RIO HONDO — Seven Valley teams still stand tall in week three of the Texas high school softball playoffs.
And of the seven remaining, there are three from Class 6A, two from 5A, one from 3A and one from 4A. Rio Hondo is the lone team representing the Valley in the 4A ranking.
The Lady Bobcats have passed every test that has been thrown at them thus far in the postseason and tonight’s matchup against Orange Grove will be their toughest task by far. However, these Lady Cats are up to the challenge.
Game 1 of the best-of-three series at Falfurrias High School begins at 7:30 tonight. Game 2 is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Game 3, if needed, will be played at 11 a.m. Saturday.
For the second time in program history, Rio Hondo is in round three. The last time the Lady Cats were in the third round, the current seniors on the team were freshman and the juniors were only eighth graders who were watching from the stands.
Junior Abbie Alvarado was one of those eighth graders and thought it would be a dream come true to be a part of the Lady Bobcats softball program.
“I would stand at the fence and watch every little detail,” said Alvarado. “We all grew up playing together, so I came to every game. If I wasn’t in the stands, I was at the fence watching. I remember wanting to be a part of the team and now that I’m here, it’s amazing.”
As far as the crop of seniors, this will be their second trip to round three and have faced Orange Grove before. In 2015, Rio Hondo met the Lady Bulldogs in a bi-district meeting and got swept.
“We’re excited to be here and we want people to know what Rio Hondo softball is all about,” said senior Tianna Sandoval. “It’s crazy that some people don’t even know where Rio Hondo is, but that’s OK. Winning now will help put our program on the map.”
Fast-forward to 2017, Orange Grove ace Bea Lara is now a junior and is as sharp as ever inside the circle. Lara was the adversary then in 2015 and remains the key factor to the Lady Dogs’ success.
“She’s a tough one to face,” said Rio Hondo coach Brett Esparza. “But that’s what we expect at this level in the playoffs and it’s only going to get tougher. We saw this team two years ago and we have an idea on what to expect.”
As far as the Esparza name goes, the coaching tree runs deep. His mother is longtime softball coach Debbie Esparza, who recently retired after more than 20 years of coaching at Raymondville and Harlingen South. She still comes to her son’s aid when asked and even drops in some motherly advice here and there.
“It’s great to have her around; she always gives me tips and is always positive,” said Brett. “I was lucky to have been around all her playoff runs and was able to learn different things from her. My wife coaches softball as well and is over at La Feria. Without her support, I wouldn’t be here. We’re all just thankful to have each other’s support.”
