By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The Porter boys and girls soccer teams welcome the opportunity to play Friday’s Class 5A area-round playoff games at the same site.
They are scheduled for a doubleheader at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Field with the Cowgirls going against Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial at 6 p.m. and the Cowboys facing Calallen at 8 p.m.
Porter’s teams will be playing on the natural grass soccer field at the Cabaniss complex. The same field will be the site of next week’s Region IV-5A Tournament.
Playing on the adjacent artificial turf field at Cabaniss at 6 p.m. Friday will be the Lopez girls, who take on Laredo United in a Class 6A area-round match.
Porter’s boys and girls plus the Lady Lobos are among 11 Metro-area soccer squads with second-round playoff games on tap Friday.
While participating in the state playoffs is pretty much an annual event for Porter’s boys, the Cowgirls are experiencing the postseason for the first time in their program’s history. It’s an experience they want to last as long as possible.
“It’s an awesome feeling I can’t describe (being in the playoffs), especially when you see your players all excited and celebrating,” Cowgirls coach Abraham Gracia said. “It makes you feel awesome knowing that all their hard work, commitment and dedication has been paying off.”
The District 32-5A runner-up Cowgirls defeated Valley View 3-0 last week in bi-district to advance to the second round of the playoffs against District 30-5A fourth-place competitor Corpus Christi Veterans, a new school that fields a girls soccer team with no seniors.
The 32-5A champion Porter boys, ranked No. 1 in the Rio Grande Valley by RGVSports.com, shut out Edinburg Vela 2-0 in bi-district last week and now go against 30-5A third-place squad Calallen.
“We feel it’s going to be a good test,” Cowboys coach Jose Espitia said of Friday’s match against the Wildcats. “They are very quick, physical, tall and have good tactical discipline. Our team is motivated to return to Cabaniss Field because the players feel that they didn’t get to display their best soccer the last time they were there.”
The Cowboys last played at Cabaniss on April 10, 2015, and lost 1-0 to eventual 5A state finalist Georgetown East View in the Region IV-5A Tournament semifinals.
Another team with intentions of making it to next week’s Region IV-5A Tournament is 32-5A runner-up Pace. The Vikings blanked Roma 3-0 in bi-district last week on a pair of goals by Benlly Galvan and one by Luis Casanova.
The Vikings next play District 29-5A champion Laredo Cigarroa at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sharyland High’s Richard Thompson Stadium.
“We played good (against Roma),” Pace coach Mario A. Zamora said. “We had possession of the ball most of the time. Roma had two defensive lines in the back, so we had to be very patient to create opportunities to score.
“I see this game against Cigarroa as a good match, (like) a final. We are facing the No. 1 team from their district. But I know when the ref blows that whistle on Friday, there are no stats (from before that matter). So we are going with the mentality of getting the win.”
In 6A area games Friday involving Metro-area boys, it’s Hanna vs. McAllen High at 6 p.m. at Weslaco East, Rivera vs. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at 7 p.m. at La Joya ISD Stadium, Lopez vs. La Joya High at 8 p.m. at Brownsville Sports Park and Brownsville Veterans Memorial vs. Laredo United South at 8 p.m. at Roma.
Also in 6A for Metro-area girls, it’s Los Fresnos vs. United South at 6 p.m. at Roma besides the 6 p.m. Lopez-United matchup at Cabaniss.
Port Isabel’s boys and girls are playing Class 4A area matches Friday. The Lady Tarpons are at home against La Vernia at 5 p.m., while the Tarpons face Pleasanton at 6 p.m. at Kingsville’s Mopac Field.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess