Rio Grande Valley Soccer playoffs
Boys
Thursday, March 29
Class 6A Bi-District
PSJA Southwest at Harlingen High, 6 p.m. (Boggus Stadium)
Brownsville Rivera at Edinburg High, 7 p.m. (Richard R. Flores Stadium)
Edinburg Economedes at Los Fresnos, 7 p.m.
Laredo LBJ at Mission High, 7 p.m.
La Joya High vs. San Antonio South San, 8 p.m. (McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium)
Class 5A Bi-District
Brownsville Veterans vs. Sharyland Pioneer at Mercedes, 7:30 p.m.
Brownsville Lopez vs. Laredo Martin in Corpus Christi, 8 p.m. (exact site pending)
Class 4A Bi-District
Port Isabel at Hidalgo, 8 p.m.
Zapata at La Feria, 8 p.m.
Rio Hondo vs. Grulla at Donna High, 8 p.m. (Bennie La Prade Stadium)
Friday, March 30
Class 5A Bi-District
Brownsville Porter vs. Sharyland High at Weslaco East, 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 31
Class 6A Bi-District
Brownsville Hanna at Edinburg North, noon
Class 5A Bi-District
Valley View vs. Donna North at Sharyland High, 10:30 a.m.

Pending Matchups
Class 6A Bi-District
McAllen Memorial vs. Laredo United, TBA
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. Del Rio, TBA
Class 4A Bi-District
Progreso vs. Raymondville, TBA

Girls
Thursday, March 29
Class 6A Bi-District
Harlingen High at Edinburg Vela, 6 p.m.
Laredo United South at McAllen High, 6 p.m.
Harlingen South at PSJA Memorial, 6:30 p.m.
Los Fresnos at PSJA High, 7 p.m.
Edinburg North at Brownsville Rivera, 7 p.m. (Sams Stadium)
Class 5A Bi-District
Brownsville Pace vs. Laredo Martin, 6 p.m. in Corpus Christi (exact site pending)
Donna North vs. Roma at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m. (Barrera Middle School)
Brownsville Porter at Sharyland Pioneer, 7:30 p.m.
Class 4A Bi-District
Port Isabel vs. Edinburg IDEA Quest, 5:30 p.m. at Mercedes or Progreso
Lyford at Hidalgo, 6 p.m.
Rio Hondo vs. Grulla at Donna High, 6 p.m. (Bennie La Prade Stadium)
Progreso at La Feria, 6 p.m.
Friday, March 30
Class 5A Bi-District
Brownsville Veterans at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.

Pending Matchups
Class 6A Bi-District
McAllen Memorial vs. San Antonio South San, TBA
McAllen Rowe vs. San Antonio Southwest, TBA
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. Laredo United, TBA

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

After more than holding their own throughout a demanding District 32-6A schedule, the Hanna Golden Eagles see themselves as ready for next week’s Class 6A soccer playoffs.

In bi-district, Hanna, the 32-6A runner-up, will go against District 31-6A third-place Edinburg North at noon on March 31. The match will be played on the Edinburg North campus.

“I see us as a pretty complete team from our goalie to our forwards,” said Hanna’s Hector Quintero, a senior midfielder on the wing and a team captain. “We have players who have been on the varsity for quite a while already, so I think we have a lot of potential (to do well) in the playoffs.

“(In 32-6A) we’ve gone against teams that give it their all and are always competitive,” added Quintero, who has played on the varsity three seasons. “Some of them play rough and that just helps us get ready for what we’re going to see in the playoffs. Every team (we face) is going to come with their all. It was a hard district. Not everything is always going to come easy, but we’re ready for the playoffs.”

The Hanna starting lineup includes Victor Villarreal at goalkeeper with Miguel Payan, Roberto Palomo and Jose Vidal out in front of him as defenders in protection of the goal. Center midfielders for the Eagles include Adir Ochoa, Pedro Aldair Hernandez and Kevin Ochoa with Quintero and Adrian Rodriguez on the wings. The forwards are Danny Rivera and Jose Pompa.

The main ones helping off the bench are forward/midfielder Axel Guzman, defenders Ariel Gonzalez and Victor Perez, and midfielder Osvaldo Serna.

Adir Ochoa was asked what he sees the team doing that is helping it enjoy success. The Eagles came within two points (38-36) of tying Rivera for the 32-6A title and were the only ones to defeat the Raiders in district play (3-2 on Feb. 20).

“We’re friends and we’re like a family,” said Adir Ochoa, a senior who is also a team captain along with Quintero and Hernandez. “We’ve been playing together for three or four years, so we’re playing together like a group seniors. We know more or less (as teammates) how each one plays and we all know the system that Coach (Reyes) Prado uses.

“I believe we have a team that can go far in the playoffs, not like last year,” added Ochoa, who is also a three-year member of the varsity. “We’ve prepared since the start of the season to have a better showing in playoffs than last year.”

The Eagles were district co-champions with Rivera last season, but got upset 3-1 by 31-6A third-place PSJA Memorial in the first round.

“We have something to prove since last year when we went out in bi-district,” Prado said. “We have a group of seniors who I think can lead us (on a deep playoff run). I’m pretty sure our guys remember last year (vs. PSJA Memorial). I know I remember it and I think they do, too. (Actually) we all remember that loss.”

Hanna will be going up against an Edinburg North team that advanced to the Region IV-6A final a year ago. In that match, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln edged the Cougars 1-0 in overtime to advance to the state tournament.

“Edinburg North is well-coached and has a lot of players coming back from its regional finalist team of a year ago,”Prado said. “They matched up well in their district and I believe we match up well with them (too).

“I think we’re peaking at the right time,” the Hanna coach added. “It’s been two weeks — actually three — since our last (district) game and that’s way too long. We have to see if we can stay in our rhythm for the playoffs and keep playing the way we’ve been playing lately. We’ll see how our players react (to the layoff). We have a senior group that wants us to do well.”

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

A youth movement is well underway on the Porter soccer team.

This season there are four freshmen who have earned starting roles for the Cowboys and three other freshmen who help out coming off the bench.

The starters are goalkeeper Isaac Acevedo, attacking midfielder Brandon Montes, defensive center midfielder Luis Alan Romero and midfielder on the right wing Daniel Martinez. Providing help as reserves are defenders Kevin Garcia and Yair Cruz plus midfielder on the wing Erick Esparza.

“We’re excited about having that many young players in the starting lineup,” said Jose Espitia, Porter’s coach. “Of course, at the beginning of the season we were a little bit worried about it, but little by little, these freshmen have been gaining the trust of the coaches.

“They had (plenty of) playing time and gained experience in the three tournaments we played (in January) and then through the district season,” added Espitia, who is in his 11th season directing the Cowboys. “As district started, we began to look better and better, and now, I think we’re playing our best soccer.”

The District 32-5A third-place Cowboys go against District 31-5A runner-up Sharyland High in the Class 5A bi-district playoffs at 6 p.m. March 30 at Weslaco East.

The Porter freshmen are feeling more and more comfortable on the field with their upperclassmen teammates with each passing game.

“I (now) consider myself just like the other ones (in the lineup),” Romero said. “It’s nice to be a starter. We play together and that’s very important. We’re bringing good things to the field.”

Added Martinez, “It’s an emotional feeling to be a starter (as a freshman for Porter). You have to fight for every ball and try your best to help the team. We’re happy as a group (of freshmen) that we can help out the team. Everything we do is for the team.”

The most noticeable player among the freshmen for the Cowboys is Acevedo at goalkeeper. At 6-foot-4, he’s one of the tallest players to ever play soccer for Porter. Earlier this month, Acevedo was invited to a national camp for U.S. under-16 players. There were only 40 players from around the country invited.

The tall, mobile goalkeeper said he is bringing what he learned at the national camp back to Porter to help his team.

“It means a lot to wear the Porter emblem on your jersey (and start as a freshman),” Acevedo said. “I want to show everything I’ve got (on the field) because there are a lot of players here at Porter who want to be the goalkeeper. For me to start as a freshman is a very good opportunity.

“The national camp I went to was a very good experience and it was very difficult,” he added. “It showed me how things are on a different (higher) level.”

Garcia recently joined the soccer team after playing football and basketball for the Cowboys earlier this school year. As a freshman, his athletic future at Porter is bright.

“I’ve contributed on other varsity teams for Porter, so it feels good to contribute in soccer, too,” Garcia said. “It’s a blessing to be able to play and it’s a blessing to be able to have this honor of playing on the varsity as a freshman.”

“These guys (on the soccer team) are all heart and they give 100 percent all the time,” he added. “Even though our freshman are so young (to be playing varsity ball), they’re very good competitors.”

Montes said it isn’t easy to be cast into a prominent role on Porter’s varsity squad.

“It’s hard because you have to play up to the expectations your teammates have,” he said. “You work hard so you can play as one with them. It’s mostly being humble because that’s one of the rules (we follow as players).

“I always try to make the game easier for my teammates by giving them good passes and things like that,” added Montes, who was chosen to play on a select team of players from the U.S. and Mexico in China in August. “The competition (on varsity) is really hard, so it’s been a little bit of a surprise for me (to get to start as a freshman). Porter, especially, has really good players, so you have to work really hard (to break into the lineup).”

Added Esparza, “I’m not starting, but I’m a (frequent) substitute and I’m learning a lot from the other players. Playing with these guys (on the same team) is a very good experience. I’m learning a lot for the future.

“I like the way we’re playing because we pass the ball a lot,” he added. “It’s something that is really helping the team. I didn’t really expect this (role on the varsity for Porter), but I’m really glad I got 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

One of the feel-good stories of the soccer season involves the Porter Cowgirls.

After almost 20 years of not making the playoffs since UIL girls soccer first came to the Rio Grande Valley in the late 1990s, the Cowgirls experienced a breakthrough in 2016 and are now in the postseason for the third straight time. They finished third in District 32-5A this year with a 9-5 record and 26 points.

With a playoff berth on the line once again, the Porter girls won their last five 32-5A matches, including Tuesday’s district finale at Edcouch-Elsa. It was a 2-0 victory thanks to goals by Sofia Contreras and Priscila Cortinas, who now has scored 39 times this season and has 116 goals during her four-year Porter career.

In the Class 5A bi-district playoffs, the Cowgirls will go against District 31-5A runner-up Sharyland Pioneer at 7:30 p.m. March 29 at Pioneer.

Abraham Gracia is in his 11th season coaching the Cowgirls and says it sometimes has been tough to keep the faith and persevere with his team in its quests for the playoffs. Now the Cowgirls are creating a tradition of success with each season they reach the postseason.

“All I can say is it feels great, especially when you see all the hard work starting to pay off after so many years (of not qualifying),” Gracia said. “I’m not going to lie, there were seasons when I wanted to call it quits, but thank God, there was always someone there to convince me to keep going, and I did.

“The important thing is that we (coaches) never gave up on our goal of making the playoffs for the first time,” he added. “We kept trying until we did (in 2016), and well, this marks our third straight year to do it. Hopefully we can keep advancing in the years to come.”

The diligence of the players in coming to practice every day and always playing to win means a lot, Gracia said.

“I think that most of all, it’s the commitment, work ethic and great attitude these young ladies have,” he said. “I believe that’s one of the reasons our program has been successful (in recent years).”

PLAYOFF PARTY

Although last year’s all-time high mark of 18 Metro-Area boys and girls teams reaching the playoffs wasn’t quite equaled this season, there’s still a pretty good representation in 2018 with 14 soccer squads from the area qualifying for the postseason. That total includes St. Joseph Academy, which has already ended its season in the TAPPS playoffs.

The UIL playoffs start March 29, which is the day before Good Friday. Most teams in the Valley are opting to play on March 29.

The 6A bi-district matchups between teams from Districts 32-6A and 31-6A were all pretty much determined last week. The 32-5A teams, having completed district competition on Tuesday, were busy with their coin flips on Wednesday.

Among the Brownsville boys bi-district matches that are now set include Brownsville Veterans Memorial vs. Sharyland Pioneer at 7:30 p.m. March 29 in Mercedes and Porter vs. Sharyland High at 6 p.m. March 30 at Weslaco East.

Also for the Brownsville boys, Lopez is tentatively scheduled to play Laredo Martin at a Corpus Christi site at 8 p.m. March 29. It would be a doubleheader with the Pace girls playing Martin at the same location in the opening match at 6 p.m. The site of the doubleheader is what is pending.

For another 5A girls team from Brownsville in addition to Porter and Pace, it’s Brownsville Veterans vs. Sharyland High, but the matchup details were still pending as of Wednesday.

It appears the only teams from the area playing at home next week on March 29 will be the Rivera girls taking on Edinburg North at 7 p.m. at Sams Memorial Stadium and the Los Fresnos boys playing host to Edinburg Economedes, also at 7 p.m.

Both are 6A bi-district matches.

Also, Port Isabel’s boys and girls are in the postseason and expected to play March 29 as well. The Tarpons will be at Hidalgo to play the Pirates and the Lady Tarpons will go against Edinburg IDEA Quest at a site to be determined.

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

Tuesday marked a notable day on the soccer field for the Lopez Lobos as they claimed possession of the District 32-5A championship.

The Lobos closed out their 32-5A schedule with a 5-2 victory at home against Pace.

The victory clinched the district title for Lopez, which finished 32-5A competition in first place with a 13-1 record and 39 points. The Lobos play Laredo Martin in bi-district next week.

In the nightcap of Tuesday’s 32-5A doubleheader at Lopez, the Pace girls defeated the Lady Lobos 3-2 in overtime. The Lady Vikings already had won the 32-5A championship prior to Tuesday, and the victory over the Lady Lobos allowed the Pace girls to finish district with a 14-0 record and 42 points.

Meanwhile, had the Lopez boys lost Tuesday, the district title would have gone to Brownsville Veterans Memorial (13-1, 37 points), which won 3-2 at Donna High, also on Tuesday. Brownsville Veterans won the district crown last season.

A trophy presentation immediately followed Tuesday’s victory by the boys with the Lopez fans loudly voicing their support for the Lobos.

“This is not the end, it’s just the start of what we want to do,” Lobos coach Amadeo Escandon told the cheering fans.

The Lobos have advanced to the UIL state tournament in Georgetown three of the last four seasons and have made it to that level of the playoffs five times overall, the most trips to state by any team in the Rio Grande Vallley.

“This feels great,” said Jose “Chevy” Echavarria, a senior attacking midfielder for the Lobos who scored a pair of goals. “It always feels good to win championships here at Lopez High School.

“It’s because of all the hard work that we’ve put in — my teammates, myself and the coaches — everyone,” he added. “It’s been hard work since Day One. Everything has just gotten us closer and closer to the district title.”

Added teammate Alan Reyes, a junior midfielder, “The first thing we want to do is say we’re grateful for all of the families that have helped and supported us. It’s something beautiful to win district and it’s a great way to start the playoffs.”

The Lobos turned loose an offensive onslaught against the Vikings in the opening half to lead 5-0 at intermission. Pace (5-9, 15 points) scored its two goals in the last 10 minutes to make the final score 5-2. The season is over for the Vikings.

Scoring the first three goals for Lopez were Sebastian Benavides, Reyes and Guadalupe Sauceda in the 11th, 18th and 23rd minutes, respectively. The goals by Benavides and Reyes came from close range after receiving a pass from the outside. Sauceda tallied from about 12 yards out on the left side.

Echavarria made it 4-0 in the 26th minute by dribbling in and firing the ball into the left corner of the goal from point-blank range. He increased the lead to 5-0 by scoring on a low direct kick taken from 20 yards out in the 32nd minute.

Scoring late goals for the Vikings were Eduardo Perez and Ian Perez.

In the girls match, Pace led 1-0 and 2-1 before a penalty kick goal by the Lady Lobos knotted the game 2-2 and sent the contest to 20 minutes of OT.

The Lady Vikings went up 3-2 with two minutes remaining in the second half of OT and finished district with an unbeaten record. The winning goal for Pace came on a penalty kick by Alexis Guajardo after a handball call on the Lopez girls in the penalty area.

The Lady Lobos had stopped an earlier penalty try by the Lady Vikings.

Marcy Garza and Kryssie Rivera scored Pace’s earlier goals. The ones scoring goals for the Lady Lobos were Myrka Garcia and Tiffany Matambu.

The Lady Vikings are scheduled to face Laredo Martin in the first round of the playoffs.

The season is over for the Lady Lobos (6-8, 18 points). For reasons that are not immediately known, head coach Alex Macias hasn’t coached the Lady Lobos the last few games, according to Lopez fans.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

It should be quite obvious by now.

The Los Fresnos Lady Falcons refuse to lose at state in powerlifting.

The Los Fresnos girls won their fourth straight Class 6A team title at Friday’s Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association state meet in Waco.

“It is a joy to watch these girls compete, perform and win,” said Jaime Vela, Los Fresnos’ powerlifting coach. “We always go into the regional meet (two weeks earlier) with the intention of qualifying as many of our lifters as possible for state competition. Then our mindset at state is we’re going to win (the team title). These girls proved it again.”

The Lady Falcons captured their fourth consecutive state crown in decisive fashion by totaling 28 points compared to 20 for runner-up Wylie. Edinburg High (18 points) was third, Edinburg Economedes (17) was fourth and Laredo United South (14) was fifth. Hanna and La Joya Palmview tied for sixth place with 13 points apiece.

Actually, nine of the top 11 teams in the final 6A standings were from the Rio Grande Valley. There were 199 lifters from around the state competing at the meet in the 6A division.

“It was a great day,” Vela said. “The girls competed (well).”

The Lady Falcons were led by individual state champions Aliana Richardson in the 105-pound weight division and Bella Vargas in the 123-pound weight division. Richardson had a lift total of 885 pounds in the dead lift, squat lift and bench press, while Vargas had a lift total of 910 pounds.

Placing third in their weight divisions for the Lady Falcons were Angel Esquivel and Ruby Quintero. Also for the Lady Falcons, earning fourth places were Layla Carrisalez, Leslie Quintero and Mary Jane Maldonado. Rheanne Lopez contributed a fifth-place finish. Other girls going to state for Los Fresnos were Niomi Gamez, Sophia Navarrete, Brittney Berber, Abby Dominguez, Paola Castillo, Hanna Castillo and Vero Martinez.

“The reception we get after these girls come home as state champions is wonderful,” Vela said. “Winning state makes our young girls coming up want to be a part of the team and it keeps our program going (at a high level).”

Hanna was led by individual state champion Ale Escandon in the 114-pound weight division. She took first place with an 835-pound lift total. Teammates Amanda Garcia and Brittany Lozano each finished third in their respective upper weight class divisions.

Other girls at state for the Lady Golden Eagles were Maryssa Lucio, Shelsey Cavillo, Tamara Guerrero, Alexis Alaniz, Karen Ledezma and Alexandra Chavez.

Another Valley state champion in 6A was Leann Ramirez of San Benito in the 181-pound weight division with a total lift of 1,140 pounds. She is the daughter of Lopez coach Hugo Ramirez.

The Class 5A state meet took place Friday in Waco as well with the Lopez girls finishing second for the second straight year behind perennial state champion Port Lavaca Calhoun. The 5A state meet had 211 lifters.

Calhoun, boosted by two first-place lifters and a pair of second-place finishers, captured the 5A team title with 27 points. Lopez had an individual state champion and three runner-up finishers to end up with 24 points. Alice was the third-place team with 19 points.

Leading the way for the Lady Lobos was Liz De La Fuente, who won the 148-pound weight division with a lift total of 1,020 pounds. Teammates Lexi Davila, Alexa Vega and Melanie Quintero took second place in the 105, 114 and 198 weight divisions, respectively. Also for the Lady Lobos, Jennifer Cisneros placed fourth in the 148 weight division.

Other girls at state for Lopez were Esmeralda Saldana, Norma Vega, Annahi Pizana and Julieann Delgado.

Also at state, Madelyne Mckinney was third in the 165 weight division for Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Elexa Silva took fourth place in the 198 weight division for Pace.

The THSPA state meet for boys is scheduled March 24 in Abilene.

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

As a radio broadcaster, a teacher, and most notably, a friend to all, Hank Hollingsworth lived a life that touched many in the Brownsville community.

The news of Hollingsworth’s death earlier this week at age 78 was saddening for everyone who came to know him as the “Voice of Brownsville” at KBOR 1600 AM Radio. As an announcer/broadcaster, he covered news and sporting events for approximately 35 years starting in the 1960s. He also taught at Porter High School from 1984 to 2014.

Hollingsworth’s distinctive, familiar voice coming over the airwaves on a football Friday night was just like hearing from an old, trusted friend. He provided play-by-play descriptions of countless football games, most of them at Sams Memorial Stadium, and was inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

He is remembered as a kind and humble man.

During his time as a broadcaster from the mid-1960s to around 2000, the athletes, coaches and fans came to appreciate and respect his vital contribution to Brownsville football in addition to the news coverage he provided for KBOR.

In 1963, Hollingsworth was the one to break the news over the radio to Brownsville residents that President Kennedy had been assassinated. Hollingsworth interviewed Presidents Reagan and Nixon when they came to the Rio Grande Valley to campaign. He also interviewed Tom Landry and Roger Staubach during their visits to South Texas.

“Hank played an important role (broadcasting news and sports) for many years,” said Joe A. Rodriguez, a former coach, athletic director and current Brownsville ISD school board member. “He was there back when it was just Brownsville High (in the 1960s). He always supported us (with his radio coverage). Not only that, he was such a great person, too.

“He was a real blessing to our community, and I’m sad to hear of his passing,” Rodriguez added. “He’ll be missed. He was always there for Brownsville and the kids.”

One of those who recalls Hollingsworth’s days of broadcasting football games in the late 1970s and early 1980s is Ivy Arroyo, a 1981 Pace graduate who was on the Vikings’ 1980 team that upset Coastal Bend powerhouse Gregory-Portland 7-6 in a memorable bi-district game on a cold, wet night at G-P. Hollingsworth was there along with his broadcast team to keep the Valley informed about how the game was going and joyously tell the listeners about the eventual victory.

Arroyo said his father recorded the G-P game off the radio that night because he had to work. The treasured recording is now in Ivy’s possession.

“Mr. Hollingsworth was truly the voice of Valley high school football,” said Arroyo, who now lives in Central Texas and is a client development director for a law firm. “He was a soft-spoken man, yet had quite a sense of humor. There was the time (as a Pace student) I first met him in person as I was jogging by KBOR (on Central Boulevard) one afternoon. He was fixing to get into his car when I stopped to introduce myself. He said, ‘I know you Ivy Jay!’

“He shook my sweaty hand and went on to say, ‘Gee Ivy, I really like watching you mercilessly pound your opponents (as a Pace linebacker and offensive lineman) every Friday night,'” Arroyo added. “Then he said, ‘From where I sit (in the press box), everybody looks the same size, and I didn’t realize just how short you really are. You play much bigger than your size. Either way, I’m glad I don’t have to play in front of you.’ We laughed and talked about several games and teammates.”

Arroyo said he’ll always remember Hollingsworth as a major contributor to football in Brownsville.

“He had such a great respect for the game and the kids he represented on the radio,” Arroyo said. “On the inside, I saw myself as 6-foot-5, and then Hank was my wake-up call that in reality I was only 5-foot-6. He was such a class gentleman through and through. I wish my boys (who now play football in high school and college) could have met him. We will miss him dearly. My sincerest condolences to his family.”

The KBOR broadcast team gradually evolved to include at various times Ronnie Zamora, David Dierlam, Benny Bellamy and occasionally others. Zamora, now the communications and marketing coordinator at Los Fresnos CISD, called games from the broadcast booth with Hollingsworth from approximately 1985 to 2000.

“Hank was my mentor,” Zamora said. “He was the first to give me the opportunity to broadcast sports. Together with David Dierlam, we did about 15 seasons of high school football together. It didn’t feel like work at all. It was a lot of fun. Hank showed me that microphones are nothing to be scared of. I am going to miss him.”

Hollingsworth’s impact was felt as an educator in the classroom as well.

“Mr. Hollingsworth was my government and economics teacher my senior year,” said Joshua J. Caldwell, who graduated from Porter in 2002. “I knew that he was a radio legend before I was ever his student. While I was too young to ever hear him on the radio, I always enjoyed his stories about his broadcasts.

“He was a compassionate teacher who treated us like adults,” added Caldwell, now an attorney with the 13th Court of Appeals. “He always facilitated lively discussions about the government and economy and enjoyed listening to us students debate, even though he may have disagreed with a lot of what we had to say.”

Hollingsworth, a 1958 graduate of Fort Worth Trimble Tech, arrived in Brownsville as a 20-year-old in 1960 and radio quickly became his livelihood and his passion.

“I would say broadcasting has defined my life,” Hollingsworth said during an interview last June. “It was a great preparation for the classroom (as I became a teacher at Porter in 1984). You’re exposed to everything under the sun (in broadcasting). It’s a world unto its own. It did so many good things for me.

“God knew what He was doing when He sent me here (to Brownsville) 57 years ago,” Hollingsworth added. “The people I’ve met here are wonderful.”

A graveside service is scheduled at 11 a.m. today at Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens to be followed by a memorial service at Brownsville First Baptist Church at 1 p.m.

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 should be quite obvious by now.

The Los Fresnos Lady Falcons refuse to lose at state in powerlifting.

The Los Fresnos girls won their fourth straight Class 6A team title at Friday’s Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association state meet in Waco.

“It is a joy to watch these girls compete, perform and win,” said Jaime Vela, Los Fresnos’ powerlifting coach. “We always go into the regional meet (two weeks earlier) with the intention of qualifying as many of our lifters as possible for state competition. Then our mindset at state is we’re going to win (the team title). These girls proved it again.”

The Lady Falcons captured their fourth consecutive state crown in decisive fashion by totaling 28 points compared to 20 for runner-up Wylie. Edinburg High (18 points) was third, Edinburg Economedes (17) was fourth and Laredo United South (14) was fifth. Hanna and La Joya Palmview tied for sixth place with 13 points apiece.

Actually, nine of the top 11 teams in the final 6A standings were from the Rio Grande Valley. There were 199 lifters from around the state competing at the meet in the 6A division.

“It was a great day,” Vela said. “The girls competed (well).”

The Lady Falcons were led by individual state champions Aliana Richardson in the 105-pound weight division and Bella Vargas in the 123-pound weight division. Richardson had a lift total of 885 pounds in the dead lift, squat lift and bench press, while Vargas had a lift total of 910 pounds.

Placing third in their weight divisions for the Lady Falcons were Angel Esquivel and Ruby Quintero. Also for the Lady Falcons, earning fourth places were Layla Carrisalez, Leslie Quintero and Mary Jane Maldonado. Rheanne Lopez contributed a fifth-place finish. Other girls going to state for Los Fresnos were Niomi Gamez, Sophia Navarrete, Brittney Berber, Abby Dominguez, Paola Castillo, Hanna Castillo and Vero Martinez.

“The reception we get after these girls come home as state champions is wonderful,” Vela said. “Winning state makes our young girls coming up want to be a part of the team and it keeps our program going (at a high level).”

Hanna was led by individual state champion Ale Escandon in the 114-pound weight division. She took first place with an 835-pound lift total. Teammates Amanda Garcia and Brittany Lozano each finished third in their respective upper weight class divisions.

Other girls at state for the Lady Golden Eagles were Maryssa Lucio, Shelsey Cavillo, Tamara Guerrero, Alexis Alaniz, Karen Ledezma and Alexandra Chavez.

Another Valley state champion in 6A was Leann Ramirez of San Benito in the 181-pound weight division with a total lift of 1,140 pounds. She is the daughter of Lopez coach Hugo Ramirez.

The Class 5A state meet took place Friday in Waco as well with the Lopez girls finishing second for the second straight year behind perennial state champion Port Lavaca Calhoun. The 5A state meet had 211 lifters.

Calhoun, boosted by two first-place lifters and a pair of second-place finishers, captured the 5A team title with 27 points. Lopez had an individual state champion and three runner-up finishers to end up with 24 points. Alice was the third-place team with 19 points.

Leading the way for the Lady Lobos was Liz De La Fuente, who won the 148-pound weight division with a lift total of 1,020 pounds. Teammates Lexi Davila, Alexa Vega and Melanie Quintero took second place in the 105, 114 and 198 weight divisions, respectively. Also for the Lady Lobos, Jennifer Cisneros placed fourth in the 148 weight division.

Other girls at state for Lopez were Esmeralda Saldana, Norma Vega, Annahi Pizana and Julieann Delgado.

Also at state, Madelyne Mckinney was third in the 165 weight division for Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Elexa Silva took fourth place in the 198 weight division for Pace.

The THSPA state meet for boys is scheduled March 24 in Abilene.

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

History actually repeats itself quite frequently for the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons in soccer.

It’s a history of winning district championships and going far into the playoffs that seems to happen pretty much every season.

This year is no different, at least concerning the District 32-6A tile. The playoffs are still ahead and will start March 29.

Thanks to Monday’s 4-0 victory at home against Weslaco High, the Lady Falcons (12-2, 35 points) claimed the district crown for the sixth time in nine years. The goal now for the Los Fresnos girls in the playoffs will be to reach the regional tournament for the seventh time in nine years, a string of success that includes appearances at that level of the postseason during each of the last three seasons.

The district championship was never really a given for the Lady Falcons in 2018 after they graduated standout playmakers Tanya Prazelini and Clarissa “Claire” Castaneda from last year’s 27-3 district championship team. Prazelini scored a Valley girls single-season record 68 goals in 2017 and Castaneda, a four-year starter as a center midfielder, was a fixture in the lineup and was always a reliable source for creating goal-producing plays. Both signed to play in college.

The Lady Falcons began the current season with no proven scorers who could be consistently relied upon for goals. But as always seems to be the case at Los Fresnos, other players stepped forward to lead the team to another district trophy.

Recently, senior Cassy Lozano and freshman Yulianna Moreno have scored four and three goals, respectively, in a match, so the goal output is coming around at the right time.

“Coming into this season, we knew our opponents were going to underestimate us and that we were going to be an underdog (considering the ones we graduated from last year),” Lady Falcons coach Patricia A. Hernandez said. “But you can’t rule us out. We’ve been showing that throughout district this year.

“I respect and appreciate the effort these girls give and the will they have to win,” she added. “They play for each other. As a coach, I couldn’t have asked for a better team this year. It’s all come together for us.

“The leadership that we have this season, it’s been something where the experienced players have embraced the newcomers to the varsity. I truly believe it’s our leadership on the field (that is making the difference).”

In the bi-district round of the Class 6A playoffs, the Lady Falcons will go against PSJA High, the fourth-place finisher from District 31-6A. The two teams are scheduled to flip a coin at 2:30 p.m. Monday to determine the details of their playoff matchup.

OTHER 6A PLAYOFFS
There was a lot of coin flipping going on Wednesday as teams from 32-6A and 31-6A set up their bi-district matchups.

For the boys, the now arranged matchups include 32-6A champion Rivera playing Edinburg High at 7 p.m. March 29 at Edinburg’s Richard R. Flores Stadium, while Hanna will be playing at the same site against Edinburg North at noon on March 31. Tentatively, Los Fresnos will play host to Edinburg Economedes at 7 p.m. March 29. That time could change (but not the site) if the Lady Falcons win their coin flip and get to play at home. too.

The other boys bi-district matchup has Harlingen High playing at home against 31-6A champion PSJA Southwest at 6 p.m. March 29 at Boggus Stadium.

Besides Los Fresnos vs. PSJA High, after flips regarding the girls bi-district matchups of other 32-6A teams, it’s 31-6A champion Edinburg North playing in Brownsville against Rivera on March 29, probably at Sams Memorial Stadium (time to be determined). Also, it’s Harlingen South at PSJA Memorial at 6:30 p.m. March 29 and Harlingen High at Edinburg Vela at 6 p.m. March 29.

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

For the Rivera Raiders in soccer, it’s always about a bigger prize.

The Raiders captured the District 32-6A championship with a 4-1 victory against Harlingen South on Monday afternoon at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Rivera completed district play with a 13-1 record and 38 points to edge out runner-up Hanna with a 12-2 record and 36 points. The Golden Eagles defeated Weslaco East 5-3 in overtime Monday and would have captured the 32-6A crown had Rivera lost.

Even though they had just become district champions, there was little, if any, celebrating going on among the Rivera players and coaches following their victory against the Hawks (5-9, 15 points). The loss knocked South out of playoff contention.

For quite some time now, the goal for the Raiders and other Brownsville boys teams is always to go beyond district and make it to the UIL state tournament with the intent of bringing home a state title.

That explains why there was little or no celebrating by the Raiders at Sams on Monday.

“It feels normal (to win district),” said Rivera’s Julian Espinoza, a senior midfielder and team captain who scored a pair of goals during Monday’s 4-1 win. “That’s really not our objective. Our objectives are a lot higher. It’s nice, but it’s not our main goal.”

After trailing 1-0, the Raiders found themselves tied with the Hawks 1-1 at intermission before going ahead early in the second half and cruising to the victory.

“A district title is a district title, and yeah, we’ll take it,” Rivera coach Salvador Garcia said. “Like I said before, a district title is not our (primary) objective.”

Garcia said his team played better during the final 40 minutes after a so-so first half.

“I told the players (at halftime) we always have to be ready to play (well),” he said. “I told them that playing the way we were playing in the first half is a (sure) sign we’ll be staying home (after one round of the playoffs).
“I don’t know whether it was because of spring break or what, but the first half I thought we were just jogging,” he added. “In the playoffs, you’ve got to fight hard for every 50-50 ball from the very beginning of the game. We’ll see how we react in the playoffs.”

Things were looking pretty good for the Hawks when Jose Lerma scored into an open net to give his team a 1-0 lead during the ninth minute.

But the next four goals were all scored by Rivera, including three in the second half.

“We ran out of gas,” South coach Julian Robles said. “We needed more subs. It just didn’t work out for us (this year). There were too many opportunities (to win) we didn’t take advantage of earlier in the season (that could have put us in a better position to make the playoffs).”

Rivera tallied its initial goal just a minute and a half before intermission when the ball came to Roberto Melendez on a long free kick from midfield and he put it into the net from close range.

The next two goals for the Raiders were tallied by Espinoza, including a picture-perfect score that put Rivera ahead 2-1. The goals came during the 52nd and 60th minutes.

Espinoza’s first goal came when a teammate sent a short pass to him off a corner kick taken from the left side. Espinoza dribbled once or twice before quickly launching the ball toward the goal on an arc from about 20 yards away. The well-placed shot from the left side sailed over the goalkeeper and landed in the right corner of the net for a 2-1 lead.

Espinoza brought the ball down the middle and scored from about 15 yards away in the 60th minute to up his team’s advantage to 3-1.

The final Rivera goal came during the 71st minute and was scored by freshman reserve Jamin Muniz. The ball came to Muniz in the goalmouth and he appeared to nudge it in with his chest from close range to increase the score to 4-1.

The Raiders are expected to play either Edinburg North or Edinburg High from District 31-6A when the bi-district playoffs begin March 28-29.

Meanwhile, the early game of Monday’s 32-6A doubleheader at Sams saw the South girls shut out the Rivera girls 4-0 thanks to four second-half goals by Mellory Grannum, a junior midfielder/forward.

Both the Lady Hawks and Lady Raiders are advancing to the playoffs. The South girls (10-4, 33 points) will be the district’s No. 2 playoff seed after tying with No. 3 seed Harlingen High (11-3, 33 points) in the 32-6A standings.

The two schools’ coaches had a coin flip after their games Monday to determine their teams’ postseason seedings.

The Los Fresnos girls (12-2, 35 points) repeated as 32-6A champions with a 4-0 win at home Monday against Weslaco High. The Lady Raiders (9-5, 25 points) are 32-6A’s fourth-place team.

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