KEVIN NARRO | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
MCALLEN — McAllen Rowe’s playoff hopes came down to the team’s regular-season finale against McAllen Memorial. The Lady Mustangs, however, would not allow the Lady Warriors a spot in the postseason, eliminating Rowe from playoff contention with two second-half goals that secured a 3-0 win Saturday morning.
A win in regulation would have given Rowe a 5-7 district record and 18 points in the standings — enough to leapfrog La Joya High (6-6, 17 points) on the season’s final day. Memorial had already secured its playoff berth and finishes the district season 8-4, with 23 points.
“I’m happy for our seniors. They got to play it out until the end,” Rowe coach John Martinez said. “It’s unfortunate to be in the position we’re in. We are in unfamiliar territory. This is the first time we didn’t make the playoffs in the last 10 years. However, we will be back next year. We have a young team, and I’m excited for the future.”
The Lady Mustangs got on the board early in the first half on a goal by Geo Hernandez. Viviana Cruz scored in the second half, and Daisy Robles put the game on ice with her goal in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
McAllen Memorial entered Saturday cemented as the No. 3 seed in District 30-6A. The Lady Mustangs will meet South San Antonio in the bi-district round at a time and place to be determined.
“We knew Rowe had a lot to play for, and we understood where we were entering today’s game,” McAllen Memorial coach Matthew Kaiser said. “Rowe came out with a lot of intensity, and that was expected, and we knew we had to be ready to match that intensity.”
Though McAllen Memorial had already sealed its playoff berth, Saturday morning was still important for keeping team chemistry and entering the playoffs with confidence.
“Although we had already clinched a playoff spot, I still wanted our girls to play hard, and carry the momentum into the playoffs, and end our season with a win,” Kaiser said. “Winning our last game gives us confidence, and in a way sends a message to the next team, that we are right where we want to be, and we’re ready for the playoffs.”
McAllen Memorial continues a long string of playoff success. Since the program began in 1998, the Lady Mustangs have made the playoffs each year. McAllen Memorial will look to get past the bi-district round after last year’s early exit against Del Rio.
The team’s last playoff win came in 2015, 3-2 in double overtime against Del Rio. Memorial went on to lose 2-0 against San Antonio Reagan in the area round.