In The Fight: Ten RGV teams eyeing regional tournament

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When the 2024 UIL boys soccer playoffs kicked off, 30 RGV teams entered the tournament with state title hopes.

Only 10 Valley teams remain in the hunt for the coveted state crown after two rounds of play, three in Class 6A, three in Class 5A and four in Class 4A.

All 10 of those teams will look to take the next step toward state glory Tuesday, each competing for a spot in their respective class’ regional tournament this weekend.

With several Valley vs. Valley regional quarterfinal matches on deck, the RGV is guaranteed at least four teams in the next round of the playoffs. Here’s a look at each team’s matchup.

CLASS 6A

Edinburg Economedes vs. Edinburg North: After splitting their two district meetings, the Cougars and Jaguars are set to face off once again, only this time for a spot in the Region IV-6A tournament.

The Cougars entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in District 31-6A, finishing with a 8-2-0 mark to capture the district crown. They opened the postseason with a dominant 4-1 victory over San Benito during the bi-district round, following it with a 3-1 road victory over San Antonio Jay.

The Jaguars sneaked into the postseason as the No. 4 seed in 31-6A, securing the final playoff spot during the last game of the season. Economedes has played like anything but a four-seed during the postseason, however, stunning 32-6A champ Brownsville Rivera 2-1 on the road during the bi-district round and outlasting Laredo United South 4-2 in overtime during the area round.

A win by the Cougars would send them to regional tournament for the first time since 2017, a year that ended with Edinburg North falling 1-0 to Juarez-Lincoln in the regional final.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars are trying to qualify for the regional semifinals for the first time in program history, last coming close in 2003 when their year ended in a regional quarterfinal.

The intracity match is set for 7 p.m. today at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.

Harlingen High vs. San Antonio Harlan: Harlingen High continues to excel under head coach Joey Johnson, with the Cardinals set to make their second straight regional quarterfinal appearance.

The Cardinals opened the postseason with a thrilling victory over La Joya High, outlasting the Coyotes in PKs after ending regulation tied at 3. They followed it with a 1-0 win over District 30-5A champion Laredo United in the area round.

Harlingen High is now eyeing another step under Johnson, seeking to qualify for the regional semifinal round for the first time since 2000.

They’ll face arguably their toughest test of this postseason during the regional quarterfinal round, taking on their second straight district champ in San Antonio Harlan.

The Hawks, who finished first in District 29-6A, have been on fire during their first two playoff contests, outscoring their first two opponents by a combined 16-0, including a convincing 10-0 win over Edinburg High in the area round.

The Cardinals and Hawks are scheduled to face off at 7 p.m. today at the Student Activity Center in Laredo.

CLASS 5A

Brownsville Lopez vs. Brownsville Veterans: Another intracity rivalry is on deck for the RGV during the regional quarterfinal round, with the Chargers and Lobos squaring off for a spot in the Region IV-5A tournament.

Like the Cougars and Jaguars, Lopez and Vets split their district meetings. The Chargers stunned the Lobos 1-0 on the road during their first meeting, with Lopez avenging the loss 3-2 during their second meeting.

The Lobos are led by a dynamic 1-2 punch of sophomore Diego Guerra and junior Ramon “Chacho” Zuniga. The duo combined for six goals during Lopez’s first two playoff games, with Guerra scoring four and Zuniga two.

Behind Guerra and Zuniga, the Lobos have outscored their first two playoff opponents 7-1, taking down Sharyland Pioneer 4-1 during the bi-district round, followed by a 3-0 victory over Laredo Martin in the area round.

On the other side, the Chargers have found themselves in a pair of close matchups during the first two rounds of the playoffs. They opened the postseason with a 3-2 comeback victory over District 31-5A champion Sharyland High, followed by a PK win over Laredo Nixon in the second round.

The meeting marks the second time the teams have faced off in the postseason, with Lopez winning their regional final 1-0 in 2017.

The Lobos and Chargers are scheduled to face off at 7:30 p.m. today at Chargers Stadium in Brownsville.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. Corpus Christi Flour Bluff: Here come the Huskies. Since a 2-1 loss to Laredo Nixon during district play on Feb. 13, Juarez-Lincoln has been on fire, outscoring its opponents 32-2 en route to a seven-game winning streak and eighth straight district title.

It has extended that winning streak to nine through the first two rounds of the postseason, taking down Victoria East 6-1 during the bi-district round and Donna North 3-0 during the area round.

Leading the Huskies during their streak is striker Omar Solis, who earned The Monitor’s all-area boys soccer offensive player of the year award last year.

Solis, a senior, netted a district-leading 19 goals during league play, adding another seven goals through the first two rounds of the postseason.

He’ll look to continue that hot streak against a tough Flour Bluff team, which ended Brownsville Porter’s season during the area round 2-1.

The Huskies and Hornets take the pitch at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hornet Stadium in Corpus Christi.

CLASS 4A

Hidalgo vs. Edinburg IDEA Quest: The RGV is guaranteed at least two teams in this year’s Region IV-4A tournament in Corpus Christi, with both third-round games featuring Valley vs. Valley matchups.

Up first is a contest between the reigning Class 4A state champion Hidalgo Pirates and the Edinburg IDEA Quest Trailblazers.

The Pirates have been pushed to the limits during their first two playoff games, sneaking past Beeville Jones 6-4 in the bi-district round and outlasting IDEA Brownsville Frontier in PKs in the area round.

They’ll have their hands full with a tough Trailblazers squad on a historic playoff run. After winning their first UIL playoff game, IDEA Quest has added two more this year, taking down Port Isabel 2-1 in overtime during the bi-district round, followed by a 1-0 upset over Corpus Christi London in the area round.

The Pirates and Trailblazers face off at 7 p.m. today at Benny Layton Memorial Stadium in Elsa.

Progreso vs. Brownsville Jubilee: The RGV’s second 4A match pits a pair of district champs head-to-head.

In one corner is a historic Progreso program with three state tournament appearances under its belt, hoping to add another this year. The District 31-4A champ enters the regional quarterfinal riding a 23-game winning streak, including back-to-back blowout wins to open the postseason.

After missing out on the regional tournament last year, the Red Ants are locked in on getting back to the regional semifinal round and make a push for their first state tournament appearance since 2018.

In the other corner is a rising Brownsville Jubilee program looking to take another step toward establishing itself as a household name in UIL soccer.

The Titans, who captured their fourth district title in five years this season, have improved their playoff wins by one game each year since joining the UIL in 2020, going from losing in the bi-district round in 2021 to making a regional quarterfinal appearance last year.

They’ll look to continue that trend this year, hoping to advance to a regional semifinal for the first time in program history.

The Red Ants and Titans take the field at 7:30 p.m. today at the Brownsville Sports Park.

ivan@themonitor.com

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