Valley's best to be honored Tuesday

There isn't any official title of the Valley's best team. The same goes for best athlete, best coach, best athletic program or best moment. But after tonight's Rio Grande Valley All-Star Sports Awards presented by the Harlingen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and RGVSports.com, some at least will be able to say they were voted the best.

Awards will be handed out in eight categories, seven of which will be revealed tonight at Yeckel Auditorium in Harlingen. The only person who knows he has won an award is Earl Scott, who coached the 1961 Donna Redskins to the Valley's only football state championship. For that accomplishment, Scott will be handed the Robert Vela Lifetime Achievement Award, named after the late Edinburg High and Edcouch-Elsa football coach.

And though Scott and the Redskins' feat wasn't matched this year by any football team, many athletes will still arrive in Harlingen with hopes of winning another prestigious honor.

Besides, even if they don't win, they'll still be honored as one of the Valley's best.

"This is an event that the entire high school community in the Valley should support," Valley Freedom Newspapers Executive Sports Editor Wade Baker said. "We're not just recognizing the award winners and the nominees. This event is to recognize the high school sports season as a whole."

Winning is something all of the nominated coaches and athletes got used to this year. Perhaps one of the most impressive feats was pulled off by Hidalgo. Not only did the Pirates' athletic program become the first from the Valley to send a girls basketball team to the Final Four in the sport's modern 5-on-5 era, it also delivered a boys Class 4A state soccer title.

Whether or not Hidalgo's numerous individual nominees are victorious - boys soccer player Jesus Mireles for Male Athlete of the Year, girls basketball player Victoria Gonzalez for Female Athlete of the Year, boys soccer for Boys Team of the Year, girls basketball for Girls Team of the Year, Zeke Morales and Monica Rodriguez for Coach of the Year and Hidalgo itself for Program of the Year - the latest school year has already been a huge success.

Of course, a couple more trophies would please athletic director Albert Guerra.

"I think it would be fantastic for our kids," Guerra said. "It's a way of our program's blossoming into something that is recognizable in the Valley and the state level."

Yet, Hidalgo wasn't the only successful program. Along with the Pirates, Santa Rosa's boys basketball team also broke through to the Class 2A Final Four. There was also Brownsville Lopez almost winning the Class 5A state soccer title, and the individual brilliance of Rio Grande Cit's Stephen Saenz, McAllen High's Sam Mangum and Brownsville St. Joseph's Marissa Shinsky, all state champions.

They might not all win awards tonight, but their earlier victories helped make the 2008-2009 school year a historic one for the Valley. And what better way to cap it than honoring them all at one time.

"This is it. This is the final chapter of the 2008-09 high school sports season," Baker said.

Tickets for tonight's event can be purchased by calling 1-877-993-8499 or online at www.ez-tixx.com.

Brian Sandalow covers high school sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436 or via e-mail at bsandalow@themonitor.com.

HARLINGEN - The following is the list of nominees for the 2009 Rio Grande Valley All-Star Sports Awards, presented by the Harlingen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and RGVSports.com:

Athlete of the Year (Boys)
Adrian Moya, Brownsville Porter
Stephen Saenz, Rio Grande City
Jesus Mireles, Hidalgo
Joseph Vela, Rio Hondo
Sam Mangum, McAllen High
Erik Niño, Edcouch-Elsa
Luis Charles, Los Fresnos

Athlete of the Year (Girls)
Bianca Torre, Harlingen South
Marissa Shinsky, St. Joseph's Academy
Felicia Espericueta, Edinburg North
Tricia Terry, McAllen McAllen
Victoria Gonzalez, Hidalgo
Cinthia Adame, San Benito
Jennifer Garcia, Harlingen High

Team of the Year (Boys)
Hidalgo soccer
Santa Rosa basketball
Brownsville Hanna baseball
La Feria football
Brownsville Lopez soccer
Los Fresnos football
Sharyland baseball

Team of the Year (Girls)
Hidalgo basketball
San Benito track & field
Lyford softball
Harlingen High softball
Harlingen South basketball
Harlingen South soccer
McAllen High soccer

Athletic Program of the Year
Los Fresnos
Sharyland
McAllen High
La Feria
Hidalgo
Harlingen South
Harlingen High

Coach of the Year
Monica Rodriguez, Hidalgo girls basketball
Johnny Cipriano, Santa Rosa boys basketball
Bill Littleton, McAllen Memorial football
Roque Cortinas, Roma baseball
Amadeo Escandon, Brownsville Lopez boys soccer
Zeke Morales, Hidalgo boys soccer
Lupe Perez, Santa Maria football

Moment of the Year
Olvera's free throws sends Hidalgo to state tournament
Garcia's late 3-pointer lifts Santa Rosa to state tournament
McAllen High-Weslaco High play classic at sold out UTPA Field House
Niño finds Tanguma to lift E-E past Calallen
La Feria stuns Bandera at Alamodome
Brownsville Pace's Sergio Rios comes from behind twice at track regionals
Brownsville Lopez blows lead, then responds in shootout
Saenz draws crowd at regional meet, breaks old record five times