CORPUS CHRISTI — The Porter Cowboys are still alive in the Class 5A state soccer playoffs by the narrowest of margins.

Porter prevailed over the Calallen Wildcats 4-3 in penalty kicks in the area round of the playoffs Friday at Cabaniss Field.

After 100 minutes of regulation and overtime action led to a 3-3 deadlock, it took 12 players attempting PKs — six from each team — to decide a winner.

District 32-5A champion Porter didn’t play its best game and the District 30-5A third-place Wildcats gave everything they had in trying to pull off an upset to hand the Cowboys their first loss of the season.

The Cowboys, who trailed 1-0 and 2-1, missed a first-half penalty kick and had an early second-half goal waved off on an offsides call.

It was that kind of night for the Cowboys, who summoned every ounce of their soccer skills to pull out the victory that advanced them to next week’s Region IV-5A quarterfinals to take on District 31-5A champion Sharyland High.

“Calallen has a lot of heart,” Porter coach Jose Espitia said. “We knew they were going to be physical and fight hard for every 50-50 ball. They never gave up and it became a very strange game. Things became complicated. Our boys gave it their all. We had our opportunities (to score), but we missed them. Calallen played well defensively. For us, I just see this game as a wake-up call.”

After Harambe Garcia, the sixth Porter player to attempt a PK, gave his team a 5-4 edge, the Wildcats’ sixth player in the penalties, John Schumacher, saw his try hit the crossbar and bounce away, giving the Cowboys the win.

Before the PKs, Porter’s Alexis Armendariz tallied a pair of goals to keep his team in the back-and-forth match.

“It’s a beautiful feeling that any soccer player would want to have,” Armendariz said of scoring his two goals. “It’s emotional for me and my team (to win this game).”

A header off a corner kick by Ashton Merkich just seven minutes into the match gave Calallen a 1-0 advantage.

With about five minutes left in the opening half, Armendariz tallied from close range to tie the score at 1. But a couple minutes later, Calallen’s Christian Mochen sent a rocket of a shot from 25 yards into the right corner of the goal to give the Wildcats a 2-1 advantage at intermission.

Porter again pulled even, this time at 2, midway through the second half when the ball was centered from the far left corner and Omar Estrada, situated near the right post, drilled it into the net.

The match went to OT and the Cowboys appeared to be in good shape when Armendariz scored his second goal on a high ball over the goalkeeper with barely a minute elapsed in the first half of OT to put Porter ahead 3-2.

Calallen’s Merkich sent a free kick from 25-plus yards that skipped off a defender into the net with only a minute or so left in the first half of OT to knot the score at 3.

Once in PKs, Porter goalkeeper Jaime Gomez blocked the first Calallen shot to put the Wildcats at a deficit. Porter made five of six PK tries when Schumacher’s PK attempt hit the crossbar, leaving the score 5-4 in penalties and giving the win to the Cowboys.

Uriel Sepulveda, Marco Don Juan, Enrique Soto and Armendariz made penalties for Porter.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

CORPUS CHRISTI — The Lopez Lady Lobos had their share of shots on goal but just couldn’t get any of them to find the mark in a 2-0 loss to Laredo United on Friday at Cabaniss Field.

The Class 6A area-round playoff victory advances the District 29-6A runner-up Lady Longhorns to next week’s regional quarterfinals, where they will play Edinburg Economedes or Del Rio.

The Lopez girls captured the district championship for the second time in three seasons this year, but that was not enough. They had hoped to return to the regional tournament again, like they did in 2014.

In a breezy night in Corpus Christi, United turned out to be the better team, scoring one goal during each half.

“I’m just proud to have my seniors who are four-year members of the varsity out here with me,” Lady Lobos coach Alex Macias said. “They had already gone to San Antonio (for the regional tournament) a couple years ago, and I know they were thinking we could do it again. But sometimes things just don’t go your way.

“United has a good team,” Macias added. “They had a few (scoring) chances and they took advantage of them. We had ours and we didn’t score, so they came out on top. Good for them.”

With 11 minutes left in the first half, a goal by United’s Marta Perez made it 1-0. That score stood until almost the very end. With 21 seconds to go, United’s Gabby Garza sent a ball into an open net to complete the final tally.

“We knew Lopez was No. 1 in their district and we heard that they were pretty good,” United coach Jerry Vera said. “We prepared for them as best we could. We were kind of nervous going into the game, but we did our job. We were able to stop their attacks and we were able to capitalize on some of our chances. This win feels pretty good.”

Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial 2, Porter 1, OT

CORPUS CHRISTI — The Porter Cowgirls’ first trip to the UIL state playoffs in soccer didn’t last quite as long as they wanted.

The District 32-5A runner-up Cowgirls were eliminated 2-1 in overtime by the District 30-5A fourth-place Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial Lady Eagles in the Class 5A area playoffs on Friday at Cabaniss Field.

“It was pretty even, and it’s the playoffs, so anything can happen,” Cowgirls coach Abraham Gracia said. “If there are no mistakes, there are no goals, and we made a mistake (in OT). They took advantage of it (and won).

“What can I say?” Gracia added. “Our girls gave it all they had, so what else can you ask for. No one expected us to get to the second round and here we are. I just wish we were still playing. The good thing is we’ve got a young team (and most of the players will be back).”

Early in the match, a high ball came in from the right side and the Lady Eagles’ Sara Banda nudged it in from close range to give her team a 1-0 advantage.

The Lady Eagles held that lead until midway through the second half when Porter’s Carla Longoria scored a goal to even the match at 1.

Corpus Christi Veterans went ahead for good 2-1 with one minute remaining in the first OT period on a shot taken from the left side that went past the goalkeeper and settled into the right corner of the net.

The Lady Eagles now advance to next week’s 5A regional quarterfinals to face Sharyland Pioneer or Victoria East.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The Porter boys and girls soccer teams welcome the opportunity to play Friday’s Class 5A area-round playoff games at the same site.

They are scheduled for a doubleheader at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field with the Cowgirls going against Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial at 6 p.m. and the Cowboys facing Calallen at 8 p.m.

Porter’s teams will be playing on the natural grass soccer field at the Cabaniss complex. The same field will be the site of next week’s Region IV-5A Tournament.

Playing on the adjacent artificial turf field at Cabaniss at 6 p.m. Friday will be the Lopez girls, who take on Laredo United in a Class 6A area-round match.

Porter’s boys and girls plus the Lady Lobos are among 11 Metro-area soccer squads with second-round playoff games on tap Friday.

While participating in the state playoffs is pretty much an annual event for Porter’s boys, the Cowgirls are experiencing the postseason for the first time in their program’s history. It’s an experience they want to last as long as possible.

“It’s an awesome feeling I can’t describe (being in the playoffs), especially when you see your players all excited and celebrating,” Cowgirls coach Abraham Gracia said. “It makes you feel awesome knowing that all their hard work, commitment and dedication has been paying off.”

The District 32-5A runner-up Cowgirls defeated Valley View 3-0 last week in bi-district to advance to the second round of the playoffs against District 30-5A fourth-place competitor Corpus Christi Veterans, a new school that fields a girls soccer team with no seniors.

The 32-5A champion Porter boys, ranked No. 1 in the Rio Grande Valley by RGVSports.com, shut out Edinburg Vela 2-0 in bi-district last week and now go against 30-5A third-place squad Calallen.

“We feel it’s going to be a good test,” Cowboys coach Jose Espitia said of Friday’s match against the Wildcats. “They are very quick, physical, tall and have good tactical discipline. Our team is motivated to return to Cabaniss Field because the players feel that they didn’t get to display their best soccer the last time they were there.”

The Cowboys last played at Cabaniss on April 10, 2015, and lost 1-0 to eventual 5A state finalist Georgetown East View in the Region IV-5A Tournament semifinals.

Another team with intentions of making it to next week’s Region IV-5A Tournament is 32-5A runner-up Pace. The Vikings blanked Roma 3-0 in bi-district last week on a pair of goals by Benlly Galvan and one by Luis Casanova.

The Vikings next play District 29-5A champion Laredo Cigarroa at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sharyland High’s Richard Thompson Stadium.

“We played good (against Roma),” Pace coach Mario A. Zamora said. “We had possession of the ball most of the time. Roma had two defensive lines in the back, so we had to be very patient to create opportunities to score.

“I see this game against Cigarroa as a good match, (like) a final. We are facing the No. 1 team from their district. But I know when the ref blows that whistle on Friday, there are no stats (from before that matter). So we are going with the mentality of getting the win.”

In 6A area games Friday involving Metro-area boys, it’s Hanna vs. McAllen High at 6 p.m. at Weslaco East, Rivera vs. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at 7 p.m. at La Joya ISD Stadium, Lopez vs. La Joya High at 8 p.m. at Brownsville Sports Park and Brownsville Veterans Memorial vs. Laredo United South at 8 p.m. at Roma.

Also in 6A for Metro-area girls, it’s Los Fresnos vs. United South at 6 p.m. at Roma besides the 6 p.m. Lopez-United matchup at Cabaniss.

Port Isabel’s boys and girls are playing Class 4A area matches Friday. The Lady Tarpons are at home against La Vernia at 5 p.m., while the Tarpons face Pleasanton at 6 p.m. at Kingsville’s Mopac Field.

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

To hardly anyone’s surprise, Brownsville boys soccer teams from District 32-6A swept District 31-6A in Class 6A bi-district matchups last week.

Add in Class 5A bi-district victories by the boys squads of Porter and Pace from District 32-5A against District 31-5A and it was a 6-0 showing in the opening round of the playoffs by Brownsville ISD boys teams.

In practically any other sport, that feat might be considered rather amazing, but not in soccer, particularly for the boys.

“Brownsville soccer has developed a reputation of having playoff-ready teams,” said Brownsville Veterans Memorial coach Alberto Vasquez, whose Chargers defeated Edinburg North 3-2 in bi-district last Friday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Added Lopez coach Amadeo Escandon regarding 32-6A, “It’s not surprising at all because we are one of the toughest districts in the state.”

The 32-6A champion Lobos downed Edinburg Economedes 6-1 in bi-district last Thursday at Sams.

In other 6A bi-district matches involving 32-6A boys teams, Rivera beat PSJA Memorial 4-2 and Hanna prevailed against Weslaco East 2-1 in penalty kicks.

Rivera coach Salvador Garcia said it wasn’t easy for his 32-6A fourth-place Raiders to win against the 31-6A champion Wolverines, who led 1-0 at halftime.

“I was surprised how good PSJA Memorial was,” Garcia said. “We played them back in January during the BISD Tournament and they beat us. This time around they were even better, and I finally understood why they ran away with the district title. I think they played a good first half, but our players had an outstanding second half (scoring four goals), and that was the difference.”

In the 5A playoffs last Thursday, Pace shut out Roma 3-0 and Porter blanked Edinburg Vela 2-0.

Of course, things get tougher starting Friday in second-round postseason action, but it was still quite a dominant showing by Brownsville in bi-district.

Other Metro-area squads moving on to the next round after last week’s bi-district wins are the Lopez girls, Los Fresnos girls, Porter girls and the boys and girls from Port Isabel.

In all, that’s 11 of 14 Metro-area playoff teams advancing beyond bi-district in soccer.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Only a few Rio Grande Valley teams were fortunate enough to win coin flips and play home games during this week’s area playoffs. Most Valley teams are playing at neutral sites as far away as Laredo and San Antonio.

Among the ones winning those coin flips were the boys teams of Lopez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln and Valley View along with the Port Isabel girls.

In matches at 7 p.m. Friday, Juarez-Lincoln will be the home team against Rivera at La Joya ISD Stadium and Valley View is at home against Flour Bluff. The Port Isabel girls play host to La Vernia at 5 p.m. Friday.

The Lopez boys will be the home team against La Joya High at 8 p.m. Friday at Brownsville Sports Park. The game was moved from Sams for “precautionary” reasons while a stadium light tower is checked out, Brownsville ISD athletic director Mark Guess said.

All other Valley teams are on the road this weekend, including the La Feria boys, who must travel all the way to La Vernia for Friday’s 7 p.m. match.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Every soccer player dreams of scoring the kind of memorable goal that he or she will never forget.

Celia Garza, a freshman midfielder for Port Isabel, enjoyed such a treasured moment during her team’s 2-1 bi-district triumph at Raymondville last Thursday. On a windy afternoon, it was Garza’s second-half Olympic goal off a corner kick taken from the right side that lifted the Lady Tarpons to victory, their first playoff win in three years of playing UIL soccer.

“I’ll always remember it,” Garza said of her goal. “I can tell my children about it.”

Garza then laughed at the thought of what she had just said, and so did sophomore teammate Jennifer Martinez, who was standing next to her. Martinez scored the Lady Tarpons’ first goal against Raymondville.

“I practice corner kicks all the time, and sometimes they go in (for an Olympic goal),” Garza said. “Practice makes perfect.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Valley teams still alive in the playoffs by this time next week will be playing at regional tournaments in Brownsville, Corpus Christi and Mission on April 8-9.

For the second straight year, the Region IV-6A Tournament will be played at Brownsville Sports Park. The Region IV-5A Tournament returns to Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field, while the Region IV-4A Tournament, with McAllen ISD as the host, will be played at Sharyland High’s Richard Thompson 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, Staff Writer

This is the part of the soccer season the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons enjoy most.

It’s because they are accustomed to winning and making strong showings in the state playoffs.

Coming off last Thursday’s 3-1 bi-district victory against PSJA North at home, the Lady Falcons (22-6-1) see themselves as poised for another deep run in the postseason similar to the five-round run to the Region IV-6A final one year ago.

“Going far in the playoffs has made this program pretty unstoppable,” said the Lady Falcons’ Vero Bratschi, a senior midfielder on the wing and a four-year varsity player. “This season has been a good season. We haven’t been as successful as last year obviously (when we won District 32-6A), but we’re still here. We’ve made a huge comeback from the start of the season (to get to this point).

“I see a lot of potential and good things ahead for us. That potential is coming out right now.”

The next challenge for the 32-6A runner-up Lady Falcons comes against District 29-6A champion Laredo United South in the area round of the Class 6A playoffs at 6 p.m. Friday in Roma.

“It would be a dream come true (to continue winning in the playoffs) because I want us to go back to the field (at Brownsville Sports Park) where we played last year (in the regional final),” junior forward Gabby Moya said. “If we could do that and win, it would be a true feeling of victory. We have unfinished business from last year and we want to finish it.”

In 2015, the Lady Falcons came within 30 minutes of becoming the first Rio Grande Valley girls soccer team to qualify for the UIL state tournament. Los Fresnos led 1-0 in the Region IV-6A final against San Antonio Reagan before the Lady Rattlers tallied a pair of goals down the stretch to win 2-1.

That was then and this is now.

There are some young newcomers in the Los Fresnos lineup this season to complement the more experienced players but The Lady Falcons’ objective remains the same.

“Considering we lost about six seniors from last year, I think the team has come back from that,” junior center midfielder Clarissa “Claire” Castaneda said. “We’ve got some freshmen who are a really good addition to the team. At the beginning, our new girls were pretty shy and they didn’t really know what they were coming into. The further we’ve gotten into the season, the more comfortable they’ve become. It’s helped them a lot that we didn’t take it easy on them. We worked them hard, and now things are clicking. I think we can make it to the same spot we made it to last year and maybe go even further.”

Along with Castaneda and Bratschi in the midfield and Moya at forward, the Lady Falcons’ starting lineup includes Gabby X. Mariscal and Allison Spier in the midfield and Itzel Bochas at forward. Also, Castaneda at times moves up to forward.

The starting defenders are Rubi Soto, Taylor Theiss, Alexa Gutierrez and Perla Briseno. Ashley Ibarra is the goalkeeper.

Helping out from the bench are goalkeepers Aliyah Maza and Summer Sosa, forward Cassy Lozano and defender Monika Mesa.

“I have experienced a lot with this team,” Ibarra said. “It’s an honor to play with these girls. I’ve learned a lot. It’s just amazing to be with them on the field — talking to them, having that communication and getting along. It’s very good. The practices with our coaches and the plays we work on make it very good, too.”

Lady Falcons coach Patricia K. Hernandez is assisted by Juan Luna and Ivan Estrada.

“This team poses a threat to the rest of the Valley heading into the regional tournament (April 8-9),” said Hernandez, who was born in the Valley and grew up in Elgin, Illinois, before returning to attend the University of Texas at Brownsville. “Our primary goal in mind is getting back to regionals. Even though we’re young, I feel we can’t be discounted. We have a lot of talent to put in great competition.

“We look forward to playing Laredo United South. We’re busy preparing for them, and we just want to take it one game at a time. Persistence and aggressiveness are the keys for us.”

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

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Thursday turned out to be quite a memorable day for Port Isabel’s boys and girls soccer teams.

With a pair of wins on the road, the Tarpons and Lady Tarpons captured their first playoff victories in the UIL sport.

Port Isabel began fielding a boys team in 2004 and has advanced to the postseason a number of times. Thursday’s 4-1 bi-district triumph at Monte Alto marked the first time the Tarpons advanced beyond the opening round of the playoffs.

The Lady Tarpons began playing soccer in 2014 and have qualified for the playoffs during each of their three seasons. Likewise, they hadn’t reached the second round of the postseason until Thursday’s 2-1 bi-district victory at Raymondville.

Yes, it was quite a day.

“This is like the proudest moment of my high school career,” said Leonardo Bravo, a senior center midfielder for the Tarpons. “It gives us a big morale boost. We’re going to keep going and do the best we can.”

“It feels great to be making history at our school,” said Brayan Palestina, a senior central defender. “Maybe this will give a boost to our younger players, make them want to stick with the program and try to set the bar higher next season than we did this year.”

The District 32-4A co-champion Tarpons are scheduled to go against District 30-4A third-place Pleasanton this week in the area round of the Class 4A playoffs. Details of the matchup are scheduled to be worked out Monday.

On a windy Thursday in Raymondville, it took a second-half Olympic goal by Celia Garza made on a corner kick from the right side to lift the Lady Tarpons over the Lady Bearkats after the score was tied 1-1 at halftime.

“A win like this totally boosts everyone’s confidence, not only for me, but the entire team,” said Garza, a freshman midfielder. “It also means we’re going to be confident for our next game when it comes around. I’m just so proud of our team and what we’re doing. I do like how we’re playing because we’ve certainly gotten better.

“We keep going and going and giving all our hearts out there on the field, and that’s what matters most. It’s exciting for me, and I’m just happy for all of us.”

Next up, the 32-4A runner-up Lady Tarpons play host to 30-4A fourth-place La Vernia at 5 p.m. Friday at Tarpon Stadium for an area-round game.

“We’ve gotten that big monkey off our backs that we’ve had the last two years (for not winning a playoff game),” said Lady Tarpons coach Jesus Cardenas, now in his third season guiding the team. “We’ve finally proved it to ourselves that we’re good enough to move on to the second round. We saw ourselves as a team that could get past the first round (this season), and now, we want to go to the third round.

“I’m very proud of my team. These girls have stepped it up when they had to, and now we’d like to keep going.”

“We’re talking to each other and making good passes,” said sophomore midfielder/forward Jennifer Martinez, who scored Port Isabel’s first goal Thursday. “Communication is the key. It’s just a great feeling (to win in the playoffs).”

The Port Isabel boys achieved another important milestone earlier this month by capturing a district title for the first time. They were 32-4A co-champions with Progreso and earned the district’s top seed for the playoffs.

“I think it’s a great accomplishment for this team because our players have been working hard since the start of the season,” eighth-year Tarpons coach Salvador Hernandez said. “We’ve been taking it a step at a time. Our first goal was to win district and they did it. Then our next goal was to win our first playoff game, and it’s happened now, so we’re very happy. It’s something well-deserved for these players.”

“We’re basically in the record book now, so we’re just going to try to go higher and higher and go as far as we can,” junior forward/midfielder Nathan Berman 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, Staff Writer

The District 32-6A boys soccer sweep is complete.

Thanks to Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s eventful 3-2 win Friday against Edinburg North at Sams Memorial Stadium, 32-6A boys teams won all four of their Class 6A bi-district matchups against District 31-6A.

The game between the 32-6A runner-up Chargers and 31-6A third-place Cougars was eventful because it had a little bit of everything.

Not only were there goals and near-goals, the match included a combined four penalty kicks, two red cards and an approximate 20-minute delay after a fight between the two squads erupted 10 minutes into the second half.

The ruckus started on the field and carried over to the track along the Edinburg North sideline. It led to a player from each side being red-carded.

After order was restored and play resumed, the Chargers emerged victorious and advanced to next week’s area round of the playoffs to face District 29-6A champion Laredo United South, a 2-1 winner against La Joya Palmview on Thursday.

“The game could have gone a little smoother, but it didn’t, and it was a tough one to win,” Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez said. “Edinburg North was trying hard to get the victory, and they took it to us. But I think we were just a little more effective offensively and defensively than they were.”

Also Friday, the Brownsville Veterans team played the match while dealing with the emotional burden of having just lost teammate Esteban Garcia, a junior varsity player who died earlier in the week.

“Under the circumstances, I thought our boys did a great job,” Vasquez said. “They came together and wanted to make Esteban proud. It wasn’t easy. The circumstances made it tough. I’m proud of our guys for how they performed.”

Brownsville Veterans had beaten Edinburg North 3-0 last season in bi-district when the Chargers were the fourth-place team from 32-6A and the Cougars were 31-6A champions.

On Friday, the Chargers were looking good when Humberto Aguillon nudged the ball into the net from close range during the 23rd minute for a 1-0 lead. Then the Cougars’ Azael de Leon converted a penalty kick barely a minute later to even the score.

The match was deadlocked 1-1 at halftime.

Brownsville Veterans went ahead 2-1 just three minutes into the second half when Gabriel Montoya made good on a penalty kick after a knockdown call in the area against the Cougars.

After that, the Cougars surprised the Chargers by quickly attacking downfield and sent a shot off the crossbar just 20 seconds after Montoya’s PK.

At became 3-1 for Brownsville Veterans with seven minutes gone in the second half when Beto Trevino’s free kick from the left side was sent into the net by teammate Ramon Perez, who was situated near the right post.

The confrontation that involved a majority of the players on the field soon erupted after it appeared the Cougars were going to be called for another penalty violation. With 30:11 on the scoreboard clock, the match was halted for approximately 20 minutes before a player from each team was sent off.

The Chargers were indeed awarded a PK, but the Cougars goalkeeper blocked it, leaving the score at 3-1.

A handball call against the Chargers resulted in the Cougars getting another PK opportunity. Carlos Rodriguez Jr. converted it to pull Edinburg North to within 3-2 with 21 minutes remaining, but that was as close as the visitors came to tying the score.

The other 32-6A boys teams winning bi-district matches, all on Thursday, were Hanna over Weslaco East 2-1 in penalty kicks, Rivera 4-2 over PSJA Memorial and Lopez 6-1 against Edinburg Economedes.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The Rivera Raiders were determined not to make an early exit from the Class 6A state soccer playoffs.

They showed their resolve by scoring four goals during the second half after trailing 1-0 at intermission to defeat PSJA Memorial 4-2 on Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The bi-district victory advances the Raiders, defending 6A state champions, to next week’s area round of the playoffs against La Joya Juarez-Lincoln or Laredo United.

This season, Rivera finished fourth in District 32-6A after winning it in 2015.

Regardless, the Raiders’ objective of doing well in the playoffs remains the same.

“A lot of people are saying that for us to be in the playoffs is just a plus because of the (young) team we have, but I don’t see it like that,” Rivera coach Salvador Garcia said. “We’re going to have these guys for the next two or three years, and obviously that’s going to help (down the road). But I told our guys there’s no reason why we can’t win now.”

PSJA Memorial took a 1-0 lead during the 26th minute when the ball was centered from the right side and Osvaldo Villanueva sent a perfectly placed header into the left corner of the net.

But coming out of the intermission Rivera was a different team, scoring goals during the 49th, 55th and 59th minutes to go up 3-1.

Eliezer “Chaii” Acero scored on a breakaway from the left side to even the score at 1 during the 49th minute. Acero beat the goalkeeper in a 1-on-1 confrontation from close range during the 55th minute to put Rivera ahead for good 2-1. Then Rivera’s Manuel Espinoza sent a slow roller into the goal following a corner kick from the right side during the 59th minute to make it 3-1.

The District 31-6A champion Wolverines pulled to within 3-2 on another goal by Villanueva with about 10 minutes remaining before Acero tallied his third goal of the night from about 10 yards away with a little more than 1 minute left to complete the scoring. Acero dribbled around three defenders before firing the ball into the net.

It marked the third straight game for Acero to finish with a hat trick.

PSJA Memorial coach Alex Cruz said his team played well enough during the opening half, but somehow things slipped away from the Wolverines in the final 40 minutes.

“We came here believing we could play with Rivera, and we did for a while,” Cruz said. “We had beaten them in the Brownsville Tournament (in January) on penalties, but they’re a different team now.

“I’m proud of my guys,” he added. “We had a good season. We know it’s going to be tough against any team from Brownsville no matter where they finish in district.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

It didn’t take long for the Lopez Lobos to get off to a strong start Thursday in their Class 6A bi-district soccer match against Edinburg Economedes at Sams Memorial Stadium.

District 32-6A champion Lopez went ahead 2-0 just 3 1/2 minutes into the action en route to winning 6-1 against the District 31-6A fourth-place Jaguars.

“We’ve been training hard and this win was very important,” said Edson Solis, a junior forward who scored twice for the Lobos. “Thank God we got it, and thanks to the people who came out to support us.”

The ball was crossed from the right side and drilled into the goal by Solis for a 1-0 lead with barely 1 minute and 30 seconds gone by. Then Benito Cazares was on the scoring end of a set play off a free kick to make it 2-0 for Lopez with only 3 1/2 minutes having elapsed.

Lopez’s scoring attack seemed to stall the rest of the first half as Economedes pulled to within 2-1 on Jonathan Segundo’s header with five minutes remaining before intermission.

But the Lobos came alive again during the second half and dominated the rest of the way by scoring the next four goals.

“I think this game shows how our players work,” Lobos assistant coach Abraham Torres said. “They never give up and they end up getting the result. It just shows the dedication that they started displaying way back in December (when practice started).

“They put in the work and they’re seeing the fruits of their labor, like tonight,” Torres added. “I think this game was kind of a summary of their hard work during the season. At halftime, they seemed to be saying to each other ‘We’ve got to get our heads together and communicate better as a team.’ That’s what they did in the second half. They realized what they needed to do, (corrected it) and moved on.”

It became 3-1 during the 57th minute when Solis received a pass from the right side and nudged the ball forward with his chest into the left corner of the goal from close range.

Allan Ramos also scored from close range during the 60th minute to make it 4-1. A free kick by Jose Echavarria found the mark during 63rd minute and increased the lead to 5-1. Sebastian Benavides tallied from the right side during the 76th minute to complete the scoring.

The Lobos now move on to next week’s area playoffs to face La Joya High, a 3-2 winner against Laredo LBJ on Thursday.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The UIL soccer playoffs this year involve just about every boys and girls team in the Metro area, which covers Brownsville, Los Fresnos and Port Isabel.

Fourteen of 18 area squads will be participating in the postseason when bi-district competition starts Thursday.

Twelve of them play Thursday and the other two on Friday.

“We’re positive, we’re confident and we’re ready to go as far as we can,” said Porter’s Lizbeth Garcia, a junior utility player whose team has qualified for the girls soccer playoffs for the first time in school history. “My teammates are amazing and we want to go far this season.”

The Cowgirls play at Valley View at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Playing home matches Thursday will be the boys squads from Rivera, Lopez and Porter along with the Los Fresnos girls.

The Porter boys take on Edinburg Vela at 7 p.m. at Brownsville Sports Park, while Rivera and Lopez are part of a boys doubleheader at Sams Memorial Stadium. Rivera goes against PSJA Memorial at 6 p.m. and Lopez faces Edinburg Economedes at 8 p.m.

Also, the Los Fresnos girls are scheduled to play host to PSJA North at 6:30 p.m. at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium.

The Porter boys, ranked No. 1 in the Rio Grande Valley by RGVSports.com, want to keep their game in top form.

“We’re starting the postseason now, and hopefully we can continue playing the same way (as we did to win District 32-5A with a 14-0 record),” Porter boys coach Jose Espitia said.

Some area squads weren’t as fortunate with their coin flips to be the home team for a bi-district match.

“We lost the flip, but God willing not the game,” Hanna boys coach Reyes Prado said.

The Golden Eagles play at 6 p.m. Thursday at Weslaco East.

Other road games for area boys teams Thursday find Port Isabel at Monte Alto at 3 p.m., Pace vs. Roma at 7 p.m. at Mercedes and IDEA Frontier at Hidalgo at 8 p.m.

For area girls teams Thursday, besides Porter at Valley View, the road games include Port Isabel at Raymondville at noon, Pace vs. Sharyland Pioneer at 7 p.m. at Weslaco’s Bobby Lackey Stadium and Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Edinburg Economedes at 7:30 p.m.

Friday’s two bi-district matches involving area teams have the Lopez girls at Edinburg High at 6 p.m. and the Brownsville Veterans boys playing Edinburg North at 7:30 p.m. at Sams,

WITNESS TO HISTORY

Pace football coach/athletic coordinator William Deen was on hand for the Pace-Porter girls soccer game March 4 at Pace. At the conclusion of the match, both teams learned they had qualified for the state playoffs because of the result of another 32-5A game.

The Pace girls have gone to the postseason before, but not the Cowgirls. They’ve come close, but never reached the playoffs until now.

It dawned on Deen that he was witnessing Porter athletic history for the second time. He was an assistant coach at Porter under Jim Helms in 2003 when the Cowboys qualified for the playoffs in football for the first time with Billy Garza, now a coach at Pace, as quarterback.

On that particular night earlier this month, Deen saw another Porter team reach a milestone accomplishment.

“I’m a witness to history again,” he said.

CHASING FIRSTS

Port Isabel’s boys have played UIL soccer since 2004 and its girls are playing only their third season.

To date, neither Tarpons team has claimed a playoff victory, but that could change Thursday as the girls play at Raymondville and the boys travel to Monte Alto.

The Port Isabel boys were co-champions this season with Progreso in District 32-4A, while the Lady Tarpons finished second behind La Feria in 32-4A.

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