By RGV Fútbol/Staff

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DONNA, 23 March. - It was a long time coming, but Donna finally has another district title.

The Redskins captured the District 30-5A crown on Friday after defeating McAllen Memorial 4-2 at Donna in a district race that went down to the last game of the season.

Ricky Vargas notched two goals, while Leo Guzmán and Francisco Tapia each added a score for Donna en route to the district championship.

Donna, led by fifth-year head coach Mario “Lalo” Hernández, finished the season with an 11-3 record for 33 points, one point more than runner up Sharyland (11-3, 32 pts.). The Rattlers fell just short of the title despite edging out La Joya (7-7, 24) in the season finale 1-0.

The Redskins’ program was rebuilt by coach Hernández, who took a team that finished 2-12 in 2007 to the area playoffs in 2008.

Since his first year, Hernández and the Redskins have not dropped below a .500 average in district play and advanced to the playoffs three years in a row, including this season. Now, Hernández’s Redskins have added a district title to their program’s list of accomplishments.

The race heated up this week when Donna dropped a 2-1 decision to third place Mission (10-4, 27), and Sharyland notched a victory over McAllen in shootouts. Despite the Rattler win, the shootout victory came back to haunt them in the end.

The slim margin of points that gave the Redskins the championship came from their two regular district season upsets of Sharyland, and the Rattlers’ shootout victory over McAllen. A shootout win only awards two points to the winner and one to the loser.

Donna will face the fourth place team from District 29-5A in the first round of the playoffs, while Sharyland awaits the third place team from the same district. District 29-5A is comprised of teams from Laredo, Eagle Pass, and Del Río.

Third place Mission ended the district season with a four-game winning streak and look to take the momentum into the postseason. Three of the four victories during the streak were against the district’s playoff bound teams. This is the second straight season the Eagles have qualified to the playoffs at the 5A since moving up from 4A two years ago.

Finally, La Joya ended the season on the wrong end of the 1-0 decision in the season finale against Sharyland. The Coyotes ended the regular season winning just two out of their last five matches, but hung on to capture the last playoff spot.