PHARR — When Pablo Torre stepped onto the field for the Valley View Tigers this season, he commanded the attention of everyone in attendance. From the fans in the stands, to opposing coaches, to the defense, all eyes were on the junior striker.

Torre shone with the spotlight on him, scoring 37 goals for the Tigers through 14 district games, including eight matches of three goals or more.

In the postseason, defenses threw everything they had at Torre, sometimes sending two to three defenders in hopes of slowing down the talented forward. Still, Torre found the net again and again, scoring 12 goals in six postseason matches.

He put the exclamation point on his claim as arguably the top player in the Valley during the Region IV-5A semifinals, delivering a five-goal performance against the San Antonio Southwest Dragons to send his team to the Region IV-5A finals with a 5-2 victory while snapping the Dragons’ 45-game win streak.

For his superior performances during the regular season and playoffs, Torre earned The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year award.

“This year, when he came back, I saw him more focused,” Tigers head coach Gerardo Salazar said. “I saw him bigger and leaner. He hit the summer and not only got better on the field, but I think his mental game just got better. He’s confident and he said to himself, ‘It doesn’t matter who covers me. I’m going to take them.’ He had that type of mentality.”

If one asks Torre what the key to his success was, he’ll humbly say it was a team effort, with him simply doing what he had to for his team to win.

“In years past, we had great teams,” Torre said. “I wasn’t a forward then. Previous teams, it was about touching the ball around. Everyone had talent. This team, we were young, but we had a ton of heart. That’s what helped us. We were very united. That’s what got us far.

“I feel excited for everything I have achieved this year. I want to thank my teammates for helping me win this award.”

For Salazar, Torre has always had the talent. Still, he said it is Torre’s growth mentally that has helped him evolve into a star and the undisputed leader of the team.

“He was just talking to the younger kids and telling them,” Salazar said. “Instead of getting after them, he would try to cheer them up. I think it was mostly mental for him. He was already a strong kid with powerful legs. Now, he’s just going to get better.”

Still, Torre will be the first to say he was only reciprocating the same kind of support that was shown to him during his freshman campaign.

“I did what all the seniors did with me when I was a freshman,” he said. “They all supported me. That’s the same thing I did with Peter (Yanez) and the others. I tried to give them confidence. I told them all they had to do was their jobs and everything else would come.”

Torre began playing soccer at age 5, learning by watching his father play. Since then, he said he’s been in love with the game, his father serving as a big reason for him working as hard as he does.

Now, Torre is dominating opponents on the field with his agile footwork and powerful frame, saying the game serves as an escape for him.

“My dad would always take me to watch him play,” Torre said. “I saw how he played and how much he enjoyed this game. I do it for him to be honest. He’s the one who introduced me to the game. I’ve loved it since then. Since then, I’ve been playing soccer. When I’m having problems or anything, I just train or do something with soccer.”

Torre, a three-year letter winner for the Tigers, has helped the team to two Class 5A state tournament appearances, once as a freshman and more recently this past season.

Both times the Tigers suffered heartbreaking defeats, losing 2-1 to El Paso Bel Air 4-3 in penalty kicks during the 2019 season and more recently suffering a 5-4 loss to Humble Kingwood Park earlier this year

Torre said he still remembers the feelings of those losses, using them as a learning experience as he prepares for his final season with the Tigers next year.

“The first time it was a beautiful experience,” he said. “When I got there, I didn’t even know what state was or anything. But honestly, to get there and lose in the semifinals again, it hurts. The only thing we can do though, is train even harder and come back stronger next season.”

Torre has collected a scoring title and many awards during his first three years with the Tigers. He hopes to break his own scoring record during his senior year. Still, there is one goal Torre is chasing more than others — bringing the Tigers their first state championship.

“My senior year I just want to leave it all on the field,” he said. “What I didn’t do in my first three years, I want to do. I want to win state. I want to break my own goal record. But most of all, I want to get to state with my teammates … and win it.”

PHARR —Sophomore forward Rey Cantu has two players he tries to model his game after — Juventus FC’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.

This year, Cantu even donned the No. 9 on the pitch for the Hidalgo Pirates, the same number worn by Haaland.

“They’re natural forwards,” Cantu said. “I would love to play like them. From their size, the way they run, how they make plays, I like it. Their movements, they are just scorers. So, I want to model my game after them.”

Aside from wearing the same number as one of his idols, Cantu’s play on the field mirrored that of Ronaldo and Haaland, emerging as one of the top strikers in the Valley, scoring 22 goals while leading his team to an undefeated District 31-4A crown.

Because of his offensive dominance, Cantu has earned The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Boys Soccer Co-Offensive Player of the Year award.

“It’s a blessing,” he said. “Last year, I couldn’t earn it because, well, there were a ton of good players. I just want to give a ton of thanks to my teammates for all the hard work we did during this season. It feels good. Every time you get an award, you like it and want to work harder to get more.”

Cantu emerged as a rising star for the Pirates as a freshman, earning the title of District 31-4A Newcomer of the Year. Despite a breakout first year, Cantu was left with an ugly feeling after having the campaign ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It stung bad,” Cantu said. “We graduated about 14 seniors. I just know that if we had gotten a chance to play, we would have made it far.”

He carried that feeling with him all off-season, using it as fuel during his training. All Cantu’s hard work paid off, helping guide the Pirates to an appearance in the Region IV-4A semifinals, just one game short of the state tournament.

He had his signature playoff moment during the Region IV-4A quarterfinals. Just days after his grandfather’s death, Cantu stepped onto the field at H-E-B Park and delivered a two-goal performance to give his team a 4-2 victory over Brownsville IDEA Riverview, dedicating both of his goals to his late grandfather.

Cantu said his postseason success is no surprise to him, having developed a toughness through his years of competing on the pitch.

“I’ve had that playoff mentality because I’ve played on club teams and state teams,” he said. “I’ve had that mentality. So, I know how to prepare myself to play any level of game.”

The Pirates outscored opponents 16-6 through their first four playoff games with Cantu leading the charge before losing during the fifth round of the postseason to the Boerne Greyhounds, the eventual 2021 Class 4A state champion.

Despite not winning a state title, Cantu said his sophomore campaign served as a learning experience while adding more fuel to the fire as he prepares for his third season with the Pirates.

“You can never give up,” he said. “Sometimes we were losing but we overcame it. That and we must really prepare because you do not know what the teams up there bring. They are usually bigger and faster upstate. But we need to be prepared if we want to win up there.”

Cantu began kicking the soccer around age 4, with his parents enrolling him in the sport not long after. Since then, Cantu has been doing more than kicking a ball around in his backyard, earning accolade after accolade during his first two years with the Pirates while evolving into their top offensive threat.

Still, Cantu said while he enjoys winning individual awards, he has his eyes set on something bigger: bringing the Pirates their second state title in program history.

“If I do not win any awards next year, I don’t care,” he said. “The only thing I want is to bring a state title to my school with my team. That would be better than any award I have won.

PHARR — Peter Yanez was unsure what his role would be with the Valley View Tigers during his freshman year. The only thing he was certain of was that he was ready to do whatever it took to help the team win.

Yanez struggled during his first three games with the Tigers, growing frustrated after being unable to find the net. Then, during their fourth game of the year, it all began to click.

Down 3-0 to the Sharyland High Rattlers during their second district game of the season, Tigers assistant coach Damian Magallan addressed the team.

Magallan’s words awoke something in Yanez and the Tigers, with the forward exploding onto the scene while scoring a pair of goals to help his team erase the three-goal deficit and come away with a 5-4 victory in penalty kicks.

From then on, Yanez became a force on the Tigers’ offense, ranking No. 2 on the team in goals scored with 15 through 14 district games.

Because of his breakout campaign, Yanez is The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Boys Soccer Newcomer of the Year.

“I think he grew and started believing in himself after the Sharyland game, our second district game,” Tigers head coach Gerardo Salazar said. “We were down 3-0 and he was frustrated. But then, he scored two goals that game. From then on, everyone started getting behind him and he turned out to be a good player for us. And now, we get him for three more years and that’s even better.”

Yanez followed up his two-goal performance with an offensive tear, scoring goals in eight of the teams last 12 district games, including a hat trick during a 7-2 victory over McAllen Rowe on Feb. 20.

With Yanez paired with the Valley’s leading scorer in Pablo Torre, the Tigers cruised to a District 31-5A crown, outscoring opponents 69-12 on their way to an undefeated season.

Despite the goals coming in bunches for the freshman striker, none was bigger than his first postseason score.

Tied with the Brownsville Veterans Chargers during the Region IV-5A quarterfinals, Yanez found a hole in the defense, netting the game-winning goal with less than a minute left in regulation to send the Tigers to the next round.

Yanez said he owes his successful first year to his coaches and teammates, especially thanking Torre and assistant coach Damian Magallan.

“My first year, I’ve had everybody help me,” he said. “Pablo (Torre) has helped me a lot in my first year. The first couple of games, I was struggling and without Pablo I wouldn’t have been able to score as many goals as I have scored this year. Magallan has helped me since I was in seventh grade. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Still, Yanez admits his game is far from polished, saying he plans to work on improving his speed and his ball control for his sophomore year.

This season, he helped the Tigers to an appearance in the Class 5A state tournament, an experience Yanez said will serve as fuel for next year.

“This season was quite a difficult season,” he said. “No one had us going to state. This season, I just wanted to give my all to the team. That’s exactly what I did and I’m happy that we made it all the way to state.

“For me, it was a great experience. I loved it. I learned from it because there are some strong teams out there. Hopefully next year, we come back stronger and beat the teams over there.”

Yanez already has his eyes set on next season, setting a personal record of scoring 30 or more goals as an encore performance to his breakout freshman campaign. Still, no goal remains bigger on his list than bringing home the Tigers’ first state title.

For Yanez, the new season began as soon as the last one finished, with plans to live and breathe soccer over the next six months as he prepares for his sophomore year.

“I want to train harder than I did last year,” Yanez said. “I plan on training a lot to actually win a state title this year. Playing on teams and training, that’s all I want to do this summer.”

LA JOYA — When Emilio Bocanegra made the move to defender as a freshman, he knew he was sacrificing the headlines and spotlight that came with scoring goals. That did not faze him, as he had big plans for the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies defense.

With the Huskies being best-known for their strikers and high-powered offenses, Bocanegra wanted to make a name for the defense and get both sides of the ball to an elite level.

For that to happen, Bocanegra said he and his teammates needed to play with a “no mercy” attitude.

“I know in this school it’s a lot about the strikers and more about the offense,” Bocanegra said. “I told the guys we needed to do something about defense, too. I started thinking and telling my teammates that we needed to pressure more and be more than an offense and be both at the same time.

“So, it’s no mercy. No mercy at all. Whoever you’re going through or whoever you’re going against, you go straight at them.”

This season, with their senior defender manning the back line, the Huskies allowed only five goals during district play while scoring 66 on their way to their fifth straight district title and third straight unbeaten season.

For his play as one of the top defenders in the Valley, Bocanegra is The Monitor’s 202 All-Area Boys Soccer Defender of the Year.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect it,” he said. “Hard dedication pays off. I want to thank all my coaches for everything they’ve done for me this year. It was very hard when I started my career here with soccer. I feel very emotional right now. This is what I’ve always been wanting to happen. Not for me, but for the team too. It all came from their help. It’s just an inspiration to get this defender of the year award.”

Bocanegra stepped in as a starter for the Huskies as a freshman, making his impact felt immediately while helping them to a 11-1 district record, outscoring opponents 54-8 on their way to an appearance in the Region IV-6A semifinals.

Since then, Bocanegra and the Huskies have yet to lose another district game, tallying an 41-0-2 record over the past three years while outscoring opponents 208-24.

He put it all together as a senior, earning the defender of the year award in District 31-6A after his relentless and swarming defense garnered the attention of the district’s coaches. He also added a pair of goals in his final year.

Bocanegra credits his coach’s conditioning program for his success during his senior season, thinking back to the early morning practices filled with laps around the stadium with a climb up a dirt ‘mountain’ at the end.

“It got to the point where we wouldn’t even say ‘good morning’ anymore,” he said. “We would come in and ask Coach, ‘Mountains or no mountains?’ But it was hard work every day. Hard work pays off every day. We started every practice with conditioning. Every day we put our mindsets on the level that we need and that’s about it.”

With Bocanegra manning the defense for the past four years, the Huskies have tallied a 52-1-2 district record while outscoring opponents 260-32.

In total, he has helped the Huskies to four district titles, three playoff appearances and a streak of 54 straight district games without a loss.

Bocanegra began playing soccer at age 9, gaining interest in the sport after watching teams like Cruz Azul, America and others compete in the Liga MX, Mexico’s top professional soccer division.

“I started by watching the Liga MX when I was 9 years old,” Bocanegra said. “Then I started playing and watching my sister play. I started looking for the game. Since then, I’ve been playing soccer almost every day.”

Even now, Bocanegra remains looking for ways to continue playing soccer, with hopes of taking his ‘No Mercy’ defense to the collegiate ranks.

“My plan right now is to look for a college to play my next years,” he said. “I don’t want to stop playing. I want to keep going with soccer and see what it brings to my future.”

Donovan Luevano started playing soccer at age 7, a decision he said was made by his father. After three years on the pitch, he realized he hated running.

Rather than quit the sport, Luevano decided to switch positions, strapping on a pair of gloves and moving to goalkeeper at age 10. He immediately fell in love with his new position, because it didn’t require much running.

Still, Luevano said it was the pressure that came with playing inside the net that sealed the deal for him playing goalkeeper. The move paid its dividends, as Luevano became a two-year starter for the Edinburg High Bobcats.

This year, he thrived under pressure, with the Bobcats outscoring opponents 40-8 during district play with the senior goalkeeper in the net. Because of his shutdown performances, Luevano is The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Boys Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year.

“I like the pressure,” Luevanos said. “I like playing under pressure. And in the back, you can use your hands, too, and it’s a big advantage.”

With the Bobcats chasing the No. 2 seed in District 31-6A, Luevano ramped up his play during the second half of the season, allowing only one goal during the final seven games of the season. In total, the Bobcats recorded 10 shutouts with Luevano in the net, finishing the season with an 11-2-3 record during district play.

Bobcats head coach Luis Cardenas said he was unsure what to expect of Luevano after seeing him on the junior varsity squad during his first two years. This year, Luevano left Cardenas impressed, earning the District 31-6A goalkeeper of the year award, while becoming a force inside the net.

“He only has two years of experience on varsity,” Cardenas said. “In JV, sometimes you see them grow and he started slow in JV. Then, to make the jump from JV to varsity that was a big impression for me. It’s a different level to play in varsity. At the beginning he struggled in JV but then to make it to varsity and play at that level, we were extremely impressed at the level he got to.”

Cardenas said it is Luevano’s confidence that has led to his success, with the senior stepping up as a leader this year on a young Bobcats squad.

“He was very confident and very sure of himself,” he said. “He was a leader on the field. He was one of the few who would try and motivate everybody. Defensively, we had very good players but not everybody would talk. He would tell them to go this way or where to move and stuff like that and we needed someone like that.”

Still, Luevano gives credit to his defenders for helping him be able to excel during his senior year.

“I just try to make the goal smaller and try to attack the ball,” he said. “I just stay focused every game and no distractions when we’re practicing and especially during the game. But my defense was a big part of it all, too. My defenders — Brandon Calderon, Humberto Martinez and Saul Salinas — they were huge for me.”

Luevano capped off a dominating senior year by helping the Bobcats achieve their first playoff victory since 2003, defeating the Brownsville Hanna Eagles 3-1 during the first round of the Class 6A postseason.

“It was a big one,” he said. “Very emotional. We wanted to quiet down the people who didn’t believe in us. And we got the win over there in Brownsville.”

Currently, Luevano is unsure whether he will strap on his goalkeeper gloves again. Still, he is not ready to close the door on a future in the sport just yet.

“I’m seeing my options right now,” Luevano said. “If any college gives me the perfect fit, I’ll gladly go and play soccer for them.”

Sharyland High senior defender Angel Tellez signed his national letter of intent Friday, committing to continue his academic and soccer career at Texas A&M-San Antonio, an NAIA university that plays in the Red River Athletic Conference.

Tellez was a two-year letterwinner with the Rattlers. He joins the Jaguars after a dominant senior season, earning the District 31-5A Defender of the Year award. Tellez also earned a selection to the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches All-Region 2nd Team.

Tellez played a key role for the Rattlers defense during his final year, helping the team to an 8-3-3 record during district play while outscoring opponents 37-23, including four shutouts.

During the postseason, Tellez anchored the defense during a 5-0 rout of the Corpus Christi Ray Texans during the Region IV-5A area round, helping send the Ratters to an appearance in the Region IV-5A quarterfinals.

Alejandro Rodriguez joined the McAllen High track team as a freshman to stay in shape for basketball, spending most of his time on the junior varsity squad, with no expectations of competing at the varsity level.

He saw his first varsity action that same year as a part of the 4×400 relay team during the Rio Grande City Rey Ramirez Relays on March 31, 2017, with the Bulldogs finishing seventh.

Three weeks later, Rodriguez was called up to varsity again, this time for the Class 6A Area Meet after one of his teammates became ineligible to compete. The Bulldogs fared no better this time around, finishing eighth with Rodriguez running his leg at a time of 56 seconds.

Now, Rodriguez, who is a freshman at Duke, is set to compete at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Regional Championships on Friday as a part of the Blue Devils 4×400 men’s relay team.

Bulldogs head coach Bob Bechtold said Rodriguez’s experience at the area meet during his freshman year was the turning point of his track career.

“That was the first meet where he was really in the light,” Bechtold said. “For him to take that experience and use it as motivation to make sure it never happened again, and he did. We never finished lower than third after that for the next three years he was on the relay.

“I think that as a freshman, to do that and turn around and say that’s not going to happen again, that internal motivation that he has to just compete at whatever level you put him at is just impressive.

Rodriguez has made a splash during his first year with the Blue Devils. He was a part of the indoor 4×400 relay team that set a school record of 3 minutes, 11.15 seconds during the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 25.

He is also a part of the outdoor 4×400 relay team that posted a time of 3:10.24 during the Virginia Challenge on April 16, qualifying them for the regional meet while also posting the second-fastest mark in program history.

Rodriguez has also competed in the 200- and 400-meter dash for Duke, setting a personal record of 48.07 seconds in the 400 during the Tobacco Road Challenge on April 9, earning a silver medal.

Off the track, he has excelled in the classroom, maintaining a 3.8 GPA while earning a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team during the indoor track season. Bechtold said Rodriguez’s performance in the classroom while competing on the track team makes his freshman campaign all that more impressive.

“To me, excelling on the track obviously helps our program and it shows his dedication,” Bechtold said. “But to do that in the classroom while excelling at that height on the track, it’s eye-opening.”

Rodriguez said he carried a chip on his shoulder heading into his freshman year at Duke after having his senior season cut short due to COVID-19. Now, as he prepares for his biggest meet of his career thus far, he is ready to show other Valley athletes that excelling at the Division I level is possible.

“It’s just a blessing really,” he said. “It’s a testament how far hard work can really get you. I feel like coming from the Valley and not having high expectations being in the Valley, we’re just kind of content with being, I wouldn’t say mediocre, but not reaching out as hard as we could. I think it just goes to show that it’s not just a fluke and that there are a lot more athletes in the Valley that can definitely become Division I athletes and compete at a high level.”

The former Bulldogs athlete is set to hit the track during Day 3 of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Regional Championships at 8:15 tonight at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.

ELSA — Edcouch-Elsa senior thrower Jesse Contreras has been following in the footstep of his sister, Mackenzie Contreras, since he first started throwing in middle school.

He watched her go to state as a junior during his sophomore year. Contreras followed it up by making his own appearance at the state meet as a senior.

Last year, he stood behind her as she signed her national letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic career at Texas A&M-Kingsville, an NCAA Division II university that competes in the Lone Star Conference.

Wednesday, the roles were reversed, as Jesse signed his national letter of intent with his sister two seats down from him, committing to join her on the Javelinas’ throwing team next season.

“It feels great to be able to go and continue to do what I love and not having to stop,” he said. “Also, I get an academic career. It played a big part her (Mackenzie) being there. It helps a lot. We’ll be able to be there for each other. It’ll be just like high school.”

Contreras joins the Javelinas after a dominant senior season, taking first place in the shot put at nine out of his 10 meets this year, with his only loss coming at the Class 5A UIL State meet in which he finished seventh. Among those firsts was a first-place at the UIL Region IV-5A meet, with a throw of 53 feet, 9 inches.

He also put together a solid performance in the discus, taking home gold during seven of nine meets, qualifying for the regional meet where he finished fourth with a mark of 152-7, a personal record.

Contreras also set a personal record of 54-11 in the shot put during the Edcouch Invitational on Feb. 27, the second-farthest throw in program history.

He finishes his career with the Yellow Jackets as a two-time district champion, three-time area qualifier, two-time regional qualifier and a one-time state qualifier in the shot-put as a four-year letterman. He also added a district championship and area championship in the discus during his senior year.

Contreras gave all the credit to God and family for his success after having his junior season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I thank God for giving me the power to push through and come back from last year,” Contreras said. “He gave me the strength to do what I did. And my family, they supported me the whole way through.”

Yellow Jackets head track and field coach Victor Cardenas said Contreras’ passion for the sport is what made him special as an athlete.

“You heard about his accolades,” Cardenas said. “You heard about his accomplishments. You heard about all the things that make a great athlete. The thing about it is what’s always stood out to us about Jesse is his character, his pride and his passion for the sport.

“He is exactly what we want all of our boys and all of our girls to be. He’s got a great heart and he’s very passionate about what he does. The accolades are just a byproduct of his hard work. His character, his hard work, he was always the last man out there.”

He said he plans to major in computer science at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

McALLEN — McAllen High seniors Caleb Killian and Damian Cortez met for the first time during eighth grade after playing together on the same summer baseball team.

The pair clicked instantly, Cortez said, with the duo continuing to share the diamond for the next four years as part of the Bulldogs baseball team.

“He was my double-play partner,” Cortez said. “I was a shortstop, and he was second base. When you have that relationship with the shortstop and second base, you just click. We were throwing partners and hitting in the cages together.”

Cortez and Killian helped the Bulldogs dominate while donning the purple and gold, collecting a 66-19 overall record with the duo on the field.

They talked about making it to the next level during that time, dreaming of signing to compete in the collegiate ranks.

Now, those dreams are a reality, as Cortez and Killian signed their national letters of intent to continue their academic and baseball careers Tuesday at the McAllen High Auditorium.

“This is something I’ve dreamt about since I can remember, since I began playing,” Killian said. “So, it felt great to sign. I’m just really glad to be going to the next level.”

“It’s a mix of emotions,” Cortez said. “My friend, Caleb Killian, just signed. He’s the reason I came to McHi. This is something we talked about for sure. I initially tried to get him to Brookhaven. But OLLU is a great program. It’s just pretty cool we’re both signing.”

Cortez takes his talents to Brookhaven College, an NJCAA Division III university that plays in the Dallas Athletic Conference.

Meanwhile, Killian is set to play at Our Lady of the Lake University, an NAIA university that competes in the Red River Athletic Conference.

Cortez joins the Bears following a dominant senior season, recording a .407 batting average with 20 RBIs. Still, his defensive efforts are what made Cortez a star on the field, earning District 31-5A Co-Defensive Player of the Year at shortstop with a .907 fielding percentage.

Bulldogs’ head baseball coach Eliseo Pompa said Cortez’s willingness to stay late and work despite not having a vehicle to commute to and from practice is what has gotten him to the next level.

“He had a heck of a year this year,” Pompa said. “At one time, he was our leading hitter. He was the co-defensive player of the year for our district this year. He made some plays for us. I’m real proud of him simply because he had some trouble commuting back and forth since he didn’t have a vehicle but somehow, he managed to be there when we needed him.

“The culmination of his success was his senior year. He’s a young man that always wanted to stay afterwards and work on his fielding and bunting. You don’t get too many kids like that anymore.”

Killian finished his senior season with a .363 batting average, 27 RBIs, 2 home runs and a team-leading 40 runs scored, earning First Team All-District at second base.

While Killian played primarily at second base during his time with the Bulldogs, he also spent time at left and right field, as well as behind the plate as the catcher.

“He was an all-around athlete,” Pompa said. “He was our spark plug. He was our leadoff. He created a lot of havoc for any team we played. He’s a tough kid. He’s always willing to help out. He’s a team player. That’s one thing we noticed about him. I think this is why he’s going to be very successful.”

The signings by Killian and Cortez mark the fourth and fifth signings by Bulldogs’ baseball players this year, joining pitcher Tristan Cavazos, outfielder Ethan Whatley and catcher Chris Bernal.

Killian intends to major in communications while at OLLU, while Cortez plans to pursue a career in physical therapy at Brookhaven.

EDINBURG —Edinburg High senior Leah Sanchez was born with two left feet, making her hate soccer as a kid. That is until Sanchez stepped onto the pitch to compete for the first time during the sixth grade.

After one game, she was hooked.

Since then, the forward evolved into a four-year starter for the Bobcats, with her initial hate for the sport and her two left feet not able to slow her down.

Sanchez helped the Bobcats achieve a 55-23-7 overall record during her four years with the program, including two playoff appearances, missing the postseason only once as a freshman and once due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individually, Sanchez compiled the accolades as well, earning first team all-district honors four times and being named co-offensive player of the year in District 31-6A during her junior season. She was also named the Bobcat’s offensive MVP in each of her four years.

Now, Sanchez is set to move on to the next level, signing her national letter of intent Friday to continue her academic and athletic career at Schreiner University, an NCAA Division III program that plays in the Southern Collegiate Athletic conference.

“It’s exhilarating and exciting,” Sanchez said. “My hands were shaking when signing the paper. I’m just so excited to see what God has in store for me and what the plans are ahead.

Sanchez joins the Mountaineers after a dominating career with the Bobcats, tallying 104 goals in four years. She finished off her senior season with 16 goals and 8 assists, helping her team to a second-place finish in District 31-6A and a postseason appearance.

Bobcats’ girls’ soccer head coach Cerjio Elizarraraz said Sanchez’s high motor is what has helped her dominate on the field, with her foot always on the gas both during practice and in games.

“She’s one of those go-get-it type girls,” he said. “I was going to say that I had two words to describe her and those are words ‘high intensity’. That’s just her style. That’s her style of practice and that’s her style of playing.”

Elizarraraz went on to say that Sanchez’s faith is what caught his eye when he met her, saying it helped the talented forward emerge as leader for the Bobcats.

“Her faith was one part of Leah that really stood out,” he said. “With her character and her personality, everyone around her just wanted to be like her. She has a lot of courage. But, behind all that she’s a sweet loveable girl and her character is just amazing. She’s been able to touch all the other girls that are around her.”

Likewise, Sanchez said her faith played the biggest role in her becoming an offensive weapon for the Bobcats despite playing with two left feet, giving all the credit for her successes to God.

“The key to my success has always revolved around God,” she said. “I’ve always revolved it around him. The way that I score, passion, it’s always been because of him. And well, he’s gotten me here today.”

Sanchez plans to be a pre-med major while at Schreiner and pursue a career as a doctor to help others out.