GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
To help bring the PSJA North girls soccer team from 0-12 last season to a 3-2 start in District 31-6A play in 2016, senior captains Bernice Moreno and Mariel Gonzalez had to make sacrifices. Moreno, a wing player last season, had to move back and play goalie. Gonzalez, seeing that her team had a deficiency at defense, went to coach Margeaux McCarthy before the year and volunteered to start on the back line.
“I said, ‘Is this Mariel? Am I talking to Mariel right now?’ I even felt her forehead,” McCarthy said. “She said, ‘I don’t want this year to be like the last two years, coach. I’m not going to let it happen.’”
So far, she hasn’t. McCarthy said three her captains have been the biggest factor in PSJA North ranking near the top of the district standings. The focus for the Lady Raiders has been on anchoring the back line with Moreno, Gonzalez and La Joya Palmview transfer Consuelo Hernandez, a junior who is in her final year of eligibility.
“She’s an angel. She’s blessed us with her presence,” McCarthy said. “She doesn’t realize how much talent she actually has, so that’s something that’s still kind of working out.”
Last year’s team was top-heavy with freshmen, McCarthy said. Now, the Lady Raiders have only a few. North has also found success by adding players from other sports. Sarah Serrano has been an offensive force when not playing with the girls basketball team, and Samantha Rivera and Tiffany Borrego are splitting time with track.
“Soccer is a very taxing sport,” McCarthy said. “If you have more legs, you have more energy.”
GOOD MOVE
After weeks of tinkering with lineups and rotations, PSJA Memorial boys coach Alejandro Cruz found the payoff he was looking for: Humberto Bernal had proven to be a fit at forward.
A defender last season, Bernal has already scored six goals during the Wolverines’ 5-0 start to district play. Cruz labels Bernal the biggest surprise on a surprising PSJA Memorial team, which is atop the district standings after finishing last season 4-8.
“He even told me, ‘Coach, you made a good move putting me up there,’” Cruz said. “He liked it, of course. Everybody wants to be up there scoring goals.”
Cruz said Bernal isn’t the fastest player on the pitch but instead uses his game knowledge to find scoring opportunities.
Many of his setups have come from central midfielder Osvaldo Villanueva. Goalie Juan Campos has also been key for the Wolverines after moving up from the JV team.
Cruz said the majority of the roster is made up of returning players, and the group has matured and committed to improve its conditioning by participating in cross country before the season
“Last year we were in every game, but towards the end, that’s where we started lacking more endurance,” Cruz said. “We we made a pact between last year’s kids and this year’s kids that it’s not going to happen again.”
FOUR IN BACK
Knowing that his team might struggle to score this season, La Joya Palmview boys coach Mario Ribera switched from having three defenders in the back to a flat four.
The change has resulted in Palmview playing stout defense, leading to a 3-2 start in District 30-6A.
“I think it’s just the system itself,” Ribera said. “We’ve been doing that from the beginning of the season, and we scrimmage a lot after practice. They learned the system, and they’re fast.”
The quickest players on the back end are senior central players Jose Cordova and Erick Jimenez. That duo is flanked by senior Ulysses Jaimes and sophomore Miguel Orozsco, although the rotation might change a bit when Luis Rodriguez returns from injury.
The Lobos also have a three-year starter at keeper in 6-foot-2 senior Heriberto Maldonado.
“He’s been a great player for us, especially the last two years,” Ribera said. “He’s been a key player in the back.”
RGVSports.com Boys Top 10
1. Brownsville Porter
2. Sharyland High
3. Valley View
4. Brownsville Veterans Memorial
5. Brownsville Lopez
6. McAllen High
7. Edinburg North
8. Brownsville Hanna
9. Harlingen South
10. PSJA Memorial
RGVSports.com Girls Top 10
1. Sharyland High
2. Sharyland Pioneer
3. Brownsville Lopez
4, McAllen High
5. McAllen Memorial
6. Harlingen South
7. Los Fresnos
8. PSJA Southwest
9. McAllen Rowe
10. Edinburg Economedes
Boys Soccer Standings
District 32-6A
W L Pts
Brownsville Lopez 6 1 18
Brownsville Veterans Mem. 5 2 16
Harlingen South 4 3 14
Brownsville Hanna 5 2 13
Los Fresnos 4 3 12
Brownsville Rivera 3 4 8
San Benito 1 6 3
Harlingen High 0 7 0
District 31-6A
W L Pts
PSJA Memorial 5 0 13
Edinburg North 4 0 11
Edinburg Economedes 2 2 7
Weslaco High 2 2 6
Edinburg High 1 3 5
Weslaco East 1 3 2
PSJA North 0 5 1
District 30-6A
W L Pts
McAllen High 5 0 13
La Joya High 3 2 10
La Joya Palmview 3 2 8
McAllen Memorial 3 2 8
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 2 3 8
Mission High 1 4 4
McAllen Rowe 1 5 3
District 32-5A
W L Pts
Brownsville Porter 7 0 21
Brownsville Pace 5 2 15
PSJA Southwest 5 2 14
Donna High 3 4 10
Donna North 3 4 10
Mercedes 3 4 7
Edcouch-Elsa 2 5 6
PSJA High 0 7 1
District 31-5A
W L Pts
Sharyland High 5 0 15
Valley View 4 1 12
Sharyland Pioneer 3 3 8
Roma 2 3 7
Edinburg Vela 2 3 6
Rio Grande City 2 4 5
Mission Veterans Memorial 0 5 1
Girls
District 32-6A
W L Pts
Brownsville Lopez 7 0 20
Los Fresnos 5 2 15
Harlingen South 5 2 15
Brownsville Veterans Mem. 4 3 12
Brownsville Hanna 4 3 12
San Benito 2 5 5
Harlingen High 1 6 5
Brownsville Rivera 0 7 0
District 31-6A
W L Pts
Edinburg North 3 1 9
PSJA North 3 1 9
Edinburg Economedes 3 1 8
Weslaco High 2 2 6
PSJA Memorial 2 3 6
Edinburg High 1 3 4
Weslaco East 1 3 3
District 30-6A
W L Pts
McAllen Memorial 4 1 13
McAllen High 5 0 12
McAllen Rowe 4 2 12
Mission High 2 3 8
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 2 3 6
La Joya High 1 4 2
La Joya Palmview 0 5 1
District 32-5A
W L Pts
PSJA Southwest 6 1 17
Brownsville Pace 5 2 14
Brownsville Porter 4 3 14
Edcouch-Elsa 4 3 13
Donna North 4 3 11
Mercedes 3 4 8
PSJA High 2 5 6
Donna High 0 7 1
District 31-5A
W L Pts
Sharyland Pioneer 5 1 16
Sharyland High 5 0 14
Roma 2 3 7
Mission Veterans Memorial 2 3 6
Valley View 2 3 6
Edinburg Vela 2 3 5
Rio Grande City 0 5 0