BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
ZAPATA — What was apparent coming into Edinburg Vela’s third-round game against Laredo United was that the SaberCats were the underdogs.
It was a neutral court matchup between district champions: the SaberCats shared the District 31-6A title and the Longhorns were the best of the rough-and-tumble 29-6A. But Laredo United had a clear upper hand on Edinburg Vela, defeating the SaberCats twice in non-district competition by an average of 23 points per game.
If Edinburg Vela was to have a chance, it would need to keep the game close.
The Longhorns had the ball and a one-point lead with 57 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Laredo United had a miscommunication on the inbounds pass, which was taken away by Edinburg Vela senior forward Noah Sekinger.
Sekinger kept his eyes up the floor and his feet moving. When he went up for a layup, Laredo United’s Andy Pompa fouled him but Sekinger’s shot attempt went through the net anyway.
Sekinger’s completion of the old-fashioned three-point play was all the SaberCats needed to upend the Longhorns 51-49 in a UIL Class 6A regional quarterfinal game on the Zapata High School campus. The SaberCats will meet Cibolo Steele at 8 p.m. Friday at Northside Sports Gym in San Antonio.
“We ran a thing where we doubled the ball (inbounds passer) to try to get it out of their hands and pick up a steal. If we couldn’t get that, we were going to do a quick foul,” Sekinger said. “I left my man so my teammate could pick him up. I saw the ball and made a play. Luckily, I was able to go down and get a bucket.”
Sekinger, who finished with 11 points, had another key sequence earlier in the fourth. The SaberCats trailed 47-42 until Sekinger successfully converted a basket on another foul and made the free throw to pull Edinburg Vela (28-10) within two points.
Laredo United (31-5) frustrated Sekinger with its defense, holding him to five points through three quarters.
“We’re a well-balanced team and we’ve got confidence in our kids — every single one of them,” Edinburg Vela coach Lucio Rodriguez said. “If they wanted to take Noah out, we’re confident in our other players to step up like they did today. People think we might force the ball through Noah. We play through Noah, but it’s not all geared toward him. We have other options on the team.”
In addition to Kaleb Coronado’s team-high 14 points, senior guard Nate Gomez was another prominent cast member who shared the spotlight.
Gomez scored 11 off the bench with the help of two crucial 3-pointers in the final period. His last 3-point shot came with the SaberCats down 49-45 late in the fourth. Coronado missed a 3-pointer and the long rebound was gathered in by Bobby Espericueta.
Espericueta swung it over to Gomez, who stepped up closer to the 3-point line and drained the critical triple.
“Coach (Rodriguez) always encourages us to bring something to the table whenever you go into the game,” Gomez said. “I know my team trusted me. We needed a bucket to get us closer and that’s what I did. That’s my job: to bring the fire and the energy. That’s what I like to do.”
“That’s Nate Gomez,” Rodriguez said. “He did the same thing for us against Weslaco (High) when Josh (Diaz) went down with an injury. He steps up exactly when we need him. It’s no surprise to us.”
Sekinger and the SaberCats are returning to the regional tournament for the first time since 2016 when Edinburg Vela made the state semifinals as a Class 5A program.
Sekinger was a freshman on the 2016 team.
“Being at the state level teaches you not to let the crowd get to you and, if you’re not having an impact in the first half, you can still have an impact in other aspects of the game,” Sekinger said. “It reminds you of the focus and commitment it takes to get back here. I knew we could get back here, even if a lot of people didn’t think we could.”
Rodriguez was not on the coaching staff when the SaberCats made their historic playoff run.
“It means a lot to me because the kids get to experience this,” Rodriguez said. “Josh and Noah were freshmen when they went to the final four and they still have a sour taste in their mouths. My goal for this year was for our seniors to go out and enjoy their senior experience. I’m hoping that I’m able to provide that for them.”