LA FERIA — La Feria came into the District 32-4A season bruised and battered, especially after the annual Lyford tournament.
The Lionettes made it to the tourney final against Harvest Christian. La Feria limped into the final and was easily dispatched 55-21.
The Lionettes opened district three days later.
La Feria lost three of five starters going into district. Senior stalwarts Mariah Patlan and Kaya Dickerson helped hold down the team during the turbulent times. Patlan averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per game. Dickerson was key on defense and her steals turned into transition baskets, and the senior grabbed 10 ppg.
“It was a roller coaster,” La Feria head coach Delia Lopez said. “We had some great games, and we had a couple — the two that we lost — where we could not score and were not doing what we were supposed to do. But they came through in the end against P.I.”
La Feria finished as district champions with a 12-2 record after beating Port Isabel 56-40 on Monday night.
“Everyone was really trying their best,” Patlan said. “We came together as a team and became district champs. It feels great, especially being seniors.”
Rio Hondo dropped to Class 3A this season, removing a title contender from the district with one of the best players in the Valley, Eliza Rodriguez. The Lionettes had an opening and grabbed it.
“After so many years we finally got it,” Dickerson said. “It did not go as planned, undefeated, but it still feels good to be district champs.”
Now the Lionettes turn their attention to Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway.
“I think we will pull through,” senior guard Jaliah Carr said. “Just like last year.”
La Feria beat Calallen in 2022 to capture a bi-district playoff win. The Lionettes did graduate players from last season but returned plenty of others like Patlan, Dickerson, Carr and senior Emma Ramos, and plenty of talented youngsters.
“As long as we work together as a team like we did Monday, I am sure we can pull through,” Ramos said.
La Feria is going to be out of town for the bi-district round. They are slated to face Tuloso-Midway at 6 p.m. Monday at Falfurrias Middle School.
“We are going to work on some things to get ready,” Lopez said. “Hopefully, if the girls come out and do what they should do, we should come out winners, we should.”