By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

LOS FRESNOS — Jordan Urbina made sure Los Fresnos and its senior-laden squad started the postseason with a bang against Economedes (Edinburg).

Urbina led the Falcons with 24 points, including four 3-pointers, and they used a run in the third quarter to pull away and earn a 75-56 victory over the Jaguars in a Class 6A bi-district boys basketball game Tuesday.

Urbina added six rebounds and five steals and got plenty of help from Andrew Carrizales and Gabriel Martinez along the way. Carrizales finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Martinez had 16 points, including nine in the first quarter.

“We’re a senior ball club, so we have a lot of experience,” Urbina said. “Our coach gave us a game plan to follow and said as long as we follow the game plan, we’ll be all right. We’re going to leave it all on the line (in the next round).”

Los Fresnos (31-6) used that experience and took control the third quarter with its defense and a 16-0 run that pushed a six-point advantage to 22.

Economedes (24-13) couldn’t overcome the pressure to match the offensive output and was outscored 38-26 after the break.

“I have three guys that can really score the basketball, they’re a three-headed monster,” Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa said of Urbina, Carrizales and Martinez. “They work so well together, they have big-time chemistry and I’m glad I have them on my team.”

After the Falcons took a seven-point lead into the locker room, the Jaguars tried to keep it close in the third quarter. A layup by Aizer Cavazos got Economedes within five, but Martinez answered for Los Fresnos with a jumper. Urbina followed with a steal and a bucket to get the lead up to nine. Jonathan Barrientos answered with a 3 for the Jaguars to cut it to six. But the Falcons picked up the pressure on defense and went on a 16-0 run that included a pair of 3-pointers by Urbina, who finished with eight points in the quarter to push the edge to 18 through three.

“We knew they could shoot the basketball and in the first half, we weren’t doing a good job of closing them out,” Hinojosa said of his teams adjustment at halftime. “We talked about closing that gap (on defense), not making them comfortable. We did a better job of keeping our man in front and not giving up good looks. We were successful getting turnovers. We put a little more heat on the right personnel … it was a total team effort.”

Although Economedes went on a 6-0 run early in the fourth quarter, Los Fresnos didn’t let the lead slip below 15 points and advanced to the area round for the fourth straight season.

“They started to put pressure on us, they took away our shooters,” Economedes coach Carlos Ramos said of the second half. “(Simon Pina) kept us in it, but the pressure got to us.”

It was a different game from the start. After the teams traded buckets back-and-forth, they were even at 22 after the opening quarter Martinez had nine points for the Falcons and Simon Pina had eight points for the Jaguars. It was much of the same nearly through the second quarter until Los Fresnos took the lead late, ending the half on a 9-2 run that included back-to-back 3-pointers from Elian Gonzalez and Urbina to take a 37-30 advantage at the break.

“It was a track meet in the first quarter, but it settled down in the second quarter and that experience got us,” Ramos said. “They are experienced and they took us out of our rhythm and we took more bad shots than we usually do.”

That lack of experience hurt Economedes down the stretch, Ramos said. But he was confident his team could bounce back next season.

“Los Fresnos is one of the top teams in the Valley, well-coached,” Ramos said. “Next year, we’re bring back four starters, so we’ll have the experience next year.”

Angel Salinas led the Jaguars with 12 points and three rebounds, Barrientos had 10 points and three steals and Cavazos added nine points and seven boards for Economedes.

Lionel Yzaguirre had seven points and seven boards and Tomas Rangel added six points and four boards for the Falcons.

Hinojosa knows the second round has been tough for his team in the past, but he is confident that his senior class isn’t ready to finish playing just yet.

“The second round has been a big hump for us … we have a goal to get over that hump,” he said. “We have plans to get over that by doing the things we’ve been doing all year, defending, sharing the basketball. It’s a senior ball club and they have high expectations, so hopefully we can meet those expectations.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

RAYMONDVILLE ­— It took one quarter for Brownsville Veterans Memorial to realize it had its hands full against a hot-shooting Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial squad.

The Lady Chargers fell behind early due to the Lady Eagles’ barrage of shots beyond the arc and never recovered in a 73-36 loss in a Class 5A girls basketball area game Friday.

“They had 30 points in that first quarter … that gave them the gap,” Brownsville Veterans coach Valentin Paz said. “They did what they do. I told (the team) we were there (on defense), you can’t help that they hit the shots … we were there. We knew they were going to shoot 3’s. They just hit their shots … they did their job.”

As Brownsville Veterans Memorial (28-14) struggled to get going in the opening quarter, Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial (31-5) seemed like it couldn’t miss. As the Lady Chargers tried to find a rhythm, the Lady Eagles found their groove with six 3-pointers, half of those from Victoria Arismendi, who had 11 points to start the game. Arismendi hit a 3 to open the first and hit two more as Corpus Christi Veterans went on an 8-1 run to build a 14-3 lead. Hannah Meyers tried to get Brownsville Veterans going, but it couldn’t match the offensive output and trailed 30-8 after one.

Even Corpus Christi Veterans coach Roy De La Pena was surprised by the scoring outburst.

“I want to lie and say we do it all the time … this is the first time (this season) we came out like that,” he said. “We usually have a real bad first quarter, but we were due for a good quarter … I guess it happened (Friday). (Brownsville Veterans) is a great team, they press, they go 1-2-2, we just caught fire.

“That was six 3’s quick and 30 points, that was pretty good.”

Lizzie Garza hit a 3 in the beginning of the second quarter and Meyers had a bucket, but Arismendi and Sammi Perez answered with layups as the teams went back-and-forth. Then Julie Alvarez hit a 3, but the Lady Chargers still trailed by 20. Marina Gatica answered with a 3 to give the Lady Eagles a 42-16 lead before Garza had a three-point play, but Brownsville Veterans trailed by 24 at the break.

“We were out of sync defensively so there was no offensive flow to do what we want to,” Paz said. “We were getting the shots we wanted, the drives we wanted but we weren’t finishing.

“Defensively, we didn’t turn them over … we gave up too many backside layups because we didn’t have the rotation.”

Gatica opened the third quarter with a 3 and followed with a jumper to fuel a 7-0 run as Corpus Christi Veterans took a 51-20 lead. Meyers hit a 3-pointer to stop the run and had 7 of the team’s 10 points in the quarter, but the Lady Eagles pushed the lead to 31 by the end of the third.

Corpus Christi Veterans finally slowed down in the fourth quarter, but still outscored the Lady Chargers to seal the area round win.

Arismendi led the way for the Lady Eagles with 15 points, five rebounds and a steal. Gatica added 13 points as the pair hit 6 of the team’s 8 shots from beyond the arc.

“We hadn’t shot well (lately) as a team … it was just a matter of time,” De La Pena said. “We stayed positive and knew it was going to happen (eventually). I think we’re peaking at the right time. Hopefully it can work out next week.”

Meyers had a game-high 16 points, including 12 after the break, four rebounds and three steals and Garza added nine points, six rebounds and a pair of steals for Brownsville Veterans.

The Lady Chargers had a goal to capture another bi-district title, which they did and now have five straight. But another loss in the area round makes it bittersweet. But Paz and his team will continue to work to get over that proverbial hump.

“Nobody expected us to be here after what we graduated last year,” he said. “It hurts that we couldn’t take Hannah to the next round. Overall, it’s another stepping-stone. Hannah took the torch from the previous leaders and now with seven sophomores coming back, somebody has to take that torch and step up and do the right things.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

In a surprising, but calculated move, Lopez head football coach and athletic coordinator Jason Starkey has decided to resign from his position with Brownsville Independent School District. His last day at his current post is today.

Starkey has been in his current position for five years and spent two seasons as an assistant coach within BISD, one with Pace and one at Lopez before earning a promotion.

He took over the Lobos football program in 2013 from Mike Ramirez and compiled 21-31 record. The Lobos experienced their greatest success under Starkey during the past two season, winning 15 games during that span and earning back-to-back postseason berths.

The sudden departure wasn’t a money move or due to a lack of love for the game; Starkey did it for his wife and two children.

“Time is the most valuable resource I think any of us have access to,” he said. “The window of opportunity to be their dad is closing rapidly.”

Starkey is set to leave coaching for the private sector to become an executive director at Gallery Homes, a liaison between the various project managers and owner and operator Bubba Vann. This point-of-contact position will provide Starkey a workweek that should be more conducive to family time.

“I love working with the kids (at Lopez), but the two kids that want me the most haven’t been getting me,” he said of son Reid, 10, and daughter Kendall, 7.

“This is about them and my wife, as it is anything. My wife Lark told me, ‘The Coach Starkey that everyone sees at school is not the one we get at home.’ That was a real sobering statement to hear … and there’s truth in that. The man I am (at Lopez) … by the time I’m done, I’m a shell of that person when I get home and that’s not my role or responsibility as a leader of (my family).”

Starkey had some interest in the BISD athletic director position that Rivera football coach and athletic coordinator Tom Chavez holds in an interim role, but never interviewed for the position. Starkey did reach out to Chavez and former football coach and current BISD board member, Joe Rodriguez, about his business opportunity in hopes of gaining some clarity.

“I relate to (Chavez) as he’s a man that’s not from here, but moved here and starting coaching,” Starkey said. “There was a time in his career when he stepped away and got involved in business. I talked to him and Joe Rodriguez about that.

“I bounce thoughts off of people to gain perspective before I jump into life-changing decisions.”

Starkey is a former NFL offensive lineman who found Christianity and changed his life. In 2010, Starkey and his wife, who was born in Falfurrias, visited Brownsville to see family and Starkey’s childhood friend, Matt Gross, who is an athletic trainer at Pace. A chance speaking engagement helped to reinvigorate his love for football and six months later Starkey and his wife moved to the Rio Grande Valley with faith that everything would work out.

“Putting God first … it’s given us some great opportunities,” Starkey said. “The only goal by us moving to Texas was to pursue coaching and do the best I could. I didn’t think I would be doing anything other than that, but that’s the way God works.”

Although the job change is sudden, it’s actually something Starkey was contemplating for a while. Vann, a friend for nearly eight years, had talked to Starkey at length about the opportunity, but it never seemed like the right time. Until recently, that is.

On Wednesday morning among the hugs and tears, Starkey informed the entire body of over 700 student-athletes at Lopez of his intentions.

“It was important to me as a man and a leader of this program that I stand in front of them and own the decision,” he said. “I wasn’t walking out on them, but making a decision that was in the best interest of my family.

“I still want to serve the youth of this community, it’s just going to be in a different capacity now.”

Although Starkey is leaving coaching for the time being, he will leave that door opened for a future time.

“Coaches have a great opportunity to influence … I believe one coach can impact more lives than an entire community can,” he said. “I’m open to that if and when an opportunity presents itself and it works for me and the family, but I’m going to have to stay current to stay relevant.”

Although he doesn’t get a choice or a voice in naming a successor, Starkey was vocal about who he’d like to see take over the football program — his offensive coordinator, Alberto Leal, who has spent the last eight years in that capacity.

“I think the right pieces are in place, but I think (Lopez Principal Dahlia) Aguilar will make the right choice,” Starkey said. “A good leader should serve the ones they lead, the best way I know is to help get them opportunities to run their own program.”

Now that his tenure is ending, Starkey reflected on his time at Lopez where his wife will continue to teach.

“My mission was to leave (Lopez) better than I found it and I have peace because I felt we’ve done that,” he said. “Not just me, but thanks to Ms. Aguilar and (Superintendent) Dr. (Esperanza) Zendejas and their belief in me, they saw something in this program and in me before I was able to see it. We changed the culture here, we’re very proud of this place.”

Starkey also wanted to thank the community.

“I want this community to know how much I appreciate the opportunity that BISD gave me to serve their children at the capacity of head coach and athletic coordinator,” Starkey said. “I thank them for their sacrifices so their kids could be a part of a sport and extra curricular activities. I want to encourage them to show up to their young people’s events and games. I believe a lot can be gained for the next generations leaders by ensuring they get the opportunity to compete and participate in sports.

“Dr. Zendejas and Ms. Aguilar, I will forever remember them as the leaders that were my champions … as a result of their commitment, I think we accomplished a lot.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

RIO GRANDE CITY — Brownsville Veterans Memorial senior Hannah Meyers wasn’t about to let her high school career finish against Cigarroa (Laredo).

Meyers scored a game-high 16 points — all in the first half — and set the tone for the Lady Chargers in a 46-25 victory over the Lady Toros in a Class 5A bi-district girls basketball game Tuesday at Ringgold Middle School.

“I knew we had to come out hard, it was all or nothing,” Meyers said. “I knew I had to come out and work hard on defense and offense … we had to play as a team. I asked everyone last night if they were ready to come out and play … everyone said we’re coming out to win.”

The senior forward added eight rebounds and three steals and was the spark for Brownsville Veterans (28-13), who used a couple runs in the first half to go in front for good. Cigarroa (17-20) struggled on the offensive end and couldn’t get much going to match the offensive output of the Lady Chargers, which advances to the area round for the fifth straight season.

“I told Hannah to be relentless, it starts with you,” Brownsville Veterans coach Valentin Paz said. “Be relentless on the offense end and defense, set the tone.

“If you set the tone, everybody else will follow.”

From the opening quarter, Meyers was on a mission. After an Alyssa Esquivel putback, Meyers hit a free throw and added a bucket as Brownsville Veterans went on a 5-0 run. Victoria Villanueva hit a 3-pointer to stop the run for the Lady Toros, but the Lady Chargers’ Julia Alvarez answered with a 3 to make it 8-3.

Villanueva hit a jumper to get the deficit within two points, but Meyers answered with a layup and finished with five points in the quarter as Brownsville Veterans led 10-6.

Villanueva got Cigarroa within one on a 3 to open the second quarter, but Lizzie Garza hit a free throw for the Lady Chargers to keep the edge at two. Angelina Mosqueda hit a 3 to give the Lady Toros a 12-11 lead, but Meyers went to work. She scored eight straight points and 11 of the teams 13-0 run to finish the half and give Brownsville Veterans a 24-12 advantage at the break.

“I told you the difference (in this game) was going to be defense,” Paz said. “Our goal is always 12-plus (on offense) and eight or less (on defense) in every quarter. We held them to 12 (points) in the first half, six and six. I told (the girls) if we do the same thing in the second half we’ll win. It was defense … we were able to turn them over and get out and run.”

With that first half momentum, the Lady Chargers kept it going in the second half. After Lori De Leon and Alexa Reyes got buckets to get Cigarroa within eight, Esquivel had a putback to push the Lady Chargers lead back to 10. Brownsville Veterans added a jumper by Valeria Amaro and a 3 by Destiny Contreras and extended the lead to 31-17 after three.

“We played very uncharacteristic of this team,” Cigarroa coach Mary Encinas said. “We didn’t execute, all the things we worked on and were prepared for … we didn’t execute.”

The Lady Chargers started the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run, fueled by another 3 by Contreras and a scoring binge by Garza that pushed the lead to 41-17. The Lady Toros got some free throws down the stretch, but Brownsville Veterans answered with points in transition off turnovers and the lead never fell below 20.

Villanueva finished with eight points and seven rebounds and Lari Cantu added eight points, five rebounds and three steals for Cigarroa.

After winning a district title and advancing three rounds last season, the Lady Toros lost several seniors. That inexperience showed in the bi-district game against Brownsville Veterans, but Encinas knows her team will be back.

“This year we only graduate two seniors, so we have a young group,” she said. “I think this was a great experience for our younger kids and it’s going to help them and we’ll grow from it.”

Garza finished with 10 points, including nine in the second half, eight rebounds and two steals and Contreras finished with six points on a pair of 3-pointers for the Lady Chargers.

Brownsville Veterans moves on to the area round, but it hasn’t been kind to Paz and his team during the last four years. The Lady Chargers coach knows that it’s going to be just as tough this season as it has in the past.

“We’ll take one possession at a time,” he said. “Work hard (in practice) and try to get ready.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

LOS FRESNOS — As good as Los Fresnos was on the defensive end, the offense wasn’t there against Edinburg High.

The Lady Falcons held the Lady Bobcats to 17 points below their scoring average, but didn’t have enough firepower to take down the District 31-6A champions in a 43-28 loss to Edinburg High in a Class 6A bi-district girls basketball game Monday.

Los Fresnos (27-12) battled the Lady Bobcats for four quarters in a physical, defensive showdown, but the Lady Falcons had their struggles from the field until the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough to match Edinburg High (31-8) in the postseason matchup.

“Our shots just didn’t fall and that was crucial,” Los Fresnos Rebecca Valdez coach said. “Defensively, the effort was there tremendously, but offensively, we couldn’t hit when we needed to hit.”

After Jovanna Adame gave Los Fresnos an early lead in the opening quarter, the Lady Bobcats went on an 8-0 run that included a putback by Brianna Sanchez and a jumper by Jayla Santa Maria. The Lady Falcons’ Ari Gallardo hit a bucket and Britney Ruiz hit a pair of free throws to cut it to 8-6. But Edinburg High got a layup from Santa Maria and a 3-pointer from Mercedes Hernandez and took a 13-8 lead after one.

Dom Clemons started out the second quarter with a layup to get the deficit down to three for Los Fresnos, but the Lady Bobcats got another 3 from Hernandez and a bucket by Jenessah Santa Maria to push the lead to eight. Ruiz hit a jumper to get it back to six, but a three-point play by Jayla Santa Maria got the advantage back to nine and that was difference at the break.

“It was a tough battle with Los Fresnos … District 32-6A is tough,” Edinburg High coach J.D. Salinas said. “We had a tough time scoring and it was physical game on both sides. I give (Los Fresnos) credit; they did a heck of a job.

“This one was a big one for us … it’s not easy to come to this side of the Valley and play on their home court.”

Edinburg High started the third quarter on a 6-0 run fueled by a 3-pointer and a bucket by Jayla Santa Maria. The Lady Falcons got a tough layup from Gallardo, but that’s all they would get as Jayla Santa Maria scored 7 of her teams 8 points in the quarter and the Lady Bobcats took a 15-point edge into the final quarter.

Ruiz got Los Fresnos going with a free throw and bucket as part of a 5-0 run and had seven points in the quarter, but the Lady Falcons started getting in some foul trouble and Edinburg High kept them at bay with accuracy on the free throw line and sealed the game.

“We were struggling offensively and we tried to burn some time off the clock,” Salinas said. “We got in situations where Los Fresnos put us on the line and we did a good job at the free throw line.”

Jayla Santa Maria led the way for the Lady Bobcats with 19 points, including 8 of 11 from the charity stripe, and six rebounds, Hernandez had 10 points and five rebounds and Jenessah Santa Maria added 10 points, four rebounds and four steals.

Salinas was happy to get out of Los Fresnos with a tough win.

“I’m proud of my girls, my coaching staff, everyone that’s part of our success,” he said. “Once you get to the playoffs, everyone is a great team. But we’re going to take this win and move on.”

Ruiz led Los Fresnos with nine points, three rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks, Gallardo finished with six points, two rebounds and a steal and Jessica Fuentes added six points and a pair of rebounds.

It was a tough loss for the Lady Falcons, but Valdez said her senior class set a new standard.

“My senior class was special, they’re a great group of kids,” she said. “We hadn’t made the playoffs in three years. Now there’s nowhere to go but up, we have to continue to get better. We have to work and get better and continue the same heart and effort that the seniors left behind.

“We have a great group coming back, so it’s going to be an exciting year, next year.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Three teams remain at the end of the girls basketball season and are ready to begin the University Interscholastic League postseason.

Los Fresnos, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Pace are set to begin the playoffs this week.

The Lady Falcons, who finished fourth in District 32-6A, face District 31-6A champion Edinburg High in a Class 6A bi-district game at 7 p.m. Monday in Los Fresnos.

Both the Lady Chargers and Lady Vikings play in neutral locations at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Brownsville Veterans, the District 32-5A champion, squares off against Cigarroa (Laredo) in a Class 5A bi-district game at the Ringgold Middle School in Rio Grande City. Pace, the fourth seed in District 32-5A, matches up against Nixon (Laredo) (who won the District 31-5A title) in a Class 5A bi-district game at Grulla High School.

Los Fresnos earned its first playoff berth since the 2014-15 season with first-year coach, Rebecca Valdez. The Lady Falcons won 5 of 7 games in the second half of district play to earn their spot. Los Fresnos now faces a 30-win Edinburg High, who went a perfect 14-0 in district.

“I’m grateful to Los Fresnos for giving me the opportunity, it’s a great place to work,” Los Fresnos Rebecca Valdez coach said. “It was an easy transition because the kids worked so hard. The girls have done extremely well adapting to change and I’m thankful they took me in and we have our own little family here … I’m blessed.”

The Lady Falcons, led by sophomore Ari Gallardo (18.5 points per game) and senior Britney Ruiz (9.7), aren’t showing any signs of fear though.

“Edinburg High is a great team. We’ve been watching film and they’re big, it’s something we haven’t played in awhile,” Valdez said. “We’re up for the fight … our district was a fight every game, so that’s an advantage for us because we’re used to fighting and having to comeback.

“We’ve fought for every game this season.”

The Lady Falcons coach is happy to be at home for the postseason game.

“Los Fresnos is a great place and the community has shown a lot of support,” Valdez said. “I think it’s an advantage for us being home because the kids get so hyped up being home … it’s a great environment.”

Brownsville Veterans lost just once in District 32-5A and earned its second straight district title, and looks to return to the second round or further this season.

“I think a lot of people didn’t expect us to accomplish much losing the number of girls we lost,” Brownsville Veterans coach Valentin Paz said. “We played a lot of tough teams at the beginning of the season. We took our lumps, but it helped the young girls grow up and get better. I think we have pretty good momentum, we just have to keep working hard.”

For the Lady Chargers, senior Hannah Meyers (13.6 points) and sophomore Lizzie Garza (10.3) led the way on offense and defense, both average better than three steals per game. They will be tested against Cigarroa, who earned a district title and went to the third round of the playoffs a year ago.

“For us, nothing changes, it’s still about defense,” Paz said. “(Cigarroa) has experience and we’re going to play harder than we have (this season) to keep up with their talent level. The team that defends the best is going to win. If you can defend well, you can give yourself opportunities. Our defense is our best offense.”

Brownsville Veterans tries to continue its legacy left by a talented senior class last year that included standout, Jordan Rudd. Paz reminded his team of that team’s accomplishments this week in practice.

“Everything on the wall and in that (trophy) case belongs to someone else,” he said. “But it’s your job to upkeep it and you do it one possession at a time.
“We’re going to try to seize the moment.”

Pace is led by sophomore Sofia Espinoza (7.4 points) and junior Lexy Arce (6.7) and returns to the postseason after it advanced to the second round a year ago, but it wasn’t easy.

“We adapted to the players we have and their strengths and what they can do,” Pace coach Eddie Lozano said. “We’re still young, but we kept that mentality (to reach the postseason) all year.”

The Lady Vikings are a junior-heavy squad and looks to continue their success next year as well, but first faces a tough task against a 31-win team that went unscathed through district play.
Lozano said it’s going to take an effort on both sides of the ball.

“We have to be patient on offense and limit our turnovers,” he said. “(Nixon) is very good defensive, they make you pay. On defense, we have to rebound; they’re good at offensive rebounding.

“Hopefully, we can keep it close for four quarters and come out with a win.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

LOS FRESNOS — In a four-quarter, grind-it-out game, Los Fresnos played Weslaco High tough, but it wasn’t quite enough.

The Lady Falcons kept it close throughout the game, but the Lady Panthers used an advantage on the offensive glass and the free throw line to earn a 46-36 victory in a the District 32-6A girls basketball game Tuesday.

“I feel like our biggest thing (on the night) was turnovers,” Los Fresnos Rebecca Valdez coach said. “I think we pushed our defense this whole week and I think we tried to stop their great offense … I think we did a pretty good job. Yes we had our moments where we didn’t execute, but I’m proud of the girls tremendous effort on defense.”

Los Fresnos was outrebounded 28-21 and was 9 of 17 from the free throw line compared to Weslaco High (14 of 22) as it grabbed an early lead and never let up. The Lady Falcons finish 8-6 in District 32-6A and with the fourth seed in the district ahead of the postseason. The Lady Panthers (12-2) earn a share of the district title with the win.

“We didn’t come in here and perform very well,” Weslaco High coach Griselda Fino said. “I’m proud that we played poorly, but we still managed to come out with a W. It’s a shared district title and no one likes to share, but I’m proud of the kids and their effort and the ability to finish on the right note.

“We’ve been putting in some extra work on free throws and hopefully it has paid off. We’re the type of ball club that likes to attack the basket, so we better be darn good at the free throw line.”

After Ari Gallardo opened the game with a layup for Los Fresnos, Weslaco High went on a 7-0 run to take a 7-2 edge. Britney Ruiz hit a layup for the Lady Falcons to stop the run, but that’s all they’d get and trailed 7-4 after one.

Gallardo started the second quarter with a bucket to get Los Fresnos within one, but the Lady Panthers went on a 6-0 run, including a layup by Emily Saenz and a putback by Illiyah Cantu to get some breathing room, 13-6. Gallardo hit a 3 to get within four, but Cantu had another putback on the other end. A layup by

Ruiz kept the deficit at four, but Weslaco High finished the quarter on a 7-3 advantage, most coming from the charity stripe to lead 22-14 at the break.

“In the second quarter, we finally understood what they were doing defensively and we adjusted,” Fino said. “We attacked the basket and their ability to look for each other worked in our favor. Defensively, it was just a matter of getting stops.”

In the third, Cantu had another putback to push the Lady Panthers lead to 10, but a layup by Ruiz and steal and a finish by Gallardo kept it close. After a jumper by Bree Peña put Weslaco High up by eight, the Lady Falcons’ Jovanna Adame had a steal and a bucket to keep the deficit at four. The Lady Panthers pushed it to seven by the end of the third.

In the final quarter, Los Fresnos got it within six, but couldn’t get any closer as Weslaco High kept hitting from the line and sealed the victory.

Peña led the Lady Panthers with 13 points, including nine after halftime, four rebounds and two steals. Cantu had 12 points and 11 boards and Saenz added 10 points and three rebounds for Weslaco High.

Despite wrapping up a share of the District 32-6A, Fino knows her team must play better with the postseason about to begin.

“A game like this puts into perspective the amount of work we need to do the rest of the week,” she said. “We need to go back to work to fix it.”

Gallardo finished with 17 points, including 10 in the first half, three rebounds and three steals to lead the way for the Lady Falcons. Ruiz added eight points, three rebounds and a pair of assists for Los Fresnos.

Despite the loss, Valdez said her team is ready for the postseason.

“Weslaco High is a great team, they’re a playoff team,” she said. “Our whole district was pretty tough, so we’re ready for playoffs because we’ve had pretty good competition all year long. We need to have a little more confidence, but I think we’re right there.

“I’m excited we’re in the playoffs. We’ve come a long way; my girls have so much heart and (play with) so much effort. Now they just need that confidence in them to push forward to the playoffs.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Pace and Donna High had already clinched postseason spots, but both were trying to build momentum until then.

The Lady Vikings fell behind in the second quarter, struggled against the Bravettes’ defense and we’re unable to recover in the 55-36 loss in a District 32-5A girls basketball game Friday at Pace.

Pace (7-6 in District 32-5A) stayed with Donna High (10-3) throughout the opening quarter but fell behind early in the second quarter. The Bravettes went on an 8-0 run to open up a 12-point advantage and built a 15-point lead by halftime. Donna High used an aggressive defensive effort to outscore the Lady Vikings 15-4 in the second and Pace never got the lead below 10 points the rest of the way.

“We seemed a little off, out of the gate we were uncomfortable,” Pace coach Eddie Lozano said. “But you have to give it to Donna, they made us uncomfortable all night long, had a good defensive plan and we weren’t able to get back into it.”

In the first quarter, Pace took an early 6-5 lead on a 3-pointer by Lexy Arce, but Donna High regained the lead after a free throw and bucket by Miranda Sandoval. The Lady Vikings’ Sofia Espinoza hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at eight, but a steal and finish by Bianca Quesada gave the Bravettes a lead and they would never trail again. Donna High went on a 5-0 run with a three-point play by Monica Guerrero and a pair of free throws by Quesada. But Pace’s Jade Rodriguez hit a 3 to keep it within four points after one.

After a bucket by the Lady Vikings’ Amanda Gomez, the Bravettes took control. They used an 8-0 run, six points that came from the foul line, to take a 25-13 lead. Stephanie Saenz stopped the drought for Pace, but Donna High ended the quarter on a 5-0 run, highlighted by a three-point play by Brianna Quesada and took a 30-15 advantage into the break.

“It kept them from getting second shots and gives us more opportunities to score,” Donna High coach Kevin Kromer said. “If you can control the ball, you can control the game. We had great energy (Friday); I was pleased with our first quarter and the first half.

“I’m proud of their effort … at this time of the season, that’s hard to do.”

The Lady Vikings kept up with the Bravettes in the second half, but they couldn’t overcome Donna High’s 24 steals on the defensive end. Pace hit just 10 of 22 from the foul line and couldn’t match the Bravettes output from the charity stripe (21 of 32) and although it chipped away at the deficit, it couldn’t get it below 10 points in the loss.

“We got in foul trouble (in the first half) and our two leaders were on the bench … in a big game like this that’s not good,” Lozano said. “They hit their free throws and we didn’t … that’s kind of been our Achilles heel the whole year. That’s something we need to work on more.

“Those leaders need to know they need to be on the court, they need to play better defense.”

That free throw differential was key for Donna High.

“When you make free throws, you relax on your shooting,” Kromer said. “You’re not under pressure anymore because the free throws make it a little easier for the jump shots to go in, it’s all confidence. If you make your free throws, you should win the game.”

Brianna Quesada led the Bravettes with 14 points, four rebounds and six steals and Sandoval added 13 points, 17 rebounds and six steals for Donna High.

Kromer hopes that this momentum continues with the postseason starting soon.

“We want to be playing our best ball at the end of the year, so I’m pleased with the effort and I’m proud of every one of them,” he said. “(Pace) is a good, tough physical team. They fight tooth and nail every time we come down here. We have another game on Tuesday to get us ready and give us confidence (going into the playoffs).”

Rodriguez came off the bench to lead the Lady Vikings with 11 points, Gomez had seven points and five rebounds and Arce had six points on a pair of 3-pointers, four rebounds and six steals for Pace.

Lozano tried to find the positive in the loss with the Lady Vikings returning to the playoffs this season.

“I’m glad this happened (Friday) rather than a playoff game,” he said. “We got a little wake up call and hopefully build on the different aspects of the game (before the playoffs start).”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

EDINBURG — The University Interscholastic League decided to shake up things in Class 5A with two divisions in football.

As a result, four Brownsville schools — Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Lopez, Pace and Porter — found out they will be a part of the new District 16-5A, Division I for football during Thursday’s biennial reclassification and realignment meeting for the 2018-20 school years.

And with several other Rio Grande Valley schools fitting similar enrollment numbers between 1,840-2,189, there wasn’t much of an option other than put them all together. Joining the aforementioned Brownsville schools will be Donna High, Rio Grande City, Mission Veterans Memorial and three schools that dropped down from Class 6A to 5A, PSJA Memorial, PSJA Southwest and La Joya Palmview to form a 10-team district.

It’s a mix of reaction from the coaches regarding different aspects of having such a large district. Scheduling though for once, was much easier.

“It made this day as a coach pretty easy,” Lopez coach Jason Starkey said of having to find just one non-district game to go with nine district games. “My schedule is set and I don’t have to run around and find games like I know some of my colleagues have to do right now with a smaller district than anticipated.”

But Starkey said he was sad to say goodbye to some former district foes.

“Honestly, I’ll miss Mercedes and Edcouch-Elsa because I respect the leaders of those programs and it was great to engage in those atmospheres and those type of games,” he said. “I’m welcoming the others … we’ve never played Rio Grande City, so that will be a nice little road trip. I’m a fan on getting on the bus and going for a drive.”

With only one non-district games and nine district games, it requires teams to get ready much quicker in the offseason.

“The sense of urgency when we’re able to start will be up a few notches as far as trying to get ready as quick as we can,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “The spring will be more critical, and in August we can’t waste any time. It will have to be as efficient as possible. We’re used to on average having three non-district games to work the kinks out, but all the teams will be in the same position.

“The fact that they all matter so much, so early, is definitely a difference.”

Although Pace coach Danny Pardo sees it from a little different perspective.

“We have a lot of kids coming back so it doesn’t affect us too much,” he said regarding an earlier start to the district season. “By the time we get to Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, we have a generally good idea where we want kids, it’s just minor tweaks later on.

“It doesn’t change the way we do things. We still play the same number of games, they just count a little more this time.”

Starkey was also an advocate for a nine-game district season.

“I like the attitude of the second game we’re playing for keeps,” he said. “It’s a college atmosphere … every game matters. I feel in the past Lopez has been ready to play early and if anything we’ve struggled to maintain that through the year. I’m excited. I welcome the challenge, it will be new and different, but I think it will be good.”

It’s a chance to play different competition in different places, although the travel cost will be a little more based on the distance between some of the schools.

“I’m looking forward to it,” PSJA Southwest coach Mike Evans said. “I’m excited for our kids to play a lot of different places, see a lot of the Valley. We didn’t have a lot of travel last year between Pharr and Edinburg, so this will be a lot of travel.” Cantu agreed with the variety of venues.

“Personally, I love to play different teams and be in different stadiums,” he said. “I’m very happy it worked out this way.”

The coaches were adamant about avoiding zone play within district. None of them seemed to like the idea of only playing half of the district teams and getting the playoff teams from the records during those five games.

There are some familiar faces and foes among the newly formed district. Evans will face some family members and some former coaches, sometimes during the same game. Evans father, Dave, is the defensive coordinator at Brownsville Veterans under Cantu, the same position he held before he left for the top job at

PSJA Southwest. Evans brother, Marc, is a coordinator at PSJA Memorial.

“We’re a competitive family,” Mike Evans said. “So we’ll enjoy the competition.”

Cantu is also looking forward to the interfamily battles.

“They’ll be a couple of those family feuds … I guess we’ll call them that,” he said. “They’re all competitors, so they’re all going to want bragging rights at home … it does make it more interesting.”

Last season, Lopez lost to Mission Veterans in a tight, bi-district playoff game. This upcoming season, they’ll meet again, but this time as district opponents.

“I’m excited and I know the kids will be too to play Mission Veterans,” Starkey said. “That was a great playoff game. We have tremendous respect for them … so we’re looking forward to lining up across from them again.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

EDINBURG — It always seems that the University Interscholastic League likes to throw a curve into the reclassification and realignment of its schools for the next two years of high school football.

It certainly seemed that way to coaches in District 32-6A and District 16-4A, Division II, during Thursday’s meeting.

Hanna, Rivera and Los Fresnos will remain in District 32-6A with Harlingen High, Harlingen South and San Benito. It becomes a six-team district because Weslaco High and Weslaco East, previously in District 32-6A, moved to District 31-6A. It especially made scheduling non-district games much harder.

“Last year we eight good teams in our district, now we’re looking at six good teams,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said. “It’s still going to be a dog fight to get that district championship and playoff spot. The biggest thing is to find non-district games to get you ready for that tough district. We feel we have a tough non-district schedule as it is, but we’re trying to find that fifth game and not have two open weeks and only play nine games … it is what it is.”

Los Fresnos coach Patrick Brown was having trouble filling his non-district schedule as well.

“Not adding another team to the district is a killer for us,” he said. “Now it means everyone in our district is going to have to go a long distance to play someone.

The only other six-team districts are in El Paso and the Midland area.

“Trying to find a Week 5 game is almost impossible.”

With Weslaco High and Weslaco East on the move to District 31-6A with Donna North (who moved up from Class 5A to 6A), it created a seven-team district.

District 30-6A has eight teams. With a total of 21 teams among these districts and District 32-6A in the Rio Grande Valley, coaches were surprised that each wasn’t finalized with seven teams.

“We didn’t see that coming, it was kind of a blindside,” Guess said. “We figured it would be seven, eight or nine in our district.”

Brown was caught off guard as well. He expected to see three seven-team districts rather than eight, seven and six.

“It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “I would have taken anyone in the Valley (to add to the district opponents). It throws off our plans; this isn’t a vision that any of us could have foreseen. We thought it was more likely to have an eight- or nine-team district.

“It’s mind-blowing that it worked out the way it did, but it is what it is and we’ll make it work.”

In the new District 16-4A, Division II, Port Isabel remains with Progreso, Raymondville and Rio Hondo. West Oso and Orange Grove move to District 15-4A, Division II with other schools in the Corpus Christi area.

Port Isabel, as well as the other three schools, get a free pass into the postseason for the next two seasons. But the problem with only four teams is being forced to fill the schedule with seven non-district games to reach a full season of 10 games.

The Tarpons will have to figure that out as well as the Raiders, Golden Eagles and Falcons will do in the new District 32-6A. The coaches saw the positives and the negatives but weren’t sure which had the upper hand yet.

“Our district is still tough as heck,” Brown said. “But now you’re going to play four or five monsters in pre-district (games) and hopefully you’re not beat up by the time you get to district. On the other hand, it gives you half your season where you’re playing basically scrimmages … you want to win those games, but they don’t count toward district.”

Guess agreed regarding the split season.

“It’s putting us in a tough position, but we have to do what we’ve got to do,” he said. “The only good thing is we have five weeks to get the kinks worked out … its good and bad.

“We’ll do what we can with the cards we’re dealt and make the best of it.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.