Boys Team of the Year nominees had same dream
They all had one thing in common.
A dream of winning a state championship might have seemed absurd to most. But to the seven nominees for boys team of the year, the ultimate prize was the only driving force all season.
Along the way, the seven teams produced very successful and memorable seasons.
The winner for boys team of the year will be announced Tuesday June 14 at the 4th Annual All-Star Sports Awards at Yeckel Auditorium on the MMA campus in Harlingen. The event is co-sponsored by RGVSports.com and the Harlingen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
For ticket information contact the Harlingen Hispanic Chamber at (956) 421-2400.
The memories started in the fall when a couple of football teams, one steeped in tradition and the other well on its way to building its own.
The Harlingen Cardinals football team won the award last year and is nominated again after another superb campaign.
The Cards were No. 1 in the Valley all season and have been the Valley’s top-ranked team since August 2009.
This year, Big Red completed its second straight 10-0 regular season and reached the third round of the playoffs for the third straight season, losing to Northside Stevens, 31-30, in a double overtime heartbreaker.
Harlingen also won its 600th game in program history this year and became the first Valley team to score 600 points in one season (13 games).
In Weslaco, the East Wildcats won their first district title and reached the third round of the postseason for the first time in the school’s nine-year history.
East had one of the best, if not the best, ground power games around this season led by Bobby Gonzalez. East reeled off a program-best 11-2 record in 2010
Gonzalez was named the Valley’s Player of the Year and was the second 2,000-yard rusher in East school history.
Later that fall, the Edinburg Bobcats basketball squad hit the ground running as the Valley’s preseason top-ranked team and one of the best groups in the Valley in recent history.
The Running Bobcats went on to win their sixth straight district title after dominating team week after week.
Edinburg went 34-3 on the season and lost to San Antonio Taft (state qualifier) in the Sweet 16.
The Bobcats landed four of their five starters on the All-Valley squad including Aaron Olvera (player of the year), Stevan Guerrero and Cord Arriola (first team) and Phillip De La Rosa (second team).
Across the Valley, the Brownsville Porter Cowboys soccer team didn’t kick off the spring in grand fashion. But they closed it out that way.
La Porter finished in third place in the always tough District 32-5A. But a win in the Region IV-5A championship against 32-5A champs and rival Brownsville Lopez, sent the Cowboys and Porter Nation to their third state tournament in school history.
Porter started the season as the Valley’s No. 1 team and ended atop the Valley’s rankings as well.
Sharyland and PSJA Memorial’s track and field teams also made the list of nominees.
The Rattlers spent all year atop the Mythical Standings as the Valley’s best overall boys track team. Sharyland dominated the District 30-5A track meet winning by more than 100 points.
Sharyland continued its dominance at the regional track meet finishing in second with 48 points and qualified two relays (400 and 800) for the state meet. Its 400 relay did the unthinkable and won the regional title. Sharyland’s 400 and 800 relays each set new Valley records this season too.
The Wolverines won their first ever district title in track and field edging out four-time champs the Harlingen Cardinals.
It was also the first-ever title for Memorial head coach and Valley veteran Leroy Perez.
Finally, the Rattlers’ baseball team went wire to wire as the Valley’s top team this season once again.
They reeled off a 28-1 regular season record, winning 20 straight games at one point to go along with eight shutout wins.
Sharyland outscored their opponents 313-76 and were also ranked No. 2 in state and national polls. The Rattlers finished 28-2 after a first-round loss to Laredo United in the playoffs.
THE NOMINEES
GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
>> Amanda Garza, Sr., San Benito
>> Ashley Benavides, Sr., Los Fresnos
>> Brittanie Best, Sr., McAllen Rowe
>> Emily Perez, Jr., La Joya Juarez-Lincoln
>> Jessica Tamen, Jr., Edinburg High
>> Laura Torres, Sr., Edinburg High
>> Samantha Sepulveda, Sr., Grulla
BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
>> Aaron Olvera, Sr., Edinburg High
>> Bobby Gonzalez, Sr., Weslaco East
>> Moises Gonzalez, Sr., Brownsville Lopez
>> Randy Bermea, Jr., Harlingen High
>> Ricky Mata, Sr., Sharyland
>> Skylore Janes, Sr., Raymondville
>> Tony Jaramillo, Sr., Rio Hondo
COACH OF THE YEAR
>> Clarisse Arredondo, San Benito Girls Basketball
>> David Gilpin, Mission Veterans Football
>> Eddie Serna, Weslaco High Baseball
>> Jose Espitia, Brownsville Porter Boys Soccer
>> Juan Hernandez, La Feria Tennis
>> Lorena Lopez, McAllen Memorial Volleyball
>> Manny Gomez, Harlingen High Football
GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR
>> Harlingen South Basketball
>> Hidalgo Basketball
>> McAllen High Soccer
>> McAllen Memorial Volleyball
>> McAllen Rowe Volleyball
>> Mission Veterans Track & Field
>> San Benito Softball
BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR
>> Brownsville Porter Soccer
>> Edinburg High Basketball
>> Harlingen High Football
>> PSJA Memorial Track & Field
>> Sharyland Baseball
>> Sharyland Track & Field
>> Weslaco East Football
PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
>> Edinburg High
>> Harlingen High
>> McAllen High
>> Mission Veterans
>> Rio Hondo
>> Sharyland
>> Weslaco High
MOMENT OF THE YEAR
>> Bermea breaks 23-year Valley record in 110 hurdles and 24-year mark in 300 hurdles.
>> PSJA Memorial wins 65-58 offensive showdown against La Joya Palmview during Week 1.
>> La Villa’s Garza eclipses Detmer’s all-time Valley single game passing mark.
>> Porter beats Lopez in battle of Southmost at regional soccer final in Brownsville.
>> Casas’ buzzer beater at end of regulation keeps Edinburg High’s season alive.
>> Garza’s hit on Gonzalez makes statement in Mission Veterans’ win against Weslaco East.
>> Edinburg High scores 17 unanswered in final eight minutes to stun Sharyland in playoffs.
SPIRIT AWARD
>> Brownsville Porter
>> Edcouch-Elsa
>> Edinburg High
>> Harlingen High
>> Los Fresnos
>> San Benito
>> Weslaco High
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT
>> Bobby Barker, Sr., Port Isabel
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT
>> Joe Rodriguez, Brownsville ISD
