By RGV Fútbol/Staff

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McALLEN, 15 March. - The Valley’s soccer playoff picture began to take shape this week in Class 4A as District 63-4A concluded the regular season on Tuesday with Valley View’s 4-0 victory over first-year PSJA Southwest at Tiger Stadium in Hidalgo.

Valley View, Weslaco East, Hidalgo, and Mercedes clinched playoff spots, respectively, and will represent District 63-4A in the postseason, which starts on March 30.

In 2011, the same four teams qualified to the playoffs and in the same order.

Valley View, who had clinched the district title and a playoff berth a couple of weeks ago, closed out the season with an undefeated 12-0-0 record for 36 points, and a No. 1 ranking in RGVFútbol.com’s weekly "Top 20" Rankings, including ESPN’s "Top 20" state rankings.

The Tigers dominated the district on all fronts. Offensively, Valley View racked up 50 goals in 12 district matches and striker José Ángel Soto won the 63-4A goal-scoring title with 22 tallies. Defensively, the Tigers conceded only 10 goals, the least amount in the sector.

Weslaco East ended a three-year string of district and co-district championships by claiming the runner up spot with a 7-2-3 record for 23 points, and the second-best offense and defense in the district.

Hidalgo took the third playoff spot with a 6-0-6 mark for 17 points. The Pirates slipped in the standings in the last two weeks of the season by losing their last three games of district play.

Mercedes’ loss in the finale left the Tigers in fourth place with a 4-3-5 record for 15 points, three more than Progreso, which concluded the season with a 3-1 victory over Edcouch-Elsa to finish in fifth place with a 4-0-8 mark for 12 points.

Last season, Valley View and Weslaco East were the Valley’s 4A teams that advanced the furthest in the playoffs. Both teams were eliminated in the Region IV-4A semifinals.

Districts 61 and 64, the other two 4A districts in the Valley, still have another week of games to play before the end of their respective seasons.

In 61-4A, Roma (8-0, 24 points) and La Joya Juárez-Lincoln (6-2, 18) clinched playoff spots with two matches remaining. Mission Veterans Memorial, Río Grande City, and La Grulla are vying for the last two postseason spots in their district.

The 64-4A playoff picture is almost all-inclusive since four of the five teams will qualify to postseason play. Brownsville Veterans Memorial (5-0-1, 15) is the district leader, followed by La Feria and Port Isabel (4-0-2, 12) with identical records. Raymondville and IDEA Academy are the two teams that will fight for the fourth and last 64-4A playoff berth.