By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
The Rio Grande Valley always likes to dream big when another soccer season starts.
The Valley’s boys teams, and especially those in Brownsville, begin every season believing they have what it takes to make it to the UIL state tournament in Georgetown and win it all.
Considering the Valley’s showings in reaching state and doing well over the past decade or so, those lofty goals can’t be discounted. Since 2004, five Valley teams have brought home six UIL state titles, including Lopez (2004), Porter (2006 and 2016), Hidalgo (2009), Sharyland High (2012) and Rivera (2015). Also, Lopez (2009), Hanna (2013), Valley View (2014) and Progreso (2016) have each reached the state final.
The Valley has sent three boys teams to state during each of the past two years.
As a new soccer season arrives, the question arises regarding what to expect in 2018.
Recent history says 2018 holds the promise of another successful campaign.
The answer will be known in a little more than three months.
Another UIL regular season opens this week with teams playing in tournaments or kicking things off with non-district matches. Some Valley boys and girls teams are playing at tournaments in the Houston area this weekend, while the Porter and Lopez boys are hosts of the inaugural Southmost Classic, a three-day tournament which opens today with 10 teams grouped in two brackets.
Here is a look at the Metro Area’s 10 boys teams and their prospects for 2018:
LOPEZ LOBOS
The Lobos have made it to state a Valley-record five times, including back-to-back appearances in 2016 and 2017.
Things are looking good again for the Lobos as they return midfielder Jose “Chevy” Echavarria, the All-Valley boys soccer MVP of last season, plus four other starters.
Along with Echavarria, also back are defensive midfielder Alan Reyes, goalkeeper Andrew Flores, midfielder on the wing Marco Antonio Mendoza and forward Sebastian Benavides. Also returning is forward Eloy Lozoya, who is coming off an injury.
Other players returning with varsity experience include defender Raudel Ramirez and midfielders Guadalupe Sauceda and Milton Solis.
Lopez will compete in District 32-5A, which again figures to be ultra-competitive as the Lobos go against Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Porter and Pace plus Edcouch-Elsa, Donna High, Donna North and Mercedes.
“I think our players know the expectations we always have,” Lopez coach Amadeo Escandon said. “They have their own goals they want to achieve. Obviously, they want to go as far as we can. I think they’re mature enough that they set their goals and work hard to reach them.
“That’s one of the good things we have here, and not only here, but in the whole Brownsville (soccer) community with all the teams,” Escandon added. “They don’t ask us for (just) a district title any more. They ask for regionals and then state. That shows the high expectations we have in Brownsville. Those expectations are welcomed because it makes us work harder.”
PORTER COWBOYS
There are still one or two players on the roster from Porter’s state title team of 2016, but most of the ones playing for the Cowboys now are new to the varsity. There is only one returning starter. He’s Oscar Garcia, who is being moved from the defense to center midfielder or forward this year. Back with varsity experience are defenders Diego Rivera and Harambe Garcia, goalkeeper Luis Reyna and winger Jesus Sepulveda.
Newcomers include freshmen Brandon Montes, Daniel Martinez, Eleazar Estrada, Erick Esparza and Isaac Acevedo.
“Porter will be a fielding a young team, but that is no excuse,” Cowboys coach Jose Espitia said. “When you establish a winning tradition, it carries over year after year. I have to say that this year’s team is hungry and very coachable. They are willing to learn and they have worked very hard this offseason. We are expected to compete year after year, and this year will not be the exception.”
BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL CHARGERS
Brownsville Veterans won 32-5A last season and came within one victory of advancing to state for the first time.
In 2018, the Chargers want to build upon their success of last season.
There are seven returning starters for Brownsville Veterans this year. They are Juan Amieva, Albert Maradriaga, Orlando Sanchez, Mark Boswell, Abel Martinez, Francisco Moreno and Jose Luis Capistran.
Boswell, now a sophomore midfielder/forward, was the All-Metro newcomer last season, while Sanchez was the 32-5A newcomer.
Other players counted upon to contribute this season include Jose Zamora, Gerardo Sosa, Diego Kat Bernal and Blair Averyt.
Key departures for the Chargers include central defender Jesus Arenas and goalkeeper Garret Wild plus Guillermo Laguna and Aldo Lekach from the offensive end.
PACE VIKINGS
Mario A. Zamora starts his fourth season as the Vikings’ coach and has guided Pace to the playoffs during each of the past three years with the distinction of having defeated highly regarded Valley View on its home field in the postseason three straight times.
Starters back to help the Vikings return to the playoffs are defenders Raul Mendoza, Joe Ramirez and Gabriel Gracia along with center midfielders Leoncio Estrada and Eduardo Ramirez plus winger Ian Perez.
The key departure for the Vikings is All-Metro goalkeeper Ervin Rocha, who signed to play in college.
“We have a senior (in Sebastian Ceballos) who is waiting to show that he is ready to take that spot left by Ervin,” Zamora said. “He was our backup goalkeeper last year and he did well when we put him in there.”
HANNA GOLDEN EAGLES
The Golden Eagles are coming off a season in which they shared the District 32-6A championship with Rivera.
There are seven starters back to help Hanna make a return to the postseason and improve upon its all-too-early exit from the playoffs in 2017.
The returning starters are goalkeeper Victor Villarreal, defender Miguel Payan, forward Daniel Rivera and midfielders Hector Quintero, Adir Ochoa, Adrian Rodriguez and Aldair Hernandez.
Other players who figure to be important contributors include Jose Vidal, Jose Pompa and Ariel Gonzalez.
Hanna’s Reyes Prado, now in his sixth year guiding the Eagles, is the only Valley coach to take teams to the regional tournament in boys (2013) and girls (2003) soccer.
RIVERA RAIDERS
The Raiders’ stellar playoff run continued a season ago as they advanced to the postseason for the 25th time in 26 years (no playoffs in 2009).
They shared the 32-6A title with Hanna last year, and just like the Eagles, the Raiders want more than just a district championship in 2018.
Salvador Garcia, now in his 21st season as Rivera’s head coach with a 6A state title in 2015 to his credit, returns eight starters. They are goalkeeper Jorge Cordova, defenders Tito Melendez, Ramiro Rodarte and Totti Morales, midfielders Kevin Zarrazagas and Alex Mendez, forward Julian Espinoza and defender/midfielder Jose Muniz.
Espinoza, despite missing some time due to an injury, was named 32-6A overall MVP last season.
Garcia said additional players who figure to contribute right away are Issac Cedillo, Joaquin Hernandez, Salvador De Leon, David Villarreal, Jorge Castillo, Garry Ureno, Hector Guevara, J.P. Garza and Anthony Enriquez.
“We are doing well and anxious to start,” Garcia said. “We are going to play our (home) games at Sams Stadium since they are going to install (artificial) turf at our campus (field).”
LOS FRESNOS FALCONS
The Falcons, with seven starters back, hope to build on their success of a year ago when they finished third in 32-6A and returned to the playoffs after not going the previous two seasons.
Starters back to help the Falcon cause are Pepe Zuniga, Emilio Garcia, Enrique Rodriguez, Adrian Torres, Abel Sauceda, Jaime Casanova and Luis Rocha.
Torres, the Falcons’ kicker during the football season, will be in the thick of things on the soccer field as a center midfielder.
Newcomers who are expected to contribute include Leo Ocana, Obed Sepulveda, Dustin Fivek, Angel Mancillas, Frankie Melendez, Adrian Longoria, Emiliano Gonzalez and Humberto Trinidad.
PORT ISABEL TARPONS
Crispin Gonzalez takes over as the Tarpons’ coach. He inherits a team that finished second in District 31-4A and made it back to the playoffs in 2017.
“Saul Beltran, our senior captain, will be playing midfielder and goalkeeper,” Gonzalez said. “He is a very talented player. Seniors Jair Prieto, a midfielder, and Hector Reyes, a defender, will add to the senior leadership and experience.
“Sophomore Brayan Medina is also returning and should provide plenty of offense as a forward with his speed and agile footwork,” Gonzalez added. “Freshman Angel Fernandez, a midfielder, has looked very impressive. He has great ball control and a good feel for the game.”
ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY BLOODHOUNDS
The Bloodhounds play in TAPPS and opened their season in late 2017. They were 2-2 at one point in December with Edgar Tovar as their new coach.
“Our players are enthusiastic about forming a (competitive) team,” Tovar said. “It’s the last year for some of them. I like the players’ attitude and their willingness to develop a team that can play well this season plus have a structure for the future. We’re working hard every day to follow the path to success. We’ll get there.”
Among the standouts for the Bloodhounds this season are team captain Jose Luis Almazan, Adrian Cerda and Miguel Guerra.
IDEA FRONTIER CHARGERS
The Chargers have a new coach as well in Steven Martinez. They made the playoffs as the fourth-place team from 31-4A last season and suffered a 1-0 lost to District 32-4A champion Grulla in the opening round of the postseason.
“The IDEA Frontier Chargers will have 12 returning lettermen on the team this year of which six are seniors,” Martinez said. “The returning seniors are Miguel Regalado, Antonio Espino, Evan Davila, Bryan Salinas, Jesus Longoria and Rodrigo Pena.
“(Other) players to watch are sophomore Johan Sandoval and freshmen Bryan Hernandez, Juan Franco and Alan Gallegos. Alan Gallegos fills a void at the goalkeeper position the Chargers have been missing. He is an aggressive goalie.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess