Last season, the Hidalgo Pirates and Sharyland High Rattlers both made appearances at the UIL state tournament, and Brownsville St. Joseph made an appearance in the TAPPS DII state title game.
The Pirates brought the Valley’s boys soccer title count to seven after capturing the Class 4A title with a 3-0 win over Palestine in the championship game.
The Rio Grande Valley’s most successful boys team sport got the ball rolling at the turn of the new year, with soccer squads from across the RGV gearing up for another state title run.
With district play getting underway for some of the Valley’s teams this week, RGVSports.com, along with the Rio Grande Valley Soccer Coaches Organization, took a look at this year’s contenders and compiled a list of teams.
Here is the first RGVSports.com/RGVSCO 5A/6A Top 10 and 4A Top 4 rankings of the year.
RGVSPORTS.COM/RGVSCO CLASS 5A/6A TOP 10
No. 1 Brownsville Rivera: The Raiders fell just short of a state tournament appearance last season, losing a heartbreaker to Dripping Springs during the Region IV-6A final. Led by head coach Salvador Garcia, Brownsville Rivera is locked and loaded to make another deep playoff run despite returning just four starters from a season ago. The Raiders already look like contenders during the early part of the season, picking up convincing non-district wins over McAllen High (3-1), La Joya Palmview (3-1) and La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (3-1) to start the year.
No. 2 Brownsville Porter: The Cowboys’ season came to a disappointing end last season, losing in the third round of the playoffs to eventual Region IV-5A champion Sharyland High. Like always, the Cowboys are retooled and primed to get back to the big dance. The Cowboys have looked dominant during the early part of the season, posting a 6-0-0 non-district record while outscoring opponents 19-0, including an unscathed run during the BISD Showcase to claim their second straight title.
No. 3 Brownsville Lopez: The Lobos returned to the regional tournament for the first time since 2017 last year, with their season eventually coming to an end in a Region IV-5A semifinal. Brownsville Lopez showed it is ready for another deep playoff push during the Brownsville ISD Showcase, finishing second in the overall standings behind only showcase champion Brownsville Porter. The Lobos’ offense, which averaged 3.6 goals per game during district play a year ago, looks just as dominant this year, scoring three or more goals during each of their games at the BISD Showcase.
No. 4 Donna North: Injuries plagued the Chiefs during the 2023 campaign, stumbling into the postseason before falling in the bi-district round to McAllen High. Donna North looks like a different team this season, turning heads during the BISD Showcase after a third-place finish. The Chiefs enter district play with a 6-0-0 record in tow, outscoring their opponents 13-3 during that span. They’ll look to keep that level of play as district play kicks off Friday, hoping to keep pace with the other powerhouses in District 32-5A.
No. 5 La Joya Juarez-Lincoln: The Huskies continued their dominant run against district opponents last year, capturing their eighth straight district title. The season ultimately ended in heartbreak after falling in a Region IV-5A regional quarterfinal to Brownsville Lopez. Juarez-Lincoln should be a contender once again this year, with several big names set to return from last year’s squad, including Omar Solis, The Monitor’s 2023 All-Area Offensive Player of the Year.
No. 6 Edinburg Economedes: The Jaguars had one of the biggest turnarounds last season, jumping from a seventh place finish a year prior to District 31-6A champions last year. They’ll look to continue to build off that turnaround during Year 2 under head coach Juan Rodriguez. A first-round exit last year has the Jaguars motivated to improve on last year’s success and possibly repeat as district champs.
No. 7 Edinburg North: Led by head coach Elias Moran, the Cougars are always a threat coming out of District 31-6A. This year should be no different, with Edinburg North looking to overtake Economedes as district champ after finishing second last year. The Cougars have put together some solid showings during non-district play, picking up wins over District 32-6A rivals Los Fresnos (3-1), Brownsville Hanna (2-1) and Harlingen High (4-1) during the early part of the season.
No. 8 Harlingen High: Harlingen High is coming off a historic 2023 season which featured the Cardinals winning their first playoff game in five years and advancing to the third round for the first time since 1996. Year 3 under head coach Joey Johnson should bring even more success, with several key pieces set to return from last year’s squad. Expect the Cardinals to improve from a fourth-place finish in District 32-6A last season and make a possible run at the title this year.
No. 9 Los Fresnos: The Falcons were on the losing end just three times during District 32-6A play last season, twice to eventual champ Rivera and once to Harlingen High. Despite graduating several key pieces, the Falcons should be in contention for the district title once again under the tutelage of head coach Michael Miller. Los Fresnos has posted a 4-2-0 record during non-district play, with its only two losses coming against No. 4 Donna North and No. 7 Edinburg North.
No. T10 San Benito: The Greyhounds won just two games during district play last season, both of those wins coming against a winless Weslaco High squad. These aren’t those same Greyhounds. San Benito has looked like a legit contender during the early part of the 2024 campaign, posting a 4-2-1 record during non-district play.
No. T10: Sharyland High: Graduation hit the Rattlers hard this season, with only a handful of players from last year’s state tournament qualifying squad returning. Don’t count the reigning Region IV-5A champions out, however, with Sharyland High always ready to reload and make another run. The Rattlers aren’t without some big-name players, either, with seniors Juan Pablo Trevino and Luis Tellez helping the younger members of the squad prepare for another possible deep run.
RGVSPORTS.COM/RGVSCO CLASS 4A TOP 4
No. 1 Progreso: To be the best, you have to beat the best. The Red Ants already have done that during the early part of the season, taking down reigning Class 4A champion Hidalgo 3-0 during a non-district contest to start the season. After a third-round exit last season, the Red Ants look like the team to beat this season among the RGV’s Class 4A squads.
No. 2 Hidalgo: The Pirates became just the second team in RGV history to capture two state soccer titles last season, joining Brownsville Porter. Hidalgo will look different this year, with only three returners back from last season. The Pirates are still a threat to win a district title and make some noise come playoff time, with the next group of players ready to continue the tradition of excellence laid by previous teams.
No. 3 Brownsville Jubilee: The Titans are coming off a historic 2023 campaign which featured the team capturing its third district title in four years and advancing to the third round of the postseason for the first time in program history. Brownsville Jubilee is hungry for more this season, aiming to make a push toward the regional and state tournaments.
No. 4 Brownsville St. Joseph: The Bloodhounds are off to a hot start in district play this year, reeling off three straight wins to kick off the season. After finishing as the TAPPS DII runner-up last year, Brownsville St. Joseph is itching to get back to the state tournament and finish the job this year.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ramon “Chacho” Zuniga, Brownsville Lopez: Zuniga was arguably the top player in the RGV last season, netting a school-record 39 goals en route to the Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year award. More impressively, he was only a sophomore at the time. Zuniga is back to terrorize defenses once again this season, looking to put together and even more memorable year during his junior campaign.
Diego Guerra, Brownsville Lopez: Guerra carved out a role on Brownsville Lopez’s regional semifinalist squad last year despite being only a freshman, netting 12 goals during district play for the Lobos. He looks primed for an even bigger year this season, giving Lopez a dynamic duo in Zuniga and Guerra. The sophomore forward has already demonstrated his ability to take over contests early this season, recording a hat trick during a 5-0 victory over Valley View during the BISD Showcase.
Martin Gonzalez, Brownsville Porter: Gonzalez was the cog that moved Brownsville Porter’s offensive machine last year, with no player scoring more goals than him during District 32-5A play. His 26 goals during district play ranked him fifth overall in the RGV at year’s end. The crafty striker uses a combination of size and speed to dominate defenders and should continue to cause headaches for defenses this year.
Omar Solis, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln: On almost any given night you could find Solis’ name on the box score. The senior forward had a knack for finding the back of the net last season, averaging 2.4 goals per contest during district play en route to a team-leading 33 goals. The lanky forward can beat defenders in many different ways, making him a threat to score on almost any play. He’ll play a key role as the Huskies prepare to chase their eighth straight district title and possibly more.
Peter Yanez, Valley View: Yanez has dealt with injures over the past two seasons, but that hasn’t slowed him from making an impact on the field. Last year, the then-junior netted 21 goals in 16 district games to help the Tigers capture a share of the District 31-5A crown. Yanez will be called upon again this season as the Tigers transition over to newly appointed head coach Zeke Morales.
Joshua Perez, Progreso: The Red Ants have a long history of success on the pitch, having made the state tournament three times from 2016-2018. Perez will play a key role on the team as they gear up for another run at the state title this season. The senior forward and reigning District 31-4A MVP is coming off a 14-goal district season a year ago and looks locked and loaded to do more damage this year.
Jesus Martinez, Edinburg North: Martinez broke out for the Cougars last season, netting a district leading 13 goals in 10 games. The then-sophomore’s breakout campaign resulted in him earning District 31-6A Offensive Player of the Year honors. Expect another big year for Martinez as the Cougars look to dethrone Economedes for the district crown and make a deep postseason run.
