By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
To beat the best one must play the best, and that’s exactly what Pace is doing early in the season.
Coach Jose Luis Ramirez says playing tough teams in non-district will make the Vikings elevate their play early, which will help during District 32-5A play.
“When little brother plays big brother, little brother gets better,” Ramirez said. “We will definitely be battle-tested when district play comes around.”
The Vikings dropped their first two games of the season, against Weslaco High and Sharyland Pioneer, but won three straight on the way to the consolation championship in the BISD Tournament last weekend.
“It’s a good start after losing our first two to Weslaco and Sharyland Pioneer,” Ramirez said. “But winning three in a row has definitely built our confidence and will help us move along as we face tough opponents such as Harlingen Tuesday and PSJA North the following week.”
Ramirez said the Vikings’ defense has led the way as the offense tries to establish consistency after two weeks of practice and with several players adjusting to basketball after football season.
Hustle plays by everyone on the team, Ramirez said, has made defense Pace’s strength early.
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
The players are responding well to another coaching change in Port Isabel.
Anthony Velarde is Port Isabel’s fourth coach in as many years.
Because of the school’s high turnover rate of basketball coaches, the new coach wants to focus on the importance of building trust as a team early in the season.
“They need to trust that I have a plan that will work,” Velarde said. “I need to trust that they will work hard to execute the plan. We know that it’s a process, and they have bought into it. As a result, we are giving the effort we need to begin to change our program.”
Velarde knows building up the mental side of the game can be a challenge but he’s confident in his athletes’ abilities to make the transition to his playing style.
“I feel like you have to believe before you can achieve,” he said. “The mental aspect is huge and not to be understated.”
WEEK OFF
The Crusaders get a week off until their next game against Kingsville Presbyterian Pan American on Monday after playing in the BISD Tournament.
“We had two good days of practice (this week), and the BISD Tournament was really good for us,” Brownsville First Baptist coach George Solis said. “We found a rhythm I liked. The rest will be good. We’ll be ready to go Monday and then in the San Isidro Tournament next weekend.”
First Baptist faces Donna North in the first round of the tournament, its second tournament in three weeks.
For Solis, multiple tournaments in the early stages of the season mean more live practices against different opponents.
“It makes a difference so we can teach and create chemistry that doesn’t come in practice,” he said.
Joshua McKinney writes for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @joshuabvherald.