Valley HS Boys Soccer Schedule 2018

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 3, Mission High 1

La Joya High 4, McAllen High 3

PSJA North 4, McAllen Rowe 3 (PKs)

McAllen Memorial 4, PSJA High 3

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela 6, Weslaco High 2

Donna North 1, Edinburg Economedes 0

Edinburg High 3, Edinburg North 2

District 32-6A

Harlingen High 1, Brownsville Hanna 0

Harlingen South 5, San Benito 0

Brownsville Rivera 1, Los Fresnos 0

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 10, Sharyland Pioneer 0

PSJA Memorial 2, PSJA Southwest 1

La Joya Palmview 4, Mission Veterans 3

Roma 2, Rio Grande City 1

District 32-5A

Brownsville Lopez 3, Brownsville Porter 2 (PKs)

Brownsville Veterans 2, Valley View 1

Edcouch-Elsa 2, Mercedes 1

Brownsville Pace 3, Donna High 1

District 32-4A

Raymondville 3, Brownsville IDEA Frontier 2 (OT)

VALLEY HS BOYS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 3,

MISSION HIGH 1

LJ Juarez-Lincoln 1 2 — 3

Mission High 0 1 — 1

LJ JUAREZ-LINCOLN (3): Sergio Escareno 2, Celso Garcia

RECORDS: La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 11-2-3, 3-0

McALLEN MEMORIAL 4, PSJA HIGH 3

PSJA High 1 2 — #

McAllen Memorial 1 3 — #

McALLEN MEMORIAL (4): Francisco Guerrero, Jorge Torres, Jorge Rico 2

RAYMONDVILLE 3, IDEA Brownsville Frontier 2

Raymondville – –

Frontier – – 2

Friday, Feb. 8

District 30-6A

PSJA North at Mission High, 6 p.m.

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

McAllen High at McAllen Memorial, 6 p.m.

District 31-6A

Weslaco High at Donna North, 6 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg High, 6 p.m.

Edinburg North at Weslaco East, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

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

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

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

District 31-5A

Mission Veterans at Sharyland Pioneer, 8 p.m.

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

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

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa at Valley View, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez at Donna High

District 31-4A

Zapata at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

BY NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — A lot changed in the final 15 minutes and 36 seconds of the first meeting between Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer’s in the 2019 girls soccer season.

One thing that remained consistent was the intensity on the field between the two programs. The rivalry did not lose its luster, it’s just looking for new stars to shine after an exodus of graduating talent.

Olivia Vasquez and Abby Martinez provided second-half goals to give the home Diamondbacks a dramatic 2-1 win over Sharyland High Tuesday night at Pioneer High School.

The win marked the first time Pioneer has prevailed over Sharyland High in regulation.

Vasquez, one of the team’s few seniors, had words of motivation for her less experienced teammates to try to guide her Diamondbacks to their first regulation win over the Rattlers.

“I talked to (the team) during the half and I said ‘Right now, this time right now is when we have to turn this game around,” Vasquez said after the win. “And nobody better put their heads down. We have 40 minutes, the game is far from over so we better get our heads up. We need to just push through, finish the hardest we can and make things happen.’ That’s exactly what we did.”

As the final 15 minutes approached, Vasquez was called to take a free-kick from about 35 yards out. The left-footed defender floated the kick into a perfect spot to level the score, just over the goalie’s reach but under the crossbar.

Exactly two minutes later, Pioneer had its first opportunity to take the lead. A foul inside the penalty area gave the Diamondbacks their second shot from the spot during the game.

In the first half, Sharyland’s goalie Ana De La Torre was able to stop a PK attempt from Jocelyn Boyle.

But with the game in the balance, sophomore Abby Martinez delivered on the winning kick past a sprawled out De La Torre.

“Last year, we lost in regulation and we won in penalties,” Martinez said. “We’ve been looking forward to this game for a long time because we felt ready. The nerves were there (on the penalty attempt) but I felt confident to take it.”

Vasquez also had one of the most important tasks all night, slowing down last season’s Monitor Newcomer of the Year: Sharyland’s Xochitl Nguma.

“She’s one of their biggest playmakers so coach knew everything started from her,” Olivia Vasquez said. “We just had to shut her down and her outlets. Me and Cielo (Bocanegra,) our center-mid, did exactly that.”

For a majority of the match, Pioneer possessed the ball and owned the better chances. However, Sharyland High’s Chloe Ribera turned the game on its head when she struck gold on a long free-kick 10 minutes before the break.

The sophomore is hard to move off the ball, knocks opponents down a lot more often than she’s sent to the turf and she possesses a powerful kick.

Even with all those traits, the defender isn’t known for her offense. So when she scored her team’s first goal, 30 minutes into the match, her big celebration was warranted.

“I told the girls at halftime I felt like last year we had controlled the tempo of the games too and we came out with one win in PKs and one loss in PKs,” Pioneer coach J.J. Lopez said. “I told them we can’t afford that, but we’re going to get our chances in the second half, you just have to be patient.”

Sharyland Pioneer improves to 3-0 in district 31-5A play, while Sharyland High falls to 1-2 with a PK loss to Roma.

“This is all about points, you win you get points, you lose you don’t get points,” Martinez said. “So winning in regulation really helps us, we’re five points ahead of Sharyland. We can’t calm down, we can’t ease up but it helps us to be more confident.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen Rowe goalie Hethyr Moore took off her shin guards at PSJA Southwest High School after her team had completed at 4-0 shutout of the Javelinas in the PSJA ISD soccer tournament Jan. 18

The Warriors had just completed their fourth game in less than two days and Moore had large scabs on her legs.

They weren’t fresh cuts, Moore had gotten the turf burns earlier in the week at practice.

Serving as the team’s deepest player, the last line of defense before conceding a goal, is a physical task. Many goalies are multi-sport athletes, borrowing diving skills from volleyball or jumping from in track. Playing net also is a mentally and emotionally taxing position.

Moore is a part of the sacred society of stoppers with pads, pants and puffy gloves that can bail out, or sink, their team’s chance to win. Either way, attitude counts.

“I’m kind of like a pick up for the team if we score. I try to keep them up, keep them moving,” Moore said. “If the other team scores I try to keep them positive and I watch out for my teammates. If the other team’s pushing, I push back and I get rough; I tell them stuff out there.”

Her goalie idle is German keeper Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich. She channels the 2014 World Cup champion by trying to keep a traffic-free zone in front of her.

“I always have to make sure that there’s no one trying to run behind,” Moore said. “Everybody knows that there’s a person or that if there’s a person on(side) that they know. It’s really all about positioning, knowing where your poles are at, where the people are at.”

Edinburg High’s Kristen Salinas is only a sophomore and relatively new to the position between the pipes.

“I’ve never played goalie before last year, halfway through the season I started playing,” Salinas said. “It’s been real interesting to learn the position. I’ve always wanted to play it. It’s really tough having the pressure on you sometimes, but I love the pressure. My parents always tell me I work better under pressure.”

If your only experience with soccer is on an elementary, or even in early youth leagues playground then maybe you’d think the least skilled player would be sent to play goalie, but that couldn’t be further from the truth on this stage.

Salinas played on the varsity volleyball team and her move in siccer to goalkeeper came after she was formerly a Bobcats midfielder.

“When I was younger, I think I was 7 or 8, that’s when I first started goalkeeper,” UTRGV graduate and Vaqueros all-time saves leader Erica Gonzalez said. “They would stick me there cause I would always get sick, I had really bad asthma. Definitely a lot better now, but that’s how it all started.”

Back in 30-6A, McAllen High boasts one of the best keepers in the area, Lexi Gonzalez.

Thanks to her unforgettable play in the Bulldogs’ 2018 playoff run, she etched a legacy that won’t soon be forgotten.

“Having a good goalie is so important for the confidence of the team,” McHi coach Pat Arney said. “When I don’t have a goalie that I completely trust, every shot is a heartstopper. With a good goalie like Lexi, you can relax more and you can start thinking about other things.”

At the Class 6A Region IV tournament in San Antonio, Lexi stood tall to help defeat San Antonio Johnson 2-1 and shut out Austin Lake Travis in the regional final 1-0.

The junior’s height, right at six feet, along with a 9-foot-8-inch ‘approach touch,’ (a common volleyball measurement) gave her the reach to tap corner kicks or centering crosses clear over the crossbar. Not to mention the occasional punch.

Those same qualities are part of the reason she was offered to play volleyball for Oregon State prior to her junior season. She has given a verbal to attend the school and plans to sign during her senior year.

The future Beaver finds a way to transition from her collegiate sport to her first love.

“It was definitely difficult because I haven’t played for a while,” Lexi Gonzalez said during the first competitive soccer games of the 2019 season. “Coming from volleyball I was like ‘maybe diving on the court won’t be as hard as diving for a soccer ball’ so it was definitely a challenge at first. I had to get back into it and focus more on talking with my team.”

She says the stretching and the skills used overlap and make it easier to get back to the pitch.

“Stretching wise we stretch the same,” Lexi Gonzalez said. “Basically being goalie is like training for volleyball a lot. It’s upper-body a lot most of the time because we’re going to catch stuff so it’s actually very similar.”

Styles in the net are another key factor when an attacking player is trying to score. On a breakaway, goaltenders have minimal time to make the all-important choice: Rush the shooter to cut down the angle and perhaps tackle the ball right off their foot or hold ground in net to ensure the attacker doesn’t simply dribble around the keeper.

For Erica, who is not very tall, she always went back to taking matters in her own hands. During high school, she trained with the same Brownsville-based goalie coach as McHi’s Gonzalez. Even with the same trainer and similar successes they are very different backstops.

“My biggest strength is probably my aggressiveness and my reactions; those would always save me,” Erica Gonzalez said. “I can hop, I can make those upper 90 saves. I have the adrenaline in me, but I guess just being 5’ 4” that’s what makes it harder. These women are large and they’re strong.”

What started as the position that would help her stay healthy, turned into the role that allowed her to continue her education while competing. The 2017 UTRGV grad said that for dedicated soccer players the final high school whistle doesn’t have to signify the end of a career.

“It’s possible for everyone,” Erica Gonzalez said. “Even at that the (NCAA) Div. 1 level, I have seen teams that any girl on any varsity team in the RGV could play for. There’s a level for everyone. Everyone can go off and play at the next level. You gotta work for it and contact those coaches first.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

The RGV’s top Class 5A divers and swimmers put their talents to the test Friday and Saturday afternoon against some of the best from the Coastal Bend area at the Region VIII Regional meet at the Corpus Christi Cabaniss Natatorium.

On Friday, Mission Veterans junior diver Victoria Bonilla won her third regional gold and advanced to state with a score of 316.35.

Valley distance swimmers were the top dogs coming into the boys 500 freestyle. Pioneer junior Trevor Heath finished ahead of PSJA Southwest freshman Issac Velasquez by less than a tenth of second during Friday’s prelims.

On Saturday, however, youth was able to top experience as Velasquez took gold in the event with a time of 4:48.92. Heath finished with a 4:53.79 and a ticket to the state meet.

“We knew it was going to be a two-horse race in this specific event so we made sure he didn’t burn all his energy (Friday),” PSJA Southwest coach Jonathan Landero said. “We talked about just getting yourself into the right position for today’s final.”

The 9th grader realized that overcoming an established distance swimmer was a grand achievement.

“It was tough, he’s hard to beat,” Velasquez said. “Winning a gold medal is pretty awesome for me, I got really emotional. I went against one of the fastest guys in the Valley. I accomplished my goal.”

Issac is the younger brother of former Javelinas Joshua and Joseph Velaquez, who ushered in an era of state qualifiers at the high school.

“It’s a special thing to see him swim,” Landero said.“His older brothers were really talented of course, they paved the way for him but he’s really special. He’s very motivated and his talent is unmatched really.”

As a freshman, the excitement for Issac’s future is warranted. For the youngster, he was happy to win in front of one of his older brothers.

“It’s really awesome,” Issac said. “I really wanted him to be at the meet. I wish Joseph was there too but he had to work. I’m glad Joshua was there to support me, my family.”

District 31-5A boys champion Sharyland Pioneer earned a win in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The team with Ethan Saenz, Ethan Montalvo, Andrew Adkins and Trevor Heath edged out the group from Tuloso-Midway with a 1:29.38.

Sharyland High girls also had a relay runners up in the same event. Charlize Samperio, Ivanna Gonzalez Lozano, Mariana Martinez Cruz and Gabriela Gonzalez will advance to state with their time of 1:46.37

Flour Bluff was dominant as they usually are at the meet in its backyard. The Hornet girls won the meet with 554 points, Sharyland High was second with 187, Tuloso-Midway finished third with 176 points.

In the boys’ team standings Flour Bluff took the team title with 313, Tuloso-Midway had 281 in second and Corpus Christi Vets rounded out the team podium with 248.

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5A State qualifiers:

Mission Veterans: Victoria Bonilla, 1-meter dive (1st place)

Sharyland High: Girls 200 freestyle relay, Charlize Samperio, Ivanna Gonzalez Lozano, Mariana Martinez Cruz, Gabriela Gonzalez (1st place)

PSJA Southwest: Issac Velasquez, 500 freestyle (1st place)

Sharyland Pioneer: Boys 200 freestyle relay, Ethan Saenz, Ethan Montalvo, Andrew Adkins, Trevor Heath (2nd place); 500 freestyle, Trevor Heath (2nd place); 200 individual medley, Trevor Heath (2nd place), 1-meter diving Marc Rodriguez (3rd place)

Valley HS Girls Soccer Schedule 2018

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McAllen High 5, Mission High 0

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 5, McAllen Rowe 2

McAllen Memorial 6, La Joya High 1

PSJA North 4, PSJA High 0

District 31-6A

Edinburg North 1, Donna North 0 (PKs)

Edinburg Vela 5, Edinburg Economedes 0

Edinburg High 3, Weslaco East 0

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna 3, Brownsville Rivera 1

Harlingen High 4, San Benito 0

Los Fresnos def. Harlingen South

District 31-5A

Roma 1, Sharyland 0 (PKs)

Sharyland Pioneer 2, La Joya Palmview 0

Mission Veterans 3, PSJA Southwest 2

PSJA Memorial 5, Rio Grande City 0

District 32-5A

Brownsville Lopez at Brownsville Pace, not reported

Edcouch-Elsa 1, Donna High 0

Brownsville Veterans 1, Mercedes 0

Brownsville Porter 4, Valley View 1

District 32-4A

Monte Alto 4, Brownsville IDEA Frontier 0

VALLEY HS GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 6, LA JOYA HIGH 1

McAllen Memorial – – — 6

La Joya High – – — 1

McALLEN MEMORIAL (6): Emmelyn Cardenas, Viviana Cruz, Araceli Ramirez 4

LA JOYA HIGH (1): Kayla Ochoa

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial 11-0, 2-0; La Joya High

McALLEN HIGH 5, MISSION HIGH 0

McAllen High – – — 5

Mission High – – — 0

McALLEN HIGH (5): Bri Claudio 2, Miranda Munoz 2, Sophia Soto

PSJA NORTH 4, PSJA HIGH 0

PSJA North 2 2 — 4

PSJA High 0 0 — 0

PSJA NORTH (4): Jocylin Recio 2, Mia Jimenez, Victoria Trevino

RECORDS: PSJA North 8-4-3, 1-1

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH 3, WESLACO EAST 0

Weslaco East 0 0 — 0

Home Team 0 3 — 3

EDINBURG HIGH (3): Leah Sanchez, Miriela Munoz, Ianelly Valadez

RECORDS: Edinburg High 11-1-1

District 31-5A

PSJA MEMORIAL 9, Rio Grande City 0

PSJA Memorial 5 4 — 9

Rio Grande City 0 0 — 0

PSJA Memorial (9): Clarissa Costilla 3, Teidra Maldonado 2, Carolina Lopez, Ester Martinez 2, Brandy Becerra

BY NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — Valley View knew it had a tough game coming when Brownsville Porter arrived for an early Friday evening district showdown.

As the RGV’s No. 1 team, the Tigers might not have expected to fall behind less than a minute into their game against the visiting Cowboys, but that was the predicament they had to deal with after Porter’s Xavier Mateos booted home an early counter-attacking goal.

The goal could have planted the seeds of an upset. Instead, it woke a sleeping giant as Valley View responded with six straight goals for a 6-2 win at Valley View High School in Pharr.

Valley View junior forward Jorge Amaya said that keeping composure in the face of a miscue was key to the win.

“We just play as one,” Amaya said. “We know that one mistake can cost us any game and we’re prepared for our errors. We know we’re not perfect, there’s going to be games where we are down by one and we have to build from there as a whole team and just make the best out of it.”

The home side didn’t take long to respond to the opening-minute shocker. Three minutes later, a corner kick was sent directly into the Porter 6-yard-box where freshman Pablo Torre’s head and the ball met.

Torre’s header crossed the goal line and the Valley View machine was up and running.

With 23:32 to play in the half, another freshman found the back of the net, this time Yonathan Castro, who simply blew the ball past the Porter keeper.

Amaya found his scoring touch less than three minutes later to take over the momentum and the match for good.

“It’s just a special feeling cause as a unit we’re bonding better each time,” Amaya said. “Every practice, every game we’re just ready for it and we know all the games are going to be high intensity and we’re preparing 100 percent for the games.”

After the halftime break, the Tigers kept their foot on the gas.

Midfielder Bryan Obregon opened the second stanza with a powerful goal that curved out of the reach of the keeper.

“It feels amazing when we start winning, but there are some times we start off losing, like today,” said Obregon, a junior. “All we need is to stay calm and to let it be, let it play.”

Valley View’s combined 12-3 results over Lopez and Porter have come without arguably their best offensive weapon, Mario De Los Santos, not on the field as he awaits a decision over his eligibility.

“We play as a team, we don’t play with one as a reference,” Obregon said. “We play as a team, that makes us feel stronger.”

Another returner from last season’s state semifinal team, Rogelio Saldivar, scored the team’s fifth goal and Casto scored his second to reach six. Adolfo Gonzalez scored Porter’s second tally.

Valley View improves to 3-0 in district play with back-to-back wins over perennial powerhouses Lopez and Porter. On Tuesday, the Tigers will replay last season’s Class 5A regional final when they visit Brownsville Veterans.

“We knew what we were getting into, we knew what kind of district it was,” Valley View coach Damian Magallan said through a translator. “We played the playoffs against Lopez last year and they took us to the very end. Still, we know that if we attack we’re going to be the better team. Attack, attack. That’s how you beat those teams.”

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BY NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN– Hannah Kelly is a high jumper and a defender for UIL state soccer semifinalists McAllen High School. She’s also a longtime dancer and a student in MISD’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program. On Friday afternoon she signed her institutional letter of intent for the next step: studying and jumping for Duke University Track & Field.

Kelly had a laundry list of coaches, instructors, teammates and classmates to thank, which explained the large crowd on hand to watch her big day at McAllen High’s gymnasium.

“I definitely think that all my activities have made me who I am just because of how long I’ve been doing them,” Kelly said. “I really didn’t start track until seventh grade, but because I’ve been a part of Melba’s (dance academy) and because I’ve been in soccer since I was 2 or 4 years old, it definitely impacts how I jump or who I am now.”

With so much on her plate, the high jump bar is just one challenge she has to clear on a regular basis. In fact, with such a difficult course load, athletics is more of an escape than a burden.

Kelly splits her time as an athlete for the Bulldogs, which includes morning track and afternoon soccer practices, but the bulk of her day is spent at Lamar Academy, where IB students from around the city and beyond take classes.

“A lot of people don’t know about the IB program because everything that we do is kind of hard to explain,” Kelly said. “The main jist of the Diploma Programme, which is junior and senior year, is that we do a lot of things that don’t count toward our McAllen ISD grades. It’s more things that count toward IB so that includes the extended essay, we also have an internal assessment for all the classes you’re enrolled in.”

The IB program is part of a streamlined international curriculum that focuses on community interaction, world awareness and, of course, rigorous classes that are weighted similarly to AP classes which can explain her 108.3 average.

“Everything is much more difficult because we try to get ready for college, not in the sense of overloading yourself with work but making you think critically,” Kelly said. “I would say the family at IB has definitely helped me achieve my goals. There’s so much support there.”

Kelly’s 2018 athletic season was her most successful, but also the most turbulent. As the McHi soccer team made a historic run to become the first RGV girls program to reach the UIL State Tournament in Georgetown, a scheduling conflict during the state semifinal prevented Kelly from being able to compete in the area track meet.

The Bulldogs girls team won the 30-6A district track meet in between the soccer playoff run.

Hannah’s mother, Barbara Kelly, also believes that the number of extracurricular activities molded the future Blue Devil student-athlete. Kelly will major in applied mathematics.

“I think because she has always had a passion for learning, she loves math and she’s always been really great at math so much so that she’s always pushed herself to study really hard,” Barbara Kelly said. “Athletics has always been her stress relief. I really think that all of those activities shaped her to be an organized, multi-faceted person.”

Kelly’s decision to jump for Duke was a product of an East Coast road trip that the family took to visit schools and contact track coaches. Prior to the signing, her father told the story of Hannah being overlooked by an Ivy League coach, but later finding a perfect match and open arms in Durham with the Blue Devils.

McHi track coach Bob Bechtold said that Hannah’s jump to the next level can have a long-time impact on the team’s future.

“It’s huge for the program,” Bechtold said. “Other kids see her and what she’s accomplished and it motivates them to do better, which massively helps our program.”

Bechtold also used Hannah as an example as to why student-athletes should continue to take on as much as they can handle.

“There’s always a way to make it work and McHi’s probably the best school to make it happen, cause our coaching staff is a family,” Bechtold said. “We share athletes, we promote multi-sport athletes and Hannah is the epitome of that. She’ll come at 6 o’clock in the morning and high jump and practice until 6 o’clock in the evening with soccer, she’s non-stop.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Edinburg High senior Brianna Salinas had a busy day on the Saturday of the 31-6A district swimming meet.

Reaching the podium in both of her relays and advancing to regionals was an exciting moment, but just the morning portion of her competition weekend.

After the meet ended at PSJA ISD Natatorium in Pharr she had to switch gears, brush up on her Italian and get her vocal cords ready for her regional choir solo to try to advance to state.

“I had two hours to leave from my swim meet to get home to shower and get dressed and makeup on and everything,” Salinas said. “I had to be there by 2:30 p.m., so it was a big rush, but while I was showering I was singing.”

Salinas switched from swim attire to a formal look and sang Italian, Baroque-era composer Giuseppe Torelli’s Tu Lo Sai, in front of judges who awarded her the top rating.

The senior, who has sang in the choir since the fifth grade, said it took time for the piece to grow on her but now is fond of the late 15th-century classic.

“It was a great Saturday, I can say that,” Salinas laughed. “They’re both things that I love and that I’ve grown up with that have shaped me into who I am today, Advancing to the next level in both is very heartwarming because that’s what I do, that’s what I love.”

When asked if she ever serenades her swimming teammates or visualizes her starts off the block, Salinas said likes to work one at a time.

“Either way, in whatever I’m doing, I’m 100 percent in competition mode,” Salinas said. “If I’m swimming, my mind is focused on a fight to drop time and if I’m singing, I forget about everything else and feel the character, meaning and dynamics of the song.”

In choir, she excelled in a solo but in the water, her top performances were in a group.

In the pool, Salinas is joined on the 200-yard medley relay team by Isabella Vega, Emily Anaya and Samantha Garza. The same quartet will compete in the 200 freestyle relay. They earned double silvers behind PSJA High and Edinburg Vela, respectively.

Anaya has an interesting back story in the water as well. Four years ago as an eighth-grader, she watched her older brother, Matthew Anaya, join the Bobcats swim team. On Saturday both siblings walked away with matching gold medals in the 50-yard freestyle.

“Oh, it’s amazing,” Emily Anaya said. “He’s the whole reason I joined swimming. I was a dancer before and I joined swimming because ‘hey why not try it?’ and it’s awesome. Now, I couldn’t imagine not joining swimming.”

Matthew Anaya is one of the team’s captains and was extremely humbled after winning his first district championship in his event.

“With coach (Oscar) Garza with me for the four years and with his support, he has pushed me along the way to accomplish any kind of goals that I set,” Matthew Anaya said. “Of course, it goes to my family as well with Emily also winning the 50 freestyle. I dedicate it all to God too. I have a very strong foundation with my religious beliefs.”

Being only a grade level apart, Matthew admitted that he butts heads with his sister but over the weekend they were able to celebrate as one. He took the 50-yard freestyle title in 24.13 seconds while Emily finished golden with a time of 27.85.

“It’s an amazing feeling honestly,” Matthew Anaya said. “I never thought that I’d have the chance to compete with my sister to become a champion.”

The Bobcats boys swimming team was crowned district champions with 128 points to Vela’s 110 points.

“It all starts with the team,” Matthew Anaya said. “That we all come to the same practices and we push each other to the limits and we understand that we all come here to work and it all pays off at the end.”

The four high schools in Edinburg don’t have the luxury of a full-time indoor pool like many of their neighboring school districts and municipalities. South Park pool, adjacent to Richard R. Flores Stadium on Palm Drive has a heated outdoor pool but Garza says it’s still an uphill battle.

“I think it just validates the kid’s hard work,” Garza said. “I think it puts things in perspective for them. It makes it a little bit easier for them to understand if they work hard it’s going to work in the long run.”

The regional swim meet begins Friday and continues Saturday at Brownsville’s Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center.

[email protected]

Valley HS Girls Soccer Schedule 2018

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

La Joya High 5, PSJA High 0

McAllen Memorial 5, Mission High 0 (Box)

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 3, PSJA North 0

McAllen High 3, McAllen Rowe 0

District 31-6A

Edinburg North 1, Edinburg Vela 0

Donna North 5, Weslaco East 1

Weslaco High 6, Edinburg Economedes 1

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer 7, PSJA Southwest 0

Sharyland High 5, La Joya Palmview 1

Mission Veterans 4, Rio Grande City 0

Roma 2, PSJA Memorial 1 (PKs)

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa 2, Brownsville Pace 1

Brownsville Porter 2, Mercedes 0

Brownsville Lopez at Valley View, not reported

VALLEY HS GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER 7,

PSJA SOUTHWRESt 0

PSJA Southwest 0 0 — 0

Sharyland Pioneer 5 2 — 7

SHARYLAND PIONEER (7): Lauren Guerra, Jocelyn Boyle 2, Abby Martinez 2, Madison Alvarez

SHARYLAND HIGH 5, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 0

Sharyland High 4 1 — 5

La Joya Palmview 0 0 — 0

SHARYLAND HIGH (5): Xochitl Nguma 4, Sabrina Ramirez 1

ROMA 2, PSJA MEMORIAL 1 (PKs)

Roma 0 1 — 2

PSJA Memorial 0 1 — 1

PSJA MEMORIAL (1): Ashley Fernandez

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 5, MISSION HIGH 0

McAllen Memorial 1 4 — 5

Mission High 0 0 — 0

McALLEN MEMORIAL (5): Viviana Cruz, Andrea Santana, Araceli Ramirez, Geo Hernadez, OG

RECORD: McAllen Memorial 10-0, 1-0

District 31-6A

DONNA NORTH 5, WESLACO EAST 1

Weslaco East 0 1 — 1

Donna North 1 5 — 5

DONNA NORTH (5): Nancy Espino, Gabby Aviles 3, Nalley Juarez 1

Valley HS Boys Soccer Schedule 2018

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

La Joya High 1, PSJA High 0

Mission High 4, McAllen Memorial 3 (PKs)

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 6, PSJA North 1

McAllen Rowe 4, McAllen High 3 (PKs)

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela 2, Edinburg North 1 (PKs)

Donna North 4, Weslaco East 0

Edinburg Economedes 4, Weslaco High 0

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer 2, PSJA Southwest 1

Sharyland High 2, La Joya Palmview 0

PSJA Memorial 3, Roma 1

Mission Veterans 2, Rio Grande City 0

District 32-5A

Valley View 6, Brownsville Lopez 1

Brownsville Porter 5, Mercedes 0

Brownsville Pace 3, Edcouch-Elsa 0

District 32-4A

Raymondville 4, Monte Alto 2

District 31-4A

Progreso 1, Hidalgo 0

VALLEY HS BOYS SOCCER BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 6,

PSJA NORTH 1

PSJA North 0 1 — 1

Juarez-Lincoln 4 2 — 6

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN (6): Nicolas Diaz 2, Ernesto Salinas 2, Oscar Vasquez 1, Joahn Arevelo 1

RECORD: La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 9-2-3, 1-0

District 30-6A

MISSION HIGH 4,

McALLEN MEMORIAL 3 (PKs)

McAllen Memorial 1 2 — 3

Mission High 3 0 — 4

MISSION HIGH (4): Sebastian Montes, Luis Ponce, Efrain Gallegos

RECORDS: Mission High 15-3-1, 1-0

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH 2, LA JOYA PALMVIEW

Sharyland High – – — 2

La Joya Palmview – – — 0

SHARYLAND HIGH (2): Alberto Martinez, Jorge Morales

RECORDS: Sharyland High 7-3-2