PHARR — The Edinburg Vela team that walked off the field at halftime Wednesday wasn’t the same Vela team that walked back on for the second half.
It wasn’t even close.
After going into the half tied at 1, the SaberCats scored twice during the second half and dominated time of possession en route to a 3-1 victory over PSJA North in the District 31-6A opener for both schools.
Junior Alayna Rodriguez scored twice for the two-time defending district champion SaberCats, the first coming midway through the first period on a shot from about 10 yards beyond the top of the box. The ball hammered the bottom half of the crossbar and angled in for a 1-0 lead. She added the final goal late during the second half with a tap in as chaos ensued around her following multiple attempts in a crowded box.
Fellow junior Crystal Palma scored the second goal for Vela.
SaberCats head coach Americo Cortez said the team just needed a few minor changes here and there.
“We needed to pass the ball more, be more vertical and not hesitate too much to cross the ball and get to the end of the line,” Cortez said. “We put some girls in different spots and they settled down.”
Rodriguez was a force at times, using her strength when fighting for the ball, while also showing she finesse around, or ram through defenders, when necessary. It’s that tenacity that makes her tough for opponents.
She’s one of those players who puts everything she has in every single play,” Cortez said. “She uses her body, and never stops. She keeps going until she gets it done. If she’s doing things right or making mistakes she is just going to continue. She wants the ball from all over the field and she does whatever it takes.”
PSJA North took made several counters, using long passes during the first quarter and taking advantage of their speed with their wings. Freshman Giselle Leyva scored late during the first half to tie the game at 1.
During the second half, however, the Raiders rarely saw their opponent’s side of field. Vela, known for shooting at will, not only kept the ball for a major majority of second half but also kept pushing deep and took several shots that an impressive looking PSJA North junior, Amy Clemente, saved looking like the flippers of a pinball machine, retuning one ball after another.
“She is just so confident in goal,” PSJA North head coach Jacob Hinojosa said. “During the Brownsville tournament, she just made some unbelievable saves. She’s an excellent goalie.”
Vela, however, didn’t allow PSJA North to stretch its legs much during the second half.
“We had the ball more in the second half,” Cortez said. “We were backing up a little and picking it up from there and when they were coming, we were putting more pressure on them. We were giving them too much room in the first half.
“It was a way different team in the first half.”
Vela returns to action at 6 p.m. Friday against La Joya High at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg. PSJA North has a bye Friday and plays at La Joya High at 6 p.m. Tuesday.