By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Sharyland High coach David Keith expected to see three versions of his team this year. The one that opened the season, the one that ushered in football players in mid- to late-November and the one that’s expected to bring in a 6-foot-6 swingman for the start of district.
The version he didn’t anticipate was this one — plagued by injuries — which endured an 80-39 loss to Laredo Nixon on Tuesday.
Jared Karr and Kale Cator sat out after suffering concussions last week, while Sean Tucker rested a strained Achilles. Short-handed, the Rattlers struggled to keep up with a Nixon team that rotated five players in at one time.
During the opening quarter alone, the Mustangs (11-6) went five-in, five-out three times.
“It felt like they had 50 guys on the team,” Keith said.
The Rattlers never rested Juan Gutierrez, who had a team-high 13 points, or Edgar Alanis (7 points). Jacob Olivarez also saw plenty of time on the court, and finished with 7 points.
It was the fifth straight game that Alanis played the entire 32 minutes, including a four-game stretch during the C.E. Vail Classic, and it came as Sharyland endured its most lopsided loss of the season.
“We definitely could’ve done better, but they’re a good team,” Alanis said. “They had fresh legs.”
Alanis was encouraged by the way the Rattlers were able to break Nixon’s full-court press, at times. Though it resulted in questionable shot selections, the junior was pleased with his team’s improved play. For his part, Alanis has been logging more minutes, and it has resulted in improved shooting and dribbling, he said.
The Rattlers (2-8) trailed 19-13 at the end of the first quarter, before closing out the half 45-29. Nixon drained nine 3-pointers by that time, and finished the game with 10. Marco Villarreal had 16 points and four 3-pointers made, and Hector Ibarra added 14 points with four 3s.
“It’s tough to lose; it’s not fun,” Keith said. “But I think the kids are focused on what we’re trying to done.”
For the Rattlers, that means tinkering with lineups until they get a full roster healthy. They were encouraged by the way they broke traps, and expect to use certain rotations and lineups when district starts in two weeks. They also figure to add a different dimension to their team when 6-6 senior Max Oyervides becomes eligible to play, after transferring from McAllen Memorial.
His versatility in the front court will go a long way for a Rattlers team that lacks the size it had a year ago. That addition, Keith said, should also relieve what was mostly a seven-man rotation Tuesday. He said Olivarez was visibly “gassed” as the game wore on, and Gutierrez remained out of breath 10 minutes after the game ended.
“It was pretty tiring for us, but we just have to keep working,” Gutierrez said. “Once everyone comes in, we’ll have fresh legs. Our defense will be better, and we’ll be crashing the boards.”