By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
It was a sour ending to a superb second season for Athlos Leadership Academy basketball.
Athlos lost 66-32 to San Antonio KIPP University Prep in a TCSAAL state semifinal Saturday at Buda Hays.
Athlos made it all to state after capturing a district title and winning twice in its first playoff run, even though the squad’s veteran players are only sophomores.
Athlos coach Alex Lucio wants Saturday’s loss to motivate his young team to go beyond making it to the state tournament, with a state title as the goal next season.
“Us being young, I think, pretty much showed right now,” Lucio said. “I think it was like the situation last year when we lost to go to the playoffs and I told them after that, ‘You need to remember this feeling because it’s a hard thing to overcome, but we can do it.’ That’s the same message I gave them right now. Remember the feeling you feel right now and how it hurts that we’re not playing in that state championship game.
“This year our goal was to go to state, and next year our goal is to go win a state championship. That’s our goal next year.”
Damian Maldonado scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Athlos. Jonathan Robinson finished with 8 points.
Josiah Linear’s 18-point night led KIPP Prep. Jalen Smith scored 11 points, had seven assists and four rebounds.
Ray Morales scored on KIPP Prep’s first two possessions to give his team an early 4-0 lead.
The Titans followed with free throws from Cristian Hernandez to make it 4-2. KIPP Prep responded with a 13-point hot streak to jump ahead by 15 and ended the quarter with a 17-6 lead after scores from Maldonado and Robinson.
KIPP Prep’s speed on defense and rebounding abilities played a big part in the team’s strong start. The Trailblazers outrebounded the Titans 11-4 and caused seven turnovers, many of which led to points.
“It was the game plan all along,” KIPP Prep coach Damont Jones said. “My guards are really quick, so we wanted to apply a lot of pressure. I think it’s something a little bit different than what they’ve seen in the past.
“(Athlos will) be here next year, and the year after that,” he added. “Those boys are really good.”
Athlos had a stronger showing on offense during the second quarter, cutting KIPP Prep’s lead by 11 after buckets from Maldonado and Robinson. The Titans couldn’t hold on to any momentum, and KIPP Prep pulled away with a 34-19 lead heading into halftime.
The Titans scored 13 points during the third, but the Trail Blazers showed no signs of slowing and finished the quarter with 17 points to maintain their large lead.
KIPP Prep’s athleticism had Athlos on the ropes from the start of the game to the finish.
“To me it’s nothing new, but it’s always a challenge,” Maldonado said. “They’re quicker than you, but you have to adjust your game to where you can play good defense and try to stop them.”
Joshua McKinney covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @joshuabvherald.