Sharyland High senior pitcher Jesus “Kike” Cienfuegos signed his national letter of intent Wednesday, committing to continue his academic and athletic career at Alvin Community College, an NJCAA university that competes in the Region XIV South Conference.

Cienfuegos tallied a 14-2 overall record during his two-years on the Rattlers’ squad, including a career average 1.00 ERA, a .165 batting average against and 132 career strikeouts.

He joins the Dolphins after recording a 0.89 ERA, a .159 batting average against and 100 strikeouts during his final year on the mound, earning him the District 31-5A Pitcher of the Year award.

Cienfuegos led Sharyland to a 6-0 victory over the Weslaco East Wildcats during one of his final appearances as a Rattler, pitching a near perfect game, allowing only one hit and recording 12 strikeouts, one shy of his career high.

He finishes his senior season with a 10-2 overall record, leading his team to an area round appearance during the Class 5A playoffs.

EDINBURG —Edinburg High Bobcats’ senior Gio Zavala had not been a part of the 4x200meter relay team since his junior season. Still, interim track and field head coach Jason Flores approached him, asking Zavala if he was willing to compete in the event during the area meet to give the team a better chance to advance to regionals.

Initially, Zavala met the idea with hesitation, with the move meaning he would have to drop out of one of his three races due to the UIL only allowing athletes to compete in three running events per meet.

Still, he decided to put the team first, pulling out of the 200-meter dash, and anchoring the Bobcats relay team at the area meet, helping them advance to the Region IV-6A track meet.

“He opted out of the open 200, one of the events that he favors the most,” Flores said. “He decided to help his teammates get to regionals, which he did. It’s a great accomplishment. It’s something that not a lot of people would do. He had the courage to go out there and provided leadership for his teammates.”

Now, Zavala is taking his speed and talents to the next level, signing his national letter of intent on Friday at the Edinburg High Gymnasium, committing to continue his academic and track career at Southwestern University, an NCAA Division III school that competes in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Zavala plans competing in the 100- and 200-meter dash for the Pirates, with goals of being a part of the 4×100 relay team as well.

He finishes his career with the Bobcats as a two-year letter winner, with regional appearances in the 100-meter dash and the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relays Zavala said the thought of continuing his track career in college was a dream of his since the moment he stepped on the track as a freshman. After COVID-19 cut his junior season short, Zavala worked on his craft for a year, hoping to make that dream a reality.

During his senior year, Zavala set personal records in the 100- and 200-meter dash, with times of 10.93 and 22.75 seconds, respectively.

Zavala said running a sub-eleven during the 100-meter dash and a sub-twenty-two during the 200-meter dash confirmed for him that he was capable of competing in the collegiate ranks.

“Over the past years, blood, sweat and tears have gone into this training program,” Zavala said. “Honestly, I knew I was going to make it. Over the past year I’ve just been consistent and persistent with my goals and that’s where it got me today.

“I’ve been running track for about four years. But ever since I broke that 11 (second) barrier and that 22 (second) barrier in my races, that’s when I knew I could go play at the next level.”

Zavala plans to major in business administration and management while at Southwestern.

EDINBURG — Edinburg High Bobcats’ senior golfer Madi Ozuna grew up around the game of golf, with both her dad and sister playing the sport collegiately. She picked up her first pair of clubs during the fifth grade after watching her dad and sister.

While the seed was planted by her family, it was the mental aspect that made Ozuna fall in love with the game and pursue a dream to be the next in her family to compete in the collegiate ranks.

Ozuna, a four-year letter winner with the Bobcats’, made that dream a reality on Friday, signing her national letter of intent in front of her family at the Edinburg High Gymnasium, committing to further her academic and athletic career at UTRGV, a Division I school that compete in the Western Athletic Conference.

Bobcats’ head coach Orlando Garza said Ozuna’s signing comes as no surprise, saying he knew she was ready from the moment she walked through the doors her first year.

“When she walked in and I gave her the golf bag, I already knew,” Garza said. “First of all, I knew her dad in the past and what he had done. I got to see her in a tournament before she came to school, and she was doing really well. She was already ready to go.

“I think high school for her was just a step to where she wanted to get. I’m looking forward to seeing her playing at the next level. It’s where she belongs. She’s probably been ready for this for a while now.”

Ozuna put together a dominant senior season, posting a scoring average of 73.7 and advancing to her third regional tournament appearance in four years, with COVID-19 wiping out a chance of four-straight appearances.

Ozuna also won the District 31-6A individual title, posting back-to-back scores of 69 and 68, the only two sub-70 scores of any RGV girl’s golfer this year.

Garza said Ozuna’s work ethic is unlike any other, saying she is always ready to work and do what needs to be done to improve.

“She understands that everything is important, and nothing is special,” Garza said. “Whether you go work in the morning or night or for an hour or two, she’s always going to do the work. It doesn’t matter. She’s going to go out there and get the work done and do what needs to be completed.”

Still, Ozuna credits her success not only to her work and dedication, but to her laid-back attitude, focusing on having a good time instead of stressing over her scores.

“Personally, I don’t like to be serious on the golf course,” Ozuna said. “That’s just my number one rule. The work that you put in outside of your tournaments is going to show. It’s not going to go anywhere. It’s going to show and do what it has to do when you’re playing. So, if you’re having fun and having a good attitude, that’s all that matters to me. The results will come.”

Ozuna plans to pursue a degree in business but remains unsure of what career she intends to pursue after graduation.

McALLEN —Going into the 2017 school year, McAllen Memorial powerlifting head coach Joe Guerra received a call from an unknown number, with the caller asking if it was possible to join the team despite them going to Achieve Early College High School, a McAllen high school that doesn’t offer sports.

With no hesitation, Guerra responded yes, welcoming then-freshman powerlifter Leah Cantu to the team. Since then, Cantu has established herself as a staple of the Mustangs’ girls powerlifting team, finishing her high school career as a four-year letterman, two-year team captain, three-time regional qualifier and two-time state qualifier.

Cantu capped her senior season by earning a silver medal in her division at the Class 5A women’s powerlifting state meet March 20 in Corpus Christi.

Now, she’s taking her talent to the next level, signing her national letter of intent Wednesday at the McAllen Memorial gymnasium, committing to continue her academic and athletic career at the University of Texas San Antonio.

“I’m excited for her,” Guerra said. “She was such a huge part of our team in every aspect. She would actually coach for us and lift for us. But I don’t think she has reached her potential. I think she’s going to hit those numbers in college. She’s a 400-pound squatter, almost a 300-pound bencher and hitting close to 400 pounds in the deadlift. I just think she’s just getting there. So, I’m excited to see what she does at the next level.

“Maybe she’ll be a national champ.”

The decision to join the Mustangs’ powerlifting program her freshman year was an easy one for Cantu, saying Memorial was the obvious choice after seeing their proven track record.

“Originally, I was zoned to this program,” Cantu said. “But they’ve had a lot of lifters who have been good. I would see on Instagram or on social media their posts about how good they’re doing and the medals they’ve gotten. So, it was obviously going to be Memorial.”

Cantu showed continued improvement each year. As a freshman, she set personal records of 310, 170 and 295 pounds in her squat, bench press and deadlift, respectively, for an total of 775 pounds.

Now, Cantu’s personal records sit well beyond those marks, each increasing by nearly 100 pounds since her first year. Her new top marks include a 405-pound squat, a 285-pound bench, which is a program record, and a 330-pound deadlift for 1,020 total pounds.

Guerra said it’s Cantu’s consistency that has helped her reach new heights, calling her a year-round lifter who is always working on her craft.

“She’s consistently looking for ways to get better,” he said. “She believed in her program and the programs we designed for her. She would find whatever weak point we may have had, or she may have had and just worked on that until she strengthened it. She barely takes any time off.”

Likewise, Cantu said her consistency is what allowed her to get to the state level, but also credited the team environment for her success.

“For sure being with the team and being able to spend time and bond,” Cantu said. “It wasn’t always business. It was for sure a family thing. But for sure, being consistent. If you’re not consistent you won’t see the results you want to see. Even though we had a short season, it’s still a year-round sport.”

Cantu plans to major in biology while at UTSA, with goals of pursuing a career as a nurse or a physician’s assistant.

McALLEN — After spending two years at McAllen High, Galilea Silva transferred schools, choosing to attend McAllen Rowe to finish both her academic and athletic career.

Upon arriving at Rowe, Silva was forced to sit out her junior season due to a UIL rule that requires student-athletes to be enrolled in their school for one calendar year prior to being eligible to participate in athletics.

After a one-year hiatus, Silva returned to the pitch for her senior season, with Rowe head coach John Martinez presenting her with a new challenge — a new position. Martinez moved Silva from her longtime position of forward to a defender on the backline, hoping to fill the hole left by the graduation of defender Monserrat Olvera.

Despite playing forward since she was 5, Silva trusted her coach’s decision. The move paid its dividends for Rowe, as Silva helped the Warriors outscore opponents 111-32 in 26 games while on their way to a 20-5-1 overall record and an appearance in the second round of the Class 5A postseason.

With her high school career now over, Silva signed her national letter of intent Tuesday at the McAllen Rowe gymnasium to continue her academic and soccer career at Jarvis Christian College, an NAIA university that plays in the Red River Athletic Conference.

“Obviously, to be a college athlete you have to have the talent, but you also have to have the grades and the personality to take it to the next level,” Martinez said. “You have to encompass all those three things to be successful at the next level or to at least put yourself in that position. So, to me, this is better than any trophy, seeing her sign to play at the next level.”

Silva said when she was approached by her coach to make the position switch, she wasn’t immediately ready to say yes.

“At first I was very hesitant,” Silva said. “But I’m the type that if there is a challenge or anything, I’m up for it and I’m going to take it. I really just put my mind to it, and I got it done this year. I think this whole year I just really developed as a defender. I developed into a new player and I gained new skills and was able to catch the eyes of some coaches.”

While Martinez said Silva’s ball control and soccer IQ allowed her to succeed in any position she plays, he stated it’s her team-first attitude that carried her into the collegiate ranks, jokingly saying she would play goalie if she was asked to.

“It’s a tough conversation to have when you’re asking a girl about switching positions,” Martinez said. “She gave the best answer though saying ‘Yeah coach, whatever you need.’ To a coach, that’s awesome. For me, I’m going to fight for that girl. When she’s putting the team first, that’s when the accolades will happen.”

Silva, who plans on playing both the defender and forward position at the next level, will team with 14 former Valley girls’ soccer players who are on the Jarvis Christian women’s soccer team, including her former teammate, Olvera.

While at Jarvis Christian, Silva said she plans to major in social work, with goals to attend law school after graduation.

ELSA — Jesse Contreras is no stranger to the UIL state track meet, seeing his sister, Mackenzie Contreras, compete at state twice during her four-year career at Edcouch-Elsa.

Now, Contreras can etch his name next to his sister’s — the school’s record holder in the girls shot put — as the Yellow Jackets senior is set to compete in the shot put at the Class 5A UIL state track meet Friday at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.

“Seeing my sister definitely pushed me to do better,” said Contreras, who also qualified for regionals in the discus but not state, where only the top two from each region advance. “I wanted to go above that bar she set. I want for both of our names to be up there and not just hers.”

After making it to regionals as a sophomore, Contreras went into his junior year hungry to reach the state meet. Before Contreras had a chance to compete for a spot at state, the 2020 season ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On top of losing his junior year, Contreras also saw his sister’s senior season ended, adding more fuel going into his final year.

“It’s definitely extra motivation being cut off last year,” Contreras said. “I wasn’t able to go to regionals and have that chance to make it to state. My sister, she didn’t get her last year. Luckily, I was given my last year. So, I’m going to give it my all, no matter what.”

The extra motivation helped Contreras put together one of the most dominant seasons in Yellow Jackets history, with the senior thrower taking the top spot in the shot put in nine straight meets, including a first-place finish at the Region IV-5A meet with a throw of 53 feet, 9 inches.

During his winning streak, Contreras also set a personal record of 54 feet, 11 inches in the shot put during the Edcouch-Elsa Jacket Invitational on Feb. 27, earning him the second-farthest throw in school history, while ranking No. 9 in the state this year.

Contreras credits his success to his family, stating their support has been what has impacted him the most.

“My family has been here basically all of the time,” Contreras said. “I never really thought about it, but it hit me at once that not everybody has their family supporting them. That definitely pushed me to do a lot more and to realize how big a support my family was and how much they actually motivated me to do better.”

Yellow Jackets track and field head coach Victor Cardenas is not surprised by Contreras’ success, seeing firsthand his work ethic and the support he receives from his family.

“We knew as a freshman, once we started seeing him lift weights and started to see his commitment,” Cardenas said. “He was one of our football players. He was a tight end. He stood out because of his work ethic. He was always a hard worker. He never took any reps off. He never took any plays off and was always at practice. But he also had tremendous support from his parents.”

For Cardenas, Contreras has already established himself as one of the top throwers at Edcouch-Elsa. Still, Cardenas believes beating the school record of 56 feet, 7 inches — set by Andy Anderson in 1976 — would leave no doubt about Contreras’ status as the greatest to ever do it as a Yellow Jacket.

“I think he’s earned that right but until it’s in the record back, we can’t do anything until its officially official,” Cardenas said. “I never saw that Andy Anderson throw, but I’ve seen Jesse Contreras throw. I know what he brings to the table and what he’s all about.”

After finally breaking into the state meet, Contreras has clear goals in mind — beat the school record and finish on top among the best in the state.

“I plan on going into the state meet and just doing what I do,” Contreras said. “I’m going to do the best that I can and hopefully break that school record and be one of the top ones out there.”

MERCEDES — Going into the 2020 track and field season, the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks’ Daisy Monie had one goal on her mind — get back to the state meet.

Before Monie could reach her goal, the season ended abruptly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One year later, the decorated senior is one step closer to making her return to state after taking first in the discus and shot put at the Region IV 31-5A/32-5A area meet Thursday.

“There was definitely a lot of motivation coming in, especially after not having a full season last year,” Monie said. “I was expecting a lot of big things from myself last year and the people I was competing against. So, going into this year, it pushes me more and gives me more motivation to go out there, show up and do what I have to do, especially because it’s my senior year.”

Despite breaking her own area meet record in the discus with a throw for 43 feet, 9 inches, Monie said her ultimate goal is another state appearance.

“The key to my success is God and my faith,” Monie said. “I’m so thankful that I’ve made it this far with-out getting sick or getting injured. That’s the first thing I can be thankful about. Then my family, my friends and my support. I’ve just been training nonstop. I just have to keep going and keep pushing. I have a goal and I’m not satisfied. I still expect more from myself. I know there’s still more in my tank. So, I’m just going to keep pushing.”

While Monie dominated her events, it was the McAllen High Bulldogs’ girls and boys track teams at the top of the standings at the end of the night, with both teams being crowned area champions.

Overall, the Bulldogs will send 16 individuals (7 boys, 9 girls) and three relay teams to the Class 5A regional meet.

“Coach (Luis) Cantu and I, we were joking that we were going to need to take two buses to San Antonio,” McHi boys track coach Bob Bechtold said. “Now, it looks like that’s what is going to happen to get all these guys and girls out there. It’s different. We’ve gone from taking three kids, to something like fourteen that we got qualified between the relays, the opens and the field events. Right now, it’s just tough to really fathom what these kids have done.”

Among those individuals is junior sprinter Leslie Sequera, who took home four gold medals on the night.

Sequera, who came in first during the long jump, 100, and 200 dash, was also a part of the 4×100 relay team that broke the area meet record with a time of 49.95 seconds. Sequera’s performances awarded her team 35 points, while also earning her the girls MVP of the meet.

In total, the McHi girls took home eight individual gold medals, including a dominating performance during the pole vault by senior Olivia Tite, who broke her own school record with a vault of 11 feet.

While the Bulldogs’ boys track team earned the overall team championship, earning four individual gold medals and three first places in the relays, the PSJA Memorial Wolverines’ Wiliams Macias and Rolando Maldonado led the individual points category, combining for five gold and one silver medal.

Macias continued his dominant season, coming away with first place finishes during the 800, 1,600m and 3,200. Macias’ individual efforts, which included an area record of 9:22.65 during the 3,200, earned him the boys area MVP.

Macias, who makes his return to the regional finals for the first time since his sophomore season due to the COVID-19 pandemic cutting last season short, said he’s happy to be back and show everyone what he’s capable of.

“I feel happy because I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it,” Macias said. “There were some strong competitors. But thankfully I was able to do it. It all came down to pushing myself and just dedication. From here on out it’s nothing but training and working hard. I want to go to San Antonio and win it all.”

Meanwhile, Maldonado left his mark during the field events, taking the area crown during the high jump and triple jump, while finishing in second during the long jump.

In total, the Wolverines’ duo combined for 48 of their team’s 68 points, giving them a third-place finish in the overall standings. Mercedes topped the Wolverines in the standings, finishing in second place with 72 points, while Sharyland Pioneer came away with fourth with an overall score of 56.

Finishing in second place on the girls side with 105.5 points was Sharyland High, followed by Edcouch-Elsa with 83 points. Rounding out the top four was Memorial with 77 points.

Up next for the qualifying athletes is a trip to Heroes Stadium in San Antonio for the UIL Class 5A regional meet April 23-24.

SAN ANTONIO —

After a goal by Valley View junior forward Pablo Torre evened the game at 4, the Tigers and the Kingwood Park Panthers seemed headed to overtime.

With 6:20 left in regulation, Panthers forward Jesus Cervantes found himself deep in enemy territory. In one swift move, Cervantes lost a Tigers defender and netted his second goal of the night to give the Panthers a 5-4 victory during the Class 5A state semifinals at Dub Farris Stadium on Tuesday night.

“What can I say about these kids,” Tigers head coach Gerardo Salazar said. “It was all heart and hustle all year. Nobody gave them a chance this year, yet here they are in the state semifinals. They (the Panthers) were very good. Credit to Kingwood. They did a heck of a job. Our kids told us they were faster than them, but we told them they were smarter. It was a heck of a game. We had our opportunities, but it just didn’t go our way this time.”

After jumping out to a 3-1 lead following a pair of goals from midfielder Diego Ontiveros during the 5th and 29th minute, and a score by Torre during the 19th minute, the Tigers seemed to be heading to the half with a comfortable lead.

During a span of two minutes, Panthers forward Gage Guerra, who scored his first goal with 34:12 left in the opening period, erased the Tigers’ advantage, netting goals during the 36th and 38th minute of the first half to send the game into the break tied.

With momentum on their side, the Panthers came out of the break continuing to apply pressure on the Tigers’ defense. During the 59th minute, the Panthers’ pressure paid off, with Cervantes getting into the penalty area and creating space to give his team a 4-3 lead.

Down one late in the match, it was the Tigers junior captain Torre who netted the equalizer off a penalty kick, his second goal of the match.

Still, the Panthers’ offense proved too much, scoring their fifth goal of the night late to end the Tigers’ season in the state semifinals for the third time in four years.

“Our defenders were not in the right spot,” Salazar said. “We knew they were that good. So, you cannot give them 6 or 7 yards. You’ve got to be at least 4 yards from them, because once they get away from someone, we had to be there to take away the ball. But we were a little bit back on two or three goals and they took advantage of it.”

With that, the Panthers advance to the Class 5A state championship game, taking on the Frisco Wakeland Wolverines (23-1-1) at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown per the UIL website.

Meanwhile, the Tigers’ season comes to an end with an 18-2-2 overall record, taking the Panthers down to the wire while scoring the most goals against them all year by any team.

Despite the loss, Salazar believes the best is yet to come for this team, returning nine starters for the 2022 campaign, including Torre, the Valley’s leading scorer.

“We have our work cut out for next year,” Salazar said. “We’re going to work hard. These kids, they’ve tasted it now. Most of them were not here the last two years we made it to the state tournament. But now we’re going to work hard. We’re very proud not just of them but the whole Tiger family.”

MERCEDES — Tied at 1 with the Brownsville Porter Cowboys at the end of regulation, Valley View Tigers head coach Gerardo Salazar told his team what was going to happen — they were going to score quick, defend harder than ever and go to state.

Three minutes into the first overtime period, Tigers junior forward Pablo Torre drew the attention of three Cowboys defenders.

Without hesitation, Torre tapped the ball over to a wide open Ever Arredondo, who wound up and put the ball through the back of the net for the game-winning goal, as the Tigers held off the Cowboys 2-1 in the Region IV-5A final Friday night at Tiger Stadium.

“I can’t say anything,” Tigers head coach Gerardo Salazar said. “They have the heart of a tiger. It was all a team effort. I called it though. I told them it was going to be 2-1 and that we were going to overtime. I told them right before we went into overtime that we were going to score in the first four minutes and then defend like we’ve never defended before and that’s going to take us to state. And, well, that is what we did.”

Following a goal off a penalty kick by Torre, Cowboys midfielder Alessandro Lara fired a shot toward the net from 55 yards, the ball gliding past the fingertips of Tigers goalkeeper Magdiel Quintero and into the net to even the score going into halftime.

Salazar inserted senior Ivan Camacho in goal for the second half.

In his first playoff action this year, Camacho made his presence felt quickly, coming up with back-to-back saves 17 minutes into the second half to keep the game tied.

“They had confidence in me,” Camacho said. “I didn’t get to play in the other playoff games, so I kept that in my head. It’s my last year, so I wanted to leave it all on the field. I wanted to give it all for my team. I knew if they were putting me in, it’s because they believed in me. And I made sure they were right.”

Camacho’s biggest play came with 2:53 left in the final overtime period, with the senior goalkeeper laying out his body on a diving save, helping the Tigers punch their ticket to the Class 5A state semifinals.

“I saw it when we were warming up,” Salazar said. “I saw that our senior (Camacho) was more focused. I wanted to make the move, but they said to stick with the guys who have been pulling for us. I think he (Camacho) took us to state.”

With that, the Cowboys finish their season with a 20-5-1 overall record, including a return to the regional finals for the first time in five years.

“We felt that with the quarantine and everything, the team was peaking at the right moment,” Cowboys head coach Jose Espitia said. “I think today, we dominated the whole game. The kids played a heck of a game. With our respects to Valley View, I feel like our kids wiped them off the field. Unfortunately for us, the balls didn’t go in. But I am very happy with our kids and their performance. When Porter shows up, Porter comes to play soccer. Today was not the exception.”

Meanwhile, the Tigers advance to the state tournament for the third time in four years, taking on the Kingwood Park Panthers, according to the UIL boys soccer brackets, at a time, date and location yet to be determined.

The 2021 campaign marks 10 consecutive seasons of the Rio Grande Valley sending teams to the UIL boys soccer state tournament, with the Valley View Tigers and the Brownsville Porter Cowboys facing off at 7 tonight with a spot in the Class 5A state semifinals on the line.

“It’s something good for the Valley,” Cowboys head coach Jose Espitia said. “It speaks volumes about Valley soccer.”

On paper, the Tigers and the Cowboys are evenly matched, both fielding offenses capable of running teams out of the stadium. The Tigers are the No. 7-ranked team in the latest Texas High School Coaches Association poll, while the Cowboys are ranked No. 10.

Through 20 games, the Tigers netted 86 goals, including outscoring opponents 14-6 in the postseason.

Junior forward Pablo Torre is the cog that moves the Tigers’ offensive machine, scoring 37 goals during district play. During the postseason, Torre’s dominance has continued, adding nine goals to his total for the year, including a five-goal performance against the San Antonio Southwest Dragons to send his team to the Region IV-5A finals.

Despite being the Valley’s leading scorer, Tigers head coach Gerardo Salazar said it’s Torre’s leadership that has made the biggest impact on his team.

“It’s not about the scoring,” Salazar said. “It’s what he (Torre) does at practice. The way he talks to the team, he tries to take control. It’s like having another coach on the field. He might not talk too much in the games, but his playing does his talking for him. He just tells the other kids to keep up with him. From the running and the moving and everything, he’s been very good for us this year.”

When asked about the task of trying to stop Torre and the Tigers’ high-octane offense, Espitia said that while he knows the problems Torre presents, they are not a one-dimensional team.

“We’ve played him (Torre) the past two years in our district,” Espitia said. “He’s older now. He’s more experienced. He was very good as a freshman, but now he has a lot more experience. He’s out there scoring goals. We know that he’s very capable, but then again, we know that they’re not a one-player team. They have very good midfielders and defenders, and Pablo is just the cherry on top of the cake.”

The Cowboys field a high-powered offense of their own, scoring 89 goals through 25 games. Led by the trio of Brandon Montes, Jose Mateos and Julian Gallegos, who combined for 69 goals this year, the Cowboys have outscored opponents 15-2 in the postseason.

On top of having a trio of capable scorers, the Cowboys are full of experience, with nine four-year lettermen on the squad.

“Since the beginning, we’ve felt like the kids have the potential to make a run,” Espitia said. “Sometimes, it’s easier said than done though. But they’ve done it this year. We’re not satisfied though. We know we’re not the favorites, because they’re highly ranked. But we’re still going to go out there and represent Brownsville, and hopefully win that ticket to represent the Valley at the state level.”

Both teams come into the matchup eyeing their fifth appearance in the state tournament, with the Tigers seeking their third straight appearance. While not having played one another this season, the Tigers and the Cowboys are no strangers to their opponent, competing against each other in District 32-5A the past two years, with the teams splitting the season series during the 2020 season.

“The kids are not nervous,” Salazar said. “We used to be in that district with the Cowboys last year and the past two years. So, our kids have played Brownsville Vets and Brownsville Porter and Pace. Those Brownsville schools, all of them are good. We know how they play, and they know how we play so it should make for a good game on Friday.”

The stage is set for these two teams, as the Tigers and Cowboys square off at 7 tonight at Tiger Stadium in Mercedes.