KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN—Not all super hero’s wear capes.
For three quarters, McAllen High outran, outshot and outplayed Harlingen High. That was until the fourth quarter that will have Cardinal fans buzzing for quite some time.
Senior Michael Arellano flipped the switch along with sophomore Eric Quilantan, who provided the fourth-quarter heroics that helped fuel a furious Harlingen High comeback to stun McAllen High 52-49 Tuesday night in Harlingen.
“Coach wanted us to stay aggressive against a very athletic team,” Arellano said. “We needed to rebound and box out and we did. This is a big win for us. This will build our confidence moving forward.”
Harlingen trailed 47-35 entering the fourth quarter, but one look at the scoreboard was all it took Arellano to realize the switch needed to be turned.
“I looked up at the scoreboard and I know I haven’t been playing well, and I needed to step up.” Arellano said. “I can always make one shot and miss the rest, but when I’m on I’m on.”
Arellano answered the bell with 10 fourth-quarter points and finished with a game-high 21 points that fueled a 17-2 Cardinal run in the fourth quarter.
The Cards also turned to fellow senior Kameryn Gonzalez, who tied the game at 47-47 with four minutes left. After a quick bucket from the Bulldogs, Arellano fired back with a three-pointer that gave the Cards a 50-49 lead with 1:20 left. Gonzalez later provided the knockout punch that gave the Cards a two-possession lead in the final seconds.
Gonzalez finished with eight points, and John Ortega also finished with eight points in the win. The last time Harlingen held a led was early in the first quarter. Harlingen trailed by 10 at the end of the first period and trailed 32-24 at the half.
Along with Arellano’s clutch shooting came the fiery bench play of Quilantan, who provided a key spark defensively. Arellano and Quilantan fed off each other and it translated on the court when it mattered most.
“Quilantan came off the bench and gave us a ton of energy,” said Harlingen coach Greg Yates. “He caused a lot of havoc and he naturally has a lot of speed that caused McAllen to pick up the pace and that is the type of ball we like to play. Mike did his thing on offense and Kam made some big shots and played well inside.”
Harlingen will now coast into their winter break, with their next game coming on December 27th as they host Donna North at 5:30.