By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

PORT ISABEL — The girls soccer program at Port Isabel may have a brief history, but it’s a UIL sport showing promise.

The Lady Tarpons are fielding a team for only the third year, yet they’ve participated in the state playoffs during each of the previous two seasons under coach Jesus Cardenas.

“I’m very proud of our girls, they’ve been stepping up,” said Cardenas, now in his third season of guiding the team. “Hopefully we can tie up some loose ends and get a victory in our next game.

“I think we’re playing a lot better offensively,” he added. “From the midfield forward, we’re doing a good job of generating plays and keeping possession of the ball. We still have to work on finishing the way we should. We’re missing too many shots.”

Last year, the Lady Tarpons finished third in District 32-4A with a 6-4 record. They had gone 7-5 and wound up fourth in district in 2014 as a first-year squad.

The Port Isabel girls are still waiting for their first playoff win, and who knows? Maybe this could be their year.

“I have high hopes for us this season,” said Felicia Calo, a senior defender on the right side. “I feel we’re going to go beyond the first round. This team is a family, and I’ve noticed we have a lot more passion. We work together and we get through things when we get upset, so I feel those are things that are going to help us be strong in the playoffs.

“It would be a great experience for us to move past the first round,” Calo added. “It would give our coach a chance to say that he took a bunch of rookies and turned them into something great. It would also make us, the players, feel great about each other, too, because we’ve worked together, not as individuals but as a team, to get there.”

Going into Tuesday’s 32-4A game at home against La Feria at 6 p.m., the Lady Tarpons are 3-2 with nine points and looking good for another trip to the postseason. The Lady Tarpons’ match Tuesday at Tarpon Stadium will be followed by the Port Isabel boys facing Progreso at 8 p.m. in another 32-4A match. Actually, it will be a tripleheader with a boys junior varsity match scheduled prior to the Lady Tarpons’ game.

Besides Calo, among the other players contributing to the team’s success are stopper-midfielder Susana Torres and midfielders Jennifer Martinez and Celia Garza.

“I think we can do a lot,” said Torres, a sophomore. “It feels really good (to play on the team). We all get along and we talk to each other (during games). I feel we didn’t do enough of that last year.

“When we’re talking to each other we can work together and make (better) passes,” she added.

Added Martinez, also a sophomore, “It’s fun (to play on this team). We work hard every day and we communicate — that’s what counts a lot and makes things work. We just have to keep working hard and score as much as we can.”

Garza is grateful for the chance to be a member of the squad as a freshman.

“Actually, I was nervous at first, but now I’m really happy I’m playing soccer again,” Garza said. “I’m excited about it. Even though we may have some hardships, we get through them, we keep on going, and that’s what makes (us) a team and a family.

“I don’t know how other people may feel, but I’m honored (to play for the Lady Tarpons),” she added. “I know we’re going to build up, increase our confidence and get to the top.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

An opportunity one year in the making has arrived for the St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds.

Last soccer season, they reached the TAPPS state semifinals only to be edged 1-0 by Houston Awty International.

The Bloodhounds have waited an entire year for another chance to continue their quest for a TAPPS state championship.

Tuesday is the day.

SJA (18-5-1) returns to the semifinals to face Addison Trinity Christian (18-4-2) at 1 p.m. at San Antonio Central Catholic’s Bob Benson 1966 Stadium. It’s the same field where the Bloodhounds won 1-0 on Saturday against Fort Worth Nolan on a late first-half goal by Gerardo Moses in the TAPPS quarterfinals.

SJA coach Tino Villarreal said the Bloodhounds can expect to encounter a Trinity Christian team that is tall, fast and well-organized, basically an opponent every bit as strong as Nolan and probably even better.

“From what I’m hearing, Addison doesn’t really have one standout player,” Villarreal said. “They just work really well together and position themselves well. They’re an all-around team. We expect that they’re going to try to push us around some with their size. Again, we have to not make mistakes and play really smart, especially on their set pieces.

“We would love to pull off the win,” he added. “It would be huge for our boys, our school, our community and all of the above, really.”

A semifinal victory would advance SJA to the TAPPS state championship at 6 p.m. Friday in San Antonio at a different field against Awty (22-3-1) or Plano John Paul II (19-5).

Moses, a senior forward, leads the Bloodhounds with 24 goals. Jose Kauachi, a junior center midfielder, comes next with 16.

“I feel like we’re playing with a greater intensity that we were maybe lacking in some of our games earlier this season,” Kauachi said. “We’re giving it all we have.”

The Bloodhounds opened the TAPPS playoffs with a 4-0 win at home last Tuesday against Plano Prestonwood. Then came Saturday’s 1-0 victory against Nolan.

SJA has never made it to a state title game in soccer. Last season was the first time for the Bloodhounds to reach the state semifinals.

“First and foremost, we’re representing St. Joseph, and it’s also a big deal for us to be representing Brownsville as well,” Villarreal said. “When you think of Brownsville soccer, there’s a certain mystique that goes with it considering all the accomplishments that have been achieved by schools such as Rivera, Lopez, Hanna and Porter at the (UIL) state level.

“We’re proud to be representing our city,” he added. “We want to live up to the name of Brownsville soccer.”

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

PORT ISABEL — After coming close on a number of scoring chances during the first half, the Port Isabel Tarpons came up with a goal just seven minutes into the second half while going into a strong, blustery wind to prevail 1-0 on Friday against the IDEA Frontier Chargers.

The District 32-4A soccer victory evens the Tarpons’ record at 1-1, and the Chargers are now 0-2.

“It was exciting (to score that goal),” said Port Isabel’s Nathan Berman, a junior midfielder on the wing who received a pass from teammate Felipe Cacho before firing a shot into the net from about 10 yards out on the left side with 33 minutes left to play. “Hopefully I can score a couple more this season.”

With a strong wind at their backs, the Tarpons came oh so close to putting the ball in the goal during the opening half, but the Chargers, thanks to a standout effort by goalkeeper Osmar Garcia, kept the home team scoreless. Garcia continued to make saves during the final 40 minutes, but that one shot by Berman got past him and it turned out to be the difference.

“It’s a tough loss,” Frontier coach Jerry De La Garza said. “We weren’t able to get going and play the way we wanted to play. We just need to regroup and remain focused for our upcoming game.”

The Tarpons were the team on the attack most of the time throughout the match, even despite going against such a forceful wind during the second half.

“We’ve been practicing and getting ready for this opponent because we lost to them 3-2 at the tournament in Progreso (late last month),” Port Isabel coach Salvador Hernandez said. “We knew what they had, and we were ready to play them.

“I told our guys to play the wings (to advance the ball) and we did, and pretty soon we were playing well across the whole field,” Hernandez added. “Ball control was tough to do tonight (because of the wind), but our players adjusted to it.”

Port Isabel opened 32-4A action with a 2-1 loss Tuesday at La Feria. The same night, Frontier opened district with a 2-1 setback at home against Progreso.

“Getting this win is good because we have an advantage now, “ Berman said. “We’re not 0-2, so we can push forward and hopefully come out (well) in district.”

The Tarpons next play at home Tuesday against defending 32-4A champion Progreso, and IDEA Frontier will have a home game the same night against La Feria. It’s a four-team district.

“I think our win tonight gives us a good turnaround because we want to keep moving forward,” Hernandez said. “We have a pretty solid team with our seniors, juniors and sophomores. Our players are coming together and playing more as a team. That’s what I’m looking for before we go to the playoffs.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Experience, leadership, strong soccer skills.

Those are qualities that best describe midfielders Andres Rico and Jose Kauachi, captains of the St. Joseph Academy soccer squad.

The Bloodhounds (17-5-1) know they can count on their captains to lead the way when they play Fort Worth Nolan (11-7-1) in the TAPPS quarterfinals at 11 a.m. Saturday at Bob Benson 1966 Stadium in San Antonio.

The winner advances to face Dallas Bishop Dunne or Addison Trinity Christian in the TAPPS semifinals next week at a neutral site.

SJA coach Tino Villarreal expects a close, defensive match against Nolan.

“They’re tall and physical with a very strong (defensive) line in the back,” he said. “They’re hard to score against. They kind of sit back and wait for the counter attack, is what I’ve heard.

“We have to be really sharp, especially against their set pieces,” he added. “We have to be patient and careful not to make any mistakes.”

Now more than ever, the Bloodhounds’ coach appreciates the way Rico, a senior, and Kauachi, a junior, are fulfilling their duties as captains.

“It’s their ability to lead by example,” Villarreal said. “On the field, they’re probably two of the more technically sound players we have, and they’re consistently there in front when we run and condition, always pushing the team and always motivating their teammates to do better. Our conditioning is tough because I want us to be in shape.

“They’re always showing their leadership by example, and that’s real important for me (as the coach),” Villarreal added. “As our captains, they are two of the players we have who do that. We have others as well.”

The Bloodhounds have reached the TAPPS quarterfinals for the second straight year as winners of their district, which includes teams from San Antonio. Last season, the Bloodhounds went 16-4-2 and advanced to the semifinals.

SJA opened the playoffs with Tuesday’s 4-0 win against Plano Prestonwood at Canales Field.

“I think it was the best game we’ve played so far this season,” said Rico, a four-year starter. “We elevated our game and played way better than what we have been playing. If we keep on playing like this, we can make it far (in the playoffs) just like last year, and maybe even go higher, hopefully to the final.

“Every season is different, and I think right now we’re doing very well,” added Rico, the younger brother of Beto Rico, who was a soccer standout for the Bloodhounds before graduating in 2013 and going on to play for the University of Texas at Brownsville. “We’re communicating (on the field) a lot, and I think that’s what is keeping us alive still. Let’s hope we can move on from the next round.”

Rico, 5-foot-9 and 168 pounds, is trying his best to be an effective team captain.

“I hope I’m doing a good job as a leader by giving us advice and helping us grow,” he said. “I (always) want us to be a better team. Jose and I talk to the team before the game about how it felt to win last year.

“St. Joseph soccer has always been a big part of my life, and being part of the team is a gift from God that He gave me,” Rico added. “Since this is my last year, I hope we can make it as far as we can.”

Kauachi, a 6-1, 170-pound three-year starter, sees the Bloodhounds as a team on the rise.

“I feel that a win like this one (Tuesday) really picks up the momentum for us,” he said. “Each game ahead of us is going to be harder and a greater challenge than the game before. I see every win giving us more momentum and helping us play better.

“The team this year has more pressure because of how well we did last year,” he added. “We want to live up to the (high) expectations. At the same time, I feel the team right now is where we want it to be because we’ve finally reached the point that we’re playing the real St. Joe soccer. We’re getting a good effort from all the team. It’s 100 percent from everybody every day.”

Along with Rico, Kauachi takes his role as a team captain very seriously as well.

“I focus mainly on keeping the team together and on everyone always working with each other,” he said. “No one should think of himself as the best individual on the field, because we’re all the same and we’re all playing for each other.

“I would just say thank you to everyone who has supported us since the beginning of the season,” he added. “We’re going to give it all we have to keep going.”

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 progress reports, if they could be termed as such, are in for the first round of boys and girls soccer action in District 32-6A and District 32-5A.

The first half of play was completed in each district Tuesday.

At the head of the class in 32-6A are the Lopez boys and girls, and the Porter boys and PSJA Southwest girls lead the way in 32-5A.

The Lady Lobos emerged from the first half of 32-6A competition undefeated at 7-0 with 20 points after rallying to edge Brownsville Veterans Memorial 2-1 on Tuesday at Sams Memorial Stadium.

Not one of the Lady Lobos is saying the team has a comfortable district lead, yet Lopez is up five points on second-place Los Fresnos and Harlingen South (both 5-2 with 15 points).

“It’s a good feeling (to be where we’re at),” Lopez center midfielder Samantha Ruiz said. “I’m proud of our girls. We’re showing up. For the second round, I think we’re going to have to start strong and finish strong as well.

“Maybe it’s a little bit of a comfortable feeling, but not really,” she added. “We have to expect the unexpected because we don’t know what could happen next. We’re just preparing to continue to do well and finish games.”

Added teammate Carla Gracia, a forward, “It’s a lot of pressure because we have a red mark (as a target) on our backs. Everyone’s coming after us, and that means we have to play even better and give 110 percent. Because we have that red mark on our backs, we’re coming really stronger in order to keep (on track for) the title.

“Up to now, we’ve haven’t done anything,” she added. “God willing, we’re going to prove ourselves.”

While it wasn’t the best of nights for the Lopez boys Tuesday, as they lost to Brownsville Veterans 2-0, they still have the 32-6A lead at 6-1 with 18 points. Unlike the Lady Lobos, the Lopez boys no longer have a little breathing room. Right behind them are Brownsville Veterans (5-2, 16 points), Harlingen South (4-3, 14 points), Hanna (5-2, 13 points) and Los Fresnos (4-3, 12 points).

The district takes a break Friday and the second round begins Tuesday with its usual doubleheader format as the boys play at 5:30 p.m. and the girls follow at 7:30 p.m.

32-5A UPDATE: The Porter Cowboys, ranked No. 1 in the Rio Grande Valley by RGVSports.com, have made the most of the first round in 32-5A by going 7-0 and obtaining the maximum possible 21 points. Behind the Cowboys in the 32-5A boys standings are Pace (5-2, 15 points) and PSJA Southwest (5-2, 14 points).

Porter is coming off Tuesday’s 6-0 win at Mercedes to close out the first round of district play.

“Well, so far we have done well,” Cowboys coach Jose Espitia said. “Our team has gone through different lineups due to injuries, and the results have been very positive. This group has depth and that is always a plus. Our boys have matured so much and it shows on and off the field.

“The second round should be closer because now the teams have seen and played each other,” he added.

The good news for the Brownsville girls teams in 32-5A is they are pretty close behind district leader PSJA Southwest (6-1, 17 points). Coming next and tied for second in the girls standings are Pace (5-2, 14 points) and Porter (4-3, 14 points).

The Cowgirls are the only team in district to prevail against PSJA Southwest, winning 1-0 on Feb. 2 in Pharr. The Porter girls are trying to qualify for the state playoffs for the first time in their program’s history.

SOCCER WARRIORS: Tuesday’s 32-6A doubleheader at Sams included a pair of soccer players who are trying to make their senior seasons productive and successful as they return from injury.

Lopez forward Christie Escandon missed virtually all of last season after her 29 goals as a sophomore helped lead the Lady Lobos to a district championship in 2014.

She’s still dealing with her injury and wearing a knee brace. Still, she’s focused upon being a vital contributor to the team this season.

“The fact that I’m a senior helps me go harder than I usually would, especially with my injury,” said Escandon, who scored the game-winning goal Tuesday. “In the end, it’s no fear (for me), just determination.”

Another player coming back from injury is Brownsville Veterans forward Jesus Muniz, also a senior. He is returning from an ACL.

Muniz’s goal gave the Chargers a 1-0 lead Tuesday against Lopez. It was his third goal in two games.

“I suffered an ACL my sophomore year and then again as a junior (in 2015),” Muniz said. “Hopefully I’m back to play again (for the whole season).”

TAPPS UPDATE: The St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds (17-5-1) will play Fort Worth Nolan (11-7-1) in the TAPPS quarterfinals at 11 a.m. Saturday at Bob Benson 1966 Stadium in San Antonio.

SJA opened the TAPPS playoffs Tuesday with a 4-0 victory against Plano Prestonwood at Canales Field. Nolan prevailed against Houston St. Pius 1-0 the same day during its playoff opener.

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

Unlike the last time they played, there was no doubt about the outcome of Tuesday’s soccer match involving the St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds.

They scored a pair of goals during each half to begin the TAPPS playoffs with a convincing 4-0 victory at home against Plano Prestonwood.

During their previous game last Saturday, the Bloodhounds had to summon all their comeback karma to rally from a 2-0 deficit and win 3-2 in overtime at Canales Field against San Antonio Antonian.

This one was never as close.

Playing their final home game of the season, the Bloodhounds (17-5-1) dominated the action from start to finish and made it a match their fans could sit back and enjoy.

Luis Amaro, a senior forward for SJA, highlighted the victory by scoring two goals, one during each half.

“It felt great because it was my last game at home and I wanted to make the proper goodbye,” Amaro said. “A win like this gives us confidence and makes us believe in ourselves.

“We’ve been playing kind of up and down lately, but we’re going to have to go up,” Amaro added. “It’s only going to get harder in the playoffs.

“We’re not done yet.”

SJA faces Fort Worth Nolan or Houston St. Pius on Saturday in the next round of the playoffs at a neutral site, possibly San Antonio or Corpus Christi.

On this particular Tuesday under sunny skies with slightly warm temperatures, Anuar Atiye’s goal from the left side off a deflected shot taken by teammate Mario Garcia gave the Bloodhounds a 1-0 advantage 15 minutes into the match.

It wasn’t long before Amaro attacked from the right side and sent a crossing shot into the left corner of the net with 8 1/2 minutes to go in the first half to account for SJA’s 2-0 lead at intermission.

The Bloodhounds didn’t waste any time in the second half as Amaro’s medium-range shot from the left side carried into the right corner of the goal just two minutes after action resumed. At that point, SJA was up 3-0 and looking pretty good.

With eight minutes gone in the second half, it became 4-0 on a goal by Andres Rico.

Prestonwood (9-18-2) didn’t really have any kind of threatening shot attempt that Bloodhounds goalkeeper Mario Ramirez had to make a play on until 25 minutes remained in the game.

It was the kind of dominating showing that pleased SJA coach Tino Villarreal.

“Today was definitely a good performance by St. Joe,” he said. “This is exactly the level of soccer that I thought we were playing before we were humbled (5-0 by McAllen High and 4-2 by Edinburg North) at the Brownsville (ISD) Tournament (in January).

“I think we’re picking it up to right where it needs to be if we plan to make a deep run in the playoffs,” he added. “I liked that we didn’t come out flat today (as we did in the Antonian game). We were touching the ball well and moving it well. There was a lot of communication (between our players). Those are things that I felt we were lacking in our last couple of outings.

“I think today we played the kind of soccer we were playing right before the BISD Tournament, and hopefully we’re back into the swing of things at the right moment. It’s all about timing if you want to make a deep playoff run, and today was a step in the right direction.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

It wasn’t easy and it took quite a comeback, but the Lopez Lady Lobos have reached the halfway point of the District 32-6A girls soccer race as leaders with a 7-0 record and 20 points.

The Lady Lobos trailed 1-0 after a goal by Brownsville Veterans Memorial 10 minutes into the second half Tuesday before rallying with scores during the 57th and 69th minutes to pull out a 2-1 victory against the Lady Chargers (4-3, 12 points) at Sams Memorial Stadium.

“We all work together and we know to never stop, never give up,” said Lopez’s Christie Escandon, a senior forward who scored the game-winning goal against the Lady Chargers.

“It feels really good (to be leading the district race), but we can’t stop now,” Escandon added. “We can’t let our guard down. We have to keep going with everything we’ve got in practice and when we play our games.”

The Lady Chargers had fewer scoring chances than the Lady Lobos, but they made an important one count during the 50th minute when Sam Bodden centered the ball from the far right corner and teammate Kasandra Jimenez punched it in from near the left post for a 1-0 lead for Brownsville Veterans.

“It was definitely a tough game,” Lady Chargers coach Luis Troncoso said. “We knew it would be that way. We had to stay focused the full 80 minutes (and we didn’t). Lopez was able to get some balls through, and they eventually had their scoring opportunities.”

Lopez’s comeback started during the 57th minute when Escandon sent a pass to fellow forward Carla Gracia, who quickly attacked, setting up a 1-on-1 confrontation with the Lady Chargers’ goalkeeper. Gracia fired a strong shot into the net from approximately 12 yards to even the score.

The game-winner came during the 69th minute when Escandon, situated on the left side of the goal, received a pass from teammate Samantha Ruiz and nudged the ball past the goalkeeper for a tally from about eight yards that eventually provided the victory.

“I thought once we scored our first goal, (Brownsville) Veterans kind of stayed back a little bit,” Lopez coach Alex Macias said. “Because we have so many (good) shooters, it kind of created a disadvantage for them (and helped us).”

Both teams now have open dates Friday as 32-6A takes a break. District action resumes next Tuesday with the start of the second round.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Things became just a bit more interesting in the District 32-6A boys soccer race Tuesday thanks to the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers.

The Chargers handed the Lopez Lobos their first district loss of the season, 2-0, at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The Lobos (6-1, 18 points) are still leaders of 32-6A, but the setback allows other teams in the district, such as Brownsville Veterans (5-2, 16 points), to pull a little closer behind them.

The first round of district play is now over, and 32-6A takes a break Friday before starting the second round next Tuesday with the boys playing at 5:30 p.m. and the girls to follow at 7:30 p.m. the rest of the regular season

There was intensity and physical play the entire match between the Chargers and Lobos, basically just like every other 32-6A game.

Things turned in the Chargers’ favor with a little more than 14 minutes remaining in the first half when Jesus Muniz, positioned just to the left of the goal, received a teammate’s pass on a narrow angle from the far right side and promptly sent the ball into the net to put his team on top 1-0. It was his third goal in two games.

“This win feels good,” said Muniz, a senior forward who is coming off an ACL injury. “It’s what we have been working for. Lopez is in first place, and we’re trying to catch up to them.

“The team played its heart out, and that’s what we came here for,” Muniz added. “We struggled a little bit, but at the end we came out with the victory.”

It got pretty hectic down the stretch.

With nine minutes left, it appeared the Lobos might have scored a goal, but it wasn’t allowed. The Lopez players argued the call, particularly with the side referee, and one of them was red-carded so the Lobos played a man short the rest of the way.

With 1:06 left, the Lopez goalkeeper had to leave the match as a Brownsville Veterans player went down in the area when they collided as he attacked with the ball. The Chargers were awarded a penalty kick and Gabriel Montoya converted it to account for the 2-0 final score.

“The great thing about this one is it allows us to close out the first half of district with a win against a very good team,” Brownsville Veterans coach Alberto Vasquez said. “It was one of those games where they had a couple of (scoring) opportunities and we had some, too. We were just able to get a lucky bounce here and there so we could get the win.

“But it’s great,” he added. “My guys played their hearts out, and I’m extremely proud of them. They wanted the win, they were focused, they played their hearts out and they were able to achieve what they wanted. That’s probably the most important thing.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Every player has his or her role on a soccer team.

Yes, the Pace Lady Vikings are winning in District 32-5A because of the strong and timely offensive contributions of their midfielders and forwards.

And just as important are the contributions of the team’s defenders, who are shining as well. Without their invaluable help along with those players on the offensive end, the Lady Vikings wouldn’t be tied for the lead in 32-5A with PSJA Southwest. Each team is 5-1 with 14 points.

The first round of 32-5A doubleheader action comes to an end at 6 p.m. Tuesday as the Pace girls play host to PSJA Southwest. The boys match between the Javelinas (4-2, 11 points) and Vikings (5-1, 15 points) follows at 8 p.m.

Among those making contributions for the Lady Vikings this season on the defensive end are goalkeepers Vivian Delgado and Jennifer Oliveira along with sweeper Amanda Morales, defensive midfielder Hania Davila, and fullbacks Krista Grayson and Daniela Perez.

It’s an upperclassman group as all are seniors except for the alternating goalkeepers Delgado, a junior, and Oliveira, a freshman.

“We’ve been working hard inside and outside of the field, and the team has been doing really good,” said Davila, a four-year starter. “We’ve been communicating and trying to keep this team going. The defense has been doing an outstanding job. We just try to keep the ball away from our goal while trying to score on the other end of the field.”

Added Morales, also a four-year starter, “Honestly, this team has gone through a lot. We started at the bottom. I remember my freshman year that we won only one game the entire season. To be where we are now, it really feels great. We’ve put in so much work, and it’s great to see it all paying off.

“I think the (varsity playing) experience we have now compared to when we started has a lot to do with it,” Morales added. “It’s (also) the team, the work we do, the attitude we have and the coaches. It’s all just coming together.”

Added Grayson, “We are like a family. We’re sisters.”

Third-year Pace coach Jesus O. Villarreal sees his defense as one of the strong points of the squad.

“Basically, the whole defense is made up of seniors, and they’ve been playing together, if I’m not mistaken, for three years now,” he said. “That says a lot. They know the way I think, and I know the way they think. I know what they’re going to do and they know what I’m going to tell them, so everything is running pretty smoothly with our defense.

“Our defensive players are leaders just by their nature,” he added. “We have two goalies, and both of them are playing. They’re helping out a lot, too.”

The cohesion displayed on defense comes from the bond as teammates the girls share.

“We get along very well on and off the field,” said Perez, a two-year starter. “We’re close to each other, and we try to spend time together.”

Added Delgado, starting in the net for her first season, “It’s actually a pretty big deal to be a member of this team. It’s awesome, really, and it feels great knowing you’re helping out the team. Every win is boosting our confidence. We’ve been working really hard for this.”

Added Oliveira, who is enjoying her chance to play for the Lady Vikings as a freshman, “This being my first year here and being on the varsity is really good, and seeing us go to the playoffs would be even better.”

The girls say playing soccer for the Lady Vikings is a unique experience.

“I wouldn’t trade this team for any other team,” Morales said.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

PHARR — Rio Grande City girls basketball coach Gus Valenciana wasn’t quite 100 percent certain, but he believes his team’s 55-33 Class 5A bi-district victory against Pace on Monday at PSJA North marked the first time the Lady Rattlers have won a playoff game.

If it wasn’t the first, it’s one of the rare postseason wins the Lady Rattlers have experienced in basketball, the coach said.

“We don’t have that much history (of success),” Valenciana said. “In fact, I want to say it’s our first playoff victory ever, so this is pretty special. It’s our first (bi-district) trophy.

“I’m just super proud of the girls,” he added. “Our big girls came out big tonight with their scoring and rebounding. Our defense has been great all season, and it was great again in this game.

“Our starters are all underclassmen, so we have a lot of hope (for the future).”

Leading the way for RGC was Jocelyn Amaya, a 5-foot-11 sophomore post who recorded a game-high 29 points, including 23 during the second half. Teammate Adrianna Cruz, a guard, added 12 points.

The District 31-5A third-place Lady Rattlers (23-11) led 8-2 after one quarter, 18-4 at halftime and 35-19 going into the final period.

RGC next plays Laredo Cigarroa or Alice in the second round of the playoffs later this week.

The District 32-5A runner-up Lady Vikings (20-13) picked a bad time to have a poor shooting game. Pace’s shots from the field just didn’t fall and the Lady Vikings didn’t have much luck from the free-throw line either against the taller Lady Rattlers.

“If you don’t box out your opponent’s big girls and you don’t make your free throws, you’re not going to win a game,” Lady Vikings coach Kris Metzmaker said. “When you put your opponent on the line and they make their free throws and you miss yours, you’re going to lose.

“We put them on the line in the first half, and that’s where they made most of their points,” Metzmaker added. “It’s hard to come back from that.”

Kaylynn Quezada and Ebony Casanova led Pace with seven points each. Casanova had a 3-pointer. Teammates Jessica Aguilar and Katelynn Quezada added five points each, with Aguilar also hitting a 3-pointer.

The Lady Rattlers led by double digits most of the way, beginning early in the second quarter. Their biggest lead of 25 points, 49-24, came with 3:46 remaining when Cruz scored from underneath the basket.