Pace edges Hanna for final District 32-5A boys playoff berth

It was a demanding struggle throughout the regular season, but the Pace Vikings made it back to the Class 5A state playoffs.

Pace captured a 3-2 overtime victory at home over Hanna Monday on the last day of the regular season in District 32-5A to claim the final boys playoff spot as the conference’s fourth-place team. The Vikings (8-6 district, 24 points) now advance to next week’s bi-district playoffs to face District 31-5A champion Edinburg Economedes.

Lopez, Rivera and Porter are the other three boys teams from 32-5A headed to the postseason.

"Hanna took us out of the playoffs last year (by beating us in the final regular-season game), and some of our seniors and juniors remembered that," Pace coach Chico Jimenez said. "Some of them were telling me that they wanted to do something about it this year (by winning), and this year, we were able to do it. It was hard all season because we always felt that we were behind Hanna (in the standings). We knew we had to win our final three (regular-season) games to get into the playoffs."

On Monday, Hanna gained an early 1-0 lead, but the Vikings responded twice to tie the match during the second half and send it to overtime tied at 2.

The Eagles went on top 1-0 on Alexis Nava’s shot from 15 yards on the left side that settled into the right corner of the net during the ninth minute. That lead stood until Pace’s Rogelio Cepeda tallied from 8 yards during the 66th minute for a 1-1 score. Hanna went ahead again on Luis Garcia’s header from close range during the 68th minute, but Pace scored its second goal just 21 seconds later, also during the 68th minute, to create another tie. Pace made it 2-2 when Cepeda scored from 10 yards out on the left side.

The score remained deadlocked until Hanna was called for pushing a Pace player down in the area during the 92nd minute. Gabriel Ramirez rifled the ensuring penalty kick into the left corner of the net for a 3-2 advantage that sent the Vikings to the playoffs.  

"Our mistakes hurt us tremendously," Hanna coach Juan de Dios Garcia said. "We just self-destructed."

Pace stayed alive in the playoff race with a 4-0 win at San Benito on Friday. Hanna (7-7, 22 points) was coming off last Friday’s 1-0 shootout loss at home against Los Fresnos. When the Vikings and Eagles met during the first round of district on Feb. 16, Hanna prevailed at home 1-0.

The Vikings, four-time 32-5A champions from 2004 through 2007, are returning to the playoffs after a one year’s absence. Prior to 2009, Pace had advanced to the postseason seven consecutive seasons and made it to the regional final twice (2006 and 2007).

Hanna will miss the postseason for the third time in four years. One year ago, the Golden Eagles lost to Economedes 2-1 in bi-district at Hanna.