GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Entering Wednesday night’s game just one win from securing the first district title in program history, Edinburg Economedes coach Robert Garcia didn’t need to launch into any kind of elaborate pep talk.
“Believe it or not, they were the ones that told me, ‘We got it,’” Garcia said. “I didn’t have to say anything. They knew what they had to do. They knew what was at stake, so they did their job.”
Behind typically stalwart defense and a second-half goal by Pricilla Vela, Economedes took down Edinburg North 1-0 at Cats Stadium to secure the District 31-6A championship.
Economedes finishes the regular season with 31 points, 5 ahead of second-place Edinburg North.
“It’s amazing,” junior Krysta Armstrong said. “It’s something we worked for, and we improved a lot from last year. This year, we wanted it more than anything.”
When the final horn sounded, Garcia and his assistants raised their arms over their heads in celebration as players sprinted to goalkeeper Theisa Bigelow for a group hug.
After the postgame handshake, the Lady Jaguars found a water cooler and poured it on Garcia, in his eighth year at Economedes.
“This means the world to me, the school, and the whole Economedes community,” Garcia said. “We got one, and that’s awesome.”
The Lady Jaguars were on the cusp of winning their first title last year. Edinburg North went 12-0 to earn all 36 possible points, but Economedes lost both head-to-head matchups 1-0 and swept the rest of the league.
The near-miss sparked a strong offseason for the Lady Jaguars, leading to a confident return this year. Armstrong said the team improved its passing and communication without any drop on the defensive end.
“My outlook was positive. I believed we would win the district championship,” Armstrong said. “In the fall and summer leagues, we were always first and second, so we had a chance. We just knew district was ours. District was ours. And that was our main focus and goal.”
Entering Wednesday’s season finale with 28 points to Edinburg North’s 26, the only way Economedes would fail to win a district title was if Edinburg North won during regulation.
The Lady Jaguars almost ensured that wouldn’t be the case when Vela corralled a loose ball in the box off a corner kick by Armstrong and poked it into an empty net for a 1-0 edge with 28:34 to play.
North did not go quietly, as Itzamar Rios continued to be one of the district’s most potent threats on the offensive end, continually charging at the net in search of scoring chances. But a stout Economedes defense, led by Carolina Pardo and Maritzela Guzman, continually turned her away.
“(Edinburg North) opens up a lot, and they talk, and they do the long balls to Itza,” Armstrong said. “But we just shut it down.”
The next step for both teams is the playoffs, which get underway next Thursday. The Lady Jaguars are confident not just for this postseason but also for next year, as the team will return seven starters from its first district championship squad.
“We’re going to have a big bull’s-eye on our back, but I’m hoping we can continue,” Garcia said. “Now they know how it feels, and that should help them for next year, also.”
View video of the Economedes’ girls soccer team pouring the water cooler on coach Robert Garcia.
SUGHED: Economedes beats Edinburg North for first district title
BY GREG LUCA
STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Entering Wednesday night’s game just one win from securing the first district title in program history, Edinburg Economedes coach Robert Garcia didn’t need to launch into any kind of elaborate pep talk.
“Believe it or not, they were the ones that told me, ‘We got it,’” Garcia said. “I didn’t have to say anything. They knew what they had to do. They knew what was at stake, so they did their job.”
Behind typically stalwart defense and a second-half goal by Pricilla Vela, Economedes took down Edinburg North 1-0 at Cats Stadium to secure the District 31-6A championship.
Economedes finishes the regular season with 31 points, 5 ahead of second-place Edinburg North.
“It’s amazing,” junior Krysta Armstrong said. “It’s something we worked for, and we improved a lot from last year. This year, we wanted it more than anything.”
When the final horn sounded, Garcia and his assistants raised their arms over their heads in celebration as players sprinted to goalkeeper Theisa Bigelow for a group hug.
After the postgame handshake, the Lady Jaguars found a water cooler and poured it on Garcia, in his eighth year at Economedes.
“This means the world to me, the school, and the whole Economedes community,” Garcia said. “We got one, and that’s awesome.”
The Lady Jaguars were on the cusp of winning their first title last year. Edinburg North went 12-0 to earn all 36 possible points, but Economedes lost both head-to-head matchups 1-0 and swept the rest of the league.
The near-miss sparked a strong offseason for the Lady Jaguars, leading to a confident return this year. Armstrong said the team improved its passing and communication without any drop on the defensive end.
“My outlook was positive. I believed we would win the district championship,” Armstrong said. “In the fall and summer leagues, we were always first and second, so we had a chance. We just knew district was ours. District was ours. And that was our main focus and goal.”
Entering Wednesday’s season finale with 28 points to Edinburg North’s 26, the only way Economedes would fail to win a district title was if Edinburg North won during regulation.
The Lady Jaguars almost ensured that wouldn’t be the case when Vela corralled a loose ball in the box off a corner kick by Armstrong and poked it into an empty net for a 1-0 edge with 28:34 to play.
North did not go quietly, as Itzamar Rios continued to be one of the district’s most potent threats on the offensive end, continually charging at the net in search of scoring chances. But a stout Economedes defense, led by Carolina Pardo and Maritzela Guzman, continually turned her away.
“(Edinburg North) opens up a lot, and they talk, and they do the long balls to Itza,” Armstrong said. “But we just shut it down.”
The next step for both teams is the playoffs, which get underway next Thursday. The Lady Jaguars are confident not just for this postseason but also for next year, as the team will return seven starters from its first district championship squad.
“We’re going to have a big bull’s-eye on our back, but I’m hoping we can continue,” Garcia said. “Now they know how it feels, and that should help them for next year, also.”