By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
HARLINGEN – Brandon Flores scored a goal during each half to highlight Harlingen High’s 3-1 victory over the Lopez Lobos on Tuesday at Boggus Stadium.
“This feels very good,” Cardinals coach Magdiel Lopez said. “It’s not often we beat a team from Brownsville, so when we do, it always feels good.”
It was the fourth straight loss in District 32-6A for the Lobos (7-6, 22 points), who finish their district schedule March 20 against playoff hopeful Brownsville Veterans Memorial (6-6, 19 points).
“That’s going to be an important game (with playoff implications),” said Lopez coach Amadeo Escandon, whose team has secured a spot in the postseason, either as the third- or fourth-place qualifier from 32-6A.
The Cardinals (3-10, eight points) aren’t in the playoff mix like the Lobos and Chargers, but it didn’t seem to matter to them as they celebrated Tuesday’s win, which was the third in their past four district matches.
Flores sent a short chip shot into the net 15 minutes into the game to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. That score stood until eight minutes into the second half, when the Cardinals’ Jose Martinez made it 2-0.
Ten minutes afterward, the Lobos cut the lead to one goal on a tally by Leo Casanova, and his score seemed to enliven Lopez.
However, Flores scored on a header to the far corner of the goal after a teammate’s throw-in from the right side midway through the second half, just two minutes after the Lopez tally, and the Cardinals were well on their way to a 3-1 win.
The Lobos staged a furious attack during the closing minutes and failed to convert a penalty kick with 41 seconds left, accounting for the final score.
One of the Cardinals’ standouts was goalkeeper Erik Smoen, who stopped numerous strong shots by the Lobos.
The Cardinals will close out their season March 20, also at Boggus Stadium, against “Bird Bowl” rival Harlingen South (5-7, 14 points), which still has a chance to make the playoffs.