BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
The McAllen Rowe Warriors have a lot of youth on the 2018 team.
The Warriors (18-8, 5-0 in District 30-6A) start one freshman and two sophomores.
But the freshman who is starting is not just any freshman — Jose Luis Yebra is the son of the team’s coach, Jose Luis Yebra.
That dynamic created some early growing pains as the Warriors battled through a tough non-district slate.
“We both had to find an adjustment at the beginning of the season, because it’s a little bit hard. He thinks, ‘Dad is telling me to do this,’” the older Yebra said. “He doesn’t think of it as me being his coach. He thinks of it as, ‘Dad is telling me to do this or do that.’ Sometimes when they are your own son, they think they know it already. … He was having a hard time that dad was trying to coach him and tell him what to do. So he was being a little stubborn here and there, but I think he has finally found and understood that he has to do what we are asking him to do as coaches. I think he has made that adjustment, and he is focusing now. I think that is one of the reasons that his improvement has been showing of late.”
The Warriors faced playoff-caliber teams throughout the non-district season. Rowe lost to Los Fresnos, San Antonio Wagner, San Antonio Roosevelt, Edinburg Vela, Edinburg North and Edinburg Economedes. Not only was the younger Yebra learning the varsity game, but senior point guard Adrian Bernal came in from football nursing a shoulder injury that caused him to miss time during the football season.
“Adrian has been a four-year starter for me,” coach Yebra said. “He still has an injury on his shoulder. It bothers him here and there, but he has been helping the team, especially when we need him the most. He seems to find a way to step up and play better when we need him. He has been doing that for four years now. We seem to think that when the pressure is on, he finds a way to give us that lift that we need, to overcome adversity.”
Sophomore guard Derek Luna was named The Monitor’s All-Area Newcomer of The Year in 2017, and he is averaging 22.5 points, 7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3 steals per game as a sophomore.
“Derek is being Derek. He is having a tremendous year,” coach Yebra said. “He had a great year last year, and I think he has picked up right where he left off. Every game is hard for him, because now everybody knows his capability, so the defenses are set up to make sure they stop him. And still, he has been our scoring leader.”
The younger Yebra is leading the team with 10 rebounds per game, and sophomore Darrin Everage is adding 9.3 rebounds per game, creating a huge rebounding advantage night after night for the Warriors.
“They are both competing for the lead in rebounding,” coach Yebra said. “Jose has been very helpful on the rebounding area, and so has Darrin. Darrin and Jose have done most of the work, but let’s not forget about Derek. He is a big guard who goes in there and gets a lot of rebounds. He’s been helping there, too. So, all three of those guys have done a tremendous job rebounding.”
At 5-0 in 30-6A, the Warriors are in pole position for the title race, but coach Yebra knows nothing is guaranteed.
The Warriors’ next test is at 7:30 tonight against McAllen Memorial (19-7, 4-1).
“Our goal is to win the district title,” coach Yebra said. “We were fortunate enough to go over there to McHi and pull out the win. But, the season is so long, and we have so many games to go. I think anyone is capable of beating anybody. But, nevertheless, I see ourselves as a team that can compete for the district title. We like to think that because we are still in first place, we want to say that we can continue to do that. Now, it’s easier said than done, so we have to prepare for Memorial and whoever is next after that.”