By EDWARD SEVERN, Staff Writer
East Valley boys basketball returns after the holiday break with many teams opening their district seasons with plenty of intriguing matchups.
On New Year’s Eve, all District 32-6A teams will be in action at 2 p.m. The Harlingen High Cardinals play host to the defending district champion Weslaco High Panthers. When Harlingen High did lose in non-district play it was close, even against state competition.
The Los Fresnos Falcons are scheduled to be on the road at Brownsville Rivera. Rivera could be a sleeper in the district as it has picked up some decent wins against some good Class 5A schools, but the Falcons and other schools in the district are obviously a step up. This game could be a good example of how district will play out for both teams.
Donna North has not won a district game since January 2020. The playoff hopeful Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles will take on the Chiefs in Donna. Both teams have not played since the middle of December.
The Harlingen South Hawks will head over to San Benito to face the Greyhounds. The Hawks made the playoffs last year, and senior forward Ddeen Badiru is one to watch during district play.
Brownsville Lopez and Brownsville Pace both have warmup games Tuesday. Pace is slated to face McAllen Rowe, and Lopez is set to play host to Sharyland High.
The two Brownsville schools will then square off at Pace on New Year’s Eve to start District 32-5A play. The rest of the district is scheduled to begin that same day.
Brownsville Veterans takes on PSJA Memorial on Tuesday at home and then heads to Weslaco East to face the Wildcats to begin their district campaign. Brownsville Porter goes to Mercedes, and the Tigers and the Cowboys tip off early at 1 p.m.
Sub 6A and 5A schools have not started district besides the Lyford Bulldogs. Their IDEA-heavy district reconvenes next week when they take on Edinburg IDEA next Thursday. The Bulldogs will face the Rio Hondo Bobcats two days before in a non-district matchup.
The Port Isabel Tarpons play host to Donna High on Tuesday in a non-district game, and the La Feria Lions play host to the Progreso Red Ants on New Year’s Eve.
Santa Rosa takes on North Mission IDEA and San Perlita, hot off a win against Harlingen High on Monday, will play in a tournament scheduled to start next Monday.
The St. Joseph Bloodhounds, arguably one of the best teams in the Rio Grande Valley, is not scheduled to play again until after the new year, against Rio Hondo on Jan. 4.