NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
The La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies’ 5-2 win over second-place Mission High on March 2 went a long way to securing the District 30-6A title, and their 5-1 win over McAllen High on Tuesday made it official. The 2017 state semifinalists have the chance to take a deep breath after achieving their first goal of the 2018 season.
“It’s always a good feeling, winning a district title, and then with three games left, there’s a lot of things we can do,” Juarez-Lincoln coach Victor Ramos said. “We can give some rest to the kids, the ones that are dealing with injury, and have some relaxed time.”
Early in the season, the Huskies were hit with key injuries to their two most effective offensive players and their last line of defense. Since returning to health, the Huskies have scored four or more goals in their last six games.
Against Mission, Juarez-Lincoln senior forward Manuel Castrejon went down with a knee injury. The initial moments after the injury were tense for the Huskies, but most signs point to a potential return for No. 10, either in the regular season or postseason.
“We don’t have a time when he will be able to return,” Ramos said. “We know that everything came out negative. He doesn’t have any broken bones (or structural damage). He has another appointment with a specialist, so we’ll know more next week. But everything is going well. He’s walking.”
Another benefit to wrapping up the No. 1 playoff seed in 30-6A is the ability to keep an eye out for the projected fourth-place finisher in 29-6A. Last year, Juarez-Lincoln beat both Laredo United South and Laredo United on the way to the state tournament.
“It feels like Laredo United South is the one in fourth right now,” Ramos said. “This time is also going to give the opportunity, knowing our position already, it’s easier to go and see who we might be facing in the bi-district championship.”