By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
While Edinburg High grooms freshman Matt Cruz for the point guard role, coach Esequiel Cuellar takes comfort in knowing he can turn to senior Rolando Rocha at a moment’s notice.
Rocha has played at least three positions for the Bobcats recently, and has flourished as both a ball-handler and secondary scorer behind Andrew Cantu. On Tuesday, Rocha poured in 15 points to help the Bobcats beat Weslaco East and move up to second place in the District 31-6A standings.
By sliding the 5-foot-11 Rocha to point guard, the Bobcats (12-9, 3-1) are able to bring in 6-foot-1 Antoine Woodard off the bench for more size. The move also allows for Edinburg High to have more scoring options, particularly on a night like Tuesday, when Cantu had 15 points (below his season average of 22.1 per game).
“He did a great job for us,” Cuellar said of Rocha. “He was aggressive going to the basket. He not only looked for outside shots, but he attacked the paint. He knows what to expect, and what we’re asking of him.”
In a year in which Edinburg has only two returning starters with Cantu and Rocha, the Bobcats have turned to their youth for contributions. Having Cruz grow into the position is part of that plan, with Rocha ready to contribute his team-high 2.3 assists per game.
“He’s at a point where he can stabilize the team, and everybody understands what he’s trying to do and what we’re trying to run,” Cuellar said. “Everybody follows after that. And Matt is at a point where every minute that he plays, he’s getting that experience. And I think that’s going to pay out for us in the long run.”
A NEW BEGINNING
As the program’s third coach in three years, PSJA High’s James Jauregui has worked this season to build some semblance of stability.
He began the year with nine seniors, only to see that number dwindle to three, but he insists he’s OK with that. The openings paved the way for JV and freshmen call-ups, allowing the Bears (7-18, 2-2) to lay a new foundation.
They’ve surrounded returning starters Alex Manca and Anthony Dunaway with a cast that features three seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen. It makes them competitive now, while allowing their underclassmen to gain experience.
“We’re pretty young and inexperienced, but we’re trying to get some of these guys to play for us now and contribute, rather than two years down the road,” Jauregui said. “We want to make sure our seniors get what they deserve and get a chance to go up to Austin (for the playoffs).”
BY THE NUMBERS
Through 18 games in his first year coaching, Grulla’s Abram Gonzalez has picked up on a few trends.
If his team shoots 40 percent from the floor, Gonzalez likes his chances. If it holds opponents to 33 percent shooting, the Gators tend to run away with a win.
“If those things happen, we can hang with anybody,” Gonzalez said of his team, which is in a four-way tie for first place in District 32-4A.