DAVE FAVILA | Valley Morning Star
The La Feria Lions proved to be kings of the course as they won the District 32-4A golf championship on Monday.
The team shot a 376 to roar past Hidalgo (412) and Port Isabel (422), and secure a spot in the regional tournament later this month.
The Lions were led by Andy Cortez, who shot an 82 to win the boys individual title.
“These boys have been playing together for three years now and they’ve bonded, and are like a group of brothers,” said La Feria golf coach David Briones. “The boys put in a lot of extra work on their own besides the regular practices and that led to success.”
While this will be the Lions’ first trip to regionals as a team, Cortez is no stranger to postseason tournaments as he advanced all the way to state as an individual last year, which is something Coach Briones hopes will help the team going forward.
“Andy got a taste of state last year and is excited to make another run, but this year he will play as part of a team and I hope that will make for a good outcome,” said Briones.
On the girls side of the tournament, Zapata won the league crown, followed by Hidalgo in second and Progreso in third place.
The Region IV-4A tournament is set for April 23-24 in Corpus Christi with the boys playing at Lozano Golf Course and the girls playing at Oso Golf Course.
The top three teams and individuals out of the region advance to the Class 4A state tournament, which is set for May 14-15 at Apple Rock Golf Course in Marble Falls.