NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

Each of the three remaining Valley soccer programs will have a day in the spotlight next week at the UIL state soccer championship in Georgetown.

Two of the teams, Progreso’s boys and Valley View’s boys, have reached the final four stage twice before. The McAllen High girls are making the first state appearance by any Valley girls squad.

Red Ants make their return

Progreso will take center stage at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday when it faces undefeated Palestine (34-0-0).

The Red Ants (23-7-2) are qualified for their third consecutive 4A state tournament. In 2016, Progreso and Palestine clashed in the state championship match. After 100 minutes of scoreless, defensive soccer, the game was settled in penalty kicks. Progreso fell 4-3 in the shootout.

Coach Margarito Jimenez, who has been at the helm for each of the team’s three trips to state, said there’s no substitute for playing at this level.

“You cannot fake experience. You’ve just got to be there to get it,” Jimenez said. “They are probably the strongest team in the state in 4A. We’re going to go with a mentality that we can win. Even though we’re going to face this monster, we’re going to try our best to keep a clean sheet and hopefully put one past them.”

The Red Ants march to state was paved with wins over Raymondville, Somerset, Zapata, Taylor and finally Liberty Hill to earn the return trip to the tournament.

Perfect Tigers to be tested Thursday

Valley View enters the tournament as the top seed in Class 5A but will immediately face defending 5A state champions Frisco Wakeland (17-4-6) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Wolverines are one of the most successful programs not only in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but in the state. The team finished as state runner-up in 2016, third in 2014 and won its first title in 2010.

The Tigers boast a 31-0-0 record through an immaculate season that culminated with a 3-1 win over Brownsville Veterans in Saturday’s regional final. Valley View powered past Donna North, Corpus Christi Calallen and three-time state qualifiers Brownsville Lopez before blowing out Marble Falls 6-0 to reach the final in Corpus Christi.

Valley View hopes to unleash what it feels is one of the state’s best offensives, led by marksman striker Mario De Los Santos. He’s already scored 11 goals in the postseason, including his third hat trick of the playoffs to beat Brownsville Vets.

Bulldogs continue historic run Friday

For the first time in history, the Valley will send a girls team to central Texas to compete for the state’s top prize, clashing with undefeated Houston Memorial (26-0-1) at 9:30 a.m. Friday.

The McHi girls were only the fourth Valley team to advance to the regional final, and a dramatic 1-0 win over Austin Lake Travis put the Bulldogs (26-3-1) alone with the deepest girls playoff run in history.

Coach Patrick Arney said his team’s ability to play with strong competition stems from a combination of important qualities.

“I think we have some exceptional talent,” Arney said. “Added to that mix, girls that really, really want to be able to get after it and show what they do. And just playing a really good team game, caring for each other. I think that mix is just right.”

The Bulldogs entered as underdogs in both games of the regional tournament last weekend in San Antonio.

Against San Antonio Johnson in the regional semifinals, an own goal and Westyn Henderson’s highlight-reel tally lifted McHi over the host Jaguars. The 2-1 score was indicative of the strong defensive play that has helped the Bulldogs overcome tough opposition from larger cities.

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VALLEY HS BOYS STATE SOCCER SCHEDULE

Wednesday’s Game

Class 4A State Semifinal

Palestine 2, Progreso 1

Thursday’s Game

Class 5A State Semifinal

Valley View vs. Frisco Wakeland, 7:30 p.m., Birkelbach Field, Georgetown

Saturday’s Game

Class 5A State Championship

1:30 p.m., Birkelbach Field, Georgetown

VALLEY HS GIRLS STATE SOCCER SCHEDULE

Friday’s Game

Class 6A State Semifinal

McAllen High vs. Houston Memorial, 9:30 a.m., Birkelbach Field, Georgetown

Saturday’s Game

Class 6A State Championship

4 p.m., Birkelbach Field, Georgetown

NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — One late goal was all the McAllen High Bulldogs needed to punch their ticket as the first Rio Grande Valley girls soccer team in history to qualify for the state tournament. Ava Alaniz put the shot home in McHi’s 1-0 win over Austin Lake Travis in the Class 6A Region IV final on Saturday at the Blossom Athletic Center.

Alaniz lost her breath jumping around with her team when the final buzzer sounded, then again when the Bulldogs were handed the regional trophy. The goal she’ll never forget was still fresh on her mind.

“I saw Westyn (Henderson) get the ball, and I saw a lot of open space going forward, because the defense had pushed off the line a little bit,” Alaniz said. “I figured, ‘There’s only two minutes left. There’s nothing to lose.’ I called for it, and she sent a ball. It was me versus a defender, and I had to get there before she did, and I chose to pick the bottom corner, and it went in.”

Henderson, who sent the lob pass that put Alaniz one-on-one with the goalie, said the moment was special, even knowing the Bulldogs had to defend for a few more minutes.

“Having only three minutes left in the game, that feeling was amazing,” Henderson said. “We knew we just had to play defense for it, and the win was ours.”

For nearly 78 minutes, both teams fought in an attempt to put the first ball past the opposing keeper. Strong play by defensive players on both sides made sure that wouldn’t be an easy task.

McHi sophomore goalkeeper Lexi Gonzalez made 12 saves in the victory. She ended the weekend with only one goal allowed between McHi’s wins against San Antonio Johnson in Friday’s regional semifinal and Lake Travis on Saturday.

Gonzalez said the shooting of the Cavaliers was the best she’d seen.

“I just did my best to get everything out, no matter how much it took,” Gonzalez said.

Her MVP-type performance included tipping over the crossbar three balls that were postmarked for the top shelf.

Her saves and the play of McHi’s defense shut out a Lake Travis team that put five goals past Brownsville Rivera on Friday to qualify for the regional final.

Victoria Sola, Emily Gurwitz, Rylie Flores and Zoe Flores were again praised by McHi coach Pat Arney after the game for their ability to shut down a strong opponent.

When the winning goal went in, Gonzalez dropped to her knees in joy.

“I felt like we were going to state at the moment,” Gonzalez said. “And I was the happiest person on earth from just doing my job.”

Westyn Henderson was a difference-maker again for the Bulldogs. In Saturday’s final, she combined with teammates Alaniz and Sophia Soto to look threatening on many occasions.

The wind was a factor in the match. Sustained winds blew at 17 mph at kickoff, and gusts exceeded 20 mph.

Though the Bulldogs didn’t score with the wind at their back in the first half, they worked their counterattack to keep the Cavaliers honest. Both teams had glimpses of offense, but the defenses stood tall.

“It was a really defensive game, so I think our mindset was once we get an opportunity to go forward, take advantage of that,” Henderson said. “I think Ava did a really good job of executing for us and getting the W for us.”

For Arney, who has been the Bulldogs coach since the program started, Saturday was a long time coming. In 2007, Arney’s group reached the regional final but was unable to leap the fifth-round hurdle. That season was the only other time McHi advanced past the fourth round.

“It’s starting to sink in,” Arney said. “It just hits you like a ton of bricks. I was starting to think about what we needed to do for overtime or maybe PKs. Just working hard, and that’s all we needed — one goal. Our defense was playing great. Lexi was playing great.”

McAllen High will play in the UIL Class 6A state semifinals on Friday. The UIL will announce the Bulldogs’ first opponent when the tournament bracket is seeded on Sunday.

“We are hoping to leave a legacy that is hard to follow. We want to go all the way,” Henderson said. “And I think we’re more motivated now than we have ever been. So we’re excited.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — Many of the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies sat on the grass at Blossom Athletic Center for an extended period of time after they were eliminated from the playoffs by the San Antonio Reagan Rattlers on Friday.

Some held their heads in their hands. Some covered their faces. Others stared off into space until the team huddled to break as a group for the last time this season.

The Huskies didn’t want a mistake to end their stellar 2018 campaign, but they couldn’t overcome two mishaps in a 2-0 loss to the Rattlers in the Class 6A Region IV semifinal.

Veteran Juarez-Lincoln coach Victor Ramos said he was happy with his team’s play, knowing some days the game of inches keeps the ball out.

“The kids played really well,” Ramos said. “We created opportunities. We couldn’t score. I think we hit the post twice. They saved like two or three goals at the line. It’s just the way it is sometimes. Soccer is like that. Sometimes you put it in. Sometimes you just can’t.”

Juarez-Lincoln was one of the best teams at putting the ball in the net during the regular season and had scored 19 goals in three rounds of playoff action entering Friday.

The goals didn’t carry over to the regional semifinals, but the chances did.

The Huskies sent plenty of balls forward for lanky senior Gerardo Reyes, but Reagan committed two defenders to marking the prolific goal scorer.

Even with extra attention, Reyes launched many shots. Three of his attempts required Reagan keeper Eugene Albo to make diving saves. Another pair banged off the upright.

The Huskies made one too many passes in front of their own net, giving the Rattlers an open look at the goal. Alex Salgado was calm as he scored past Juarez-Lincoln keeper Christopher Banda.

Reagan coach Gilbert Villarreal said that he trusted his goaltender and the defenders around him, even if it took some fortune to preserve a clean sheet.

“We believe in our goalie. We believe in our defense. Our two center backs that have played great all year,” Villarreal said. “Sometimes, you have to get a little lucky. They hit the post two or three times. Our keeper was there. I felt that. But you know, sometimes that’s what it takes. We took our chances, and in the game of soccer, that’s the most important thing.”

As the second half kicked off, the Huskies continued to control possession and knock on the door in search of an opening tally.

Manuel Castrejon had a chance when he broke loose with 26:15 to play, but his shot was right on goal and easy for Albo to handle.

Most of the Huskies had great looks at the net in the second half, but the dying moments were filled with screaming shots whizzing by the post or over the crossbar.

Juarez-Lincoln’s Banda and defender Lauro Alvarez combined for two desperation saves to keep the game 1-0.

Reagan scored again on a similar goal to the first tally, capitalizing on a turnover. This time, Miguel Leyva scored to put the game out of reach.

Juarez-Lincoln will graduate key pieces including Castrejon, Reyes and Leo Pruneda. Ramos was happy to reflect on the career and run the senior class achieved.

“It’s not only this game, it’s throughout the season,” Ramos said. “It was an honor being with them. They’ve been with me, most of them, four years. I’m very proud of being part of this group. Every year, they give me their best — their effort, their sacrifices.”

As the Huskies run at a return trip to the state tournament was halted, Ramos said his time with his team was priceless.

“Of course, the score means a lot, because you go to the next round,” Ramos said. “But just being with them for so long, that’s the most important thing.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — The Brownsville Rivera Raiders did everything but put the ball in the net during the first half of their regional semifinal matchup against San Antonio Lee. Rivera couldn’t turn possession into goals often enough, falling 2-1 on Friday at Blossom Athletic Center.

Rivera’s lone goal of the match came on a curling, beautifully placed shot by senior Isaac Cedillo.

The Raiders had offensive possession, but their dangerous scoring chances were kept to a minimum over the course of the tightly contested match.

“We’ve got to give them credit. We didn’t play our game, but it was because of them,” Rivera coach Salvador Garcia said. “They put a lot of pressure on us. We knew that being a young group, we had a chance of them getting intimidated by the crowd, by the size and the speed of Lee. In the second half, we settled down a little bit more. They put two in, we put in one. It wasn’t enough.”

About seven minutes into the contest, a Rivera long ball looked to be a golden chance at a lead. To the displeasure of Rivera’s team and traveling fans, the play was deemed offside.

Instead, the Raiders conceded a goal to Wilmar Aguilar in the last five minutes of the half.

The Lee Volunteers were an opportunistic group, using every change in possession as a chance to run hard at the Raiders.

Aguilar was wide open when he received a pass from distance. Even after he fumbled the ball and two Rivera defenders converged on him, he kicked home a well-placed shot past keeper Jorge Cordova.

Following the goal, Rivera had a chance to set up its offense on a free kick just outside of the box. Kevin Zarrazagas took the chance straight on goal, but Lee keeper Canyon Sembera handled the shot with ease.

The winning goal came with 32:06 remaining and was created by the speed of Lee’s Aguilar. He was tripped in the box by Jorge Morales, and Lee retook the lead via the foot of Alberto Mendoza.

Rivera had chances at an equalizer in the game’s later stages, but Sembera was composed, even as Alex Mendez diced through a crowd for a shot in the last eight minutes.

Garcia’s words to his team after the game were focused on life and the reality of the game at an elite level.

“I told them the fact that whenever we go on the field, we know that two things are going happen. You’re going to win, or you’re going to lose,’” Garcia said. “We’re blessed that most of the time, we win. But now that it counted the most, we didn’t. Life moves on.”

Lee coach David Rogers said he knew coming into the game that his team would have to counter to be successful. The Volunteers executed that plan.

“They had a great attack, and just looking at them, I knew that their top six or seven were very, very fast,” Rogers said. “We worked trying to handle their pressure all week. They had a phenomenal attack — very dangerous. We felt like we needed to win the ball, possess, and then counterattack.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — Westyn Henderson was a mine of chances for McAllen High, and with 15:35 remaining in her team’s fourth-round game against San Antonio Johnson, she struck gold and sent the Bulldogs to their first regional final since 2007. The 2-1 win on Friday at Blossom Athletic Center puts McAllen High into the Class 6A regional final against Austin Lake Travis at 1 p.m. today.

On the winning goal, Henderson received the ball in open space, entered the penalty box centered to the net and then dribbled toward the right edge. She used multiple cutbacks to shake her defender, then turned and shot the ball past Jaguars goalkeeper Brooke Burgess.

“We wanted to make history, so we’re the second (McHi) team that has been to the elite eight,” Henderson said. “That was our goal. I think that’s what kept us going, and for the seniors, we did it for them. We just can’t wait to keep it going for them.”

The remaining time on the clock produced many tense moments for McHi, which has won three consecutive District 30-6A titles.

Sophomore keeper Lexi Gonzalez continued to play large in net to preserve the lead, including a parry on a shot from Johnson midfielder Ashley Stamps.

“I just did my best to try to keep anything out,” Gonzalez said. “After the first goal, I was like, ‘Nothing else is going in,’ so I tried my hardest to make sure that happened.”

The Bulldogs kept possession for a majority of the last six minutes of the game, holding the ball near the corner flag and thwarting any forward attack from the Jaguars.

From opening kick in the regional semifinal, McAllen High was the aggressor against San Antonio Johnson. Halfway through the first period, the Bulldogs took a lead.

The opening goal came on McHi’s second corner kick in quick succession. Zoe Flores sent the ball directly to the near post. When Johnson defender Brooke Stevens tried to clear the ball out of danger, her attempt had the opposite effect and deflected behind her own keeper.

Though not a conventional way to take the lead, the score did wonders for the team’s morale, Gonzalez said.

“We were just all so happy,” Gonzalez said. “It brought our confidence up a lot. It made us play so much better.”

Despite keeping possession for most of the half, the Bulldogs only scored once in the first 40 minutes. Just minutes into the second frame, Johnson’s Kaelyn Carnahan made the Bulldogs defense pay for one of its rare mistakes. She intercepted a ball in front of the net and leveled the score.

Before Henderson’s winning goal, the Bulldogs were pressing. Ava Alaniz received a stellar through ball from Chloe Fallek, but Burgess saved the one-on-one opportunity.

McHi defenders Rylie Flores and Victoria Sola on the interior and Andrea Soto and Hannah Kelly were given the enormous task of keeping the Johnson attackers from running free.

Bulldogs coach Patrick Arney was complimentary of his back line, though the group needed substitution in the humidity.

“We have Rylie Flores and Victoria Sola, and they just did outstanding,” Arney said. “We had to move Zoe Flores back and Hannah Kelly. We kind of kept Jackie Lemus and Emily (Gurwitz) back to give them a little bit more support, and they did outstanding. This is a great team that Johnson has, and to really shut them out — really one mistake gave them the goal. Other than that, I don’t really know if they had many chances.”

Gonzalez was also grateful for the players in front of her keeping the chances low.

“I’m just so proud of them, just how they kept the girls from getting to me so much,” Gonzalez said. “They know not to let them come to me at all. They did awesome.”

McAllen High will try to reach its first state tournament against Lake Travis, which shut out Brownsville Rivera 5-0 on Friday.

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — The Brownsville Rivera girls soccer team knew it would have to be mistake free to overcome Austin Lake Travis. The Raiders weren’t able to play the clean game they wanted, and their Cinderella run to the regional tournament ended with a 5-0 loss at the hands of the Cavaliers on Friday at Blossom Athletic Center.

“It’s a learning experience for me, for the girls,” second-year Rivera coach Peter Rodriguez said. “It’s the first time I’m here as a coach. For the girls, it’s the first time they’re here, also. The girls fought till the end. That’s all I ask of them.”

Lake Travis, the third-place finisher from District 25-6A, was faster and stronger on the ball but took some time before breaking the ice of the Class 6A regional semifinal. Once the Cavaliers scored the initial goal, the floodgates opened for four first-half goals.

The Rivera girls’ improbable path to the regional tournament as the No. 4 seed from District 32-6A was paved with close wins and upsets. In the first round, the Raiders knocked off 31-6A champions Edinburg North. Then they took down McAllen Memorial and McAllen Rowe from District 30-6A in dramatic one-goal wins.

“The road getting here, it was a difficult one. We had our ups and downs,” Rodriguez said. “We’re the only team in Region IV that is here in the tournament, boys and girls, that has a losing record. That’s something to say. We kind of started peaking toward the end. It was difficult, but toward the end, we started getting a lot better.”

The Raiders were put on their heels early due to the Cavaliers connecting on a majority of their short passes in the first 10 minutes of play.

Lake Travis missed on a few early shot attempts and corner-kick opportunities, then created some dicey moments in front of goalkeeper Daisy Cano at the 11-minute mark of the game.

Eventually, the pressure became production. With 23:26 to play, the Cavs broke through on their third shot on Cano. The goal came on a breakaway chance that Trinity Clark fit between the legs of the keeper.

Jordyn Lewis scored the second goal of the game after some ticktack passing put her in front of an open net.

The third goal came when Lake Travis finally put together its long and short passes for a score. Haley Shaw received a through pass to the sideline, where she took her run wide before finding Lewis.

The fourth goal was a microcosm of the Raiders’ difficult day. Clark’s shot from the box hit the post and rolled in before anyone could clear the ball.

Lake Travis tacked on a fifth and final goal in the second half from distance off the foot of Shaw and past relief keeper Ashley Torres.

Rivera’s girls were making their first appearance at the regional tournament, joining the boys’ squad this season. The Raiders will only graduate a handful of seniors and hope to use the regional qualification to advance the program.

“The girls will have the experience. I’m only losing four players,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully, we can play up next year and be team players. The girls have always had a good program at Rivera. The talent has always been there. It was just a matter of setting things right.”

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — In the 2018 playoffs, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln has enjoyed the clinical success of blowout victories and managed a come-from-behind win complete with a deciding goal in the final six minutes.

On all occasions, a talented freshman, Edson Fonseca, has put his name on the scoresheet to help lift the Huskies into familiar territory.

“He’s a really good striker,” senior Manuel Castrejon said. “He knows how to score the goals. I’m lucky to have him as a teammate, lucky to have on my side.

The defending regional champions return to San Antonio full of swagger, with a streak of high-scoring wins and plenty of confidence. The Huskies are laden with senior talent, entering a matchup against San Antonio Reagan at 7 tonight at the Blossom Athletic Center as a favorite looking to follow up on last year’s trip to the state tournament.

A central midfielder and last year’s All-Area Player of the Year, Castrejon said the team begins the fourth round of the postseason with the same attitude it had last season.

“The only difference is we got to experience this last year,” Castrejon said. “In a way, we know the type of games we’re going to be facing on Friday. We won the regional tournament, and we want to do the same this year, but we want to win it all.”

The Huskies enter Friday on the heels of an 8-2 win over Brownsville Hanna in the regional quarterfinals. Juarez-Lincoln opened the 2018 playoffs with a 7-0 beat down of Del Rio. The Huskies’ second-round game against Edinburg Economedes was the closest game they’ve played in months, but they ultimately slipped by with a 3-2 win.

Fonseca has scored seven goals so far during the Huskies’ playoff run, giving senior Gerardo Reyes the luxury of sharing the workload at the top of Juarez-Lincoln’s formation.

The taller Reyes has the long legs to chase down farther passes. He said the skills of Fonseca are a good complement to his abilities.

“Last year, it was me,” Reyes said. “This year, I have him. That helps me up in front to make the goals. He might not have as much speed, but his technique is amazing. He has so much technique.”

A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Fonseca said fitting into such a good group has been easy, and he is happy to make an immediate impact.

“It’s an honor to be playing with them,” Fonseca said through an interpreter. “I feel comfortable whenever I play with these kind of players, because they are very, very good soccer players.”

Juarez-Lincoln coach Victor Ramos said he has had fun watching his team click. He attributes the scoring boost to veteran know-how.

“You always work to have this kind of offense,” Ramos said. “Whenever you practice offense, you want to see every play to end on the goal. We’ve been very offensive the previous years, but it seems like this year, finally, maybe because of the experience, the kids are more patient when they’re in front of the goalkeeper.”

Ramos, who regularly schedules out-of-area tournaments to start the season, said major differences exist between the Mexican style of play that Valley teams implement and the tactics of teams from larger cities, like San Antonio.

“If you allow them to play, they’ll play,” Ramos said. “They have a lot of set plays. They know how to move the defense and make that space for the midfield coming in. It seems like all those teams work a lot on the books and the moves. And here, the Latino talent is quick, and they have someone there to pass and pass.”

With Juarez-Lincoln making lopsided games habit for most of this season, the defense and defensive midfielder might be overlooked. But the Huskies don’t undervalue the input of 6-foot-3 senior Leo Pruneda.

While watching the group scrimmage early this week, Ramos singled out the lengthy defender, noting his strength both on the ground and with headers in the air.

“He’s one of our machines on the field,” Castrejon said. “Without him, we wouldn’t function the way we do. He’s a good defensive player, and he knows how to make decisions at his position.”

Juarez-Lincoln’s roster has 11 seniors, and Ramos stressed that the powerful team wasn’t created overnight.

“The names don’t mean anything if you’re not playing on the field,” Ramos said. “We started with these kids since they were freshmen. We didn’t only have this year and last year’s team — we built a program. We’ve been working with them year in, year out.”

Reyes said he hopes the team’s play this weekend will be another example of the senior class making the school proud.

“It feels good playing for Juarez,” Reyes said. “For the second time in a row, we’re going to the regional tournament, and we’re hoping to represent Juarez in the best way.”

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Valley’s Best and Mythical Standings for April 12, 2018
Team Standings
Boys – 1, Mission High, 74-00.33; 2, Harlingen 55; 3, McAllen Memorial, 50-00.75; 4, Harlingen South, 45; 5, PSJA High, 43; 6, McAllen High, 39-00.33; 7, Edinburg Economedes, 39; 8, Sharyland Pioneer, 31-00.75; 9, Brownsville Veterans, 31; 10, Weslaco High, 26
Girls – 1, La Joya Palmview, 114; 2, Weslaco High, 84; 3, McAllen High, 82; 4, Los Fresnos, 38; 4, Harlingen High, 38; 6, Edinburg Economedes, 24; 7, McAllen Rowe, 23; 7, Brownsville Hanna, 23; 9, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 18; 9, Edcouch-Elsa,18

Boys
Individual Standings
All Times Fully Automatic
100-meter dash – 1, Jose Garcia, Harlingen High, 10.69; 2, Pedro Luna, Harlingen High, 10.86; 3, Gunnar Henderson, McAllen High, 10.87; 4, Alex Cordova, Mission High, 10.94; 5, Nico Valencia, Los Fresnos, 11,01; 6, Isaac Amrbiz, Los Fresnos, 11.02
200-meter dash – 1, Alex Cordova; Mission High, 21.94; 2, Miguel Flores, PSJA High, 22.24; 3, Crestony Martinez, Harlingen South, 22.34; 4, Gunnar Henderson, McAllen High, 22.64; 4, Diego Perez, Sharyland Pioneer, 22.64; 4, Alex Garza, Weslaco High, 22.64; 4, Alexis Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview, 22.64
400-meter dash – 1, Alex Cordova, Mission High, 49.34; 2, Jose Andrade, PSJA High, 49.64; 3, Andrew Casas, PSJA High, 49.94; 4, Cosme Ibarra, Donna High, 50.19; 5, Elias Gutierrez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 50.28; 6, Max Carmona, Brownsville Veterans, 50.39
800-meter run – 1, Paco Rodriguez, McAllen High, 1:57.57; 2, Art Benavides, Harlingen High, 1:57.65; 3, Reyes Rodriguez, La Feria, 1:57.82; 4, Max Carmona, Brownsville Veterans, 1:57.88; 5, Harley Vargas, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:57.88; 6, Tristan Pena, Edinburg North, 1:57.98
1600-meter run – 1, Cruz Gomez, PSJA Memorial, 4:16.26; 2, Dominic Cavazos, Mercedes, 4:18.71; 3, Trevor Williams, McAllen Memorial, 4:18.99; 4, Evan Williams, McAllen Memorial, 4:22.23; 5, Tristian Peña, Edinburg North, 4:24.81; 6, Everardo Esparza, Progresso, 4:26.19
3200-meter run – 1, Dominic Cavazos, Mercedes, 9:19.61; 2, Tristan Pena, Edinburg North, 9:23.99; 3, Cruz Gomez, PSJA Memorial, 9:24.12; 4, Brandon Gracia, Rio Grande City, 9:34.73; 5, Trevor Williams, McAllen Memorial, 9:38.14; 6, Everardo Esparza, Progreso, 9:38.54
110-meter hurdles – 1, Sean Skaugen, McAllen Memorial, 14.67; 2, Michael Landovazo, Sharyland Pioneer, 14.72; 3, Kyle Marroquin, Edinburg Economedes, 14.74; 4, Jonathan Larson, McAllen Memorial, 15.13; 5, Nitia Duran, Harlingen South, 15.14; 6, Roel Renterria, Harlingen High, 15.33
300-meter hurdles – 1, Roel Renterria, Harlingen High, 38.37; 2, Gunnar Henderson, McAllen High, 38.62; 3, Alex Ayala, Santa Rosa, 39.73; 4, Sean Skaugen, McAllen Memorial, 39.75; 5, Michael Landovazo, Sharyland Pioneer, 39.84; 6, Samuel Mata, Valley View, 40.32
400-meter relay – 1, McAllen Memorial, 43.05; 2, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 43.16; 3, Harlingen High, 43.18; 4, Roma, 43.34; 5, Weslaco East, 43.42; 6, Brownsville Rivera, 43.41
800-meter relay – 1, Mission High, 1:29.94; 2, PSJA High, 1:30.14; 3, Brownsville Rivera, 1:30.28; 4, Weslaco High, 1:30.32; 5, La Joya High, 1:30.44; 6, Edinburg Economedes, 1:30.95
1600-meter relay – 1, Mission High, 3:24.13; 2, Sharyland Pioneer, 3:24.84; 3, McAllen High, 3;24.99; 4, La Joya High, 3:25.04; 5, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:25.18; 6, PSJA North, 3:25.44
Field Events
Shot put – 1, Diego Trevino, PSJA Southwest, 59-03.5; 2, Andrew Ott, Harlingen South, 58-05.5; 3, Alex Rodriguez, La Joya High, 57-05.25; 4, Johnny Howell, Sharyland Pioneer, 56-08; 5, Chase Harrell, Harlingen South, 56-08; 6, Raul Cantu, McAllen High, 53-08
Discus – 1, Sky Tatum, Harlingen South, 184-05; 2, Andres Bodden, Brownsville Veterans, 170-04; 3, Benjamin Ruiz, Harlingen South, 166-11; 4, Kobe Gibson, PSJA High, 164-11; 5, Johnny Howell, Sharyland Pioneer, 164-08; 6, Pablo Zolezzi, Brownsville St. Joseph, 161-04
Long jump – 1, Gustavo Vasquez, Edinburg Economedes, 22-01; 2, Sebastian Gonzalez, Mission High, 22-03; 3, Julian Trevino, La Feria, 22-00.75; 4, Kai Money, Brownsville St. Joseph, 22-00; 5, Ricky Cantu, PSJA Southwest, 21-11.5; 6, Pete Segura, Edinburg Economedes, 21-10
Triple jump – 1, Gustavo Vasquez, Edinburg Economedes, 46-08; 2, Blake Klein, Sharyland High, 44-06.5; 3, Abelardo Lopez, Rio Grande City, 44-00.5; 4, Leo Cantu, Mission Veterans, 43-05; 5, Jose Zarate, Brownsville Veterans, 43-04.4; 6, Marco Guajardo, PSJA High, 43-03.25
High jump – 1, Pete Segura, Edinburg Economedes, 6-05; 2, Adrian Morales, Harlingen South, 6-04; 2, Daniel Ramirez, Harlingen High, 6-04; 2, Caleb Arthur, Mercedes, 6-04; 5, Jonathan Larson, McAllen Memorial, 6-02; 5, Carlos Mercardo, Los Fresnos, 6-02; 5, Parker Barrett, Sharyland Pioneer, 6-02; 5, Noah Treviño, Edinburg Vela, 6-02
Pole Vault – 1, Jon Zapata, Weslaco High, 15-07; 2, Ryland Olguin, Edinburg Vela, 15-03; 3, Marcus Ramirez, Harlingen South, 15-00; 4, Josiah Martinez, McAllen High, 14-06; 5, Nathan Salinas, PSJA North, 13-06; 6, Miguel Frias, Mission High, 14-06 6, Carlos Guerrero, Edcouch-Elsa, 14-06

Girls
Individual Standings
All Times Fully Automatic
100-meter dash – 1, Mariana Hernandez, La Joya Palmview, 12.24; 2, Luisa Cruz, Los Fresnos, 12.26; 3, Jazmine Martinez, Harlingen High, 12.29; 4, Jacqueline Mora, Brownsville Hanna, 12.52; 5, Daniela Muniz, Rio Grande City, 12.73; 6, Jasmine Flores, Mercedes, 12.74
200-meter dash – 1, Mariana Hernandez, La Joya Palmview, 25.49; 2, Luisa Cruz, Los Fresnos, 25.55; 3, Merary Garza, Grulla, 25.74; 4, Sophia Ramirez, Edinburg Vela, 25.84; 5, Mallory Grannum, Harlingen South, 26.19; 6, Alyssa Gauna, Mission High, 26.24
400-meter dash – 1, Aniel Aguero, Brownsville Hanna, 58.59; 2, Valery Tobias, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 58.61; 3, Yazmine Martinez, Harlingen High, 58.57; 4, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 59.25; 5, Anna Martinez, McAllen High, 59.84; 6, Auden Pineda, Brownsville Hanna, 59.88
800-meter run — 1, Bailey Villalon, La Joya Palmview, 2:18.84; 2, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 2:18.87; 3, Vanessa Cerda, Edcouch-Elsa, 2:21.09; 4, Valery Tobias, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 2:21.23; 5, Aaliyah Garza, Weslaco High, 2:21.32; 6, Soledad Cruz, Mercedes, 2:21.40
1600-meter run — 1, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 5:03.69; 2, Bailey Villalon, La Joya Palmview, 5:18.44; 3, Valeria Diaz, Sharyland High, 5:23.04; 4, Andrea De La Rosa, Brownsville Rivera, 5:25.91; 5, Robbie Sue Espericueta, La Villa, 5:26.39; 6, Dariana Vasquez, La Feria, 5:26.44
3200-meter run — 1, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 11:10.94; 2, Valeria Diaz, Sharyland High, 11:22.10; 3, Alanah Moreno, McAllen High, 11:42.96; 4, Dariana Vasquez, La Feria, 11:43.14; 5, Ana Hernandez, Sharyland Pioneer, 11:43.63; 6, Andrea De La Rosa, Brownsville Rivera, 11:44.56
100-meter hurdles — 1, Brianna Alex, Los Fresnos, 15.20; 2, Aniah Chaleff-Reyna, McAllen High, 15.21; 3, Kathia Nitsch, McAllen Memorial, 15.73; 4, Ana Calderon, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15.74; 5, Idani Garza, Rio Grande City, 16.00; 6, Zoe Flores, McAllen High, 16.04; 6, Gabriella Solis, Edinburg Vela, 16.04
300-meter hurdles — 1, Jasmyn Tulloch, Harlingen High, 46.51; 2, Aniah Chaleff-Reyna, McAllen High, 46.90; 3, Lisamarie Sanchez, Weslaco High, 47.63; 4, Zoe Flores, McAllen High, 47.65; 5, Brianna Alex, Los Fresnos, 47.78; 6, Caleigh Hausenfluck, Sharyland High, 48.04
400-meter relay — 1, La Joya Palmview, 49.43; 2, McAllen High, 49.52; 3, Weslaco High, 50.16; 4, San Benito, 50.34; 5, Brownsville Hanna, 50.45; 6, Mercedes, 50.61
800-meter relay — 1, Weslaco High, 1:44.28; 2, La Joya Palmview, 1:44.75; 3, McAllen High, 1:46.51; 4, Los Fresnos, 1:47.34; 5, Brownsville Hanna, 1:47.95; 6, McAllen Rowe, 1:48.34
1600-meter relay — 1, Weslaco High, 4:00.99; 2, Harlingen High, 4:05.42; 3, La Joya Palmview, 4:05.44; 4, McAllen Memorial, 4:06.52; 5, McAllen High, 4:07.89; 6, Mission Veterans, 4:08.24
Field Events
Shot put — 1, Brittany Cantu, Edinburg Economedes, 38-04; 2, Charlee Salinas, Mission Veterans, 37-01; 3, Jacqueline Mendoza, McAllen Rowe, 36-02.5; 4, Iesha Garcia, Rio Grande City, 36-09; 5, Mackenzie Contreras, Edcouch-Elsa, 36-08.5; 6, Abigail Flores, Grulla, 36-08
Discus — 1, Abigal Flores, Grulla, 148-03; 2, Brittany Cantu, Edinburg Economedes, 137-05; 3, Ciera Gonzalez, Weslaco High, 137-03; 4, Lorena Rios, McAllen Rowe, 130-11; 5, Diana Bustos, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 130-04; 6, Daizy Monie, Sharyland Pioneer, 128-00
Long Jump — 1, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 18-05.25; 2, Melody Magee, McAllen High, 17-06; 3, Jazmine Flores, Mercedes, 17-05.25; 4, Bryssa Guzman, Weslaco East, 17-05; 5, Nichole Mora, Los Fresnos, 17-05; 6, Jacklyn Alanis, McAllen Rowe, 17-02
Triple Jump — 1, Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 37-01.5; 2, Caroline Grannum, Harlingen South, 37-00.75; 3, Monique Rodriguez, Edinburg Economedes, 36-06; 4, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 36-01; 5, Daniella Muniz, Rio Grande City, 35-11.25; 6, Bryssa Guzman, Weslaco East, 35-09.75
High Jump — 1, Hannah Kelly, McAllen High, 5-06; 2, Valery Tobias, Edinburg IDEA Quest, 5-04; 2, Natalie Martinez, Edinburg High, 5-04; 2, Charlize De La Garza, 5-04; 5, Six tied at 5-02
Pole Vault — 1, Bianca Cardenas, Edcouch-Elsa, 12-06.75, 2, Victoria Barrios, PSJA Memorial, 10-06; 3, Michelle Aranda, PSJA High, 10-06; 4, Sarah Solis, McAllen High, 10-00; 5, Camryn Gloor, Brownsville St. Joseph, 10-00; 6, Olivia Tite, McAllen High, 9-07

NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen High hadn’t been in a tight game since Feb. 6, when the Bulldogs played McAllen Memorial just two games into the district schedule.

That evening, the Bulldogs took over the game against their crosstown rivals during the second half. McHi played 12 more games before another result was uncertain past halftime.

In Friday’s regional quarterfinal match against Harlingen South, McHi needed a player to step up and break a tie to keep the season from being decided in overtime. Freshman Chloe Fallek was the savior who came off the bench and scored with 21 minutes remaining to lift the Bulldogs into the fourth round with a 2-1 win.

McHi’s Hannah Kelly said the tight match could have been a blessing in disguise.

“It felt a little different, but I thought it was very important that we actually went through the struggle, because it’s going to get us prepared for this next game,” Kelly said. “Now, we won’t enter the game against Johnson in shock, the way we were against (Austin) Vandegrift. We’re actually really prepared, and we’re really excited for it, too.”

“To be unpredictable is a very strong aspect of a team,” McHi’s Zoe Flores said. “Because other teams study other teams. If we are unpredictable, and we move around, and we move around our players, we become unpredictable, and they don’t know what to expect.”

In February, Sophia Soto and Ava Alaniz scored the third and fourth goals of the game, respectively, to push past the Mustangs 4-1. That duo has carried a healthy amount of the offensive workload this year but hasn’t been asked to do it alone.

Most of the Bulldogs players have found the net this season. In three postseason matches, nine different players have scored, giving McHi the balanced attack the team has strived for.

Having a wealth of scoring options is a welcome improvement following a season in which the lion’s share of the goals came from then-senior Anna Hover.

“It’s nice. They can’t key in on one spot. They have to respect a number of different things,” veteran Bulldogs coach Pat Arney said. “If they try to stop one thing, we go to plan B. If they try to stop A and B, we go to C and D.”

Ava Alaniz, a sophomore midfielder who played on last season’s team, said secondary offensive players always had the ability to score goals. Necessity has allowed those goals to come every night this season.

“Now, it’s really spread out,” Alaniz said. “Even for other teams, they knew we can be going to Zoe, Westyn (Henderson), Sophia, Chloe, whoever. So it makes us a lot more unpredictable.”

Alaniz, who has three playoff goals, stresses that the key to success is jumping on the opposition early.

“For the most part, we play well under high-pressure situations, as long as we get into our groove early and we combine with each other,” Alaniz said. “We’re really good once we start to get going. The more we’re passing with each other, we have people making runs. We start to pick up steam, and we become really good.”

Against Harlingen High in the area round, McAllen found the back of the net on a set piece. Flores sent a free kick into the box, where Jackie Lemus was waiting to send the ball home with a side volley.

Goals after a whistle have been key for the team all season. Henderson has been a consistent provider of chances, and even some of her direct shots have found twine.

Alaniz said that the free-kick potential has always existed, but experience has helped the players over the ball make more dangerous service and produce more goals.

“I think we’ve been good at in the past, but I think Zoe, Westyn and Jackie, who are our three main people who take the corner and free kicks, have really gotten down the weight of the ball,” Alaniz said. “As well as when to kick it high, when to kick it low, when to drive it.”

Arney was happy to be in a tightly contested match again, even though he wasn’t expecting to be in a nail-biter just yet. Now, his team faces San Antonio Johnson at 3 p.m. Friday in an attempt to become just the fourth Valley girls team to reach the regional finals.

“It’s always nice to test yourself and see what you can do, though that was much closer than we wanted,” Arney said. “It was a good test. All these games are going to be close. There’s no more 7-0 wins or anything like that. We’re just hoping for a win, whether that be a PK or overtime or whatever.”

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