UTB-TSC Capsules: Perez brothers add skills, savvy to Scorpions' lineup

Brothers Rogelio and Mario Perez of Brownsville never had a chance to play together on the same soccer team until this season with the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Scorpions.

They are Porter graduates — Rogelio in 2006 and Mario in 2009. Both were soccer standouts for the Cowboys, and Rogelio watched from the stands in Round Rock when Porter won the Class 5A state championship in 2006 with freshman Mario as the team’s starting center midfielder in the title match. Rogelio didn’t play for Porter in 2006 because he had used up his high school eligibility the previous season.

With the Scorpions, Rogelio is a junior midfielder at a wing position, while Mario is a freshman forward. The brothers have been starting together lately and even playing on the same side of the field, so there have been plenty of chances for them to interact with the ball.

"We wanted to be together on the same team since we were at Porter, but it didn’t work out," Rogelio said. "We’re able to do it now in college, and it’s great to play on the same team with my brother."

The three-time Red River Athletic Conference regular-season champion Scorpions (15-0-1), ranked No. 14 in this week’s NAIA poll, completed their regular season with a 2-1 overtime victory at home over Texas A&M International on Monday night. They next play at 5 p.m. Friday as the No. 1 seed in the RRAC Tournament semifinals in Fort Worth.

UTB-TSC coach Dan Balaguero said having the Perez brothers in the lineup is an asset for the team.

"Both brothers bring a lot to the table," Balaguero said. "In terms of attitude, they’re both fantastic. Obviously, Mario’s resumé coming out of high school is big-time, and actually, Rogelio has been unbelievable for us for three years. He’s someone who has played a number of positions, and he’s one of those players who never complains and always works hard. He’s a warrior who has always done well when he comes into the game.

"Mario is a dynamic player who has come to the college level and adjusted to it very quickly," Balaguero added. "To me, he’s the best attacking player in the United States. I really believe that."

Mario has played in all 16 games for the Scorpions and has recorded six goals and six assists. Mario said he and his brother have had various coaches since they were younger, but their father is the one who introduced them to the game and showed them how to play.

"It’s a great experience being with my brother (on the same squad), and we’re happy about it," Mario said. "We’re both trying to do the best we can so that the team can continue winning and going forward."

At Porter, the two brothers were known by the nickname Chino when each played different years for the Cowboys. The nickname has carried over to UTB-TSC with a slight modification.

"Right now, I’m Chino and he’s Chinito," Rogelio said. "At Porter, we were both called Chino. He’ll be Chino (when I graduate), so that’s OK."

Roy Hess writes for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him via e-mail at rhess@brownsvilleherald.com.

MEN'S SOCCER

Scorpions seek third straight RRAC tourney crown

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College will go for its third straight Red River Athletic Conference Tournament championship when the Scorpions begin play Friday at Martin Field on the campus of Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth.

The Scorpions, ranked 14th in the newest NAIA coaches top 25 poll, are 15-0-1 and one of six unbeaten teams in the country. UTB-TSC is the No. 1 seed in the tournament and Huston-Tillotson (10-5) is the No. 2 seed in the six-team tournament. Both draw byes from Thursday’s tournament openers matching the lower four seeds.

Thursday’s first-round games match third-seeded Our Lady of the Lake (10-6) against sixth-seeded Texas Wesleyan (11-7) at 1 p.m. and fourth-seeded Northwood (8-7-2) against fifth-seeded Texas College (5-8) at 5 p.m.

UTB-TSC plays the lower remaining seed at 5 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. Huston-Tillotson plays the higher remaining seed at 1 p.m. The tournament championship game is scheduled at 5 p.m. Saturday.

The tournament winner advances to the opening round of the NAIA national men’s soccer tournament on Nov. 21.

Should UTB-TSC win the RRAC tournament, the Scorpions will be in a strong position to play host to the opening round game because it is ranked among the top 15 teams in the country.

-- UTB-TSC Services

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Scorpions women await semifinal

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College women’s soccer team seeks to reach one of its season goals when the Scorpions take part in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament on Friday at Martin Field on the campus of Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth.

UTB/TSC (9-4-2) is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and Northwood (11-4) is the No. 1 seed in the six-team tournament. Both draw byes from Thursday’s tournament openers matching the lower four seeds.

Thursday’s first-round games match third-seeded Texas Wesleyan (13-5) against sixth-seeded Bacone (2-11-2) at 3 p.m. and fourth-seeded Our Lady of the Lake (8-6-2) against fifth-seeded University of the Southwest (9-6) at 7 p.m.

UTB-TSC plays the higher remaining seed at 3 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. Northwood plays the lower remaining seed at 7 p.m. The tournament championship game is scheduled at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The tournament winner advances to the opening round of the NAIA national women’s soccer tournament on Nov. 21. Because no RRAC teams are ranked in the NAIA coaches top 25, the tournament champion is likely to play a road game that day.

-- UTB-TSC Services

Feature

UTB-TSC embarks on RRAC tournament

With two goals behind them, the UTB-TSC men’s soccer team　now focuses　on a new goal: a successful run in the postseason.

Goal 1: A Red River Athletic regular season championship, for the third time. Check.

Goal 2: An undefeated season, quite a feat for a program in its third year of existence. Check.

Now it’s the postseason, a familiar place for the Scorpions who steamrolled through the conference for the third consecutive year.

"We know we must be 100 percent focused and ready for all of our conference opponents," Scorpion head coach Dan Balaguero said. "The bull’s eye on our back continues to get bigger and teams step up when they play against us."

UTB-TSC is a perfect 29-0 against RRAC opponents in three seasons. In the 29 victories, they have registered 16 shutouts. Texas Wesleyan University has lost to　the Scorpions six times and has been shut out each time.　Everybody in the RRAC wants to beat the defending champs.

"The closer we get to the national tournament, the harder the games are going to be," Balaguero said. "This is a very difficult thing to do, to go through a regular season undefeated. We always tell our guys to enjoy the season and realize it was quite an accomplishment. Now it’s a new season and we have to have a different mentality."

First Two Years Successful

The UTB-TSC soccer story parallels the success story of chess in Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley. Chess teams at the public school level, starting in elementary school, have won several national championships since the early 1990s. Incorporating chess into the UTB-TSC program was a natural fit.

Youth soccer teams have been playing in Brownsville for decades. Brownsville has produced two high school state champion teams and two other teams have played in the state title game.

So when the administration decided in 2005 to expand Scorpion athletics into a four-year program and apply for admission into the NAIA, the decision to add men’s and women’s soccer was an easy one.

Balaguero was hired to start the men’s program and Nik Barjaktarevic the women’s program. Both recruited heavily in the area and from around the world to start championship soccer at UTB/TSC.

Nobody really knew what to expect from the Scorpions in their first season. Other RRAC teams saw them as the new kids on the block and wanted to show the Scorpions the soccer ropes.

Anchored by Offensive MVP Fernando Mendoza and Defensive MVP David Purser in the first two years, the Scorpions turned the tables on everyone.

UTB-TSC set the conference afire in the first 2007 season. The new kids on the block rolled through as the RRAC regular season champions, then won the conference tournament championship in a shootout over Texas Wesleyan University.

The Scorpions had arrived.

UTB-TSC played TWU again the NAIA Region VI playoffs, and took a 5-0 victory at Morningside Park before more than 1,000 spectators. The Scorpions advanced to the regional semifinals on the road against top-seeded Oklahoma City and lost, 2-0, ending a 14-5-1 season.

In 2008, the Scorpions cruised through the regular season again, and was the top seed in the RRAC Tournament again. The tournament championship went into overtime for the second straight year, but the Scorpions prevailed in the first overtime period, 1-0, over Huston-Tillotson University.

The NAIA changed its postseason qualification plan, creating a NAIA National Tournament Opening Round game at the site of higher-seeded teams, with the winners advancing to the site of the finals with winners of the 16 Opening Round games.

UTB-TSC was 15-4 in the 2008 season, but its No. 27 ranking was not high enough to host the qualifying game. The school did not submit a bid to host the Opening Round game, and the Scorpions were slotted to travel to Mobile, Ala. to face the University of Mobile. The Rams, who had years of national tournament experience, scored three goals in the second half to beat the Scorpions, 3-0.

Defense Wins Championships

The 2008 version of the Scorpions recorded 10 shutouts in 20 games, a 0.5 average that ranked ninth-best in the country.

The 2007 and 2008 teams were anchored by David Purser, who later signed a professional contract with Real Maryland FC, a USL Division II professional soccer team.

"The only way you can win championships is to have a good have a　D," Balaguero said.　"We know that we’re going to score every game. If we can shut them out, we will win　every time."

With Purser’s departure, Balaguero decided to move the versatile　Brian Hardie to play center back and anchor the defense in front of goalkeeper Juan Gamboa. Hardie is only 5-9, but plays fearless and outmuscles many taller and stronger forwards.

Gamboa is the defensive quarterback. He shouts instructions to his teammates throughout the game, and has made numerous acrobatic saves in three years. He has been the starting keeper for the past two seasons, and came out of only one game this year to give freshman Zack Gorman some playing experience.

The Scorpions have pride in their defense. In 16 games, the 2009 team registered seven shutouts, and held six other opponents to one goal.

"The defense with Brian, Omar Apodaca, and Robin Edejholm playing back,　have been great for us all season."

In somewhat of a coincidence, the team captains are the senior Hardie and the junior Gamboa.

Diverse Offense

Mendoza was a handful for defenders in the first　two years of Scorpion soccer, scoring 14 goals in 2007 and 15 in 2008.

The 2009 Scorpions are　much more balanced.　Evans Frimpong, who redshirted in 2008, leads the team in goals with eight, and has been generous with the ball, dishing out 11 assists to lead the team and the conference. Teammate Abass Ayembillah, also from Ghana, has seven goals. Both are freshmen.

Freshman Mario Perez, the fastest player on the team, plays right forward and has six goals and six assists. Dangerous junior forward Juan Nava plays left forward and has four goals. Aaron Guerrero has been a pleasant surprise, coming on strong late in the season with six goals.

Nava and Frimpong received offers to play for the professional Rio Grande Valley Bravos soccer team, but chose to stay with the Scorpions.

"One thing positive for us, is that we have different guys scoring," Balaguero said. "Mario has been outstanding, and　Juan, Evans, and Abass are　hard to defend against."

Three players transferred to play for Balaguero and the Scorpions　from the　Bethel College team that won the 2008 NAIA national championship — Apodaca, defender Rob Burger and midfielder Frederick Ekvall. "The boys from Bethel have been fantastic," Balaguero said. "They have given us some great experience."

Two-year starters Chris Scott and Steve Howard are steady workhorse players in the midfield.

Balaguero has given numerous players many minutes on the field. Valley products Enrique Rivera, Ricky Rodriguez, Rogelio Perez and Nestor Morales have played big roles in the Scorpion success. "We have great depth on this team which will be vital for the postseason."

Tough Early Schedule Prepares Team for Postseason

Balaguero knew that he had to play some teams with national soccer prominence　for the Scorpions to break through as a top tier team. He took a chance making a trip to play tradition-rich University of Mobile (Ala.) and Belhaven College (Miss.) on Mobile’s home field in September.

UTB-TSC returned to "The Jungle" at Mobile, the site of the end of the Scorpions’ 2008 season, and stopped Mobile this time.　Belhaven, currently ranked No. 22 in the NAIA poll, tied the Scorpions, 3-3,　in what would be the only non-victory for UTB-TSC in the regular season.

"The schedule was extremely tough and the guys have thrived on it," Balaguero said.

UTB-TSC is favored to repeat as RRAC champions, which is the next item on the team’s agenda.

After pulling out a dramatic 2-1 win over Texas A&M International University in double overtime Monday, the players celebrated an undefeated regular season　like little boys, spraying water over each other, and dancing to Latin music they requested to be played,

"We are looking at one game at a time and are hopeful of a memorable season," Balaguero said. "The spirit is good. All the boys enjoy being around one another, and this has　really helped and makes the atmosphere fun."　

-- UTB-TSC Services