By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Madelaine Blanco and Kenya Ibarra contributed greatly to the success of the Rivera volleyball team in 2018, each in a different way.

As a result, Blanco, a senior and three-year starter, is Defensive Player of the Year on The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro Volleyball Team. Ibarra, a 5-foot-10 freshman, is the All-Metro Newcomer of the Year.

The All-Metro area includes Brownsville, Los Fresnos and Port Isabel.

Blanco, a back-row player, was a vital presence on the court for the Lady Raiders. She helped make Rivera one of the strongest defensive teams in District 32-6A. Blanco and her teammates were constantly digging up strong hits that appeared to be sure points for Rivera’s opponents.

Ibarra, a middle blocker, gave the Lady Raiders some needed power at the net after the Lady Raiders graduated some strong hitters/blockers from last season’s 32-6A championship squad.

This season the Lady Raiders finished 25-15 overall and returned to the playoffs, having tied for third place in district with a 4-6 record.

Also, Blanco was named the top defensive player and Ibarra the newcomer of the year on the All-District 32-6A Team.

“It’s an honor to play for this team, and to be getting these awards throughout my years (on the team), it just shows me I’ve done a good job, and it gives me confidence in my playing after having worked so hard (to do well),” said Blanco, who would like to continue her volleyball career in college. “To be coached by one of the best coaches (Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra) is just an honor as well, because without her and her staff, I wouldn’t have been the defensive player I am today.

“Our defenders always feel like we want the ball (to come to us),” Blanco added. “We’re always like, ‘Hit the ball to us, we’re going to pick it up,’ or if someone dinks the ball on us, we’re going to get it. It’s the energy we have. We always have each other’s back.

“To be named (All-Metro) defensive player makes me proud because it makes me feel that I’ve done my job well. As a senior, this was one of my most memorable seasons.”

Blanco finished the season with 975 digs. She also had 39 kills, 15 assists and 21 aces. Ibarra recorded 446 kills, 139 digs, 65 blocks and 59 aces.

“I think this volleyball season was one of the most exciting things that has happened to me since I was like 5 years old,” Ibarra said. “I came into the season knowing it was going to be hard to fight for a (starting) spot (as a freshman). It was fun playing together with our seniors. Seeing the diversity of competition we faced was fun as well.

“I think it’s been the biggest honor for me to just play and help out our team,” Ibarra added. “Getting awards wasn’t really anything I was looking forward to or expecting. I was always just hoping to help our team fight to win.

“In the future we’re going to be doing some rebuilding and learning from the coaches and our past players. It’s going to help rebuild our confidence and help us develop our skills (to continue winning). It’s going to be fun next year and very challenging, too.”

Both players wanted to thank their parents for the support they have received.

For Blanco, her parents are Melody Slovak and Anibal Blanco. Ibarra’s parents are Ricardo and Rosalee Ibarra.

“We thank them for all their support,” Blanco said. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

The idea of matching strong boys basketball teams from upstate against Rio Grande Valley squads in a tournament before the Christmas holidays is nothing new.

It wasn’t that many years ago a tournament with that format was played at the South Padre Island Convention Centre and organized by Barron “Coach Bear” Honea. The tournament ended its run in the Valley after Honea moved from SPI to Corpus Christi.

An eight-team tournament with the same format begins at 5:30 p.m. today on the campus of Los Fresnos United, which has two gyms.

Participating teams are host Los Fresnos, McAllen Rowe, Edinburg Vela, Harlingen High, Euless Trinity, San Antonio Reagan, Uvalde and Fort Worth Poly.

“Yes, this is the first year (for the tournament), but it was held back in the day, actually (on SPI),” Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa said. “Euless Trinity and San Antonio Reagan look to be the (tournament) favorites.”

The tournament tips off at 5:30 p.m. today at Los Fresnos United with Los Fresnos playing Rowe and Vela taking on Harlingen High at 7 p.m.

At 3 p.m. Friday, the Los Fresnos-Rowe winner plays Uvalde and the Los Fresnos-Rowe loser plays Euless Trinity at 4:30 p.m. Also Friday, the Vela-Harlingen High loser takes on Reagan at 3 p.m., and the Harlingen High-Vela winner goes against Poly at 4:30 p.m.

The semifinals and consolation bracket games are scheduled for Saturday morning with the third-place contest set for 4:30 p.m. and the championship to follow at 6 p.m.

With a 5-1 record, Los Fresnos is off to another solid start to its season. The Falcons have won or shared a district title four straight seasons.

Los Fresnos is coming off Tuesday’s 67-52 non-district win against Edinburg North.

“With a solid crop of seniors graduating last year, we are starting all over again,” Hinojosa said. “We are getting better as every game goes by.

“In this tournament, we are looking to continue putting the pieces together to the puzzle,” he added. “There are lots of solid teams (out there). Come district, our goals won’t change. They never have and never will. Anyone that tells you they are not competing for a district title would be lying to you.

“Our goal this year will be to try and claim a fifth district title (in District 32-6A). It won’t be easy with a lot of solid teams in our district, including a stacked returning ballclub in Harlingen High, but our guys are upbeat and ready for the challenge.”

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Justin Anaya was Mr. Clutch for the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers on Tuesday night.

Anaya swished a 3-pointer from the left corner with a little more than one second remaining to lift his team to a 57-54 non-district victory over the Harlingen High Cardinals at the Brownsville Veterans gym.

The Cardinals inbounded the ball with 1.2 seconds left and got off a shot from midcourt that was off the mark at the final buzzer.

“I thought this was two very good teams playing here tonight,” said Chargers coach Larry Gibson, whose ballclub improved to 12-4. “I can’t take anything away from Harlingen. I feel they were the best team in the Valley. I think we came out with everything we had.

“Harlingen has a great team,” Gibson added. “We were fortunate to have the home court tonight. We went to San Antonio last weekend and played some great competition (in a tournament). (Then) we came out here tonight and played very well.

“Defense was the key for us. When you hold a team like Harlingen to 54 points, you’ve done a very good job. All we needed was 55 points, and we got 57. Defense was the key.”

Harlingen High (9-2) was up 14-11 after one quarter. The Chargers outpointed the Cardinals 13-7 during the second period to lead 24-21 at halftime. Brownsville Veterans took a 37-31 advantage into the final quarter after outpointing the Cardinals 13-10 during the third period.

Harlingen High outscored the Chargers 23-20 during the final eight minutes, but it was just not enough.

“Veterans has a heck of a team, and they did a great job against us,” Cardinals coach Greg Yates said. “This is a tough gym to play in, and we didn’t shoot the ball very well tonight.

“Coach Gibson does an excellent job,” Yates added. “I was fortunate to play for him in college, so it’s always been a nice rivalry when we get to play against each other.”

Harlingen High’s biggest lead was eight points, 14-6, when Michael Arellano hit a 3-pointer from the right side at the 2:22 mark of the opening quarter.

The Chargers never trailed throughout the second half, and their largest lead of 12 points, 46-34, came with 6:09 left in the game when Matt Maddox sank a pair of free throws.

The Cardinals battled back and tied the score at 54 with 57.3 seconds left when Diego Bazaldua drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

From there, with the score tied, the Chargers wound up with the ball as the final seconds ticked away. The ball was passed to Anaya in the left corner and he was money with his 3-point shot.

Initially, the final buzzer sounded right after the game-winning shot from the corner, and the Brownsville Veterans players rushed on the court to congratulate Anaya. Then 1.2 seconds was put on the clock and the Cardinals were given one last chance to tie things again. But that opportunity resulted in the missed halfcourt shot.

Anaya and Damian Maldonado led Brownsville Veterans in scoring with 18 and 10 points, respectively. Anaya finished with a pair of 3-pointers. Maddox added nine points with one 3-pointer, and all of his scoring was done during the fourth quarter.

Arellano led Harlingen High with 19 points, including one 3-pointer. Twelve of Arellano’s 19 points came during the last period. Teammate Bazaldua added 14 points with two 3-pointers.

Brownsville Veterans now takes an eight-day break. Harlingen High next plays in the Tournament of Champions starting Thursday in Los Fresnos.

By ROY HESS

Staff Writer

LA FERIA — Jazmine Flores sees positive things ahead for her basketball team after the Mercedes Lady Tigers won the 45th annual Tommie Wiseman Tournament.

The Lady Tigers captured the Wiseman championship by defeating PSJA High 37-30 in Saturday’s final at La Feria’s main gym.

“I believe my team has a very good chance to win District (32-5A),” said Flores, a senior point guard and four-year starter for the Lady Tigers who was named the tournament MVP. “Some people are doubting us, but the way we’re playing now, we’re only going to get better. Just don’t count us out.”

Mercedes improved to 11-6 on the season. PSJA High slipped to 16-5.

Teammates joining Flores on the all-tournament team were Mallory Noriega and Reena De La Torre. From PSJA High, the all-tournament selections were Kaylah Hernandez and Brianna De Luna.

It was the second time this season for Flores to be named a tournament MVP.

“I wouldn’t want to single myself out as the most valuable player,” Flores said. “I feel that everyone did her part, and that helped us go undefeated in this tournament. It’s a great feeling to be MVP, but I feel that it was a team effort.

“We hustled, and even though we made some mistakes, we corrected ourselves, and we pushed and never gave up,” Flores added. “Even though our shots weren’t there sometimes, we kept rebounding. I think our rebounding helped us a lot.”

The Lady Tigers trailed 9-4 at the end of the first quarter, but they rallied to outscore the Lady Bears during each of the next three periods. Mercedes was up 16-13 at halftime after outpointing PSJA High 12-4 during the second quarter.

The Lady Tigers outscored PSJA High 10-9 during the third quarter to lead 26-22 going into the final period. Mercedes outpointed PSJA High 11-8 during the final eight minutes to win by a seven-point margin.

Seven points at the end marked Mercedes’ biggest lead, although the Lady Tigers were ahead by six points seven different times previously.

Lady Tigers coach Santiago Rivas said even though his team’s offense wasn’t at its best, Mercedes’ defensive play was a big key to the victory.

“Defense (was the difference),” Rivas said. “We were flying around (on defense), and we were playing well. We always do that. It was going to be a defensive battle.

“We used our whole bench, so it was a team effort by the girls,” Rivas added. “They all did a great job.”

The Mercedes coach said Saturday’s tournament championship gives the team a boost going into 32-5A action later this month.

“This (victory) helps us out for district,” he said. “We’ve got some momentum going right now. Hopefully we continue rolling and we’re ready when district starts (Dec. 11).

“We had some good competition in this tournament,” Rivas added. “Every game was hard-fought, and things worked out for us. We’re getting better, and that’s what is important.”

The Lady Tigers won despite a fourth-quarter “phantom point” that was taken away and then restored.

The Lady Tigers entered the final quarter ahead 26-22. Even though no free throws were shot or 3-pointers made by Mercedes during the first two minutes or so of the fourth period, only a pair of baskets counting two points each, the officials stopped the game, huddled with the scorekeeper, and changed Mercedes’ lead of 30-26 on the scoreboard to 29-26. Later, with 2:00 left, the game was halted again and the “phantom point” was added back into the score for a 35-30 Mercedes advantage.

Fortunately, the mixup didn’t affect the outcome.

It was a balanced scoring effort by the Lady Tigers, who were led by seven points each from De La Torre and Sellie Gonzalez. Noriega and McAyla Garza each added six points, and Flores had four.

PSJA High was led by 14 points from Ashley Pecina and 10 from Darlana Galvan.

Host La Feria bowed out of Saturday’s third-place game because its football team had a third-round playoff game at the same time in Corpus Christi. PSJA North, which won the Wiseman Tournament last year, was declared the third-place finisher.

Earlier Saturday, Rio Grande City defeated Jubilee Brownsville 45-29 for the consolation championship, and Brownsville Rivera beat Brownsville Pace 38-37 in the fifth-place game.

Other players named all-tournament were Lexi Arce of Pace, Jacqueline Montes of Rivera, Mariana Espinoza of Jubilee, Roxy Morales of Rio Grande City, Yolanda Hernandez of La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, Kelsy Trevino of Roma, Angela Lucero of Valley View, Sabrina Gonzalez of Port Isabel, Jasmine Loredo of Edinburg Economedes, Selene Garza of Zapata, Catie Rodriguez of PSJA North, and Karina Diaz and Kayla Lowe of La Feria.

By ROY HESS

Staff Writer

Opponents who do their homework when scouting the La Feria Lions realize they must be prepared to defend against a number of receivers in La Feria’s multi-faceted passing game.

Spreading the ball around in the Lions’ aerial attack is one of the things that has helped the team win District 16-4A Division I and advance three rounds in the playoffs.

District 16-4A Division I champion La Feria (11-1) goes against District 15-4A Division I tri-champion La Vernia (11-1) at 2 p.m. today at Corpus Christi’s Buccaneer Stadium. It’s a regional semifinal matchup. The winner plays Liberty Hill next week in the fourth round.

So far in the playoffs, La Vernia has defeated Grulla 55-28 and Lampasas 28-21. La Feria has beaten Beeville Jones 28-25 and Needville 49-34.

La Vernia is led by senior quarterback Clayton Chadwick, who has passed for 2,579 yards and 28 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 1,442 yards and 23 scores.

La Feria junior quarterback Dorian Hernandez has passed for 1,535 yards and 16 touchdowns, and he’s rushed for 1,255 yards and 16 TDs.

Four of Hernandez’s receivers have caught at least 24 passes this season. The receiving corps is led by Darius Hernandez, a senior wideout and three-year starter with 38 catches for 456 yards and three touchdowns.

The two Hernandez players are not related but they sure work well together on the football field, as do the other receivers in the La Feria’s dual-threat offense featuring an active aerial game.

Among the other top receivers for the Lions are Emanuel Sanchez (34 catches, 288 yards, four TDs), Caleb Flores (29-237, two TDs), Noah Conde (24-281, four TDs) and Eric Alegria (8-153, three TDs). Other players who have caught passes from the junior QB this season are Chris Diaz, Avishai Dickerson, Dereck Perez and Chris Diaz.

“It’s something magical,” said Sanchez, a senior, of the Lions’ passing/running attack. “What Dorian does (as a dual-threat QB) just blows you away sometimes. Our ability to run and pass in this offense has really helped us a lot.

“We knew this would be a good year,” Sanchez added. “The coaches have been telling us all season long that this would be a good year. It’s also the hard work we put into practice. If we don’t practice hard, we’ll never be able to execute in the game.”

Added Alegria, also a senior, “It’s fun to be out here playing football with my teammates. I had never expected to play football, right? But now here I am on the varsity. It’s worked out well, and it’s great to be with the team. It would be really nice to win against La Vernia and be a part of it as we move on to the fourth round.”

Flores agreed with Sanchez and said giving a strong effort daily has been an important factor in the team’s success.

“Us working hard as a team in practice has helped a lot,” said Flores, a junior. “This has been one of our best years ever.”

The Lions’ camaraderie is a vital part of the squad, especially for this season’s seniors.

“It means everything to me to come out here every single day and practice as hard as we do,” Darius Hernandez said. “With the great coaches and great teammates we have, it means a lot to accomplish what we’ve accomplished so far.

“We have great chemistry in the way we play together as one,” he added. “We’ve come a long way, of course, since we started as freshmen. My senior group, we’re trying to lead by example and show the younger guys what this team is all about and how to practice.”

La Feria coach Oscar Salinas, now in his seventh year guiding the Lions, said his team must play at its best against La Vernia.

“First of all, we just can’t turn the ball over,” Salinas said. “La Vernia is a really good team that doesn’t make mistakes, so we can’t have any, either. We’ve got to do what we’ve been doing offensively and defensively. To me, the key will be which team can play better on the line. If we play with the same energy on the line that we had last week, I like our chances.

“It would be tremendous to get the win,” the coach added. “To have a team go to the fourth round is something that has never happened in the history of La Feria football. We want to erode that stigma that the Valley teams can’t play with the teams up north. We’ve actually beaten three of them already to get to this round.”

Salinas is grateful for all the backing the team is receiving.

“The community of La Feria is great,” he said. “They love their Lions. You could see it by the turnout at our last game (against Needville in Mathis). We have a lot of support. We’re so blessed to have a great community that loves this team and supports the kids. They’re our 12th man every game. I thank them for all their prayers and support.”

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

La Feria’s defense has done its part in getting the Lions to the third round of the playoffs.

It’s a solid defense that led District 16-4A Division I this season by allowing approximately 210 yards and 15 points per game.

“It’s a great honor to play for this team,” said Jacob Garza, a senior and two-year starter at middle linebacker for the Lions. “It’s our expectation to have a great team overall and to fulfill the legacy that the seniors who came before us left behind. It’s just a great feeling (to play for the Lions).”

This is the first time in 10 years the Lions have advanced to the third round.

District 16-4A Division I champion La Feria (11-1) goes against District 15-4A Division I tri-champion La Vernia (11-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Corpus Christi’s Buccaneer Stadium. It’s a regional semifinal matchup with the winner playing Sealy or Liberty Hill next week in the fourth round.

“Our defense has been outstanding all year long,” La Feria coach Oscar Salinas said. “Early on this season, the defense carried the team until the offense with our young ‘O-Line’ started clicking. It’s not a big defense (we have size-wise), but they’re quick and they get to the ball. We’ve done a great job with our tackling this year.”

The players all agree it’s a defense that is making an impact.

“The hustle and heart we play with (is what stands out to me),” Garza said. “Every game we want to get after the quarterback. Our energy is always up, and that leads to turnovers, which makes us feel good.”

Added teammate Victor Luna, a fellow senior and middle linebacker who is a three-year starter, “We’ve had some new faces (in the lineup) over the last few years, and I think this defense we have right now is the best and has really good chemistry. It can help us go far. Coming into the offseason (after the 2017 season) all of us kind of had a bond with each other and we knew what we needed to do. We had the feeling it would be a good team (this season). We knew we were going to be at our best on defense.”

Garza leads the Lions in tackles with 110 stops (58 solo and 52 assisted). Close behind him on the tackle chart are Luna with 109 tackles (47 solo and 62 assisted), outside linebacker Roberto Fraga with 109 tackles (59 solo and 50 assisted) and defensive end Aja Hernandez with 107 tackles (55 solo and 52 assisted).

“Being with these guys brings a lot of joy to me,” said Fraga, a senior and three-year starter. “I’ve known these guys since I was a freshman, so the bond is definitely there. We just love playing together on this team.

“We do well because we’re a second-half team,” Fraga added. “Sometimes we may start a little slow, but after the first or second drive we can really get it going and shut down opposing offenses.”

The Lions have made 15 interceptions on the season with Garza’s five picks leading the team. La Feria’s defense has recorded 37 sacks during the season for a combined 100 yards in losses. Hernandez is the team’s sack leader with 13.

“I feel we have a great connection with each other, and over time, we’ve been able to accomplish some great things,” said Hernandez, a senior and two-year starter. “We have great chemistry.

“Speaking for the (defensive) line, we always get a good rush on the quarterback, and our linebackers and defensive backs do a great job by doing what they’ve got to do,” Hernandez added. “We have great leadership on the team.”

The Lions’ success is being shared throughout the community.

“It brings joy to everyone (to see us do well),” Hernandez said. “We’re a small school, but it’s letting everyone know that we can make a great impact on everyone around us.

“It’s the greatest feeling in the world to be out here (on the football field) every day with my brothers,” he added. “We’re doing what we love.”

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Dorian Hernandez is everything the La Feria Lions could ask for in a quarterback.

The 5-foot-11, 163-pound junior has led the Lions to an 11-1 record and to the third round of the Class 4A Division I playoffs.

District 16-4A Division I champion La Feria goes against District 15-4A Division I tri-champion La Vernia (11-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Corpus Christi’s Buccaneer Stadium. It’s a regional semifinal matchup. The winner plays Sealy or Liberty Hill next week.

This is the first time in 10 years the Lions have reached the third round of the playoffs, so there is plenty of excitement on the team, at school and in the community.

“It’s an extraordinary feeling (to be a member of this team and be the QB),” said Hernandez, who is a two-year starter. “We’ve come together a lot throughout this year, and we’ve accomplished a bunch of things that are even making school history. I feel like we can keep going as far as we can.

“I feel that I have improved over the season and even since the summer and last season,” Hernandez said. “I think that I’m leading the team pretty well, and I know that I have the trust of my teammates and coaches. They’re behind me, and I’m willing to go to work with them every week.”

Hernandez is a dual-threat QB as a passer and runner. This season he has completed 136 of 242 passing attempts for 1,535 yards with 16 touchdowns compared to six interceptions. He also leads the team in rushing with 1,255 yards on 188 carries for a 6.7-yard average per rush. Hernandez has scored 16 TDs on the ground to lead the team as well.

“When you can have a dual-threat quarterback like Dorian, it’s a blessing,” said La Feria coach Oscar Salinas, now in his seventh season directing the Lions. “He’s gotten better throughout the season. He started off a little slow, but once district came, he began playing really well. To have him is great. Having a quarterback like him is one of the reasons we’re where we’re at, I believe.

“You have to have a good quarterback who can lead your team, and that’s what he does,” Salinas added. “Dorian is a good leader, and he’s making a lot of good plays for us.”

One of the things that is working well for the Lions on offense this season is Hernandez’s ability to spread the ball around to multiple receivers. There are four La Fera pass catchers with 24 or more receptions. Darius Hernandez, a senior wideout and no relation to Dorian, leads the Lions with 38 catches for 456 yards and three TDs.

“Just the way Dorian moves the ball with his arm and his feet is indescribable,” Darius Hernandez said. “The guy is good, you have to give him that. He has a big future ahead of him. I know he’ll do great things in the future.

“The great plays that he can make through the air and on the ground, it’s just great,” the senior receiver added. “The way he is as a quarterback with the abilities he has is impressive.”

Dorian Hernandez said he’s more comfortable playing quarterback this season after having had one year of varsity experience as a sophomore, when the Lions went 6-4 and advanced one round in the playoffs in 2017.

“It’s easier for me this season,” he said. “I’ve been playing quarterback since I was in seventh grade. I feel I’ve been improving.”

To be a part of the 2018 La Feria squad means everything, the standout QB said. For him and others, it’s been quite a season to remember thus far.

“I want to thank everyone for believing in us, coming out to our games and encouraging us to go as far as we can,” he said.

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

PORT ISABEL — Once the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons start playing their uptempo style of basketball, they’re difficult to slow down.

The Port Isabel Lady Tarpons found that out Tuesday night as the Lady Falcons raced to a 75-47 non-district victory at the Port Isabel gym.

“I believe this was one of our top scoring games (this season),” Los Fresnos coach Rebecca Valdez said. “We worked well as a team tonight. Our passing has gotten better, and I think we had fewer turnovers than we normally have.

“We’ve still got to work on our defense because we’re still standing straight up sometimes,” Valdez added. “But overall, I’m happy how we played in this game.”

The Lady Falcons improved to 8-3. The Lady Tarpons slipped to 8-4 with the home-court loss.

“When we scheduled Los Fresnos, we knew it would be a tough game,” Lady Tarpons coach Hannah Burleson said. “We needed some good competition, and that’s why they’re on the schedule.

“This game showed us some things we’ve got to work on, but I think it will prepare us for District (32-4A),” Burleson added. “Los Fresnos has a great team. That’s why we wanted to play them. Yes, we’ve got some things to work on, but we’ll get better. We’ve still got time before district starts (in December).”

The Lady Falcons, members of District 32-6A, scored more than 20 points during three of the four quarters.

They were up 21-14 by the end of the first period and held a 44-22 advantage at halftime after outscoring the Lady Tarpons 23-8 during the second quarter.

Los Fresnos was outpointed 13-10 during the third quarter but still took a 54-35 lead into the final eight minutes. The Lady Falcons won by a 28-point margin after outscoring the Lady Tarpons 21-12 during the fourth period.

The largest lead for the Lady Falcons was 28 points, which was the lead at the end. A pair of free throws by Los Fresnos’ Sarahi Jones with 1:35 remaining made it 75-47.

Leading the way for the Lady Falcons in the scorebook were Ari Gallardo, Jovanna Adame and Dom Clemons with 18, 14 and 13 points, respectively. Gallardo sank one 3-pointer. Teammates Jasmin Garcia and Clarissa Esquivel each added nine points with one 3-pointer apiece.

Sabrina Garza and Gabby Murchison each scored 12 points to lead the Lady Tarpons. All of Murchison’s points came during the second half. Also for Port Isabel, Ryley Galvan and Sabrina Gonzalez each added nine points, with Galvan making two 3-pointers and Gonzalez one.

Both teams next play in tournaments starting Thursday. Los Fresnos goes to a tournament in Laredo, and Port Isabel plays in La Feria’s Wiseman Tournament.

ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Hanna’s defense has been every bit as important as its offense during the state playoffs.

The history of Hanna/Brownsville High football shows no team has ever advanced beyond two rounds in the UIL postseason until the Golden Eagles achieved such a feat last Friday with a 28-13 victory over Eagle Pass during the Class 6A Division II area round of the playoffs.

Friday’s victory in San Antonio improved the District 32-6A champion Eagles to 10-1 on the season. Their next challenge is a regional matchup against District 28-6A champion San Antonio Brandeis (10-2) at noon Saturday at San Antonio’s Alamodome.

Once again, the Eagles will look to their defense to make a difference for the team.

“First and foremost, we realize that we’ve been gifted with a very special group (of defensive players),” said Hanna second-year defensive coordinator Jose C. Ramirez, a 1998 graduate of Hanna. “These guys have a tremendous work ethic and mentality to want to be the best they can be. These guys, who have been working out since the offseason, have built that psyche of being hard-nosed football players. Through that, their identity is revealed to be the type of product that we see in the games we play.

“They are tough and give a relentless effort,” Ramirez added. “They have too much invested into this program and the defensive unit for them to accept anything other than a really great performance on the field.”

It’s a defensive unit that led 32-6A statistically (239 yards per game allowed) and had eight returning starters. Only the two defensive ends and a safety were new to the lineup this season.

“We thought coming into the season that we had a really good defensive unit to begin with,” Ramirez said. “The ones who came into the lineup have been just as good or better than the ones they replaced. They’ve done their part to fit the mold that was left behind by the other (graduated) players.”

The Eagles’ bend-but-not-break defense has factored greatly into the team’s two playoff wins thus far. Prior to last Friday’s 28-13 triumph against Eagle Pass, Hanna prevailed 35-20 in bi-district against Weslaco East on Nov. 16 at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Hanna has won nine games in a row, including its last two outings in the playoffs, so the defense has shined.

“For the most part, these players have been running this system (on defense) for two years now, and they know it very well,” said Hanna coach Mark Guess, now in his third year directing the team. “They’re making reads faster, reacting faster and making plays.

“I’m so proud of those guys (on defense),” Guess added. “They’ve lived up to the saying that defense wins championships.”

The base starting defensive for the Eagles includes Armando Garcia and Jared Lozano at end with Brandon Esteves and Giovanni Rivera at tackle. Jose Cruz is the “mike” linebacker and Isaac Iracheta is the “sam” linebacker with Johnny Aleman as the rover. The secondary includes Lee Guevara and Alcee Flores at cornerback. Bryan Duran and Andres Sustaeta are the safeties.

Cruz is the team’s top tackler with 121 stops (76 solo and 45 assisted). Esteves is the second-leading tackler with 86 stops (57 solo and 29 assisted).

“With all of us working together, the performance of the defense has been tremendous,” said Cruz, a 160-pound senior. “We’re doing what our responsibilities are (on the field) and showing that if we listen to our coaches and do what they tell us to do, we’re going to come out on top. It’s a good defense (that we have).

“Whatever mistakes we have, we go over it as a group, and fix it,” he added. “We hold everyone accountable for their play, and we’re giving it everything we’ve got every single play.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS

Staff Writer

The first day of soccer practice is always an important event in the Rio Grande Valley, especially for Brownsville.

UIL boys and girls teams across the Valley, and actually, throughout the state, welcomed the opening day of workouts Monday. It marked the beginning of the 2019 season.

Practice continues through Dec. 27, when teams start having scrimmages. The regular season opens Jan. 3.

There was enthusiasm for the new season on the practice field Monday for countless South Texas soccer teams, including at Brownsville Veterans Memorial.

The Chargers, 27-3-3 last season, have advanced to the Class 5A regional final the past two years. Nine starters are back. With such an experienced group returning, their goal is to take the next step.

“So, it’s finally soccer season,” said Juan Amieva, a senior defensive midfielder and team captain for the Chargers. “We’re very excited because last year we went very far (in the playoffs), but we didn’t achieve what we had in mind to do (which was win one more game and go to state).

“We’re excited to start a new season today, and hopefully make it (to where we want to go) in the long run,” Amieva added. “As far as the individuals we have coming back this year that are stronger than before, we’re very united. We like to have fun, but we know when to be serious at game time. We’re happy soccer season is here, and we also know we have goals to meet.”

Added teammate Mark Boswell, a junior midfielder/forward, “It feels great (to have the season arrive). I think everyone out here is excited. We just can’t wait to get the season started. We feel we can accomplish not only the same thing that we’ve done already the past two years, which has been the most this school has done, but we feel we can do a lot more and get to state. That’s our goal.”

Besides Amieva and Boswell, the other starters back for the Chargers include midfielders Albert Maradiaga, Diego “Kat” Bernal, Jose Balboa and Orlando Sanchez, along with defenders Luis Capistran and Frankie Moreno Jr., plus goalkeeper Moises Navarro.

There were more than 100 players reporting for Monday’s workouts at Brownsville Veterans, including a group of approximately 40 freshmen. Conditioning was a major part of the first day’s practice, and it included running up a steep dirt mound created by recent construction on campus to install an artificial turf field at the school’s football/soccer/track stadium.

“We have such a great group of players,” said Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez, whose team was the runner-up last season in District 32-5A before advancing five rounds in the playoffs for the second straight season. “They work hard, and they’re ambitious. They know what they want, and they’re willing to work hard for it.

“We feel we’re ready to take the next step,” Vasquez added. “Our goal has always been to make it to state and win it all. Being so close to making it to the state tournament (the last two years), it’s something we really want this season. Hopefully it will be something that happens for us this time.”

One of the local teams getting an early start to the season was Hanna. The Golden Eagles held “Midnight Madness” workouts on their own recently installed on-campus artificial turf field.

“It was great,” Hanna coach Reyes Prado said of the 12:01 a.m. Monday practice. “We had 30 players, and it was by invitation only. Those are the ones that are trying out for varsity.”

Like all the other teams, Harlingen’s squads opened practice Monday with aspirations to build upon the past season’s successes.

Harlingen High’s boys returned to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years under first-year coach Johnny Guillen, who is a 2006 Harlingen High graduate and holds the career boys scoring record for the Cardinals with 88 goals.

“The first day was awesome,” Guillen said. “This program is growing. We had 97 players in practice today, so that was great.

“Nine of our 11 starters are back along with 19 players overall from the team of last season,” Guillen added. “The cream of the crop from last season’s team is back.

“I tell our players we need to finish strong. We not only want to make the playoffs, we want to make a deep run. I’m telling the guys to come to practice and work hard (to reach our goals).”

Guillen said among his all-district players returning from last season are midfielder Jesus Berlanga, defender/midfielder Jacob Garza and forward Luis Garcia.

The Lady Cardinals tied Harlingen South for second place in District 32-6A last season and advanced two rounds in the playoffs under second-year coach Debra Hernandez.

While the Lady Hawks continued their long-held streak of playoff appearances under coach Omar Pedroza, the South boys, coached by Julian Robles, missed out on the postseason after advancing in 2017.

The Hawks’ goal is to make it back to the postseason. They missed out on the playoffs last season after advancing the two previous years.

“We feel pretty good about our prospects,” Hawks coach Julian Robles said. “We had about 80 players out for practice today, so that was good. As long as we put in the work I feel we’ll do well. There’s no substitute for hard work.

“There was only one returning starter (for us) last season, and this time we have 10,” Robles added. “Our main players right now are forward Jose Lerma, defender Angel Ortega and midfielder Eric Lopez.

“We’ve got 10 seniors and a whole bunch of underclassmen, so we’re still kind of a young team.”

Although Brownsville didn’t send a team to the state tournament in Georgetown last season for the first time since 2012, it was still a successful showing for the Valley. Three teams again advanced to state. They were the Valley View boys, Progreso boys and McAllen High girls. It marked the first time since UIL girls soccer came to the Valley in 1997 that a Valley girls squad made it all the way to Georgetown.

The McHi girls went 26-4-1 and won District 30-6A one season ago. At state, they lost 2-0 in the semifinals to eventual 6A champion Houston Memorial.

It was also an eventful year for the Rivera Lady Raiders, who advanced to the Region IV-6A Tournament for the first time. The Lopez and Hanna girls are the only other female squads from Brownsville to achieve such a feat.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.