BROWNSVILLE — Brownsville Lopez just needed to hold on for less than a minute to secure a spot in the postseason. The Lobos held a one-goal lead over Valley View with the clock winding down.
The Tigers, on the other hand, were in search of a miracle to keep their season alive.
The miracle opportunity presented itself with 30 seconds remaining, with Valley View forcing a Lobos error to take possession in enemy territory.
The speedy Jesus Almaraz took the intercepted pass and sprinted down the field in search of the game-tying goal. A quick move to the right created space for Almaraz just outside the box, and he fired a shot directly at the goal.
The shot attempt fell no good, bouncing off the right post as time expired, and the Lobos held on for the 3-2 victory over the Tigers during their 5A bi-district round matchup Thursday at Brownsville Lopez High.
The victory punches the Lobos’ ticket to the second round for the first time since 2018. They’ll take on Laredo Martin at a date, time and location to be determined.
“As soon as he cut to the right, I knew he was going to shoot,” Lopez head coach Amadeo Escandon said. “He has a heck of a leg, so I was hoping one of our guys would get a leg in there. Good thing he shot it and it hit the post. I was praying the whole time, though.
“It was one of those games where we knew whoever made the least mistakes would be the winner. We’re pretty much evenly matched. Maybe they have a little more talent than us, but I think we had a little more heart and that is what got us through tonight.”
Tied 1-1 after a goal by Valley View midfielder Emiliano Villegas just minutes into the second half, the Lobos turned up the intensity, looking to retake the lead.
A foul inside the box by the Tigers opened the door for the Lobos, with Luis Gonzalez converting the ensuing penalty attempt to make it 2-1 with 22 minutes remaining.
Seven minutes later, the Lobos struck again. This time it was Ramon “Chacho” Zuniga with the score, delivering a strike on a set piece just outside the box to make it 3-1 with 14 minutes left.
“We told the guys we needed to play intelligently in the second half,” Escandon said. “We were a man down, but we were controlling the tempo pretty good and had opportunities. I just told them to not stop running. That is what the kids did all 80 minutes long.”
Momentum continued to favor the Lobos following Zuniga’s goal, with back-to-back red cards to a pair of Valley View players leaving the Tigers with only nine men on the field.
Valley View wouldn’t go away, however, cutting the deficit to one with 11 minutes remaining on a successful penalty attempt by Almaraz.
The shorthanded Tigers continued their comeback attempt following the goal, getting inside enemy territory on several occasions. No attempt fell in favor of Valley View, though, with Zuniga’s goal proving to be the difference as the Lobos held on for the 3-2 win.
“Once I saw my other two teammates try and make their shot early, I knew I had to give it a go,” Zuniga said. “I shot it with the wind as hard as I could. Luckily, it went in. This is barely starting, though. Our run is just starting. We have more to come for our fans.”
The loss marks the second straight year that the Tigers’ season ends in the bi-district round, after falling to Brownsville Pace last year. They finish as tri-champions in District 31-5A with a 12-3-3 mark.
