By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — The Harlingen South soccer programs will be well-represented at Ranger College in the fall.
Leo Torres, Carlos Hernandez Jasso and Isaac Garza signed to play for the Rangers’ men’s team, and Sandra Lopez signed to join the women’s team Friday at a combined ceremony. They will play under coach Rafael Gonzalez in the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Torres got the recruitment process rolling for the Hawks. He said Harlingen High boys soccer coach Jaime Guillen recommended Gonzalez take a look at him. When the Rangers’ coach came out to a game, he liked what he saw out of Torres and his teammates.
During the football season, Torres suffered a collarbone injury that coaches feared might jeopardize his senior soccer season. But Torres wasn’t going to let that happen. He worked hard to come back strong and earned the District 32-6A most valuable player award. Torres is looking forward to building off all he learned in his South career to make him an asset at Ranger, where he expects to continue playing striker and using his speed to score a lot of goals.
“It means a lot to be able to keep playing, and move on to a college career and also get an education. It means a lot for me, for my teammates, for my family and everyone involved,” Torres said. “I think failure honestly helped a lot. We’ve gone through bad seasons, injuries, and I think it really pushed me to be better. A better person, a better teammate, everything. … I can’t wait to see the competition. It’s going to push me more. I just want to reach for more. I’m not satisfied.”
Hernandez said going as a trio will give the future Rangers an advantage since they’ll already have chemistry and know how to play together. He patrolled the midfield for the Hawks but said when he gets to college he’ll play “where they put me and I’ll try my best.” Hernandez expects his ability to create plays and pass efficiently to be beneficial at the next level.
Having a lengthy soccer career has long been a goal for Hernandez, and his junior year he realized it was a real possibility. He’s thankful for the opportunity and ready to take on a new wave of competition.
“It feels pretty great. I’m really excited to play for Ranger College. I’ve always wanted to play after high school because it’s something I love doing,” Hernandez said. “(I’m looking forward to) getting better and to experience another level of soccer. I would like to thank Coach Robles and my dad for getting me started and creating my love for soccer.”
Playing college soccer wasn’t on Garza’s radar. When scouts started attending South’s games and took notice of the striker, he realized the opportunity was something he couldn’t pass up.
Garza said having two teammates making the transition with him will make him more comfortable and give them an advantage on the field. He’s confident that his skills and the lessons he learned at South have him prepared to make the jump.
“I have a good touch. I’m also really fast, so that’s pretty much a killer combo when you have touch and speed. It makes it difficult for other players to get the ball from you,” Garza said. “Halfway through the season, my coaches started telling me that coaches were interested in me and they were going to be coming to some of our games. It just made me want to try harder and make sure I was noticeable. I wasn’t planning to do this, but I’m glad it happened and I got this opportunity. It really means a lot.”
Lopez has been playing soccer since she was 4 years old and has put a lot of time and work into having a college career. She travels to Dallas often for club tournaments, which helped put her on college radars.
Lopez is a midfielder with experience playing forward. She wants to stay in the midfield when she joins the Rangers because she enjoys helping control the game and setting teammates up for scores. Lopez said she’s a little nervous about making the move, but having friends go with her and a former Lady Hawks player already on the team has her ready to take on the challenge.
“I’m super excited for next year. I had to work really hard to get where I want to be. I’m just going to keep working hard every day. Just stay in shape and work hard,” Lopez said. “I thank my parents especially. They gave a lot of money and time, and tried their best to get me to every tournament. And here at South, my coaches were always there for me all the time.”