By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
Brownsville First Baptist is a small school, but size doesn’t stop it from taking on the big dogs.
First Baptist plays in the smallest classification of TAPPS, Division 1A, and sits at 4-11 (0-1 in TAPPS 1A-6). The aim is to make another trip to the postseason after going three rounds in 2014-15.
“We set a goal to make playoffs,” First Baptist coach George Solis said. “That’s the goal. If a district title comes with that, great. If not, our goal is playoffs. And we talk about that every night.”
Solis thinks his team is ready to make a charge to the playoffs after playing in the BISD Tournament, San Isidro Tournament and the Progreso Red Ant Classic, where they faced larger schools.
For him, the win-loss column doesn’t show how strong this team can be.
“If you look at our record you’ll think it’s not going very well, but as the coach of these guys I think we’re right where we need to be,” Solis said. “We’ve played some big teams in tournaments, 4A and 5A schools that are much bigger than us, and we practice on a small gym. So we got three days of work on a big gym and working on some stuff that we’ve been trying to work on. That’s what I like about the team. We play good defense, and we’re tough to beat.”
The Crusaders’ captains, senior guard Jorge Bejar and junior guard Jorge Barrios, look to take their team back to the postseason and think playing a gantlet of predistrict tournaments can help them get there.
“We’ve done pretty good,” Bejar said. “We lost our best player from last year (Rodolfo Cabido) and we had to learn to play like a team. Last year, it was a one-man team. It’s been pretty good, but we’ve played against big schools.”
“We’re prepared for the season,” Barrios said. “I think we’re going to do a great job.”
Tournaments also have helped the Crusaders adapt to playing on a large court after practicing in the campus’ smaller, half-court gym.
Changing to a wide-open court can be a challenge for a point guard accustomed to utilizing a small space.
“It’s hard, but you get used to it,” Bejar said. “I’ve played for four years now, and I’ve gotten used to playing on my guard and going to bigger courts.”
Because of its size, First Baptist doesn’t have freshmen or junior varsity teams like Brownsville’s 5A and 6A programs. Freshmen are bumped up to varsity immediately, which is a blessing and a curse of its own.
Players also frequently come into the program and leave unexpectedly, leaving First Baptist’s basketball program in a constant flux.
“We never know what we’re going to get at First Baptist because we have kids leaving and coming,” Solis said. “My son George (Solis) was able to play for us right away because he was able to go through our system. We have two sophomores who come off the bench, and they understand the system. We have some talent. It also hurts because you have a kid in the eighth grade and you watch him grow up in your system then he goes to Hanna or Veterans or a school like that. And you’re like, OK, this is what happens. This is my second full year with (the basketball team), but I’ve always had them in P.E. or in my school so we’ve always been supportive of them.”
Having veteran players like Barrios and Bejar makes things easier for a constantly changing team.
Bejar has worked on improving is leadership skills on the hardwood and cutting down on turnovers. His familiarity with First Baptist basketball gives the Crusaders a strong on-court leader and helps everything flow.
“Since freshman year, I’ve been the point guard,” Bejar said. “I had a lot of turnovers. That was my biggest flaw, but I’m trying to be smarter and lead the team more. We don’t need turnovers. I’m trying to make smarter passes and lead the team.”
Barrios, who plays shooting guard and also can handle point guard, leads with his ability to score big baskets for First Baptist.
“He’s had close to a double-double in almost every game,” Solis said. “He’s real good for us. He brings a calm to the team.”
Joshua McKinney covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @joshuabvherald.