By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
GEORGETOWN — Isidro “Chelin” Martinez, Rivera’s standout senior attacking midfielder, is happy to be a new signee of the inaugural University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros soccer team.
The signing by UTRGV was announced during the past week along with that of former standout Hanna midfielder Juanito Garcia, who most recently played two years for the now disbanded University of Texas at Brownsville Ocelots.
Currently a college sophomore, Garcia will have two more seasons of eligibility to play for the Vaqueros. He was a key member of the Hanna team that reached the Class 5A state final in 2013.
As pleased as Martinez is to be getting a chance to stay in the Valley to pursue his college education and play NCAA Division I soccer, this weekend at the UIL state tournament in Georgetown was neither the time nor the place to dwell on it, “Chelin” said.
When congratulated regarding the signing Saturday, Martinez said, “It’s a pretty good deal, but I’m not thinking at all about that right now. I’ve got to take care of my team first, then I’ll think about it.”
This weekend, “Chelin” was concentrating on trying to help Rivera win its first state championship as the Raiders played the Katy Cinco Ranch Cougars in the Class 6A state final at Georgetown ISD’s Birkelbach Stadium. The Raiders won 2-0 to accomplish the feat.
ELITE COMPANY
The Raiders joined an elite group of Valley teams by winning the state championship on Saturday night.
The Valley’s previous state champions in soccer were all boys teams. They include Lopez in Class 4A in 2004, Porter in Class 5A in 2006, Hidalgo in 4A in 2009 and Sharyland in 5A in 2012.
Rivera was trying to add its name to that group and become the first Valley team to do it with an undefeated record.
Valley boys soccer teams that finished as state runners-up were Lopez in 5A in 2009, Hanna in 5A in 2013 and Valley View in 4A in 2014.
ENROLLMENT FIGURES
With a listed 2,247 students, Rivera ranks as the school with the lowest enrollment among the four boys teams that were competing for the 6A state title this weekend in Georgetown.
The other three boys teams included Arlington Sam Houston (3,400 students), Cinco Ranch (3,167) and North Mesquite(2,649).
For the four girls teams competing for the 6A title, the enrollments included Cinco Ranch (3,167), Coppell (3,133), San Antonio Reagan (3,000) and Dallas Highland Park (2,121).
The smallest school at state this year was Jasper in the 4A girls division with an enrollment of 670 students.
NO FLUKE
The Porter Cowboys felt they had the team to go to state this year along with Rivera, and perhaps they did.
But the Georgetown East View team that eliminated Porter 1-0 in the Region IV-5A Tournament semifinals April 10 and then ousted PSJA Southwest 4-2 in the regional final the following day in Corpus Christi was no fluke.
East View (26-1-1) proved that by advancing to Saturday’s 5A state final against Lufkin . The Patriots came up short 3-1 against Lufkin (26-2-1) to suffer their first loss of the season.