By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

There are some worthy recipients from the Rio Grande Valley of all-state and all-region recognition by the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches for the 2020 season.

Still, there probably could have been more Valley players honored.

In order for a player to be honored by TASCO, his or her coach must be in good standing as far as paying membership dues to the organization. Not all soccer coaches from the Valley and elsewhere around the state are TASCO members. In fact, many aren’t.

Because of TASCO’s criteria, sometimes the state’s best players aren’t eligible to be considered for postseason honors by the organization.

Regardless, the Valley, particularly boys from Brownsville, fared well in the 2020 TASCO awards.

District 32-5A champion Brownsville Veterans Memorial had four players honored, and 32-5A runner-up Brownsville Porter had three.

Receiving second-team all-state recognition from Brownsville Veterans for Region IV Class 5A were senior defender Jose Capistran, junior midfielder Cesar Cepeda and senior forward Mark Boswell. Also for the Chargers, senior midfielder Albert Maradiaga was an honorable mention on the all-region team.

Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez said he is fairly pleased with the individual TASCO awards, and added TASCO’s latest Region IV-5A boys rankings also are a source of pride for his team.

In the last rankings of the season by TASCO in mid-April for Region IV-5A boys, Brownsville Veterans was first, Porter second and Valley View third. Brownsville Lopez, also from 32-5A, was seventh. Sharyland High of District 31-5A was ninth.

“Our team was ranked No. 1 in the region, and that’s the best recognition that we could receive,” Vasquez said.

“I would have loved it if some of our players had made first-team all-state, but three players selected second-team all-state is still pretty good,” Vasquez added.

Porter players receiving TASCO recognition were junior midfielder Erick Esparza (first-team all-region), sophomore forward Jose X. Mateos (first-team all-region) and senior defender Luis Romero (honorable mention all-region).

Porter coach Jose Espitia was glad to see his players recognized, and added that in his opinion, one other Porter player was a glaring omission by TASCO.

He believes Brandon Montes, a junior attacking midfielder and the Cowboys’ top playmaker, should have been honored by TASCO as well. Montes was The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro MVP for 2020 and a first-team all-district selection. He scored 24 goals and recorded 19 assists during the past season.

“Brandon is one of our most important players, and he did not receive a vote,” the Porter coach said. “I really thought he should have received a lot more love.

“The problem we have with TASCO all-region/all-state selections is that very few RGV coaches pay their TASCO membership fees,” Espitia added. “That means fewer votes for our area athletes.”

The only other Valley boys to receive TASCO 5A honors were three players from Sharyland High. They were senior goalkeeper Alonso Gonzalez (first-team all-region), senior midfielder Jose Hernandez (first-team all-region) and senior defender Luis Lastra (second-team all-region).

McAllen Memorial had two players receive TASCO honors in Class 6A. They were senior goalkeeper Gustavo Moreno (second-team all-region) and senior midfielder Jorge Torres (honorable mention all-region).

There were no TASCO honors going to Valley girls in Class 5A or 4A, but four Edinburg Vela girls received recognition in 6A. They were junior forward Taylor Campbell (second-team all-state), junior defender Cary Kylene Richards (honorable mention all-state), freshman midfielder Natalia Cortez (first-team all-region) and junior midfielder Odessa Leal (second-team all-region).

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Danny Pardo and Rodney Morales have formed a winning football coaching combination that has become more and more difficult to beat.

They’ve coached together nearly 20 years, starting in 1999. Most of those years, Pardo was the defensive coordinator and Morales was the offensive coordinator under Rene Medrano at Brownsville Pace (1999-2011), and then when Medrano took over at Brownsville Hanna (2012-2015).

In between those stints, Pardo spent a couple seasons coaching girls basketball at Brownsville Porter (2003-2004) before returning to Pace. Morales started coaching at Pace in 1998, which was Medrano’s first season guiding the Vikings. Pardo joined the Pace coaching staff prior to the 1999 season.

“We’ve been assisting each other forever,” said Pardo, a 1991 Porter graduate and a standout lineman who was named all-district defensive MVP in 1990 as a senior for the Cowboys. “I think one of the reasons we’ve had success is because of the loyalty we’ve had staying together so long. You just don’t see coordinators staying together that much anymore, especially today.

“We always talked about if one of us got a head coaching job, the other one would follow him (and be the offensive or defensive coordinator),” Pardo added. “That’s the loyalty we’ve had to each other.”

Pardo took over as football coach at Pace in 2017, and since then, Morales has been the Vikings’ offensive coordinator for his coaching partner.

With Pardo as the one directing Pace football, the Vikings have made the playoffs three straight years, including the 2019 season when they finished 6-3 in District 16-5A Division I and went 6-5 overall.

It’s been a successful journey for the two coaching comrades that figures to continue producing positive results.

“We seem to work well together,” said Morales, a 1985 graduate of Pace who was a standout pitcher for coach Tony Barbosa on the baseball team and was followed by younger brother Rene Morales, a 1987 Pace graduate who also shined on the pitching mound for the Vikings. Rene Morales is the longtime baseball coach and a football assistant at Los Fresnos.

“It all goes back to Coach Medrano,” Rodney Morales said. “He was very organized, very structured, and we loved that. We’ve continued that approach now that Coach Pardo is the Pace head coach. (Under Medrano) everybody worked together. We still run that (kind of) program with little tweaks here and there.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of positive results lately (coaching together),” he added. “Since we had been (coaching) together for a while, Coach Pardo asked me if I would come over (from Hanna) when he became the head coach at Pace (in 2017). He knew what type of (offensive) system I liked to run, and I knew what (defensive) system he liked to run, so I think that’s one of the main reasons I went back over there to Pace to coach with him.

“We’ve been pretty successful coaching together. Not only that, the (entire) coaching staff we have at Pace has really helped us be successful. All of our coaches do their part. It’s been difficult with 10 teams in our district these past three years, but I guess you could say we’re up to the challenge.”

Both Pardo and Rodney Morales credit Medrano with having an impact on their coach careers. Medrano, who retired after his 2015 season at Hanna, said the feeling is mutual.

“Those two are the most loyal coaches you could ever ask for,” said Medrano, who guided the Vikings to the playoffs five straight seasons from 2007 to 2011 and before that in 2000 and 2004. “I don’t think I would have ever had the success I had if it weren’t for those two guys as my anchors. To me, they’re the best assistant coaches I could have ever asked for as far as being dedicated, loyal and working hard.

“Even now that I’m retired, they continue to be successful because of their work habits, their loyalty to each other and just because of the way they do their jobs,” Medrano added. “Those guys are determined to be successful, and that’s what it takes.

“I’d like to say I’m extremely proud of the way they’ve continued the program at Pace the way we started it. I wouldn’t trade those two guys for anybody in the world. They were always top guns, and I depended on them a lot. It’s as simple as that.”

Pardo said he knew he was in the right place under Medrano when he first started coaching at Pace in 1999.

“Coach Medrano was very structured in his method of coaching,” Pardo said. “I could see a (positive) difference in our athletes in the program with the core values and the way things were being done. That’s really the reason both Coach Morales and I liked coaching for him. We saw that he was bringing out the best in the athletes, and that’s what we try to do now. Our attitude is we’re going to make it work no matter what.

“The saying, ‘Nobody is going to outwork us,’ is what we live by,” Pardo added. “The core values of our program were inherited from Coach Medrano. We have coaches (now) who played at Pace before (under Medrano). They have that same attitude (as we do), and that’s the reason we’re clicking. We’re proud of that.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Yianey Diaz of Brownsville Rivera and Denisse Romero of Brownsville Porter stand out as two of the area’s top playmakers in girls soccer.

Fittingly, each has been named the overall MVP of her respective district for the 2020 season.

Diaz, a senior forward and three-year starter, is the MVP of District 32-6A, and Romero, a sophomore attacking midfielder and two-year starter, is the MVP of District 32-5A. Romero scored 15 goals on the season and assisted on approximately 90 percent of her team’s goals as well.

The offensive MVP of District 32-4A this season is Jocelyn Lizcano of La Feria. She is a senior who played various positions, mainly center midfielder, and led her team in qualifying for the playoffs with approximately 20 goals on the season.

Rio Hondo’s Vanessa Villanueva, a senior who helped the Lady Bobcats qualify for the playoffs, is the 32-4A defensive MVP.

Diaz led her team with 32 goals this season as the Lady Raiders qualified for the playoffs as the fourth-place seed from 32-6A.

She said it’s nice to be recognized for her efforts.

“To me, being named MVP means basically the saying (is true) that hard work pays off,” said Diaz, who intends to play soccer in college and already has one scholarship offer on the table, but has not yet signed. “These past 14 years (since starting to play soccer), I’ve been working hard. I think I worked even a little harder, beginning in the summer, this (school) year (as a senior). I just conditioned myself and did extra training to get myself ready for my last season at Rivera.

“I guess it did pay off because I got recognized (as 32-6A MVP),” she added. “It’s such an amazing award in one of the toughest districts, where all the girls are basically at a high level. It’s astonishing to be recognized.

“Compared to our 2019 season, I think we wanted it more (in 2020). We wanted to come out in the playoffs. Yes, we did lose some games, but in each and every game, we went in there with a fighting mentality. I think that’s why we qualified for the playoffs. The girls had the mentality that we were going to put up a strong fight in every game and not let our opponent win easily.”

Rounding out the top honorees on the All-District 32-6A team, it was Brownsville Hanna’s Ana Barragan, who scored 51 goals, as the offensive player of the year, and Los Fresnos’ Mindy Perez as the defensive player of the year.

Also in 32-6A, it was Harlingen High’s Maya Quinones as utility player of the year, Los Fresnos’ Andrea Calvillo as newcomer of the year and Harlingen South’s Omar Pedroza as coach of the year.

Pedroza just completed his 24th season as coach of the Lady Hawks, who captured the district title. Pedroza topped the 500 mark for career wins early during the 2020 season.

Besides Romero as MVP in 32-5A, it was Brownsville Pace’s Paloma Zamora and Brownsville Lopez’s Zaira Esquivel as the district’s offensive MVPs and Porter’s Marina Rios as defensive MVP.

Other 32-5A top honorees include Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Rebekah Rodriguez, Pace’s Jacquelynn Palomino and Valley View’s Genesis Aguirre as newcomers of the year, and Porter’s Jeanette Aguirre and Donna High’s America Lara as utility players of the year.

Edcouch-Elsa’s Arissa Cavazos is goalkeeper of the year, and Porter’s Abraham Gracia of the district champion Cowgirls is coach of the year.

District 32-4A did not name an overall MVP as La Feria’s Lizcano was the offensive MVP and Rio Hondo’s Villanueva was the defensive MVP.

Also in 32-4A, Brownsville IDEA Riverview’s Mia J. Ramos was the newcomer of the year.

Girls All-District Lists

District 32-6A

MVP

Yianey Diaz, Brownsville Rivera

Offensive Player of the Year

Ana Barragan, Brownsville Hanna

Defensive Player of the Year

Mindy Perez, Los Fresnos

Utility Player of the Year

Maya Quinones, Harlingen High

Newcomer of the Year

Andrea Calvillo, Los Fresnos

Coach of the Year

Omar Pedroza, Harlingen South

First Team

Forwards: Sarah Grace Garza, Harlingen South; Monique Rodriguez, Harlingen High; Ashley Esparza, Los Fresnos; Rose Santillian, Brownsville Rivera; Leslie Martinez, San Benito; Isabel Ortiz, Brownsville Hanna

Midfielders: Sandra Lopez, Harlingen South; Serena Escobar, Harlingen High; Kristy Herrera, Brownsville Hanna; Lesly Pena, Brownsville Rivera; Briana Gracia, Los Fresnos; Vanessa Alcala, San Benito

Defenders: Kim Salazar, Los Fresnos; Desiree Perez, Brownsville Rivera; Lauren Powell, Harlingen High; Korynne Reininger, Harlingen South; Aliyah Castillo, Brownsville Hanna; Lorena Barron, San Benito

Goalkeepers: Joana Marquez, Harlingen South; Kayla Alonso, Brownsville Rivera

Second Team

Forwards: Aaliyah Garza, San Benito; Caroline Grannum, Harlingen South; Samantha Rasco, Brownsville; Jocelyn Gaznares, Los Fresnos; Samantha Galvan, Brownsville Hanna; Kay-Lani Vasquez, Harlingen High

Midfielders: Paola Martinez, San Benito; Olivia Olivares, Harlingen South; Pamela Prado, Brownsville Hanna; Hannah Wrinkle, Los Fresnos; Vanessa Alvarado, Brownsville Rivera; Jacqueline Vargas, Harlingen High

Defenders: Gillian Cespedes, Harlingen High; Shannon Perez, Brownsville Hanna; Gabby Martinez, Harlingen South; Francela Perez, Brownsville Rivera; America Vigil, San Benito; Sara Garza, Los Fresnos

Goalkeeper: Erianah Garza Zapata, Harlingen High

Honorable Mention

Harlingen South: Haley Danner, Isabel Aldan

Harlingen High: Rosa Zapata, Grace Alcocer

Brownsville Hanna: Melanie Zavala, Alyassa Perez

Los Fresnos: Yulianna Moreno, Natalia Alegria

Brownsville Rivera: Yulianna Villa nueva, Ivon Espinoza

San Benito: Frida Longoria, Valeria Martinez

District 32-5A

MVP

Denisse Romero, Brownsville Porter

Offensive MVPs

Paloma Zamora, Brownsville Pace; Zaira Esquivel, Brownsville Lopez

Defensive MVP

Marina Rios, Brownsville Porter

Newcomers of the Year

Rebekah Rodriguez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Jacquelynn Palomino, Brownsville Pace; Genesis Aguirre, Valley View

Utility Players of the Year

Jeanette Aguirre, Brownsville Porter; America Lara, Donna High

Goalkeeper of the Year

Arissa Cavazos, Edcouch-Elsa

Coach of the Year

Abraham Gracia, Brownsville Porter

First Team

Goalkeeper: Jazmine Reyna, Brownsville Porter

Defenders: Keenia Palacios, Brownsville Porter; Alexis Mendez, Brownsville Porter; Andrea Hurtado, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Kenya Gonzalez, Brownsville Lopez; Kenia Galvan-Resendiz, Brownsville Pace; Viviana Lucio, Brownsville Pace; Jackie Garcia, Edcouch-Elsa; Alexa Amaro, Valley View; Lamar Lopez, Donna High; Daniela Flores, Mercedes

Midfielders: Jacqueline Gonzalez, Brownsville Porter; Arely Guzman, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Viviana Gutierrez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Samantha Valdez, Brownsville Lopez; Sarah Flores, Edcouch-Elsa; Vanessa Cerda, Edcouch-Elsa; Daniela Abundiz, Mercedes

Forwards: Azaneth Perez, Brownsville Porter; Ania Laguna, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Adamaris Rangel, Brownsville Lopez; Jazul Amaya-Avalos, Brownsville Pace; Yahaira Gonzalez, Valley View; Madalyn Park, Donna High

Second Team

Goalkeeper: Grecia Quinonez, Brownsville Lopez

Defenders: Angela Vallejo, Brownsville Porter; Ashley Garcia, Brownsville Porter; Loren Averyt, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Kenia Quinonez, Brownsville Lopez; Jennifer Gamez, Brownsville Lopez; Jaimie Silva, Brownsville Pace; Lillian Barrera, Brownsville Pace; Sujey Coronado, Mercedes

Midfielders: Liberty Garza, Brownsville Porter; Kassandra Sanchez, Brownsville Porter; Kennidy Rudd, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Vianca Sandoval, Brownsville Pace; Teresa Gallegos, Edcouch-Elsa; Neil Ramirez, Valley View; Xanath Reyes, Valley View; Debanhi Esparza, Donna High; Samantha Contreras, Donna High; Leslie Garza, Mercedes

Forwards: Ana Karen Garcia, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Karen Hernandez, Edcouch-Elsa; Miah Romero, Edcouch-Elsa

Honorable Mention

Goalkeeper: none

Defenders: Maria Hernandez, Brownsville Lopez; Vivian Esparza, Donna High

Midfielders: Brianna Guzman, Brownsville Porter; Yadira Ramos, Brownsville Porter; Margarita Martinez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Tiffany Matambu, Brownsville Lopez; Jessica Amaya, Brownsville Pace; Meagan Alvarado, Edcouch-Elsa; Emily Lopez, Edcouch-Elsa; Daniela Vargas, Valley View; Carolina Perez, Valley View; Nallely Silva, Donna High; Karianna Garcia, Mercedes

Forwards: Raquel Cepeda, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Pily Martin, Brownsville Pace; Kayla Ybarra, Mercedes

District 32-4A

Offensive MVP

Jocelyn Lizcano, La Feria

Defensive MVP

Vanessa Villanueva, Rio Hondo

Newcomer of the Year

Mia J. Ramos, Brownsville IDEA Riverview

First Team

Goalkeeper: Nicole Pelt, Port Isabel

Forwards: Kaitlynn Pena, Rio Hondo; Corina Arizmendi, Brownsville Jubilee; Leslie Perez, Monte Alto; Juliann Hernandez, Port Isabel; Aleyna Frias, Lyford

Midfielders: Sandra Garcia, Brownsville Jubilee; Danielle Champine, Lyford; Serena Quinones, Rio Hondo; Anna Elizondo, Port Isabel

Defenders: Cassity Villareal, Rio Hondo; Veronica Martinez, Raymondville; Anahi Castillo, Monte Alto; Kaitlyn Longoria, La Feria; Luz Gallegos, Brownsville Jubilee; Sharon Ramos, Lyford; Claire Martinez, Brownsville Harmony

Second Team

Goalkeeper: Aurora Salinas, Lyford

Forwards: Jerrica Quinones, Rio Hondo; Emalee Lopez, Raymondville; Jennifer Leal, La Feria

Midfielders: Chloe Helton, Port Isabel; Gabriela Zepeda, La Feria; Rachel Medrano, Monte Alto; Julie Del Bosque, Rio Hondo; Ayisha Andrews, Rio Hondo

Defenders: Andrea Alaniz, Lyford; Angelica Ledezma, Brownsville IDEA Frontier; Aaliyah Myhand, La Feria; Alexa Gonzalez, Port Isabel; Paloma Murillo, Rio Hondo; Melanie Gutierrez, Monte Alto

Honorable Mention

Brownsville IDEA Frontier: Devine Soto, Kimberly Rivera, Araceli Medellin, Mariana Jackson, Viveth Vasquez, Vanessa Hernandez

La Feria: Misrrain Granado, Kathryn Reyes, Selina Villarreal, Diana Zuniga, Amanda Cisneros, Taylor Garza

Lyford: Katherine Loredo, Dajia Valdez, Andrea Torres, Kayla Castro, Priscilla Lerma, Amanda Contreras, Emilia Cavazos

Port Isabel: Shayla Ochoa, Zanelly Esquivel, Mariacruz Leon Hernandez, Crystal Vega, Netfally Torres, Juana Perez

Raymondville: Juanita Perez, Ziclali Vasquez, Daliarlen Garza

Rio Hondo: Angela Lopez, Alexis Farias, Dahlia Medrano, Elizabeth Hernandez

Brownsville Jubilee: Sofia De La Torre, Angela Quintero, Saoirse O’Connell, Paola Vargas, Grecia Almaguer, Leslie Barrera, Alejandra Perez, Pricila Hernandez, Julissa Garza, Stephanie Aguilar

Monte Alto: Naveah Ramos, Jasmine Morales, Esmer Flores, Maritza Sierra, Elisaa Velasquez

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Ben Lopez Jr. of Mission has devoted a good portion of his life to helping others, namely high school-age students nearing graduation.

As a college recruiter, Lopez has provided scholarships to two colleges in Missouri for more than 600 high school seniors. The signings mainly have taken place in South Texas from Brownsville to Laredo, and even some from as far away as New Mexico and Kentucky, plus others from all parts of Texas.

For more than 20 years, beginning in 1995, Lopez signed graduating seniors to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Then from 2016 to 2019, he recruited for Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo.

Lopez’s first signee in 1995 was his son, Joe, who is now a high school superintendent in Kermit, Texas.

“Providing scholarships for Valley kids so they can get their college educations has been my No. 1 priority,” said Lopez, who received a distinguished service award from the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. “It has meant a lot to me to show these kids the road to getting a college education, which is one of the most important things a person can do in life.”

Most of Lopez’s scholarship signees have been athletes getting an opportunity to play their sports at the college level. He also has arranged scholarships for graduating seniors in band, choir and for academics.

“They’ve all been outstanding kids,” he said. “I knew that. I tried to make them understand they needed a college education. They may have been good athletes, but they still needed to continue their educations after high school. I tried to show them the right road to take. Many of them have gone on to very successful careers.”

Lopez, 79, a Mission native and 1961 graduate of Mission High, retired on Oct. 31, 2019, due to health reasons. He is still recuperating from a stroke and has quarantined himself at home with wife Linda since Feb. 14. The couple has two sons, Joe and Ben III.

“After high school I wanted to be a coach, but it didn’t happen,” Lopez said. “I went from high school to serving four years in the Air Force. After my time in the military, I worked 33 years in customer service for Ozark Airlines, TWA and American Airlines, but those airlines went under. I started recruiting for Lindenwood in 1995 and then for Central Methodist the past three years.”

Attending games, meets, practices and the signings of high school student-athletes is now something Lopez dearly misses. Health issues have forced him to end his career as a college recruiter.

“I had never been sick or anything like that,” Lopez said. “I thought I was Superman, but I found out that I wasn’t. It’s been difficult (since suffering a stroke).”

Amos and Mary Salas of La Feria have taken over Central Methodist recruiting duties for Lopez. Amos is a teacher/coach at Santa Maria, and Mary is a teacher/coach at Rio Hondo.

Lopez said it’s difficult to step away, but he knows it’s the right thing to do.

“I’ve loved every minute of it,” he said. “There were a lot of challenges, and sometimes I was competing against other colleges in offering scholarships. More than 150 graduating seniors said no to me because they got a better scholarship offer elsewhere. But more than 600 said yes. It wasn’t always easy, but I did it. I believe they took a chance by signing with me because I showed them the road, and I would talk to them and counsel them.”

Lopez appreciates the sound advice a number of acquaintances have given him over the years. They include Father Roy Snipes, banker David Deanda Jr. and late school superintendent Kenneth White, all of Mission.

“As a recruiter, I was surrounded by a lot of good people,” Lopez said. “I wasn’t a college recruiter to begin with. I just jumped into it. I wanted to help Valley kids get a college education. It’s never been about me. It’s always been about them.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

A promising baseball season that didn’t come close to reaching completion is the story of the 2020 St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds.

Due to the threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Bloodhounds’ season ended in mid-March, as per a TAPPS statewide mandate. SJA played only five games and didn’t even make it to TAPPS district play.

The season came to an abrupt halt before it really got started much to the disappointment of the coach and players, who expected to field one of the program’s most competitive teams featuring seven seniors and strong pitching.

But if sports teaches anything, it’s that things don’t always go the way one would like.

“I felt we had been waiting four years for this (2020) team,” said senior Carlos Sarmiento, a four-year starter for the Bloodhounds, mostly playing catcher. “In my eyes, because of the players we had this season, this was the team that was going to go the farthest in the playoffs.

“So to not have a complete season was disappointing,” added Sarmiento, who also played some basketball and football for the Bloodhounds while concentrating on baseball. “I’m not angry. It’s just something you look forward to and something that brings you a lot of joy. For my teammates and I, it was just something very sad not getting to play.”

Besides Sarmiento at catcher, the rest of the Bloodhounds’ lineup included pitcher-infielder-outfielder Nicolas Jackson, second baseman Luis Emilio Trevino, pitcher-shortstop Senad Dervisevic, pitcher-infielder Rafael Parra, third baseman Rolando Gonzalez, left fielder Daniel Wolfe, designated hitter Victor Gonzalez, first baseman MariaJose Morales and center fielder Daniel Garza.

Players helping off the bench included outfielders Denis Garcia, Jacobo Coronado, Edgardo Garcia and Ruben Martinez.

Since SJA does not have a softball team, Morales, a sophomore, was the squad’s female player who didn’t always start, but played in pretty much every game.

The seven seniors were Sarmiento, Trevino, Dervisevic, Parra, Wolfe, Garza and Victor Gonzalez.

The Bloodhounds had a 12-0 tournament win against Edinburg Quest and played competitive ball in their other four games against bigger schools, SJA coach Steven Najera said. It was an attempt to get the Bloodhounds ready for TAPPS district play, the coach said.

“What was kind of sad and frustrating about this season was we did have a lot of upperclassmen this year,” said Najera, who just completed his fourth season as SJA’s coach. “One of the reasons I was really looking forward to our season was our pitching. Our pitching was going to be one of our strengths. I also felt good because a lot of these seniors have come through our program, so I believed we were going to have a very effective team. We wanted to see how we could have done in district.

“The players wish they could be out there, even just practicing,” added Najera, who was assisted by Esteban Pruneda, Michael Torres and Carlos Arturo Trevino. “We’ve never been known as a powerhouse school for baseball, but one of the things I really liked was these guys genuinely enjoyed being out on the field and being together as a team. I think that attitude carried over to the coaches, too. With so many seniors, we were all looking forward to having a complete season, and to have that taken away was kind of bittersweet.

“I really think our returning players will be even more motivated for next season. We didn’t have a whole lot of juniors and sophomores, but we had a lot of freshmen who came out for the team. So next year we’ll probably have a young team. The underclassmen who came out this year were very excited to be on the team. They’re looking forward to coming back and getting back to business. The one good thing we’re taking away from this situation is we do have a lot of young players coming back.”

For the seniors who are now anticipating graduation, it’s a matter of moving on and taking with them some valued memories of playing baseball for the Bloodhounds.

“Every school year I’ve always looked forward to the second semester because the baseball season was just the best,” said Sarmiento, who plans to attend the McCombs School of Business next school year at the University of Texas-Austin. “I’ve loved every game, and I’ve loved going to practice. That was my environment and like my second home. It was all about enjoying a sport, being comfortable doing it and also being competitive.

“Over my four years at St. Joe I’ve met a lot of people, and some from a different generation (of students),” he added. “I feel a lot of that was because of baseball. When I first started out on the team as a freshman, I met a lot of juniors and seniors who I still talk to today. I’m going to keep talking to them after I go off to college. I feel that I’ve made some very good connections over my four years at St. Joe, and I think about the good times we’ve had as a team. It’s been great.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Frank Parker Sr., considered one of Brownsville’s best football players, died Friday at home at age 91.

The cause of death was respiratory distress.

As of Saturday, funeral services were pending.

Parker was a multi-sport athlete who earned nine letters before graduating from Brownsville High in 1947. Football is the sport for which he is best remembered, and it’s the sport that helped him gain induction into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

He was also a post on the basketball team and ran the open quarter mile in track for the Golden Eagles.

In football, Parker played center and linebacker, and he was a member of coach Bob Martin’s 1945 District 16-2A championship team that went 10-1. The Eagles were ranked No. 9 in the state that season. When he was a senior, Parker was chosen to play in the Texas All-Star Game in 1947 after earning all-state honorable mention recognition.

After high school, Parker received a scholarship to play football at the University of Texas at Austin. He played for the Longhorns two seasons before a career-ending knee injury at the start of his junior season halted his playing career. Parker was a member of the Longhorns team that defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 41-28 in the 1949 Orange Bowl.

At one time, Parker was named the center on the all-time Brownsville football team. The Brownsville Herald listed Parker as one of the city’s top versatile athletes in 1960.

Parker earned a business administration degree from UT-Austin in 1951 and became a successful businessman for many years at the Port of Brownsville. He was owner of the Gateway Harbor Tugboat Co. before retiring in 1998.

Frank Parker Jr. said his father developed a passion for playing golf, especially during his retirement years, and he continued to play the game with an 8-handicap at one point until health reasons forced him to give it up at age 88.

“My dad loved golfing, and he was pretty good at it for a while until he got older,” said Parker Jr., also a Brownsville businessman. “He would play three or four times a week. Rancho Viejo (Resort) was his favorite course. There was a group of about 12 to 15 (older) guys who would play golf (together in foursomes), and he was the last of that group. The others died, so he ended up having to start playing with younger guys.

“He liked to fish, too, and he taught me how to do that,” Parker Jr. added. “He was someone who liked to go to church every Sunday. He was also on the school board in Brownsville for a while, and he was a Rotarian, too.”

Parker Jr. said his father was always concerned about providing for the family, which included wife Carolyn, himself and five younger sisters.

“He was dedicated to taking care of us,” Parker Jr. said. “He provided for all of us and put us all through college. He was just a great dad, who helped all of us get a car and even paid our (auto) insurance. He just took care of us.”

Induction into the RGV Sports Hall of Fame meant a lot to his father, Parker Jr. said.

“I think by him being in there, it helped prolong his life,” Parker Jr. said. “His induction was something that really helped him out. He had been in the hospital for 21 days and got out a couple of weeks ago. He just did not want to go back to the hospital. He was ready to go.”

When interviewed for a story prior to his induction in June 2019, Parker Sr. said he was grateful to receive such recognition.

“I feel very honored,” Parker Sr. said during the interview. “Playing sports has been an influence and a very big part of my life. I’m a competitive person, and I always want to be first. I don’t think that’s selfish.

“Getting this honor is something all athletes strive for,” he added. “It’s nice to be recognized for one’s efforts. It’s very thoughtful of them to do this.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame has staged a banquet in June to recognize its latest class of inductees every year since 1988.

This year, however, due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, things are different.

In a unanimous vote last month, the organization’s board of directors approved a motion to postpone the banquet from June 20 to Aug. 15.

The banquet site, Mission Events Center, remains the same.

Iris Iglesias, the former longtime Mission High softball coach and now president of the RGV Sports Hall of Fame, said the organization hopes that by pushing back the banquet date it will allow the current class of seven inductees to be honored just as previous classes have been recognized.

“The well-being of everyone who would be attending (the banquet) is our main concern,” said Iglesias, an RGV Sports Hall of Famer herself since 2012. “It was a difficult decision, but we went ahead and postponed it, and hopefully by Aug. 15, maybe then it will be more allowed to get crowds together. If at that time there are still restrictions involved (due to the coronavirus), then we would have to look at a ‘Plan C,’ I guess.

“It’s important for the inductees and families that are involved,” she added. “If at all possible, we’d like to have the banquet. Some of the inductees have friends and family coming from out of town, some of them from long distances, so it was important for us to make the (postponement) decision as soon as possible so they could revise their (travel) plans.”

Iglesias said this year’s class is just as deserving as previous ones as far as being recognized at the organization’s annual banquet.

“I think the group that’s being inducted this year is a pretty good, all-around selection of people from different sports,” she said. “I think it’s an excellent group, and well-deserving (of being honored), every one of them. Each inductee deserves to have his or her day and their time to be recognized. That’s why we’re going to try our best to have the banquet.”

This year’s seven inductees include:

Paul Alsbury of Edinburg: A football standout and four-sport letterman at Edinburg High before graduating in 1987, Alsbury played football at Southwest Texas State (now Texas State) and went on to the NFL and NFL Europe after being drafted in 1991 by the New England Patriots.

Paula Dodge of McAllen: She is a volleyball coach from Minnesota who came to the Valley in the mid-1980s to coach at Brownsville Hanna and Brownsville Lopez before moving over to McAllen High, where she has 573 wins in 24 years guiding the Lady Bulldogs in volleyball. Her McHi teams have won five district titles and gone to the playoffs 18 times, reaching the regional tournament five times, including the 2019 season.

Rolando Garza of San Isidro: He is a basketball coach who was all-state as a player in 1977 before graduating from San Isidro. Since 1992, he has coached boys and girls basketball at San Isidro with 12 district titles, 20 playoff appearances, six area championships and three trips to the regional semifinals. He was a 12-time all-district coach of the year before stepping down after the 2018-19 school year with a 607-256 coaching record.

Larry Howell of Mission: A native of Ohio who attended Purdue University, Howell, best known as a track coach, came to the Valley in 1978 after coaching in Minnesota, Ohio and Houston. He coached track at Mission High for 12 years and became a special education instructor for South Texas ISD besides having also coached at La Joya and Hidalgo. His specialty in track is the throwing events. He helped produce eight All-Americans from 2000-07 as a track coach at Texas A&M-Kingsville. He has instructed track athletes in South Texas for more than 40 years.

Bill Littleton of McAllen: A native of Sanderson, Texas, Littleton has coached football, track and basketball during his 44 years in coaching. A 1976 graduate of Angelo State, Littleton is best known in the Valley as the football coach at McAllen Memorial since 2003 with a 123-69 record of guiding the Mustangs for 17 seasons. His McAllen Memorial teams have captured eight district championships and made 13 playoff appearances. His overall football coaching record is 151-85.

Mario Reyna of San Juan: A Valley native, Reyna has officiated multiple sports for 42 years. A PSJA High and University of Texas-Pan American graduate, he may be the only one from the Valley who has officiated state title games in three sports. Those title contests were UIL baseball (1993 and 1994), UIL volleyball (2003), UIL basketball (2003 and 2005) and TAPPS basketball (2008). He continues to officiate and has more than 2,000 high school games and 200 college baseball games to his credit.

Greg Selber of Edinburg: A native of Austin, Selber came to the Valley in 1989 to work as a sports reporter at the Valley Morning Star in Harlingen. Selber attended TCU, earning an undergraduate degree in journalism and a master’s degree in media studies before earning a doctorate in communications from the University of Texas at Austin. He has written two books in addition to serving as a professor in the department of communications at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Selber’s books are “Border Ball: The History of High School Football in the Rio Grande Valley” and “Bronc Ball: The History of College Basketball at Pan American University.” In 2011, Selber won the Texas High School Coaches Association’s Putt Powell Award as the state’s sports writer of the year. He continues to cover Valley sports for the Edinburg Daily Review.

For updates regarding the induction banquet and ticket information, visit www.rgvshof.net.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

For a soccer program that has had Steve Martinez as its coach the past three seasons, the IDEA Frontier Chargers have made some great strides.

Overall, the boys soccer program at IDEA Frontier has been going 10 years and has qualified for the playoffs six times, including this season.

When Martinez took over as coach in 2018, the team didn’t win a game and tied once. There were seven wins and a trip to the playoffs in 2019. This season, the Chargers went 13-4 overall. They had a second-place finish in District 32-4A and qualified for the playoffs again with a 13-3 conference mark.

But because of the 2020 season’s early end in mid-March due to the threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus, there was no postseason, as per a mandate by the University Interscholastic League.

Martinez believes the Chargers could have displayed some strong soccer skills on the field and won in the playoffs had the postseason taken place this year.

He said one of the big pluses of the 2020 team, which graduates only three seniors, is many of his players have played together for a number of years since they were in youth leagues. The players’ camaraderie and comfort level with each other on the field is starting to show, he said.

“Yes, cohesion played an important role in our success, but it was also the sense of family among the players,” said Martinez, who is assisted by Christian Zamarripa. “The players decided in our first year (with me as coach) that whenever we would break from a team huddle, the new team motto would be ‘Familia.’ They wanted to be close, and nothing is closer than family.

“The guys have been with me three years now, and they’ve built trust in each other,” Martinez added. “Actually, last year was when I started feeling that we had a pretty good team. At the beginning of district (this year), I was expecting to go undefeated (and win 32-4A). That’s how confident I was in them as a team, their cohesion and the way they played the game.”

The Chargers’ starting lineup includes goalkeeper Jose Mendieta, defensive right back Luis Duron, defensive center back Jorge Chavira, defensive left back Roberto Campos, midfielders Frank Hernandez, Christian Hernandez, Bryan Hernandez, Juan Ortiz and Marco Ruiz, and forwards Juan Franco and Alejandro Garfias. Franco also played in the midfield.

Helping off the bench were midfielders Cesar Perez and Rogelio Covarrubias, plus forward Jorge Aguirre.

Mendieta, Duron and Ruiz were the Chargers’ three seniors. Mendieta and Franco served as team captains.

Chavira was named defensive MVP of District 32-4A this season, and Franco and Bryan Hernandez were voted all-district first-teamers.

“Our team has been pretty competitive,” said Franco, a junior three-year starter. “We have a lot of togetherness. All of our teams have given a lot of effort. We’re just getting better and becoming more competitive.

“Everybody has been putting more dedication into the team,” added Franco, who was second on the squad with 14 goals this season just behind Garfias’ 15. “Each one had his goal to get better. That’s basically why we finished up there in second place in district. Everybody got themselves ready to get there.

“Next season we’re planning to come back stronger because it will be another year that we’ll be playing together. We have been playing together for years now, and I’m expecting everybody to put even more dedication into the team next season. It’s surprising how we have progressed. The team and the school have seen our improvement.”

The Frontier coach said it’s been rewarding to witness how much the team has gotten better since 2018.

“We’re finally coming around,” he said. “It’s been tough, but these players definitely have put in the work.

“We have the majority of the team coming back next year,” he added. “I only lose three seniors. We have a pretty even number of players from each grade level. This year (besides three seniors) we had five juniors, five sophomores and a few freshmen. We’re getting five freshmen (who could help us) next year, so we’re pretty well-balanced as far as the grade levels of our players in the program.”

The Frontier coach likes to remind his players from time to time just how far they’ve come.

“I tell these guys it’s a huge deal that they’ve improved so much,” Martinez said. “We would have been the second seed from our district if we had gotten to go to the playoffs. Last year we were the fourth seed.

“The players don’t really understand the difficulty it has been to be as good as we are now,” he added. “We don’t have an athletic period, and every single one of these guys takes advanced-level classes. They not only take (Advanced Placement) classes, but as juniors and seniors, they take (International Baccalaureate) classes, which are very rigorous. On top of that, they still have to go to tutorials, do all their classwork and then they’re still expected to go to practice.

“They’ve come a long way in just (the) three years (I’ve been with the team).”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated and reposted to correct information provided to The Brownsville Herald.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Michael Garza is a standout long jumper for Brownsville Veterans Memorial who became a multi-event track & field athlete to enhance his chances of being signed to compete in college.

It’s a strategy that worked quite well.

At the urging of his coach, Garza became a more versatile athlete as an underclassman by also running legs on his school’s relay teams in addition to long-jumping.

As a result, the Brownsville Veterans senior has signed an athletic scholarship to compete next school year for Park University, an NAIA school in Gilbert, Ariz.

Track coach Michael Moore, who just completed his fifth year of guiding the Chargers, gave Garza some valuable advice a couple of seasons ago.

“We had talked about going to the next level and what he was looking for, and I said, ‘You have to understand that no colleges are going to be looking for just pure jumpers, they’re going to be looking for athletes who are willing to do whatever they need,’” Moore said. “Michael really embraced that and started competing as a runner, too. He really blossomed (as a member of our 400- and 800-meter relays). It was very good to see.

“I could always count on him to help us out (as a runner),” Moore added. “When I needed him to run a leg on a relay, he would. We won District (32-5A) team titles when he was a sophomore and a junior, and we made it to regionals. Many times he would win the long jump, too. Of course, it’s a total team effort (when you capture a district team title). Having Michael there to help us out (in multiple ways) has been a big plus.

“Actually, I thought we were in pretty good shape to do it again this year, but unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance (because the threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus cut short the school year and halted the track season prior to the district meet).”

Still, Garza has come out of his senior year with a track scholarship as he realized his goal of competing at the next level.

His personal best in the long jump is 22 feet. Previously, he also played football for the Chargers, but he didn’t play as a senior so he could concentrate on track.

“It feels good (to sign),” Garza said. “I’m excited. I’m blessed that I got the opportunity. I’ve worked hard and I got to where I wanted to be, so I’m grateful.

“I’m expecting there will be a lot more competition (in college),” he added. “I know it’s going to be tough, but I’m ready for it.”

Garza said he plans to pursue a criminal justice degree in college.

“I just want to say thank you to all my coaches, and also my mom (Rosie Garza), because she’s always been there for me,” he said.

Moore said he believes Garza will do well as a college athlete.

“Michael has always been a pretty decent long jumper, even since he was a freshman, and he really took to listening to Coach (Pope) Martinez, his jump coach, and really bought in (to what we’ve been telling him),” Moore said. “He put in the time to better himself. He really started to step up last year when he was a junior. He began to take the running part of his training very seriously. I just wish our season would have finished out, because I think he was on track to do very well (as a runner, too).

“I’m super happy for him,” Moore added. “We already had another one (Max Carmona) sign (from our track program) a couple of years ago, so to see Michael get the chance to run at the next level is really nice. It’s great to see them go on, and extend their athletic careers and get their college educations paid for. I think it’s important for our (other) athletes to see that.

“Michael has set a very good example for the other guys as far as work ethic. I believe he will do well (in college). These guys (such as Garza and Carmona) are complete student-athletes.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

First of all, just let me say I’m an outsider, strictly an observer when it comes to sports in the Rio Grande Valley.

I don’t claim to be privy to any inside information. You see things happen, and as a reporter your job is to remain objective.

The big news in Valley sports last week came out of Santa Rosa as the contract of Warriors athletic director and boys basketball coach Johnny Cipriano was not renewed.

It’s not surprising the Santa Rosa ISD school board members have been tight-lipped about the reason(s) behind their non-renewal decision, by a 4-3 vote, last Wednesday.

If Cipriano’s basketball record had been subpar, it would be much easier to understand the move and it certainly wouldn’t have created such a stir.

But in 22 years as the Warriors’ basketball coach, Cipriano’s teams have captured 16 district titles or co-championships, made nine “Sweet 16” appearances and advanced to the UIL state tournament three times (2009, 2017 and 2018).

No other basketball coach in the Valley past or present has come close to achieving that level of success.

So what’s the reason for this move by the Santa Rosa Board of Trustees? It’s a personnel matter, which by law they can’t discuss.

Still, that type of scenario just opens up all sorts of speculation. If Cipriano’s record wasn’t in question, and with the Santa Rosa community appearing to be pretty much entirely giving its backing to “Coach CP” (approximately 1,000 signatures of Santa Rosa residents on a petition of support for him), it has to be something else.

It’s not the first time a popular Valley basketball coach’s contract hasn’t been renewed, even though the coach’s record was a successful one. Coach Nora Zamarripa at Harlingen High and coach Charles Kromer at Donna High come to mind.

What also came to mind this past week regarding the Cipriano situation in Santa Rosa was what happened to football coach Monty Stumbaugh in Port Isabel following the 2016 season. Stumbaugh had fallen out of favor with the Port Isabel school board, and the trustees voted not to renew his contract.

The Tarpons went 9-2 under Stumbaugh in 2016 and were District 16-4A Division II tri-champions. Stumbaugh was 124-64 over 16 seasons (2001-16) at Port Isabel and had guided the Tarpons to the state semifinals in 2003.

Still, it was not good enough.

Stumbaugh quickly found a job as the coach at Hidalgo, and after two seasons of modest showings (0-10 in 2017 and 2-8 in 2018), the Pirates came together under the former Tarpons coach in 2019 by going 8-3 and earning a trip to the playoffs.

Meanwhile, football-crazy Port Isabel has gone 9-19 since Stumbaugh departed under Jaime Infante (2-7 in 2017) and Jason Strunk (4-5 in 2018 and 3-7 in 2019). The Tarpons are still searching for a winning coach.

When change comes, good coaches, like Stumbaugh, always land on their feet somewhere, just as Cipriano is expected to do.

The question now becomes, what will happen to boys basketball in Santa Rosa?