AUSTIN — Brownsville Veterans, Hidalgo and Weslaco High were among the four Rio Grande Valley basketball teams that gained traction in the latest edition of the Texas Girls Coaches Association Top 25 Poll, which was unveiled by the organization Monday afternoon.
Brownsville Vets (28-5, 11-0) ascended to No. 15 in the TGCA’s 5A poll, its highest state-wide ranking of the season to date, after a solid week in which the team clubbed Mercedes and Valley View to stay on top of District 32-5A.
The Chargers clinched an outright district title with their last victory and extended their winning streak to 16, with their most recent loss coming back on Dec. 3 at PSJA North. Brownsville Vets will get back to work this week with a pair of road games at Brownsville Porter at 6 p.m. Tuesday and Brownsville Lopez on Friday at the same time.
Hidalgo (30-4, 11-0), meanwhile, has continued to crush its competition in District 32-4A. The Pirates eked out an impressive four-point road win against Rio Hondo before thumping Progreso later in the week.
Hidalgo has moved up to No. 12 in the latest TGCA rankings, the highest state-wide ranking for any 4A team in the Rio Grande Valley this season, while Rio Hondo (24-5, 9-2) has reemerged in the poll at No. 18.
The Pirates will play their final two road games of the season this week when they travel to La Feria at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Port Isabel at the same time Friday. Rio Hondo will play host to Raymondville at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and travel to Grulla at the same time Friday.
Weslaco High (27-5, 9-0) has the toughest remaining schedule of any ranked Valley team, but has also played the best basketball of late. The Panthers are up to No. 11, their highest ranking to date, in the TGCA 6A poll and haven’t lost since a Dec. 28 tilt with Harlingen High.
Weslaco, the No. 1-ranked team in The Monitor’s High School Girls Basketball Top 10 Poll, will be in for a gargantuan grudge match at 6 p.m. Tuesday when it hosts the Edinburg High Bobcats (30-3, 8-1), the No. 2 team in The Monitor’s top 10 poll.
The Panthers escaped with a narrow road victory over the Bobcats after Edinburg High’s would-be game-winning shot rimmed out at the buzzer. Both teams will be looking to repeat as district champs after tying one another las year.
After facing off against the Bobcats, Weslaco High will wrap up its district schedule with road games at Weslaco East on Friday and Edinburg North on Tuesday, Feb. 11.