BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
Silvia Perez was one of just four Valley girls basketball players to average a double-double a season ago. As a junior, the Edinburg Economedes post scored 12.3 points, grabbed 12.1 rebounds per game and was the focal point for coach Mariana Campos’ offense.
Despite Perez’s production, the Lady Jaguars missed the playoffs when they failed to overcome Weslaco East during a play-in game for the final postseason spot in District 31-6A.
As Perez returns for her senior campaign, Campos hopes to see her grow in ways not apparent in the box score.
“I want to see her develop as a leader,” Campos said. “As a senior and our go-to girl, she needs to be more vocal and keep things moving on the court. During practice, she’s already calling out to other players.”
Last season, Econ’s emotional leader was senior guard Emily Suarez. But where Suarez led with a quiet demeanor, Perez commands the court in a more boisterous fashion.
“She’ll let you have it,” Campos said of Perez’s leadership. “She’s not afraid to get after you if you mess up.”
Suarez leaves more than just her soft-spoken ways behind. She was the Lady Jaguars’ second-leading scorer with 11.3 points per game, and led the team in 3-pointers made with 38. The duo of senior Ashley Escalante and junior Lizbeth Cabrera will look to replicate Suarez’s production.
“Ashley was essentially our sixth man last year,” Campos said. “She started two games for us. I think experiencing the intensity of trying to make the playoffs last year will be good for her.”
CONSISTENT COYOTES
The La Joya High Lady Coyotes finished their first season under coach Rene Zamora with a 3-9 record in District 30-6A. But Zamora didn’t see a team on the fritz. He saw a squad taking their lumps and learning what it takes to be competitive.
“I thought the girls did a good job of learning the system,” Zamora said. “They grew a lot as a team last year and learned what it’s going to take for them to get to where we want to be.”
Though the Lady Coyotes went 8-21 last year, 11 of their losses were decided by 10 points or less. In those games, La Joya went 4-7. In district games decided by the same margin, the Lady Coyotes were 1-4.
“We’re going to have to condition,” Zamora said. “We’re not that deep, so we have to get the girls up to par by district. … We’re going to stress finishing. Bottom line, we have to finish. It’s four quarters. We can’t let off whether we’re up or down. We have to fight until the end because you never know the outcome.”
La Joya graduated three seniors, but will get the bulk of their starters back, including four-year letterman and all-district first teamer Ashley Olivarez, sophomore Karina Casanova and sophomore Monica Garcia.
RATTLERS RETURN
Rio Grande City boasted one of the bigger lineups in the Valley a season ago. But the Lady Rattlers’ youth hindered them during their most urgent moment — a season-finale loss to Sharyland High that ended RGC’s playoff hopes.
The Lady Rattlers enter 2015 with much of their size intact and hope to be a year better in their quest for the postseason. RGC looks to be led in part by sophomore Jocy Amaya, a hybrid player who meshes the size of a post player with the skill set of a guard
.
“She’s worked on her shot a lot,” Lady Rattlers coach Gustavo Valenciana said. “She’s extended her range tremendously. She shot a lot of threes over the summer and let her play guard a little bit.”
Amaya led RGC in points and rebounding a season ago.
[email protected]