BY TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
PHARR — The Rio Grande City Lady Rattlers are in unfamiliar territory.
The 2016-17 season is the follow up to last year’s 23-12 record and their first-ever postseason win. Rio Grande City is now in a new district. And now, as a playoff team with lots of returners on the roster, they wear a target on their backs. Expectations loom.
This is new for the Lady Rattlers, but it’s not something they are backing away from.
“We have really worked hard in the summer, and we are really hoping to go further than the first round and hopefully go to the third round and go on maybe further,” Jocy Amaya, the team’s leading scorer and unquestioned leader on the court, said. “I’ve had the leadership on me since my freshman year. The weight of this team is on me. They depend on me like I depend on them.”
Friday afternoon, Rio Grande City, despite missing three starters, ran past a struggling PSJA Southwest team 47-17 and improved its record to 12-3. Amaya, the 5-foot-11 junior, led all scorers with 30 points while adding 11 rebounds, 5 steals and 5 blocks.
PSJA Southwest is a young team trying to find it’s way, but Rio Grande City has also played tough against quality opponents. Losses have come against San Antonio Clark, Brownsville Veterans and Harlingen. The Lady Rattlers have also defeated 6A teams PSJA North (twice) and Brownsville Rivera.
Next week the Lady Rattlers are in the United ISD tournament in Laredo and will face perennial playoff teams like Del Rio and Corpus Christi King. Coach Gus Valenciana said he’s moving the team in the right direction with quality opponents in hopes of doing well in district and advancing in the playoffs.
“I tell the girls that our goal is to advance more than last year. I know we got to area last year, but that’s going to be super tough,” Valenciana said of being in 31-5A with traditional basketball powers Sharyland, Mission Veterans and several Laredo schools. “I feel that we are better, but at the same time, the district got tougher. We are going to fight in every district game.”
It’s a good thing that Valenciana has Amaya, who’s averaging 20 points per game this season. The forward can shoot inside and out. Against PSJA Southwest she had two three pointers, but she was still a force inside. Amaya spent the summer playing with South Texas Hoopsters, a McAllen club team that competes in tournaments around Texas and the nation throughout the summer. She said the experiences have helped her grow as a player.
Rio Grande City will also lean on all-district guard and four-year letterman Adrianna Cruz, who has averaged 13 points per game, said Valenciana. He added that she attacks the basket with an aggressiveness that the team needs. Senior point guard Andrea Barron will be expected to continue directing the offense. Meanwhile, 5-foot-10 senior post Gina Villarreal will help balance the floor with Amaya.
Rio Grande City is squad full of juniors and seniors, and looks primed to make a run. Valenciana and Amaya both said if the Lady Rattlers can improve ahead of district, they expect to win some games and be in the postseason. Should they do that, they will back in the playoffs, a familiar territory this time.