppered Sharyland’s defense with shot after shot, many from within 10 yards, the Diamondbacks struggled to simply possess the ball in the attacking third. The taller, faster and more athletic Vandegrift swarmed to the ball at every opportunity.

The only goal came with 25:45 to play in the opening half, when Vandegrift’s Gracie Erdman ran onto a ball as it was rolling across the top of the box and punched it home with her first touch.

GIRLS CLASS 6A

LOS FRESNOS 1, CORPUS CHRISTI CARROLL 0: At Brownsville, the Los Fresnos girls soccer team is headed to the Region IV-Class 6A regional final after defeating Corpus Christi Carroll 1-0 (5-3 PKs) at the Brownsville Sports Park.

After regulation, the score was tied at 0.

Check back throughout the day for updates on each game as soon as it goes final.

SAN ANTONIO REGAN 2, MCALLEN MEMORIAL 0: At Brownsville, the McAllen Memorial Lady Mustangs’ soccer season ended at the regional semifinal level of the state playoffs for the second staight year.

District 26-6A champion San Antonio Reagan (23-2-2) scored a pair of first-half goals and turned away every Memorial scoring threat to capture a victory against the District 30-6A champion Lady Mustangs (24-3) in the Region IV-6A Tournament semifinals at Brownsville Sports Park.

Reagan, the defending Region IV-5A champion, next plays Los Fresnos, a 1-0 (5-3) penalty kicks winner earlier Friday over Corpus Christi Carroll, at 1 p.m. Saturday at BSP with the victor advancing to next week’s UIL state tournament in Georgetown.

“Reagan got some goals, not really high-quality goals, but that doesn’t matter one way or the other,” Memorial coach Matthew Kaiser said. “For our girls, it’s just tough to play from behind against a team like Reagan. We haven’t found ourselves in that position too many times this season.”

BOYS CLASS 4A

FREDERICKSBURG 1, HIDALGO 0: Ian Kendrick’s early first-half goal was enough to end Hidalgo’s season in a match at Mission that featured a 2 1/2-hour lightning delay. The Pirates had plenty of chances to score, but never could convert. At one point, Hidalgo had four consecutive shots on goal in three minutes.

Kendrick’s goal came with 10:48 left in the first half.

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — When PSJA Southwest Javelinas boys soccer leading scorer Luis Escudero went down after taking a cleat to the knee, Michael Martin knew he would have to step up.

He did so almost instantly, scoring his first goal before Escudero even left the field. Martin went on to tally three more in PSJA Southwest’s 4-1 win against Leander Vandegrift in a region IV-5A semifinal on Friday at Cabaniss Soccer Field.

“At the beginning of the day, I was very nervous,” Martin said. “But there was a forward injured, so coach told me I got this. It was my game. Coach told me it would be my game, so I just did what I could.”

After Escudero went on a dazzling run and worked his way past three Vandegrift defenders, his attempt at a chip was deflected by keeper Alex LaPlace.

As LaPlace’s cleat caught Escudero on the knee and he crumbled to the ground in pain, Martin snuck in behind the keeper and touched the ball home from just inches away to give Southwest a 1-0 lead with 29:55 to play.

Vandegrift’s Santi Munoz tied the game with 23:35 to play, so PSJA Southwest coach Jesus Palomin knew he would need more from Martin.

“He had told us last night in the team meeting, he said, ‘Coach, I’m going to make you proud tomorrow,’” Palomin said. “During halftime, that’s what I told him. Remember what you told me last night? Make it happen. Lo and behold, he had, as of right now, the game of his life.”

Escudero tried to give it a go at the start of the second half, but with substantial bruising and the prospect of another game tomorrow, Palomin chose to limit him to about 10 minutes of action.

Martin made up for his absence. With 26:23 to play, Miguel Vasquez controlled the ball deep in Vandegrift’s half and found Martin with a pass at the left corner of the box. Martin drilled a shot off of a Vandegrift defender and in to give Southwest a 2-1 lead.

The goal forced Vandegrift into an offensive posture, which gave Southwest even more opportunities to counterattack. With 11:00 remaining, Martin took control of the ball about 40 yards from goal and sprinted almost uncontested to the top of the box before neatly tucking a shot over the reach of LaPlace.

Martin said his final goal was his favorite of the afternoon. Coming in one-on-one down the right wing, Martin dribbled around his marker and tucked the ball past the goalie on the near side to push PSJA Southwest’s lead to 4-1 and all but ice the win with 5:09 to play.

The victory sets up a matchup at noon today against Georgetown East View for the Region IV-5A title and a trip to state.

“I knew it was going to be hard, but we got this,” Martin said. “Tomorrow is going to be a hard game, but we want to go to state. That’s the dream.”

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — Senior Reyes Saldivar and the rest of the Brownsville Porter boys soccer team lingered on the field for a few minutes following their Region IV-5A semifinal loss to Georgetown East View.

Many sat or knelt on the grass, wiping tears from their eyes. Others shared hugs and good byes with their senior teammates.

A year after missing the playoffs for the first time since 1999, Brownsville Porter’s redemptive season came to an end with a 1-0 loss to East View on Friday at Cabaniss Soccer Field.

“I just told them we have to learn from this experience, and we have to come back strong,” Brownsville Porter coach Jose Espitia said. “We had several chances and couldn’t capitalize. They had one or two, and they scored. That’s the way soccer is.”

The chance that proved to be the decider came with 24:53 to play in the opening half.

Georgetown East View’s Ricky Aviles put a move on a Porter defender who was attempting a tackle, then buried the shot in the back of the net.

With the win, East View improves to 24-0-1.

“It was a very even match,” Espitia said. “They’re not an undefeated team just for nothing. They’re doing things right.”

East View appeared to be the bigger and faster team, and wet conditions that included occasional patches of significant rain made it difficult for Porter to overcome that disadvantage through passing.

“That was a great team,” Porter senior Reyes Saldivar said. “It was difficult to punish them. It was a good game. They were better than us. That’s it.”

While East View often had possession in Porter’s half, the Patriots seemed hesitant to pull the trigger on shots — a big reason East View never extended its advantage.

Porter, meanwhile, was just a beat away from converting. In the first half, a cross was inches too high for a header. Later, a shot by Alexis Armendariz was saved. Porter also narrowly misfired on cross attempts in the second half, and Armendariz had another prime chance blocked.

“It was an even match,” Espitia said. “In some sort of way in the second half, we dominated. We pressed them, dominated the possession of the ball, but nothing clear. We were just a little bit flat.”

Espitia applauded seniors Grabriel Trejo and Daniel Briseno for playing through significant injuries. He said they and the rest of the team “left everything on the field.”

“We were happy (with the season), but not satisfied,” Espitia said. “I think we had the team to go father. … We’re hoping next year that we come back strong with this experience already.”

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