Just 10 RGV boys soccer teams remained in the state title hunt heading into Tuesday’s regional quarterfinals.
That number was sliced in half by the end of the night, with just four teams alive after tonight’s third round action.
Brownsville Lopez and Edinburg North both punched their tickets to the regional semifinals with wins over district rivals. Here’s a look at how the rest of the RGV’s teams fared.
CLASS 4A
PROGRESO 2, BROWNSVILLE JUBILEE 0: At Brownsville, the Red Ants used a pair of second half goals to punch their ticket to the Region IV-4A tournament in Corpus Christi this weekend.
After a scoreless first half, Kaec Baza opened the scoring for the Red Ants during the second half, giving the team a 1-0 lead midway through the game.
Cesar Meza added to the Red Ants lead not long after, putting them up 2-0 and never looking back.
Jubilee’s season ends in the regional quarterfinals for a second straight year, marking back-to-back third round appearances for the first time in program history.
Meanwhile, the win sends the Red Ants back to the regional tournament for the sixth time in their last seven playoff appearances, only missing out last year after falling to eventual state champ Hidalgo in the area round.
Progreso takes on La Vernia at noon Friday in the Region IV-4A semifinals at Cabaniss Athletic Complex in Corpus Christi.
HIDALGO 2, IDEA EDINBURG QUEST 0: At Elsa, Santiago Hernandez and Johan Bonilla each scored once to push the Pirates past the Trailblazers at Benny Layton Memorial Stadium.
The Trailblazers historic playoff run comes to an end with a pair of playoff victories under their belt, just one year after winning their first playoff contest.
After back-to-back nailbiters to open the postseason, there was no drama this time around for the Pirates, taking an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Hernandez.
Bonilla put the finishing touches on Hidalgo’s win with a goal during the second half, sending Hidalgo to the regional tournament for a third straight year.
The Pirates are set to take on Boerne in a rematch of last year’s Region IV-4A championship game at 2 p.m. Friday at Cabaniss Athletic Complex in Corpus Christi. The winner of the contest will take on the winner between Progreso and La Vernia for the Region IV-4A championship.
CLASS 5A
FLOUR BLUFF 2, LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 1: At Corpus Christi, Juarez-Lincoln’s season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion for a second straight year, with the Hornets scoring a pair of second-half goals to stun the Huskies.
Juarez-Lincoln took the lead during the 57th minute on a goal by Charlie Montelongo, his second of the postseason. The lead was short-lived, however, with the Hornets knotting it up on a goal by Kyle Barganski during the 63rd minute.
Flour Bluff struck again during the 68th, taking the lead and never looking back en route to their first regional tournament appearance since 2006.
The Huskies end their year in the regional quarterfinals for a second straight year, losing to Lopez 1-0 last year in overtime. They also captured their eighth straight district title this season.
CLASS 6A
SAN ANTONIO HARLAN 1, HARLINGEN HIGH 0: At Laredo, Alejandro Vargas scored the game’s lone goal, ending Harlingen High’s season in the Region IV-6A quarterfinals for a second straight year.
After blowing out their first two opponents 16-0, the Hawks struggled against a tough Cardinals team, getting held to their lowest scoring output since a 1-1 tie against San Antonio Brennan on Feb. 16.
Still, it wasn’t enough, as Harlingen High was unable to answer before the end of regulation.
The season ends with Harlingen High making back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since making three straight from 2007-2009.
