NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR

PHARR — Edinburg North and PSJA High were locked in the rare combination of a high-scoring game and a close result. The Cougars rode the ebb and flow of the match to a 5-3 victory on Tuesday night at PSJA Stadium.
The up-and-down could have been a microcosm of Edinburg North’s season. The Cougars struggled early to build on the success of a five-round playoff run in 2017 but came on strong in the latter half of the district season.
While Edinburg North had already qualified for the playoffs, Tuesday’s win solidified third-place seeding and a matchup against District 32-6A No. 2 seed Brownsville Hanna.
“We started a little weak, losing the first six games,” Cougars coach Elias Moran said. “After that, we won the next seven (and) tied one against Economedes. Like they say, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. All I want to say is we’re ready.”
Moran didn’t start the season behind the bench but resumed coaching responsibilities mere days before the district season. His return wasn’t immediately positive with the aforementioned six-game losing streak to start district play, but Edinburg North rebounded to finish 7-7 with 26 points. Four of North’s losses came in penalty kicks, yielding one point each in the standings.
“The kids were carrying an unreal pressure,” Moran said. “In their heads, they thought they were pressured to repeat to be the powerful team they were last year. I put a lot of emphasis on the mental aspect of the game. You have to be humble, or else the game is going to humble you.”
One of the Cougars’ most consistent players through good times and struggle was four-year letterman Carlos Rodriguez, who said the group didn’t change everything after the slow start.
“The team never gave up, since the beginning of the season,” Rodriguez said through an interpreter. “We always played the same system, same style with the same motivation. We just lacked the definition or finishing at the end of the game, but we always kept the same system, and things improved.”
Edinburg North’s Edgar Aguilar scored the game’s first goal, and Rodriguez scored the fourth to tie the score at 2 just before halftime.
The goals were bookends to PSJA High (3-11, 9 pts) goals from Alan Alvarado and Angel Medina. Alvarado sent the ball off the inside of the post, and North’s attempt at a clearance ended up in the net. Medina scored with 9:36 to play on a leading pass from Alvarado.
“The game always finishes at the last whistle of the referee,” Rodriguez said. “Our mentality is, if they score one goal, we have to score two. That always keeps us motivated.”
The start of the second half looked similar to the first, as both teams had similar time on the ball but Edinburg North’s position and touches were more dangerous.
Rodriguez got back on the score sheet with the first goal of the second half. Cougars midfielder Jared Garcia sent a corner that bounced from team to team but eventually found Rodriguez in a soft spot to the left of the net.
Garcia was noticeable in the first half on free kicks, corner kicks and rushes downfield. With PSJA leading 2-1, he sacrificed his body after a Bears corner kick, getting in the path of a powerful shot from Alvarado.
“We have to be everywhere trying to help the team,” Garcia said. “That’s how we are. We are a team altogether.”
The Bears continued to be resilient on the field, even with their season ending regardless of the outcome. PSJA tied the game when Adolfo Morales hit home a centering feed from Alvarado.
Edinburg North took the lead for good after Adolfo Rodriguez’s shot produced a rebound from PSJA keeper Jose Quiroz. The rebound turned into a goal when Victor Serna’s thigh guided the ball in for a 4-3 advantage.
“Everything’s in the process,” Garcia said. “We had faith. We stayed with our mindset — what we had to do. We stayed trying to accomplish that process.”
The insurance goal came from Juan Gonzalez, who headed in the Cougars’ fifth of the evening after a flurry of chances with less than seven minutes to play.
“We never doubted in our system. We trusted in our coaches and the ability they have to train us,” Rodriguez said. “We always believed until the end, and thank God we achieved this.”
Rodriguez and Edinburg North have their confidence back strong for the postseason and feel they can match up with any team moving forward.
“Not all the teams play the same, but we trust in our team, and we think we have a pretty good offense, and we can play on the same level as anybody,” Rodriguez said.
[email protected]

NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR

PHARR — Even in early March, a month before the district meet, PSJA Southwest’s Diego Treviño stresses over every hurl of the shot put. He immediately walks over to his coach, Eloy Garza, to dissect each step of his spin and his body position at the point when he releases the 12-pound sphere.

“You have to treat each throw like it’s the last throw at the state meet,” Treviño said after taking first in the PSJA Tri-City Meet last week. “You want to make sure you improve every throw. That’s what I try to do every throw — get better.”

Trevino’s final throw at the PSJA ISD Tri-City Meet was marked at 57 feet, 1 inch — the second throw in the 57-foot range of his season and career.

Treviño and Garza shared a brief celebration after the toss, because they knew the junior had pulled off a throw that was mechanically sound.

The onlooking PSJA throwing community knew the attempt was the distance Treviño had been looking for and instantly reacted with awe and applause.

“For Diego, at certain meets, maybe getting first place isn’t as difficult. But if he trains to always focus on a PR (personal record), then he always has something to strive for, no matter the competition,” Garza said. “He’s a tremendous young man — hardworking, good strong values.”

Treviño was quickly sold on the power of hard work after making substantial improvements during his first season in 2016. His first two meets were modest: sixth place with a throw of 40-05 at the PSJA North Relays and eighth at the Southwest Hogs Relays.

Garza, a 2003 PSJA North graduate and collegiate thrower at Morningside University in Iowa, gives Treviño the same weekly challenges as every thrower on the team. First, put the body at maximum efficiency and torque, and always try to throw further every meet.

“It’s important to try to teach my athletes you’re never done learning. You’re never done trying to improve,” Garza said. “To them, their only objective at every meet, every competition, is to PR. Yeah, he got first place, but as you can see, he wasn’t very happy about it. That’s the mentality.”

Now in the thick of his third season, Treviño has put his coach’s never-satisfied approach into action. He already set a new personal record in 2018 when he hit 57-9 at the Mission Invitational Feb. 23.

“Early my freshman year, I was surprised I made varsity,” Treviño said. “After a while, I started working harder and practicing more. I started hitting higher marks. I hit 49 (feet) my district meet, then 52 at regionals. That’s when I knew I had a lot more in me.”
Treviño advanced out of the Region IV-5A meet as a freshman with a throw of 52-05. The rest of the top four finishers were seniors.

At the 5A UIL state meet, Treviño placed ninth with a throw of 50-09. That season sparked Trevino’s dedication, and he became fully invested in the sport. Through his training with Garza, as well as pointers from local coaches and even opposing programs, his throws have continued to climb through the 50s.

“At the end of the day, throwers in general are a community,” Garza said. “There’s no ego involved. That’s what it’s all about — sharing our knowledge and continuing to grow the opportunities our athletes down here have.”

Last year, Treviño made throws of 53-8.8 and 55-10.5 at the PSJA North Winter Relays and La Joya ‘Betito’ Memorial Relays in February. He reached the 55-foot plateau two other times as a sophomore.

In the 2016 Meet of Champions final, he used a 55-09 to earn gold, and in the Region IV-6A meet he recorded a throw of 55-01 — a foot behind the state cutoff set by seasoned veterans.

Prior to the school year, Treviño added more big meet experience to his repertoire when he advanced to the USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in Lawrence, Kansas, in the 15-16 age division. He won first in the South Texas and Region portions of the competition but scratched without recording a throw in the final stage.
Despite the disappointment, the additional meaningful meets past the UIL campaign only helped Treviño, who seems to be sharpened when faced with a setback.

Marking a throw at 60 feet would equate to a fifth-place finish in the 2017 6A state final. That’s where Trevino has set his sights.

“(USATF) helped me out a lot,” Treviño said. “Even last year, even in this meet, I’d be nervous throwing. I just need to work harder on my technique. Sixty is going to come in soon.”

[email protected]

VALLEY HS BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Monday, March 12
District 31-6A
Edinburg Economedes 6, Edinburg Vela 0

PSJA North 3, Edinburg High 2, PKs

PSJA Southwest 5, PSJA Memorial 2
District 32-6A
Brownsville Hanna 5, Weslaco East 3, OT
Los Fresnos 3, Weslaco High 2, PKs

Harlingen South 4, Brownsville Rivera 0

Harlingen High 2, San Benito 1

District 32-5A
Brownsville Veterans 2, Donna North 1

Brownsville Pace 4, Donna High 2
Brownsville Porter 2, Mercedes 0
District 31-5A

Sharyland High 5, Mission Veterans 2

District 31-4A
Progreso 3, Monte Alto 0
Hidalgo 8, Edinburg IDEA Quest 0

VALLEY HS GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE
Monday’s Games
District 31-6A
Edinburg Vela 1, Edinburg Economedes 0

PSJA Memorial 5, PSJA Southwest 0

District 32-6A
Los Fresnos 4, Weslaco High 0

Harlingen South 4, Brownsville Rivera 0
Brownsville Hanna 4, Weslaco East 2
Harlingen High 4, San Benito 1
District 31-5A
Sharyland High 4, Mission Veterans 1

Roma 7, Laredo Cigarroa 1

District 32-5A
Donna North 4, Brownsville Veterans 2
Brownsville Porter 6, Mercedes,1
Brownsville Pace 3, Donna High 0

Edcouch-Elsa 3, Brownsville Lopez 1

VALLEY HS GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

La Joya Palmview 1, Mission High 0

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 4, La Joya High 1

McAllen High 3, McAllen Rowe 0

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela 5, PSJA High 0

Edinburg North 1, PSJA Memorial 0

PSJA North 4, Edinburg Economedes 3, PKs

Edinburg High 4, PSJA Southwest 0

District 32-6A

San Benito 2, Weslaco High 1

Los Fresnos 4, Brownsville Rivera 2

Harlingen High 4, Brownsville Hanna 0

Harlingen South 9, Weslaco East 1

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 3, Laredo Nixon 0

Sharyland Pioneer 5, Valley View 1

Mission Veterans at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna North 5, Donna High 2

Brownsville Pace 2, Edcouch-Elsa 1

Brownsville Porter 2, Brownsville Veterans 1

Brownsville Lopez 5, Mercedes 0

VALLEY HS GIRLS SOCCER BOX SCORES
District 31-5A
SHARYLAND PIONEER 5, VALLEY VIEW 1
Sharyland Pioneer 4 1 — 5

Valley View 1 0 — 1
SHARYLAND PIONEER (5): Lauren Guerra, Andrea Reyes, Kate Padilla 3,

SHARYLAND HIGH 3, LAREDO NIXON 0
Sharyland – – — 3
Laredo Nixon 0 0 — 0
SHARYLAND HIGH (3): Xochitl Nguma 2, Kaitie Watson 1
RECORDS: Sharyland High 13-1 (16 points)

District 30-6A
McALLEN HIGH 3, McALLEN ROWE 0
McAllen Rowe 0 3 — 3
McALLEN High 0 0 — 0
McALLEN HIGH (3): Westyn Henderson, Paola Alvarez, Serena Cervantes

RECORDS: McAllen High 10-0; McAllen High 7-3

District 31-6A
PSJA NORTH 4, EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 3, PKs
PSJA Southwest 1 1 — 1
PSJA North 0 2 — 2
PSJA NORTH (4): Gisela Flores, Josefina Aguilar 2

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (3): Olga Ramirez 2, Arandi Platas
RECORDS: PSJA North 2-11; Edinburg Economedes 3-10

VALLEY HS BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 4, La Joya High 1

Mission High 2, La Joya Palmview 0

McAllen Rowe 3, McAllen High 1

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela 4, PSJA High 3, PKs

Edinburg North 3, PSJA Memorial 1

Edinburg Economedes 3, PSJA North 2

PSJA Southwest 4, Edinburg High 2

District 32-6A

Brownsville Rivera 1, Los Fresnos 0, OT

Harlingen South 4, Weslaco East 2

Brownsville Hanna 8, Harlingen High 0

San Benito 1, Weslaco High 0, OT

District 31-5A

Valley View 4, Sharyland Pioneer 0

Sharyland High 3, Laredo Nixon 1

Mission Veterans 5, Rio Grande City 1

Laredo Cigarroa 2, Laredo Martin 1, PKs

District 32-5A

Donna North 1, Donna High 0

Brownsville Lopez 4, Mercedes 1

Brownsville Veterans 3, Brownsville Porter 1

Brownsville Pace 1, Edcouch-Elsa 0, PKs

District 32-4A

Progreso 3, Grulla 0

Hidalgo 2, Zapata 1

Monte Alto 2, Edinburg IDEA Quest 1

Friday’s Games
District 30-6A
MISSION 2, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 0

Mission High 0 2 — 2
La Joya Palvmiew 0 0 — 0
MISSION HIGH (2): Allen Palafox, Brandon Ponce

RECORDS: MISSION 7-4; LA JOYA PALMVIEW 4-6

District 30-6A
VALLEY VIEW 4, SHARYLAND PIONEER 0

Valley View 2 2 — 4
Sharyland Pioneer 0 0 — 0

VALLEY VIEW (4): Christopher Flores, Mario De Los Santos 1, Victor Urena 1
RECORDS: Valley View 14-0; Sharyland Pioneer 10-4

NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR

EDINBURG — Edinburg North hasn’t taken its foot off the gas all season and didn’t slow up on Friday night, cruising to a 1-0 win over PSJA Memorial to clinch the District 31-6A championship.

With 57 seconds left in the first half, Elvira Torres lined up for a free kick that should have been no issue. However, PSJA Memorial’s Kristi Gomez had trouble handling the ball, and about three Cougars helped the ball cross the goal line.

That was all the Cougars (12-1) needed as they tightened their grip on the game, dominating possession in the second half.

“It’s tough, because sometimes you just have a bad game, and you really can’t do much about it. You just have to fix it yourself,” Torres said. “I guess it’s just the fact that we play here at home with more pride and all the energy we have and leave it all on the field.”

Torres took a warning shot 21 minutes into the game, marking the first clear-cut opportunity for either team, but the ball from the edge of the box was no issue for Gomez.

PSJA Memorial (9-4) didn’t shy away from the challenge all night and had some of the better play early.

With 13 minutes left in the first half, Memorial’s Danna Barragán sent a perfectly placed free kick into the 6-yard box, but Yozary Gonzalez was only able to get a thigh on the ball, and the chance went by the wayside.

Barragán wasn’t done sending free kicks full of potential into the area. With under seven remaining in the half, another ball went through without solid contact.

North coach Danny Valdez said the adjustment of removing his stopper and adding a defensive midfielder helped, and his team put his halftime speech into action.

“We told them at halftime, (Memorial) won most of the balls in the first half,” Valdez said. “We asked them, ‘You guys want to finish it off today? You’re going to have to control the ball and the media — the second half. We’re going to have to dominate.’ And I think we did dominate the second half.”

Torres continued to be strong on the ball, and Janelle Saenz almost made it 2-0 a minute after the break.

“A fact that helped us is they had some players that were out, so that was one advantage for us,” Torres said. “Also the fact that we would man one of their best players, which was No. 7 (Gonzalez). Communication with the team — that’s all we need.”

Memorial’s Gonzalez made strong passes, but nothing that amounted to a serious chance. She appeared to suffer an injury early in the second half but continued to play. With four and a half minutes to play, she made a long individual run, but her flick toward the goal was no trouble for Gabriela Cano in net.

Valdez says the junior Torres had to adjust her game this season to be more of distributor.

“I’m the playmaker, but I can’t do it without my players, because they’re the ones that give me the options to make the runs,” Torres said. “They’re the ones that give me the options to make my plays. It’s basically them who give me the idea of what to do. I can’t do it without them.”

Senior Vanessa Cuevas praised her team’s No. 10, Torres, who also wears the captain’s armband.

“She’s a great a leader since her freshman year,” Cuevas said. “She’s a great player, too. It’s just incredible the way she plays.”

Valdez’s roster is composed heavily of juniors, plus plenty of sophomores and freshman. Cuevas is one of only two seniors and was happy to get the job done on friendly grass.

“It feels great, because it’s been three years we haven’t gotten district champs,” Cuevas said. “The team is full of freshmen who helped us a lot. It’s incredible, the feeling.”

Edinburg North will look to avenge its only loss of the season and gain momentum for the postseason when it plays PSJA High next week.

“The fourth-place team in the Brownsville District (32-6A) is like playing a first-place team over here,” Valdez said. “They’re all able to play good soccer over there. It’s important to finish strong in the end, because it carries to playoffs.”

[email protected]

Edinburg North poses after securing the District 31-6A Championship Nathaniel Mata Edinburg North poses after securing the District 31-6A Championship Nathaniel Mata

RGVSports.com TOP 10 Girls Soccer Teams and District Standings 3.9.18

Rank, Team, Record, (Previous Rank)

1. McAllen High 9-0 (1)

2. McAllen Memorial 8-2 (2)

3. Brownsville Pace 11-0 (4)

4. Sharyland High 12-1 (5)

5. Harlingen High 9-3 (10)

6. Edinburg North 11-1 (7)

7. Los Fresnos 10-2 (2)

8. Edinburg Vela 9-3 (NR)

9. Sharyland Pioneer 11-2 (6)

10. Brownsville Rivera 9-3 (NR)

(through March 6 games)

x-denotes playoff qualifier

District 30-6A

W L Pts

x-McAllen High 9 0 27

x-McAllen Memorial 8 2 23

x-McAllen Rowe 7 2 21

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 5 5 15

La Joya High 3 6 10

Mission High 1 9 3

La Joya Palmview 0 9 0

District 31-6A

W L Pts

x-Edinburg North 11 1 32

x-Edinburg Vela 9 3 28

x-PSJA Memorial 9 3 25

x-PSJA High 8 4 23

PSJA Southwest 4 8 12

Edinburg High 3 9 11

Edinburg Economedes 3 9 8

PSJA North 1 11 5

District 32-6A

W L Pts

x-Los Fresnos 10 2 29

x-Harlingen High 9 3 27

x-Harlingen South 8 4 27

x-Brownsville Rivera 9 3 25

San Benito 5 7 14

Brownsville Hanna 4 8 14

Weslaco High 2 10 5

Weslaco East 1 11 3

District 31-5A

W L Pts

x-Sharyland High 12 1 36

x-Sharyland Pioneer 11 2 33

Roma 9 4 27

Laredo Martin 8 4 22

Laredo Nixon 6 6 17

Mission Veterans 5 8 14

Valley View 4 9 12

Laredo Cigarroa 2 12 7

Rio Grande City 1 12 4

District 32-5A

W L Pts

x-Brownsville Pace 11 0 33

Donna North 8 3 24

Brownsville Veterans 7 4 21

Brownsville Porter 6 5 17

Edcouch-Elsa 5 6 16

Brownsville Lopez 5 6 15

Donna High 2 9 6

Mercedes 0 11 0

RGVSports.com TOP 10 Boys Soccer Teams and District Standings 3.9.18

Rank, Team, Record, (Previous Rank)

1. Valley View 13-0 (1)

2. Juarez-Lincoln 9-1 (2)

3. Brownsville Lopez 10-1 (8)

4. Sharyland High 10-3 (6)

5. Brownsville Veterans 10-1 (3)

6. Edinburg Economedes 10-2 (NR)

7. Brownsville Hanna 10-2 (5)

8. Brownsville Rivera 11-1 (7)

9. Mission High 7-3 (10)

10. PSJA Southwest 10-2 (4)

Boys

(through March 6 games)

x-denotes playoff qualifier

District 30-6A

W L Pts

x-La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 9 1 27

x-Mission High 7 3 22

La Joya High 5 4 15

McAllen Memorial 5 5 14

La Joya Palmview 4 5 11

McAllen Rowe 3 6 9

McAllen High 1 8 3

District 31-6A

W L Pts

x-PSJA Southwest 10 2 29

x-Edinburg Economedes 10 2 27

Edinburg High 7 5 21

Edinburg North 5 7 20

PSJA Memorial 6 6 18

PSJA North 6 6 17

PSJA High 3 9 8

Edinburg Vela 1 11 3

District 32-6A

W L Pts

x-Brownsville Rivera 11 1 32

x-Brownsville Hanna 10 2 30

x-Los Fresnos 9 3 27

Harlingen High 4 8 13

San Benito 4 8 12

Harlingen South 4 8 12

Weslaco East 3 9 9

Weslaco High 3 9 9

District 31-5A

W L Pts

x-Valley View 13 0 38

x-Sharyland High 10 3 31

Sharyland Pioneer 9 4 26

Laredo Martin 7 6 22

Mission Veterans 6 7 18

Roma 6 8 18

Laredo Cigarroa 4 10 12

Laredo Nixon 3 9 9

Rio Grande City 0 13 0

District 32-5A

W L Pts

x-Brownsville Lopez 10 1 30

x-Brownsville Veterans 10 1 29

x-Brownsville Porter 8 3 24

Donna North 6 5 17

Donna High 4 7 12

Brownsville Pace 3 8 11

Mercedes 3 8 8

Edcouch-Elsa 0 11 1

NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR

The Edinburg Vela SaberCats lost their district opener 3-2 in penalties to Edinburg North on Jan. 26, then three games later fell 2-1 against then-second place PSJA Memorial.
Since that Feb. 6 defeat, the SaberCats are on the uptick, winning five of their last six games, including a 2-0 shutout of PSJA Memorial earlier this week.

“Their passes are getting better and pressuring a little more on the field. It looks like they want it more,” Vela coach Americo Cortez said. “They wanted to catch (PSJA) Memorial for that second spot. Of course, the main goal was district, and we’re a little far from that, but they’re coming together.”

With their head-to-head win against the Wolverines, the SaberCats have moved into a second-place tie at 25 points. Vela faces last-place PSJA North and second-to-last Edinburg Economedes to close out their regular season. PSJA Memorial, on the other hand, will visit first place Edinburg North tonight before closing the district season with PSJA Southwest.

Last year, Vela was eliminated in the bi-district round by Harlingen South. This year, Harlingen High and Harlingen South are jockeying for position behind 32-6A frontrunner Los Fresnos.

“We told them from the beginning: it’s not the way you start, it’s the way you end,” Cortez said. “Right now, the girls are focusing on the playoffs. They know that every game in the playoffs is going to be really hard. It’s been a struggle being in third place through district. Now, we caught up. The team is getting more confident.”

Cortez has been pleased with the quality of the SaberCats’ goals lately, especially with the ability to make extra passes and execute a better team-oriented style.

Freshman Taylor Campbell and senior Ayssa Arevalo have been cashing in on the better play. Campbell leads the team with 14 district goals, but Arevalo is not far behind with 10.
Cortez says the two goal scorers are being selfless, and that’s gone a long way.

“They give the ball to each other,” Cortez said. “A lot of the goals have been by the other one assisting. They know that working together is first for the team, and then for them.”

[email protected]