Building a Foundation

WESLACO — David Cordero is just trying to establish a program.

Some would say he has done that, and in the past couple of seasons under his leadership, the Weslaco girls soccer team has gotten a taste of success through two playoff appearances.
Now the team is ready to take the next step.

“I think I’ve built a little foundation here, at least it’s been set,” Cordero said. “Now it’s for them to carry it.”

That groundwork wasn’t an easy thing to pull off. Cordero recalls when he first came to Weslaco, one of the things that stood out was the way players were playing the sport as if it were kickball. The team lacked structure and some basic fundamental skills from passing to trapping.

With a strong soccer background, Cordero used that experience to help teach the skills his athletes would then in turn use to buy into his system completely.

“Now everybody is getting involved,” he said.

As of Tuesday heading into District 32-5A competition against Los Fresnos, the Lady Panthers hadn’t lost in six games - eight games if two scrimmages victories are included in the tally.
It is safe to say that Cordero has changed the culture of the entire program.

A perfect example came in a contest against La Joya a week ago. During the match, Weslaco found itself down 1-0 at the half. Cordero said members of the team started to cry out of frustration, but instead of folding, Cordero’s team responded.

While in years past, opponents would pour it on in the second half and bury the Lady Panthers, Weslaco responded with three goals in a 10-minute span to win 3-1 and remain unbeaten.

“They do want to win, they don’t to lose,” Cordero said.

For this season’s ride, Weslaco has five returning starters, including seniors Stephanie Strickland and Myra Huerta, along with junior Cynthia Calzada. Strickland and Huerta have played at the varsity level since their freshman year, so when it comes to leadership, it starts with them.

Calzada plays mid-field and has also been in varsity since her freshman year. The rest of the crop is young and still learning the ropes, Cordero said. But despite their youth at key positions, the Lady Panthers are still racking up the victories.

The trio agrees it is up to them to keep the continuity going from the past two playoff runs and develop the young crop of talent they have. Even during the six-game winning streak, the girls along with Cordero have done a lot of teaching.

“We’ve actually come a long way since our freshman year,” Strickland said. “We’re a decent team.”

Prime example of the programs growth would be the 9-0 beating Harlingen South administered during the 2008 playoff game. The two teams would meet again a year later, and it was clear that progress was made as the Lady Panthers fell 3-1, perhaps issuing a challenge that Weslaco could compete against the premier Valley powers.
 “We’re a lot more confident now,” Strickland said. “We don’t give up, we’ve learned that giving up doesn’t help.”
Cordero said the squad is still some way away from being considered an elite team.

But for now, it’s all about respectability. Cordero said his coaches have approached him about how much the program has changed in the last couple of seasons and that the Lady Panthers are no longer a cakewalk.

“If I can make an opponent say, ‘You know what, Weslaco isn’t an easy team, we’re gonna have to work hard.’ I think that’s an accomplishment there,” Cordero said. “We’re getting there.”