BY ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Another UIL soccer season is nearing an end with the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers right there battling for the ultimate prize.

Having won three games in the Class 5A state playoffs, the Chargers are advancing to Friday’s Region IV-5A Tournament at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field.

It will take two victories at the regional tournament to qualify for next week’s UIL state tournament in Georgetown.

“Our team is hungry to reach a higher potential than last year and achieve more,” said Juan Amieva, a junior defensive midfielder for the Chargers who is a two-year starter. “We weren’t satisfied with how we did last year.”

Brownsville Veterans reached the Region IV-5A final at Cabaniss a season ago only to miss out on its first trip to state after coming up short 1-0 against Lopez.

The team is feeling good knowing it has another chance to prove itself and go farther than it did in previous seasons.

“It feels great to be going back to the same place that we made it to last year,” said Jose Zamora, a senior central defender who is in his first season as a starter. “We still have that same desire and motivation to go to state.

“We have a lot of unity and we play as a team,” Zamora added. “This our second time to make it to regionals and our expectations are pretty high for us again.”

So far in the postseason, the District 32-5A runner-up Chargers (26-2-3) have defeated Sharyland Pioneer 4-0, Eagle Pass Winn 4-0 and Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial 2-0.

The Chargers next face District 25-5A champion Austin High (14-10-1) at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Cabaniss. The winner plays Valley View (29-0) or Marble Falls (17-9-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday in the regional final with a trip to state on the line.

“It’s great (that we’re where we’re at) because we actually lost (or graduated) about 15 players from last year’s team,” said Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez, who currently has only three seniors in the starting lineup. “It was one of those things where we had to work on getting a team together real quick this season. We were a little rough at the beginning of the year with kinks here and there, but towards the end of district we were able to find the right combination of players that was going to work best for us.

“We’re playing as a team in every aspect,” Vasquez added. “We attack as a team and we play defense as a team. So it’s one of those things where we’re not counting (exclusively) on individual players to win a game. Instead, it’s a team effort. I think that’s the most important thing to have at this point in the playoffs.”

Besides Amieva and Zamora. the defense for Brownsville Veterans also consists of Frankie Moreno Jr. and Jose Capistran as fullbacks, Abel Martinez as a central defender and Moises Navarro at goalkeeper.

In the midfield, Albert Maradiaga and Diego Bernal are in the center with Marky Boswell and Orlando Sanchez on the wings. The forward is Blair Averyt.

Among the players who contribute off the bench are forward Reynaldo Gonzalez, defender Jorge Muniz and wing Jose Balboa.

“We have a young team this year,” said Moreno Jr., a junior who has started since his freshman season. “There’s a lot of communication and potential on this team. It’s a little surprising that we’ve been up there (as one of the top teams) in the three years that I’ve been here, but it also feels very good to be up there.

“We think we can make it farther this time than we did last year,” he added. “We didn’t do what we were planning on doing (in 2017). We didn’t expect our season to end that way (with a 1-0 loss to Lopez in the regional final).

“If we keep doing what we’ve been doing in these past three playoff games, I think we can go far. We have good communication from the forwards and the midfield on back. We’re scoring goals without allowing any. The potential I see for this team is very high. I think this year is going to be a good one and I wish everyone who can could go out and please support us.”

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

Meme Garza’s life is perhaps best described as one filled with devotion to his faith, his family, his school and those around him.

It’s been that way for considerably longer than half a century, and now, the 68-year-old St. Joseph Academy coach is transitioning into retirement.

For the first time since the 1980s, he’s no longer there coaching the Bloodhounds in track & field and cross country.

It’s a big change for those familiar with SJA athletics.

Garza’s association with the school goes all the way back to 1956 when he was a first-grade student at St. Joseph’s former location in downtown Brownsville. He graduated from SJA in 1968 and returned to his alma mater to work upon graduation from St. Edward’s University in 1972.

He’s served in various capacities at SJA as a teacher, coach of many sports, counselor, dean of discipline and assistant athletic director. His ties with SJA as an employee officially ended before the start of the current school year.

Garza, who was inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, is best known as the head track & field coach at SJA for 40 years and the head coach in cross country for 38 years.

“It’s just been precious moments,” said Garza, reflecting on his years at SJA. “I’ve got so many memories, enough to last me a lifetime.”

In Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools competition and previously the Texas Christian Interscholastic League, Garza’s teams captured 20 state titles in track and cross country. In track, the TCIL state titles for his girls teams came in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998 along with a 2007 TAPPS girls team state title. There were TCIL boys team state titles in 1992 and 1997.

In cross country, there were TCIL girls team state crowns in 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1997 along with a TAPPS girls state title in the sport in 1998.

He has coached countless individual state champions in TAPPS and TCIL.

A good number of Garza’s athletes at SJA have gone on to compete in college. Some of the ones who signed NCAA Division I scholarships over the years include Tony Flores (Texas State), Tom Rusteberg (Houston), Jason Gulley (Houston), John Zavala (Baylor), Cyndi Espinoza (Houston), Ceci Gonzalez (UT-El Paso), Louie Tijerina (TCU), Vanessa Zavaletta (Houston), Jenna Vaughan (University of Texas), Nadia Elfarnawani (Houston), Chuck Zavala (Texas Tech), Sara Hernandez (UTPA), Nicky Garza (Houston), Ruben Marin (Boston College), Gaby Cantu (Fordham), Marissa Shinsky (Incarnate Word), Kate Dawson (Trinity), Taylor Gloor (Trinity), Dani Robertson (Lamar), Gaby Garza (Cornell) and Bill Conner (SMU).

Garza’s replacement as SJA’s head coach for track and cross country is Teddy Lopez, one of his former athletes who has been an assistant specializing in the pole vault for quite some time.

“Meme’s passion, knowledge and his teaching techniques are beyond anything I have ever seen by any coach in any sport,” Lopez said. “Together, these qualities make him revered by his former athletes, students, peers and anyone who just comes into contact with him. He exuded a feeling to his athletes, his assistant coaches and his fellow teachers that they could be great, that they could achieve and that they could be better than they ever thought they could be.

“Our athletes would work their tails off so they wouldn’t disappoint him,” Lopez added. “The coaching staff would work ours off so we
wouldn’t disappoint the athletes. His teams would just fall in love with the entire environment (of practice and competition) he created.

“He is revered and held in esteem by the entire track community of South Texas. I have never been with him at any track function here in the Valley and not seen people just wanting to talk to him and be around him because of how he makes them feel.”

Brother Francis Garza, currently a religion instructor at SJA, was the school’s principal back in the early 1970s and was the one to hire Meme Garza out of college. He said the coach’s contribution to the school has been immeasurable.

“Meme always went beyond the call of duty in terms of being here at school 24 hours,” Brother Francis said. “Of course, he wasn’t here actually 24 hours a day, but it felt like it. He was dedicated to the students and never gave up on them. He gave them a vision, and it was always a positive vision. He encouraged them to take that extra step.

“Meme’s personality is such that he got along quite well with everyone on the faculty,” Brother Francis added. “He just motivated us to do better and support the students in what they were trying to do.”

Garza said he had been considering retirement for a while.

“I didn’t want to hang on just for the sake of hanging on,” he said. “I thought after the past school year it would be a good time to step away. (But) I didn’t realize how much the school and the students were so much a part of me, so there was a sense of grieving that I went through initially. Now I’ve kind of gotten used to it.

“I had the mental capacity to do what it takes to keep coaching, but I just didn’t feel I had the same energy level to do it any more,” he added. “It just felt like it would be a real good time (to step away). There was a lot of thought about it. The decision didn’t just come off the top of my head all of a sudden.

“It’s like a (parking) meter. I had been doing it for so long, I just didn’t have any more nickels and dimes to put in the meter when it said expired. I felt like I needed a break and the school was nice enough to give me that break.”

Garza said he continues to have a lot of respect for those in coaching.

“I don’t care what sport it is or what the gender is, I admire every coach in Brownsville because I know what they go through, especially the head coaches,” he said.

The hall of fame coach said it’s nice to know his school has left an open door for him.

“Stepping away from St. Joe truly was a loss emotionally for me (at first), but just like anything in life, there are new beginnings, so now I’m looking forward to what the next challenge might be,” Garza said.

“All I know is St. Joe has an open door policy for me that I could come back if I ever wanted,” he added. “It’s not like they took away my keys.”

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

Every Rivera soccer team that comes along wants to add its own legacy to the school’s successful program.

The Raiders of 2018 are doing exactly that.

By scoring a goal during each half, the Raiders secured another trip to the Region IV-6A Tournament with Friday’s 2-0 victory over PSJA Southwest in the Class 6A regional quarterfinals at Sams Memorial Stadium.

“Getting this win is just so amazing,” said Ramiro Rodarte, a senior midfielder for the Raiders. “I’m just so glad, I’m (practically) speechless. To have the fans here and everyone, it’s just amazing. It’s a wonderful feeling to see all our hard work and dedication pay off at the end (of the season in the playoffs).

“We’re just hoping for the best now,” Rodarte added. “We’re going to keep on playing hard and following our coaches’ instructions. We’re just looking forward to see what happens next.”

The District 32-6A champion Raiders now move on to next Friday’s regional tournament semifinals at San Antonio’s Blossom Athletic Center to play San Antonio Lee, a 1-0 winner over Smithson Valley in another regional quarterfinal.

PSJA Southwest ends the season as the District 31-6A champion.

The last time the Raiders advanced to the Region IV-6A Tournament was in 2015. They won it and went on to capture the inaugural 6A boys state title in soccer.

“We’ve been working hard since last year when we got knocked out in the third round of the playoffs (by regional finalist Edinburg North),” said Roberto Melendez, a senior central defender and team captain for the Raiders. “We’ve been waiting for this night. God gave us another chance and we got the victory.

“It means a lot for us to go back to the regional tournament,” Melendez added. “To go to the regional tournament is a motivation not just for us (players), but for the young kids who are watching us as well. We know they’re watching us like we used to watch the Rivera teams play when we were little, so it means a lot.”

The Raiders broke out on top 1-0 during the 19th minute when Isaac Cedillo received a through-ball pass and scored from close range into the right corner of the goal.

That score stood until the 66th minute when a Rivera player was knocked down on the left side in the penalty area. Rivera’s Julian Espinoza took the ensuing penalty kick. His shot was blocked by the PSJA Southwest goalkeeper, but the ball bounced back to Espinoza, who immediately kicked it into the net on the rebound.

Rivera’s 2-0 lead stood until the end and the Raiders soon celebrated next week’s return to the Alamo City.

“Every time God gives us a chance to step on the field, we have a chance to win,” Rivera coach Salvador Garcia said. “That’s the way we feel.
“Too many times, the coaches get a lot of credit (for winning), but really, all the credit should go to the players for winning. Our guys just beat a really good team.”

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Hanna golfer Santiago Garcia was at his best during Thursday’s final round of the District 32-6A Tournament at Weslaco’s Tierra Santa Golf Course.

Garcia, a senior and past 32-6A champion, shot an 11-under-par 61 over a par-72 course to capture the district crown again. He finished with a two-day score of 73-61 — 134. His 61 is believed to have tied the record for the best 18-hole score by a Texas high school golfer in UIL competition.

“I’m extremely blessed and honored to have won four district titles,” the standout Hanna golfer said. “And about my 61, all I can say is my hard work pays off, but my ultimate goal is a trip to state.”

Harlingen High’s Dylan Martinez was the runner-up boys medalist and shot 76-72 — 148. Taking third place was Weslaco High’s Quin Vos with a 78-72 — 150.

The Cardinals took first place in the boys team standings, coming in at 313-308 — 621. Hanna’s boys were the runner-up team at 334-305 — 639.

Regarding the district championship finish, Cardinal coach Chris Milligan said, “Not to sound cocky, but that was our expectation all along (to finish first). The stage was there and our golfers performed well.”

The top two teams at district plus the top two individuals not on one of the top two teams now advance to the Region IV-6A Tournament in San Antonio at Republic Golf Course. The boys play April 23-24 and the girls play April 25-26.

Qualifying for regionals individually for the boys were Weslaco High’s Vos and Harlingen South’s Brandon Garza (fifth place, 82-75 — 157).

After Garcia, the next best score for the Hanna boys was fourth-place Marco Gonzalez, who shot 83-72 — 155. Also for Hanna, Austin O’Brien shot 86-74 — 160.

Besides Martinez’s 148, the other top scores for the Cardinals were Mike Bullock (77-80 — 157), Nicholas Galvan (76-81 — 157) and Nate Newman (85-75 — 160).

The Los Fresnos girls repeated as district champions and Weslaco High was the runner-up.

The Lady Falcons shot 345-324 — 669 for first place and the Lady Panthers came in second with a score of 403-369 — 772.

The girls district medalist was Harlingen High’s Micaela Leandro, who shot 85-70 — 155, while Los Fresnos’ Natalie Barrera was the runner-up medalist by shooting 85-76 — 161. Third place went to Hanna’s Alexis Rodriguez, who shot 79-82 — 161. She tied Barrera for second and lost on a playoff hole.

Leandro and Alexis Rodriguez advance to regionals individually.

Besides Barrera’s 161, other top scores for Los Fresnos were Jossie Garcia (85-83 — 168), Kasandra Garcia (87-87 — 174) and Alexandra Montes (88-86 — 174).

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

The Rivera Lady Raiders didn’t have to come from behind this time.

A goal during the 17th minute by Brigitte Iglesias from approximately 25 yards out stood the rest of the way to give the Lady Raiders a 1-0 triumph over McAllen Rowe on Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium in the Class 6A regional quarterfinals.

It was the most important victory in the history of the Lady Raiders’ soccer program as they now advance to the Region IV-6A Tournament for the first time.

The Lady Raiders had to rally from a 2-0 deficit to win their area-round game 3-2 Tuesday against McAllen Memorial in McAllen.

The Rivera girls now play Austin Lake Travis or Austin Westlake next Friday in the regional tournament semifinals at San Antonio’s Blossom Athletic Center.

When an opportunity to score came her way, Iglesias, a sophomore attacking midfielder, took advantage of it.

“The second the ball came to me, I thought to myself, ‘You know, I have to put this in because we have to win so we can go to San Antonio,’” Iglesias said. “I just kicked it with all I had to the (right) corner (on a high arc). It was beautiful. It went right in.

“We’re making history,” she added. “It’s so amazing.”

When Iglesias scored, Lady Raiders coach Peter A. Rodriguez immediately wanted another goal.

“At that point (leading 1-0), my thought was we need to go for more,” he said. “Unluckily, it didn’t happen. We came close to scoring again, but didn’t. (Still) all you need to win is just one goal, so it’s good that we did that.”

Rivera becomes the third Brownsville girls soccer team to advance to the regional tournament. The others were the Hanna girls in 2003 and the Lopez girls in 2014.

The Lady Raiders have gone from being the fourth-place team in District 32-6A to a team qualifying for the fourth round of the playoffs as one of 16 teams remaining in the 6A postseason.

The Lady Raiders actually lost 4-0 in non-district action at Rowe back in mid-January. Rowe ends the season as the third-place finisher from District 30-6A.

“It’s been a long process for us,” Rodriguez said. “We lost to Rowe a week before district started, but we beat them in the third round of the playoffs when it counted most. That for me is an amazing thing for the girls to accomplish. It’s something they’re going to remember for the rest of their lives.”

The entire Lady Raiders squad embraced the 1-0 victory and celebrated with their families and the Rivera fans.

“I’m more than blessed to have this amazing feeling,” said Alyssa Ayala, a junior midfielder for the Lady Raiders. “We’re making a name for ourselves and we’re making history big-time.”

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

The Pace Lady Vikings’ journey through the 2018 soccer season has been marked by success.

Last month, the team completed a 14-0 run to its first District 32-5A championship since 2009.

Now the Pace girls, 28-1-1 overall, have reached the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs for the second straight year.

It’s simply a good time to be a Lady Viking.

“We know how to play together and we’ve just gotten stronger together,” said Alexis Guajardo, a junior forward/midfielder for the Pace girls.

“This (playoff run) feels special,” Guajardo added. “Not a lot of the Brownsville girls teams go this far in the playoffs and we just want to prove that the Valley can play with the best of them.”

Next up for the Lady Vikings is a 5A regional quarterfinal match against District 30-5A runner-up Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial at 7 p.m. today at Brownsville Sports Park. The winner advances to next week’s Region IV-5A Tournament in Corpus Christi.

“This season has a lot of value to me and to the girls,” said Lady Vikings coach Jesus O. Villarreal, who is assisted by Efrain Lopez, Jorge Hernandez and Luis Lopez. “Personally, I am seeing that things are changing (for the better) throughout the Pace athletic program, not just for soccer.

“Our girls have sacrificed so much (to get where they are),” Villarreal added. “We have suffered from some (season-ending) injuries last year and this year. The sacrifice being made by the ones we have left playing has given us value.

“Nothing stops these girls. When something negative happens, they just turn it into a positive situation. They don’t let their guard down, even when we’re suffering (injuries). That’s why this season has a lot of value. And it didn’t start just this season. It’s due to the work done over several years now.”

The nucleus of starters for the Lady Vikings includes goalkeeper Jazul Amaya, defenders Yadira Dominguez and Jovana Rodriguez, midfielders Alma Perez, Belia Suarez and Lesley Amador plus forward Kryssie Rivera and Guajardo.

Those players who also see considerable action include defenders Michelle Abundis and Vanessa Lara along with forward Vianca Sandoval and midfielder Jillianeey Perez.

Among the players sidelined by injury are midfielders Marcy Garza and Ari Garcia, defender Kenia Galvan and goalkeeper Jen Oliveira.

“We have a lot of teamwork and commitment on this team,” said Perez, a senior center midfielder. “Hopefully we can make it to regionals. We’ve never made it that far, so that’s definitely our goal. We just want to go further (in the playoffs) than we’ve gone before.”

The Lady Vikings opened the playoffs with a 2-0 bi-district victory against Laredo Martin on March 29 in Corpus Christi before downing Flour Bluff 4-1 Tuesday at Raymondville in the area round of the postseason.

“Overall, I believe we have put in the hard work,” said Rivera, also a senior who earlier this season topped 100 goals for her Pace career. “The players have made it to all the practices and I don’t think any one of us has given up on this team at all. We believe we can make it far. I couldn’t ask for a better team.

“I think right now we just need to keep up our mental attitude (of playing to win) and be patient (for our scoring opportunities), ”Rivera added. “We need to stay relaxed and take it game by game. Hopefully things will turn out the way we want them to.

“I would just like to thank our fans for traveling to see us 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 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Every now and then, a game comes along that defines the heart of a soccer team.

The Rivera Lady Raiders played such a game Tuesday in the area round of the Class 6A state playoffs.

Trailing 2-0 with barely 20 minutes remaining at McAllen Memorial, the Rivera girls rallied to score three goals and win 3-2 against the Lady Mustangs.

Rivera’s first goal by Ashley Torres came with 18 minutes left. Then teammate Brigitte Iglesias’ tally evened the score 2-2 with five minutes to go.

Alyssa Ayala saved the day for the Lady Raiders by scoring with a little more than two minutes showing on the clock as the Rivera girls advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the second straight season.

It was definitely a night to remember for the Lady Raiders.

“The girls kept their composure and (eventually) played soccer the way only they know how to play,” Lady Raiders coach Peter A. Rodriguez said. “It was a great comeback. The psychological shock from being down 2-0, playing on Memorial’s field with their crowd, and one (of their goals) being an own goal (by us) was tough, but it only felt better (once we won).

“At the end of the game, the win tasted better,” Rodriguez added. “The girls were so happy and excited. They did it on their own. This is what they practice for all season, and this is when it counts to win big.”

The Lady Raiders next go against McAllen Rowe in the regional quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium. The winner advances to next week’s Region IV-6A Tournament in San Antonio.

The second game of Friday’s doubleheader at Sams matches the Rivera boys against PSJA Southwest at 8 p.m. with the winner also advancing to the 6A regional tournament.

Rodriguez said the comeback victory Tuesday was a landmark win for the Lady Raiders’ program.

“It shows how much hard work pays off when the girls work hard and give their best effort until the end of the game,” he said. “It shows how much talent there is in our community, and it definitely helps our program aspire and want greater things than just making the playoffs. The Rivera Lady Raiders have helped bring this program to new heights.”

REGIONAL QUARTERFINALS SET

Besides the doubleheader involving the Rivera teams, regional quarterfinal matchups for four other Brownsville teams were determined Wednesday. All games are Friday.

The Hanna boys go against La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at 7 p.m. at Donna’s Bennie LaPrade Stadium, while the boys teams of Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Lopez are part of a doubleheader at Mercedes’ Tiger Stadium. Lopez plays Valley View at 6 p.m. and Brownsville Veterans goes against Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial at 8 p.m.

The other Brownsville girls team still going in the playoffs is Pace. The Lady Vikings take on Corpus Christi Veterans at 7 p.m. at Brownsville Sports Park.

All of Friday’s winners move on to regional tournament competition.

GOING THE DISTANCE

The Hanna boys recorded another remarkable playoff victory Tuesday by prevailing in penalty kicks for the second straight game. This time it was a 2-1 triumph in PKs over Laredo United in the area playoffs at Roma.

When asked what it’s like to win back-to-back playoff games in PKs, Hanna coach Reyes Prado said, “(There’s) a little stress.

“My guys know how to win close games,” Prado added. “We never panic and always have faith in God and one another.”

United led 1-0 before a long goal in the second half by Hanna’s Hector Quintero tied the score 1-1 and eventually sent the match to penalties.

Converting PK attempts for the Golden Eagles were Adrian Rodriguez, Jose Pompa, Danny Rivera and Aldair Hernandez. Also, Hanna goalkeeper Victor Villarreal stopped two shot attempts by United in the penalties to help the Eagles win the PKs 4-3.

Hanna was coming off last Saturday’s 3-2 bi-district win in PKs at Edinburg North.

GOING STRONG

The Brownsville Veterans Chargers notched their second straight 4-0 shutout victory in the playoffs thanks to Tuesday’s triumph over Eagle Pass Winn in Laredo. Scoring goals for the Chargers, who led 2-0 at halftime, were Orlando Sanchez, Frankie Moreno, Albert Maradiaga and Felipe Esquivel.

“We’ve played very well the last two games,” Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez said. “The kids are playing together as a team, which is very important at this time of the year.”

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 BROWNVSVILLE HERALD

RAYMONDVILLE — The Pace Lady Vikings are advancing to the third round of the Class 5A state soccer playoffs for the second straight year.

The Lady Vikings scored all four of their goals during the first half in defeating Flour Bluff 4-1 Tuesday in the area round of the playoffs at Raymondville’s Burnett Stadium.

“It was very tiring, but accomplishing,” said Alma Perez, a senior center midfielder for Pace, of the victory. “We’re actually kind of happy because Flour Bluff beat us 4-2 last year (in the third round of the playoffs), so we’re proud of this win.”

Kryssie Rivera and Alexis Guajardo each scored a pair of goals during the initial 40 minutes to highlight the Pace victory.

“I think we really put our hearts into the game,” said Rivera, a senior forward. “We definitely left our blood, sweat and tears out there. We’re amazed about what happened, but I think everyone wanted to win this game real bad (because of last year).”

The District 32-5A champion Lady Vikings next play in the regional quarterfinals later this week against District 30-5A runner-up Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial, a 3-1 winner against Sharyland High, also on Tuesday.

Details of the Pace-Veterans matchup were scheduled to be worked out this morning.

Lady Vikings coach Jesus O. Villarreal was elated with the victory.

“First of all, these girls gave their hearts out,” Villarreal said. “Our girls took advantage of their chance tonight and they opened up their hearts to everything that they wanted to do. We studied this (Flour Bluff) team, we knew what they were capable of and we were aware of their offense, which is tremendously good and fast.

“I can only coach certain things, but these girls just gave everything from their hearts tonight (to win),” he added.

The Lady Vikings wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. With barely four minutes gone in the match, Rivera took a long free kick that slipped out of the Flour Bluff goalkeeper’s hands and was punched into the left corner of the goal by Guajardo.

The score became tied 1-1 10 minutes later when Flour Bluff’s Olivia Cerna scored from close range.

After that, Pace soon pulled away with the lead for good.

Midway through the first half it became 2-1 when Pace put the ball in play on a corner kick from the right side. The ball came to Guajardo near the left post and she nudged it into the net with her body.

Rivera then tallied on shots from 20 and 15 yards to complete the Lady Vikings’ first-half scoring. It was all the scoring they needed to make it to the third round of the postseason once again.

By ROY HESS|THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

The tradition surrounding the Rivera soccer program runs deep.

The District 32-6A champion Raiders currently are in the UIL state playoffs for the 26th time in 27 years.

To better put that statement into perspective, consider that Rivera has missed the postseason only once this century (2009).

It’s a given that expectations continue to be high for the Raiders in soccer. This season is no different.

“The tradition Rivera has means a lot,” said Roberto Melendez, a senior central defender, three-year starter and team captain for the Raiders. “I’m blessed that I’m in this program and just happy to be a part of it.”

Melendez is part of a defense that includes teammates Joaquin Hernandez and Edgar Salazar along with goalkeeper Jorge Cordoba.

The Raiders’ midfield consists of Ramiro Rodarte, Alex Mendez, Kevin Zarrazagas and Jose Muniz along with attacking midfielder Julian Espinoza. The forwards are Isaac Cedillo and J.P. Garza.

Players helping off the bench include midfielder/forward Jorge Morales, defender/midfielder Salvador de Leon, midfielder Albert Garcia and forward David Villarreal.

“Since my freshman year it’s been a blessing to play for the Raiders,” said Espinoza, a four-year starter and team captain who was a ninth-grader with the team in 2015 when Rivera won the first Class 6A boys state title in soccer. “We (seniors) want to make our own legacy as a team (in the playoffs this season) and be known (for our accomplishments).”

The Raiders defeated Edinburg High 5-3 last Thursday in bi-district and now go against District 29-6A runner-up San Antonio Southwest in the area round at 8 p.m. today at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field.

The Rivera players say they’ve become more and more confident in their abilities as the season has progressed.

“Everybody has been putting their effort into practice every day and we can see everyone coming together and helping us develop the team chemistry,” Melendez said. “We’ve built up the momentum and we’ve turned it around (from earlier in the season). We all just came together and said it would be a turning point for us. From there, it’s just built up.”

Raiders coach Salvador Garcia said there’s quite a difference in how the Raiders are playing now compared to when the season started back in January.

“If you see the team playing right now and somebody saw them back in the BISD Tournament (in January), you’d probably see a difference of day and night,” said Garcia, who this season is marking his 21st year as Rivera’s head coach. “Our guys are playing more confidently and they know more about their responsibilities (on the field). They’re learning more and more with each game and correcting the mistakes that they make.

“It’s been a process, and now, the players are finally learning the responsibilities and duties each position has,” the Rivera coach added. “To be honest and realistic, we didn’t have that great of a game defensively against Edinburg High (as we gave up three goals). We have to play a disciplined game (on defense) and still play our (wide-open offensive) game against Southwest or it’s going to be a long night against them.”

Espinoza said the credit for the team’s turnaround belongs in big part to the Raiders’ coaching.

“We’ve improved a lot lately, and to me, the main reason why we’re at where we are right now is our coach,” Espinoza said. “The players are listening to the coach and he’s the main reason we’re here and the main reason the team has been built up (along) with the hard work we’re putting in. We just have to keep doing what our coach is telling us to do.”

Espinoza said once he arrived on campus as a ninth-grader, he got to know what Rivera soccer is all about.

“When I came here as a freshman, I didn’t know that much about Rivera soccer,” Espinoza added. “But it didn’t take me very long to find out (all) about it.”

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

Brownsville boys soccer teams came through the Easter weekend with a 5-0 record in their bi-district matches, and now it’s on to this week’s area round of the state playoffs.

The five schools winning in bi-district were Rivera, Hanna, Porter, Lopez and Brownsville Veterans Memorial.

In the Class 6A playoffs, Rivera defeated Edinburg High 5-3 and Hanna edged Edinburg North 3-2 in penalty kicks.

In the Class 5A playoffs, Brownsville Veterans Memorial shut out Sharyland Pioneer 4-0, Lopez beat Laredo Martin 4-0 and Porter topped Sharyland High 2-0.

“We started off the beginning of the year struggling some and I think we’ve improved over the course of the season,” Porter coach Jose Espitia said after the Cowboys’ 2-0 victory over the Rattlers on Friday at Weslaco East. “I think we’re playing our best soccer right now. Sharyland had its chances and we had ours, too. We took advantage our our chances.

“We have a young team and I’m proud of my players,” Espitia added. “There’s a bright future for Porter soccer.”

The District 32-5A third-place Cowboys play their area-round match against District 30-5A champion Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field. The second game at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Cabaniss has District 32-6A champion Rivera going against District 29-6A runner-up San Antonio Southwest.

Nearby at Calallen at 7 p.m.Tuesday, it’s District 32-5A champion Lopez taking on District 30-5A third-place Flour Bluff.

Completing Tuesday’s area-round schedule of games, it’s 32-5A runner-up Brownsville Vetetrans vs. District 29-5A champion Eagle Pass Winn at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Laredo’s Krueger Field, while 32-6A runner-up Hanna plays District 29-6A champion Laredo United on Tuesday at Roma, possibly at 8 p.m. after the 6 p.m. match there between the Harlingen South girls and United girls.

There were some successful results over the Easter holiday for two Brownsville girls teams as well.

The 32-5A champion Pace Lady Vikings downed Martin 2-0, while the 32-6A fourth-place Rivera Lady Raiders upset District 31-6A champion Edinburg North 2-0.

It marked the second straight year the Lady Raiders have beaten the 31-6A champion in bi-district. Last year it was Edinburg Economedes and the Lady Raiders wound up advancing a school-record three rounds in the playoffs.

The Rivera girls play their area-round match at 7 p.m. Tuesday at District 30-6A runner-up McAllen Memorial.

Meanwhile, the Pace girls will play host to 30-5A third-place Flour Bluff at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Raymondville’s Burnett Stadium

The winners of Tuesday’s game advance to the regional quarterfinals later in the week.

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