BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
Sharyland Pioneer’s boys soccer team isn’t one of the Valley’s most talented. Coach Alex Lopez said Pioneer doesn’t even compare to Sharyland High from a talent standpoint.
The Diamondbacks also don’t have the advantage of experience, especially together. Most of them are in their first year on varsity. Some played JV light at Sharyland last year, while others played JV dark. Freshmen and a transfer are also among the key contributors.
But those factors haven’t kept Pioneer from enjoying early success, as the team handed Valley View its first district loss since 2011 with a 2-1 win Friday in Hidalgo.
“Whatever we lack in talent, we make up in hard work,” Lopez said. “Sometimes, you don’t need a whole lot of talent. You just need a bunch of guys who can work together as a team.”
Lopez said Pioneer has been through some ups and downs as the players get adjusted to playing together in his system.
The Diamondbacks got off to a middling start, going 2-3 during the Mission Tournament. They followed that with a promising showing in the Brenham Select Showcase and good results in non-district games against Edinburg Economedes and McAllen Memorial.
“We got off to a slow start, but it looks like towards the end we’ve been finding our rhythm,” Lopez said.
Two of the Diamondbacks’ biggest contributors to this point have been seniors Ricky Ramos and Sergio Arciniega. Diego Ramirez has also been key from the forward position, using his speed to become the team’s primary scorer.
Lopez said he thinks Pioneer has what it takes to be a contender in District 31-5A.
“When we first started, I just really felt the team was kind of all over the place,” Lopez said. “I knew coming in it was going to be a challenge. I knew coming in I was going to have to put in a lot of work, and we have. … We’re not quite where I want to be, but we’re better than I expected at this point.”
QUESTION ANSWERED
If McAllen Memorial’s girls team was going to have a weak spot this year, it would be on the defensive end: the only place the Mustangs weren’t returning a full complement of starters.
But only a few weeks into the season, those questions have mostly been answered. With Natalie Young sliding back from midfielder to stopper before the season and Jessica Coronado in her fourth year as the starter at sweeper, Memorial has rarely been scored on this season. After picking up a 3-0 win against La Joya High to open district play last week, Memorial has lost just once this season — 2-1 to Los Fresnos in the final of the Brownsville Tournament.
“There has been really good play from the defense,” Mustangs coach Matthew Kaiser said. “I’m really happy with how the defense hasn’t missed a beat.”
Young was one of the Mustangs outside defenders during her freshman year before moving into a defensive midfield role when Memorial’s starter at the position was injured during Young’s sophomore year.
Kaiser described both Young and Coronado as “track stars,” with the speed to take away the long ball from opposing offenses.
The Mustangs defense also boasts a pair of three-year starters at the outside positions and Brianah Munoz in goal.
SCORING THREAT
For La Joya Juarez-Lincoln boys coach Victor Ramos, the reason behind moving David Segura from midfielder to forward was simple.
“He’s dangerous when he has the ball one on one,” Ramos said. “I have not seen a defender that can stop him one on one. That’s why he’s out there.”
Ramos said the transition has been tough for Segura at times. In some cases, he is still trying to make a play for his teammates when he could be looking to score.
Overall, the move has been a positive for Juarez-Lincoln, which has suffered a few tough losses but opened district play with a 2-0 win against McAllen Rowe last week.
“It’s been working for us,” Ramos said. “He’s a very talented kid. Whenever he has the ball, he creates opportunities.”
Boys Top 10
1. Brownsville Rivera
2. Brownsville Porter
3. Edinburg North
4. Valley View
5. Brownsville Lopez
6. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln
7. La Joya Palmview
8. Brownsville Hanna
9. Sharyland High
10. PSJA Southwest
Girls Top 10
1. McAllen Memorial
2. Brownsville Lopez
3. Los Fresnos
4. Sharyland High
5. Harlingen South
6. Edinburg Economedes
7. Brownsville Hanna
8. Brownsville Rivera
9. Sharyland Pioneer
10. McAllen High