T.J. GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
HIDALGO — The La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies scored on two powerful kicks and dominated play as they ran over the McAllen High Bulldogs 2-0 on a blustery Saturday night in Hidalgo’s Copa La Frontera boys soccer tournament.
The victory over District 30-6A rival McHi was a sweet one for the powerful Huskies, as they lost to the Bulldogs 3-1 in the same title game a year ago. Players and coaches didn’t forget that game. And while both teams looked somewhat fatigued after a half dozen matches in the tournament, Juarez-Lincoln mustered enough energy to win the game and earn revenge.
“Last year, we were in the championship, and we lost to McHi in this same game. And now, we got it back,” Juarez-Lincoln coach Victor Ramos said. “We’ve had three tournaments in a row. Last week we were in Brownsville, then we traveled to Dallas, and then here. So it’s been a tough schedule to get us ready, but the kids are getting better and knowing each other better.”
Juarez-Lincoln (17-4-1) is coming off a 2017 state soccer tournament appearance and has aspirations of getting back to Georgetown this year. The Huskies certainly are the cream of the tough District 30-6A, but they have their work cut out for them in district and to get out of the RGV. At this tournament, district foes McHi and McAllen Memorial finished in the top four.
At Copa La Frontera, the Huskies had more than enough to vanquish the Bulldogs, and Juarez-Lincoln put its stamp on the match almost immediately. With just over five minutes remaining in the 25-minute first half, senior midfielder Manuel Castrejon rifled in a shot from about 15 yards out following a corner kick. The ball found the bottom-left corner of the goal, giving the Huskies a lead they’d never relinquish.
Juarez-Lincoln had several more strong opportunities to score as it constantly attacked McHi. The Huskies had two more shots on goal and one just off the crossbar but could not convert and led 1-0 at intermission. The second half was more of the same.
McHi made a few runs, but Juarez-Lincoln kept the ball much of the second half, and the constant offensive pressure finally paid off at the 12:45 mark. That’s when junior midfielder Jonathan Hernandez zipped in a line drive from 20 yards out after a free-kick opportunity. The goal handed Juarez-Lincoln a commanding lead, and the game was all-but over.
“That’s the goal for any tournament, to make the final and win the championship, so we focused on that, and we did it,” senior forward Gerardo Reyes said. “We did think about that (loss to McHi), because they are a very good team. They made the finals with us here, and they are on top with us as one of the best teams out there, so we are proud just to make it here with them.”
The result was not what McHi wanted, but coach Fernando Segovia said he was proud of his squad’s grit and determination in facing a state finalist in Juarez-Lincoln. He said the team would work to be ready for district play.
“Honestly, from last year, I lost 14 seniors, and we’ve been working hard, and these kids have been improving,” he said. “We’ve made some little mistakes, like in this championship game. We’re glad we’re here. These guys were down. They want to win everything, but hey, we got here. And we lost to two golasos. Two hard shots. It wasn’t defensive breakdowns. Just two good shots. That No. 10 (Castrejon) hit an extraordinary goal.”