Members of the State Champion Sharyland Rattler Soccer team put their hands into the huddle one more time after receiving their rings. Courtesy PhotoLA JOYA — Members of the Sharyland Rattlers boys 5A state champion team, the first in Sharyland’s history, received their championship rings during a ceremony at Romos Ballroom July 1.

Sharyland took the title April 21 in Georgetown after a fierce battle against Katy Morton Ranch with a 3-2 win after a riveting shoot-out.

When the team returned to Mission, more than 1,000 fans turned out at Rattler Stadium to welcome the champs home. The team arrived at the stadium in a chartered bus led by police who escorted them to the homecoming.

During that celebration, Sharyland boys soccer Head Coach Reveriano Hernandez said, “The way we won tells me that they have a lot of heart. That’s what kept us alive all the time, a lot of heart and a lot of will. They knew what they wanted and they knew what they had to do to do it,” he said.

Read more: Sharyland Rattler soccer champs receive rings

A diverse group of five men and two women will be honored at the 2012 Induction Ceremony of the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at the Pharr Events Center.

The group includes Iris Iglesias of Mission (multi-sport coach), Cathy Beene of Harlingen (tennis), Mike Brisky of Brownsville (golf), Ed Knetig Jr. of Harlingen (officiating), and three who made their mark in football — George L. Schulgen of Santa Rosa, Pete Vela of Edinburg and Jack Wallace Sr. of McAllen. 

Read more: Seven to be inducted into RGV Sports Hall of Fame

LJISD Summer Camps

Palmview Girls Soccer Camp
June 18-20 at Palmview High School Stadium, 8-10 a.m., for ages 6-12.

Palmview Boys Soccer Camp
June 18-20 at Palmview High School Stadium, 8-10 a.m., for ages 6-12.

Future Lady Lobos Volleyball Camp
July 30- Aug. 1, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at Palmview High School Gym. For incoming sixth through ninth graders. Camp fee is $25 for newcomers, and $20 for returning campers. Free for incoming freshmen, whose name is on the middle school list.

Read more: Summer Sports Camps

The Houston Astros drafted Angel Ibanez, 2009 Sharyland graduate and University of Texas Pan American junior third baseman, Wednesday.

UTPA Bronc Head Coach Manny Mantrana said Ibanez has come a long way since he started playing for the Broncs.

“Angel has a lot of God-given talent,” Mantrana said. “He’s really come a long way, mentally and physically, since he was a freshman.”

Read more: Sharyland graduate drafted by Astros

La Joya High School alum Clarissa Navarro is making a name for herself on the national collegiate level. Clarissa was selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division 1 All-Region Team. She is currently a sophomore at the University of Arkansas and plays shortstop for the Razorbacks. Her selection to the South Region’s second team was announced late last week.

Read more: La Joya High School Alum Garners National Attention

In what Head Coach Bart Bickerton expected to be a rebuilding year for his young team, the Sharyland Rattlers overachieved their way to the class 5A regional semifinal round this past weekend against the #2 ranked Tigers from Corpus Christi Carroll.  However, after winning 27 games in a row and compiling a 31-3 record this season, the Rattlers fell short against the Tigers despite stellar pitching performances by Eric Gutierrez on Friday and Tres Barrera on Saturday.

Gutierrez, who gave up only one hit in six innings on Friday, had a no hitter going into the fifth inning against the Tigers when he found himself facing a bases loaded with one out situation as a result of three walks, one of which was intentional.  That was when Carroll got what turned out to be their only hit of the game with a single to right-center field that brought in two runs.  An errant throw home allowed the third run to score and allowed the base runner, who would later score on a wild pitch, to advance to third.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Sharyland’s Mario Vela broke up Carroll pitcher O’shea Dumes’ no-hitter when he reached base on a single.  However, it was too little too late for the Rattlers as they failed to mount a rally and lost game one of the best-of-three series, 4-0.

Read more: Tigers’ wake-up call ends Rattlers’ dream season