By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

LYFORD — The Brownsville IDEA Frontier Chargers have a lot to be grateful about even if things didn’t go their way in Friday night’s 57-41 Class 3A area-round playoff defeat against Odem.

Just a few days ago, Frontier captured the school’s first bi-district win in any team sport in seven years of UIL competition with a 67-62 triumph over Falfurrias.

The District 32-3A runner-up Chargers (23-6) were hoping their momentum would continue Friday against the District 29-3A champion Owls (26-9), but it just wasn’t to be.

The Chargers never led, and when they pulled to within three points, 28-25, just before halftime on a 3-pointer by David Vera, the Owls responded by scoring the first eight points of the third quarter to go up by double digits again, 46-35. The closest Frontier came in the fourth quarter was nine points, 50-41.

“I’m real proud of these boys,” Chargers coach Jerry De La Garza said. “They fought hard every single game this season. “They competed well today and we made some noise in the playoffs.

“Sometimes shots fall in for the other team and not for you — that’s basketball, somebody’s got to win and somebody’s got to lose,” De La Garza added. “But I’m real proud of the guys because they gave it everything they had the whole game.”

The Chargers went up against an opponent that advanced to the regional semifinals last season and appears to have a team capable of going at least that far again.

“After going to the regional semifinals last season, we have high ambitions for this year,” Odem coach Tony Ramirez said.
Odem will take on Dilley or Santa Gertrudis in the third round of the 3A playoffs next week.

On Friday, the Owls led 14-7 after one quarter and 28-25 at intermission. They took a 44-32 advantage into the final period. The final score 57-41 was their biggest lead of the game.

Tyrese Arellano and Gustavo Recio led the Chargers with 13 points apiece. Arellano sank three 3-pointers and Recio drained one.

Matthew Ramirez, a sharp-shooting junior guard, was the only player for the Owls scoring in double figures. He finished with 28 points, including seven 3-pointers.

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

There were so many players taking penalty kicks to determine a winner in Friday afternoon’s District 32-5A soccer game between Lopez and Porter that it seemed as if everyone for both teams got an opportunity to fire a shot at the goal.

Five players attempting PKs for each team is usually the way a deadlocked game is decided.

But this became anything but a typical game after it wound up tied 1-1 following 80 minutes of regulation play. As per 32-5A rules for the second half of district, the game went directly to PKs following regulation as it bypassed 20 minutes of overtime.

In all, 34 PKs were attempted — 17 by each team — as the Lobos prevailed in the extended PK shootout 15-14 for a victory that officially goes down as a 2-1 triumph for Lopez.

It was a memorable edition of the “Battle of Southmost” played at Lopez.

The match was decided when Porter’s 17th shooter had his PK attempt blocked by Lopez goalkeeper Andrew Flores and the Lobos’ Daniel Cruz, his team’s 17th shooter, calmly stepped up and drilled the game-winner into the corner of the net to bring an end to the marathon match.

“The ability of our guys to keep pushing forward throughout the match (was what stood out to me),” Lopez coach Amadeo Escandon said. “Our mentality is to always go for the win, and our athletes have bought into that.

“(Not only is it a record number of PKs for a ‘Battle of Southmost’ matchup), it’s also the first time we take that many PKs in school history (in any match),” Escandon added.

The second game in the 32-5A doubleheader matched the girls teams from Lopez and Porter. The Lady Lobos trailed 3-0 before rallying to win 4-3.

Friday marked the first games in the second round of 32-5A. Lopez’s boys are now 7-1 with 21 points, while Porter is 5-3 with 15 points. Brownsville Veterans

Memorial went into Friday’s action at 7-0 with 20 points and needed a win either outright or by PKs to retain sole possession of its conference lead.

At the end of the day, Porter would be no worse than tied for third place if Donna North picked up three points later on Friday.

“It was another one of those ‘Battles of Southmost,’” Cowboys coach Jose Espitia said. “We knew it was going to be tough, especially since it was at their place. Considering the rules in the (32-5A) district plan, we knew we were going to go straight to PKs (from regulation), so we planned for that.

“We had several chances to win the game in regulation on the counter attack, which was our plan, and Lopez had some chances, too,” Espitia added. “I think we did a good job on defense. Our guys are young, but they have a lot of heart. They can go against anybody, especially a powerhouse like Lopez.”

In the 16th minute, Porter’s Ossiris Hernandez scored from about 12 yards out on the left side to give the Cowboys a 1-0 lead. Lopez equalized during the 26th minute on a goal from close range by Jose “Chevy” Echavarria.

The 1-1 score stood until the end of regulation.

Once in penalties, the rotation lasted so long that some players for each team shot and scored twice.

Besides the game-winner by Cruz, who scored on a pair of PKs, other Lobos recording PK goals were Echavarria (two), Baltazar Cerda (two), Guadalupe Sauceda (two), Eloy Lozoya (two), Marcos Mendoza, Jesus Guajardo, Raudel Ramirez, Francisco Cisneros and Alan Reyes.

The scorers in penalties for the Cowboys included Hernandez (two), Oscar Garcia (two), Luis Romero (two), Edward Rodriguez, Erik Esparza, Brandon Montes, Diego Rivera, Jonathan Paz, Isaac Acevedo, Christian Maldonado and Rodolfo Armendariz.

Meanwhile, the Lopez girls trailed 3-0 at halftime before staging their successful comeback to win 4-3. Adamaris Rangel highlighted the victory for the Lady Lobos with a hat trick. A goal by teammate Zayra Esquivel made it 3-3.

The Lady Lobos improved to 4-4 with 12 points, while the Cowgirls are now 4-4 with 11 points.

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

When Hanna and Rivera play in boys soccer, it’s usually for a district championship.

That’s the way it looked Tuesday at Sams Memorial Stadium when the Golden Eagles and Raiders opened the second round of District 32-6A competition against one another.

Hanna (7-1, 21 points) scored late in the match to prevail 3-2 and take over the 32-6A lead with now second-place Rivera (7-1, 20 points) close behind. Los Fresnos (5-3, 15 points) is firmly in control of third place, while Harlingen High (3-5, 10 points) holds down fourth place. Next come Harlingen South (3-5, nine points), San Benito (3-5, nine points), Weslaco East (3-5, nine points) and Weslaco High (1-6, three points).

Rivera edged Hanna 3-2 in penalty kicks when the two teams opened first-round district play on Jan. 26, also at Sams.

This time, it was the Eagles’ turn to win.

Tuesday’s match was tied 1-1 at halftime before Hanna went ahead 2-1 and Rivera drew even again.

Then, with a little more than two minutes remaining in regulation, Hanna’s Danny Rivera received a long pass by teammate Axel Guzman from the midfield.

Rivera dribbled in on the attack and surged ahead of the defense on a breakaway before sending the ball into the goal with a shot from inside the penalty box.

Rivera finished with two goals in the match and teammate Aldair Hernandez had one. For the Raiders, the goals were scored by Roberto Melendez and Jose Muniz.

“Both teams were equally balanced and we both wanted and fought hard for this game,” Hanna coach Reyes Prado said. “My guys had some careless mistakes, but, in my opinion, we were able to set the tempo of the game. Our team was mentally and physically ready for Rivera.

“Our district is very competitive and we should and will focus (only) on our next opponent (for every game),” Prado added. “Coach Salvador Garcia (at Rivera) has a great program and it is always great to beat a team of that caliber.”

Until Tuesday, Rivera had led the district. The Raiders are still only one point behind Hanna and six district dates remain in the second round, so some changes may happen again. But for now, the Eagles lead the 32-6A boys race.

“As we expected, it was a very close, physical game, and in my honest opinion, Hanna wanted it more than we did,” Garcia said. “We are still looking for the consistency that one needs to be a contender and to fight for titles. There were some times during the game when our team played very well and displayed ‘Rivera Soccer,’ but then, for no good reason, we stopped doing that and just played without any discipline.”

District action for 32-6A resumes Friday.

NEW 32-6A GIRLS LEADER
There were changes as well atop the 32-6A girls standings over the past few days.

Former 32-6A girls leader Harlingen South (5-3, 17 points) now has slipped to third place after only picking up one point in its last two games.

At the top spot in the standings now is defending 32-6A champion Los Fresnos (7-1, 21 points) followed by second-place Harlingen High (6-2, 18 points).

After the top three teams are Rivera (5-3, 13 points), Hanna (3-5, 11 points), San Benito (3-5, eight points), Weslaco High (2-6, five points) and Weslaco East (1-7, three points).

An important matchup is ahead on Friday when Los Fresnos travels to Harlingen’s Boggus Stadium to play South at 5:30 p.m. During the first round at Los Fresnos, South won 2-0.

32-5A UPDATE
District 32-5A boys and girls were open Tuesday and will start second-round play on Friday. Some game times have been moved up due to Charro Days.

In the boys standings, Brownsville Veterans Memorial (7-0, 20 points) is the leader with second-place Lopez (6-1, 19 points) close behind. Porter (5-2, 14 points) is third and Donna North (4-3, 12 points) is fourth. Next come Pace (2-5, seven points), Donna High (2-5, six points), Mercedes (2-5, five points) and Edcouch-Elsa (0-7, one point).

The Pace Lady Vikings (7-0, 21 points) remain atop the 32-5A girls standings as they seek their best season in school history and first district championship since 2009.

Donna North (6-1, 18 points) holds down second place behind the Lady Vikings, while Brownsville Veterans (4-3, 12 points) is third, Porter (4-3, 11 points) is fourth, E-E (3-4, 10 points) is fifth and Lopez (3-4, nine points) is sixth. After that come Donna High (1-6, three points) and Mercedes (0-7, no points).

The “Battle of Southmost” doubleheader on Friday between Lopez and Porter has been moved to 10 a.m. (boys) and noon (girls) at Lopez.

Also, the Brownsville Veterans vs. Pace doubleheader on Friday at Pace is set for 5:30 p.m. (boys) and 7:30 p.m. (girls). That’s the normal second-round district time schedule.

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

Alexandra “Alex” Chavez has loved powerlifting since she first began the sport as a Hanna freshman.

Last summer, the standout senior earned a silver medal at international competition in Florida for Team USA and captured the attention of college recruiters.

Now the sport is providing her with an all-expenses paid college education.

On Wednesday afternoon at her campus, Chavez signed a full-ride athletic scholarship agreement to compete next school year for the powerlifting program at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska.

“I’ve always had an image in my mind of what could be (as far as signing to become a powerlifter in college), and now that it’s happening, it’s surreal,” said Chavez, who has qualified for the last three THSWPA state meets and hopes to go again next month. “I am extremely blessed to be given the opportunity to lift collegiately because that has been my ultimate goal since Day One.”

Chavez becomes the first powerlifter from Hanna — male or female — to receive a scholarship to compete in lifting in college.

“It’s very exciting to see an athlete move on to the next level,” said Hanna coach Mike Chavez, who is no relation to Alexandra. “She’s worked very hard for this and I know she’ll be successful.

“Like any athlete in the sport of powerlifting, it’s all about putting in the time and dedication, and having the discipline to get up and do it everyday plus having the discipline to take care of your body so you can recover (from injuries),” the coach added. “Because of those qualities, Alexandra’s been able to do really well. That’s what makes her successful.”

Competing as a 148-pound lifter, Chavez’s top lifts are 474 pounds in the squat, 405 pounds in the dead lift and 250 pounds in the bench press. Those marks have come within the past year at various meets. After getting a silver medal as a junior last year at the THSWPA state meet, she’s looking for a gold this time around on March 16 in Waco.

While before long she’ll be concentrating almost exclusively on powerlifting and her studies, Chavez has a wealth of activities to keep her busy at Hanna. She’s the co-captain on the cheerleading squad, a varsity choir member, a track and field competitor and a two-time Skills USA national finalist besides being a captain on the powerlifting team.

Her silver medal for Team USA came last summer at the International Powerlifting Federation World Sub-Junior Championships in Orlando, Florida. She holds a national record in the 72-kg weight class for her squat lift and holds a THSWPA Region V record for her bench press.

The standout lifter has come a long way in a short amount of time.

“I got disqualified at the state meet when I was a freshman and that’s really what has pushed me and made me believe that I was good enough to do it,” Chavez said. “When I was a freshman, my coach told me I’d be a state champion someday. I’ve never had a coach believe in me so much and it’s kept me going.

“I feel that me, being here from Brownsville and signing to do something like this, will give recognition (in powerlifting) to Region V, which is the Valley,” Chavez added. “We have incredible lifters here. And maybe they can have a chance to show their abilities at the next level, too — not just here in Texas. I’m so blessed that I have been given an opportunity to receive a scholarship because it does not happen to everybody. I’m glad I’m one of the few to get one.

“I just thank my coach, Mike Chavez, and my parents, Dino and Odelia (Chavez) for all their support.”

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 — Edinburg Vela led by as many as 16 points during the second quarter and held off a determined Brownsville Rivera squad down the stretch to earn a 66-59 Class 6A bi-district basketball victory Tuesday at the Raiders’ gym.

District 31-6A runner-up Vela, now 20-14, advances to face McAllen Rowe or Del Rio later this week in the area round of the 6A playoffs, while District 32-6A third-place Rivera’s season comes to an end at 18-14.

“This win means a lot to these players,” Vela coach David Keith said. “They’ve been through a lot just in the regular season. To watch them be successful here in a tough place to play against a great (Rivera) coach like Saul Villarreal and against a great team of his players (is very satisfying). Rivera has a very good team and I can see why they made it to the playoffs out of their district.

“I would say tenacity and toughness tonight (were the difference),” Keith added. “We knew we were going to need it because we heard they were a tough team and we saw it tonight. We just needed to be tenacious to stay in the game.

“I’m very proud of these boys. It was a wonderful game to watch and I think the fans really enjoyed it.”

Vela took its largest lead of 16 points, 30-14, with 3:42 left before halftime when Josh Diaz drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key. The Sabercats seemed to have a comfortable advantage at that point, but the Raiders were determined to come back as they rallied to within one point in the third period and within four points in the fourth quarter.

It was Rivera’s first trip to the postseason since 2011.

“My guys played their hearts out all season and I’m very proud of them,” veteran Rivera coach Saul Villarreal said. “I thank them for the hard play they did throughout the whole year. These (senior) guys added a little stepping stone for our underclassmen that will be back next season (to achieve more).

“The players were very united as a team,” Villarreal added. “I think our unity, sticking together and working real hard are the things that brought us to where we’re at right now.”

Vela led 13-12 after one quarter and 33-25 at intermission after capitalizing on some cold shooting and turnovers by the Raiders during the second period. The Sabercats outpointed the Raiders 19-16 in the third quarter to take a 52-41 advantage into the final period.

Rivera came within one point of the lead, 37-36, at the 4:54 mark of the third period when the Raiders’ Oscar Lozoya scored on a fastbreak layup.

The Raiders pulled within four points, 63-59, in the final period on a rebound put-back by Lozoya with 1:35 to play, but that was as close as Rivera could come down the stretch.

Lozoya led all scorers with 27 points, including four 3-pointers. Teammate Rudy Guerrero added nine points and Michael Duran seven as Lozoya was the only one for the Raiders scoring in double figures.

Diaz led Vela with 20 points, including three 3-pointers. Teammates Bobby Espericueta and Trey Chavana added 13 and 10 points, respectively.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

FALFURRIAS — The Port Isabel Tarpons last went to the state playoffs in boys basketball in 2012 and last won a postseason game in 2002.

Needless to say, the Tarpons were pretty happy after defeating Orange Grove 69-58 Monday night in a Class 4A bi-district matchup at the Falfurrias gym.

It was a game in which the District 32-4A runner-up Tarpons (19-12) went ahead early and never trailed, although the District 31-4A third-place Bulldogs (17-16) made things interesting by pulling to within five points, 59-54, with 1:14 left.

The Tarpons, who were intentionally fouled during the final minute, made their free throws when it counted down the stretch and walked off the court with an 11-point victory.

“It’s been a long time,” said senior guard Fernie Lopez, a four-year varsity player for the Tarpons. “All of us are very excited and happy we won. Me? I’ve been on the varsity since my freshman year, so this is something I’ve been waiting for. I’ve really been wanting this so we could go at least one round.

“Now we’re going to the second round,” Lopez added. “Hopefully we can keep going from here.”

The Tarpons were up 15-10 after one quarter and held a 32-23 advantage at intermission.

Each team scored 17 points in the third quarter as Port Isabel went into the final period ahead 49-40.

The Tarpons’ biggest lead was 15 points, 41-26, at the 5:17 mark of the third quarter when Lopez sank a pair of free throws.

But the Bulldogs refused to go away quietly, especially in the fourth period when they rallied and Orange Grove’s Jose Aguilar scored from underneath and was fouled in the process. His three-point play made it 59-54 with 1:14 to go.

From there, the Tarpons showed their poise by converting six of nine free throws and finishing the game with a double-digit edge as Tommy Zurita made a steal and dribbled in for a layup with 3.5 seconds remaining to account for the final score of 69-58.

“We did what we had to do and tried to speed up the pace of the game,” Port Isabel coach Mike Hazelton said. “Orange Grove is a very disciplined team, and if you get into a slow-paced game with them, they’re going to beat you. We’re not that type of team. They had a height advantage on us, so we tried to speed things up.”

“It was kind of a ‘Ying’ and a ‘Yang’ game featuring teams with two different styles,” Hazelton added. “We got into foul trouble, and that scared me a little bit, but we had some guys come in off the bench and do what they needed to do.

“I have some four-year players and this is just a great deal for them. Everyone did what he had to do, so this is a great victory for us.”

Lopez, Zurita and Daniel Rinza Jr. led the Tarpons with 14 points each. Rinza sank two 3-pointers and Lopez had one. Teammate Chuy Saldivar added 10 points.

For Orange Grove, Noah Villarreal, Brandon Garcia and Ethan French scored 15, 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Port Isabel now advances to the area round later this week and will play Carrizo Springs or Poteet.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Kryssie Rivera’s senior season of soccer at Pace continues to reach new levels of achievement.

Rivera, a standout member of the Lady Vikings’ 7-0 District 32-5A-leading squad, signed an athletic scholarship Monday afternoon at the Pace gym to play next school year for the women’s soccer team at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg.

On Feb. 2, Rivera, a four-year starter, reached the 100-goal milestone for her high school career in a 5-0 win at Mercedes. She now has 111 goals during her time at Pace and already has scored 40 this season.

Rivera, who plans to pursue an education degree in college, knows what’s ahead for her playing at an NCAA Division I program.

“(This signing) definitely means a lot more work and a lot more commitment to the sport,” said Rivera, who also plays for the Houston Dynamo Academy in McAllen. “I do know what I’m walking into. I’m really excited and I think I’m going to take it far.

“I’m feeling confident about getting to sign and being able to start fresh, actually,” she added. “I’ll be starting over as a ‘fish’ (freshman). It’s an ideal situation because if I ever get homesick, I wouldn’t mind just driving an hour (back to Brownsville) to visit my family and spend time with them. Since I’m really used to having my parent (mother Rosario Rivera) there for me, she can just drive an hour (to Edinburg) and see me play.”

Rivera becomes the first female soccer player from Pace to sign with an NCAA Division I women’s soccer program and is believed to be the first female from Brownsville ISD to sign an athletic scholarship with UTRGV, which opened in August 2015.

Others from Brownsville ISD, including Isidro “Chelin” Martinez, Juanito Garcia and Carlos Acevedo, have played for the UTRGV men’s soccer team.

Monday marked quite a day to remember, Lady Vikings coach Jesus O. Villarreal said.

“It’s one more step for our program,” Villarreal said. “We just feel proud that Kryssie has decided to sign and that she’s going over there (to a Division I program close to home). We’ll stay in touch with her and hopefully go over there to see her play. In our program, there’s just pride today, nothing else but pride in what she’s doing.”

Villarreal has coached Rivera at Pace all four years.

“Actually, we saw her play as an eighth-grader at Manzano (Middle School), and right away, we knew she was varsity material,” the Lady Vikings coach said. “She’s an athlete who loves soccer. She sacrifices, she’s always there in practice and she’s a leader. This year, Kryssie has been scoring all these goals plus she’s an excellent student. Her grades, they’re just beautiful.

“Throughout all these four years, she’s just been tremendous — on and off the field,” Villarreal added. “The fact of the matter is if an NCAA Division I school is signing her, that means the talent is there. I also know she’s not the only one from Brownsville who has the talent to play (at that level).”

Rivera said she has many people to thank for helping her reach her latest accomplishment.

“I’ve said before and I’ll continue saying it until I die, I thank my mom, especially, and all my friends and family who have supported me since I started playing when I was 5,” Rivera said. “They’ve been there my whole life, really.”

The door is now open beyond high school to the standout senior’s future.

“It’s like my coaches say, ‘Always dream big,’” Rivera said.

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

Port Isabel’s boys and girls soccer teams captured decisive District 31-4A victories on Friday.

The Tarpons, playing at home, broke open a close soccer match midway through the second half Friday to pull away from the Brownsville IDEA Frontier Chargers 5-1, while the Lady Tarpons triumphed 6-0 over the Lady Chargers at Brownsville Sports Park.

The win keeps the Tarpons unbeaten in district at 2-0 and sets up an early 31-4A showdown in Port Isabel at 6 p.m. Monday against Rio Hondo.

The Tarpons led 1-0 at halftime against the Chargers (0-2) and were up 2-1 before adding three goals in the final 20 minutes to secure the victory.

“We had a few issues in the first half and I thought we started off a little bit slow,” Tarpons coach Crespin Gonzalez said. “Our guys got focused in the second half and they were playing better. They were passing the ball and attacking (the goal) a lot better.

“Overall, we finished off the game on a good note,” Gonzalez added. “That’s what we need to do because we’ve got a big game against Rio Hondo coming up Monday. Rio Hondo went into its game Friday at 2-0, so it’s going to be an important matchup.

“I think we have a team that can defend against Rio Hondo’s (potent) offense that won its first two district games 9-1 (against Raymondville) and 8-1 (against IDEA Frontier).”

Port Isabel’s Angel Sarabia scored from the left side barely five minutes into Friday’s contest for a 1-0 advantage. However, the Tarpons were called for offsides on the attack a number of times and had to settle for just a one-goal lead at intermission.

But that all changed in the second half as Jair Prieto scored twice, Saul Bernal once and Johnathan Rivera once to give the Tarpons their decisive win.

During the 49th minute, Prieto dribbled in and beat the Chargers goalkeeper in a one-on-one matchup to give the Tarpons a two-goal edge.

Trailing 2-0, Evan Davila scored for the Chargers on a crossing shot from the right side to bring his team to within 2-1 with 23 minutes remaining, but IDEA Frontier came no closer as the Tarpons pulled away with goals during the 60th, 63rd and 64th minutes.

It became 3-1 in the 60th minute when Bernal scored from close range. Rivera put in a corner kick taken from the right side for a 4-1 lead in the 63rd minute, and just a minute later, the Chargers goalkeeper came out, failed to secure the ball and Prieto sent a crossing shot into an open net from the left side to complete the scoring in Port Isabel boys’ 5-1 triumph.

In the girls match, the Lady Tarpons won 6-0 thanks to a pair of goals by Esthela Castillo and one each by Ava Gomez, Celia Polsky, Susana Torres and Shayla Ocha. Polsky’s goal came on a penalty kick.

The Lady Tarpons led 3-0 at halftime and are now 2-1 in district.

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

SAN ANTONIO — Although the St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds showed a lot of determination and improvement over the course of their 2017-18 soccer season, things came to an all-too-early end for them Saturday in the TAPPS Division I playoffs.

A 4-1 loss to Dallas Bishop Lynch in the TAPPS quarterfinals at San Antonio’s Cornerstone Christian Academy brought a finish to the Bloodhounds’ season of development. They were trying to reach the TAPPS semifinals like they did in 2015 and 2016.

But this year it was not to be. The Bloodhounds finished with an 8-14-1 record, while Bishop Lynch (18-2) advances to Tuesday’s TAPPS semifinals against either San Antonio Central Catholic or Houston Awty International.

SJA and Bishop Lynch were tied 1-1 at halftime Saturday, but the Bloodhounds just couldn’t hold off the Friars in the second half.

“It wasn’t the result we expected, but we’re content because we left it all on the field,” SJA coach Edgar Tovar said. “We’re ending the season with our heads held high. There are times when things just don’t come out your way. Today, they went in favor of our opponent.

“Circumstances like that hurt more for the losing team, but we had a season in which the players worked really hard and did well,” Tovar added. “With the players who are returning, and I think there are about eight of them, we’ll continue to work hard and get better.

“This was my first year coaching these boys and they gave me 100 percent. I thank them a lot for their efforts in helping us build the team. We’ll use this playoff experience and it will help us in the future.”

The Bloodhounds fell behind 1-0 barely four minutes into the match when they were called for a tripping foul in the penalty area and the Friars’ Johnny Bruce converted the ensuing PK.

With eight and a half minutes left until intermission, SJA evened the score 1-1. The scoring play began with a long free kick for SJA that bounced around just outside the goal before it came to the Bloodhounds’ Luis de la Garza. He sent the ball into the left corner of the net from about 12 yards out.

The Friars came alive with three goals in the second half to seal the victory.

First, the Bloodhounds failed to clear the ball properly on defense during the 43rd minute and it came right to the Friars’ Ryan Sheaffer, who promptly drilled a shot into the goal from 10 yards away to make it 2-1.

Teammate Jack Adams scored from close range in the 67th minute on a corner-kick play and scored again in the 69th minute by dribbling in, catching the goalkeeper out of position and firing a shot into an open net to account for the final score of 4-1.

The Bloodhounds reached the TAPPS quarterfinals thanks to last Tuesday’s 4-2 playoff victory against Beaumont Kelly.

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

The UIL state swimming meet can be quite an impactful experience.

It was all that and more Friday and Saturday at the University of Texas Swimming and Diving Center in Austin.

The best showing of swimmers from the Metro Area at state was turned in by Adrian Fierro of Brownsville Veterans Memorial in the Class 5A division. On Saturday, he finished eighth in the 100 freestyle (48.44 seconds) in the championship heat and 11th in the 50 freestyle (21.80 seconds) in the consolation heat.

Fierro’s times were off his personal-best times in the two events that were set earlier this month in regional competition.

“This was a great eye-opening experience for Adrian to not only swim against the best in Texas and final, but also to be exposed to such an overwhelming facility as the UT Swim Center,” Brownsville Veterans swimming coach Frank Sanchez said. “It is only going to give him the confidence and awareness for what he will be doing next (school) year at the collegiate level.

“Adrian did tell me that nerves got the better of him in the prelims (on Friday), but he felt calmer in the finals,” Sanchez added.

Fierro, a senior, has signed to swim in college for Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Sanchez said he and assistant coach Jose Luis Zarate took along a freshman swimmer from their school’s team so he could experience what it’s like at state.

“It opened his eyes that with more training and sacrifice maybe he can make it to state someday, too,” Sanchez said.

“All in all, it served as a great experience that will only catapult our swim team down in the Valley,” he added.

Also at state were swimmers from Los Fresnos competing in the Class 6A division.

The Falcons’ Luis Osuna was 23rd in both 200 and 500 freestyles, while teammate Carlos Paredes was 24th in the 500 freestyle.

Osuna and Paredes swam at state on the Falcons’ 200 and 400 freestyle relays with Will McKinney and Daniel Escamilla. They finished 21st in the 400 relay and 22nd in the 200 relay.

Also for Los Fresnos at state, Sarah Villarreal was 22nd in both the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle.