By MARK MOLINA | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Several metro-area schools picked up bi-district wins to keep their seasons alive and now will try their hand in the area round this weekend.
In Class 3A, the IDEA Frontier Chargers picked up a 67-62 win over the Falfurrias Jerseys Tuesday night, which was the first in the program’s brief eight-year history.
For Frontier (23-5), the win was a long time coming after making the postseason four straight years and falling to the Jerseys twice in the span.
“Falfurrias had beaten us the last two times (we faced them in the playoffs), so this was a very special win for us,” head coach Jerry De La Garza. “These kids have worked very hard all year, especially the juniors and seniors who have been a part of those two losses to Falfurrias. It’s something we have been working the last few years.”
Now the Chargers face a tall task in the area round as they face the Odem Owls (25-9) tonight in Lyford at 7 p.m.
The Owls are winners of 11 straight and defeated Hebbronville 84-62 on Monday, but De la Garza said his team is as confident as ever.
“We’re very excited, the kids are energetic and they’re very motivated to continue playing,” he said. “The boys feel like they can compete with anybody. We had tough teams in our district and in the preseason that have prepared us for teams like Odem.”
The winner will face either Santa Gertrudis Academy or Dilley in the regional quarterfinals.
CLASS 4A
The Port Isabel Tarpons, who made the playoffs this season after a six-year hiatus, punched their ticket to the area round for the first time since 2002 by beating the Orange Grove Bulldogs 69-58 on Monday.
Tarpons are riding high after picking up the elusive playoff victory, but one they are not is surprised.
“It’s been pretty positive and upbeat all year and I think some people are surprised,” Port Isabel head coach Mike Hazelton said. “I’m not sure the players are.
We thought we were going to be pretty decent this year. I realize there hasn’t been much of a basketball history here, but we had some guys return and some pretty good young kids — they’re fired up of course.
The Tarpons (19-12) now draw the Carrizo Springs Wildcats (19-12), who are coming off a 55-49 win over Poteet in bi-district.
It’s a matchup Hazelton feels pits two evenly matched team against one another.
“It’s like looking in a mirror,” he said. “(Carrizo Springs does a lot of the same things we do, they have similar size and have almost the exact same record. The only difference is they have more upperclassmen and experience… it’s going to be a challenge.”
Still, it’s been, more about the ride for the Tarpons, who can make more history tonight by being the first team in program history to win two playoff games.
“Our kids are enjoying the journey and that’s the main thing,” Hazelton said. “We are trying to create memories for them and they’re trying to create memories for themselves. They hadn’t been to the playoffs in six years, they haven’t won a playoff game since 2002, but they have never won two playoff games. We have a shot to do something unique.”
Tonight’s game is set for 8 p.m. in Alice with the winner will face either Somerset or Aransas Pass in the third round.
CLASS 5A
The Pace Vikings (28-8) escaped the Roma Gladiators 70-61 in bi-district play and pushed their winning streak to 15 Tuesday night.
Up next will be the King Mustangs (Corpus Christi) who are 26-10 after defeating McCollum (San Antonio) 65-54 Tuesday night.
The Mustangs come in to tonight winners of five of their last six games.
Tonight’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m. at H.M. King High School, with the winner taking on either Nixon (Laredo) or Ray (Corpus Christi) in the third round.
CLASS 6A
The Los Fresnos Falcons (31-6) defeated Edinburg Economedes 75-56 Tuesday night and now find themselves in familiar territory.
For the fourth straight season, they will face a Laredo school in the area round. So far, they are 0 for 3 in those games.
For the second time in three years, it will be the Alexander Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs beat the Falcons 63-55 back in 2016 and come into this game a loaded team boasting a 27-6 record and 73-53 bi-district win over Rowe (McAllen).
It’s another tough out, but Falcons head coach Marco Hinojosa wouldn’t have it any other way.
“(Alexander) is a proven team that consistently makes it to regionals; that’s a fact,” he said. “So in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. We know Alexander is long, can push and shoot the basketball. They also have one of the best players in South Texas in Marco Pena. This isn’t your ordinary second-round game. Alexander is 30-6 and only tied for the district title because Pena went down and they lost two games so they had to flip for seeding.
“Are kids are excited and ready for the challenge.”
The game is set for 7 p.m. tonight in Roma with the winner set to face either Harlingen High or McAllen Memorial.
TAPPS
A pair of area TAPPS teams will tip off in area tournaments Saturday night.
The First Baptist Crusaders (11-5) defeated the Lutheran Mustangs (San Antonio) 73-68 in the second round of the TAPPS 3A boys basketball tournament Tuesday after trailing by 26 points in the third quarter.
Crusaders head coach George E. Solis said his team just kept up the pressure and forced the Mustangs into bad shots and sloppy execution.
“We were down by 26, but we never lost heart and we kept fighting,” Crusaders head coach George Solis said. “ We tried to hurry the game and (Lutheran) got quick with their shots. They missed some shots and we made some shots. We’re pressing them and they’re throwing the ball away. They made weird fouls and we made our free throws.”
Juan Pena had 22 points and hit a go-ahead shot in the fourth. Point guard George A. Solis Jr. scored 20 points, 11 coming in the third quarter.
Now, the Crusaders will face the defending TAPPS 3A state champion Our Lady of the Hills Hawks (Kerrville) in the TAPPS 3A quarterfinals.
The Hawks are 26-6.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Saturday at the Victoria St. Joseph’s campus, with the winner facing either Veritas Academy (Austin) or Spring Frassati Catholic school.
Meanwhile, the St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds (17-13) will face Houston’s St. Pius X (21-13) in the in the first round of the TAPPS 6A playoffs.
Tipoff for that game is set for 6 p.m. in College Station. The winner faces either Bishop Lynch (Dallas) or St. John XXIII (Katy).