By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Some of Santiago Garcia’s unfinished business as a high school senior was taken care of Thursday afternoon.

From his to-do list prior to graduation, the standout Hanna golfer can now check off the item regarding his college future.

He signed a full-ride athletic scholarship agreement Thursday to play golf next school year at Texas A&M International University, an NCAA Division II school in Laredo.

“This (signing) is something special in my life,” said Garcia, a four-time District 32-6A individual champion who is the top-rated high school golfer in the Rio Grande Valley as a senior with a 70.73 stroke average for 18 holes. “This is a short step in the next direction for me. Playing college golf is something I’ve always dreamed of and hoped to do one day. It’s just a step in the right direction for the long career (in golf) that I hope to have.”

Most notably, Garcia won his latest district medalist title by shooting an 11-under-par 61 during the final round of the 32-6A tournament on April 5 at Weslaco’s Tierra Santa Golf Club. That remarkable score tied Garcia with two other high school golfers for the best 18-hole round ever recorded in Texas during UIL competition. The other two 61s were recorded in 2005 and 2017.

Other items on the standout golfer’s immediate to-do list include having a strong finish at next week’s Region IV-6A Tournament in San Antonio and qualifying for the UIL state tournament in May at Georgetown for the first time.

Garcia knows he can turn his full attention to doing well on the golf course during the coming days after securing his college future on Thursday.

He ranks in the upper 15 percent of his class academically. At A&M International, he plans to pursue a degree in international business or mechanical engineering.

“Of course, it feels really good (to be attending college in Laredo) because my parents will be close and my family will be close,” he said. “They don’t have to travel that far to go see me and I won’t have to travel that far to come back home.

“I was going to go to the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, which is also an NCAA II school, but I de-committed from there because they offered me a full ride in Laredo (compared to a 75 percent of expenses paid scholarship in Colorado), so it feels really good,” he added. “I feel the support of everyone (in the golfing community) around the Valley. Even though I’ll be in Laredo, it will feel like I’m at home, so it will be a good place to be.”

It was a joyous occasion for all the family members, fellow students, coaches, teachers and Brownsville ISD administrators in attendance Thursday for the signing at the auditorium on the Hanna campus.

Besides Santiago Garcia, perhaps the one at the gathering in the most celebratory mood was Adrian Garcia, the golfer’s father and also his golf coach at Hanna.

“This is an incredible day,” Adrian Garcia said. “My son is very independent, his focus is phenomenal and he’s very talented. I’m really excited for him and glad that he’s staying close to home in Laredo versus Colorado.

“‘Chago’ (Santiago) did all the footwork (in landing his scholarship),” the Hanna coach said. “We’ll be excited to go see him play (after he finishes his Hanna golf career). Before too long I’ll get to watch ‘Chago’ at the next level and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

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 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

All the time spent on the diamond dating back to his West Brownsville Little League days starting at age 6 has made Aaron Recio the talented baseball player he is today.

Recio is a senior multi-sport standout in baseball, football and track who is nearing the end of his high school athletic career and looking forward to his next challenge as a baseball player for Schreiner University, an NCAA Division III school in Kerrville.

The standout catcher/outfielder, a three-year starter for Brownsville Veterans Memorial, on Wednesday signed a college athletic scholarship agreement before a packed audience of students, teachers, coaches, administrators and family members at the school library.

It was an event he’ll long remember.

“It’s a great day,” Recio said. “It’s a day I’ve been looking forward to since my freshman year, and actually, even before then.

“I’ve worked so hard for this,” he added. “I’m grateful and blessed for this opportunity.”

At Brownsville Veterans, Recio has played on district championship baseball squads as a sophomore and a senior. The Chargers were District 32-5A runners-up in 2017 when he was a junior and earned first-team all-district honors at catcher for batting .400 with a pair of home runs. Recio is expected to garner similar honors when the 2018 season is completed.

“Aaron has a lot of speed and that’s one of his biggest assets along with hitting,” Chargers coach Albert Rodriguez said. “He has 36 stolen bases for his (three-year varsity) career.

“He’s like having a quarterback on the field in baseball,” Rodriguez added. “We’re a young team this year and he’s one of our senior leaders. He’s contributing day-in and day-out, on and off the field. He’s just the typical player that you want on a team. He’s is a role model for our younger guys.”

This season, Recio is batting .345. He has hit .350 with 47 hits and 25 RBIs during his career.

“If you can hit the ball, regardless of your size, then you’re going to find somewhere (in the lineup) to play,” Rodriguez said. “That’s who he is.

“Aaron may be small in stature, but he has a big heart and a big will,” the coach added. “He’s a real competitor.”

Recio said he will pursue a degree in sports management at Schreiner with the intent of someday becoming an athletic trainer.

The senior standout said he hopes to carry the success he has enjoyed at Brownsville Veterans with him to college. He expects he’ll probably play in the outfield rather than catcher at Schreiner as a way to utilize his speed.

“It’s been awesome playing for this program and the Chargers,” Recio said. “We’ve had a great team for a long time and we’re undefeated (12-0 in district) so far this season. I came here for a reason and that’s to win district championships. Let’s see how far we go in the playoffs.”

Recio has his priorities set for college.

“First of all, I want to maintain my (good) grades at Schreiner,” said Recio, who ranks in the upper 25 percent of his class academically. “Then I’m going to try my best to start as a freshman, maybe as an outfielder or designated hitter.

“I’m very thankful for my family and coaches and everyone who has been there for me throughout my life,” he added. “God has a plan for me, and hopefully, everything goes well. I pray every day that I’m kept safe. God has put me on the right path.”

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 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Jonathan Robinson is the first, but most certainly not the last.

Robinson, a 5-foot-8, 155-pound point guard for Jubilee Brownsville on Wednesday became the first one from his charter school to sign a college athletic scholarship agreement.

Next school year, the Titans’ senior basketball standout will be playing for Wayland Baptist University in the Texas Panhandle city of Plainview.

In a signing ceremony at the charter school’s gym with the student body, teachers and administrators gathered to witness the historic event along with the athlete’s family members, Jubilee Brownsville principal Yolanda Cantu smiled at Robinson and said, “You are a pioneer for our school and you are amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

Everyone on hand cheered heartily, giving their full approval to the principal’s statement, including the point guard’s coach.

“Jonathan is the kind of athlete every coach dreams about having,” said Jubilee Brownsville basketball coach Gilbert Flores, who was Robinson’s coach for his junior and senior seasons. “He’s hard-working and he demands greatness on the court every single day.

“Deep down in my heart, I know he will make it at the next level,” Flores added. “He can do great things as long as he keeps working hard.”

Flores didn’t have exact stats available, but said Robinson averaged double figures in scoring and around five or six assists per game during his varsity career for the Titans.

“Jonathan’s biggest thing is his work ethic and pretty much his dedication to the game of basketball itself,” Flores said. “He’s here to work hard and get better, and he kind of demands that from all those around him (on the court) as well.”

It was a day to remember for everyone, particularly for the one who signed his name on the scholarship agreement.

“It means a lot to me just knowing that my hard work is finally paying off,” said Robinson, who has enough academic credits to enter college as a sophomore and will pursue a degree in criminal justice. “The coach (at Wayland Baptist) said it’s going to be a lot of hard work over there, and I know I’m just going to have to push through it. I need to keep believing in myself and know that I’m there for a reason.

“I know I’m meant to be there and I’m ready,” he added. “One of my main goals is to adjust (to the new environment of college) as quickly as possible. I know the pace of the game in college is going to be a lot faster.

“It’s going to be hard, but I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve finally reached this finish line (in high school) and now it’s time to start a new race.”

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 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Sometimes, a baseball team wins a crucial game that comes in handy later.

The Los Fresnos Falcons are hoping that’s the case after capturing a key 2-0 victory at Rivera on Tuesday in a matchup between two of District 32-6A’s top teams in the hunt for the district title as the regular season winds down.

The Los Fresnos victory gives the Falcons and the Raiders identical 8-3 marks in the district standings with three more 32-6A games to play. If Weslaco High won Tuesday, the Panthers took over sole possession of the district lead at 9-2. If not, there’s now a three-way tie for first place.

Regardless, the 32-6A race looks as though it will go down to the very final night of conference action.

The Raiders (17-7 overall) and Falcons (19-7) meet in a rematch at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Los Fresnos, so it doesn’t get any easier for either ballclub.

“Right now, we’re a hard team to beat because we’re clicking,” said Los Fresnos’ Joseph Munoz, a senior leadoff hitter who blasted an RBI triple to deep center field in the top of the third inning and came home from third on the same play due to an errant throw by the Raiders for a 2-0 lead. “All we needed (against Rivera) was one big hit. It gave us some energy.

“This was a very important win, but we still have to come out to practice this week like nothing happened,” Munoz added. “We’ve still got to keep bracing our shoulders (for more work).”

Munoz was happy to provide some fireworks at the plate for his team.

“The ball felt good going off the barrel (of the bat on that triple),” he said. “I thought it was going to be a sac fly, but the ball kept on carrying (and going deeper), and I ended up at home.”

Los Fresnos left-hander Victor Montemayor, also a senior, went the distance on the mound for the victory. He threw 103 pitches and finished with five strikeouts, one walk and one hit batsman while scattering five hits.

“I felt real confident out there (on the mound) because I had a real good defense to back me up,” Montemayor said. “Our defense really helped us. Without such good defense, we wouldn’t have been able to pull off this win. We had a couple runs come in that helped us, too. Hopefully we can beat Rivera again on Friday.”

Rivera’s Danny Alvear went six innings and took the loss. He was relieved by Diego Gonzalez in the seventh.

The defending 32-6A champion Falcons finished with only three hits. Besides Munoz’s triple, teammates George Villafranca and J.J. Sanchez each had a single.

Mike Gomez led Rivera by batting 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Also for Rivera, Johnny Balli had a double while Alan Eguia and Raul Rosales each added a single.

The Raiders had runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the sixth, but the Falcons were able to get out of the inning without allowing a run.

Los Fresnos coach Rene Morales said a loss Tuesday would have been a serious blow to the Falcons’ goal of repeating as district champs. Los Fresnos was coming off last Friday’s disappointing 8-7 setback on a squeeze play in extra innings against Harlingen High.

“It was a battle between two great teams with us and Rivera and we were just fortunate that we got a hit and scored two runs (on the play),” Morales said. “Rivera had some chances early and we just kind of shut them down. We battled back and got those two runs (and it wound up being the difference).

“Victor had all three of his pitches working — fastball, change-up and curveball,” Morales added. “He mixed it up pretty good and kept Rivera off-balance all night.

“We have to play Weslaco next week, but we have to get the one on Friday (against Rivera) first before we start thinking about anything else.”

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

The UIL state soccer tournament opens this week in Georgetown and there’s one thing missing.

This year, for the first time since 2012, there will be no Brownsville team playing at state.

Brownsville’s five-season streak of having at least one team at state (2013-2017) has ended.

This season’s best hope for a Brownsville team in Georgetown didn’t materialize as Brownsville Veterans Memorial was downed 3-1 by undefeated Valley View (31-0) in Saturday’s Region IV-5A final at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field.

Brownsville’s most recent streak of sending teams to Georgetown includes state championships by the Rivera Raiders in 2015 and Porter Cowboys in 2016, both finishing with undefeated records.

Actually, Brownsville has had a boys team playing at state 11 times out of the last 14 seasons (2004-2017).

Hanna coach Reyes Prado said there are always high expectations for Brownsville soccer teams that at times may seem too unrealistic.

Still, the Brownsville teams always aim for the best possible finish every season and believe they can do it.

“Yes, it seems strange (not to have a Brownsville team at state this year) because of the fact that we have set up the bar very high and the expectations are way too high for Brownsville soccer,” Prado said. “(But) I think one school from Brownsville, or maybe even two, will go back to the state tournament next year.

“Considering we have so many high schools in this town, it is always a great accomplishment to send our soccer teams to the state tournament,” he added.

The city’s first UIL state championship in soccer was won in 2004 by the Lopez Lobos, who captured the Class 4A title. Since then, there have been a pair of Class 5A state titles won by Porter (2006 and 2016) and one in Class 6A won by Rivera (2015). The Raiders’ state crown of four seasons ago, captured with a 28-0 record, gave Rivera the honor of winning Texas’ inaugural 6A crown in boys soccer.

“The streak (by Brownsville teams) was impressive while it lasted,” Rivera coach Salvador Garcia said. “I have been saying it since the beginning of the year that I can see the rest of the (Rio Grande Valley’s) programs getting better.

“I do not know if it is because our standards (in Brownsville) are so high that having no teams in the state tournament (makes it feel like a down year),” Garcia added. “Personally, it feels like a disappointment. I think there is no time to relax and it is time to start another streak.”

The beauty of city’s soccer prowess is all six of Brownsville ISD’s schools have displayed their might on the soccer field with four BISD teams making it to state multiple times.

Lopez has advanced to state a Valley-record five times (2004, 2009, 2014, 2016 and 2017), while Porter has gone four times (1984, 2006, 2011 and 2016). Rivera has advanced three times (2005, 2007, 2015) and Hanna twice (1990 and 2013).

Lopez (6A) and Porter (5A) both went to Georgetown in 2016.

Pace and Brownsville Veterans have come within a victory of making it to state more than once. The Vikings have played in the regional final three times (2006, 2007 and 2016) and come up short against another Brownsville team each time. The Chargers made it to the regional final in 2017 and 2018 only to fall short against Lopez and Valley View.

“My guys kept playing hard (against Valley View) until the very end,” Brownsville Veterans coach Alberto Vasquez said Saturday. “They kept fighting and fighting. I’m extremely proud of the way they showed up to play. Unfortunately, things just didn’t go our way this time.”

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 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

CORPUS CHRISTI — Valley View coach Damian Magallan has been saying all soccer season this is the “Year of the Tiger.”

It’s looking more and more that way.

Valley View defeated Brownsville Veterans Memorial 3-1 on Saturday in the Region IV-5A final at Cabaniss Field to earn a return trip to the coming week’s UIL state tournament in Georgetown.

The Tigers previously advanced to state in 2013 and 2014.

“We’re very happy and content because our boys worked hard for this,” Magallan said. “Thank God we’re going to state and that we were able to correct every one of the things we’ve been doing wrong so that we can continue winning and have a result like this one (in the regional final).

“We’ve knocked on the door (for a state title) two times in Georgetown and we’re going back up there to give it everything we have,” Magallan added. “We’re just thankful to God for this result against Brownsville Veterans, a very good team that I salute. Veterans brought a strong game to the field. Now we’re hoping the third time we go to state will be the time that we achieve our goal.”

The District 31-5A champion Tigers improved to 31-0, while the District 32-5A runner-up Chargers ended the season at 33-3-6.

After a day of extremely strong winds at Cabaniss on Friday, it was another gusty day on Saturday.

Trailing 1-0 and just before halftime, Brownsville Veterans had a goal on a header by Albert Maradiaga waved off due to an apparent offsides call during the 33rd minute that would have tied the score 1-1.

Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez saw that no-goal call as the difference in the match.

“I thought it was a very good game,” Vasquez said. “I thought we had equalized it (on Maradiaga’s header), and the feedback I got (after the game) was it should have been a good goal, but that’s the way this game (of soccer) is.
“Valley View is a very good team, a very talented team,” Vasquez added. “They beat us 3-1, so what else is there to say? I would say my guys played very hard and I’m proud of them.”

The Chargers reached Saturday’s regional final with a 3-0 victory against Austin High on Friday. They’ve now played in the regional final two straight seasons and also came up short 1-0 against Lopez last year at Cabaniss.

For the Tigers on Saturday, it was another day of scoring three goals for standout junior striker Mario De Los Santos.

De Los Santos scored three goals Friday in the Tigers’ 6-0 regional semifinal victory against Marble Falls. He had three more Saturday to bring his goal total for the season to 69.

De Los Santos said he was feeling confident Saturday morning that he was going to have another productive outing at Cabaniss later in the day.

As long as it helps his team keep winning, he said.

“Our thoughts are to become state champions,” De Los Santos said. “We’ve purchased our ticket (to state) with this win (against Brownsville Veterans). Now we want to go over there and do it.
“Thank God that I was feeling very good this morning about this game,” he added. “I always have the hope and confidence that I’m going to score. I always know my grandmother is behind me and I know that God is too.”

The Tigers broke out on top 1-0 during the ninth minute when they put the ball in play on a corner kick from the left side. The ball soon came to De Los Santos and he drilled it into the net on a high shot from about 18 yards out.

Valley View led 1-0 at intermission and it remained a one-score match until the 62nd minute when a pass by a teammate from the right side came to De Los Santos. He then sent an uncontested shot into the net from about 15 yards out to make it 2-0.

De Los Santos reached his hat trick during the 70th minute when his shot from approximately 20 yards away hit the right upper post and bounced in.

For the game, the Tigers finished with a 9-2 edge in shots on goal.

Juan Amieva scored for Brownsville Veterans during the final minute to help the Chargers avoid suffering a shutout.

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

CORPUS CHRISTI — The Valley View Tigers advanced to the Region IV-5A soccer final in decisive fashion Friday with a 6-0 triumph over the Marble Falls Mustangs at Cabaniss Field.

The semifinal win at the Region IV-5A Tournament improved the District 31-5A champion Tigers to 30-0 on the season. It sends them to today’s 2 p.m. regional final against Brownsville Veterans Memorial, a winner against Austin High later Friday in the other semifinal.

The regional final winner earns a trip to next week’s UIL state tournament in Georgetown.

“It’s another win for us and it feels very good,” said Valley View’s Mario De Los Santos, a junior forward who scored three of his team’s six goals against Marble Falls. “Thanks to God we got this win. It was a little difficult, but we were able to come out of the game victorious.

“I’m very happy to help my team win by scoring those three goals,” De Los Santos added. “My teammates played well and helped me do it. We’re prepared for our next game and what may come after that.”

The three goals Friday boosted De Los Santos’ total on the season to 66.

“We’re very happy because the harvest (of goals) continues for Mario,” Valley View coach Damian Magallan said. “We touched the ball and passed it around. Playing that way allowed us to win 6-0.

“We’re advancing game by game,” Magallan added. “We’re prepared to battle hard and do what it takes in our next game. The players are motivated to win and go to state.”

The Tigers built a 4-0 edge by halftime thanks to four long-distance goals from outside the penalty area, including one by De Los Santos that came from 40-plus yards out.

Christopher Flores opened the scoring for Valley View by drilling a direct kick into the net on a strong, low-roller from 25 yards out during the 25th minute.

It became 2-0 during the 29th minute when De Los Santos tallied from 20-plus yards away. Carlos Medina followed with another Valley View score from 20-plus yards out in the 30th minute for a 3-0 lead and De Los Santos blasted in a “golazo” from more than 40 yards away on the left side during the 36th minute to account for the Tigers’ 4-0 advantage at intermission.

The Tigers added a pair of goals in the second half. It became 5-0 when Kevin de la Garza sent a ball off the right post and into the net during the 64th minute. De Los Santos tallied his third goal of the match in the 73rd minute when he dribbled in and caught the goalkeeper out of position before scoring into an open net from the right side to make it 6-0 and send the Tigers to the regional final.

Valley View had an 8-0 edge in shots on goal in the first half and finished the game with an 11-3 advantage.

District 26-5A runner-up Marble Falls ended the season with a 17-10-1 record.

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

At this point of the UIL soccer playoffs, it’s all about taking the next step.

Actually, that next step is a pretty big one.

Eight Rio Grande Valley soccer teams, including three from Brownsville, enter this weekend’s regional tournament competition in San Antonio (Class 6A), Corpus Christi (5A) and McAllen (4A) with an opportunity to qualify for the UIL state tournament next week in Georgetown.

It will take two wins at the regional level to secure a trip to state.

“This is the first time for us to go to regionals and we want to make it count,” said Peter A. Rodriguez, coach of the Rivera Lady Raiders. “Getting to go is wonderful. Hopefully we can make more history up there (in San Antonio) for our program.”

The Rivera girls and boys are two of the four Valley teams playing semifinal matches today at the Region IV-6A Tournament at San Antonio’s Blossom Athletic Center.

Today’s girls games start with Rivera (11-13-5) going against Austin Lake Travis (13-7-4) at 1 p.m. and followed by the McAllen High girls (24-3-1) playing San Antonio Johnson (18-6-1) at 3 p.m.

Later today, the Rivera boys (22-4-4) play San Antonio Lee (16-5-4) at 5 p.m. to be followed by the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln boys (30-5-1) taking on San Antonio Reagan (15-1-7) at 7 p.m.

Today’s winners play in the Region IV-6A finals on Saturday. The girls play at 1 p.m. followed by the boys at 3 p.m. with the winners of Saturday’s matches going to state.

“It’s amazing to be advancing to the next round,” said Rivera’s Ramiro Rodarte, a senior midfielder. “We’re just hoping for the best now.”

There are two Valley boys teams playing today in the semifinals of the Region IV-5A Tournament at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field. They are Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Valley View. No Valley girls teams made it to the event.

In today’s boys matches, Valley View (29-0) plays Marble Falls (17-9-1) at 4:30 p.m. followed by Brownsville Veterans (26-2-3) facing Austin High (14-10-1) at 6:30 p.m. Today’s winners play in the Region IV-5A boys final at 2 p.m. Saturday, which follows the Region IV-5A girls final at noon.

“Of course, any game at the regional tournament is not going to be easy, but we feel like we’re prepared for what’s coming and we hope to go over those rounds (hurdles),” said Juan Amieva, a junior defensive midfielder for Brownsville Veterans. “Apart from being a soccer team, we’re a family (and that motivates us).”

The Region IV-4A Tournament also starts today at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium. No Valley girls teams qualified, but Progreso and Hidalgo made it for the
boys. Today’s semifinal boys schedule has Progreso playing Taylor at 2 p.m. and Hidalgo facing Liberty Hill at 4 p.m. Today’s winners play for a trip to state at noon Saturday.

Of the eight Valley teams involved in regional competition this weekend, only the Rivera girls are new to this level of the postseason.

“It’s so amazing that we’ve made it this far and we’re at this spot,” said Brigette Iglesias, a sophomore attacking midfielder for the Lady Raiders. “All the practice, all the effort, and all the tears and joy (of playing soccer) has helped us reach this point. We’ve made it this far and we feel we’re going to make it big. We’re making history here.

“We have an amazing group,” she added. “If we all work together, we can do this.”

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 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

It’s a remarkable feat for boys and girls soccer teams from the same school to advance to the regional tournament in the same season.

Rarely does it happen in the Rio Grande Valley, particularly in any sport other than soccer.

But here they are, the boys and girls of Rivera, headed to San Antonio to play in Friday’s semifinals of the Region IV-6A Tournament at Blossom Athletic Center.

The District 32-6A fourth-place Rivera girls (11-13-5) go against District 25-6A third-place Austin Lake Travis (13-7-4) at 1 p.m., while the 32-6A champion Rivera boys (22-4-4) play District 26-6A runner-up San Antonio Lee (16-5-4) at 5 p.m.

The winners of those matches play in Saturday’s regional finals with a trip on the line to next week’s UIL state tournament in Georgetown.

The Rivera boys last went to the regional tournament in 2015, which was the year the Raiders captured the inaugural Class 6A state title in boys soccer.

“This is a blessing to be going back to the regional tournament with this team,” said Julian Espinoza, a senior attacking midfielder for the Raiders who was a freshman on the squad in 2015. “Rivera has been waiting for something special like this. It’s a blessing.”

The Raiders defeated PSJA Southwest 2-0 in the regional quarterfinals last Friday to gain their berth opposite Lee at the regional tournament.

“Our dream (of going to state) is always the same,” Raiders coach Salvador Garcia said. “Coming into the season, the standard and expectations are (always) so high. Going deep in the playoffs (but not reaching state) is not enough. In order for us to realize that dream, we’ve got to go to San Antonio.”

This marks the first time to make it to regionals for the Rivera girls, who set a school record for their program by reaching the third round of the playoffs a year ago. Now they’re advancing even farther after defeating McAllen Rowe 1-0 in the regional quarterfinals, also last Friday.

“This is the best (girls) team Rivera’s ever had and I’m more than glad to be a part of it,” said Alyssa Ayala, a junior midfielder for the Lady Raiders. “I’m just happy we get to keep practicing (and extend our season).”

Lady Raiders coach Peter A. Rodriguez said his team wants to add to its accomplishments this season.

“There are a lot of expectations that we have,” he said. “Our goal at the beginning of the season was to do better in district and in the playoffs than we did last year (and we have).

“No one goes to the regional tournament out of luck,” he added. “We’re going to go up there and play (hard) and do what we have to do. We’ll play how we know how to play and go against our opponent head to head. We’re not going to go out there and play conservatively. We’re going to play to win.”

It’s only happened two other times that a Valley school has sent both its boys and girls soccer teams to the regional tournament in the same season.

In 2012, when the regional tournament was played at Brownsville Sports Park, the Sharyland High boys and girls made it to that level of the playoffs. The Sharyland High boys won the regional, advanced to Georgetown and won the 5A state title. The Sharyland High girls made it to the regional final, but came up short in a 1-0 loss against San Antonio Churchill.

The second time it happened was in 2014 when the Lopez boys and girls advanced to the regional tournament in San Antonio. The Lopez girls lost at Blossom in the regional semifinals, while the Lopez boys went on to play at state.

Now it’s Rivera’s turn on the regional stage.

MILESTONES

Forward Kryssie Rivera and center midfielder Alma Perez, both seniors, were among the standout players this season for the District 32-5A champion Pace Lady Vikings (28-2-1).

The season for the Pace girls ended one victory shy of a first-ever trip to the regional tournament when the Lady Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs 5-1 by Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial last Friday.

Rivera led the team with 56 goals this season and finished with 127 for her four-year Pace career. Perez finished with 101 assists during her Pace career.

Rivera has signed to play soccer at UTRGV next school year and Perez also plans to play soccer in college.

NO MORE GRASS

The soccer field at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field, site of this weekend’s Region IV-5A Tournament, no longer has a natural grass surface. Like many other fields, it has an artificial surface for the first time this season. The soccer field is next to a football stadium, which already had an artificial-surface field.

In many ways, the natural grass surface at Cabaniss had been a home-away-from-home place to play for Valley teams over the years, particularly those from Brownsville.

The Valley’s first state soccer title came at Cabaniss in 2004 and was won by a Lopez team that snapped a 32-game winning streak by favored Brenham in the Class 4A final, triumphing 2-1. The originally scheduled 4A state title match a week earlier was rained out in Georgetown and the game was rescheduled at Cabaniss.

There are other important memories of games at Cabaniss. Porter edged Pace 2-1 in overtime there in the 2016 regional final before going on to win its second state title. Last year, Lopez slipped by Brownsville Veterans Memorial 1-0 in the regional final to advance to Georgetown.

Brownsville Veterans and Valley View will represent the Valley at Cabaniss this weekend. Let’s see what happens.

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 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

LOS FRESNOS — While other teams around the Rio Grande Valley took the night off because of wet weather on Tuesday, the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles came up with one of their best wins of the softball season.

The Lady Eagles pushed across a run in the top of the eighth inning and made it stand up for a 3-2 District 32-6A road victory over the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons.

The game was knotted 2-2 after four innings and stayed that way until the eighth when a high pitch sailed over the Los Fresnos catcher and Hanna’s Alex Rivera made a dash for home plate from third base. It was a close call at home, but she was ruled safe.

“I felt like I should go, so I just went,” said Rivera, a freshman second baseman, of her decision to make a try for the plate. “I was really happy (to score).

“It felt good because I’m just a freshman and coming home (to score the winning run) and helping my team win and everything — it was just amazing,” added Rivera, who singled to center field to open the top of the eighth, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and then made it to third on another put-out at first. “I honestly believe that this win (Tuesday) shows we can compete with anyone. We just have to keep the right attitude and never give up.”

The Lady Eagles improved to 9-17-1 on the season and 3-8 in district. Los Fresnos slipped to 15-12-1 and 3-8.

“This feels great, the girls played awesome,” Hanna coach Greg “Boomer” Larson said. “They’ve been in games all year, but we’ve always had a bad inning or something go wrong. (Tuesday) they overcame two errors in the (bottom of the) last inning to get the outs and get the win.

“We played a complete game,” Larson added. “We played eight innings and we played well. (Our pitcher) D.D. (Guerrero) did a fantastic job.”

Hanna led 1-0 in the top of the first inning when Ari Arceneaux came home from third on a steal before the Lady Falcons went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the first on a two-run single to left field by Idalee Ibarra.

An RBI single to center field by Guerrero in the top of the fourth plated teammate Tabby Fernandez from second and tied the score 2-2.

Guerrero, a sophomore, went the distance on the mound for the win. She pitched a solid game in holding the Lady Falcons to seven hits. Hanna collected eight hits.

“I felt confident (on the mound) because I think my team has come a long way this season and we’ve bonded a lot,” Guerrero said. “My teammates kept me inspired and made sure that I felt good and kept a good attitude. I just felt good out there.

“I’m just glad everyone did her job (Tuesday), and of course, God helped us a lot,” Guerrero added. “Every time we go into a team huddle, we always say ‘Amen’ and break, so I’m pretty sure it was all God helping us (Tuesday).”

Los Fresnos used two pitchers in the game with Vicky Perales starting and giving way a teammate during the middle innings.

District action continues for both teams at 7 p.m. Friday as Los Fresnos is at Harlingen High and Hanna is at San Benito.