By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Swimming is an important part of Adrian Fierro’s life.

If fact, it was one of the main factors that influenced his decision to transfer to Brownsville Veterans Memorial from St. Joseph Academy prior to his junior year.

Fierro, now a senior, wanted to see how he might fare against the UIL competition of Texas’ public schools. He wanted to find out if he had the swimming skills necessary to qualify for the UIL state meet in Austin.

“It was fine and everything (competing) in TAPPS (for SJA), and I went to the TAPPS state meet as a freshman and sophomore, but I wanted more competition (that’s available in the UIL ranks),” said Fierro, who in November signed to swim in college next school year at Nova Southeastern University, an NCAA Division II school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “My move (to Brownsville Veterans) was really a big deal for me because it helped me a lot. I’ve been able to train more and drop my times. I believe it’s also helped me (get an athletic scholarship) to go to college.”

The Brownsville Veterans standout is headed to the UIL state meet for the first time this weekend, thanks to his strong showing at the Region VIII-5A meet Feb. 3 in Corpus Christi, where he qualified for state in the 50 and 100 freestyles. The state meet begins today with prelims. The finals are Saturday. He’ll be competing in the Class 5A division.

“My goals coming into this (school) year were to drop my times, which I did, to break some Brownsville ISD records, which I’ve also done, and my third goal was to go to the UIL state meet, which I’m doing,” said Fierro, who also competes for the Great Whites Swim Club of Brownsville. “So I’m satisfied because I’ve reached my goals for this season. Now I want to do well at state.”

Fierro achieved personal-best and BISD-record times on Feb. 3 at the regional meet by winning the 100 freestyle in 46.88 seconds and taking second place in the 50 freestyle in 21.28 seconds. The top two finishers in swimming events at regionals qualified for state.

Brownsville Veterans coach Frank Sanchez believes Fierro has what it takes to do well in both events in Austin.

“Adrian has worked hard this year and he is very determined,” Sanchez said. “I think physically he has a chance to be a top three finalist in either the 50 free or the 100 free. Mentally, he just needs to be relaxed and focused.

“He should also have fun as this is his last high school swim,” the coach added. “Then he should be ready and anxious to swim at the collegiate level, which he will at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.”

Fierro follows a demanding training schedule, which has rewarded him with success. But it hasn’t been easy. He practices with his Brownsville Veterans teammates from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. weekdays and then from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with the Great Whites. He practices at Brownsville’s Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center.

“Every, single day,” Fierro said of his commitment to swimming. “Since I came to Veterans, it’s been double training (daily). That’s been a big change for me.

“You get used to the discipline (it takes to follow such a time-consuming practice schedule),” he added. “It’s more like a lifestyle. You wake up, you go swim. It’s become a passion for me. It keeps you entertained being with the whole team and it keeps you fit. I like to train with the team rather than by myself.

“Going to state means a lot. It’s been the ultimate goal for my high school swimming (career). I hope I place well and drop my times. That’s the main thing. I just thank my coaches Frank Sanchez and Jose Luis Zarate, my teammates and my parents (Eduardo and Rocio Fierro) for pushing me and everything.”

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

The top teams are starting to emerge in the Districts 32-6A and 32-5A boys and girls soccer races.

Friday marks the final day of first-half competition in both districts.

In most cases, it’s the usual suspects who are atop the standings.

So far in the 32-6A girls race, Harlingen South (5-1, 16 points) is the leader with defending champion Los Fresnos (5-1, 15 points) close behind in second place.

Harlingen High (4-2, 12 points) is in third, while Rivera (3-3, nine points), San Benito (3-3, eight points) and Hanna (2-4, seven points) come next.

Unless something drastically changes, the 32-6A girls race is expected to be decided Feb. 23 when the Lady Hawks play host to the Lady Falcons at Harlingen’s Boggus Stadium.

“We just have to keep preparing for our games and take them one at a time,” said Lady Falcons coach Patricia K. Hernandez after her team edged Rivera 1-0 Tuesday. “Our girls are persevering through the conditions and fighting hard every play to the last whistle. We look forward to the competition. We know South is going to come hard, but right now, it’s just one game at a time.”

In the 32-6A boys race, the usual suspects are Rivera (6-0, 17 points) and Hanna (5-1, 15 points), who are 1-2 in the standings. They open the second round against one another next Tuesday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

“We’re doing pretty good, but we still have to learn from our mistakes so we can get better and better,” said Rivera’s Julian Espinoza, who scored what turned out to be the winning goal in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory against Los Fresnos.

Los Fresnos and Harlingen South are tied for third place in the 32-6A boys race at 3-3 with nine points each.

32-5A UPDATE
The Pace Lady Vikings (6-0, 18 points), seeking their first district championship since 2009, lead the 32-5A girls race. Donna North (5-1, 15 points) is in second place, while there’s a deadlock for third place as four teams are tied at 3-3 with nine points each. They are Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Porter, Lopez and Edcouch-Elsa.

For the 32-5A boys, Brownsville Veterans captured important wins last week against Lopez and Porter and remains the leader at 6-0 with 17 points. Lopez (5-1, 16 points) is second, while Porter (4-2, 12 points) is third and Donna North (3-3, nine points) is fourth.

TAPPS PLAYOFFS
The St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds (8-13-1) advanced to the second round of the TAPPS Division I playoffs with Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over Beaumont Kelly (15-14).

The Bloodhounds, under first-year coach Edgar Tovar, next play Dallas Bishop Lynch (17-2) in the TAPPS quarterfinals at 2 p.m. Saturday at Cornerstone Christian Academy in San Antonio.

The winner of Saturday’s match goes against San Antonio Central Catholic (11-2-3) or Houston Awty International (14-5-1) in the TAPPS semifinals next week.

The Bloodhounds reached the TAPPS semifinals in 2015 and 2016.

31-4A BEGINS
Port Isabel’s boys and girls began District 31-4A competition last Friday with the Tarpons winning 4-2 against La Feria and the Lady Tarpons coming up short 2-1 in overtime against La Feria.

In the 4-2 win, Brayan Medina scored twice and teammates Angel Sarabia and Angel Fernandez each added a goal. The Tarpons were open Tuesday.

The Lady Tarpons rebounded from the OT loss in their district opener to shut out Lyford 3-0 Tuesday as Esthela Castillo scored two goals and Sabrina Gonzalez scored one. Celia Polsky recorded two assists and Susana Torres had one.

“So far, it seems like our district is going to be more competitive this year,” Lady Tarpons coach Jesus Cardenas said. “Nobody is being blown out. I hope it continues to stay competitive to have us all better prepared for the postseason.”

The Port Isabel teams continue district play at 6 p.m. Friday against the Brownsville IDEA Frontier teams. The Tarpons play host to the Chargers, while the Lady Tarpons take on the Lady Chargers at Brownsville Sports Park.

PORTER SELECTION
Brandon Montes, a freshman starter for the Porter Cowboys, has been chosen to represent Mexico and the USA on a select team playing in China’s Gothia Cup next August. It’s similar to the World Cup U-15.

To raise $3,800 for the trip, the Montes family is selling chicken plates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at 794 South Central Ave., which is a Brownsville residence.

Delivery is also available for the $6 plates. For more information, call (956) 559-8156 or (956) 312-3053.

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

With the halfway point of the District 32-6A boys soccer race fast approaching, the Rivera Raiders are fending off every challenge.

Only one more round of games remains on Friday to complete the first half of 32-6A play.

Rivera maintained its 32-6A lead with a 2-1 victory against Los Fresnos on Tuesday at Sams Stadium.

The Raiders are 6-0 with 17 points in district with second-place Hanna (5-1, 15 points) close behind. Hanna edged Harlingen High 3-2 in penalty kicks on Tuesday.

Los Fresnos (3-3, nine points) is also in the mix.

The Los Fresnos girls defeated Rivera 1-0 in the nightcap of Tuesday’s 32-6A doubleheader at Sams.

The Rivera boys are grateful for their lead in district.

“Like we always say, all the credit goes to the players and the glory goes to God,” Rivera coach Salvador Garcia said. “Los Fresnos is a very good, physical team. They were going after and winning (almost) every 50-50 ball.

“Yes, we’re young, but that’s no excuse,” Garcia added. “Hopefully this is a good learning experience for us because things are only going to get tougher (in the second round of district).”

The match was played with foggy, cool conditions and a light mist falling, making the artificial turf field at Sams slippery.

The Raiders went up 1-0 in the 39th minute, just before halftime. The scoring play began with a Raiders’ free kick from near midfield that went to the left side of the goal. From there, the ball was crossed over and Roberto Melendez, positioned near the right post, punched it in from close range.

The score became 2-0 for the Raiders during the 53rd minute when Julian Espinoza’s shot from 35 yards skipped off the wet field and slipped through the Los Fresnos goalkeeper’s hands before settling into the back of the net.

Barely two minutes later, during the 55th minute, a shot by Los Fresnos’ Benjamin Ramirez found the mark in the right corner of the net from about 10 yards away to pull the Falcons to within 2-1.

“The game was really exciting and both teams fought hard all night,” Falcons coach Javier Navarrete said. “I’m proud of my team tonight. We played (hard) until the last whistle. That’s all we can ask for as coaches.”

Meanwhile, the girls match was closely contested and won by Los Fresnos on a corner kick by Allison Spier taken from the right side early in the second half. The ball was headed in to give the Lady Falcons a 1-0 advantage they held on to the rest of the way for the victory.

There was a stoppage of approximately five minutes with 17 1/2 minutes left when a shot by the Lady Raiders appeared to enter the goal and the officials ruled that it didn’t.

The clock was stopped and both teams went to their respective sidelines as the coaches for both squads met with officials at midfield, but the call stood.

“We didn’t see the best from our district tonight (in terms of crowd control),” Lady Falcons coach Patricia K. Hernandez said of the protests from the Rivera side.

The Los Fresnos girls improved to 5-1 with 15 points, while the Lady Raiders slipped to 3-3 with nine points.

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

Going to state as an individual competitor is a great accomplishment. Going in a group is even better.

That’s the way five Los Fresnos swimmers view their trip to the UIL state meet Friday and Saturday in Austin.

Luis Osuna was the only one for the Falcons to advance to state a year ago in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore. Osuna is headed back to Austin again with teammates Will McKinney, Daniel Escamilla, Carlos Paredes and Sarah Villarreal.

At state, Osuna is competing individually in the 200 and 500 freestyles. He’s also swimming on the Falcons’ record-setting 400 freestyle relay along with McKinney, Escamilla and Paredes. The same four boys also qualified for state in the 200 freestyle relay. Paredes is entered individually in the 500 freestyle as well.

In the girls division at state, Villarreal will compete individually in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle.

All in all, it figures to be quite a busy weekend for the Los Fresnos swimmers. Prelims are Friday with finals the following day.

“I’m going to do the best I can and hopefully drop my times and maybe break some (school) records,” said Villarreal, a junior who also plays volleyball. “I am really thankful to my teammates and my coaches (Erica Amador and Jaime Perez) for motivating me to do my best.”

The Falcons showed they belong at state by winning the 400 freestyle relay with a pool-record time of 3 minutes, 14.71 seconds on Feb. 3 at the Region VIII-6A meet at Brownsville’s Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center.

“It’s the best day of my life without a doubt,” said McKinney, a senior, after the Falcons’ stellar finish at the regional meet. “This is the most incredible feeling in the world.
“I’m an only child, but these three guys (Paredes, Escamilla and Osuna) have shown me what it’s like to have brothers,” McKinney added. “To be going to such a prestigious event as state with my brothers is just the most incredible feeling.

“The time we’ve put in (practicing) over four years all culminated with our (record-setting) swim. You get out what you put in, and I knew by going to practice every day with these guys that we could do it, and we did. I just can’t stress enough how proud I am of these three guys for qualifying to go to state with me.”

It’s a mutual feeling of appreciation among all the relay members.

“This year has been the best, and I just want to make the most out of it with my family (of swimmers),” said Osuna, a junior. “Going to state with these guys makes it even better (than going by myself last year). It feels pretty amazing.

“Now let’s see if we can make the finals at state,” he added. “That’s our goal.”

Perez returned as Los Fresnos’ swimming coach this school year. He’s happy to see his athletes rewarded with success for their many hours of practice in the pool.

“I am extremely proud of all our swimmers and divers for what they have accomplished in the pool and in the classroom this year,” Perez said. “Earning a trip to state is extra special. If you have a (swimming) lane, you have a chance. It’s an opportunity for our state qualifiers to continue to shine and accomplish more lifetime-best swims in Austin.”

The Falcons have believed since the start of the school year, and actually, even before then, that making it to state was a realistic goal.

“I love my team and I love everything we’ve been doing this (school) year,” said Paredes, a senior. “We’ve put in such hard work and I’m just really happy for all of us that we’re finally able to do what we’ve wanted to do since we started swimming. We couldn’t have done it individually. We had to do it all together.”

Added Escamilla, also a senior, “This is is a great experience, and it’s not just my experience, it’s the experience of all of us. We came together as a family and we’re doing our best out there (in the pool).”

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

LOS FRESNOS — The dense fog of Friday night gave way to sunny skies on Saturday afternoon as the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons triumphed 2-0 at home against the Harlingen High Lady Cardinals in District 32-6A soccer.

The match, originally scheduled for Friday, was postponed a day due to a thick fog. Along with sunny skies Saturday, there were some strong gusts of wind blowing from the south affecting play.

While it was an even match for the most part, the Lady Falcons were the ones capitalizing on a pair of first-half corner kicks taken from the left side during the 29th and 31st minutes to build a 2-0 advantage that wound up as the final score.

Alexa Gutierrez scored both goals, the first one on a close-range “kick/nudge-in” and the second one on a header, also from close range.

The win allows the Los Fresnos girls (4-1, 12 points) to stay close behind 32-6A leader Harlingen South (4-1, 13 points), while the Lady Cardinals now are tied for third place in district with Rivera as both are 3-2 with nine points apiece. Hanna (2-3, seven points) is in fifth place.

“I like our girls being prepared (for every 32-6A match),” Lady Falcons coach Patricia K. Hernandez said. “It was a battle today because we (both teams) wanted to take that second-place spot (in district).
“We played in the heat and the sun, but we got through it,” the Lady Falcons coach added. “The wind played a factor, but really, we knew what we had to do to take care of this game. We’ve seen Harlingen play before and we knew they were going to bring good competition today.”

The Lady Cardinals knew they missed a chance to solidify their playoff chances on Saturday, but despite the setback, they remain very much in contention for a spot in the postseason.

“In this game we kind of played scared and were just kicking the ball around and not really passing the way we should,” Lady Cardinals coach Debra Hernandez said. “We’ve been playing better than this, and today, we just didn’t show that we can play better.

“Los Fresnos had quite a few chances and we had some,” she added. “They were the ones who capitalized on their chances. It would have been nice to win today and move into second place, and now we’re tied for third. We’re not even halfway through district yet, so we know we can come back (and do better).”

District action continues for both teams at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday as the Lady Cardinals play host to Hanna at Boggus Stadium and Los Fresnos plays Rivera at Sams Memorial Stadium.

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

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

It’s been quite a challenging week on the soccer field in District 32-5A competition for the Brownsville Veterans Memorial boys and girls, especially the Chargers.

Despite some pretty thick fog Friday, the Chargers prevailed against crosstown rival Porter 3-1 at Lopez to retain the 32-5A lead with a 5-0 record and 14 points. The Cowboys slipped to 3-2 with nine points.

In the opener of Friday’s 32-5A doubleheader at Lopez, the Lady Chargers shut out the Cowgirls 2-0.

The Brownsville Veterans boys took control right away in the opening half by scoring goals in the first, ninth and 39th minutes to lead 3-0 at intermission. The goals were scored by Alberto Maradiaga, Diego Bernal and Orlando Sanchez.

Edward Rodriguez scored for Porter seven minutes into the second half to make it 3-1.

It could have become a lot more interesting midway through the second half as Porter was awarded a penalty kick on a tripping call against the Chargers in the penalty area. But Brownsville Veterans goalkeeper Moises Navarro blocked the PK and preserved the Chargers’ two goal advantage at 3-1, which eventually was the final score.

On Tuesday, the Brownsville Veterans boys rallied from a 3-1 deficit in regulation to defeat Lopez on penalty kicks 4-3 as Navarro stopped two of the Lobos’ five penalty tries.

It was an emotional win Tuesday for the Chargers.

Brownsville Veterans coach Alberto Vasquez wasn’t sure just how energized his team would be against the Cowboys after such a draining victory Tuesday, but the Chargers showed him there was really no need to be concerned.

“We were expecting a very tough week (against 32-5A contenders Lopez and Porter),” Vasquez said. “After having used all the emotion we put into winning against Lopez on Tuesday, I thought our players might feel it against Porter. You could tell in the second half that our guys were a little bit worn down.”

Porter has a new-look starting lineup with some underclassmen as five starters have been dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons, Cowboys coach Jose Espitia said.

“We were expecting to see one of the best Brownsville Veterans teams we’ve seen in recent years, and they were,” Espitia said. “They did some really good plays there in the beginning and they caught us off guard.

“We’re currently going through some changes (with new people in the lineup),” Espitia added. “We’re just going forward with a young team. I know it was a loss tonight, but I thought we played well.”

Meanwhile, the challenges come quite often in 32-5A for the Lady Chargers as well.

Another one presented itself Friday against the Cowgirls.

A pair of goals early in the second half by Samantha Bodden and Hannah Obregon proved to be the difference as the Brownsville Veterans girls prevailed 2-0.

After suffering a disappointing 2-1 setback against Edcouch-Elsa two Fridays ago, the Lady Chargers felt better about themselves this week with their shutout of Porter on Friday that was preceded by Tuesday’s 3-1 triumph against Lopez.

Against Porter, Bodden fired a ground-level shot into the net from the left side during the 45th minute from about 15 yards out. Bodden’s score was followed a minute later by Obregon’s goal on another ground-level shot that was taken from about the same location as Bodden’s.

Despite an injury to sweeper Kassie Jimenez that took her out of the lineup, the Lady Chargers’ defense stepped up to keep Porter standout scorer Priscila Cortinas and her teammates from ever finding the net.

“This was a very difficult game for us because Porter plays everyone very tough,” Lady Chargers coach Luis Troncoso said. “It was a 2-0 score, but it was a very close game.

“Any time you’re able to contain or at least take away scoring opportunities from another Brownsville team, especially one like Porter that has a player like Priscila, you have to feel good about what you’re doing,” Troncoso added. “We know how difficult it is to keep Priscila marked. I think we did a pretty good job with that tonight, so that was a good thing.

“We understand other teams (in 32-5A) have great scorers, too, so we just have to stay ready for every opportunity they might get and try our best to take those chances away.”

The Lady Chargers improved to 3-2 in 32-5A with nine points. The Cowgirls slipped to 2-3 with six points.

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Given time, sooner or later, the best soccer scorers reach 100 goals.

Add Porter senior Priscila Cortinas to the list.

The Cowgirls’ standout forward, a four-year starter, made it to 100 goals for her high school career on Tuesday night during a 4-1 win at home against District 32-5A opponent Donna High.

Cortinas, who has scored 22 goals so far this season, assisted on the Cowgirls’ first two goals Tuesday that were scored by Azaneth Perez before recording her 99th career goal just before halftime to make it 3-0 for Porter. Just a few minutes into the second half, Cortinas advanced the ball down the right side and fired a shot from about 20 yards away that found the net for No. 100 as the score became 4-0.

“It means a lot to me (to reach this milestone),” said Cortinas, who hopes to play soccer in college. “I’m getting recognized a lot and it’s all because of my teammates. I’m really proud of them.”

UIL girls soccer started in the Rio Grande Valley in 1997, and in Brownsville, it is believed only three high school girls now have reached the 100-goal plateau. The first was Yesenia Ortiz of Rivera. She graduated in 2016 with 147 goals. Next came Pace’s Kryssie Rivera, who just reached 100 goals last Friday in a 5-0 win at Mercedes.

Now Cortinas has achieved the feat.

“With Priscila, it’s awesome,” said Cowgirls coach Abraham Gracia, who has coached Cortinas since she was a freshman. “You can’t believe by the way Priscila plays that she’s as humble as she is. She’s real coachable, she shows up for practice every day and doesn’t complain about anything.

“I wish all the athletes in our program were like her,” Gracia added. “She’s a standout player, but she just considers herself as one of the players on the team. Right now as a senior, she’s become the leader. (We’ve gone to the playoffs the past two years and) she wants to make something for us out of this season as well.”

Cortinas is part of a group of players for the Porter girls who ended a 19-year playoff drought when the Cowgirls reached the postseason for the first time in 2016. Cortinas was a sophomore that year. The Cowgirls made it back to the playoffs in 2017, and now, their goal for 2018 is to make their third straight appearance in the postseason.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries and we’re practicing hard to get better,” Cortinas said. “We want to go to the playoffs, and we are going to the playoffs. We just need to work hard and practice a lot.”

Cortinas and her family have a close bond with soccer, particularly at Porter. Older brothers Filiberto Cortinas (2004) and Alan Cortinas (2011) played for the Cowboys, while Alexis Anzures, a cousin, was a member of the Porter team that won the school’s second UIL state championship in 2016. Christian Maldonado, another cousin, is a member of the current Porter squad.

“It’s a family that loves soccer,” Gracia said. “They all play.”

At the moment, the Cowgirls are 2-2 in 32-5A with six points. They next play Brownsville Veterans Memorial (2-2, six points) at 5:30 p.m. today at Lopez.

“I’m proud of my teammates and myself,” Cortinas said. “We’ve improved a lot in not much time. Since my freshman year we’ve been good. I love my team. I just want to make a lot of memories with them before I graduate.”

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

Academics and soccer figure to keep Blair Averyt pretty busy in college next school year.

Averyt is a senior member of the Brownsville Veterans Memorial soccer team who has signed a scholarship agreement to play for the University of Dallas, an NCAA Division III school, beginning in the fall of 2018.

Family, friends, teammates, coaches, teachers and school administrators were all on hand Wednesday afternoon to witness the signing at the Brownsville Veterans library.

It was a long-awaited day for Averyt, who at age 3 was introduced to soccer and grew up playing the game with some of his current teammates in the Brownsville Opportunity Youth Soccer Association (BOYSA).

“I’ve been thinking about this day for awhile,” Averyt said. “Growing up my goal was either to play professionally or sign with a college, so this is a big day for me.”

A top student who ranks 40th academically in his senior class with a 4.35 grade-point average, Averyt plans to pursue a degree in computer science. He has been a member of the Brownsville Veterans soccer program since he was a freshman, playing mostly at forward and in the midfield.

In college, Averyt wants to excel in his studies as well as on the soccer field. He agrees that athletics and athletics go hand in hand as part of an education, particularly for a scholarship athlete.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Academics plays a huge role (for an athlete). You can be the best soccer player, but if you’re not a hard-working student or you don’t know how to manage your time or apply yourself, then you’re not going to play at the next level because it takes a lot (of discipline).”

Brownsville Veterans coach Alberto Vasquez has seen Averyt display the qualities necessary to succeed at the next level as an athlete and as a student.

“Blair has that type of determination and that type of character and it doesn’t matter where you put him in (the lineup),” the Chargers coach said. “He’s going to give you everything he has and he’s going to contribute.

“He’s been a great player to have on our team and he’s contributed every year,” Vasquez added. “Blair has a very good work ethic and I think that impressed the University of Dallas coaches at one of their camps.

“He’s a very technical player, a smart player and he’s very good on the ball. He’s got a strong leg and he’s a good finisher. He definitely has some soccer skills that they’ll be able to take advantage of. I’m happy for him.”

Averyt will retain plenty of good memories from his high schools days after he graduates in the spring. Many of those good memories will be of playing soccer for the Chargers.

“This team is everything to me,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of friends and brothers that I’ll never forget. This soccer program has been one of the best things in my life and I’ll never forget it.

“My friends, my family, my coaches and everyone who has been there,” he added. “I appreciate everything they’ve done for me.”

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

All the passion and intensity that make Brownsville soccer so enjoyable to watch was on display Tuesday night as Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Lopez staged an all-out battle for the District 32-5A lead.

Yes, the intensity of the match was at least part of the reason the officials made calls that didn’t go over too well with fans from either side. But then again, it was a perfect example of Brownsville soccer and its fierce rivalries.

After trailing 2-1 at halftime, Brownsville Veterans fell behind 3-1 midway through the second half of regulation before the Chargers’ Orlando Sanchez stepped up to score back-to-back goals during the 70th and 72nd minutes to make it a 3-3 contest that went all the way to penalty kicks before a winner was determined.

“This win just puts us in a better place and lets us know we have to keep working harder,” said Alberto Maradiaga, the Brownsville Veterans player who tallied the game-winning PK that enabled the Chargers to triumph 4-3. “We’ll keep fighting until the end.”

Maradiaga was helped in a big way by teammate Moises Navarro, who played goalkeeper for the Chargers and blocked two of Lopez’s five penalty tries, including the Lobos’ final attempt that kept the score 4-3 and ended the match.

The UIL season is barely out of its first month and already playoff-caliber soccer is being played as was shown Tuesday night.

“Lopez is such a dynamic team and I told the players we needed to make sure we were connected with each other from beginning to end,” Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez said. “We couldn’t take any plays off.

“This win feels very good, but we have to put it behind us right away because we play Porter (at Lopez) on Friday,” Vasquez added. “We’re looking forward to what’s ahead. Hopefully it will be a very good season.”

Brownsville Veterans is now the sole leader in the 32-5A boys race with a 4-0 record and 11 points. Lopez is close behind with a 3-1 mark and 10 points. Porter is next at 3-1 with nine points.

And what can be said of the Lobos? Well, Lopez is Lopez. The Lobos, five-time state tournament qualifiers, continue to be a standard of success that other teams measure themselves against.

Lopez coach Amadeo Escandon said it’s becoming another typical 32-5A race with the Brownsville schools out in front.

“It’s ‘deja vu’ from last year as the (32-5A) games are always very close and the season is young, so we must get ready for Friday’s game (at Mercedes),” he said.

AN IMPORTANT HURDLE
The Pace Lady Vikings won an important game on the road Tuesday by edging Donna North 4-3 in 32-5A action.

Alexis Guajardo and Kryssie Rivera scored two goals apiece for Pace in the win.

The Lady Vikings and Lady Chiefs came into the match with identical 3-0 records and nine points apiece. Now the Pace girls are alone atop the 32-5A standings at 4-0 with 12 points. Donna North and Edcouch-Elsa are tied for second place at 3-1 with nine points apiece. Porter and Brownsville Veterans are next at 2-2 with six points each.

The Pace girls play host to E-E at 5:30 p.m. Friday followed by the boys match at 7:30 p.m.

“Definitely an important challenge was passed,” Lady Vikings coach Jesus O. Villarreal said. “As expected, the Donna North game was a difficult one.

“In terms of the district race, it was a big step,” he added. “But there are still about 10 games left, so we have to keep our consistency going.”

31-4A, 32-4A START
Friday marks the beginning of conference play for Districts 31-4A and 32-4A.

The Lower Valley includes teams from 31-4A. Friday’s openers for the boys in that district have Rio Hondo at Raymondville at 6 p.m. and Port Isabel at La Feria at 7 p.m.

On the girls side, Friday’s 31-4A openers find Brownsville IDEA Frontier at Lyford at 6 p.m., La Feria at Port Isabel at 7 p.m. and Raymondville at Rio Hondo at 7 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

Brownsville Veterans Memorial would not be denied in Tuesday’s showdown of undefeated co-leaders in the District 32-5A boys soccer race.

Although the Chargers trailed 3-1 against the Lopez Lobos midway through the second half during regulation, they came back to send the match to overtime tied 3-3 and then on to penalty kicks, where they won 4-3 to capture an impressive victory over the team that prevented them from going to state last season.

Prior to Tuesday night at Lopez, the last time the Lobos and Chargers met was in the Region IV-5A final last April in Corpus Christi, where Lopez prevailed 1-0 and kept the Chargers from making their first trip to the UIL state tournament in Georgetown.

On Tuesday, it was the determined Chargers’ turn to win.

“To do this against a team like Lopez on their home field when all the momentum was going their way (is really remarkable),” said Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez, whose team is now 4-0 in 32-5A with 11 points. “I told our players before the game started that I knew we could beat them.

“(Still) I knew it was going to be a very tough game,” he added. “Even though they were undefeated in district and we were undefeated, and it was just the fourth (32-5A) game of the season, there was a lot of emotion behind it. Our guys played (with determination) the whole game. They got down a little bit when we fell behind 2-0 (in the first half) just as any group of athletes would, but I saw in them (the desire to win), and I knew we could fight back.

“Yes, I knew we could do it and they proved me right.”

Goals by Sebastian Benavides and Jose “Chevy” Echevarria gave Lopez a 2-0 first-half advantage before Alberto Maradiaga tallied a goal for the Chargers just before intermission to make it 2-1 at the break.

It didn’t look good at all for the Chargers when Echevarria’s goal from about 20 yards out on the left side midway through the second half put the Lobos, now 3-1 with 10 points, in front 3-1.

With time ticking away in regulation, the Chargers’ Orlando Sanchez scored twice within a two-minute span during the 70th and 72nd minutes to create an improbable 3-3 deadlock.

After a scoreless overtime, the two teams went to PKs with the Chargers going first.

Thanks to the Brownsville Veterans goalkeeper, who blocked two of Lopez’s five penalty tries, the Chargers prevailed 4-3 on successful PKs by Sanchez, Joe Balboa, Jose Zamora and Maradiaga, who had the game-winner.

“It feels great going up there (taking the PK) with courage and winning the game,” Maradiaga said. “It feels amazing.”

Alan Reyes, Baltazar Cerda and Echevarria were the Lobos making good on their PK attempts.

Meanwhile, in the first game of Tuesday’s 32-5A doubleheader at Lopez, the Brownsville Veterans girls came away with a 3-1 victory over the Lady Lobos.

Staying in the hunt for the state playoffs in 32-5A is what the Lady Chargers are focused upon at the moment.

They came into Tuesday’s district match with a 1-2 record and three points, so a 3-1 victory over the Lady Lobos was a welcomed turn of events.

The Lady Chargers were coming off last Friday’s 2-1 district loss to Edcouch-Elsa.

Even though it’s still early in the 32-5A race, the Brownsville Veterans girls felt they couldn’t afford to suffer a third setback in district.

“We knew we had to come back and win after our last game, where we thought we should have won,” said Lady Chargers coach Luis Troncoso, whose girls improved to 2-2 in 32-5A with six points. “We had opportunities to win that one (against E-E), but we didn’t.

“Sometimes you can put the ball in and sometimes you can’t, and that’s just how the game of soccer is,” Troncoso added. “It feels good to come over here and win. Anytime you beat Lopez, it’s a good win.”

The Lady Lobos slipped to 1-3 with three points.

Melissa Medina converted a penalty kick for Brownsville Veterans during the 28th minute to give the Lady Chargers a 1-0 advantage at halftime.

Brownsville Veterans’ Samantha Bodden scored the next two goals to make it 3-0 for the Lady Chargers.

During the 50th minute, Bodden dribbled in, hesitated with her shot for just a moment to get a defender and the goalkeeper to overplay her shot attempt and then fired the ball the opposite direction into the net from about eight yards away.

Bodden scored from the left side during the 67th minute for a 3-0 edge for the Lady Chargers.

A handball call in the penalty area on Brownsville Veterans with eight minutes left enabled Lopez’s Myrka Garcia to convert the ensuing penalty kick to account for the final score of 3-1.