Sub-6A teams flexed their muscles all year, pushing themselves deep into the playoffs in several different sports. They showed that smaller doesn’t mean weaker when it comes to what classification they were in.
Below are the finalists for the Boys and Girls Sub-6A Teams of the Year. Winners will be announced tonight at the All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet, co-presented by DHR Health and Lone Star National Bank. Finalists are listed in alphabetical order.
SUB 6A GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR
Lyford softball team: The District 32-3A champion Lady Bulldogs went undefeated through the regular season, winning their fourth straight district title, and finished the season 34-2, with their only losses to defending state champion SantaGertrudis Academy in the third round of the postseason. The team reached as high as fourth in the state poll.
Mission Veterans volleyball team: The Patriots volleyball team cemented legendary status with another district win and once again in undefeated fashion. Seniors Jackie Howell and Makenzie Gerlach combined for 1,203 kills, but the leadership didn’t stop there. Valerie De La Fuente recorded 1,168 assists to lead the RGV. Kassy Lerma was dominant as a blocker as the junior had 151 total blocks and was another offensive option for Veterans.
Rio Hondo softball team: Rio Hondo brought home its sixth straight District 32-4A title and was 27-13-1. They were 13-1 in district and were in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years, trying to reach the regional final for the second time in three years as well.
SUB 6A BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR
Brownsville Veterans soccer team: The Chargers finished second in District 32-5A with an 11-3 record. They finished 23-3-1 overall after reaching the Region IV-5A final for the third straight season. This year the Chargers were defeated in the region final 4-2 by Valley View. To reach the regional final, the Chargers won four games in the playoffs, defeating Sharyland Pioneer (3-0), Laredo Cigarroa (5-1), Corpus Christi Veterans (2-1 in OT) and Kerrville Tivy (2-0).
Mission Veterans football team: The Patriots were the last team standing when it came to the high school football season. The Patriots lost to San Antonio Wagner in the Region IV-Class 5A Division I final at the Alamodome.
Sharyland Pioneer baseball team: The Diamondbacks were the first Rio Grande Valley team to qualify for the state tournament since Harlingen South in 2007. Pioneer finished the year 37-9 and advanced to the sixth round of the playoffs, beating then-ranked No. 2 team Corpus Christi Veterans in the second round, and then- ranked No. 2 Boerne-Champion in the fourth round. They put together the best season in the program’s five years and finished with bi-district, area, regional quarterfinals, regional semifinals, regional final trophies, before losing to the No. 4-ranked team in the nation, Georgetown.
Valley View soccer team: The Tigers overcame obstacle after obstacle before advancing to the state semifinals once again. The Tigers scored at an amazing clip before falling to El Paso Bel Air. It was the fourth trip to the state tournament for Valley View. They beat Brownville Veterans in the Region IV-5A regional final. The banquet, hosted by RGVSports.com and AIM Media Texas in conjunction with the RGV Sports Hall of Fame, will see 33 awards presented to athletes, coaches and teams across all 12 UIL sports. The prestigious Tom Landry Award of Excellence will honor a student athlete for outstanding achievements.
Dallas Cowboys great Randy White, a Super Bowl MVP and NFL Hall of Famer, will be the guest speaker.
The banquet, which will run approximately 6 to 8 p.m., returns to Mario’s for a second consecutive year. The venue has a seating capacity of more than 500 people.
Tickets are on sale for $40 per person. For more information, call Marcia Kitten at (956) 683-4463 or email mkitten@ aimmediatx.com.