When the UIL postseason started, 30 RGV teams entered with state title aspirations.
Just four remain heading into this weekend’s regional tournaments across the state.
Brownsville Lopez, Brownsville Rivera, Hidalgo and Sharyland High are the Valley’s “Final Four.”
Their journeys have all been different. Some coasted through the first three rounds. Others have played their share of nail-biters.
The end goal for each remains the same: Bring another state title to the RGV.
BROWNSVILLE RIVERA
The Valley’s lone remaining Class 6A team was near perfect during its run to the District 32-6A title. The Raiders outscored opponents 43-9 during district play en route to a 9-0-1 record and the district crown.
They continued their offensive dominance during the bi-district round, cruising past Edinburg High 3-1 to advance to the second round. Since then, it has been all about defense for the Raiders.
After averaging 4.3 goals per game during district play and a three-goal performance to open the postseason, the Raiders have scored just twice during their last two games. Two goals is all they needed, though, with the defense holding both opponents scoreless.
The Raiders outlasted San Antonio O’Connor 1-0 during the area round to secure a third-round contest against Harlingen High. In the regional quarterfinal, the game played out nearly identical to the last, using a first-half goal to defeat the Cardinals 1-0 and advance to the Region IV-6A tournament.
Cesar Garza, the team’s leading scorer during district play, netted both goals during the team’s second- and third-round games, bringing his playoff total to three.
Up next, the Raiders draw a matchup against District 28-6A champion San Antonio Lee. The Volunteers enter the contest averaging 3.3 goals per contest during the postseason and allowing 1.3.
The contest pits a pair of former 6A state champs against one another, with the Raiders winning in 2015 and the Volunteers in 2021. The teams face off at 5 p.m. Friday at Comalander Stadium in San Antonio. The winner advances to Saturday’s final against the winner between Dripping Springs and Laredo Alexander.
BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ
The Lobos are the second Brownsville ISD school representing the RGV during this weekend’s regional tournament action.
Unlike the Raiders, the Lobos didn’t claim their district’s crown, finishing as runner-up to Brownsville Porter. Don’t underestimate the Lobos, however, as they went toe-to-toe with the Cowboys during both matchups, just missing out on the district crown.
District titles mean little to BISD schools, with the area instead interested in chasing state championships.
The Lobos have looked the part of a state title contender through the first three rounds. They took care of business during the bi-district round, getting past District 31-5A tri-champion Valley View 3-2 off a go-ahead goal by Ramon “Chacho” Zuniga.
Lopez flexed its muscle during the second round, cruising past Laredo Martin 3-0 to secure a berth in a Region IV-5A quarterfinal.
During the third round, the Lobos demonstrated their clutch ability, with Jose Padron hammering home a bicycle kick in overtime.
The win sent the Lobos back to the regional tournament for the first time since 2017, a year which featured the Lobos winning Region IV-5A and advancing to the state semifinal round, where their season ended.
Standing in their way of another state title run is District 25-5A champion Leander Rouse (21-2-2). The Raiders outscored opponents 11-1 during the first three rounds, including a 2-0 victory over Leander in the third round.
The Lobos and Raiders face off at 7 p.m. Friday in the first of two Region IV-5A semifinals featuring a RGV team at the Brownsville Sports Park.
SHARYLAND HIGH
The Rattlers entered this season with high expectations. Last season, Sharyland High marched all the way to a Region IV-5A semifinal under then-first-year head coach Jorge Guerra before losing to eventual state semifinalist Dripping Springs.
Guerra and the Rattlers are back in the regional tournament, gearing up for a run at their second state title.
The Rattlers finished the regular season as tri-champions in the highly competitive District 31-5A with McAllen High and Valley View. Sharyland High’s plus-64 goal differential and head-to-head wins over the Bulldogs and Tigers secured them the No. 1 seed heading into the postseason.
The Rattlers showed why they are one of the top teams in the region during the first two rounds, outscoring their first two opponents 9-0 to advance to a regional quarterfinal.
Their two victories set up a highly anticipated matchup against District 32-5A champion Brownsville Porter, a team that beat the Rattlers earlier this season during the BISD tournament.
The Rattlers took care of business against the Cowboys, with a beautiful crossing pass by Creighton commit Edward Morales leading to the go-ahead goal by senior captain Jose Sanchez during the 1-0 victory Friday at the Brownsville Sports Park Soccer Complex.
They’ll take on a red-hot San Antonio Southwest team in a Region IV-5A semifinal. The Dragons enter the contest riding a 19-game winning streak, with their last loss coming during a 2-1 non-district defeat against Los Fresnos on Jan. 13.
They’ve outscored opponents 92-10 since that loss, including 11-3 during their three postseason wins. The two teams take the pitch at 4 p.m. Friday at the Brownsville Sports Park. The winner advances to the Region IV-5A final against the winner between Lopez and Rouse.
HIDALGO
It has been state or bust for the Hidalgo Pirates since their season ended in the Region IV-4A semifinal round last season.
The Pirates felt they had the roster in place to win the title last year, but injuries dealt a bad hand.
The Valley’s last remaining Class 4A team has been on a mission this year, scorching through district play and the first three rounds en route to a return to the regional tournament.
The Pirates ran through the competition in District 30-4A, outscoring their opponents 101-8, with 40 goals coming from the RGV’s leading scorer, senior Rey Cantu. Four forfeited games, however, dropped Hidalgo from potential district champs to No. 2 in the district.
That hasn’t affected the Pirates, however, as they have continued their dominance in the playoffs. An 8-1 victory over Rockport-Fulton to open the postseason set up a second-round match against District 31-4A champion Progreso.
The Pirates took care of the Red Ants with ease, cruising past them 5-2 to advance to a regional quarterfinal. The third round proved much of the same, with Hidalgo toppling its second straight district champ, the Brownsville Jubilee Titans, 5-1 to punch their ticket to the regional semifinal round.
The Pirates will have to beat another pair of district champs if they hope to advance to the Class 4A state tournament. Up first is a matchup against the Austin Achieve Polar Bears (16-8-1), who finished the year as co-champs in District 25-4A.
A win over the Polar Bears will pit them against either District 26-4A champ Boerne or District 29-4A champ Corpus Christi London.
Hidalgo kicks off its state tournament push against the Polar Bears at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Cabaniss Soccer Complex in Corpus Christi.
