HIDALGO — With six minutes left in regulation, the Valley View Tigers found themselves with a golden opportunity.
Senior forward Diego Ontiveros drew a foul just outside the box, setting up the Tigers with a potential game-winning attempt.
Lining up for the go-ahead goal was Carlos Martinez, who missed on a similar attempt earlier during the game. This time was different, however, with Martinez delivering a strike down the middle of the net for the go-ahead goal as Valley View defeated the McAllen High Bulldogs 1-0 at Tiger Stadium in Hidalgo.
“Before anything it was about confidence,” Martinez said. “Before I even shot it, I was telling myself the goal was mine. My previous attempt was so close to going in. When I got this second chance, I knew it was mine and thank God it was.”
The Tigers’ win over the Bulldogs marks the first time a team has defeated McAllen High in regulation during district play, dropping them to 5-1-3.
PSJA Southwest and Sharyland High both picked up penalty shootout victories over the Bulldogs, but both of those games ended in 1-1 draws in regulation.
The victory also gives Valley View sole possession of first in the district, with McAllen High dropping to third with the loss.
“More than anything, I’m proud of the commitment and the dedication from the kids in this game,” Valley View assistant coach Damian Magallan said. “The mentality, I told them from the beginning they had to have a strong mentality and never lose their head. I told them to remember what happened last year. After this, they have the right mentality we need to reach our goals this year.”
Valley View also managed to hold the district’s leading scorer, Vicente Alvarez, off the board for the first time this season. Alvarez entered the contest having scored in each district contest this year, leading the Valley with 16 goals in eight district games.
The Tigers deployed an airtight defense on Alvarez, marking him with up to two players at a time to keep the crafty striker away from paydirt.
“The plan was to keep two on him,” Magallan said. “We had one guy waiting for him along the sideline and one in the center. It was simple. In the second time, they moved him up, but he was unable to do anything. They tried to make some adjustments late, but it was too late.”
The Tigers (7-1-1) kick off the second round of district play at 6 p.m. Tuesday, hosting Sharyland Pioneer at Tiger Stadium in Hidalgo. The Bulldogs (5-1-3) look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season at 6 p.m. Tuesday, traveling to McAllen Rowe to take on the Warriors.