GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
Sharyland High scored twice against the wind and held on in the second half to pick up a 3-2 win against Gregory-Portland in a Class 5A regional quarterfinal on Tuesday at Sharyland Pioneer High School in Mission.
Vanessa Guevara scored first from about 20 yards out, Alyssa Ochoa got by the goalie to make it 2-0, and Isabella Marinaro provided crucial insurance with her second headed goal in as many games off a corner kick by Kaitie Watson.
“We seemed to find a way just to keep that 1-point lead,” Sharyland High coach Aaron Clemons said. “They have three girls who signed into college, so we knew they had some talent, and we just rose to the occasion. I’m proud of the girls.”
The Lady Rattlers went into halftime up 2-1 and had a 3-1 advantage before the Lady Wildcats tightened things up with a goal with about 8 minutes to play.
Clemons said Gregory-Portland only managed one real threat the rest of the way.
“Other than that, we held on and we played good, solid defense,” Clemons said. “After that last goal, protected the lead. Didn’t try to push anything, just played solid D to secure the victory.”
Sharyland High will play Vista Ridge in the regional semifinals at noon Friday at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi.
SHARYLAND PIONEER 1, CORPUS CHRISTI VETERANS MEMORIAL 0, PKs: At Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi, Pioneer goalkeeper Stephanie Barrientos saved all three penalty kicks in overtime and made a critical save on another in the closing minutes of regulation, setting up a win against Corpus Christi Veterans.
“We’ve known she was a solid goalkeeper,” Pioneer coach J.J. Lopez said. “Sometimes, during the district season, she doesn’t get tested a lot. She has done well in the past with PKs, but stopping three out of three is really unheard of.”
Kate Padilla, Nikki Cuellar and Julie Alanis all scored in penalties for Pioneer, setting up a matchup against Vandegrift in the regional semifinals at 2 p.m. Friday at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi.
“Once Julie Alanis made that third PK for us, the girls just exploded onto the field,” Lopez said. “That was one of the greatest feelings that I’ve felt as a head coach.”
BOYS
CLASS 4A
PROGRESO 5, LA VERNIA 0: At Progreso, the Red Ants scored three goals in 10 minutes during the second half to build a 5-goal cushion and put away the Bears.
“We just kept at it the whole night long,” Progreso coach Margarito Jimenez said. “What was worked is our persistence to take shots from as many angles as possible. If we have an opening, we take the shot, and it produced dividends for us.”
Francisco Pineda scored twice for Progreso, with Rogelio Zamora, Cristian Chavez and Hugo Guajardo each adding one.
Progreso will play Gonzales on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.
HIDLAGO 1, PORT ISABEL 0, PKs: At McAllen, Port Isabel blinked first in a seven-round penalty shootout with Hidalgo, missing high on their final attempt to give the Pirates the dramatic win.
“It was a lot of joy and jubilation,” Hidalgo coach Zeke Morales said. “It doesn’t get much better than that. For the kids, for the coaches, and for the fans in the stands. It was just amazing. It was a wonderful experience.”
Both sides were held scoreless through regulation and overtime, as Port Isabel’s physical style of play disrupted Hidalgo’s offensive approach.
“They were very physical. Much more physical than we were with it,” Morales said. “They got us out of our game plan and we started playing their style of play, the long ball, and that’s not how we play.”
Hidalgo will play Giddings in the regional semifinals on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.