DONNA — Tightly wrapped up in a jacket and holding a hand warmer prior to Friday night’s bone-chilling District 32-5A game between host Donna High and rival Edcouch-Elsa, talk of how to stifle Donna’s Madalyn Park was a brief topic.
“We have other girls who can score,” the senior offensive stalwart quickly said. “If I can’t, they’ll do it.”
Just more than 12 minutes into the first half, her words proved prophetic as Anai Mejia scored on a beautiful cross from Briana Sanchez and the Bravettes went on to claim a 2-0 win over the Yellow Jackets.
Donna improves to 8-2 in district with 24 points. Brownsville Porter (9-0-1) sits atop the district with 29 points. Brownsville Veterans (8-1-1) is second with 25 points. While Vets and Porter have played each other already twice this season in district, Donna has upcoming dates with both teams.
Edcouch dropped to (5-5-0) but remained in fourth with 15 points, six ahead of Weslaco East.
While all eyes, rightly so, were probably watching Park, who has 131 career goals and 18 goals in 10 district games following her goal in the second half, it was Donna High goalkeeper Jazmin Cedillo who had the hot hand on a night where temperatures dipped to 37 degrees with a light wind and lighter rain pellets.
Cedillo, one of several seniors on the squad, came out of goal often, and far out of goal on multiple occasions, taking on multiple charging Yellow Jackets and coming up with a clean sheet. E-E took at least two crossing attempts toward the middle of the box, both bullets, and Cedillo popped out and hauled both in.
On another occasion, two EE players were streaking at her, saddled on either side by Donna defenders. She started her raging bull charge when one of girls fired a shot. Cedillo played the angle perfectly and fell on top of the ball, letting it squirm out just a bit before tucking it back in before the second EE player had any chance at a follow up.
“She played her best game today,” Medina said. “She moved well in the box, eliminated the one-on-one opportunities the way she attacked and just popped out on those crosses.
“Sometimes she might hesitate but I tell her that she just has these natural instincts and to let it flow.”
While the win doesn’t guarantee a playoff spot, it does put the Bravettes in a spot where they are in control of how high they finish.
“It’s up to us,” Medina said. “If we play a strong game like we have the past couple and counterattack and play the defensive game we’ve been playing, we have a chance to regain losses to both of those teams ahead of us.”
SHARYLAND REMAINS HOT
While the top three spots in District 32-5A remain the same, the musical chairs group known as District 31-5A continues to flop around the top four teams.
Sharyland High, coming off a 2-1 win over McAllen High last week, claimed a 2-1 win over McAllen Memorial in PKs on Friday night.
The PK win gave Sharyland 20 points for the season while the PK loss gives Memorial one point for 22 total. McHi’s win over Pioneer pushes the Bulldogs into a tie for first with 22 points. McAllen Rowe, via a 1-0 win over Valley View, gives the Warriors 22 points in an ultra tight District 31-5A race where the top four finishers are fairly established, just not close.
Trailing 1-0, Rattlers sweeper Allyson Knobel scored on a free kick from 30 yards to tie the game.
“I feel with what we have, we can hopefully finish second and maybe fight for first place,” Sharyland High head coach Mario Ribera said. “(Allyson) has come through in everything this year, she’s even second in her class. She is very special.
“We are putting all out effort into the game. I really think we can fight for first, something that was impossible at first.”
The Rattlers have not lost in their previous six matches and are now 6-2-1 in district.