BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — McAllen High guards Bryan Argil and Matt Ibarra have been described as special since they joined McHi.
“There isn’t a team that can compete with my backcourt,” McHi coach Ryan Flores said.
They have only improved over the years, and during McHi’s first game, while everyone else on the court was battling early-season jitters, Argil and Ibarra both looked to be in mid-season form.
“Me and Matt, we go back a long ways,” Argil said. “Our bond is real close. We know where we are at all times. We always played the 1 and 2 together. … We are special. We are two special guards, and in my opinion, there is no one like us.”
Ibarra and Argil, sparked by the defensive effort to start the second half, found a fluid rhythm and put the game away quickly.
The Bulldogs (1-0) topped a tough Brownsville Veterans team, 63-41 on Tuesday at McAllen High School.
“In the first half, we played pretty bad,” Ibarra said. “But, in the second half we played as a team, we all moved the ball, and we really got going. It was good.”
Ibarra and Argil have played together since middle school. They play together during the summers, and their chemistry is undeniable.
“I’ve had those guys since they were freshman; it is their senior year,” Flores said. “It is beautiful basketball when they play as a team.”
After all the long hours, and everything they have worked for, the atmosphere in the gym makes it undeniable; these two are ready to do something special for the school that has been their lives for the past four years.
“We want to let the whole city of McAllen know who we are,” Argil said. “We just want to make this season one to remember, a season that the fans will never forget.”
The game had a defensive focus from the start, aided by those nerves from both sides. Both teams were aggressive, chasing steals in the passing lane, and very few offensive rebounds were available at either end.
Ibarra and Argil each scored 16 points.
Veteran’s junior big man Damian Maldonado struggled with foul trouble after picking up three first-half fouls and sitting the rest of the half. When he was in, he was on, grabbing boards and even knocking down a transition 3-pointer. But, his presence was missed when he was out. Maldonado finished the night with 6 points
Senior Justin Anaya showed off his speed and hands for the Chargers, with a few stealthy steals and tipped passes. He added seven points.
Freshman Dax Delgado led the Chargers with 12 points.
“They are a tough team,” Ibarra said. “A lot of credit to them for their effort tonight. They did not make it easy for us.”
The star of the night was undeniably McHi junior Dylan Suarez. Suarez moved from McHi to Austin before his sophomore year. He rejoined the Bulldogs midway through his sophomore year, but only got to play in two JV dark games.
Suarez put in tons of work over the summer, and that work paid off right away.
“When Dylan came on and he had six or seven steals, rebounds, pushing the ball; he was a real big spark to this team, and it hyped us all up,” Argil said.
Suarez was a monster, and the bench loved every minute of it. His 3-point shot fell a few times as well.
“It felt good,” Suarez said. “Especially because I moved from Austin, and coming back here, we are the underdogs. People say McHi doesn’t have a bench, but we are out to show everyone just how good our bench is.”
When Suarez was in the midst of his run, all of the McHi starters were on the bench, but they weren’t sitting, they were standing and jumping around with each bounce of the ball, unabashedly cheering for Suarez and the rest of the reserves.
“He has been working really, really hard,” Flores said. “He has been pushing himself in the offseason. He worked really hard in the weight room, with the strength and conditioning. He is going to be a big contributor to the team.”
McHi faces a new-look District 30-6A. The addition of two PSJA schools means the district now has at least three powerhouses in McHi, McAllen Rowe and PSJA North. That’s not to say the other teams won’t be a factor. There are no slouches in the district, and every win will be a fight.
“In the second half, we really looked tough to stop,” Ibarra said. “We are legit, and we are ready for all the top teams.”
With Ibarra and Argil at the helm, it may not matter who McHi is facing.
“Those two are really good,” Suarez said. “When they get going, I don’t know who can stop them.”