Donna IDEA, Edinburg High among RGV basketball teams ascending TGCA polls

For the second week in a row, six high school girls basketball teams across the Rio Grande Valley have earned rankings in the Texas Girls Coaches Association statewide top 25 polls from Class 3A-6A.

Among the biggest risers in the latest TGCA polls were the Donna IDEA Titans and the Edinburg High Bobcats.

The Titans (13-3) cracked the TGCA’s Class 3A poll for the first time in program history debuting at No. 24 in the state. In the process, Donna IDEA also became the first IDEA school throughout the Rio Grande Valley to earn the distinction of being ranked in a statewide high school basketball poll at any classification level.

Donna IDEA joined District 31-3A rival Lyford in the TGCA’s Class 3A poll this week becoming the second sub-4A school in the RGV to achieve the honor. The Bulldogs (11-4), meanwhile, moved up to No. 20 after appearing in the TGCA poll for the first time this season last week at No. 24.

The Titans will take on North Mission IDEA on the road in their next District 31-3A contest at 7 p.m. Friday, while Lyford is set to host Weslaco IDEA Pike in its next 31-3A game at the same time.

Edinburg High (13-3) and Los Fresnos (11-3) were the Rio Grande Valley’s two representatives in the TGCA Class 6A Top 25 poll for the second consecutive week with both moving up four spots.

The Bobcats jumped from No. 20 to No. 16 overall in the statewide rankings while the Falcons moved up from 16th overall to 12th, becoming the highest-ranked RGV in the TGCA polls for the second consecutive week.

Los Fresnos dropped its first District 32-6A game of the season 39-19 to Harlingen South on Tuesday night, while Edinburg High remains unbeaten in District 31-6A.

The Falcons will return to action in 32-6A to face the San Benito Greyhounds on the road at 5:30 p.m. Friday, and the Bobcats will play their next against the crosstown rival Edinburg Vela SaberCats at 7 p.m. Friday.

In Class 5A, Brownsville Veterans (15-2) dropped one spot from No. 24 to No. 25 in the TGCA’s Class 5A Top 25 this week. The Chargers remained undefeated in District 32-5A play after edging out a nail-biter in a 59-57 home victory over the Edcouch-Elsa Yellow Jackets to close out the first round of district play.

Brownsville Vets will return to action for another District 32-5A contest at crosstown rival Brownsville Porter at 6 p.m. Friday.

The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks, who last appeared in the TGCA Class 5A rankings at No. 25 in the state, fell out of this week’s rankings after having a pair of District 31-5A games postponed last week that will be rescheduled in the coming weeks.

Finally in Class 4A, Rio Hondo (7-0) — the Rio Grande Valley’s last remaining unbeaten high school girls basketball squad — made its mark at No. 13 in the TGCA poll this week, which is the highest any sub-5A team across the RGV has been ranked so far this season.

The Bobcats, who moved up three spots from 16th overall in last week’s Class 4A TGCA rankings, will take on the Raymondville Bearkats in their next District 32-4A game at 5:30 p.m. Friday in Raymondville.

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