BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — As Laredo Alexander junior Omar Cabrales stepped to the spot to take the fifth Alexander penalty after a 1-1 regulation, there was nothing but confidence from the Bulldogs.
Alexander coach Daniel Hermosillo looked into the eyes of his junior, and he knew he was the one for the kick.
“We always tell them, ‘if you feel confident let us know, regardless of who it is,’” Hermosillo said. “Omar was very confident, he said, ‘Coach, I will shoot it.’ We said go for it, and he told me after the game, ‘I felt like I was going to make it.’”
The Bulldogs’ confidence was bolstered by the semifinal they witnessed just prior to their game. In the second semifinal on Saturday at Tom Landry Stadium, the same setting for the final, The La Joya Palmview Lobos and the PSJA North Raiders also went to penalties.
“We saw them play against PSJA North, and we saw that they had made a switch on their goalie,” Hermosillo said. “We were able to take a few notes and see some of their players kick.”
As many of the Bulldogs did before him, Cabrales went left and tucked it home, just beyond the reach of Palmview senior keeper Saul Delgado.
The Bulldogs exploded onto the field and mobbed their teammates, first Cabrales, and then junior keeper Liam Ayala.
“It was an amazing experience, because in my four years with this program, we have never been past the first round,” Alexander senior defender Reynol Hinojosa said. “To come all the way here and win it, it is something special. I know my team is so special, because we have chemistry, we have talent, we have heart, we have everything a team needs.”
Alexander beat Palmview 3-2 in PKs after 40 minutes of 1-1 soccer. The Bulldogs claimed the Mission Soccer Invitational title.
“Since we knew that we were coming here, we were excited, because we knew we had a good team,” Hinojosa said. “We knew we could do something bigger than last year, when we lost in the first round. All the players wanted it. It felt amazing. We won the first three games on Friday, and then we came here on Saturday, and we won the other three.”
The win is not just the first tournament win in Alexander program history, but also the first time even making it to the final of a tournament. But, that’s just the kind of season it feels like is coming for the young Alexander program.
Alexander is the only school in Laredo not to have won a district title in boys’ soccer, but the Bulldogs feel like this could be the year to change that.
“Now, we are the only Laredo school to have won this tournament,” Hinojosa said. “I feel like this season, we are headed deep into the playoffs. There is something about this team.”
Tournaments like the Mission Soccer Invitational are great for programs to get good action before heading into competitive district seasons. That was very true for Palmview, whom few expected to get to the final.
“We came this close to taking it all,” Palmview coach Juan M. Hernandez said. “I am very proud of these boys. The camaraderie, that is what is most important, is what comes out of it. Not just how well they can function on the field, but also the outside of the field. Hopefully we can build on that and continue our process.”
What made Palmview’s play even more impressive was their ability to overcome several obstacles. With two key players missing due to injury, and their starting goalkeeper gone for the year, the Lobos had just four players on their bench.
“This is the kind of tournament that can make you, can help you build on what you have, and makes you realize who you can count on,” Hernandez said. “We were hurt; we fought through injuries and tiredness, so they showed a lot of character. That is what these tournaments are for, to see how well they do against adversity.”
Similarly, Alexander had a monumental win on the way to the title, making the road to the final as impressive as the win itself. The Bulldogs faced off with the Big Bad Wolves of the Valley in La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, and the Bulldogs prevailed.
“We have a lot of respect for that program,” Hermosillo said. “We know that they are a tremendous program. They have always been a tough team. It was really exciting to see our kids compete with them, and we were really blessed to be able to beat them in the game.”
Both soccer clubs have high hopes for their season, and this tournament could just be the beginning of two special journeys this year.
“Econ is always in playoffs,” Hernandez said of one of the team’s wins from Friday. “Going up against Del Rio, who is a premier program, they were unbeaten, and we sent them home. I say that as humbly as possible because they are an amazing team, and we have faced them twice in the playoffs. … This tournament brings a lot of confidence to the team, and now it is time to build off of that.”
“We always come to the Valley because we know that there is always great competition,” Hermosillo said. “We bring our kids for them to have that experience and for us to prepare for our district. It has been five years for us, coming here. It was a great experience for our kids. We are really proud of our kids.”