MERCEDES — When former Valley View assistant coach Damian Magallan arrived at Progreso High School, he did so with one goal in mind – bringing a state title to the Red Ants.
Through two rounds of the postseason the Red Ants look the part of a state title contender, punching their ticket to the Region IV-4A quarterfinals with a dominant 7-1 victory over IDEA Pharr on Thursday at Tiger Stadium in Mercedes.
“We’re very happy with the boys,” Magallan said. “Thank God the boys have shown themselves on the field. We’ve demonstrated toughness. More than anything we want to build them mentally. Two titans, Rivera and Porter just fell. Two teams who thought they were going to the state championship lost. They collapsed. So we have tried to educate the kids that we cannot stop pursuing anything or be overconfident to win. Right now, with the perseverance of the boys, we’ve been able to have this success.”
The Red Ants didn’t take long to flex their muscle against the Lions, scoring just four minutes into the game on a Cesar Meza.
Meza’s goal was the first of four during the first half, with freshman Hicker Segura adding to the lead during the 12th minute, while senior captain Joshua Perez made it 3-0 with 13 minutes left in the opening period.
Segura secured the first-half brace with just 10 minutes remaining, lobbying a shot over the goalkeeper from 40-yards out to make it 4-0 at the break.
The Red Ants kept their foot on the gas to start the second half, extending their lead to 7-0 before pulling their starters. Perez added a pair of second half goals to finish with a hat trick, while Carlos Carbajal added a score off a penalty kick.
“Hard work is everything. We have to work hard,” Magallan said. “We can’t leave anything. No lost ball. The boys seem very happy. Everyone is working at the same level. And as I tell you, I want them to reach the top. When we get there, we want them to already be at a good level. Physically, maybe we still have more to go but when we get there we will reach the top.”
IDEA Pharr finally got on the board late during the final period, with Cristian Ortega winning a one-on-one matchup with the goalie during the 72nd minute for the score, ending the game 7-1 in favor of the Red Ants.
The victory marked the 23rd straight for Progreso, with its last loss coming during non-district play against Celina 1-0 on Jan. 6.
They’ll take on Brownsville Jubilee in the third round of the postseason with a spot in the Region IV-4A tournament on the line. Game details are to be determined.
“The goal has always been to get to state,” Perez said. “It’ll always be the goal. Truthfully, Coach Magallan has shown us a lot of good things. We’ve seen a change in the rhythm on the field. We’ve been working hard. We’ve shown we’re a strong team already. Now we’re just going into each game trying to show we want it more. Whoever wants it more is going to win and the other is going home.”
