ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Another “Bird Bowl” in soccer is in the books with the Harlingen South boys and Harlingen High girls coming away with District 32-6A victories Tuesday night at the South Mini-Stadium.

The Lady Cardinals prevailed 2-1 and the Hawks triumphed by the same score.

It was one of the more important “Bird Bowls” of recent memory for the soccer boys because first place in 32-6A was on the line.

There is no doubt about it, the South boys are undergoing a resurgence since beginning the season in January with a rather so-so start.

Hawks coach Julian Robles said his players are motivated this season after missing the playoffs one year ago.

“Most of our players are returning from a rough season last year, and they learned a lot from that,” Robles said. “They have grown as a team and have worked hard together to get better. The leadership from our captains (seniors Jose Lerma, Angel Ortega and Eric Lopez Jr.) and hard work has been our foundation.”

Tuesday’s win came after the Cardinals led 1-0. South then added a pair of goals to make it 2-1 at intermission.

Ortega scored South’s first goal to tie it 1-1 on a set piece with an assist from Lerma.

Lerma then tallied his team’s second goal thanks to an assist by freshman Joaquin Ovalle.

The win gave the Hawks a 3-1 record with nine points in 32-6A. They are now in sole possession of first place as the first round of district comes to an end Friday.

“As far as being at the top of the district standings, we understand that it is hard to get there, and it is going to be even harder to stay up there,” Robles said. “We will need to put in the work at practice and stay focused on every practice and game. This district is still very tight right now, and at this point, anybody can be on top. Every district game is a battle since all the teams are very competitive.”

South closes the first round at Brownsville Hanna at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

VERY TIMELY WIN

Defeating the Lady Hawks 2-1 on Tuesday helped the Lady Cardinals snap a two-game losing streak.

Unlike the boys match, where all the goals were scored in the first half, all the goals were recorded during the second half for the girls.

The first Harlingen High goal was scored by Adelynn Herrera. The Lady Cardinals’ second tally came on a penalty kick by Alexa Gonzalez.

“This win gives us the boost that we needed,” Lady Cardinals coach Debra Galvan said. “It keeps us in the running for the playoffs.”

The Lady Cardinals close out the first round of district at 5:30 p.m. Friday at home against Brownsville Rivera.

The next “Bird Bowl” in soccer is scheduled March 8 at the Harlingen High Mini-Stadium during the second round of district.

32-6A UPDATE

Here are the current 32-6A boys standings: Harlingen South (3-1, nine points), Brownsville Rivera 2-2, six points), Harlingen High (2-2, six points), Los Fresnos (2-2, five points), San Benito (2-2, five points) and Brownsville Hanna (1-3, five points).

Here are the current 32-6A girls standings: Los Fresnos (4-0, 11 points), Hanna (3-1, nine points), Harlingen South (2-2, seven points), Harlingen High (2-2, six points), Rivera (1-3, three points) and San Benito (0-4, no points).

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Golf has been Fahtima Avila’s game since age 4, and it will continue to be in college.

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial senior signed a scholarship Wednesday at the school library to play golf next fall at Texas A&M-Kingsville University. The Javelinas compete in NCAA Division II.

“Honestly, it’s a true blessing to sign an athletic scholarship like this,” said Avila, a member of the Brownsville Veterans girls golf teams that have advanced to Class 5A state tournaments during each of the past two school years. “Who knew that a sport that you have fun doing every day in good or bad weather could help you out in a big way getting you to college? I’m so honored. It’s just truly a blessing.”

Going into 2019’s second half of school year competition, Avila ranks second in the Rio Grande Valley among female high school golfers with a 76.11 stroke average for 18 holes. In five tournaments so far this season, she’s finished either first or second.

“Fahtima is just an amazing young lady on and off the course, and she’s an all-around type of captain for our team,” said Thomas Abete, the Lady Chargers’ golf coach. “She’s the type of player you want and the type of athlete you want on your team. To be able to coach her is truly an honor.

“She’s fearless out there (on the golf course),” Abete added. “When she goes out and puts her mind to doing something, she does it, and she does it without looking back. That’s something that is going to take her far, not only in golf, but also in life.

“We’re happy for her, we’re excited for her, and we wish her the best of luck on behalf of Charger golf and Brownsville ISD.”

Avila said she won’t soon forget her time playing sports at Brownsville Veterans. Early in high school, she also played goalkeeper on the Lady Chargers soccer team. But she soon decided golf would be her sport and opted to concentrate on it.

“It’s an awesome experience,” she said of her time playing for the Lady Chargers. “You start off as a freshman, you’re a little scared and you have a lot of emotions. The coaches and your teammates take you in and they treat you as their own, and four years later, you’re here (signing an athletic scholarship). It’s amazing.

“It’s a great feeling,” she added. “I love my Charger family and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”

Avila plans to major in political science at TAMUK with a minor in communications.

“During my first year there as a freshman, I just want to get used to the school and my teammates on the golf team,” she said. “Of course, I want to continue getting better playing golf, too. I love Kingsville because it’s still close to home. It’s also still far enough away, too.”

During a somber moment at Wednesday’s signing ceremony, with many close family members present, the senior golf standout couldn’t help but remember her late uncle, Rolando Avila, who introduced her to playing golf when she was a young girl and became one of her biggest supporters. He was her mother Yessenia Avila’s brother.

“My uncle passed away before my junior year of high school, and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to continue (with golf),” she said. “With the help of some friends and my family, I decided to keep on going. Now here we are celebrating this amazing (signing) day, and I’m just so blessed (for my late uncle’s influence). I’ll always be thankful to him.”

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

The St. Joseph Academy soccer team is eager to advance deep into the TAPPS playoffs, just like the school’s teams did in 2015 and 2016.

Those were the years the Bloodhounds made it to the TAPPS Division I state semifinals during back-to-back seasons.

SJA is on course for another deep postseason run in 2019 after Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win at home against Houston Emory Weiner.

It was a second-round playoff win and it took a golden goal by SJA’s David Rodriguez after teammate and goalkeeper Carlos Porras had blocked a penalty kick just two minutes earlier for the Bloodhounds (13-8-1) to earn their trip to the TAPPS Division II quarterfinals.

Rodriguez’s golden goal to end the game came with the score tied at 2 and only 36 seconds left in the first half of OT.

SJA coach Edgar Tovar called it a “cardiac” victory.

“We’re battling to get to the state final,” Tovar said. “We’ve very happy. The boys are playing well. This is what we’re working for. This has become a group that is very united. It feels like a family. The boys are displaying good playing techniques, and we have the support of the school. We have a mental attitude to succeed.”

The next step in the playoffs comes at 1:30 p.m. Saturday as the Bloodhounds go against San Antonio Christian (13-10-2). The state quarterfinal match will be played at Corpus Christi John Paul II.

“This win (Tuesday) gives us a lot of courage to do even better in the next round,” said Porras, a senior. “Almost all of the team is made up of seniors, and getting the win meant a lot to us because it was the last game for us at Canales Field.

“I’ve seen us improve in a lot of ways since the beginning of the season (last fall),” Porras added. “We’ve improved by believing in each other most of all. Hopefully, we can do better in the next game. I’m just grateful to play on this team.”

Rodriguez, a forward, is also a senior who has a strong belief in his team’s potential as it plays together.

“Our win (Tuesday) gives us life in the playoffs against more good teams to come,” he said. “It’s all a group effort. If we don’t work as a team, we can’t do what we need to do (and win).”

LOBOS ON FIRE

A local observation recently said something to the effect that no one is talking about the Lopez Lobos in the District 32-5A soccer race this season, which means they’ll probably be the ones going to state.

Lopez leads the Valley with five trips to the UIL state tournament with a Class 4A championship in 2004 and a Class 5A runner-up finish in 2009.

The Lobos showed they shouldn’t be overlooked this season, either, as they defeated Brownsville Veterans Memorial 3-0 on Tuesday in a bit of a surprise since the Chargers seemed to be getting past all obstacles.

But Lopez was the better team on Tuesday.

“What stood out about that game (against Brownsville Veterans) was the intensity our players gave throughout the entire night,” Lobos coach Amadeo Escandon said. “They had the desire to win and they pressed every ball on both the offensive and defensive sides of the field.

“Every time we defeat an undefeated and ranked team (such as the Chargers), it’s a great victory for our program,” Escandon added.

Scoring goals in the match for the Lobos were Raudel Ramirez (two) and Alan Reyes (one).

32-5A UPDATE

Here are the 32-5A boys standings after Tuesday’s games: Brownsville Veterans (5-1, 15 points), Valley View (5-1, 15 points), Pace (4-2, 12 points), Lopez (4-2, 11 points), Porter (3-3, 10 points), Donna High (2-4, six points), Edcouch-Elsa (1-5, three points) and Mercedes (0-6, no points).

Here are the current 32-5A girls standings: Pace (5-1, 15 points), E-E (5-1, 15 points), Porter (5-1, 13 points), Lopez (3-3, 10 points), Brownsville Veterans (3-3, 10 points), Donna High (2-4, six points), Mercedes (1-5, three points) and Valley View (0-6, no points).

32-6A UPDATE

Here are the current District 32-6A boys standings: Harlingen South (3-1, nine points), Rivera 2-2, six points), Harlingen High (2-2, six points), Los Fresnos (2-2, five points), San Benito (2-2, five points) and Hanna (1-3, five points).

Here are the current 32-6A girls standings: Los Fresnos (4-0, 11 points), Hanna (3-1, nine points), Harlingen South (2-2, seven points), Harlingen High (2-2, six points), Rivera (1-3, three points) and San Benito (0-4, no points).

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Thanks to some standout plays at the very end of the match, the St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds remain alive in the TAPPS Division II soccer playoffs.

SJA goalkeeper Carlos Porras blocked a penalty kick with a little more than two minutes to play and teammate David Rodriguez scored a golden goal with 36 seconds showing in overtime to give the Bloodhounds to a 3-2 victory Tuesday afternoon.

The area-round win against the Houston Emory Weiner Jaguars at Canales Field advances the Bloodhounds (13-8-1) to the third round of the TAPPS Division II playoffs. They’ll play their next game on Saturday at a site to be announced. SJA’s opponent is expected to be San Antonio Christian or Katy British International Houston.

In Tuesday’s match, the Bloodhounds went ahead 2-0 with goals by Kevin Moran and Marcelo Masso during the ninth and 11th minutes, respectively. Emory rallied and scored back-to-back goals during the 68th and 69th minutes to eventually send the match to overtime tied at 2 after 80 minutes of regulation.

Based on the TAPPS golden goal format, the Jaguars could have won on a PK with just under three minutes left in the first 10-minute OT period. But Porras kept the Bloodhounds’ chances alive by stopping the penalty try.

Just a couple minutes later, Rodriguez put in a golden goal from 10 yards away on the right side, ending the game with 36 seconds showing in the first OT. On the play, the ball was crossed over to Rodriguez off a corner kick taken from the left side.

“It was all a team effort,” said Rodriguez, a senior forward. “It all started with the penalty kick the opposition had against us (a couple minutes earlier). If our goalkeeper didn’t stop that penalty, it would have been game over (with Emory winning), and I wouldn’t have ever had a shot (at the winning goal). I was lucky to have that shot.

“It made me feel a little relief (that I helped us win),” Rodriguez added. “I wanted to give back to my team because I had missed probably four previous shots that could have put the game out of reach, so that (winning) goal brought me comfort.”

Porras said he was happy to give his team a boost.

“The first thing I thought instantly in that penalty situation was about the team,” the senior goalkeeper said. “I wanted to put the team above everything else, even myself. The team just came to mind when the whistle blew for the penalty (to be taken).

“It means the world to me (to stop that PK),” Porras added. “It was unbelievable.”

SJA coach Edgar Tovar was pretty amazed as well.

“Carlos saved the game,” Tovar said. “We played longer (than we expected in OT after giving up our 2-0 early lead), but the most important thing is we won. Now we will continue forward (in the playoffs).”

Valley HS Boys Soccer Schedule 2018

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

Mission High 6, McAllen Rowe 1

La Joya High 6, PSJA North 5 (PKs)

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 5, McAllen Memorial 0

McAllen High 3, PSJA High 1

District 31-6A

Donna North 3, Edinburg Vela 0

Edinburg High 4, Weslaco High 1

Edinburg Economedes 1, Weslaco East 0

District 32-6A

Harlingen South 2, Harlingen High 1

Brownsville Rivera 5, San Benito 1

Los Fresnos 2, Brownsville Hanna 1 (PKs)

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 6, Mission Veterans 0

La Joya Palmview 2, Roma 1 (PKs)

PSJA Southwest 5, Rio Grande City 1

Sharyland Pioneer 2, PSJA Memorial 1

District 32-5A

Valley View 4, Brownsville Pace 1

Brownsville Lopez 3, Brownsville Veterans 0

Brownsville Porter 7, Edcouch-Elsa 1

Donna High vs. Mercedes, not reported

District 32-4A

Raymondville 3, Brownsville IDEA Riverside 1

VALLEY HS BOYS SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

MISSION HIGH 6, McALLEN ROWE 1

McAllen Rowe 0 1 — 1

Mission High 3 3 — 6

MISSION HIGH (6): Sebastian Montes 3, Aaron Rodriguez, John Cortez, Pedro Torres

RECORDS: Mission High

McALLEN HIGH 3, PSJA HIGH 1

PSJA High 1 0 — 1

McAllen High 0 3 — 3

McALLEN HIGH (3): Omar Capuchino, Ernesto Garcia, Christian Iizcano

RECORD: McAllen High 1-3-1;

District 32-5A

VALLEY VIEW 4, BROWNSVILLE PACE 1

Valley View 3 1 — 4

Brownsville Pace 0 1 — 1

Valley View (4) Christopher Flores 2, Pablo Torre, Yonathan Castro

Friday, Feb. 15

District 30-6A

PSJA High at Mission High, 6 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at McAllen High, 6 p.m.

McAllen Rowe at La Joya High 6 p.m.

PSJA North at McAllen Memorial, 6 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg North, 6 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Edinburg North, 6 p.m.

Weslaco East at Weslaco High, 6 p.m.

District 31-5A

Roma at Sharyland Pioneer, 8 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at Sharyland High, 8 p.m.

Rio Grande City at La Joya Palmview, 8 p.m.

Mission Veterans vs. PSJA Memorial, 8 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna High at Valley View, 5:30 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez at Mercedes, 5:30 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Edcouch-Elsa, 5:30 p.m.

District 31-4A

Hidalgo at IDEA Quest, 7:30 p.m.

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — The Los Fresnos Lady Falcons are the new leaders of the District 32-6A girls soccer race.

A pair of second-half goals lifted the Lady Falcons over previous 32-6A leader Hanna 2-0 on Tuesday evening at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium.

“It feels amazing,” said Allison Spier, a senior sweeper and team captain for the Lady Falcons. “We work hard every single day, and it’s just nice to know our hard work pays off. Now we’re finally on top.

“I’m just very proud of the girls and that we showed up tonight (to play well),” Spier added. “I love my team.”

Los Fresnos is the defending 32-6A champion. Tuesday’s win improves the Lady Falcons to 4-0 with 11 points. Hanna is now in second at 3-1 with nine points.

“We were really hoping for the win tonight to give us that little bit of breathing room (in the standings),” Lady Falcons coach Patricia K. Hernandez said. “We’re trying to finish off the first round of district with a gap between us and the second-place team.

“This was not the matchup we had expected (for first place), but obviously for Hanna to come into this game undefeated (at 3-0 in 32-6A), they had to have something there, and they proved it tonight,” Hernandez added. “Hanna hustled and worked hard. They were just as competitive as we were.”

After an evenly played and scoreless first half, the Lady Falcons went up 1-0 barely two minutes into the second half.

The Hanna goalkeeper came out and went after a loose ball in the goalmouth, but couldn’t get to it in time. In a wild scramble for the ball, Los Fresnos’ Liz Garza nudged it into the left corner of the open net for her team’s first goal.

It became 2-0 for Los Fresnos with a little less than seven minutes left when freshman Hannah Wrinkle beat the Hanna goalkeeper in a 1-on-1 situation from about 10 yards out with a shot to the left corner of the net.

Hanna will try to get back on track Friday at home against Harlingen South. Los Fresnos is at San Benito the same night. Those games mark the end of 32-6A’s first round.

“It was a close game tonight,” Lady Eagles coach Eliseo Guzman said. “I don’t think the score really reflects how close it was. We just need to keep working hard and try to stay near the top (of the standings).”

It ended up being a sweep for Los Fresnos as the Falcons won the 32-6A doubleheader nightcap Tuesday with a win in penalty kicks against the Hanna boys.

Los Fresnos scored a first-half goal and Hanna tallied a second-half goal after it had a penalty kick try bounce out off the crossbar.

After 100 minutes of regulation and overtime play, the boys match went to PKs tied at 1.

Hanna went first and had its initial PK try blocked. Los Fresnos shot high on its fifth PK, leaving the score in penalties tied at 4. The sixth one for Hanna had his PK attempt stopped, too, before the final player to take a PK for the Falcons converted, giving Los Fresnos a 5-4 edge in the penalties.

The official score for Los Fresnos was a 2-1 win in PKs.

The Falcons improved to 2-2 with five points, and Hanna slipped to 1-3 with five points.

By ROY HESS

Staff Writer

The Edinburg High Lady Bobcats took a successful first step in the Class 6A bi-district basketball playoffs Monday by defeating the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles 90-48.

The decisive win at the Hanna gym advances District 31-6A co-champion Edinburg High (31-8) to the area round of the playoffs, where the Lady Bobcats will go against Laredo Nixon or PSJA North later this week.

Hanna opened the game by hitting quite a few of its shots and led by as many as 11 points, 13-2, after Mia Paz nailed a 3-pointer from the left side with 4:02 showing in the first quarter.

But the Lady Bobcats soon implemented a three-quarters court press, and the momentum quickly switched to their favor as they got into the rhythm of their up-tempo game.

“At the end of the day, I think our girls have a lot of composure,” Lady Bobcats coach J.D. Salinas said. “We’ve been in situations like this throughout the season (and trailed early). We have the ability to overcome that adversity at times. We’ve been in tough games all season long.

“Our girls just did a fantastic job of staying with the flow of the game to overcome that run that Hanna started off with,” Salinas added. “We have a lot of respect for Hanna and Mia Paz, and what she’s done in all her years for them.

“We shot the ball well, even though we struggled early. We pressed because we wanted to change the tempo of the game. We wanted to play a little faster and be more aggressive (so we went to our press).”

Hanna led 15-12 after one quarter, but thanks to a 25-9 scoring outburst during the second period, the Lady Bobcats were up 37-24 at intermission. Edinburg High exploded for 28 points during the third period compared to 13 for Hanna to take a 65-37 advantage into the final quarter, where the Lady Bobcats closed out the contest by outpointing the Lady Eagles 25-11.

District 32-6A fourth-place Hanna, making its first playoff appearance in 14 seasons, ended the season 26-12.

“I’m so proud of the girls this season for making the playoffs after many years,” Hanna coach Luis Gonzalez said. “They set the foundation for next year’s group.”

Paz, a senior guard, finished the night with 26 points, including three 3-pointers.

Earlier this season, she became the all-time career leading scorer in Brownsville, eclipsing former Hanna star Alex Denson. Paz ended her four-year Hanna career with 2,968 points.

But besides Paz, Hanna had only two other players score against Edinburg High. They were Alexis Alvarez (16 points with four 3-pointers) and Odalys Gonzalez (six points).

Meanwhile, the Lady Bobcats had four players in double figures. They were led by Jenessah Santa Maria’s 31 points, which included one 3-pointer. Other Lady Bobcats scoring in double figures were A’nnika Saenz (17 points with three 3-pointers), and Daysha Tijerina and Brianna Martinez (15 points each with one 3-pointer apiece).

Santa Maria scored 12 of her 31 points during the second period to help the Lady Bobcats pull away and put the game pretty much out of reach by halftime.

Edinburg High’s biggest lead was 42 points twice during the final minute with scores of 88-46 and 90-48.

“I think this may have been a season high (in scoring) for us,” Salinas said. “I feel our press really helped us a lot tonight. We’re going to move on to the next round now and see what happens.”

By ROY HESS

Staff Writer

Nico Alvarez finds himself in quite an elite position as he prepares for this week’s UIL state swimming & diving meet in Austin.

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial diver is one of only several Rio Grande Valley athletes advancing to state in Class 5A.

Actually, he’s the only one from Brownsville making the trip this year.

“There’s a little bit of pressure (being the only one from Brownsville), but I’m also very honored to be going,” said Alvarez, a junior who started competing in diving when he was a sophomore. “My goal at state is to beat my (school) record that I have right now and do the best that I’ve done this whole (school) year.”

Alvarez won last month’s 1-meter diving event at the District 32-5A meet in Brownsville with a 339.30 score. He then qualified for state by placing second with a 368.90 score at the Region VIII-5A meet Feb. 2 in Corpus Christi.

He’s seeded eighth out of 21 divers in his event going into state competition, which starts Friday and runs through Saturday at the University of Texas Swimming Center. The top eight finishers in Austin earn first-team all-state recognition.

“I’m very satisfied with how my season has gone,” Alvarez said. “I expected to do well, but I didn’t think I’d do this well. I’m very proud of myself. I was semi-confident (going into regional competition) that I was going to advance to state (as one of the top three finishers in my event). But when I found out the news that I finished second and I was going to Austin in two weeks, I was really excited.”

Alvarez is one of only two 5A male divers going to state from the Valley. The other one is Sharyland Pioneer’s Marc Rodriguez, who took third at the regional meet with a 328.10 score and is seeded 12th at state.

“I’m very proud of Nico,” said Frank Sanchez, the Brownsville Veterans swimming coach. “It’s a first for a Veterans diver to qualify for state, and he’s seeded eighth, which is great.”

Alvarez actually is coached by Mark Schlatter, the Brownsville ISD diving coach who has held the position since November 2017.

Schlatter, too, is pretty thrilled to see Alvarez make it to state as a junior.

“It’s great because you see the potential in athletes like Nico, and you think that he is one who could possibly make it (to state),” the diving coach said. “He’s buckled down and focused on really improving. His biggest thing has been, not that he could do new dives, but that he’s gotten very consistent with the dives that he’s been doing already. He’s not up and down with his scores.

“This past regional meet was the best that he’s ever dove, and there was really no dropoff, no big mistakes,” Schlatter added. “Knowing that there was pressure to go to state, he (still) went out and broke his own school record, so that was great. Last year, he was (just) in the running (to go to state), but this year, he really separated himself from the other divers.

“Nico is very athletic and he’s very flexible. Some people just have a natural fluidity to their movement, and he does. He comes out of a dive and it just looks smooth, it just looks neat, so it’s a natural ability that he has.”

Alvarez credits his background in gymnastics for helping him do well in diving. He started participating in gymnastics as a sixth-grader after school.

“I think what I’ve learned in gymnastics has been the basis for what I’ve learned as a diver,” he said. “I don’t think I’d ever be in this sport of diving if I hadn’t gone into gymnastics.

“In high school, I wanted to do a sport that was like gymnastics,” he added. “When the (2016) Olympics were going on, all I would watch (on TV) was either gymnastics or diving. It made me become interested in any sport that I could do flipping or anything like that. The closest thing to it (offered in high school) was diving. After a few practices, it became very interesting to me and I really got into it.”

Alvarez’s focus at the moment is preparing to do his best at the state meet. He’ll be going up against some All-American competitors who boast diving scores that rank among the best nationally.

More than anything, this first-time trip to state figures to be a learning experience for the future for him as he pursues a college scholarship in his sport.

“If I could finish in the top eight, it would be awesome to end my junior season like that,” he said. “I think it would prove to me that I’ll have another year to practice, work harder and maybe even even get a medal next year.”

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

For much of the match, it looked like Porter’s night.

The Cowboys played their hearts out, built a 1-0 lead, and for the most part, did enough to win.

But the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers are a pretty determined group, and they want to maintain their lead in the District 32-5A boys soccer race.

On a cool Friday night at Porter with temperatures in the upper 40s, the Chargers rallied from a 1-0 first-half deficit to defeat the Cowboys 2-1.

Brownsville Veterans’ Mark Boswell scored the winning goal from the right side on an assist by Albert Maradiaga with a little more than 13 minutes remaining to keep the Chargers unbeaten in district at 5-0 with 15 points.

It doesn’t get any easier as the Chargers’ next challenge comes Tuesday at Lopez.

“Nothing’s easy around here (in Brownsville soccer),” said Boswell, a junior forward/midfielder.

That was perhaps the best possible description of the game from a player who always seems to be in the right place at the right time when the Chargers need him most.

Alberto Vasquez, Boswell’s coach, agreed.

“This is such a difficult district with a lot of really good teams, great players and great coaches, so it’s always one of those things where we need to show up and be ready to play every game or we won’t get the result we’re looking for,” Vasquez said. “I don’t know if the type of game we had on Tuesday (when we beat Valley View 2-1) affected us a little bit, but we had a slow start tonight. Eventually, our players were able to respond. We got two scores to put the game away.”

Regarding the game-winning goal, which came on a medium-range shot from the right side, Vasquez said, “Mark didn’t hesitate too much in taking that shot that he put in. I think we were hesitating a little too much (with our shots) throughout the game. I don’t know what we were waiting on, but we needed to be a little bit quicker with some more ball movement. Eventually, things paid off for us at the end.”

Porter (2-3, seven points) played a spirited game with purposeful passing from the start and added to its confidence when Oscar Garcia drilled a crossing shot into the net from the left side with only two and a half minutes to go before intermission.

“We knew we were going to have our hands full with Veterans,” said Porter coach Jose Espitia, whose team next plays Tuesday at Edcouch-Elsa. “We wanted to go out there and test ourselves (against the Chargers) to see what we can do as a potential playoff team, and I’m happy with my guys. I think our players responded well tonight. They played a good game.

“We had several chances in the first half that we could have taken advantage of (and maybe put the game away), but it’s just a few little details that we need to fix so we can be a little more focused on the game (and avoid mistakes),” he added. “Maybe it was a little inexperience or inability to manage the game on our part (that led to Brownsville Veterans’ scores), but I’m still happy with my players. I think they played their hearts out. They played a good game, and hopefully, we keep building up and going from here.”

The Cowboys’ 1-0 advantage lasted until Maradiaga was awarded a penalty kick following a tripping foul on Porter barely 13 minutes into the second half.

Maradiaga converted the PK, which set the stage for Boswell to come through with his game-winning goal in the late stages of the match.

“It’s very important that we stay on top of the district race,” Boswell said. “Tonight, we had a slow start, and we just needed to keep on pushing forward. Hopefully, things continue going well for us. We’re not going to let down.”

Meanwhile, it may have taken some extra time, but the night ended with a win for Porter.

After 100 minutes of regulation and overtime play, the Cowgirls defeated the Lady Chargers in penalty kicks in the nightcap of the 32-5A doubleheader.

At the end of regulation, the score was 1-1. It stayed that way through 20 minutes of OT. In the PKs, the Cowgirls prevailed 3-2, thanks to three blocks by their goalkeeper.

The win allowed the Cowgirls to maintain their 32-5A lead with a 5-0 record (13 points). The Lady Chargers slipped to 2-3 (seven points).

The Cowgirls were coming off Tuesday’s win on the road in PKs against the Lopez Lady Lobos.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Tabitha Fernandez is an athlete for all seasons.

She’s participated in volleyball, basketball, and track and field during her four years at Hanna.

But when all is said and done, softball is her sport.

The senior multi-sport standout for the Lady Golden Eagles on Wednesday signed to play softball next school year for the Jarvis Christian College Bulldogs of Hawkins, Texas. They play at the NAIA level in the Red River Athletic Conference.

Family, friends, teammates, coaches and school administrators gathered to celebrate Fernandez’s signing at the Hanna gym. It was a joyous moment for everyone in attendance.

And it was an event quite some time in the making.

“I’ve been thinking about this (signing) since I was a baby — actually, since I could pick up a ball,” said Fernandez, who has earned all-district and All-Metro honors playing her sports with a fair share of them coming in softball. “I was always hoping and dreaming that I could be signed and continue my softball career.”

Fernandez’s main position on the softball diamond for the Lady Eagles this season is shortstop. She also pitches and plays third base. She’s being signed by Jarvis College as a utility player.

“Tabitha is a four-year starter for us and she’s a very versatile player,” said Greg “Boomer” Larson, Hanna’s softball coach. “She’s a right-hander who has pitched and played shortstop and third base. It’s nice to have someone who we can plug in at different positions.

“She’s very competitive, and she always wants to be the best at whatever we’re doing,” Larson added. “Her competitive nature is one of the things that makes her a very good athlete to coach. I think being a versatile player will give her a very good chance to get on the field early in her softball career in college. I believe once she gets on the field, she’ll prove she belongs there.”

Fernandez said she appreciates her time at Hanna, particularly playing sports and building long-lasting friendships.

“Honestly, I’ve been so blessed to be in this program because the coaches are so welcoming and helpful,” said Fernandez, who plans to study criminal justice and social services in college. “The coaches have shaped me into the player I am today.

“I’m so happy I get to put myself in this position and I get to help my teams and Hanna make a good name for our school,” she added. “I hope it will be the same family-oriented and based type of team at Jarvis like it is here with the same types of friendships and the unity we have (at Hanna).”

When asked if she had anything more to say, Fernandez said it is important to her to thank everyone who has supported her along the way.

“I am thankful for all my coaches who have helped me get to where I am now, and for my family for pushing me, helping me and spending all their time on me so I could get this (athletic scholarship) offer,” she said. “My parents are Heriberto and Jessica Fernandez, and I thank them a lot.”