BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — On a Friday night under the lights, many fans say they see the competitive nature of McAllen High sophomore Aaron Nixon.

If he’s on the mound, his focus and intensity are painted across his face, just like his signature eye black. Even in the on-deck circle, his eyes never leave the opposing pitcher as he mentally prepares for his at-bat.

“He loves to compete,” McAllen High coach Eliseo Pompa said. “When he gets up on that mound, he has that bulldog mentality. Sometimes, we call a pitch, and he will shake it off. Then, he throws his own pitch, and he was right. But, of course, sometimes he messes it up, too. He’s got the mentality of a baseball player.”

Nixon’s .463 batting average is second on the team. He leads the team with 38 hits and he is tied for third with 25 RBIs. On the mound, Nixon has pitched 50 innings with a 0.84 ERA. He has struck out 81, walked 12 and allowed just six earned runs all year.

“When he gets up on the mound, all he is focused on is throwing strikes,” Pompa said. “If you look at his stats, he has very few walks for how hard he throws. He is consistently around the plate.”

Senior catcher Nate Quintanilla said Nixon’s velocity has gone up and his movement has gotten better this year.

Nixon has been a major force this season for the Bulldogs, who have had a dominant year, losing only one game and sweeping through District 30-6A to earn the district crown. The Bulldogs’ postseason begins at 7:30 tonight as they host Laredo United in the first game of a best-of-three bi-district playoff series.

“It’s a special feeling in the air,” Nixon said. “We have really come together as a team, and we are really fired up. We have been waiting for this all year.”

Given how seriously Nixon takes baseball, fans may find it easy to forget what they are watching.

“I think, at times, we maybe expect too much from him,” Pompa said. “He’s got all this hype, but he’s just a kid. He’s a sophomore. Some people, when he goes up to hit, they expect a home run every time.”

Thankfully for Nixon, he has clubhouse full of teammates who help with the seriousness of the situation.

The Bulldogs hardly ever lack focus on the diamond. But off the field, their success has given them the freedom to have more fun.

“(Quintanilla) and Abanny (Garcia, a senior) are always looking for what joke to say,” Pompa said. “Elijah (West) and Hector (Garcia), those two guys never shut up. It’s funny, and it keeps the mood up. We don’t ever get bored.”

“All the jokes Hector Garcia makes are just hilarious,” West said. “He’s always making faces, and his hair is hilarious.”

Most of the Bulldogs have dyed their hair blonde as a show of solidarity. Garcia has long, curly hair, and the dye job created a new look entirely.

“I was one of the first ones to dye my hair. Robbie (Maldonado) and Dave (Sosa) haven’t, but they have prom,” Nixon said with a grin. “I’m going to another prom, but I just did it anyways, because who cares?”

The lighthearted atmosphere keeps the morale high and allows the team to power through any would-be lulls.

Abanny Garcia and Quintaniila are both seniors, and their playful demeanor allowed the younger players — like Hector Garcia and West, both sophomores — to be themselves.

Nixon is the bridge that brings the team together.

Nixon has spent years playing with just about everyone on the team. If he didn’t play with them growing up, he played against them.

Freshman Chris Bernal grew up in Corpus Christi and moved to McAllen when he was 8.

“I have known him for even longer, because I used to play against him when I lived in Corpus,” Bernal said. “That’s how we got to know each other, and so once I got down here and we met up, we have been close ever since.”

Bernal entered his freshman year already committed to the University of Pittsburgh, just as Nixon did with his commitment to the University of Texas.

“There were times where I struggled,” Bernal said. “He would tell me to calm down just a bit and relax. He helped a lot.”

Abanny Garcia was a McAllen Rowe player at the start of his high school career, so some McHi players initially didn’t know him as well. But Nixon faced him from the time they were 7 or 8 on. So, by the time they were playing together in purple and gold, they were already close friends.

The Bulldogs know how to get into a competitive zone on the field, and they are already in that zone as they prepare for United.

The homework is done, and the Bulldogs know what they are up against.

United has speed and pitching. The Longhorns swiped 47 bags this year. Each of their top three pitchers (by innings pitched) has an ERA under 3.

United was the team that dealt McHi a surprising bi-district round exit in 2016.

Quintanilla was on the Bulldogs’ 2016 team, and he said he has talked to his teammates about that series.

“We want revenge,” Bernal said. “But we will have to get it one game at a time.”

Some texts have even arrived from Laredo exclaiming the Longhorns’ intention to win the series.

“We know in our hearts that we are one of the best teams in Texas,” Nixon said. “Now we just have to go out there and prove it.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

Brownsville Rivera has lost its playoff berth as a result of forfeitures due to the use of at least one ineligible player, pending the school’s appeal of a district executive committee ruling Tuesday.

As it stands right now, many 31-6A teams have new opponents. The change in win totals forced a three-way tie for first between Los Fresnos, Brownsville Hanna and Weslaco High. The teams flipped for seeding and Los Fresnos came out first, leaving the Falcons’ matchup against Edinburg North unchanged. Brownsville Hanna was second, putting the Eagles against PSJA North.

“We were scheduled to play Weslaco,” PSJA North coach Rene Soza said. “We scrimmaged Hanna earlier in the year. We scrimmage them up there, so we have some familiarity.”

Weslaco drew the third seed Tuesday, and the Panthers will face the PSJA High Bears. Rivera fell all the way out of playoff contention after the ruling. That allowed Harlingen High, which was originally eliminated, to become the new fourth seed and opponent for District 31-6A champion Edinburg Vela.

“It doesn’t really change our preparation,” Vela coach Jaime Perez said. “It’s just one of those deals where right now, our guys are in their routine of practice. It doesn’t really matter who our opponent is. Our preparation stays the same.”

Soza is eager for the series, and he said he likes his team’s chances.

“We have enough pitching, that’s for sure,” he said. “It will just be a matter of us putting the ball in play.”

Every 31/32-6A series begins Thursday, with the exception of the series between Vela and Hanna, which begins Friday.

The Brownsville Herald’s Andrew Crum contributed to this report.

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

Sharyland Pioneer has had to fight since the beginning of the season.

The Diamondbacks started the District 31-5A campaign 2-4 and had to rebound to get back above .500. Coming down to the final few games, Pioneer’s playoff future hung in the balance.

“(The playoffs) are going to be a new experience for us, but we also feel like our road to the playoffs has prepared us for that,” Pioneer coach Casey Smith said. “Because we really had to gut it out to get in.”

The Diamondbacks won their final two games to secure the school’s first ever trip to the postseason. They finished the year 21-10-1 overall and 9-7 in District 31-5A.

Pioneer had two Laredo schools on its heels in Martin and Cigarroa. Up to the final game of the season, the three teams could have finished in a three-way tie. But Pioneer’s wins over Martin and Roma in the final two games gave the Diamondbacks the fourth and final playoff spot in 31-5A.

“The turning point, right there at the end, was the Valley View game,” Smith said. “We lost that game, but we played extremely hard, and we didn’t quit, and we just did a lot of things right. I feel like our kids kind of figured something out in that game, and they have been carrying that momentum ever since.”

Pioneer faces Brownsville Veterans in the bi-district round. The first game of the three-game series starts at 7 p.m. Thursday at Brownsville Veterans.

“I know they are extremely talented,” Smith said of Veterans. “They have been pretty hot in their district, and they have scored quite a few runs this year.”

Smith said Veterans has a deep pitching staff, which will be a major test for his Diamondbacks. But he said Pioneer will be ready for the challenge.

“We are going to continue to do what we have been doing,” Smith said. “We will go to work on the fundamentals and on our approach.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

McALLEN — McAllen High has been the top dog in the Valley all year. The Bulldogs have been ranked first in every RGVSports.com Top 10 poll this season.

But they didn’t always get recognition statewide. They were not ranked in the first state 6A Top 25 from txhighschoolbaseball.com. Today, they are ranked No. 1 in the state.

“I told them, ‘It doesn’t matter where you start. It matters where you finish,’” McHi coach Eliseo Pompa said.

The Bulldogs were ranked third in the state in the April 15 poll. Then, on April 23, they moved up to No. 1. They remained No. 1 when the latest poll was released Monday.

This year, the Bulldogs are 25-1-1 overall, and they went a perfect 12-0 through District 30-6A.

“We are very proud of how the kids have played this year, and we are hoping it continues into the playoffs,” Pompa said.

The Bulldogs postseason begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday as they host Laredo United in the bi-district round.

Just after the regular season, the Bulldogs held a celebration to honor Pompa, who passed 700 career coaching wins this year.

“It was OK,” Pompa said. “I guess if you stay in this business long enough, and hopefully you have good kids — it was good. It’s a good feeling.”

The Bulldogs are preparing to roll into the playoffs and defend their No. 1 state ranking.

“Now that we are ranked up high in the state, now we have a target on us, and now we have to defend that target,” Pompa said. “It just proves to the kids and to the people down here that it can be done. Of course, it’s not over by any means, but we are glad to be getting the recognition.”

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VALLEY HS BASEBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 3

Class 6A

Weslaco High at PSJA High, 7 p.m.

Edinburg North at Los Fresnos, 7 p.m.

Laredo United at McAllen High, 7:30 p.m.

Mission High vs. San Antonio Southwest at Calallen, 8 p.m.

Brownsville Hanna at PSJA North, 7 p.m.

Class 5A

Valley View at Brownsville Pace, 7 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at Brownsville Veterans, 7 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Brownsville Lopez, 7 p.m.

Sharyland High at Edcouch-Elsa, 7 p.m.

Friday, May 4

Class 6A

Mission High vs. San Antonio Southwest at Calallen, 4:30 p.m. (if needed, Game 3 will be played 30 minutes later)

McAllen Rowe vs. Laredo Alexander at Roma, 7 p.m.

Los Fresnos at Edinburg North, 7 p.m.

Harlingen High at Edinburg Vela, 7 p.m.

PSJA High at Weslaco High, 7 p.m.

PSJA North at Brownsville Hanna, 7 p.m.

La Joya High vs. Eagle Pass at Laredo SAC, 7 p.m.

Laredo United vs. McAllen High at Unitrade Stadium, Laredo, 7:30 p.m.

Class 5A

Edcouch-Elsa at Sharyland High, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at Valley View, 7 p.m.

Brownsville Veterans at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

Class 4A

Kingsville King at Grulla, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 5

Class 6A

Weslaco High at PSJA High, 1 p.m. (if needed)

PSJA North at Brownsville Hanna, 1 p.m. (if needed)

McAllen High vs. Laredo United at Roma, 2 p.m. (if needed)

Los Fresnos at Edinburg North, 2 p.m. (if needed)

La Joya High vs. Eagle Pass at Laredo SAC, 2:30 p.m. (if needed, Game 3 will be played 30 minutes later)

Harlingen High at Edinburg Vela, 3 p.m. (if needed, Game 3 will be played 30 minutes later)

McAllen Rowe vs. Laredo Alexander at Roma, 5 p.m. (if needed, Game 3 will be played 30 minutes later)

Class 5A

Brownsville Pace vs. Valley View (site and time TBD)

Sharyland Pioneer vs. Brownsville Veterans (site and time TBD)

Rio Grande City at Brownsville Lopez, 1 p.m. (if needed)

Sharyland High at Edcouch-Elsa, 12:30 p.m. (if needed)

Class 4A

Grulla at Kingsville King, 2 p.m. (if needed, Game 3 will be played 30 minutes later)

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — If District 31-6A learned anything about the new-look Edinburg North Cougars this year, it’s that they are never out of a game.

North beat Edinburg Vela and PSJA High in the first round of the district season, and they did it via comeback wins. Against Vela, the Cougars were down 5-0 and then 6-1 before storming back to win 10-9.

“That game was so exciting,” junior outfielder Argelio Guajardo said. “I had a lot of friends there. It was a hell of a game. So much excitement, a lot of heart from both teams and solid baseball.” “That was crazy,” senior infielder and pitcher Juan “Junior” Almeida said. “I didn’t think we were going to win. When I went in to pitch, that was crazy. There were so many fans out there. What a game. I will remember that night forever.”

North used the momentum it built to earn a playoff berth. The Cougars will face the Los Fresnos Falcons in the bi-district round, with Game 1 of the best-of-three series set to begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Los Fresnos.

“I think it will be a very evenly matched series,” first-year North coach Richard Valdez said. “We are a lot alike. They are one of those programs that year-in and year-out, they are in the playoffs. … They are just like us. They put the ball in play. Their pitching, they put it in the strike zone. They are not going to do more than they are capable of. They don’t have any one star. It’s a solid lineup one through nine. … I expect a great series, and whoever commits the fewest mistakes will win.”

Coming into the year, the Cougars were missing two of the biggest pieces from last year’s team after Saul Garza and Giancarlo Servin graduated.

The team needed some time to adjust to those absences, and the adjustment came with some lumps. The Cougars started the season 1-8-1.

“The leadership came from Joey (Salinas), Junior, Argelio and me,” junior shortstop Frankie Zuniga said. “As soon as we started the Edinburg tournament, it all showed, because that was when we went undefeated and took first place in that tournament. Before, we had no leadership, and we would lose a lot of games.”

Everything started to click for the Cougars. They matched up with McAllen Rowe in the opening game of the tournament, and they made a statement with a 12-8 win.

“In the Laredo tournament (the week before), we weren’t talking. We weren’t playing like a team,” Almeida said. “But then, against Rowe, something changed. We all started chanting. We came together as a team. That really helped us.”

The momentum carried over to a Vela win to open the district season, and as the wins came pouring in, the belief around the program began to grow.

“I always tell them, we are never out of a game,” Valdez said. “Once we got the first one, they knew they could do it again.”

The Cougars also rallied to beat PSJA High and Edinburg High this year in pivotal games.

How did the switch flip so quickly? Guajardo has an idea: “The dugout,” he said.

“We have a lot of animo (fighting spirit and encouragement). We cheer each other up. If we make an error or a bad play, we pick each other up. Thank God, it’s like a family here, and we all have each others’ back.”

Zuniga and Guajardo have both taken big steps forward to help lead North this year. Guajardo leads the team with his .359 average, and Zuniga is one spot behind at .358. Salinas leads the team with 24 RBIs, but Guajardo is second with 19, and Zuniga is fourth with 14. In 41 1/3 innings, Zuniga has a 2.37 ERA. He has fanned 34 and walked just 15 this year.

“He has been way better than last year,” Guajardo said of Zuniga. “Last year, he was a good player, but he really worked hard this year to get better. He struggled a little bit early in the year, but now, he is doing his job.”

“He’s grown a lot this year,” Salinas added. “He was here in the cages every day. After practice, he would stay and work on stuff. He just kept busting his butt, and he came out on top, and now he is doing great.”

Guajardo has been steady at the plate, but his play in the field is unparalleled.

“He’s had a real good year,” Valdez said. “Friday, when we played the Bears, coach (Marco) Guajardo said to me, ‘Coach, I have never seen a kid run down a ball like that in 20 years.’ I’m blessed to have a guy like that. And, he’ll be back next year. … That’s also part of the reason he hasn’t been on the mound as much, because he is playing so well in the outfield. But going into a series like this, he could be on the mound.”

“He’s a big motivator,” Almeida said of Guajardo. “When I am pitching and I can see him in center field, I know I can count on him to go get any ball. … His speed is crazy. Against Bobcats, they hit a deep ball, and I didn’t think there was any way he could get it, and then he caught it.”

Valdez is taking his time deciding who will start the series.

“Honestly, I’m not sure yet,” Valdez said. “We have our pitchers, but I really don’t know who I will go with, because we do our pitching by committee.”

Along with Zuniga, the Cougars have a plethora of pitchers who are capable of leading the Cougars to a win. Junior Michael Anzaldua is second on the team with 30 innings pitched. Sophomore Jacob Alvarado has posted a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings. Almeida and Salinas have also been huge factors on the mound, helping seal the win against Vela.

Los Fresnos has a lot of left-handed pitchers, so the Cougars have been taking as many cuts as they can against the pitching machines, which can simulate the spin and movement of pitches from a lefty.

“We are going to work on situational hitting,” Valdez said. “When we get guys in scoring position, I think the guys press a little bit too much. We want our guys to have a good approach at the plate and know what they are trying to do when they get up there. That’s part of the inexperience we have.”

The Cougars have just three players who have played regularly in the playoffs. Despite the lack of playoff experience, and the fact that Los Fresnos is the first seed and North is the fourth, the Cougars are confident going into the series.

“We are ready to go,” Zuniga said. “We are pumped up, and we are just going to go out there, grind hard, and get those Ws.”

“Everyone takes us lightly because we don’t have Saul and Carlo,” Almeida said. “But we just keep coming back.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

GRULLA — Coming into the season, Grulla freshman ace Fidel Garcia already wanted to be leaned on in pressure situations.

“I felt pretty confident going out there,” Garcia said. “I have always wanted the ball in the big moments.”

On Friday, his vision came to fruition when he got the start against Progreso in a must-win game. Garcia was on fire, striking out 14 in a no-hitter as Grulla won 5-0 to cement the Gators’ place as the second seed in District 32-4A.

“It was a tough week, because there were so many different scenarios,” Grulla coach Joel Osuna said. “The kids stepped up and did what they had to do.”

Progreso still has a chance to qualify for the playoffs by virtue of Rio Hondo’s loss to Port Isabel, but the Red Ants are in a three-way tie with those two teams for the fourth playoff spot.

Garcia had his curveball going early, and his nasty fastball was the perfect complement. He perplexed batters with his control and velocity.

“He’s been playing this well all year,” Osuna said of Garcia. “He threw a no-hitter about two weeks ago. He’s doing a good job, and he is very confident up on the mound.”

“He’s a great kid,” junior shortstop Dillen Salinas said of Garcia. “He’s great at everything, and I can even admit that pitching-wise, he is better than me.”

The Gators got going in the bottom of the third, using three singles and a few fielders choices to plate four runs. That was enough for Garcia, who mowed through the last four innings, allowing just three base runners the rest of the way.

“The good thing is that our bats have been coming around through the late part of the year,” Osuna said. “All through the lineup, we have nine guys who can hit.”

The Gators added a run in the fifth, when freshman second baseman Honelio Leal reached on a leadoff single and came around to score on a single from sophomore JJ Garcia.

The Gators opponent in the bi-district round of the playoffs is still up in the air, as the 31-4A playoff race very much hangs in the balance entering the final games on Saturday.

Kingsville King, Orange Grove and Ingleside are all possible opponents.

“Ingleside and Orange Grove are playing tonight,” Osuna said. “Then, whoever wins that will play King tomorrow for second place. So, we will go scout them tomorrow, and we will go from there.”

The Gators have been consistent all year, and the youth on the team has been a big reason why. Grulla started Friday’s game with three freshmen and three sophomores on the field. The younger players have stepped up in big moments and brought excitement to the season.

“They all played select ball, so they came in ready,” Osuna said. “Our second baseman (Leal), defensively, he’s a vacuum with that glove. Our third freshman is (Mason) Loreen, our right fielder today, who is also a pitcher, and he has done very well, as well.”

For team captain Salinas, Friday was just the beginning. The Gators have struggled with first-round matchups throughout Salinas’ career, but the Gators believe this is the year that trend comes to an end.

“We are really excited for the playoffs,” Salinas said. “Our goal is to make it to the second round, and then do what we can to make it to the third. We just really want to get past the first round, since that’s been the thing since I got here. I believe we have the team to do it this year.”

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VALLEY H.S. BASEBALL SCHEDULE

Friday’s Games

District 31-6A

Edinburg High 7, PSJA North 3

PSJA High 3, Edinburg North 2

Edinburg Vela 15, Edinburg Economedes 1, 5 innings

PSJA Memorial 5, PSJA Southwest 3

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos 2, Weslaco High 1

Brownsville Hanna 6, Weslaco East 4

Harlingen High 7, San Benito 0

Brownsville Rivera def. Harlingen South

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 6, Rio Grande City 4

Sharyland Pioneer 12, Roma 2

Valley View 14, Mission Veterans 4

Laredo Martin 6, Laredo Nixon 0

District 32-4A

Port Isabel 3, Rio Hondo 0

Hidalgo 12, La Feria 2

Grulla 5, Progreso 0

Zapata 3, Raymondville 1

District 32-5A

Play-in game

Brownsville Pace 3, Donna North 1

VALLEY H.S. BASEBALL STANDINGS

*- 1 tie

y-clinched district title

x-clinched playoff berth

District 30-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-McAllen High-* 25 1 12 0 —

x-La Joya High 19 8 8 4 4

x-Mission High-** 12 11 8 4 4

x-McAllen Rowe 14 12 7 5 5

McAllen Memorial 16 12 5 7 7

La Joya Palmview-* 7 18 2 10 10

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 4 21 0 12 12

District 31-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Edinburg Vela 23 4 13 1 —

x-PSJA High-*** 17 8 11 3 2

x-Edinburg North-** 14 13 9 5 4

x-PSJA North-** 19 9 9 5 4

Edinburg High-* 11 15 7 7 6

Edinburg Economedes 6 10 3 11 9

PSJA Southwest-* 9 19 2 12 10

PSJA Memorial 4 23 1 13 12

District 32-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Los Fresnos 22 7 11 3 —

x-Weslaco High 23 5 10 4 1

x-Brownsville Rivera 19 8 10 4 1

x-Brownsville Hanna 17 5 9 5 2

Harlingen High-* 12 11 7 7 5

San Benito-* 8 19 4 10 7

Weslaco East 9 19 3 11 8

Harlingen South 6 15 2 12 9

District 31-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Valley View-* 21 8 14 2 —

x-Sharyland High 24 6 12 4 2

x-Rio Grande City-* 19 10 10 6 4

x-Sharyland Pioneer 21 10 9 7 5

Laredo Cigarroa-* 13 16 8 8 6

Laredo Martin 16 13 8 8 6

Mission Veterans 9 19 6 10 8

Roma-** 5 18 3 13 11

Laredo Nixon-* 6 13 1 15 13

District 32-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Brownsville Veterans 18 6 14 0 —

x-Brownsville Lopez-* 13 6 10 4 4

x-Edcouch-Elsa-* 13 10 9 5 5

x-Brownsville Pace — — 6 8 8

Donna North 10 14 6 8 8

Mercedes 8 13 5 9 9

Donna High 8 21 4 10 10

Brownsville Porter — — 1 13 13

District 32-4A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Zapata 17 6 13 1 —

x-Grulla 14 11 9 5 4

x-Raymondville 15 9 8 6 5

Rio Hondo 10 14 7 7 6

Progreso 11 12 7 7 6

Port Isabel 8 15 7 7 6

Hidalgo 5 19 2 12 11

La Feria-* 6 18 2 12 11

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

After Day 1 of the UIL Class 5A Region IV tournament on Wednesday, it was clear the Sharyland High girls would be hard to catch.

The Rattlers literally had to weather a storm to win the tournament on Thursday at The Republic Golf Club in San Antonio, earning a trip to state.

“Yesterday, we had a rain delay,” Sharyland High coach Ashley Garza said. “As of early this morning, we were ahead by 18 shots. I knew we were OK, but anything could happen in 18 shots. I told the girls, they need to play boring golf, which is fairways and greens, and two-putts. That’s what they did.”

The 5A girls state tournament will be held May 21-22 at White Wing Golf Course in Georgetown.

“We did play at the state course earlier this year,” Garza said. “We won second in that tournament. It’s a longer course, and we definitely need to work on up-and-downs and greens in regulation.”

Sharyland won the regional tournament with a team score of 624. Brownsville Veterans placed second with a 657, and Boerne Champion (673) took the third and final state team qualification.

Sharyland Pioneer finished fifth, and Brownsville Lopez finished 11th.

None of the Rio Grande Valley’s 6A regional qualifiers advanced to state.

Senior Raquel Flores led the way for Sharyland. She won the individual tournament with a two-day score of 145.

“Yesterday, she started off with five bogeys, so she was five over on the back side, and she went five under on the front side,” Garza said. “One birdie she made was a long putt on No. 3. She birdied 2, 3 and 4 yesterday, and then came back and birdied 8 and 9, as well. She played solid. … Today, she struggled a little bit, but it wasn’t unmanageable. Two solid days of competition.”

Brownsville Veterans’ Julie Lucio was tied for third with a two-day score of 154, which put her into a playoff with Hannah Choi from Stephen F. Austin, who will also be advancing to state. Lucio won the playoff to claim third place.

The storm that shortened the first day rolled in around 2 p.m. on Wednesday. Two of Sharyland’s players had to come back to finish their round Thursday before the start of the second round. In all, just eight of the 20 groups finished entirely on Wednesday. Some groups had as many as six holes left on their Day 1 scorecards on Thursday morning.

“Paulina (Flores) and Amanda (Shinn-Roldan) did not finish their rounds yesterday, so they had to come in at 7:30 this morning to finish their rounds,” Garza said. “And then they had to turn around and play another 18 holes. It’s tough to do, especially when you are up at 6 in the morning and you have to come in and play one round, and then turn back around and play another round. But they were mentally prepared, and they just kept doing the same things they did yesterday. Amanda shot an 82 yesterday and an 82 today, so very consistent. The whole team was very consistent.”

Flores was clutch throughout the tournament.

“Raquel is very focused when it comes to hitting he golf ball,” Garza said. “She does relax in between shots, which is what everyone should do. When it comes down to her routine, she’s focused, and she shoots really well.”

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VALLEY HS GOLF RESULTS

UIL Class 6A Region IV Tournament

Thursday, April 26

Final Round

Girls

Team Scores

1, Austin Westlake, 281-293 — 574; 2, Austin Lake Travis, 291-302 — 593; 3, San Antonio Reagan, 300-298 — 598; 4, San Antonio Churchill, 309-316 — 625; 5, Smithson Valley, 325-326 — 651; 6, San Antonio Brandeis, 344-333 — 677; 7, San Antonio Clark, 349-359 — 708; 8, Los Fresnos, 338-374 — 712; 9, Mission High, 359-373 — 732; 10, Laredo Alexander, 364-372 — 736; 11, New Braunfels, 368-371 — 739; 12, Laredo United, 372-375 — 747; 13, PSJA High, 381-386 — 767; 14, Weslaco High, 404-403 — 807; 15, Edinburg High, 403-439 — 842; 16, La Joya Palmview, 453-447 — 900.

Individual Scores

1, Sadie Englemann, Austin Westlake, 70-69 — 139

2, Bentley Cotton, Austin Westlake, 66-74 — 140

3, Madelyn Jones, Austin Westlake, 70-74 — 144

T-4, Macy Fox, Austin Lake Traivs, 71-75 — 146

T-4, Romina Gonzalez, San Antonio Reagan, 73-73 — 146

6, Averi Goecks, Austin Lake Traivs, 72-75 — 147

T-7, Hanna Liu, Austin Lake Travis, 72-76 — 148

T-7, Emma McMyler, San Antonio Brandeis, 73-75 — 148

T-7, Hailey Derrickson, Austin Vandergrift, 72-76 — 148

T-10, Dylan Beldon, San Antonio Churchill, 74-76 — 150

T-10, Megan Sells, San Antonio Reagan, 78-72 — 150

Other Valley Leaders

18, Mia Lerma, Mission High, 79-74 — 153

29, Micaela Leandro, Harlingen High, 78-83 — 161

31, Briana Silerio, La Joya Palmview, 80-83 — 163

UIL Class 5A Region IV Tournament

Thursday, April 26

Final Round

Girls

Team Scores

1, Sharyland High, 310-314 — 624; 2, Brownsville Veterans, 328-329 — 657; 3, Boerne Champion, 351-322 — 673; 4, Dripping Springs, 351-344 — 695; 5, Sharyland Pioneer, 348-360 — 708; 6, Victoria East, 366-366 — 732; 7, Flour Bluff, 379-366 — 745; 8, Corpus Christi Veterans, 393-358 — 751; 9, Victoria West, 374-380 — 754; 10, Stephen F. Austin 1, 382-375 — 757; 11, Brownsville Lopez, 406-418 — 824; 12, San Antonio Harlan, 420-420 — 840; 13, San Antonio Southside, 464-450 — 914; 14, Eagle Pass Winn, 479-454 — 933; 15, Stephen F. Austin, 502-480 — 933.

Individual Scores

1, Raquel Flores, Sharyland High, 72-73 — 145

2, Zayda Cedillo, Victoria East, 77-75 — 152

3, Julie Lucio, Brownsville Veterans, 78-76 — 154

4, Hannah Choi, Stephen F. Austin, 79-75 — 154

5, Gabriela McNelly, Medina Valley, 80-75 — 155

6, Fahtima Avila, Brownsville Veterans, 74-84 — 158

T-7, Laura Rodriguez, Sharyland High, 76-83 — 159

T-7, Karsyn White, Victoria East, 78-81 — 159

9, Maria Guajardo, Sharyland Pioneer, 88-73 — 161

T-10, Emily Ritchie, Boerne Champion, 82-80 — 162

T-10, Carolina Cantu, Sharyland High, 85-77 — 162

Other Valley Leaders

12, Amanda Shinn-Roldan, Sharyland High, 82-81 — 163

T-14, Paulina Flores, Sharyland High, 80-86 — 166

T-14, Linsey Garza, Sharyland Pioneer, 81-85 — 166

T-20, Cecilia Garza, Brownsville Veterans, 87-82 — 169

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

Sharyland High senior Jun Min Lee won the UIL Class 5A Region IV boys golf tournament on Tuesday to earn a trip to the state tournament.

Lee shot a 73 in the first round Monday followed by a day-two 72. His two-day winning total of 145 was just one stroke better then second-place Kenner Mangold from Boerne Champion, who shot a 146.

The top three teams and the next three highest-scoring individuals advance to state, and Lee was 10 strokes better than the third individual state qualifier.

Sharyland Pioneer’s team finished fourth with a score of 655, just four strokes off of the third-place team, Stephen F. Austin (651). Sharyland High was just behind Pioneer at 659, putting the Rattlers in fifth.

Donna High (780) finished 11th, and Edcouch-Elsa (813) came in 14th.

The next highest Valley individual finisher after Lee was Steven Hinojosa, of Mission Veterans, who shot a 158 to earn a 14th place.

The UIL Class 5A boys state tournament will be held May 14-15 at White Wing Golf Course in Georgetown.

VALLEY HS GOLF RESULTS

UIL Region IV Tournament

Tuesday, April 24

Final Round

Boys

Team Scores

1, Boerne Champion, 296-300 — 596; 2, Dripping Springs, 320-311 — 631; 3, Stephen F. Austin, 324-327 — 651; 4, Sharyland Pioneer, 342-313 — 655; 5, Sharyland High, 337-322 — 659; 6, Corpus Christi Veterans, 335-332 — 667; 7, Victoria West, 349-329 — 678; 8, Richmond Foster, 343-341 — 684; 9, Stephen F. Austin 2, 362-333 — 695; 10, Flour Bluff, 353-345 — 698; 11, Donna High, 391-389 — 780; 12, Floresville, 378-404 — 782; 13, San Antonio Harlan, 401-398 — 799; 14, Edcouch-Elsa, 411-402 — 813; 15, San Antonio Southside, 435-423 — 858; 16, San Antonio Burbank, 474-477 — 951.

Individual Scores

1, Jun Min Lee, Sharyland High, 73-72 — 145

2, Kenner Mangold, Boerne Champion, 70-76 — 146

3, Zach Heffernan, Boerne Champion, 72-75 — 147

4, Diego Ibarra, Eagle Pass Winn, 74-75 — 149

5, Sam Nolley, Dripping Springs, 75-75 — 150

6, Harrison Hineline, Boerne Champion, 79-72 — 151

7, Will Williamson, Boerne Champion, 77-77 — 154

T-8, Michael Barrera, Corpus Christi Veterans, 79-76 — 155

T-8, Jacob King, Boerne Champion, 77-78 — 155

10, Mason Wilbanks, Stephen F. Austin 1, 78-78 — 156

Other Valley Leaders

14, Steven Hinojosa, Mission Veterans, 82-76 — 158

T-15, Ethan Lee, Sharyland Pioneer, 83-76 — 159

T-15, Luis Chavez, Sharyland Pioneer, 84-75 — 159

19, Orlando Garcia, Sharyland Pioneer, 81-80 — 161