Disclaimer: All team records and stats were retrieved from MaxPreps.com. They may or may not be accurate but our sports data sites (who are SUPPOSED to be keeping up with these things and get paid to post ads on their sites) don’t have info on these teams; RGVSports.com, 956Sports.com don’t give two shits about soccer, High School Sports Magazine doesn’t know how to use the internet apparently, and RGVFutbol is dead. I’m not about to dig through 17 or so weeks of The Monitor box scores to tally up records, so you get what you get.
On with the rankings:
6) Edinburg North Cougars (16-6-2) – Previous: 1-1 PK Brownsville Rivera – Rivera wasn’t exactly the same team that won state back in 2015, but they were champions of one of the tougher districts in the state and losing to a team that’s only +5 on goal differential for the season isn’t exactly how they expected to get bounced. In fact, of the 6 teams still alive, North ranks dead last in goal differential/game, winning by only a slim 0.22 goals a game. In the next round, they’ll face San Antonio Clark who are riding a 21-game unbeaten streak and a +55 goal differential having only given up 7 goals all season. Next Game: 4/7 vs San Antonio Clark (19-1-2)
5) Brownsville Lopez Lobos (7-4-1, *again probably not accurate) – Previous: 4-0 Laredo Nixon – During the regular season, Lopez had been plagued with suspect defense, totaling up to one of the worst scoring defenses in the RGV having given up 2.22 goals a game during the regular season. However, somehow, they’ve managed to turn things around and have posted three straight shut-outs to open post-season play with wins over Sharyland, CC Ray, and Laredo Nixon. Regardless if they’ve fixed their woes on defense, they’ll need to play their best defensive game of the season in the next round as Alamo Heights’ high scoring offense averages nearly 2.24 goals per game. Next Game: 4/7 vs Alamo Heights (17-3-5)
4) Progreso Red Ants (12-5-1) – Previous: 3-0 Hidalgo – Last year’s 4A champion runner-ups have another opportunity to solidify themselves as one of the best 4A programs in the state. Interestingly, Progreso has finished as district runner-up the last two seasons and for the 2nd straight year, they will have gone further into the playoffs than their district champion. Progreso has stiffened their already stingy defense in the playoffs and look to potentially ride that all the way back to the state title game. The Red Ants face a Canyon Lake squad who also had a similar shootout with Gonzales. Next Game: 4/7 Fischer Canyon Lake (16-6-2)
3) Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers (8-2, *again, don’t quote me) – Previous: 1-0 Pace – The tragedy with having regional based playoffs is that talented Brownsville teams will knock each other out within the first 4 rounds. Even in a lousy year, Pace was still good enough to take out a 1-loss Valley View squad, make it through to the 3rd. round and push the Chargers to the limit. Veterans Memorial currently has the 2nd lowest scoring offense of the remaining teams, scoring a low 1.7 goals per game, but what they lack in scoring, they make up for in defensive prowess, keeping opponents to less than a goal a game (0.6). Next Game: 4/7 Austin High (11-5-6)
2) La Feria Lions (10-4-1) – Previous: 2-1 Rio Grande City La Grulla – I might get flack for putting a sub 6A/5A squad in the top 2, but La Feria HAS been impressive this season. Of the remaining teams they rank 2nd in scoring offense and 2nd in scoring differential in a competitive district. Next, they’ll be in for an offense vs. defense chess match as they face a strong Bandera side that hasn’t given up a goal in nearly 2 months. Next Game: 4/7 Bandera (13-5-2)
1) La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies (18-2) Previous: 3-0 Laredo United – The Huskies are the best team the Valley has representing it in the playoffs and it’s not even close. In every major category they rank either 1st or 2nd (scoring defense). As a sub-.500 team that miraculously made it to the 3rd. round before losing to eventual state runner-up Lopez, Juarez-Lincoln have been riding that same momentum this season. Their next opponent just knocked out last year’s champs (Lake Travis) 3-1. If they get passed Johnson, I can’t imagine another opponent outside of Sachse (who beat Coppell last week) that would potentially give the Huskies as much trouble as Johnson would potentially. Next Game: San Antonio Johnson (17-3-3)
4A Boys Soccer Bracket (Regions 2 & 4)
UIL 2017 Boys Soccer State Championship Boys Soccer 4A Region 2&4
5A Boys Soccer Bracket (Regions 2 & 4)
UIL 2017 Boys Soccer State Championship Boys Soccer 5A Regions 2&4
6A Boys Soccer Bracket (Regions 2 & 4)
UIL 2017 Boys Soccer State Championship Boys Soccer 6A Regions 2&4
