BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
At the start of the season, his first year on varsity, Sharyland Pioneer forward Diego Ramirez was always trying to go 100 miles per hour, coach Alex Lopez said.
Speed is one of Ramirez’s biggest strengths, and he was perhaps a little too eager to put it to use.
“Being a finisher, sometimes you have to be very patient,” Pioneer coach Alex Lopez said. “Early on in the year, he really wasn’t all that patient. It looks like he’s learning his role pretty well. And he’s been putting some points on the board for us. It’s working.”
Only a sophomore, Ramirez has blossomed into Pioneer’s leading scorer with seven goals in district play.
Last season, Ramirez played for Sharyland High’s freshman team.
“For being such a young guy, I think he’s one of the guys that really takes it upon himself to try to do something and carry the team through,” Lopez said. ”I’m very proud of the way he’s been playing and the way he’s been carrying the team.”
Ramirez has been a key cog pushing Pioneer to a 7-3 record. The Diamondbacks have already clinched a playoff berth and, with two games left to play, still have an outside chance at a district title. Sharyland High and Valley View lead Pioneer by 3 points, and each still has three games remaining.
“It means the world,” Lopez said of his team clinching a playoff spot. “It’s one of those things that we were really aiming for, but it’s something we knew was not going to come easy for a first-year program. We’re very excited.”
ON THE RISE
Entering 2015 with a combined record of 15-58 in the past five district seasons and down two players to ACL tears, PSJA Memorial appeared hard pressed to break its playoff drought.
But freshmen Nallely Gonzalez and Yozary Gonzalez have stepped up, scoring four goals each in place of injured starters left wing Hydia Puente and forward Astrid Villanueva. In part because of their efforts, the Wolverines are 5-4 and have 16 points in district, putting them in position to potentially clinch a playoff spot this week.
“We’re just staying together,” coach Arturo Chavez said. “We set a lot of goals, and one of those goals was to make the playoffs this year. So it does mean a lot. Especially with this group of girls.”
While the two freshmen have been pleasant surprises, the Wolverines’ biggest offensive threats have been Aranza Medina (6 goals) and Myriam Saenz (4 goals).
Chavez said his team’s strengths are being able to play different styles, spread the field and increase the pace of the game. As opponents focus to try to take away Medina and Saenz, the two freshmen step up.
Memorial is also anchored by a strong defense, with seniors at goalie, stopper, sweeper and left back.
“The ones I can really, really count on is my whole defensive staff,” Chavez said. “Those are the ones that really keep us in the game and communicate.”
PLAYOFF PICTURE
With only two weeks remaining in the regular season, the playoff picture is starting to take shape.
In District 32-5A, Brownsville Porter’s boys have already secured at least a share of the district title. McAllen High has clinched a playoff spot in District 30-6A, Edinburg North has clinched a playoff spot in District 31-6A, and Valley View, Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer are all in from District 31-5A.
On the girls side, McAllen Memorial and McAllen High have clinched playoff spots in District 30-6A. Edinburg North has clinched a playoff berth in District 31-6A, Donna North is in from District 32-5A, and Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer have clinched from District 31-5A.
Boys Top 10
1. Brownsville Rivera
2. Valley View
3. Brownsville Porter
4. Brownsville Hanna
5. Sharyland High
6. McAllen High
7. Edinburg North
8. Sharyland Pioneer
9. Brownsville Veterans
10. La Joya Palmview
Girls Top 10
1. McAllen Memorial
2. Los Fresnos
3. Brownsville Hanna
4. Harlingen South
5. Brownsville Lopez
6. Sharyland High
7. Sharyland Pioneer
8. McAllen High
9. Edinburg North
10. Edinburg Economedes
Soccer standings through March 6
X – denotes playoff qualifier
Boys
District 30-6A
District
Team W L Pts
McAllen High-x 8 1 23
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 5 3 17
La Joya Palmview 5 3 15
Mission High 4 4 12
La Joya High 4 5 12
McAllen Memorial 4 5 11
McAllen Rowe 0 9 0
District 31-6A
District
Team W L Pts
Edinburg North-x 8 1 22
PSJA North 6 3 18
Edinburg Economedes 5 3 15
PSJA Memorial 3 6 11
Edinburg High 4 4 10
Weslaco East 2 7 7
Weslaco High 2 6 6
District 32-6A
District
Team W L Pts
Brownsville Rivera-x 12 0 36
Brownsville Hanna-x 10 2 30
Brownsville Lopez-x 7 5 22
Brownsville Veterans 6 6 19
Harlingen South 5 7 14
Los Fresnos 3 9 9
San Benito 3 9 9
Harlingen High 2 10 5
District 31-6A
District
Team W L Pts
Sharyland High-x 8 1 24
Valley View-x 8 1 24
Sharyland Pioneer-x 7 3 21
Edcinburg Vela 5 5 14
Roma 3 7 10
Rio Grande City 1 8 3
Mission Veterans 1 8 3
District 32-5A
District
Team W L Pts
Brownsville Porter-x 11 0 32
PSJA Southwest 7 4 23
Donna North 7 4 20
Donna High 6 5 18
Brownsville Pace 6 5 17
Mercedes 4 7 12
PSJA High 1 10 4
Edcouch-Elsa 2 9 6
District 31-4A
District
Team W L Pts
Hidalgo-x 6 1 18
Grulla-x 6 1 18
Monte Alto-x 2 4 6
Zapata-x 2 4 6
Raymondville 0 6 0
District 32-4A
District
Team W L Pts
Progreso-x 7 0 21
Port Isabel-x 3 4 11
IDEA Frontier-x 3 4 7
La Feria-x 1 6 3
Girls
District 30-6A
District
Team W L Pts
McAllen Memorial-x 9 0 27
McAllen High-x 8 1 24
McAllen Rowe 5 4 14
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 3 5 9
La Joya Palmview 3 5 9
Mission High 2 6 7
La Joya High 0 9 0
District 31-6A
District
Team W L Pts
Edinburg North-x 9 0 27
Edcinburg Economedes 7 1 21
PSJA Memorial 5 4 16
Edinburg High 5 3 13
Weslaco High 3 5 9
Weslaco East 1 8 4
PSJA North 0 9 0
District 32-6A
District
Team W L Pts
Brownsville Hanna-x 10 2 29
Los Fresnos-x 10 2 28
Harlingen South-x 9 3 27
Brownsville Lopez-x 7 5 23
Brownsville Rivera 5 7 16
Brownsville Veterans 3 9 9
Harlingen High 2 9 9
San Benito 1 11 3
District 31-5A
District
Team W L Pts
Sharyland High-x 9 0 27
Sharyland Pioneer-x 9 1 27
Edcinburg Vela-x 6 4 18
Roma 5 5 14
Mission Veterans 2 7 6
Valley View 2 7 7
Rio Grande City 0 9 0
District 32-5A
District
Team W L Pts
Donna North-x 10 1 29
Edcouch-Elsa 9 2 24
Brownsville Pace 8 3 24
PSJA Southwest 6 5 20
Brownsville Porter 6 5 18
Donna High 4 7 13
Mercedes 1 10 3
PSJA High 0 11 1
District 31-4A
District
Team W L Pts
Hidalgo-x 5 0 15
Raymondville-x 3 2 8
Grulla-x 2 3 7
Monte Alto-x 0 5 0
District 32-4A
District
Team W L Pts
La Feria-x 9 0 27
Progreso-x 7 2 21
Port Isabel-x 5 4 15
Rio Hondo 3 5 9
Lyford 1 7 4
IDEA Frontier 1 8 2