LORI VERMAAS | Special to the Star
The old adage “speed kills” often proves deadly accurate in sports. But fielding an experienced team can be just as lethal, as the previously undefeated District 32-4A Port Isabel Tarpons found out Thursday.
Buoyed by the dazzling, pinpoint shooting of senior Johnathan Barrientos, whose thumb injury caused him to miss six weeks, Edinburg Economedes soundly defeated the Tarpons 75-45. The victory gives the Jaguars (7-3) a boost going into the next round of La Feria’s 87th C.E. Vail Tournament, which continues through Saturday.
A four-year letterman on a team loaded with seniors, “John is a vital part of our program. We’re not the same team without him,” Jaguars coach Carlos Ramos said. “Now, with him back, we’ve been rolling.”
The roll includes a 13-point victory over juggernaut Harlingen South in late November.
Despite his gifted skills, Ramos says Barrientos is a “kid who is very quiet, very stoic. He’s one of those who doesn’t say much.”
But paired with senior guard Angel Salinas, whom Ramos identified as the team leader and who added 12 points, his play talks fast and furiously. By the first quarter’s end, the Jags led 25-12, mostly the result of a rain of 3-pointers by Barrientos (2 treys), Salinas (1) and Saul Alanis (2).
As an emphatic exclamation point right before halftime, Barrientos even dished an assist to Ricardo Chapa after employing a stylish spin move to extend the lead to 22. The scoring sprees, combined with aggressive defensive play that garnered numerous interceptions, staggered the Tarpons, who never recovered.
Well aware of Economedes’ deep roster, Port Isabel coach Mike Hazleton “knew it was going to be a tough game.” Facing a team of seniors and just one freshman (Michael Barrientos, Johnathan’s younger brother), Hazleton sensed a more “tentative mindset” from his team, something unusual given the Tarps’ 10-0 record.
“We weren’t getting the 50/50 balls on the floor, which we usually do,” Hazleton said. “In the second half, I switched to man-to-man play, but that still didn’t make a difference.”
Indeed, by game’s end, Barrientos added three more behind-the-arc baskets and finished as the team’s leading scorer with 18 points.
Despite the lopsided defeat, Hazleton remained optimistic.
“Quite honestly, our 10-0 record has surprised me more than today’s loss,” he said. “So this is actually a good growth experience, a good wakeup call before we head into district. We’ll be fine.”
As for the victorious Jags, Ramos hopes his veteran crew will continue to stay laser-focused on the next opponent and not get ahead of itself as the season wears on, even though he senses that “we can only get better.”
Barrientos’ early-season absence “allowed kids who were used to being in backup roles gain valuable game experience,” making them more road-tested and ready to outplay those teams in District 31-6A.
Caption: Port Isabel coach Mike Hazleton counsels his team during the second quarter of a 75-45 loss to the Edinburg Economedes Jaguars during the 87th annual C.E. Vail Tournament on Thursday in La Feria.