By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

For the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles, it’s nice to have Odalys Gonzalez returning for another volleyball season, especially since quite a few of her starting teammates from one year ago have graduated.

Gonzalez, a 5-foot-11 middle blocker, was named The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro MVP last season as a junior. She’s now a senior and picking up right where she left off in 2018. She’s even brought along her little sister, Litzy Gonzalez, to the varsity this season.

Gonzalez led the Lady Eagles to a 3-0 scrimmage sweep Tuesday at Lopez as a new season of volleyball gets underway. The Hanna girls won 25-18, 25-22, 26-24.

“ We’ve had a substantial loss of players, so I guess you could call it a rebuilding season for us,” Lady Eagles coach Ansgar Hagemann said. “Considering that, I guess we did all right. We need to bring a lot more to the plate to be a good competitor this season (though). Odalys, yeah, (is the main starter back). Due to injuries we have a very limited squad right now.

“ We would like to have everyone back at some point, including two players who have starting experience,” Hagemann added. “We hope to work hard and surprise people.”

Gonzalez did her part Tuesday against the Lady Lobos with a double-digit number of kills and several blocks.

Both teams went to the playoffs last season — Hanna as the runner-up from District 32-6A and Lopez as the fourth-place squad from District 32-5A.

“ It’s really the first scrimmage for us,” Lady Lobos coach Daya Venegas said. “We need more work. Playing a Class 6A school (such as Hanna) is always hard. We’ve been practicing together for only two days, so we need work. We’ve got things we need to do.

“ Yes, we had some good moments,” Venegas added. “(The bottom line is) we need work. The good thing is we have a young team and these girls are coachable, so I think we’re going to be fine. We’ll get there.”

Lopez led 1-0 to start the first game before Hanna took the lead for good with advantages of 7-2, 12-5, 19-10 and 24-12. The Lady Lobos pulled within six points, 24-18, on a kill by Olga Arozena before Lopez hit the ball out on the next point to allow Hanna to win the opening game.

The next set was much more competitive, and it featured 12 ties. The Lady Lobos surged to their biggest lead of five points, 20-15, when the Lady Eagles hit a ball out. But the Lopez girls couldn’t maintain the lead. Hanna came back to even the score at 20 and 21 before winning the second game 25-22 on a block by Gonzalez.

The Lady Lobos’ final advantage during the third game was 8-7. From there, the score was tied at 8, 9, 11 and finally 24 before the ball was blocked out by Lopez, giving Hanna a 25-24 edge. A hitting miscue by the Lady Lobos on the third game’s last point enabled the Lady Eagles to win 26-24 and sweep the match.

Hanna next plays at the Poundfest Tournament on Thursday in McAllen. Lopez’s next action is Friday at the Donna Tournament.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

For Pace’s Matthew Garza, a senior cornerback, the first day of football practice is something pretty special, kind of like Christmas and his birthday all rolled into one.

“It’s the best feeling ever,” the 5-foot-8, 155-pound Garza said Monday as the Vikings gathered for their first official workout of the 2019 season. “You get to come out and work with your brothers and everything as a family, and you get to practice to get better for district. It’s the best feeling, and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”

According to UIL rules, Monday was the first day for football workouts for all teams that didn’t play spring football. For the ones that had spring ball, they’ll start practice next week.

Conditioning is an important activity during the first few days of practice. The players won’t don pads until Saturday. That’s when the hitting starts, and many teams have intrasquad scrimmages scheduled.

The Vikings return six or seven starters on offense and three starters on defense. They are seeking a third straight season of qualifying for the playoffs after going 7-4 overall last year and finishing as the District 32-5A Division I runner-up with a 7-2 record.

It’s Danny Pardo’s third season as the head coach.

“It’s looking pretty good today,” Pardo said of the first day’s attendance. “We’ve got about 95 percent of our players here, so that helps. There are about 125 players out here, and that’s a good number. We’ve got about 55 freshmen to go with our older players. We’ve got the numbers that we need.”

Two returning starters not among the group Monday were quarterback Jose Banda and defensive end/inside linebacker Jay Gomez. Banda was away playing with his baseball team Monday and Gomez was fulfilling a military obligation. Both are expected to be on hand today.

“In the past, these guys didn’t know just how to react because it was something new (under me as coach),” Pardo said. “Now they know what to expect and they react just like you would expect. They’re working just like it’s just another day (at practice). There’s no nervousness about the first day.

“Even though we’re going to be a little young, especially on defense, these guys have seen two groups that have done well (the past two seasons), so to them it’s understood (what the expectations are this season),” Pardo added. “They want to follow what the other two groups have done.”

Although the Vikings won’t have quite the size they had one season ago on the offensive line, they have a fairly imposing tackle in senior Rafael Recio, a 6-4, 305-pounder, who is a three-year starter.

“I feel good to be out here on the field with my teammates,” Recio said. “We were here every day during the summer putting in work and getting mentally and physically prepared for this, so we should get positive results from here on.

“The potential for this team is very good,” he added. “As long as we come together and all work as a team, we should have a positive turnout. Our main goal is to get past the first round of the playoffs. We’re going after three times in a row in the playoffs with getting past the first round. Like I said, if we work all together as one, it should happen.

“If we work hard, we’re going to be a very good team. I just want to let all the people know that the Vikings are coming. We’re on our way for three (straight playoff appearances). All glory to God.”

Besides the Vikings pursuing a third consecutive playoff trip, there are many other storylines to follow in Cameron County this football season.

Among them are the Hanna Golden Eagles and the La Feria Lions, each of whom will be trying to defend district championships. Last season, Hanna went 10-2 overall and won District 32-6A with a 5-0 record. Also one year ago, La Feria finished 11-2 overall with a 4-0 showing in District 16-4A Division I.

Both teams advanced three rounds in the playoffs in 2018, a feat they would like to equal or surpass this season.

Hanna coach Mark Guess was pleased with the turnout of approximately 100 players to Monday morning’s workout.

“I was satisfied to see the effort given by the athletes,” Guess said. “Actually, scheme-wise, we’re ahead of where we were at this point last year. We’re expecting to pick up our numbers as we get closer to the start of school.”

La Feria coach Oscar Salinas had a lot of positives to say about his group after the first workout.

“We had a great day,” Salinas said. “The players came in in good shape and ready for another season. We had 130 players from freshmen to seniors.”

The Port Isabel Tarpons welcomed approximately 100 players to their team’s first practice.

“It was a solid opening day of training camp for the Tarpons,” said coach Jason Strunk, who is beginning his second season guiding Port Isabel. “It’s amazing what a year can do. We hit the ground running (Monday) morning. The players know the routine. They know the plays. They know the schemes. They understand our nutrition expectations.

“A year into this and we are off and running,” Strunk added. “We had roughly 100 players on the field (Monday), which is a good way to start. We know we are missing some. They will be here (today).

“The first day was a good one. We’ll be back at it (today) at 6 a.m. We need to get better (today) and every day following.”

The next important date for football comes Saturday with the donning of pads and the first date for full contact. After that, the next important date is Aug. 15, which is when teams can start scrimmaging.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Day 1 of a new football season began Monday for the Harlingen South Hawks and many other high school teams throughout the state.

As per UIL rules, teams not playing spring ball could start practicing with non-contact drills and wear helmets, but no pads. The pads will be added Saturday with intrasquad scrimmages scheduled.

The teams that played spring ball open practice next Monday.

It was a lively Monday morning at the South mini-stadium as approximately 150 varsity and junior varsity players participated in conditioning drills.

Seeing so many players on hand for the first day of practice was a pleasant sight for South coach Brian Ricci, who is entering his fourth season at the helm for the Hawks.

“We had a lot of players show up, which is good,” said Ricci, whose Hawks are coming off a 4-7 season with their first trip to the playoffs since 2013. “Obviously, there’s a lot of paperwork, and we had to make sure everybody was cleared to go (practice). That took us a little longer, but I’m happy with the turnout and with the way we practiced. We look forward to the season.”

Among those eager to take part in the first practice was South quarterback David Torres, a senior who is beginning his third season as the team’s starter.

“This is exciting,” said Torres, a 5-foot-6, 160-pounder. “It was hard to sleep last night just thinking about it. I woke up, ate breakfast and came out here extra early. I’m excited for my senior year with my teammates and coaches, and I’m confident to go out there (and perform well).

“We have some sophomores who have been playing a long time since they were little and we have a good senior group, so I’m excited,” Torres added. “The seniors are teaching them the way to play on varsity. I want us to go 10-0 and be District (32-6A) champs, but you’ve got to prepare for each game and take it one game at a time, plus have the mindset to come out with the victory.”

Also displaying a lot of enthusiasm for the start of workouts was senior teammate Jacob Huerta, a 5-10, 250-pound defensive lineman who has started three years as well.

“It feels amazing (to have practice start),” Huerta said. “I’ve been playing football since I was little, and I’ve been working my butt off all summer, so I’m ready for the season.

“I think our potential is pretty good,” Huerta added. “We have some really good players coming up to the varsity along with some experienced players already on the varsity. I think we’re going to come back really well this season.

“Some people are saying one of South’s weak spots is the defense. I believe that’s wrong, and that we can do a lot of good things and we’ll have a strong defense this year. We want to get back to the playoffs and go deeper to make the South fans proud. I would just say the South Hawks are coming (so watch out).”

Besides the Hawks pursuing back-to-back playoff trips, there are many other story lines to follow in Cameron County this football season.

Among them are the Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles and La Feria Lions, each of whom will be trying to defend district championships. Last season, Hanna went 10-2 overall and won District 32-6A with a 5-0 record. Also one year ago, La Feria finished 11-2 overall with a 4-0 showing in District 16-4A Division I.

Both teams advanced three rounds in the playoffs in 2018, a feat they would like to equal or surpass this season.

Hanna coach Mark Guess was pleased with the turnout of approximately 100 players to Monday morning’s workout.

“I was satisfied to see the effort given by the athletes,” Guess said. “Actually, scheme-wise, we’re ahead of where we were at this point last year. We’re expecting to pick up our numbers as we get closer to the start of school.”

La Feria coach Oscar Salinas had a lot of positives to say about his group after the first workout.

“We had a great day,” Salinas said. “The players came in in good shape and ready for another season. We had 130 players from freshmen to seniors.”

The Port Isabel Tarpons welcomed approximately 100 players to the team’s first practice.

“It was a solid opening day of training camp for the Tarpons,” said coach Jason Strunk, who is beginning his second season guiding Port Isabel. “It’s amazing what a year can do. We hit the ground running this morning. The players know the routine. They know the plays. They know the schemes. They understand our nutrition expectations.

“A year into this and we are off and running,” Strunk added. “We had roughly 100 players on the field today, which is a good way to start. We know we are missing some. They will be here tomorrow.

“The first day was a good one. We’ll be back at it (today) at 6 a.m. We need to get better (today) and every day following.”

The next important date for football comes Saturday with the donning of pads and the first date for full contact. After that, the next important date is Aug. 15, which is when teams can start scrimmaging.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The St. Joseph Academy volleyball team returns a good amount of talent and experience from last season’s TAPPS playoff qualifier.

Those qualities were on display during Saturday’s tri-match scrimmage at Pace as a new season of volleyball unfolds. Practice just began Thursday.

The Lady Bloodhounds captured scrimmage victories against Porter and Pace.

During each of the three matches, two of the teams initially played a 20-minute “warmup” game with no score kept before playing a game when the score was recorded.

During the scored games, SJA triumphed against Porter 25-17 and against Pace 25-18. Also, the day’s opener saw Porter defeat Pace 25-17.

SJA has seven players with starting experience returning. The team’s libero was absent Saturday, so only six were on hand.

The Lady Bloodhounds finished 21-12 overall in 2018, including a 5-3 showing to place second in district behind Victoria St. Joseph. This is just the Lady Bloodhounds’ fifth season as a volleyball program.

“I like the fact that our girls are jelling together,” said SJA coach Dolores Olguin-Trevino, whose team played in a TAPPS district for the first time last season and made its first playoff appearance as a district runner-up. “Our girls are coming together as a team.

“A lot of them have been playing together all summer long, so I kind of expected a showing like this,” the coach added. “(Still,) a lot of them were a little nervous at the beginning today because now it’s actually volleyball season.

“They still lack some communication, and some other things like that. We had better passing against Porter than Pace, and that led to more kills against Porter. Our passing was definitely better in our first match (against Porter).”

Returning team captain/middle blocker Ally Stachowiak, a senior, led the Lady Bloodhounds with a double-digit total of kills for the day. The other team captain is Tori Gonzalez, a senior right-side hitter.

Against Porter, SJA broke out of ties at 1 and 2 to lead the rest of the way. Even though the Cowgirls pulled within two points, 19-17, when the Lady Bloodhounds hit into the net, SJA surged ahead again and won by its biggest margin of eight points, 25-17, when Porter hit into the net.

Against Pace, SJA never fell behind and led by scores of 3-0, 7-2 and 9-3 before the Lady Vikings pulled into a tie at 12 when the Lady Bloodhounds gave up a point on a hitting miscue. From there, SJA went ahead for good to win by seven points, 25-18, when Pace hit into the net.

Pace had some strong moments, particularly during the portion of the match against SJA that was not scored.

“I’m happy with the progress the girls have made,” said Lady Vikings coach Pamela McCumber, who has four players back with varsity experience. “We had several good plays and showed some good movement. It’s back to work on Monday.”

Porter coach Tiffany Capistran was pleased with her team’s play Saturday and added more improvement is still required.

“I liked what I saw, even though we still have a lot of work ahead, but I’m excited to start the season with the girls so we can progress,” said Capistran, who returns six players with starting experience. “We have a lot of girls that have been coming back and just (now) getting started. They’ve improved, so we’re good to go.”

Porter next scrimmages at 10 a.m. Tuesday at La Feria. SJA next scrimmages at 9 a.m. Monday at Port Isabel. Other teams involved in the quad-scrimmage with SJA will be Port Isabel, Hanna and Harlingen High.

Pace is open until beginning the regular season Thursday at the Poundfest Tournament in McAllen.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

The challenge of a new volleyball season began at 12:01 a.m. Thursday for the Lopez Lady Lobos.

For the third straight year the Lady Lobos held a “Midnight Mayhem” practice session to kick off their new season’s workouts. It consisted of some demanding conditioning drills lasting almost two hours on the Lobos’ artificial turf football/soccer field under the stars.

The event attracted close to 40 volleyball players.

Thursday marked the first day for volleyball practice around the state under UIL rules. Some teams, such as the Lady Lobos, started as soon as possible on Thursday after the clock struck midnight.

“ This is a big step toward all of us getting together and finding a way to bond with each other so we can find out a little bit of what the upcoming season is going to be like,” said Brenda Savariego, a junior defensive specialist and team captain. “This type of workout is awesome, especially for me, because I like to work out.

“ We all feel good to be out here,” she added. “We’re ready for the season.”

Daya Venegas is beginning her first full season as Lopez’s head coach. Jacquelynn Touchet-Rey, who started the season as the head coach in 2018, is now the assistant.

The Lady Lobos have made the Class 5A playoffs as the District 32-5A fourth-place team the past two seasons. It’s meant an early exit from the postseason in bi-district against the District 31-5A champion. The goal this year is to finish better in district and make it to at least the second round of the playoffs.

Venegas said eight returnees are back.

“ I was expecting about (only) 20 girls tonight, but we got about 40 to come out,” Venegas said. “We have a lot of incoming freshmen here along with the varsity and junior varsity girls.

“ I believe we have a lot of potential,” the coach added. “We’re not the type of school with girls who have the money to go out and play club ball, so we try to do this to motivate them right before the season starts. Coach Touchet started this (Midnight Mayhem) three years ago. The girls like it, they work hard for it, so we’ve continued it. More girls have shown up each time.”

Venegas said it’s a young team this season.

“ We have only three seniors, three juniors and the rest are sophomores with one incoming freshman playing varsity,” the coach said. “We have some other ones who will be trying out for the team.

We have a lot of work to do,” Venegas added. “I told the girls fourth place in district is just not good enough (anymore). Our goal is to keep moving up until we make it to district champs one day.”

The Lady Lobos’ seniors are Aylin Aguilar, Kathie Barrientes and Olga Arozena.

The captains are Savariego and Katherine Rodriguez, a junior setter.

“ This is an awesome way to start the season,” Rodriguez said of the “Midnight Mayhem” event. “We’ve been busting out tails in the weight room all summer long, so this is one step closer to preparing ourselves for the season. This workout is absolutely a motivation. I’m so excited because I know we have a great group of girls this season.

“ We’ve been working so hard, and now I feel we’re one step closer to becoming a better team,” Rodriguez added. “With a workout like this one, we all come together as a team and it lets us know we’re going to have a good season.

“ With this group of girls, we’re all close together. We talk to each other and we have a good relationship on and off the court. We’re great friends with each other, and that’s something that sets us apart. More than anything, I’d like to thank the coaches and everyone who came out to support us as we start the season.”

The Lady Lobos have an alumni match scheduled at 6 p.m. today. After that, they’ll play host to Hanna for a scrimmage at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

The Harlingen South Lady Hawks finished the 2018 volleyball season with a strong flourish, and it’s given them some big expectations for the campaign ahead.

Under UIL rules, Thursday marked the first day volleyball teams around the state could begin workouts.

Just like many other teams, the Lady Hawks embraced the opportunity to get what they believe is a promising season underway.

Mya Pearl Aguirre, a senior setter/outside hitter, was one of 96 players on hand Thursday for South’s first official volleyball workouts. This is her fourth season on the varsity for the Lady Hawks.

“ I was really excited this morning (knowing this was our first day of practice),” Aguirre said. “I woke up with so much excitement.

I feel very confident about my team,” added Aguirre, a four-year member of the varsity. “We have a strong bond together, and that bond throughout the summer has really helped us get ready for this upcoming season.”

The South girls came alive near the end of the season in 2018 to win their final regular-season match and prevent favored Brownsville Hanna from sharing the District 32-6A title with Los Fresnos. South qualified for the playoffs as the fourth-place squad from 32-6A.

The momentum carried over as the Lady Hawks upset District 31-6A champion Edinburg High in the bi-district playoffs before falling to a strong McAllen High team in the area round.

This summer, South won the Highway 83 summer league championship by defeating Brownsville Rivera in the league’s title match.

“ It’s amazing,” Lady Hawks coach Anissa Lucio said. “I’ve been waiting for this day (to start practice) since we ended our (2018) season. We’ve had a great offseason and a great summer, so I’m excited.

“ We have great leadership and discipline on this team,” Lucio added. “We have very coachable girls, and they’ve bought into our system since they were sophomores. They’re seniors now. I think the fact that they’ve bought into the system has brought about our success.

“ (The end of last season and our Highway 83 tournament championship,) those things are uplifting for us. We’re definitely staying humble because we know how tough our district is. We’re trying to maintain the victories and what we’ve done (recently), but we know we can still get better.”

The Lady Hawks are returning five of their six players from their 2018 starting lineup. There are eight seniors overall with a lot of experience.

Among those in that group are Aguirre, Mikela Mireles, Zoe Garcia, Koryanne Reininger, Evelyn Yanez, Odemarys Vidana, Allyah Guevara and Andrea Grant.

“ We work well together and our chemistry is great because we’ve been playing together a long time,” said Mireles, a senior outside hitter/defensive specialist who has been a member of the varsity for four seasons. “Our bond when we play together really helps us.

“ Out biggest goal is to get the district championship, so that’s what we’re going to be fighting for,” Mireles added. “We don’t want to just make playoffs, but to surpass the second round, where we ended last year.

“ I would say the first day of practice is always the best day because you know what to expect and you’re overwhelmed with a bunch of excitement for the season. Looking forward, just watch us do what we do best, and watch us play volleyball.”

Added Lucio, “The sky’s the limit for us. We have high expectations for this group. I think we have the talent and mindset for it.”

The Lady Hawks scrimmage at Sharyland Pioneer on Saturday and scrimmage at home against McAllen Memorial, Mission Veterans and Weslaco East starting at 9 a.m. on Monday.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

A new generation of athletes is rising up thanks to the Harlingen South Youth Football Camp.

The annual camp completed its three-day run Wednesday at the Harlingen South Mini-Stadium with incoming second- through sixth-graders in one group and incoming seventh- through ninth-graders in another.

There were approximately 75 attendees this year, including some young girls.

“We just want to introduce the younger group to the game of football,” South coach Brian Ricci said. “We want them to have fun and have an enjoyable time. That’s our main goal for the young group.

“For the junior high and freshman athletes, we actually try to implement our football strategies,” Ricci added. “We talk terminology with them. It’s like having a three-day head start (to practice) with them, so we do more football-oriented things.

“Looking at the seventh- and eighth-graders this year, we have some size. Kids are bigger nowadays, it appears. Every year it seems they’re getting bigger. We have some skilled kids out there as well, so it’s a good, balanced group. That’s what stands out.”

One of the younger campers on hand Wednesday was Carter Casas, a second-grader-to-be at Treasure Hills Elementary.

“We’d like to play quarterback when he gets a little older. Carter made it clear his loyalty belongs to South by flashing a “Hawks Up” hand sign with his thumb and pinky jutting outward and his other fingers drawn in a clinch.

“I wanted to learn about football (so I came to the camp),” he said. “I learned a lot like kicking, throwing and how to play.

Go Hawks,” he added.

One of the older camp attendees was Ethan Garza, who will soon be a freshman at South. He’s a 5-foot-8, 175-pound running back, who shows plenty of promise as a high school player. He was named the camp MVP.

Garza played safety in middle school and is making the switch to running back.

“This camp taught me a lot,” Garza said. “I feel that I’m a better player now. The coaches have been super good about everything.

“I want to be vital to the team (as a running back),” he added.”I would like to do what I can to help the players win, and just to be a better person. I want to help the younger guys out like the older guys help me.

“I think the (2019) season is going to be a good one. We’ve got a good, solid team coming back. I just want to do a good job, and I hope we win.”

Ricci said holding the youth camp this week has made he and his coaching staff even more eager for the start of the Hawks’ workouts at 7 a.m. Monday.

“This (camp) is kind of the warmup for next week for the coaching staff,” the South coach said. “It gets us ready to go for Monday.”

The Hawks return five or six starters on each side of the ball. One of the returnees is David Torres, a three-year veteran starter at QB.

South went 4-7 last season and went to the playoffs.

“We have a solid senior group,” Ricci said. “I’ve had three seasons here, and these were the ones who were freshmen when I first started here. We’re going to have a senior-heavy roster, and we’re going to see some sophomores on the roster as well. We had a really good freshman team that went undefeated last season. Some of those guys are going to be asked to play (on the varsity) as sophomores.

“We’ll have a roster of seniors with some youth on there, too,” Ricci added. “We’ve got to replace some players, but we feel we have some younger ones who are going to step up and take their places. They’re getting their chance now.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

PALM VALLEY — On a hot, sunny afternoon, Javier Vento came up with a strong showing on the back nine to win the boys 15-18 age division of the South Texas Junior Golf Classic on Sunday at Harlingen Country Club.

The victory was a confidence booster for the 16-year-old junior-to-be at Harlingen South. He rallied and played top-notch golf with birdies on holes No. 10, 13 and 17 to shoot a 3-under 33 down the home stretch.

His final two-day total was a 2-under-par 142 (71-71), which bested La Feria’s Andy Cortez (68-79—147) and Harlingen’s Parker Smith (72-75—147), who tied for second place in the division.

“It feels great to win,” said Vento, who trailed Cortez, a University of Texas Rio Grande Valley golf recruit, by three strokes, 68-71, after the first day. “This is my home course and I know all the people who put the tournament on, so this feels pretty special for them to congratulate me (for winning).

“On the back nine, I would say my putting and wedge shots were working pretty good,” Vento added. “Mainly it was my wedges helping me to put the ball close (to the pin) so I could have close putts.”

Vento knew the field would be quite competitive in his division.

“I think that’s what it is — you face real good competition (in this tournament),” he said. “You want to sharpen yourself (and your skills) even more.

“I think playing with Andy made me even more focused,” Vento added. “Some of the other guys like Ethan (Galvan of Edinburg) are really good players, too. It gets you more prepared and mentally focused.”

Galvan shot a two-day 150 (71-73) for fourth place. Other top scores in the boys 15-18 division were turned in by Harlingen’s Nate Newman (77-74—151) and McAllen’s Raul Gonzalez (78-73—151).

Harlingen Country Club golf pro Elizabeth Richardson, an organizer of the tournament, said between 65 and 70 boys and girls golfers ages 6 through 18 played in the 39th annual event.

“The tournament has gone well, even though the weather has been kind of hot,” Richardson said. “We’ve had some great golf played by these young golfers. We’re really proud of them.”

The boys 13-14 division was won by Levi Keith (73-77—150) of Helotes, a suburb of San Antonio, followed by McAllen’s Esteben Gonzalez (76-75—151) and Edinburg’s Dylan Villarreal (74-78—152).

The boys 11-12 division was won by Mission’s Victor Akin (35-37—72), with the runner-up being Mission’s Lorenzo Garza (34-38—72). Third place went to Weslaco’s Nicholas Luna (36-38—74).

Akin was tied with another golfer going into the No. 14 hole, and then he trailed by two strokes. Akin then made a birdie on one of the last holes, while his opponent made a double bogey, creating a three-shot swing and putting Akin in the lead. He came out on top via a scorecard playoff.

“It felt good (to come back and win),” Akin said. “My dad was my caddy and he helped me a lot throughout the tournament. This (win) gives me a higher self esteem.”

Jay Gomez (36-36—72) of Rancho Viejo captured first place in the boys 9-10 division. Second place went to Hezerian Caldera (39-36—75) of Weslaco, and third place went to Caleb Ede (36-44—80) of Harlingen.

The girls 15-18 division was won decisively by Edinburg’s Madison Ozuna (77-73—150). Valencia Ruiz-Franzoni (86-85—171) took second place, and Laredo’s Catherine Flores (87-85—172) finished third.

The girls 13-14 division was won by Harlingen’s Bella Bullock (94-85—179).

Presley Bolado of New Braunfels (83-79—162) captured the girls 11-12 division.

In the co-ed 6-8 division, Carter Haskins (37-38—75) of Corpus Christi was the winner, and Catherine Carr (43-39—82) of Pharr was the runner-up. Farid Aounallah (52-46—98) of Harlingen took third place.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Paul Barrera had one last thing to do Wednesday as an athlete for the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers.

The recent 2019 graduate signed an athletic scholarship agreement to play football beginning in August at NCAA Division III Ferrum College in Ferrum, Virginia.

Wednesday’s signing was a celebratory event taking place before family, friends, teammates, coaches and school officials at the Brownsville Veterans campus.

“I’m really happy about today,” said Barrera, who plans to pursue a degree in health and human performance in college. “For me, it was really time to do this. I’m proud of myself.”

A 5-foot-10 1/2, 185-pound inside/outside linebacker for the Chargers, Barrera is showing his heart and strong desire to play his chosen sport by signing with a school that is a considerable distance from his hometown.

He said he was influenced to go play out of state by older brother Aaron Barrera, a 2018 Brownsville Veterans graduate who plays football at Hiram College in Ohio.

“I’d really like to thank my brother,” said Barrera, who also played basketball and competed in track for the Chargers. “Aaron is someone who has always pushed me to do my best. He’s always pushed me to be a better player and to be a better person in life.

“I know there will be a change in the speed of the game in college,” he added. “There will be bigger guys out there to go against, and I’m definitely ready for that. I’m always ready to improve. I’ve faced adversity before, so I don’t think there’s anything I can’t adapt to. It’ll be tough sometimes, but that’s something I’m willing to fight through.”

Although Barrera played football only one year for the Chargers, he still made quite an impact. Against La Joya Palmview last season, he set a school record for causing or recovering three fumbles in a single game.

“We’re always so thrilled and proud when any of our football players have a desire to go out and play in college somewhere,” Chargers coach David Cantu said. “In this case, Paul is going to Virgina, and it just proves that he’s hungry to play at the next level. He’s very athletic and tenacious, so we feel he’s going to be successful. He’ll be playing inside linebacker at Ferrum.

“The quality that stands out most to me about Paul is confidence,” Cantu added. “I remember when we were in the third round of the basketball playoffs this year. When he stepped on the floor, regardlesss of the fact that the athletes he was facing were elite-type of athletes, he had no fear whatsoever. He just went out and matched up with them and gave them all that they could handle.

“Paul is just a confident, tenacious athlete. He’s normally very easy going, but once he steps on the football field or the basketball court, that switch (to becoming a hard-nosed defender) takes place.”

Barrera thanked his teammates and coaches along with parents Jaime and Abby Barrera and brother Aaron for all the support they’ve given him throughout life, particularly in high school. He said playing sports for the Chargers has been a life-changing experience.

“We have something in common (here at Brownsville Veterans),” Barrera said. “It’s like a brotherhood. It’s a close-knit unity. Everyone is involved with each other, and there’s no one person (who stands out). It’s a whole family. I think that’s what makes it such a good school. It’s a school of contenders (in athletics).”

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

PHARR — The Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame honored its Class of 2019 inductees during Saturday’s 32nd annual banquet at Pharr Events Center.

The nine new inductees included Brownsville’s Desi Najera (football), Brownsville’s Frank Parker Sr. (football), Harlingen’s Mike Buck (football officiating), Harlingen’s Jim Morton (football coaching), McAllen’s Leticia Canales (basketball coaching), La Villa’s Lisa Silva Malesich (running), Rio Grande City’s Cesar Perez (baseball), Edinburg’s Mary Frances “Sissy” Skinner (tennis) and Pharr’s Doyle Slayton (football coaching).

Inducted posthumously were football coaches Morton, who died in 1995, and Slayton, who died in 2014.

The total number of inductees in the RGV Sports Hall of Fame rose to more than 270 after Saturday.

Najera was an all-state quarterback for the Brownsville High Golden Eagles in 1969, when they went 10-2 and won the District 26-4A championship while advancing to the regional round of the playoffs.

In earning all-state recognition in 1969, Najera passed for 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,000 yards and 12 scores.

“This is very humbling to me,” Najera said of his induction. “It means a lot to me to be part of an organization that includes such icons and legends of sports in the Valley as Tom Landry and Bobby Morrow.

“I’m just very grateful and blessed,” Najera added. “This is very incredible for me and my family.”

Parker has gained induction at age 90. He played for Brownsville High on the varsity for three seasons, starting as a junior and senior in the 1940s. He played for the Texas Longhorns during the late 1940s before his college career was cut short by injury.

Parker, a successful Brownsville businessman, said sports have influenced his life in a positive way.

“It’s nice to receive this award, and I’m very humbled,” Parker said. “I’m (still) very supportive of my coaches and teachers (from high school) for helping me to get here (to this induction).

“You may hear about being inducted and things like that, but when it happens to you there’s a big difference,” Parker added. “It’s quite an honor. I trained hard, was hard-nosed and I listened to my teachers and coaches. I ended up getting a scholarship to play football at UT, so it all worked out great for me (getting my degree).”

Buck was a former longtime resident of Harlingen before moving to Bastrop during the last year. His football officiating career ran from 1979 to 2017 and included 1,444 games.

The late Morton left a lasting influence as a drill instructor, football coach and athletic director at Marine Military Academy in Harlingen from 1969 to 1994. He also coached basketball and track at MMA.

Ken Morton, one of Jim Morton’s four sons, accepted the RGV Hall of Fame honor on behalf of the Morton family. Ken Morton said his father had a hard-as-nails reputation and added he was a fair man.

He said his father would be very grateful for Saturday’s induction.

“He would consider it quite an honor,” Ken Morton said. “He would definitely think it’s really something to be honored. My father would be very thankful.

“This is something we’ve been waiting for (as a family) a long time,” Ken Morton added. “To be recognized by his peers would mean so much to my father. He loved what he did (coaching at MMA).”

Saturday’s inductees also included a runner from La Villa (Malesich) who won five gold medals at the Class 2A level in cross country and track for the Lady Cardinals, and a former basketball standout as a player at McAllen High (Canales) who topped 800 career victories as a 30-year coach and took her Corpus Christi Carroll squads to state three times (1998, 1999 and 2000).

Also, there was a late longtime Valley football coach (Slayton) who had stints at Santa Rosa, Zapata, Lyford, Progreso, Harlingen South and Brownsville Hanna, and a tennis standout (Skinner) who has played her sport since age 9 and continued through her current age of 71. She has been a strong advocate for tennis as a player, tennis pro, coach at Sharyland High and a tennis administrator in the Upper Valley.

Also inducted was a former baseball pitcher in high school and college (Perez) who took Texas Southmost College and Sam Houston State University to separate college world series tournaments with a 93-mph fastball.

Perez was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979 while at Sam Houston State and by the Cincinnati Reds in 1977 while at TSC.