WRITER’S NOTE: The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s all-area superlative award winners and teams are selected by AIM Media’s staff writers with input from coaches. The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s coverage area spans from La Feria to Brownsville.
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD/VALLEY MORNING STAR’S 2023 ALL-AREA BOYS SOCCER SUPERLATIVES
Player of the Year: Ramon Zuniga, Brownsville Lopez
Small School Player of the Year: Haziel Mejia, Brownsville IDEA Riverview
Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Martin Gonzalez, Brownsville Porter & Kevin Zamora, Los Fresnos
Defensive Player of the Year: Adrian Longoria, Brownsville Rivera
Utility Player of the Year: Ricardo Davila, Brownsville IDEA Sports Park
Newcomer of the Year: Gael Zuniga, Harlingen High
Coach of the Year: Joseph Johnson, Harlingen High
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD/VALLEY MORNING STAR’S ALL-AREA TEAMS
All-Area First Team: Cesar Garza, Brownsville Rivera; Alessandro Lara, Brownsville Porter; Joe Diaz Rivera, Brownsville Rivera; Ivan Galvan, Los Fresnos; Efrain Garcia, Brownsville Rivera; Jesus Hernandez, Brownsville Lopez; Rogelio Galvan, Brownsville Jubilee; Ricardo Leal, Brownsville Porter; Jose Padron, Brownsville Lopez; Ray Castillo, Harlingen High; Adolfo Segura, Brownsville Porter
All-Area Second Team: Sergio Gomez, Brownsville Hanna; Carlos Garcia, Harlingen High; Forward, Juan Nieto, Donna High; Emilio Cahuiche, Brownsville Pace; David Reyes, Donna North; Jesus Saenz, Brownsville IDEA Sports Park; Jerry Martinez, Harlingen High; Kevin Ramirez, Brownsville Jubilee; Duilo Espinoza, Brownsville Porter; Juan Zapata, Harlingen High
Player of the Year: Ramon Zuniga, Brownsville Lopez
| Brownsville Lopez’s Ramon “Chacho” Zuniga is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023 Boys Soccer Player of the Year. (Denise Cathey | Valley Morning Star) |
Small School Player of the Year: Haziel Mejia, Brownsville IDEA Riverivew
Brownsville IDEA Riverview’s Haziel Mejia was a walking cheat code during his senior year.
The TSC signee was a near guarantee to score night after night, averaging 2.6 goals per contest in 16 appearances.
His 34 district goals accounted for more than half of IDEA Riverview’s 61 district goals, helping the Rockets finish second in district and advance to the postseason.
Mejia is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star 2023 All-Area Small School Player of the Year.
| Brownsville IDEA Riverview’s Haziel Mejia is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023 Boys Soccer Small School Player of the Year. (Denise Cathey | Valley Morning Star) |
“I feel very good and happy winning this award,” Mejia said. “It is no easy task winning an award like this in the Valley. It’s a big prize not just for me, but for my school as well. To my former teammates, I want to tell them to keep working hard. We have a lot of talent at our small school. I know even though I’m leaving we have some quality players still.”
Mejia put up video game-like numbers during his final year, scoring two or more goals during nine of his 16 games played.
Among those contests were five games with more than three scores, including an eight-goal game against La Feria and a six-goal outing against Rio Hondo.
“For me it is all about winning,” Mejia said. “I just focus on making as many as I can and not missing any shots to get us a win.”
The Rockets’ striker finishes his career as a four-year letter winner, averaging 29.3 goals per season.
He gave his best performance during his last year, netting a career-high 42 goals in 16 overall appearances to bring his career total to 117. Mejia also added 26 career assists.
Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Martin Gonzalez, Brownsville Porter and Kevin Zamora, Los Fresnos
Rio Grande Valley boys soccer fans came to know the names Martin Gonzalez and Kevin Zamora this past season.
Brownsville Porter’s Gonzalez and Los Fresnos’ Zamora were regulars on the box score for their teams this year, averaging 1.4 and 1.6 goals per game during district play, respectively.
The duo’s marks ranked among the top 10 in the RGV this season, with only five players scoring at a higher rate.
Gonzalez and Zamora are The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star 2023 All-Area Boys Soccer Co-Offensive Players of the Year.
| Los Fresnos Kevin Zamora (7) and Brownsville Porter’s Martin Gonzalez are The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023 Boys Soccer Co-Offensive Players of the Year. (Denise Cathey | Valley Morning Star) |
“This is an award that I had been wanting to get during my career,” Gonzalez said. “Thanks to God, I was able to get it during my senior year.”
“For my last year, it is pretty awesome going out with this award,” Zamora said. “It means a lot to be remembered as the offensive player of the year for this season.”
Gonzalez was the focal point of Brownsville Porter’s juggernaut offense this season, accounting for 40% of the Cowboys’ goals during district play.
The Cowboys’ midfielder used a combination of size and speed to blow past defenders this season, netting a district-leading 26 goals in 18 appearances.
Gonzalez’s offensive brilliance was on display in the postseason as well, adding a brace during the Cowboys’ 4-0 area-round victory over Victoria East to send them to the Region IV-5A quarterfinal round.
“I don’t like to compare my style of play with other players,” Gonzalez said. “I just like to compete with myself and get better every day. That’s why I try to take players off the dribble and pass it to my teammates if I can. If not, I know that I can finish it myself.”
Zamora, like Gonzalez, served as the focal point of his team’s offense, accounting for 30% of his team’s goals during district play.
His 16 goals in 10 district appearances ranked No. 1 in District 32-6A, with his average of 1.6 goals per contest ranking fifth in the RGV.
Zamora ramped up his play in the second half of district, scoring 10 of his 16 goals during the five-game span. Among those games were three straight contests with three or more goals.
The senior forward added one more goal during the Falcons’ 2-1 overtime loss to San Antonio Harlan during the area round of the postseason.
“Honestly, I was just in the area waiting for the goals,” Zamora said. “We needed someone on the team to step up, so they put me up top. I ended up being able to score the goals we needed.”
Defensive Player of the Year: Adrian Longoria, Brownsville Rivera
Defense was Brownsville Rivera’s calling card during the 2023 season, allowing less than one goal per contest in 32 games played.
Leading the defensive front was sophomore Adrian Longoria.
The sparkplug defender isn’t the biggest on the field, standing at roughly 5-foot-6. That didn’t stop him from emerging as a captain among the Raiders, using an aggressive and fearless play style to establish himself as one of the RGV’s top defenders.
Longoria is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star 2023 All-Area Boys Soccer Defensive Player of the Year.
| Brownsville Rivera’s Adrian Longoria is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023 Boys Soccer Defensive Player of the Year. (Denise Cathey | Valley Morning Star) |
“I want to say thank you to all the coaches and my teammates that supported and motivated me this year,” Longoria said. “It means a lot to win this award, but this is only the beginning. I was only a sophomore last year. I am going for even more next season.”
Longoria’s work from his defender role was crucial during district play, helping the Raiders shut out five of their 10 opponents.
The Longoria-led defense helped the Raiders to a 9-0-1 district record, allowing just nine goals en route to the District 32-6A crown.
“You have to be smart and be able to talk with your teammates as a defender,” Longoria said. “You have to be able to move into the right place and cover your teammates’ spots. We were able to do that. I just try to be aggressive and smart, and keep it simple.”
Longoria and the defense continued to carry the team during the postseason, allowing just two goals through the first four rounds, including a pair of shutout wins over San Antonio O’Connor and Harlingen High.
Rivera’s season came to an end in a Region IV-6A semifinal against Class 6A state runner-up Dripping Springs, leaving the Longoria and the Raiders motivated heading into next season.
“We’re going for more next year,” Longoria said. “We got a district title, but we want the main title.”
Utility Player of the Year: Ricardo Davila, Brownsville IDEA Sports Park
Brownsville IDEA Sports Park’s Ricardo Davila did it all for the Stingrays during his senior season. Whenever his team needed a score, Davila was there making a play.
Whether putting it in the back of the net himself or finding his teammates, Davila ran the show for the Stingrays, doing whatever was necessary to pick up the win.
The TSC signee averaged a team-high 1.7 goals and 1.2 assists per game during the Stingrays’ run to the Region IV-4A quarterfinals. Davila is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star 2023 All-Area Boys Soccer Utility Player of the Year.
| Brownsville IDEA Sports Park’s Ricardo Davila is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023 Boys Soccer Utility Player of the Year. (Denise Cathey | Valley Morning Star) |
“It feels good winning this during my last year playing high school soccer,” Davila said. “There were some difficult moments, but I gave everything I had this year, and the team did, too. Being a captain of the team, I had to take on that role and give everything my last season.”
Davila faced new challenges coming into this season, with the Stingrays making the jump from the Texas Charter School Academic & Athletic League to the University Interscholastic League.
The move didn’t phase Davila, who put up 30 goals and 27 assists in 18 games. He did most of his work during district play, putting up 23 goals in 14 league games to go along with 22 assists.
“My mentality is always to win no matter the opponent,” Davila said. “Even if we’re facing a difficult team, my focus is on doing whatever it takes to win. There were difficulties in the move because of the new level of opponents, but we were able to come together as a team and come out strong.”
With Davila leading the charge, the Stingrays set a high bar during their first year competing in the UIL, picking up a pair of wins before bowing out in the third round of the postseason.
Goalkeeper of the Year: Francisco De La Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph
Brownsville St. Joseph put together a magical run this season, finishing as the TAPPS Division II state runner-up.
A key part to its success was the dominant force inside the net for the Bloodhounds.
Senior goalkeeper Francisco De La Garza anchored the Bloodhounds’ defense from between the posts during a 13-game winning streak that culminated in a state championship appearance.
De La Garza is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star 2023 All-Area Boys Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year.
| Brownsville St. Joseph’s Francisco De La Garza is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023 Boys Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year. (Courtesy Photo) |
A multi-purpose athlete on the gridiron, De La Garza displayed similar athletic ability on the pitch. The 6-foot-1 goalkeeper used his length and athleticism to clear shots out of danger on numerous occasions.
His dominance inside the net was on full display during the Bloodhounds’ postseason run. St. Joseph outscored its first three opponents 10-2 en route to the state title game, including a clean sheet by De La Garza during the second round.
De La Garza’s dominance during his senior season earned him numerous accolades, including TAPPS DII first-team all-state honors.
Newcomer of the Year: Gael Zuniga, Harlingen High
Harlingen High advanced to the postseason for the first time in five years and just the fifth time since 2000.
The Cardinals also picked up their first playoff win since 2018, while advancing to the third round in over two decades.
Helping spark the Harlingen’s turnaround season was freshman Gael Zuniga. The Cardinals midfielder stepped into the starting lineup almost seamlessly, scoring 11 goals and four assists during his debut season.
Zuniga is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star 2023 All-Area Boys Soccer Newcomer of the Year.
| Harlingen High’s Gael Zuniga is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023 Boys Soccer Newcomer of the Year. (Denise Cathey | Valley Morning Star) |
“I’m blessed to win this award,” Zuniga said. “I couldn’t do it without God. He guided me this whole season. I’m just happy. It was hard coming in, especially with my size and my speed. I think what helped me a lot was my knowledge of the game. I think I came in ready to go, though. From my first scrimmage, I felt ready.”
Zuniga wasted no time making a name for himself in his freshman season, delivering a hat trick during his first career district game.
He continued to display his potential throughout the rest of district play, adding a clutch two-goal performance against Brownsville Hanna down the stretch to help Harlingen High mount a comeback and beat the Eagles in penalty kicks.
Zuniga’s freshman campaign set the bar high for himself and his team going into next season, as they will be looking to build off the Cardinals’ return to the postseason.
“For myself, I’m just going to work harder,” Zuniga said. “We already set the bar, so now it is only up from here.”
Coach of the Year: Joseph Johnson, Harlingen High
Harlingen High wasn’t on anybody’s radar coming into the 2023 boys soccer season.
The Cardinals were five years removed from their last postseason appearance and had qualified for the big dance just four times during the past two decades.
Teams quickly found out the Cardinals weren’t the same team as in years past, however, with the Big Red machine hanging with the best of them.
Led by second-year head coach Joey Johnson, Harlingen High finished with a 5-4-1 district record, advancing to the postseason for the first time in five years.
Johnson is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star 2023 All-Area Boys Soccer Coach of the Year.
| Harlingen High head coach Joseph Johnson is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023 Boys Soccer Coach of the Year. (Denise Cathey | Valley Morning Star) |
“I tell people I am a quiet person, so I always appreciate the awards from a sit-down-and-think-about-life standpoint,” Johnson said. “When it comes to seeing my name in the paper, all the credit at the end of the day goes to the kids and them buying in to what my plan is. At the end of the day, I’m just the orchestrator. They’re the ones playing the music for me, so they make me look good.”
Johnson’s Cardinals weren’t satisfied with a playoff berth. Once in the postseason, Harlingen High continued to make noise, opening the playoffs with a dominating 5-1 victory over District 31-6A champion Edinburg Economedes for its first playoff win in five years.
The Cardinals followed it up with a 3-2 victory over Del Rio in the second round, sending Harlingen High into the third round for the first time since 1996.
Harlingen High came up just short of a regional tournament bid, losing a 1-0 nailbiter to District 32-6A champion Brownsville Rivera in a Region IV-6A quarterfinal.
The Cardinals’ historic season brings new pressure for next season, with Harlingen High not likely flying under the radar during Johnson’s third year at the helm.
“It is good pressure to have,” Johnson said. “Pressure means we are respected. There is really nothing added at the end of the day. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing and everything will fall into place. It’ll be good to see these guys fighting their way out of a corner. Now there is a target on our back. We have to rise to the occasion and show we’re here to stay, and not just a one year wonder.”