3A Soccer...

[Ray_BearKat]

Just wanted to give a shout out to 32-3A's Hidalgo Pirates for qualifying for the 4A Soccer State Tournament...

their road to the big show:
Rd 1 Bye
Rd 2 over C.C. Moody 5-0
Rd 3 over Weslaco East 1-0 2(OT)
Rd 4 over Lake Travis 4-1
Rd 5 over Dripping Springs 2-1

Next they face either Frisco or Ricardson Pearce...

GOOD LUCK TO THE PIRATES!!!

[Phil C]

Good luck Hidalgo!

[carter08]

Columbia's goalie was 1st Team All-District in 24-4A

[bandera7]

Did anybody go to the Hidalgo/Dripping Springs game?

[Antec]

More 3A schools are adding it

Look for Needville and Sweeny to be next

Palacios, Stafford, Sealy and Royal have it in this area.

Doubt Wharton to add it with its enrollment going down.

[tigerpride_08]

Originally posted by Antec
More 3A schools are adding it

Look for Needville and Sweeny to be next

Palacios, Stafford, Sealy and Royal have it in this area.

Doubt Wharton to add it with its enrollment going down.

i bet we would be pretty good in Soccer...

[tortilla_man]

bellville is supose to be doing it next year.

[mwynn05]

3a schools have been dominant in soccer considering how few have teams...Kaufman went to the regional semi finals and palestine and hildalgo went to state

[PHS Wildcats]

Not to steal your thread but 3A Palestine is in the State semis also.

In Round Rock Thursday 4/12

Hidalgo Vs WF Rider 4pm
Frisco Vs Palestine 6pm

[Ray_BearKat]

CORPUS CHRISTI — A second-ditch effort goal by senior forward Juan Nava in the 70th minute gave Hidalgo a 2-1 win over Dripping Springs on Friday at Cabaniss Sports Complex and catapulted the Pirates into the Class 4A state soccer tournament for the first time in school history.

Nava received a pass from striker Jesús Mireles, but his first shot landed him on the ground in front of the goal. The ball bounced loose, and the agile attacker spun around and pushed it to the back of the net for the game winner in the Class 4A regional final.

“We were going all out and I didn’t want our season to end, and thanks to God I got an opportunity. I saw the goal open, and I didn’t think in anything except scoring,” Nava said. “It’s an indescribable feeling to see my team and the fans so happy.”

Hidalgo (21-6-4) advances to the state tournament to be played Thursday and Saturday at the Round Rock Athletic Complex.

“I’m proud to be a part of Hidalgo history,” Pirates coach Esequiel Morales said. “But I have to give all the credit to God because He put me in a place where there’s a lot of talent, and the kids have understood what discipline and hard work is.”

With the loss to Hidalgo, Dripping Springs ends it season with a 20-3-1 record.

“It was a good game. I thought we played better in the second half, and as the game wore on I thought we were going to be the ones to score,” Tigers coach Brian Ormonde said. “They just kind of, out of nowhere, they came and scored that second goal.”

Despite the victory, the Pirates suffered the loss of playmaker Mireles. The freshman striker won’t be able to play the semifinal game in the state tournament next week due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

“The important thing is the effort of the team, and although we lost ‘Chuy’ the game-winning play was his. And thanks to him Nava was able to score the winning goal,” Pirates midfielder Jorge Maldonado said. “Everyone played a part in the win, and we hope to keep going to win the semifinal game and God willing the final.”

Hidalgo opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Mireles took a filtered pass into the penalty area from the right side. Dripping Springs goalkeeper Tanner Smith came out to cut the distance, but the freshman forward’s shot caught the far post for a quick 1-0 lead.

The Tigers responded 11 minutes later when a hard shot ricocheted off the horizontal post and junior forward Jaime Padrón pushed in the loose ball for the tie at 1.

Dripping Springs settled down after the initial 15 minutes, and the goal knocked the wind out of the Pirates’ sails. Hidalgo forgot about their touch-and-go style of play and resorted to the long ball.

In the second half, the Bucs got a bit more creative. However, the size and height of the Tigers’ squad took its toll on the passing accuracy of the Pirates.

When it seemed that Dripping Springs was closer than Hidalgo to scoring the second goal, the Pirates reacquainted themselves with their style of play with three straight scoring threats from Nava, Maldonado and Mireles.

The third resulted in Nava’s game winner in the 70th minute.

“Once we started moving the ball along the ground, we started to play better and that was the key for this victory,” Maldonado said.

Hidalgo joins Mission Veterans Memorial (2005) and Brownsville Lopez (2004) as the only Class 4A Rio Grande Valley teams to advance to the state tournament. Lopez won the state title in 2004.