BROWNSVILLE — Harlingen High’s girls soccer team made it to the third round of the playoffs last season.
This season, the Cardinals are looking to advance further as they continue the start of their season with tough scrimmages while celebrating the future of a teammate.
Harlingen High faces one of the best teams in the Valley, McAllen High, at 7:30 p.m. today at McHi. The Cardinals also celebrate the signing of senior midfielder Grace Reed to Lubbock Christian University later in the week before facing crosstown rival Harlingen South at 5:30 p.m. Friday at South.
Harlingen High was eliminated last season in the third round by San Antonio O’Connor, 5-4, after claiming an area-round win and a District 32-6A title.
Those successes have set the upcoming season’s expectations pretty high, Harlingen High head coach Jose Galvan said.
“We have been working hard with the girls,” Galvan said. “I have a young team like last year, but we will be experienced and hopefully add more skills to what we learned from last season.”
Galvan said the more seasoned players have done a great job in leading the younger players this offseason.
Reed, one of those veteran players, is ready for the challenging scrimmages before having to face tough teams from the San Antonio, Dallas and Austin areas in January. Reed also is excited about signing with Lubbock Christian.
“I know it is going be a challenge, but the school is super welcoming and I have friends there,” Reed said about agreeing to join the Chaparrals.
Reed is set to join former teammate Maya Quinones at the NCAA Division II program in 2024.
Senior goalkeeper Gilliece Gomez, the Valley Morning Star/The Brownsville Herald goalie of the year for the 2022-23 season is another key player returning for the Cardinals. Harlingen High has many other talented players that were playing in showcases up North this past weekend.
The Cardinals had 11 underclassmen on the roster last season.
“We lost a few good seniors that really helped us,” Gomez said. “We still have players that are really good. We have a lot of sophomores, but they are confident in themselves and we are confident in them to do their jobs.”
Harlingen High finished 16-2-1 last season and are a team to watch as the girls soccer season approaches.
