Halfway through the district season and the Harlingen South boys soccer team has finally found its scoring touch. And if Tuesday’s 7-0 thumping of crosstown rival Harlingen High has any merit, it’s an indication that the second half will be a wild one.
One interesting note that may be hard to believe is that Harlingen South has only reached the postseason twice since its inception. The Hawks made the playoffs in 1995 and 2011.
This season, South head coach Julian Robles is looking to change that and currently has the Hawks sitting in fourth place with a record of 5-3 and 15 points.
“We had been struggling to score, but we’ve come around,” said Robles. “We’re playing with confidence right now and that’s what we need to continue to do. Harlingen (High) is still Harlingen, but we came out firing on all cylinders and the kids did well.
“I’m very proud of my boys because they have showed a lot of composer after a rough first half.”
One player that has helped the Hawks generate goals is Robert Rodriguez. The senior scored three goals against Harlingen High on Tuesday, bring his district scoring tally to 13 goals in eight games. In total Rodriguez has scored 20 goals.
Rounding out the top teams in the district are Los Fresnos 7-1 (22 points), BrownsvilleRivera 7-1 (20 points), Brownsville Hanna 6-2 (18 points) and Harlingen South.
The Hawks maintain a six-point lead over fifth place Weslaco East 3-5 (9 points)
Harlingen South continues its quest for the playoffs Friday against the Los Fresnos Falcons.
LADY CARDINALS HANGING ON TO THIRD: Week 8 of the girls District 32-6A soccer schedule is officially in the books and the Harlingen Lady Cardinals are holding firm in the third spot.
Despite back-to-back losses to San Benito and Harlingen South, the Lady Cards are still in prime position to achieve a goal the team set before starting the season, which was to make the playoffs.
“We know what our goal is and that is to make the playoffs,” said Harlingen head soccer coach Debra Hernandez. “I tell them to work hard and take it one game at a time. We need to focus on scoring and take advantage of our opportunities.
“The season is not over and if we continue to play hard and practice harder, we can rebound from these losses and finish strong.”
The Lady Cardinals had a stellar beginning to District 32-6A, but the latest losses have seen Harlingen drop to 4-4 (12 points).
The Los Fresnos Lady Falcons continue to stake their claim at the top of the pack. The Lady Falcons are an unblemished 8-0 with 24 points, Harlingen South is second at 7-1 (21 points), Harlingen High is third, and BrownsvilleRivera and Hanna are fourth at 4-4 (12 points).
