By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers fielded one of the top defenses in District 32-5A girls soccer this season.
The anchor of that defense was Andrea Hurtado, a senior center back and three-year starter.
Hurtado is The Brownsville Herald’s 2020 All-Metro Girls Soccer Defensive Player of the Year. She also earned first-team all-district honors.
It’s a well-deserved All-Metro award, Lady Chargers coach Luis Troncoso said.
“The first thing that stands out about Andrea is her passion for the game and her teammates,” Troncoso said. “Her attitude, commitment and responsibility in our program quickly set her (apart) as a leader of the team. (As a sophomore) she was determined not only to be a starter, but to perform at her best every game for her teammates.
“Andrea is an example of hard work and perseverance,” he added. “(Since she was a freshman on the junior varsity) Andrea has been determined to grow as a player and continue working with a great attitude and motivation. She was given an opportunity to start as a center back in her sophomore year and has never looked back.”
The Brownsville coach said his star player’s future is bright.
“Andrea has many standout qualities, but what sets her apart and what will guide her in the future is her discipline, her humbleness and her understanding that we must be ready to learn every single day,” Troncoso said. “She has been very coachable over the last four years, and that has taken her a long way in our Lady Charger soccer program.”
The Lady Chargers didn’t quite get a chance to finish their regular-season schedule.
“I believe we ranked either first or second in 32-5A in defense with one (district) game pending against Edcouch-Elsa,” Troncoso said.
After Spring Break in mid-March, the University Interscholastic League suspended all games and even practices for all spring sports due to the dangers of COVID-19. Schools haven’t reopened to students since then, and if the state playoffs are to ever happen, possibly in May, which appears doubtful, students first would have to return to school.
The UIL suspension took effect before Brownsville Veterans could play its last 32-5A match against E-E.
Still, the Lady Chargers did well enough to place second in district with an 11-2 record and 29 points. They stand 22-5 overall.
“I feel that even though our season started a little rough, we believed in each other and pushed through to do everything we could have done,” said Hurtado, who started playing soccer at age 11. “I’m proud of the girls, proud of myself and proud of the effort we gave. I know that even though we didn’t get the district title this season, I know our girls will get it next year.
“We wanted to win more than anything, and we really wanted to prove that we weren’t just a ‘whatever’ team,” Hurtado added. “We wanted to show that we could put up good competition. Some people thought that just because we weren’t in District 32-6A we weren’t that good, but I feel we could give anybody good competition when they stepped on the field with us.
It’s been real important to me to be a member of this team because we’ve been through a lot. Being able to be a team leader has been great. I’ve learned a lot from my teammates, and hopefully, they have learned a lot from me.”
Hurtado said being named All-Metro defensive player of the year is very humbling and rewarding.
“Honestly, it means so much to me,” she said. “I thank my coaches and teammates for helping me get to where I am right now. I’m so glad I was a part of the team, and I wish everything (as far as success) for them next year.”