By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
It’s unlikely Brownsville has ever seen the likes of a goal-scoring soccer player such as Rivera’s Yesenia Ortiz, at least at the high school level.
There have been some good ones since UIL girls soccer first came to the Rio GrandeValleyin 1997, but probably none with the talent for producing goals in such numbers as the junior forward for the Lady Raiders.
The 2015 season has barely started, and Ortiz already has achieved a notable milestone by scoring her 100th career goal for the Lady Raiders.
The Valley has had other female players score that number of goals, but not very many. In fact, Ortiz may be the first one in South Texas to do it as a junior.
The milestone moment came Jan. 16 against Pace in the Brownsville ISD Tournament.
“I had no idea I was so close to reaching 100 goals,” Ortiz said. “I had scored back-to-back goals against Pace, and I just see (Rivera coach Thomas) Brashear getting the ball. I assumed they had complained about it being flat, and when he took me out and congratulated me, I was very surprised.
“It’s such an overwhelming feeling,” Ortiz added. “I’ve worked so hard during the high school season and in the summer to be the player I am today. It’s crazy to think thatnow, 100 goals later, it still seems like it was yesterday when I first started playing for Rivera.”
Officially, Ortiz now has 102 goals with 21 coming so far this season. The All-Valley and All-Metro honoree tallied 46 as a sophomore and 35 as a freshman.
“I’m surrounded by so many people in my life that push me to be a better person and player,” Ortiz said. “My parents are very supportive of the sport and everything I decide to do with my life. My (older) brother (Eliseo Ortiz, a leading goal-scorer on the Rivera boyssquad) is my biggest competition, and I will always look up to him just like I did when we were small.
“God has really blessed me with this talent, and I can’t wait for this new (district) season coming up,” she added. “Hopefully, I get to have more celebrations.”
DISTRICT APPROACHES
Many Metro-area teams are taking it easy this week with the start of competition coming Tuesday in District 32-6A and District 32-5A.
The Los Fresnos Lady Falcons, winners of last weekend’s BISD Tournament, are one of them. The Lady Falcons (13-1) went 9-0 in the tournament and defeated Edinburg Economedes6-0 in Saturday’s title match.
The Los Fresnos girls have no games scheduled this week and next play Tuesday at Lopez, last year’s undefeated 32-5A champion. Both teams are now in 32-6A,and it figures to be the area’s most anticipated match of the night.
“We wanted to have some time to rest mentally and physically after playing tournaments the first two weekends of the season (before we go into district),” Lady Falcons coach Marissa Wood said.
TOURNAMENT TIME
Weather permitting, the Valley’s last round of tournaments are scheduled this weekend. San Benitois host of the two-day, 16-team Dog Pound Girls Soccer Tournament beginning Friday with the Port Isabel Lady Tarpons participating. There will be a two-day, four-team girls showcase tournament in McAllenalso starting Friday involving McAllen High, Harlingen High, Laredo United and Del Rio.
The Border Olympics boystournament in Laredo began Thursday with several Valley teams scheduled to participate, including La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, Mission High, Weslaco High and Edcouch-Elsa.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess