McALLEN — Rio Grande City’s Melanie Lopez and Weslaco High’s Morgan Peralez each burst onto the scene in their first varsity seasons.
By season’s end, Lopez and Peralez had become critical components to their teams’ success and a pair of the best young basketball stars in the Rio Grande Valley, making them The Monitor’s All-Area Girls Basketball Newcomers of the Year.
“It feels good,” Lopez said. “I worked hard for it.”
“It was fun, and my teammates made it fun for me,” Peralez said. “They gave me experience and always pushed me, including my coaches. It was just so much fun.”
Lopez and Peralez both got their first taste of varsity basketball last summer through offseason scrimmages and tournaments, albeit in slightly different ways.
Lopez had a season of hoops under her belt already on the freshmen team at Rio Grande City, but she wasn’t prepared yet for the speed of the varsity game. The Rattlers’ sophomore guard jumped at the opportunity to play with her new teammates during the offseason, which she credits for building the team’s chemistry helping her adjust to the difference in competition more quickly.
“We (built) a strong bond, so I think that helped us on the court as well,” Lopez said. “I think playing in the summer helped me get used to the way the game is played at the varsity level. Obviously it’s a big difference from freshman to varsity, so I think I kind of got used to it in the summer.”
Peralez, on the other hand, was hesitant at first to get her feet wet with varsity-level basketball in the offseason. But once the Panthers’ freshman center dove in, there was no turning back.
“I remember starting off and I was so scared to play with these girls. I remember during summer workouts I was so scared,” Peralez said. “Then I came and fell in love with these girls. They’re the best team I’ve ever had, and I started getting better and better because they all made me better.”
“We asked Morgan to play with us all summer long and she had an excuse every single time. She was never sick, she was playing with JV and volleyball and doing everything in the world, but she did not want to play with varsity,” Weslaco High senior Haley Villalpando said. “As soon as Morgan felt comfortable with us, she just flourished, and it was so amazing.”
Lopez, the District 31-5A Newcomer of the Year, played an invaluable role as Rio Grande City’s dominant guard throughout the season on a young Rattlers’ squad that included only two seniors.
She helped the Rattlers immensely from the start, earning All-Tournament Team honors at the La Joya Wolfpack Tournament during the first week of the season in mid-November. Lopez went on to lead her team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 rebounds per game.
The sophomore guard also led Rio Grande City to a 26-11 record, the team’s best mark in the past five years, and a revenge bi-district playoff win over Mercedes.
“Yeah at the beginning of the season we were kind of sloppy. We had to get adjusted to playing together, but I think we adjusted to it pretty well towards the end,” Lopez said. “I don’t think people expected us to come this far. But we had one goal in mind and that was to get to the playoffs. I think we did (surprise some people).”
Peralez, the District 31-6A Newcomer of the Year, earned a starting role at center and elevated her play to meet the level of the premier players at her position. She specifically looked up to Brianna Sanchez, Edinburg High’s senior center who earned First Team All-District and All-Defensive Team honors in 31-6A.
“Brianna, from Edinburg, she’s toughened me up. She showed me like what a post was made out of,” Peralez said. “I wanted to be something better than her because she was a senior and I was a freshman and I would always watch her. She’s good, especially given her height. I just wanted to show up.”
Peralez led the Panthers in rebounding, averaging 8.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. She also helped lead Weslaco to a district title, a stellar 32-8 record and a trip to the regional finals thanks to her Herculean performance posting 19 points and 19 rebounds in the bi-district round and 20 points and 18 boards in the area round.
Lopez and Peralez will each anchor two of the Valley’s deepest returning rosters next season. With both returning, the future looks very bright for both the Rattlers and Panthers.
“(It’s going to be) really bright. We’re a young team, so I think if we keep working, we’re going to be really good,” Lopez said. “We still have a couple more years of playing together, so I think we’re going to get better.”
“We’re going to have a good team,” Peralez said. “We’re just going to keep on working and fighting to get another district title and I think we’re going to go far.”