EDINBURG — UTRGV and Abilene Christian treated fans to a 3-point shootout during the first quarter of their Western Athletic Conference homecoming game Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg with eight combined made 3s between the teams.

After the first, it was all Vaqueros.

UTRGV topped ACU 75-71 behind a career-high scoring performance from senior Tiffany McGarity, who poured in 30 points.

The Vaqueros improved to 9-14 overall and 3-9 in WAC competition. Abilene Christian falls to 11-13 and 5-7 in WAC. UTRGV broke a two-game skid with the win.

“Just real proud of our group — the resiliency of the team,” UTRGV head coach Lane Lord said. “You could tell before the game, their energy was really high and they wanted this homecoming victory, and they did it. We needed a win, so we’re just proud of them.”

The Vaqueros outscored the Wildcats 21-10 during the second quarter and used a 21-5 run to close the period, swinging all momentum in their favor.

Then, McGarity took over.

McGarity poured in 12 points during the third quarter and dropped a pair of assists to up her point total to 22 through the first 30 minutes. She finished with 30 on 9-for-12 shooting and 3-for-3 from long-range.

“I’m the kind of player, I just kind of let the game come to me. All season, this is my first time sitting here and that shows the depth of our team,” McGarity said about the postgame news conference. “Tonight we needed somebody to score, and I just tried to be that person. Every night, it’s going to be somebody different so I just try to fill in wherever I can, and tonight we needed somebody to score and I was happy that I was able to pick my team up and offer us that.”

Freshman post Charlotte O’Keefe, the reigning WAC women’s basketball freshman of the week, came down with eight rebounds and three devastating blocks during key moments to help preserve UTRGV’s lead. She battled all four quarters in man-to-man defense against ACU post Addison Martin.

“(Martin’s) a really good player, and I knew they were probably going to look towards her when they needed some points. The blocks just came. I was trying to play straight up and I had a height advantage on her, so it just went in my hands,” O’Keefe said.

Mele Kailahi added 14 points and four rebounds for the Vaqueros. Jena’ Williams scored nine points and delivered six assists.

The Vaqueros are set for a road trip to Utah next week for matchups against Southern Utah at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Utah Tech at 3 p.m. Saturday. Both games are available to watch online at ESPN+, ESPN’s streaming service.

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EDINBURG — Edinburg North needed a victory against La Joya High on Friday night to keep its shot at the District 31-6A championship alive.

It may have taken an extra four minutes as the Coyotes rallied to force overtime, but the Cougars found a way to get the job done 55-53 at Edinburg North High School.

La Joya won the first meeting between the two 53-52 on Jan. 24. Both have identical 7-2 district records, as does Edinburg High, creating a three-way tie for first in 31-6A heading into the final game of the regular season next week.

“They’re a very well-coached team. We knew it was going to be tough,” Edinburg North head coach Carlos Ramos said. “When we got the lead to 16, I knew they were going to make a run and they got the best player in the Valley in Mr. (Ethan) Moya there, but our kids stepped up. I’m very happy with our boys’ performance.”

The Coyotes trailed by 10 at the half and end of the third quarter. A fourth-quarter surge sparked by defensive pressure and three 3-pointers erased the La Joya deficit. Ethan Moya tied the game at 46 with a crafty layup through contact to send it into overtime. Both teams had chances to end it in regulation but came up short.

In overtime, North’s Cristian Faz banked a 3-pointer to start the extra period and the Cougars found openings in the Coyotes’ press.

Moya had a chance to tie the game with 1.7 seconds left after being fouled on a 3-point attempt, but his first free throw missed, his second went in, and time expired after an intentional miss on his third try.

“We knew coming into the season this district was going to be tight all the way through. Credit to Edinburg North — they made a couple more plays than we did and you have to credit them,” La Joya head coach Eric Montalvo said.

La Joya’s Moya scored a game-high 20 points with five assists, three steals and two blocks. Teammate Hunter Morales scored six of his 11 points during the fourth quarter to aid the Coyotes’ rally.

Edinburg North’s defense was led by Jorge Santa Maria, who tailed Moya everywhere he went in the box-and-1 scheme. He made things difficult during the first half, surrendering just three points. Santa Maria also dished out eight assists to go with his eight points.

“We just had to come out with heart, high-energy and the crowd helped us,” he said.

Faz added 16 points and post Eddie Gonzalez led the Cougars offensively with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

“We played pretty good at the end. All we’ve been focusing on is defense, defense, defense,” Gonzalez said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game because the way we played them last time, we only lost by a point, so we had to come in here and really dig it out.”

On Tuesday, the final day of the regular season, Edinburg North hosts Mission High, La Joya High hosts PSJA High, and Edinburg High travels to face Edinburg Economedes.

If all three win, the Bobcats, Cougars and Coyotes will share the District 31-6A championship.

“If we all win out, it would be a three-way tie and I don’t mind sharing, but we’ll deal with that later,” Ramos said. “Big game coming up against Mission. We got to take care of business.”

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PSJA Southwest head football coach and athletic coordinator Abel Estrada has been reassigned from his position, PSJA ISD confirmed Friday.

Estrada spent two seasons as the head football coach of the Javelinas, both of which ended with 1-9 records overall. Estrada took over the position after former head coach and athletic coordinator Mike Evans joined the coaching staff at Weslaco East days before the start of the 2021 season.

Estrada played college football at Texas A&M-Kingsville and began his coaching career at the middle school level during the 2000s before joining the staff at PSJA Southwest when the school opened in 2010.

The PSJA Southwest football program qualified for the playoffs for the first time in school history during a shortened 2020 campaign. The program began competing at the varsity level in 2012.

EDINBURG — District title races and playoff positioning will be determined during the next week as boys high school basketball enters the final stretch of the regular season.

In District 31-6A, three teams — Edinburg High, Edinburg North and La Joya High — have a shot at winning the district championship with two games remaining.

The Coyotes (24-11, 7-1) are in the driver’s seat entering tonight’s pivotal game against the Cougars (22-15, 6-2), scheduled for 7:30 at Edinburg North High School.

La Joya holds an edge thanks to a 53-52 victory over Edinburg North on Jan. 24 in La Joya. A Coyotes win guarantees them at least a share of the 31-6A title and knocks the Cougars out of contention, while a loss potentially creates a tri-district champion scenario.

The Bobcats (23-10, 6-2) are tied for second with the Cougars after splitting their head-to-head matchups 1-1. Edinburg High’s final two games are against Mission High and Edinburg Economedes.

SAN BENITO ROLLING

San Benito’s perfect record in District 32-6A remains intact entering the final two games of the regular season. The Greyhounds have won a share of the 32-6A title and have a chance to win it outright with a victory against Brownsville Hanna at 7:30 p.m. Friday at San Benito High School. San Benito defeated Brownsville Hanna 52-49 in their first matchup Jan. 24.

An outright district championship would be San Benito’s first since the 1960s.

The Greyhounds wrap up the regular season against Brownsville Rivera (7-19, 1-7) on Tuesday.

SABERCATS CLINCH

Edinburg Vela has already clinched a share of the District 31-5A championship after an impressive 15-1 run through league play.

The SaberCats (23-12, 15-1) lost their first meeting against Sharyland Pioneer, but bounced back with a big 75-49 win over the Diamondbacks in their second meeting last Friday. Sophomore guard JP Olivarez led Vela with 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Edinburg Vela’s JP Olivarez (3) attempts a basket against PSJA North in a District 31-5A game at PSJA North High School on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

After a matchup with PSJA Southwest tonight, Edinburg Vela will close the regular season against a strong McAllen Memorial team that has only lost six games all season.

If the SaberCats defeat the Javelinas tonight, they’ll capture a second consecutive district championship outright. The Mustangs (25-6, 13-3) need Vela to lose against Southwest tonight to keep their shot at a co-championship alive.

TRAILBLAZERS NEED ONE MORE

Edinburg IDEA Quest is one win away from clinching its first district title in program history.

Standing in the Trailblazers’ way is defending 31-3A champion North Mission IDEA.

Edinburg IDEA Quest has put together a 21-4 record and a 14-1 mark in district play.

Edinburg IDEA Quest Basketball leads District 31-3A with two weeks left in the season. Courtesy Photo

Senior guard Jeffrey Nguyen is the team’s leading scorer with 20.7 points per game. Miguel Carmona is putting up 10.3 points, and Diego Alaniz and Christian Jung are averaging 9.3 and 9.0 points per game, respectively.

Tipoff between Edinburg IDEA Quest and North Mission IDEA is slated for 7 tonight at North Mission IDEA in Mission.

TOUGH TEST ON DECK

San Perlita’s lone district loss came on the road against McMullen County — the No. 3 team in the state according to the latest Texas Association of Basketball Coaches rankings — by a score of 66-61 on Jan. 20.

The Trojans (17-15, 7-1) will have a chance at some get back as they host McMullen County (30-2, 8-0) at 6 p.m. tonight at San Perlita High School.

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MISSION — Diego Diaz has represented Mexico in the Little League World Series, was part of Sharyland ISD’s first junior high baseball teams, has been a key player for Sharyland High for the past three years and now he’ll take his game to the next level.

Diaz signed a National Letter of Intent to play college baseball on scholarship at Texas at San Antonio on Wednesday at Sharyland High School surrounded by family, friends and coaches.

“This means all the hard work has paid off. It’s just trying to make my parents proud, my whole family proud and doing what I can to be successful,” he said. “I started baseball before I started school at 3 years old. I grew up loving the game and it just made me want to play more and more, and now here I am.”

Diaz is a four-year starter with the Rattlers. He was named District 31-5A’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior with a .407 batting average, 44 hits, 38 runs scored, 21 RBIs and one home run. He also posted a .929 fielding percentage last season.

“This program, I think it’s the best in the Valley. It’s top-notch, and definitely a big part of my career process and everything that’s happened,” Diaz said.

UTSA is getting a quick-learning athlete when Diaz eventually shows up on campus. He showed how fast he can pick things up when he joined the Sharyland High football team during Week 3 of the 2022 regular season.

The Rattlers suffered multiple injuries to their skill players on offense, and Diaz decided to give football a go and played a big role for the team. He went on to be named District 16-5A DII’s first-team kick returner with five returns for 151 yards and one kickoff return for a touchdown on a 92-yard runback. He also posted seven carries for 45 yards and a touchdown, and four catches for 44 yards and three tackles.

“They’re getting a hustler and hard worker. Being a little bit on the smaller side, I have to work twice as hard as everyone, so I’m going to give it everything I got every single day,” Diaz said.

“He’s the definition of an athlete and hard worker,” Sharyland High assistant coach Bryan Valencia said. “He works hard every single day, and he’s a true captain. On the field and off the field, he’s a smart guy and we love him a lot.”

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PHARR — Sharyland Pioneer’s Evan Thompson and Harlingen High’s Jazmine Thompson picked up right where they left off by dominating the throwing events at this year’s PSJA North Winter Relays on Saturday at PSJA Stadium.

Both qualified for last year’s UIL state track and field meet in Austin, and swept the boys and girls discus in their first official varsity track and field meet of the 2023 season Saturday.

Harlingen’s Thompson finished first in the shot put with a throw of 41 feet, 7 inches, and discus with a toss of 131-5. The Cardinals’ junior spent part of the offseason traveling across the country and competing in shot put and discus, and started her 2023 track and field season with a pair of gold medals.

Harlingen High’s Jazmine Thompson competes in the discus throw during the PSJA North Winter Relays at PSJA Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

“I’m thankful for track because I went all across the country this summer. Throwing with people from Oregon to California, it’s helped me experience new things. It really helped me stay on top of it,” she said.

PSJA North’s Jaylah Martinez claimed silver in both shot put and discus with distances of 39-2.5 and 130-4, respectively. PSJA Southwest’s Marcela Treviño finished third in the discus with a throw of 121-6. Weslaco High’s Kassandra Gonzalez earned third in the shot put at 36-4.25.

Sharyland Pioneer senior Evan Thompson took care of business on the boys side with a pair first-place finishes, and his younger brother, Derek Thompson, a freshman, claimed second in the shot put.

Sharyland Pioneer’s Evan Thompson competes in the discus throw during the PSJA North Winter Relays at PSJA Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

Evan Thompson is coming off a third-place finish at the UIL Class 5A state track and field meet in 2022. On Saturday, he broke a meet record in shot put previously held by former PSJA Southwest shot put state champion Diego Treviño with a throw of 57-8.75, besting Treviño’s mark of 55-0.5 set in 2018. Treviño is currently in his senior season as a thrower at Oklahoma. Evan Thompson also took first in discus with a 159-9 throw.

“(Diego Treviño is) huge — he’s really, really good. Down in the Valley, all the throwers, we all know him and what he’s done in high school and college — he’s a legend,” Evan Thompson said. “So to be able to break his record, hopefully I can break some more records of his, that’d be great, but it’s awesome, man. It feels good.

Derek Thompson made his varsity debut Saturday and took second in the shot put with a throw of 49-0.5, edging out his older competition and setting a personal record in the process. The younger Thompson said it’s fun working with his older brother and having someone to look up to on the same path.

Sharland Pioneer’s Derek Thompson competes in the shot put during the PSJA North Winter Relays at PSJA Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

“I was a little nervous but I was happy that I got second, especially as a freshman,” he said. “It’s great to be able to practice with (Evan). He teaches me new stuff every single day. He really helps me in practices and meets to help me throw my best and my furthest.”

“It’s great. I get to see him every single day. He’s a bit of a butt sometimes, but it’s all in good fun,” Evan Thompson said, joking about his younger brother. “I get to see him progress, train with him, work with him. He pushes me, I push him. It’s a little brotherly rivalry we have, but we love each other so it’s been great.”

Edinburg Vela teammates Ronnie Ramirez and Kristopher Perez finished second and third in boys discus with throws of 145-11 and 134-03, respectively.

Complete results from the PSJA North Winter Relays can be found at RGVSports.com.

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EDINBURG — Edinburg North led Edinburg High at the end of each of the first three quarters of their District 31-6A rivalry game Friday night.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Bobcats, however.

Edinburg High rode a second-half surge en route to downing crosstown rival Edinburg North 61-54 at Edinburg High School.

The Bobcats (22-10 overall) and Cougars (21-15) move into a tie for second place in the District 31-6A standings with identical 5-2 records after splitting their head-to-head matchups this season. Edinburg North won the first game 50-42 on Jan. 17.

“My assistant coaches, Coach (Jorge) Garcia and Coach (Steve) Guerrero, did a good job of preparing our kids to compete tonight,” Edinburg High head coach Zeke Cuellar said. “We played a lot better in the second half. We took the lead, and then we never gave it up. Our guys were playing with a lot of confidence.”

The Bobcats’ defense and play from their bench provided the spark they needed to swing momentum in their favor during the second half.

Edinburg High took its first lead of the contest with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after back-to-back steals and coast-to-coast layups from Joaquin Soto and Jahi Fagan.

Lorenza Watson was instrumental off the Bobcats’ bench, scoring 14 points, pulling down four rebounds and blocking two shots while also defending Edinburg North’s 6-foot, 7-inch post Eddie Gonzalez.

“We’ve been waiting for him to bring some type of productivity off the bench, and he did that tonight. He took it to heart and he knew that we trusted him on the floor, and he just played the best ball that he’s played all year,” Cuellar said. “He was a spark for us coming off the bench.”

Edinburg North raced out to a 15-6 lead after one quarter and a 30-22 advantage at the break. Three players finished in double figures for the Cougars, led by Jorge Santa Maria’s 16 points, 14 points from Cristian Faz and 13 points and three blocks from Gonzalez.

“We knew it was going to be a playoff atmosphere. We knew it was going to be difficult,” Edinburg North head coach Carlos Ramos said. “We knew they were going to make a run. The thing that got us is the run lasted a little longer than I hoped for and we couldn’t counter.”

Edinburg High’s Ian Garcia scored a team-high 15 points and blocked two shots, and helped pull Gonzalez away from the basket to open up opportunities for his teammates. The Bobcats switched between man-to-man and zone defense to keep the Cougars out of rhythm during the second half.

Fagan came on strong in the fourth quarter by scoring nine of his 13 points during the final eight minutes. He also added eight boards, two assists and three steals. Ryan Rivera chipped in with 10 points for the Bobcats.

“It was a great game. I thank my teammates and the seniors,” Garcia said. “This is what we wanted, to beat the Cougars. I think it was our defense and my teammates, especially Zo Watson — heck of a player he is.”

The Bobcats are back in action against PSJA High at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at PSJA High School in San Juan. The Cougars will look to rebound against Edinburg Economedes at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Edinburg North High School.

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EDINBURG — UTRGV athletics announced an investment of $30 million to upgrade existing athletic facilities for current sports over the next three years in April 2022.

Those upgrades hit the UTRGV Baseball Stadium with a newly renovated clubhouse, featuring new lockers with padded seating, tile flooring with a UTRGV logo painted in the middle and a fueling area for baseball players.

The UTRGV baseball team got its first look at the clubhouse Friday then hit the field for the first official team practice of the 2023 season.

“Facilities are about recruiting,” UTRGV head coach Derek Matlock said. “This is a home … so that’s huge for a kid and it’s exciting to take the family here. With what (UTRGV vice president and director of athletics) Chasse Conque and the administration did take it to a whole new level. To compete in the WAC, you got to beat them in facilities, which lets you beat them in recruiting.”

The Vaqueros are scheduled to open the regular season with a three-game home series against Houston Christian on Feb. 17.

“You guys have a great coach that is constantly changing for you and constantly fighting for you,” Conque said. “This is truly about people and facilities, and today we have provided both. We have an unbelievable coaching staff and a phenomenal group of student-athletes. Thank you all for what you do and making this so special for us.”

The La Joya High Coyotes avenged their lone District 31-6A defeat with a 53-48 victory over the Edinburg High Bobcats on Tuesday at La Joya High School.

Ethan Moya and Daniel Treviño led La Joya with 17 points apiece. Ryan Rivera led the Bobcats with 13 and Joaquin Soto and Ian Garcia both added 12.

The result breaks a three-way tie for the district’s top spot between La Joya, Edinburg High and Edinburg North, which now leaves the Coyotes and Cougars tied for first in 31-6A with 5-1 records.

La Joya (22-11) also owns a slight advantage over Edinburg North (21-14) with a head-to-head victory in their first meeting with their second matchup scheduled for Feb. 10 in Edinburg.

Next for the Bobcats (21-10, 4-2) is a rivalry game against the Edinburg North Cougars at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Edinburg High School.

DISTRICT 31-5A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 70, PSJA MEMORIAL 30: At Alamo, the Mustangs picked up a dominant win to keep themselves within striking distance of the 31-5A championship. McAllen Memorial’s Evan McGurk led all scorers with 18. Caden Keller and Mando Treviño added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

The Mustangs improved to 24-5 overall and 12-2 in district, one game behind 31-5A leader Edinburg Vela (21-12, 13-1). The SaberCats won the first meeting between the two 55-37 on Jan. 13 in McAllen.

McAllen Memorial and Edinburg Vela are scheduled to meet in the final game of the regular season Feb. 14 in Edinburg.

Note: The Monitor’s 2022 All-Area Football Teams can be found at RGVSports.com

PHARR — PSJA North junior quarterback Ale Aparicio has led the Raiders’ offense since his freshman season.

Since being thrown into the fire, he’s helped lead PSJA North to six playoff wins while making program history with a Region IV-5A final appearance this past season.

For his part in raising Raiders football to new heights, Aparicio is The Monitor’s 2022 All-Area Football Player of the Year.

“It’s a good feeling but I couldn’t do it by myself,” Aparicio said. “I had the coaches behind my back, I had the players, especially my family, all of them were with me throughout this journey, and I’m just honored to receive this award and play for this team.”

All-Area football player of the year Ale Aparicio of PSJA North poses at PSJA North High School on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Pharr . (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

He missed a chunk of games in the middle of his sophomore season with a collarbone injury and came back with a vengeance during his junior season. Aparicio torched defenses with his arm and sliced them up with his legs to the tune of 1,715 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 957 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 14 games.

“It was a minor setback for a major comeback. It was God’s plan,” Aparicio said.

He recorded four games with three passing touchdowns and scored rushing touchdowns in 10 of the Raiders’ 14 games.

The Raiders completed a 10-0 run through the regular season for only the third time in program history and brought home the team’s first district championship since 2008.

Aparicio had one of his best performances during the playoffs with 250 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries in the win over Corpus Christi Miller.

PSJA North quarterback Ale Aparicio (3) carries the ball passed Corpus Christi Miller defender Nicholas Nunez (24) on his way to a 87 yard touchdown run in a Region IV5A DI area round playoff game at Cabaniss Stadium on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, in Corpus Christi. Joel Martinez

PSJA North head coach Marcus Kaufmann said Aparicio has done a great job of taking on the role as a dual-threat quarterback.

“When we need him to run the option and downhill run-game, he does a good job with that. When we need to throw the ball, he does a great job with that. He was able to diversify and be able to jump into all the worlds and call stuff at the line,” Kaufmann said. “He’s done a great job.”

Aparicio is set to return under center for the Raiders in 2023, which will be his fourth-year as the starter at quarterback. Along with a loaded group of returners, PSJA North’s goals next season remain the same — winning a regional final and advancing to the state championship.

“We have higher expectations than this year. A lot of good things happened this year, but we want to go farther next year,” he said. “We want to get to that state championship and make history.”

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