ROY HESS | Staff Writer
Before district competition starts in the Rio Grande Valley, there is one more soccer tournament to be played.
The fifth annual Progreso Tournament begins at 10:30 a.m. today with 12 boys teams involved in pool play in three groups.
The three group winners plus a second-place team with the best record advance to Friday’s semifinals with the winners there moving on to Saturday’s noon championship match. Also, a third-place game is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Participating teams include Progreso, La Feria, Rio Hondo, Port Isabel, Grulla, Rio Grande City, Zapata, Brownsville St. Joseph, Brownsville IDEA Frontier, Edinburg IDEA Quest, Monte Alto and Boerne High.
Boerne High defeated St. Joseph Academy 1-0 in last year’s title match.
Progreso coach Margarito Jimenez said Boerne High appears to be the favorite again.
“They have a new coach, and I’ve heard some good things about them,” Jimenez said of the Greyhounds.
Meanwhile, Jimenez said his Red Ants are coming together as they seek to become the Valley’s first team to advance to the UIL state tournament four straight years. They are already the only Valley UIL team to go to state three consecutive seasons.
“So far, we’re 4-2-1, and we’ve had some ups and downs,” Jimenez said. “We played in the Liberty Hill Tournament (the first weekend in January) and went 2-1-1.”
Liberty Hill is a past state tournament contender. At the Liberty Hill Tournament, Progreso defeated Stephenville (2-0) and Alvarado (5-1), while tying Liberty Hill (1-1) and losing to Midlothian Heritage (1-0).
“What I see that I like about our team this year is I think we have more unity,” Jimenez said. “That’s what is going to carry us.”
The Red Ants open District 31-4A action at home next Tuesday against Hidalgo. In recent years, the Pirates and Red Ants have been the two most successful Class 4A boys teams in the Valley.
GETTING HEALTHY
The Harlingen High boys have been battling injuries since the UIL season began earlier this month. They appear to be getting players back from injury in time for their District 32-6A opener Feb. 1 at San Benito.
“That has been our main focus with these injuries is to have everyone healthy and back by district,” Cardinals coach Johnny Guillen said.
As their final non-district tuneup prior to the start of 32-6A action, the Cardinals won 3-0 at Rio Hondo on Tuesday.
Ruben Contreras scored a pair of goals and teammate Jesus Reyna tallied one for the Cardinals.
Harlingen High was up 2-0 at halftime.
The Cardinals returned to the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons one year ago during Guillen’s first season as the head coach. Now the goal is to return to the postseason and make it past bi-district in 2019.
ALL-SHOWCASE TEAM
First- and second-team All-Showcase honorees have been announced from the inaugural South Texas Futbol Showcase played last weekend in Brownsville and Los Fresnos.
From San Benito, Isidoro Najera was selected to the first team and Gustavo Solis was named to the second team.
From Harlingen South, Jose Lerma was named to the first team and Angel Ortega to the second team.