BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — When coach Elias Moran took over the Edinburg North boys soccer team in 2013, Diego Sanchez, now a senior, said the Cougars didn’t really respect him.

The players were used to a different style of coaching and a different approach to the game. They were unwilling to adapt, and North struggled mightily, going just 4-12.

“It was bad,” Sanchez said. “It was his first year coaching, so I guess people would just, they wouldn’t take him serious. The team wasn’t committed to playing soccer. Everybody was just on their own.”

The next year, things started to change. The seniors who questioned Moran had graduated, and the returners bought in to his style and system. The 2014 team finished the season 9-7, setting the stage for a playoff upset against Laredo United. The momentum only continued to build this year, as North claimed the District 31-6A title with an 11-1 record — a far cry from Moran’s lowly beginnings.

“It was a long year,” Sanchez remembered of his sophomore season. “He wanted to be strict, but people wouldn’t take him strict. So it was just a mess. But thank God, junior year, everything got fixed. And now we’re in the playoffs.”

Developing a sense of family at North was a challenge for Moran, but the core group of seven senior starters who have been with him since the beginning now understand his expectations and how he runs practices.

The Cougars also had to learn Moran’s tactical approach, which can employ three or four different formations depending on the opponent and game situation.

“We believe in the system coach Moran has,” senior Silverio Hernandez said. “That’s something that has made us better over the years. That’s why we’re here.”

Added Sanchez: “It’s a weird system, but it works.”

Many players also had to adjust to new positions. With no natural defenders on the 2013 roster, players who viewed themselves as forwards or midfielders were forced back.

Two years down the road, the Cougars are more comfortable in their roles.

“The same group that struggled the first year is the same group that had success the second year, and it’s the same group that made history in the third year,” Moran said. “That’s why I’m very happy with my team. It’s like we’re climbing the ladder.”

As the team has climbed the ladder, so has Sanchez. He scored four goals as a sophomore, eight as a junior and then nine this season, all the while being North’s top threat.

“Since Day 1, I wanted to be the leading scorer,” Sanchez said. “That was my goal. And I got my goal.”

Sanchez has proven his ability to create offense in numerous ways, converting long free kicks, scoring off the dribble or distributing to his teammates. He said he thought he was a more natural passer at the start of his career, but Moran needed forwards, so Sanchez slid to the front.

“I’m the player that everybody looks for on the field,” Sanchez said. “I’m a really dangerous player.”

Indeed, Sanchez said he is sometimes shadowed by three players from the opposing team. He admitted that the attention can be frustrating, but said he simply runs until “they leave me alone.”

Moran has been impressed with Sanchez’ improved maturity. He said Sanchez spoke to him about moving to Mexico in pursuit of a professional career as a sophomore, but Moran convinced him to stay. Now, Sanchez has “excellent grades” and aspirations of playing college soccer.

“He became a leader,” Moran said. “He demonstrated a lot of growing, not only on the field, but growing more mature as a human being.”

The next rung for Sanchez and his teammates is a deep playoff run. The team’s 23-2 overall mark is the best in school history, but Moran said he doesn’t let the Cougars think much about what they’ve accomplished. The focus always remains ahead, to North’s bi-district game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Brownsville Veterans.

“Our goal and motivation is the big picture,” Moran said. “What I’ve always preached to them is, ‘Let’s make history.’ Let’s stop this tradition of staying in the first round. Lets try to move forward.”

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — At about the midway point of the season, Sharyland High girls soccer sophomore Vanessa Guevara put it on herself to step up.

“I flipped a switch, saying I need to start working hard,” Guevara said. “Ever since halfway through the season, I was like, ‘I need to get it together.’”

Guevara was hardly struggling, following up the six goals she scored as a freshman with another strong campaign. But becoming more aggressive, a key for all of the Rattlers this season under first-year coach Aaron Clemons, took her to another level. Guevara scored a district-best 18 goals as Sharyland High secured a district title and a No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

“It’s amazing, honestly,” Guevara said of her goal total. “I couldn’t believe it. When I saw the paper, I was like, ‘Wow.’”

Clemons said Guevara used to “slow-play” everything. Whenever she received a pass, she would look up and try to locate the defense, reacting to their movements.

Now, the natural lefty makes quick and decisive moves to set up scoring opportunities from her position on the left wing. Clemons’ instructions to Guevara were simple.

“’Start running up and down the field with authority,’” Clemons said. “We worked on some drills where we have her come down the field, and if it’s there, she takes it as far as she can.”

The change in approach maximizes Guevara’s physical skills. Clemons said she has deceptive speed given her size and strength. She has one of the biggest legs on the roster, even scoring twice on corner kicks this season.

With that natural ability, Clemons has frequently reminded Guevara of the old adage: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

“I said that I don’t know how many times this year to the girls, and I think it sunk in,” Clemons said. “Especially with Vanessa.”

Bringing more of an aggressive, attacking style has been one of Clemons’ central focuses. He had always coached that way, and with four players who run the 40-yard dash in less than 5.3 seconds, he felt the Rattlers had the speed to make it work.

Still, constantly pressuring the ball and getting inside the opposition was a major change from previous seasons. Clemons said he had to “break some of their habits” from former coach J.J. Lopez, who preferred a different style of play.

“The reputation with Sharyland was very, very good, but you can kind of push them around,” said Clemons, who coached at Mission High before this season. “Now, these girls, you can’t push us around.”

Clemons said he put the team through aggression drills, using padding so that the players can go body-to-body without risk of injury. He also described himself as a “yeller,” honed through his experiences coaching football.

Senior Nikki Gonzalez said she’s seen the impact the new style has had on herself and her teammates.

“I saw a big difference from the years before and now,” Gonzalez said. “Sometimes when we’re playing the games I’m like, ‘Oooh, we are aggressive.’”

With a bulk of talent and a newfound aggression, the Rattlers believe they are primed for a deep playoff run. Sharyland High opens the postseason at 6 tonight against Brownsville Pace at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen.

“I told the girls, ‘I’ve been to the regional quarterfinals three times, and I think this is the team right here to get me in the semifinals as a coach,’” Clemons said. “I’ve talked to them and I’ve told them, ‘Hey, you can be as good as you want to be. And I think they believe it.”

[email protected]

Soccer playoffs

Boys

Bi-district

Class 6A

Thursday, March 26

Brownsville Rivera vs. Edinburg High at Cats Stadium, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Hanna vs. Edinburg Economedes at Weslaco East, 7 p.m.

La Joya High vs. Laredo LBJ at Roma High School, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA North vs. Brownsville Lopez at Sams Stadium, 8 p.m.

Friday, March 27

Edinburg North at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

La Joya Palmview vs. Del Rio at Shirley Field in Laredo, 8 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. Laredo United South at the Student Activity Center in Laredo, 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 28

McAllen High vs. Laredo United at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi, 6 p.m.

Class 5A

Thursday, March 26

Sharyland High at Donna High, 7 p.m.

Friday, March 27

Edinburg Vela at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 28

Sharyland Pioneer vs. Brownsville Porter at Sams Stadium in Brownsville, 2 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at Valley View, 6 p.m.

Class 4A

Thursday, March 26

La Feria at Hidalgo, 7 p.m.

Port Isabel vs. Zapata at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 27

Brownsville IDEA Frontier at Grulla, 6 p.m.

Monte Alto at Progreso, 7 p.m.

Girls

Bi-district

Class 6A

Thursday, March 26

Brownsville Hanna vs. Edinburg Economedes at Weslaco East, 5 p.m.

Edinburg North vs. Brownsville Lopez at Sams Stadium, 6 p.m.

Harlingen South at Edinburg High, 7 p.m.

McAllen Rowe vs. Laredo United at the Student Activity Center in Laredo, 6 p.m.

Friday, March 27

McAllen Memorial vs. Laredo LBJ at the Student Activity Center in Laredo, 6 p.m.

McAllen High vs. Laredo United South in Roma, 6 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. Del Rio at Shirley Field in Laredo, 6 p.m.

Los Fresnos at PSJA Memorial, 6:30 p.m.

Class 5A

Thursday, March 26

Donna North at Roma, 6 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at Edcouch-Elsa, 7 p.m.

Brownsville Pace vs. Sharyland High at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen, 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 28

Edinburg Vela vs. PSJA Southwest at Cats Stadium in Edinburg, 2 p.m.

Class 4A

Thursday, March 26

Port Isabel vs. Grulla at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission, 6 p.m.

La Feria at Monte Alto, 6:30 p.m.

TBA

Progreso vs. Raymondville

Hidalgo vs. Rio Hondo

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Although a pair of McAllen High boys soccer players were found to be ineligible at a Tuesday meeting of the District 30-6A executive committee, the Bulldogs will not forfeit the games in which those players participated, McAllen ISD confirmed Wednesday.

Instead, the two players have been suspended for the remainder of the season, and McHi retains its district championship and No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

McAllen High coach Fernando Segovia, McHi athletic coordinator Kevin Brewer and McAllen ISD athletic director Paula Gonzalez requested all inquiries be brought to Mark May, the district’s community information specialist.

“McAllen ISD agrees and stands by the decision of the District 30-6A Executive Committee,” May said in a statement via email. “Although McAllen High is still the district champion, two student-athletes have been ruled ineligible for postseason play. The information presented to the district misrepresented the facts used to determine eligibility. The district followed all protocols at the time of eligibility determination and was recently made aware that items on the Previous Athletic Participation Form were misrepresented.”

Yvonne Ayala, the principal at La Joya Palmview, which chairs the 30-6A DEC, did not return phone messages seeking comment.

Section 1207 (c) of the UIL soccer constitution states: “In the event an ineligible contestant is used in any League game or contest, knowingly or unknowingly, the minimum penalty shall be forfeiture of the game, contest or event.”

However, section 27 (b) (3) of the UIL’s constitution and contest rules states: “When a student who has participated in contests that count on League standing is found to be ineligible, and the school has properly verified eligibility based on the facts available, has exercised sufficient diligence in determining actual conditions and facts, and the district executive committee has previously ruled the student eligible, the State Executive Committee may find the student in question ineligible from the date of the hearing, and thus not require the participant school to forfeit contests.”

“The athletic department at McAllen has been in contact with the UIL compliance officer,” UIL media coordinator Kate Hector said in an email. “It was determined that the school did its due diligence in checking eligibility when the students began participating in athletics at McAllen, and therefore the DEC determined that McAllen is not required to forfeit games in which the ineligible students participated.”

Before the season, the parents, a McHi administrator, the previous school and the DEC were all required to sign off on a Previous Athletic Participation Form, which claims to have verified that the students are living with their parents at the new address, that the students were not recruited, and that the transfer was not made for athletic purposes.

May said the portion of the form that was filled out in error was question No. 9: “Are there other family members in grades K-12 attending a different school district other than the school district the student is now attending?”

“The parent put “no.” We have now learned there were two other siblings living outside our school district,” May said in an email. “To be clear, the two student-athletes do have residency in McAllen High’s attendance zone (we did a home visit). But because of false information on the form, they are now ineligible.”

Still, other coaches within the district were disappointed to learn of the ruling.

“It’s very clear here that these two kids were either recruited or moved to play with a better team,” La Joya Palmview coach Mario Ribera said. “They knew what school they were going to, because they knew they were going to win a championship, or district at least. The worst thing is, the coach knew about it.”

“This is not right,” Ribera added.

Donna North and Brownsville Porter were found on Tuesday to have used ineligible players and as a result forfeited all games in which those players participated.

If McAllen High were to suffer a similar penalty, La Joya Palmview would become the district champion, and Mission High would claim the final playoff spot. McHi is schedule to face Laredo United at 6 p.m. Saturday at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi.

Although initially very upset at the ruling, Mission High coach Christos Barouhas dialed down his reaction upon further review of the circumstances.

“After I read about the decision concerning Donna North and Porter, I was hoping we would have the same decision from the committee, and it didn’t happen,” Barouhas said. “I was so sorry to see my kids with long faces yesterday and today.”

[email protected]

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

A pair of University Interscholastic League rules infractions have led to a new district champion and playoff team for District 32-5A boys soccer.

Brownsville Porter, originally the district champion, will forfeit two games for using an ineligible player. Donna North, initially the No. 3 seed, will forfeit all of its games, also for using an ineligible player.

The combined results make PSJA Southwest the new district champion and allow Donna High to claim the final playoff berth. “It was just a misunderstanding on my part,” Donna North coach Francisco Alejo said. “There was a kid who wasn’t supposed to be playing, and that’s pretty much it.”

“I didn’t have any idea,” Alejo added. “It was a surprise to me, too. When we found out, we decided to just come clean and tell everyone.”

Alejo said the issue was related to grades, then declined any further comment on the situation, referring questions to Donna ISD athletics director Manny Moreno.

Moreno did not return phone calls or text messages seeking comment on Tuesday.

Brownsville ISD athletic director Mark Guess confirmed Tuesday the UIL ruled Porter must forfeit two games for using an ineligible player.

PSJA Southwest picks up four points in the standings after having lost to Donna North via penalty kicks twice during the regular season, and Brownsville Porter falls back six points due to the two losses. The swing leaves Southwest at 36 points and Porter at 35, giving the Javelinas their first district title.

PSJA Southwest coach Jesus Palomin broke the news to his team before Tuesday’s practice.

“They were excited,” Palomin said. “But at the same time, our team captains, Uriel Garcia and Ivan Calderon, were very focused, and told the rest of the team great, that happened, but right now we’re concentrating on playoffs. And that was about it. Maybe they celebrated about five minutes, and after that it was all business for them.”

PSJA Southwest will host Edinburg Vela at 7 p.m. on Friday. Sharyland Pioneer will travel to Brownsville to face Porter at 2 p.m Saturday, while Valley View will host pace at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Donna High, which moved from fifth place to fourth as a result of the Donna North forfeits, will host Sharyland High at 7 p.m. Thursday.

“I was not expecting it, but we’re in,” Donna High coach Mario Hernandez said. “I’m going to be honest, it was a surprise. It caught me off guard. … Honestly, I had no idea. On Friday, after our game, we had already added the points, and we had a good talk with the kids. We were pretty much talking about thank you for being here for four years, the seniors. It was a pretty sad day because we didn’t make it to the playoffs. And then on Monday morning, that was when I found out.”

[email protected]

Staff Writer Roy Hess contributed to this report.

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Edinburg High girls coach Cerjio Elizarraraz had penciled in Reyna Del Castillo as a starting forward from Day 1. That was in 2013, before Castillo suffered a torn ACL that cost her two years.

Now, as a junior, Castillo is finally back, leading a resurgent Edinburg High team into the playoffs.

“She brings another tempo. She brings it to another gear as far as our style of play and the speed of the game,” Elizarraraz said. “That was the missing piece, really.”

With Castillo looking on as a freshman, Edinburg High skidded to a 1-15 record.

Last year, as a sophomore, Castillo still wasn’t back to 100 percent, so she sat out another season. The Bobcats again struggled, finishing 3-13.

Even this year, Edinburg High was without Castillo for the first four district games as she completed basketball season. In only her second game back, Castillo scored four times in a 5-1 win against PSJA North.
“For her just to come in and play like she left off was pretty amazing,” Elizarraz said. “She’s fun to watch. She’s a special girl because of her ability and skills. The team gets better because of that.”

With Castillo complimenting the Bobcats’ other leading scorer, Yessi Molina, the team has increased its goal total from 7 in 2014 to 18 this season.

An even more stark turnaround has come on defense, where a group that allowed 55 goals last season has yielded just 12 this year. Elizarraraz said the team has mastered the man marking principles from last season and learned to mix in some new zone concepts.

Elizarraraz also credited the group, which has seven returning starters, for being selfless with position changes and committed to conditioning and the fundamentals.

“They came out at the beginning of the school year and said, ‘We’re going to come together as a group,’” Elizarraraz said. “And they did it.”

PLAYOFF BOUND

In a highly competitive District 30-6A, the La Joya High boys team managed to secure the fourth and final playoff spot during the season’s final week.

La Joya and Mission each finished with 18 points and split the head-to-head series, but the Coyotes claimed the playoff berth by virtue of outscoring the Eagles 4-3 across the two meetings.

Coach Eugenio Milla credited La Joya High’s improvement — from 6-10 last year to 6-6 this year — to a focus on weight training. As most of his players also run cross country, the group lacked the necessary “beef” to compete against some of the bigger teams. So Milla got the team involved in the “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” weight-training program, which focuses on the bench press, the dead lift, the squat and the power clean.

“As soon as we finished (last season), we started lifting weights,” Milla said. “That was the priority.”

The La Joya program also struggles with a lack of coaching depth. Milla works with the varsity and JV teams, and his two assistants focus on the freshman group.

“All of the success that we have been harvesting this year is due to hard work on the part of my staff and my players and a lot of commitment by my kids,” Milla said. “Everybody was interested in going to playoffs, because that was one of our goals this year.”

FINAL SURGE

The young PSJA Southwest girls team needed a late run to get into playoff position and came through, pulling out wins in its final three games to get to 28 points and secure the No. 3 seed in District 32-5A.

Southwest only narrowly edged out Brownsville Porter and Brownsville Pace, which each finished with 27 points.

Coach Juan Rodriguez said the group has come together after two- and three-match losing streaks during the district season.

“We’ve started competing as a team,” Rodriguez said. “We got it working together where the girls are back at it again, and they’re enthusiastic about what’s happening and everything that’s coming up.”

The Javelinas open the playoffs on the road against Edinburg Vela at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Boys Top 10

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Just seconds into Friday’s District 31-6A soccer match, Edinburg Economedes’ Sofia Hernandez came charging down the left side of the pitch, found space inside the box and fired just wide of the Edinburg North net.

It was the cleanest scoring chance Economedes would have all night.

Behind a stout defense and a goal by Itzamar Rios early in the second half, North defeated Economedes 1-0 to claim the district title outright.

“It’s amazing,” sweeper Sarah Whitesides said. “It was our goal this year, and we completed it. It’s a good feeling.”

Edinburg North entered the night with 33 points compared to 30 for Economedes, meaning the Jaguars could have secured a share of the district title with a win in regulation. But North’s stout defense would have none of it, showing why it finished the district season with the fewest goals allowed in the Valley.

The Cougars have been scored on just twice this season — in an 8-1 win against PSJA North and a 2-1 win against Weslaco High.

“We’ve been a strong defensive team all year long,” coach Daniel Valdez said. “We’ve got quickness. We’ve got speed. We’ve got some skill.”

Whitesides was an important cog in that defense, poking away would-be chances whenever Economedes tried to connect on a deep pass.

Whitesides played goalie for Edinburg North last year and at times this season but has moved into the pitch with the return of Nikki Jo Rodriguez, who also plays basketball.

“It’s a big change, but I’m playing club, so I’ve gotten better and I’m not as nervous,” Whitesides said. “It’s a good transition. It wasn’t that hard for me.”

Lynnda Lozano, Laura Torres and Aidaly Cantu were also key for North on the back line.

Whitesides said the biggest factor for the group was its preparation: The Cougars identified the Jaguars central players and found ways to take them out of the game.

“We figured out when we played in tournaments that our defense is key to this team, and we’ve just kept it up all season,” Whitesides said. “Each game, we take the criticism given from our coaches, and we become better.”

The Economedes defense, which allowed just four goals on the season, was equally stout for most of the night.

But Edinburg North managed to break through with about five minutes gone in the second half. On a free kick from the left wing, the Cougars sent a number of players streaking towards the net, and Rios was able to corral the cross about 12 yards from goal and poke the ball past charging Economedes keeper Tiffany Benavides.

“I just knew I had to get it,” Rios said. “I thought I would head it. I don’t know how my leg ended up there, but it just ended up over the goalie.”

Economedes would manage a few more shots on goal down the stretch, but never really found space to operate.

“They stayed back and they did the job they were supposed to,” Economedes coach Robert Garcia said of the Edinburg North defense. “We had our chances to go through it, and we just couldn’t put it in.”

The game was halted for several minutes early in the second half after North’s Jasmine Rodriguez suffered a deep gash above her eye in a collision with an Economedes player. As Rodriguez lay on the pitch, a few teammates who came to check on her covered their faces in shock. Valdez said Rodriguez went to the emergency room for stitches.

Both teams will return to action with playoff games next week. Edinburg North will play at Brownsville Lopez at 6 p.m. Thursday, while Economedes will face Brownsville Hanna with the time and location to be determined today via coin flip.

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BOYS

Friday, Mar. 20

District 30-6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at La Joya High, not reported

McAllen Memorial at Mission High, not reported

McAllen High at La Joya Palmview, not reported

District 31-6A

PSJA North 4, Edinburg High 2

Edinburg North 4, Edinburg Economedes 3

Weslaco East at Weslaco High, not reported

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna 4, Los Fresnos 2

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Brownsville Lopez, not reported

San Benito at Brownsville Rivera, not reported

Harlingen High at Harlingen South, not reported

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 2, Brownsville Pace 1

Brownsville Porter 3, Mercedes 0

Donna North 4, PSJA High 0

Edcouch-Elsa at Donna High, not reported

Friday’s Games

District 31-6A

EDINBURG NORTH 4, EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 3

Edinburg North 2 2 — 4

Edinburg Economedes 3 0 — 3

EDINBURG NORTH (4): Silverio Hernandez 1, Jose Martinez 1, Carlos Rodriguez 1, Miguel Mata 1

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (3): Not reported

RECORDS: Edinburg North (11-1); Edinburg Economedes (5-7)

PSJA North 4, Edinburg High 2

PSJA North 1 3 — 4

Edinburg High 1 1 — 2

PSJA North (4): Gustavo Conejo 2, Juan Rodriguez 1, Marco Perez 1.

Edinburg High (2): Not Reported

RECORDS: PSJA North (9-3); Ediburg High (6-6)

District 32-5A

DONNA NORTH 4, PSJA HIGH 0

Donna North 1 3 — 4

PSJA High 0 0 — 0

DONNA NORTH (4): Luis Garcia 3, B. Zamora 1

RECORDS: Donna North (8-6); PSJA High (1-13)

PSJA Southwest 2, Brownsville Pace 1

PSJA Southwest 1 1 — 2

Brownsville Pace 1 0 — 1

PSJA Southwest (2): Jorge Cantu 1, Michael Martin 1

Brownsville Pace (1): Not reported

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest (10-4); Brownsville Pace (8-6)

GIRLS

Friday, March 20

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial 7, Mission High 1

McAllen High 4, La Joya Palmview 2

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at La Joya High, not reported

District 31-6A

Edinburg North 1, Edinburg Economedes 0

Edinburg High 3, PSJA North 1

Weslaco East at Weslaco High, not reported

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans 3, Brownsville Lopez 2

Los Fresnos 2, Brownsville Hanna 0

Brownsville Rivera at San Benito, not reported

Harlingen South at Harlingen High, not reported

District 32-5A

Brownsville Porter 4, Mercedes 0

PSJA Southwest 1, Brownsville Pace 0

Donna North 1, PSJA High 0

Edcouch-Elsa at Donna High, not reported

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 7, Mission High 1

McAllen Memorial 5 2 — 7

Mission High 0 1 — 1

Mcallen Memorial (7): Alyssa Adriano, 1. Cameron Alaniz, 1. Connie Avila, 1. Abby Barth, 1. Deserae Gonzalez, 1.

Mission High (1): Jessica Coronado, 1.

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial (11-1); Mission High (3-9)

Mcallen High 4, La Joya PalmviEw 2

McAllen High 2 2 — 4

La Joya Palmview 1 1 — 2

McAllen High (4): Quetzal Toren, 1; Gaby Gonzalez, 1; Jackie Lemus, 2.

La Joya Palmview (2): Not Reported

RECORDS: McAllen High (10-2); La Joya Palmview (3-9)

District 31-6A

Edinburg High 3, PSJA North 1

PSJA North 1 0 — 1

Edinburg High 1 2 — 3

PSJA North (1): Not Reported

Edinburg High (3): Yessi Molina, 1; Reyna Del Castillo, 1; Selvina Calderon, 1.

RECORDS: Edinburg High (13-13-1, 8-4); PSJA North (0-12)

District 32-5A

PSJA Southwest 1, BROWNSVILLE PACE 0

PSJA Southwest 0 1 — 1

Brownsville Pace 0 0 — 0

PSJA SOUTHWEST (1): Alyssa Mendoza 1

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest (9-5); Brownsville Pace (9-5)

DONNA NORTH 1, PSJA HIGH 0

Donna North 1 0 — 1

PSJA High 0 0 — 0

DONNA NORTH (1): Elizabeth Reyes 1

RECORDS: Donna North (13-1); PSJA High (1-13)

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — When Alexis Garcia enrolled at UT-Austin in the fall, he thought he was putting soccer on hold.

He was still playing intramurals and training every morning from 6 to 8:30, looking ahead to attempts to crack a pro roster after finishing his undergraduate degree.

But, first and foremost, his focus was on his studies in biochemistry. He was thinking of medical school, not of the game he had played since he was four, developing into a first-team All-Valley forward last season as a senior at PSJA North.

Those plans took a sharp turn a few weeks ago. After hearing that MLS scouts would be at a tournament in Austin, he decided to join up with the UT club team to participate. He scored four goals in four games, catching the eye of scouts for Orlando City.

He and five others were given the opportunity to work out with Orlando City’s youth teams as a tryout, and Garcia shined, again scoring four goals in four games.

That was all Orlando City needed to see. Garcia was offered a contract less than two weeks after scouts first laid eyes on him, giving him the chance to jump from intramurals at UT to the reserve team of an MLS club.

“I was excited for myself,” Garcia said. “I didn’t see this coming, but I had worked for it my entire life. Being called in by Orlando City, as a new team, that was pretty neat.”

Now, Garcia faces a difficult decision. He can either leave UT to begin his career with Orlando City, or the team will delay his contract offer for 18 months so Garcia can complete his undergraduate degree. Having entered college with 76 credit hours already completed, he would need just two more semesters to finish.

He has until Saturday to reach a decision. He’s been talking it over with his parents, but he said he remains undecided.

“They’re thinking one thing, and I’m thinking the other,” Garcia said. “For now, we’re just in the middle.”

If Garcia were to make the leap, as he’s leaning towards doing, he could potentially crack the main roster in a matter of months, Orlando City scout and coach Marcos Machado said.

Machado said the biggest thing Garcia needs to improve is his strength.

“By the way he was playing, I would say he has a very good shot,” Machado said. “But it’s up to him. He’s the one who will decide his future. But I believe he can make it in half a year.”

Machado and the rest of the Orlando City staff had no way of knowing Garcia hadn’t been playing organized soccer leading up to the tryout, so it “wasn’t really a factor.”

Instead, Machado and the other coaches were impressed by Garcia’s “desire for the game”, his ability to open up the field and his penchant for creating scoring in difficult situations.

“He was way above the rest of the players,” Machado said. “He had very good touch. He knew what to do with the ball. He’s got much talent, and I’m sure he can make it.”

Machado said taking the year and a half to delay wouldn’t necessarily hurt Garcia’s chances. If he uses that time to train, Machado said, he could come back even stronger.

Delaying would fall more in line with Garcia’s plan coming out of high school, which was to finish his undergrad, then devote two years to trying to break in with a pro team. He had received offers to play collegiately at Wiley College and UC-Irvine, but opted for UT because it offered his degree program.

Whenever he chooses to begin his stint with the reserve team, he will receive a monthly salary for a year and a half. If he isn’t promoted to the first team in that span, his run ends.

He got his first taste of the MLS last weekend, meeting the team for breakfast before its game Friday against the Houston Dynamo. Garcia had the chance to meet Kaka and to exchange phone numbers with former U.S. national team member Brek Shea. “Us Texas boys have to stick together,” Garcia remembers Shea telling him. He watched that night’s game, a 1-0 Orlando City win, from one of the stadium’s luxury suites.

His lifelong goal, should he choose to pursue it, was as close as ever.

“That’s anybody’s dream: to go pro,” Garcia said. “But once I had gone off to UT, I had stopped a little bit because of the studies and because there were no teams. But once I got invited into this tournament, things worked out for me, I guess. And I’m here now.”

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GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

DONNA — As the Donna High Redskins and Donna North Chiefs were dueling through extra rounds of penalty kicks with their playoff hopes at stake, Donna High coach Mario Hernandez looked to his bench for the most calm, concentrated players.

On Tuesday night, they happened to be a pair of freshmen. Hugo Rodriguez scored on a low shot into the left side of the net, then Victor Bravo put the winner right down the middle in the seventh round, keeping Donna High in playoff contention with a 2-1 (5-4 PKs) win.

“I was really, really happy,” Bravo said. “I didn’t feel the pressure. I felt just relaxed, and just scored. I forgot everything and tried to score.”

The win bumps Donna to 20 points in District 32-5A, good for fifth place. Despite the loss, Donna North moves from 20 points to 21, while Brownsville Pace defeated Edcouch-Elsa 6-1 on Tuesday to jump from 20 points to 23.

Because Pace owns two head-to-head wins against Donna, the Redskins can only advance to the playoffs with a win and a Chiefs loss on Friday.

Donna High will host Edcouch-Elsa, while North travels to face PSJA High.

“I’m very proud,” Hernandez said. “We shouldn’t be in this position with the points, and I don’t like to be in this position, but hey, it happens. We just have to play it on Friday and win the game.”

Pulling out Tuesday’s win required an improbable comeback in penalty kicks, as the Redskins converted just one of their first three chances while the Chiefs started two for two.

Donna High proceeded to put four consecutive shots into the back of the net, while on the other end keeper Elias De La Rosa stepped up with a pair of saves.

“In my opinion, they had the win, and they let it go,” Hernandez said.

North had a chance to extend penalty kicks to an eighth round, but De La Rosa lunged to his right to punch away the final shot. De La Rosa calmly walked towards the bench as he was rushed by his teammates, many of who jumped on him in celebration.

“I feel like for me, my team is my responsibility,” De La Rosa said. “What I was thinking was just, ‘Stop the ball.’ I was just thinking about stopping everything. I couldn’t, but I could stop the last one.”

De La Rosa stopped nearly everything thrown at him in regulation, too, protecting Donna’s 1-0 lead until Donna North’s leading scorer, Luis Garcia, broke through with 13:13 to play after a cross from Gabriel Magallan.

Donna High struck first at 19:30 of the first half, with Guadalupe Gonzales scoring into the upper left corner of the net on a booming free kick from 28 yards out.

Both teams narrowly missed on a would-be game winner. Just moments into the game, North’s Magallan put a header into the back of the net, but the play was called offsides. Donna also sent a shot off the crossbar in the first half and saw another dribble just left on the goal in the second.

Donna North coach Francisco Alejo said Donna’s defense made it nearly impossible for his team to find any space to operate. But, in the end, his Chiefs positioned themselves to secure a playoff berth on Friday.

“We’re still in the driver’s seat, even though we lost today,” Alejo said. “We have to go and finish this on Friday against the PSJA Bears. We’re going to have to bring the 3 points home.”

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