Girls soccer Lower Valley all-area awards

1 month ago 51

Angela Garcia

Brownsville Veterans Memorial, senior

Senior playmaker Angela Garcia had a terrific career at Brownsville Veterans that resulted in a scholarship with Our Lady of the Lake in the spring.

Garcia scored 43 times in District 32-5A for the Chargers in 2024 and is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2024 Girls Soccer Most Valuable Player.

Garcia was amazing during her career as a playmaker in the heart of the Chargers; midfield. Brownsville Veterans had more successful seasons as a team when Garcia had experienced forwards around her, but Garcia still helped the Chargers to the playoffs in 2024.

Garcia’s 43 district goals was the third-most goals scored among players in the Valley, only seven goals behind first and three behind second. Garcia outscored the closest Lower Valley rival by 21 goals. She was extremely talented with the ball at her feet, was a threat at set pieces and could pull the strings in the midfield.

Juliana Garcia

Harlingen High, sophomore

Garcia had a breakout season after only appearing in the playoffs for the Cardinals as a freshman.

Garcia finished 25 times to earn the Herald/Star 2024 Girls Soccer Offensive Player of the Year award.

The standout had a lot of talented players around her that provided her good service to grab goals, but Garcia has a relentless engine. The work rate the Cardinals’ forward showed really put pressure on opposing back lines as the forward was always trying to make runs and press when the Cardinals did not have possession.

There is a lot of talent on the Cardinals’ roster despite churning out college prospects of late, and leading the forward line will be Garcia.

Aliyah Fonseca

Harlingen South, senior

Easily one of the best all-around players in the Valley, Fonseca did it all for the Hawks, but is going to play at Texas Lutheran as a left or right back.

Fonseca is the Herald/Star 2024 Girls Soccer Defensive Player of the Year.

It is hard to say what Fonseca’s best position is, but when she lined up in the sweeper role for Harlingen South she was amazing and could cover the field like a single-high safety on the football field.

It is no surprise college coaches would see her as a left/right back because of her height and because of her cross country background as center backs tend to be taller, but Fonseca could be strong a 1-on-1 situation with the size of any attacker, and she will have to do that against wingers in college.

Fonseca chipped in with seven district goals as the Hawks dominated District 32-5A and competed admirably against some of the better 5A teams in the region.

Grace Reed

Harlingen High, senior

Harlingen High dominated possession for long stretches, with numerous players having the ability to play on the ball. In the heart of the formation was Reed.

Reed did it all in the midfield, the No. 6, the No. 8 and even the 10 on the Lower Valley’s best team. Reed is the Herald/Star 2024 Girls Soccer Midfielder of the Year.

Reed played in a more advanced role in the midfield this season, and it paid off as the midfielder scored nine goals and provided two assists in all competitions.

Reed’s ability proved she could do it all in the midfield after playing more of a defensive role in the heart of the midfield. It should help her next year in college at Lubbock Christian University.

Gilliece Gomez

Harlingen High, senior

Gomez was a rock at the back for a Cardinals side that had top players leave its back line in recent years. Gomez was key as the Cardinals’ defense dominated opponents to earn the Herald/Star 2024 Girls Soccer Goalie of the Year honor.

Gomez went 15 straight games without picking the ball out of her net. The streak lasted to the third round of the playoffs, where she gave up a goal after a dubious call on a back pass awarded San Antonio Warren an indirect free kick in the box.

Gomez is aggressive when she needs to be and good with the ball at her feet as well, and she will be playing next season at St. Edward’s University in Austin.

Claudia Millan

Brownsville IDEA Riverview, freshman

They are building something special in Brownsville.

The Rockets have a chokehold around District 32-4A and it doesn’t look like they will let up with talented players breaking into the team at a young age.

Millan will be one to watch the next three years after excelling with the Rockets to earn the Herald/Star 2024 Girls Soccer Newcomer of the Year award.

Millan led the Rockets in scoring this season with 18 goals, 14 coming in district play. Riverview will return four of its five top scorers in 2024. Millan also chipped in five assists, the third-most on her team, as the Rockets went undefeated in district and picked up a 9-0 bi-district playoff victory.

Riverview has had players find college homes before and likely has another potential prospect with Millan.

Jose Galvan

Harlingen High head coach

Galvan continued where he left off last season with the Cardinals. Harlingen High was the best Class 6A team in the Valley and easily the best in the Lower Valley after being led by Galvan.

Galvan has had talent, for sure, but talent does not always equal results. Galvan is the Herald/Star 2024 Girls Soccer Coach of the Year.

The Cardinals have had key players — multiple college level players — graduate in recent seasons and have only gone deeper in the playoffs. Harlingen High made it to the fourth round this season and is one of the best teams in Region IV under Galvan.

Galvan’s next challenge will be competing with those top teams out of the Austin area, and he will have plenty of talented players on the roster next year to do it.