DAVE FAVILA | Valley Morning Star

SAN BENITO — A year ago, the annual Dog Pound Invitational Cross Country Meet at San Benito High School was cancelled because Hurricane Harvey decided to make its presence known in the Gulf of Mexico.

But on Saturday morning of this year, the sun was out and the only storm in the area was the one Andrea De La Rosa stirred up as she devastated the competition to win the girls varsity race.

De La Rosa crossed the finish line with a time of 19 minutes and 47 seconds – more than 90 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

In fact, by the time Soledad Cruz of Mercedes (20:39) and Carissa Gonzalez of PSJA High (20:49) crossed the finish line in second and third place, respectively, De La Rosa was already cooled off and ready to take the medal stand.

Rounding out the top five was Jasmine Rangel of Rio Hondo, who took fourth with a time of 21:00, and Clarissa Tellez of Los Fresnos, who came in fifth place with at time of 21:07.

While De La Rosa led the way for Rivera, it was Brownsville Hanna that took home the girls team title with 80 points. The Lady Golden Eagles were led by Nadia Sifuentes, who finished seventh, Cecilia Tellez, who came in ninth, and Shannon Perez, who finished 14th.

Hanna was followed in the team standings by Harlingen High, which took second with 117 points, and Harlingen South, which finished third with 121 points.

The Lady Cardinals were led by Michelle Medina, who came in eighth, Kelsey Rodriguez, who finished 11th, and Brianna Rios, who took 13th.

On the boys side of things, Weslaco High’s Antonio Sanchez held off some tough competition to win the race with a time of 16 minutes and 20 seconds. He narrowly beat Dominik Medrano of Edcouch-Elsa, who finished second with a time of 16:27, and Albino Rodriguez, also of E-E, who took third place with a time of 16:38.

Thanks to Medrano’s and Rodriguez’s 2-3 finish, the Yellowjackets easily won the boys team title with 64 points.

Rio Grande City, which was led by Alex Canales who took fourth place, finished second in the boys team standings with 82 points.

And in third place was Harlingen High with 145 points. The Cardinals were led by Danny Diaz, who finished 10th.

Host San Benito took fourth place in both the boys and girls divisions.

Dog Pound Invitational

At San Benito High School

Saturday

GIRLS

Team results

1. Brownsville Hanna 80; 2. Harlingen High 117; 3. Harlingen South 121; 4. San Benito 173; 5. PSJA High 195

Individual results

1. Andrea De La Rosa, Brownsville Rivera, 19:47; 2. Soledad Cruz, Mercedes, 20:39; 3. Carissa Gonzalez, PSJA High, 20:49; 4. Jasmine Rangel, Rio Hondo, 21:00; 5. Clarissa Tellez, Los Fresnos, 21:07; 6. Estella Medellin, Brownsville Porter, 21:14; 7. Nadia Sifuentes, Brownsville Hanna, 21:18; 8. Michelle Medina, Harlingen High, 21:23; 9. Cecilia Tellez, Brownsville Hanna, 21:50; 10. Jazeline Ayala, Rio Hondo, 21:51; 11. Kelsey Rodriguez, Harlingen High, 22:00; 12. Bethany Guzman, Brownsville Rivera, 22:05; 13. Brianna Rios, Harlingen High, 22:14. 14. Shannon Perez, Brownsville Hanna, 22:20; 15. Sabrina Garza, Rio Grande City, 22:21; 16. Kenya Gonzalez, Brownsville Lopez, 22:24; 17. Kristen Aleman, Santa Maria, 22:25; 18. Kimia Gonzalez, Harlingen South, 22:37; 19. Sydney White, Harlingen South, 22:40; 20. Alex Perez, Harlingen South, 22:42.

BOYS

Team results

1. Edcouch-Elsa 64; 2. Rio Grande City, 82; 3. Harlingen High 145; 4. San Benito 176; 5. Brownsville Lopez 196; 6. Harlingen South 218; 7. PSJA High 226; 8. Weslaco High 282; 9. Los Fresnos 355; 10. Brownsville IDEA Harmony 409

Team results

1. Antonio Sanchez, Weslaco High, 16:20; 2. Dominik Medrano, Edcouch-Elsa, 16:27; 3. Albino Rodriguez, Edcouch-Elsa, 16:38; 4. Alex Canales, Rio Grande City, 16:43; 5. Javier Medina, San Benito, 16:58; 6. Erick Chavez, Donna High, 17:00; 7. Julian Fuentes, Mercedes, 17:03; 8. Samuel Martinez, Donna High, 17:04; 9. Kristian Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 17:11; 10. Danny Diaz, Harlingen High, 17:18; 11. Alex Lopez, Rio Grande City, 17:34; 12. Adan Hernandez, PSJA High, 17:35; 13. Julian Tavares, Brownsville Rivera, 17:39; 14. Lupe Reyes, Merdedes, 17:40; 15. Efrain Palacios, Rio Grande City, 17:45; 16. Cristian Coronado, Edcouch-Elsa, 17:46; 17. Gustavo Hernandez, Brownsville Lopez, 17:54; 18. Luis Hinojosa, Brownsville Veterans, 17:55; 19. Aaron Hinojosa, Brownsville Hanna, 17:57.

DAVE FAVILA | Valley Morning Star

SAN BENITO — Long before the sun began to rise over Bobby Morrow Stadium on Monday, the 2018 San Benito Greyhounds were already busy preparing for the upcoming season.

Last year proved to be a banner year for the Hounds as they went 10-0 in the regular season, captured the outright District 32-6A title and were regional semifinalists in the postseason.

But as the dawn literally rose on their new season, the Hounds enter the campaign with a bevy of humongous holes to fill, especially on offense.

Gone is quarterback Erick Retta and the 3,008 total yards he amassed in 2017.

Also gone is running back Tyrone Harper and his 1,589 rushing yards, and 23 touchdowns, not to mention receiver Isaiah Trevino, who hauled in 54 passes for 932 yards and nine TDs a year ago.

And if that’s not enough, also absent from this year’s squad is offensive coordinator Gilbert Leal, who left this offseason to become the athletic director at Brownsville ISD.

Fortunately, the Hounds’ offensive will remain in good hands with the arrival of veteran coach Steve Marroquin, who will take over for Leal as OC. However, the question remains: Can the Hounds keep momentum alive this year?

Head coach Dan Gomez believes they will.

“There is no rearview mirror here, only a windshield,” said Gomez, who is entering his fifth season as the Hounds’ head man.

“Every year a program replaces varsity players with previous sub-varsity players and that’s why our sub-varsity athletes are very important to our program. We are going to squeeze every ounce of energy out of our kids because that’s what we expect and, most importantly, that’s what they expect from us (staff).”

Expected to fill in at QB this season is senior Jacob Cavazos. As a junior last year he was mostly a receiver, catching 18 passes for 205 yards and one touchdown. But he also ran the ball, rushing for 94 yards on 10 carries for a pair of scores.

Cavazos’ main targets this season should be senior receivers Frankie Garcia and Mitch Guajardo. The latter caught 14 passes for 189 yards and a TD in 2017.

Meanwhile, senior Brandon Valdez is expected to take over where Harper left off. Last season he rushed the ball 23 times for 171 yards and hit pay dirt three times.

On the other side of the ball, the Hounds should be set on defense despite losing a handful of solid talent over the offseason, including linebacker Ryan Rodriguez and defensive end Ryan Castillo.

Senior defensive back Nick Castaneda and senior linebacker Avelino Garcia should lead the way this season along with junior DB Hector Avalos and junior LB John Gonzalez.

The Hounds open the regular season with back-to-back road games at Calallen (Aug. 31) and Victoria West (Sept. 7), respectively, then play four in a row at home, including contests against Midland Lee (Sept. 29) and the Harlingen Cardinals (Oct. 12) to open district.

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

PALM VALLEY — After two full rounds and 36 holes, the 2018 South Texas Junior Golf Classic presented by Gillman Auto came down to a sudden-death playoff.

La Feria’s Andy Cortez and Alex Hernandez of Victoria finished tied at 147 after regulation on Sunday in the 15- to 18-year-old boy’s division.

Cortez teed off first on the par-4, 363-yard No. 1 hole at Harlingen Country Club. His drive went straight down the windswept fairway but did not travel as far as Hernandez’s shot, which, while not as straight, landed considerably closer to the pin.

Cortez reached the green two shots later and calmly sunk a short put to par the hole.

“That’s all I really wanted to do was to par the hole,” said Cortez afterward. “I did what I set out to do.”

Meanwhile, Hernandez’s second shot was a sweet chip from about 40 yards out that landed approximately 35 feet away from the pin. All that separated him from victory was a much-needed birdie.

Like a seasoned PGA Tour pro, Hernandez measured his shot, got into his putting stance and watched as his ball glided toward the hole and disappeared into it with an ever-so-sweet plink as it hit the bottom of the cup.

Your 2018 winner of the Ralph & Bea Griffis Memorial Trophy: Alex Hernandez.

“When I made that putt, I just blacked out,” he said. “Before the hole, I was thinking ‘let’s get a par and if we can get to a playoff on a par-5 I can make birdie there,’ but… I hadn’t made anything (like that) all day, so I was hoping that that shot was it.”

Indeed it was.

Ironically, this was Hernandez’s first-ever trip to the 38th annual event.

“I came here because my dad actually played here 26 years ago and he was telling me about it, and how I should play in it so I finally did,” said Hernandez, who recently graduated from Faith Academy in Victoria.

“I never thought I was going to win since I had never played here, but the course is in great shape and things just worked out.”

As for Cortez, his attempt to capture the 2018 title may have fallen just short, but the soon-to-be senior at La Feria High School was still happy with his second-place finish, which he dedicated to his recently deceased grandmother.

“This was all for her and I was really pretty pleased with how I finished out,” he said.

Despite starting the day with three straight bogeys, Cortez finished the front nine with a rock-solid 35 and finished the day with a 74.

Meanwhile, defending champion Santiago Garcia of Brownsville struggled on Sunday. After firing a 72 on Saturday to become the first-round leader, the 2018 Hanna graduate plodded to a second-round 81 and finished with a 153.

Luis Chavez of Palmview and Brandon Garza of Harlingen rounded out the top three as they tied for third with a 148.

In the girl’s 15- to 18-year old division, Mia Lerma of Mission shot a second-round 73 to run away with the title. Her two-day total of 154 was 13 strokes better than second-place finisher Micaela Leandro, who finished with a 167. Fahtima Avila of Brownsville closed out the top three with a 169.

Last year’s winner, Julie Lucio of Brownsville, did not participate in this year’s tournament. The 2018 Veterans Memorial graduate is set to play college golf at the University of Houston.

DAVE FAVILA | Valley Morning Star

On Friday, three Harlingen-area softball teams went into the third round of the playoffs, but by Saturday only one remained.

The San Benito Lady Greyhounds swept Eagle Pass in their Class 6A regional quarterfinal playoff series to return to the round of 16 for the first time since 2015.

The Lady Hounds will now face New Braunfels Canyon in a one-game, winner-take-all regional semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sinton High School.

After easily winning Game 1 against Eagle Pass on Friday, 10-3, the Lady Hounds had to rally in Game 2 on Saturday afternoon to close out the series.

Tied at 3 going into the seventh and final inning of Game 2, the Lady Hounds got timely hitting from Sarah Garcia to take a 5-3 lead.

Although Eagle Pass fought back and scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, the Lady Hounds held on for a 5-4 victory behind a solid pitching performance by junior Nana Carrizales.

“I couldn’t be any prouder of our team,” said Lady Hounds head coach Denise Lira after Saturday’s game. “Over the season they have worked through obstacles and have worked on their mental game along with improving their skills on the field. We’re going to enjoy this win then get back to work on Monday to prepare for another tough opponent next week.”

New Braunfels Canyon beat San Antonio Holmes in the regional quarterfinals to advance to this weekend’s contest. Prior to that, the Cougarettes defeated Buda Hays in the area round and San Antonio Brennan in the bi-district round.

The winner of Friday’s game will advance to the Region IV-6A final against either San Antonio Warren or Edinburg Vela, which beat Harlingen South this past weekend. Warren and Vela will play in a best-of-3 series at Texas A&M-Kingsville beginning Friday.

If you go

San Benito vs NB Canyon

-What: Class 6A regional semifinal

-When: 7:30 p.m., Friday

-Where: Sinton High School, 400 N. Pirate Blvd., Sinton

-Note: Winner will face either SA Warren or Edinburg Vela in Region IV-6A final

DAVE FAVILA | Valley Morning Star

Last week, three Harlingen-area softball teams entered into the second round of the playoffs. And while it wasn’t a cakewalk, all three ballclubs survived the weekend and are now set for the regional quarterfinals.

In Class 4A, the Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats rallied from an 11-2 deficit to beat Devine 13-12 in a one-game playoff this past Friday at Tuloso-Midway High School.

Senior Bianca Cruz led the way for the Lady Cats with a 4-for-4 performance that included a two-run game-tying double. Freshman Domo De Jesus, who was 2 for 4, then drove home the winning run.

Rio Hondo returns to T-M this weekend to begin a best-of-3 series against Cuero. First pitch for Game 1 is at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Game 2 begins at 5 p.m. Saturday with Game 3 to follow 30 minutes afterward, if one is necessary.

Meanwhile in Class 6A, the San Benito Lady Greyhounds needed three games to get past San Antonio Southwest in order to return to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

After winning Game 1 of the series 3-2 on Friday, the Lady Hounds dropped Game 2 and trailed by two runs after five innings in Game 3. However, a seven-run sixth inning sparked by Audrey Huerta and Deztiny Hernandez pushed the Purple and Gold to a 10-4 victory and the 2-1 series win.

The Lady Hounds now face Eagle Pass in a best-of-3 series with all games at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Game 1 is at 5 p.m. Friday and Game 2 begins at 2 p.m. Saturday with Game 3 to follow, if one is necessary.

Finally, the Harlingen South Lady Hawks pulled off a miraculous come-from-behind victory in a one-game playoff against South San Antonio on Saturday.

After letting a 4-2 lead slip away, the Lady Hawks entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 5-4. However, Alyssa Ledesma led off the inning with a leadoff single then Christina Arellano came to the plate and belted a two-run home run to propel the Lady Green Birds to a 6-5 win.

Next up for South is a home game against Edinburg Vela in another one-game playoff. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. Friday at Lady Hawk Field.

DAVE FAVILA | Valley Morning Star

The La Feria Lions proved to be kings of the course as they won the District 32-4A golf championship on Monday.

The team shot a 376 to roar past Hidalgo (412) and Port Isabel (422), and secure a spot in the regional tournament later this month.

The Lions were led by Andy Cortez, who shot an 82 to win the boys individual title.

“These boys have been playing together for three years now and they’ve bonded, and are like a group of brothers,” said La Feria golf coach David Briones. “The boys put in a lot of extra work on their own besides the regular practices and that led to success.”

While this will be the Lions’ first trip to regionals as a team, Cortez is no stranger to postseason tournaments as he advanced all the way to state as an individual last year, which is something Coach Briones hopes will help the team going forward.

“Andy got a taste of state last year and is excited to make another run, but this year he will play as part of a team and I hope that will make for a good outcome,” said Briones.

On the girls side of the tournament, Zapata won the league crown, followed by Hidalgo in second and Progreso in third place.

The Region IV-4A tournament is set for April 23-24 in Corpus Christi with the boys playing at Lozano Golf Course and the girls playing at Oso Golf Course.

The top three teams and individuals out of the region advance to the Class 4A state tournament, which is set for May 14-15 at Apple Rock Golf Course in Marble Falls.

DAVE FAVILA | Valley Morning Star

RAYMONDVILLE — On March 15, Raymondville High School junior Marcus Capetillo became a state champion.

At the Texas High School Powerlifting Association state meet in Abilene, Capetillo captured gold in the Division 2, 132-pound weight class by lifting a total of 1,170 total pounds, which was 50 pounds more than second-place finisher Justin Ormsby of Big Spring.

In the bench press portion of the competition, he lifted a total of 270 pounds. Meanwhile, in the dead lift portion, he lifted a total of 435 pounds, and, finally, he squatted a total of 465 pounds.

The Valley Morning Star had a chance to catch up with Capetillo and see what it takes to become a state champ.
—
Q: So what was it like winning a state powerlifting title?
A: It was an awesome experience. It was an honor to represent my school, coaches and family.

Q: Was this your first state title?
A: Yes, for high school, although I have won state titles in youth programs for football and track.

Q: Had you been to the state meet before?
A: No.

Q: When did you first get involved in powerlifting?
A: This is my first year of powerlifting. I am currently a junior in high school.

Q: What got you interested in the sport to begin with?
A: My brother competed and placed two years ago in the state powerlifting meet, and he talked about how exciting and competitive the meets are and I thought I would be a good competitor in the sport. Also, I heard Coach Villarreal and Coach Garza are both good motivators and knowledgeable in the sport.

Q: What do you like most about the sport?
A: The people you meet. The rapport you develop with other competitors and coaches and the “rush” you get from getting new PRs (per-sonal records) and goals.

Q: What is your routine before a powerlifting meet?
A: Going through the rundown of each lift with the coaches, working on technique and attempting new PRs.

Q: You play football for the Bearkats as well. Do you play any other sports?
A: Yes, baseball and track.

Q: If you could participate in only one sport, which would it be?
A: It would be a very hard decision to make since I have been playing football and baseball since I was 4 years old, and track since I was about 8 years old. Although, I love the individual challenge of the powerlifting sport so, at this time, I would have to say it would be powerlifting.

Q: Is there any sport you don’t play that you wish you could have or would want to try?
A: Basketball.

Q: Other than sports, what hobbies do you have?
A: I like to play Xbox, play pool and work out.

Q: Any college plans?
A: Yes, I am interested in becoming a pharmacist and I’m looking at going to Texas A&M-Kingsville’s pre-pharmacy program.

Q: If you could go to any college in the world, where would that be?
A: The University of Oregon.

Q: What do you want to do after college?
A: I would like to establish my career and travel.

Q: What is your favorite subject in school?
A: Science; especially biology and chemistry.

Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: “Step Brothers.”

Q: What is your favorite TV show?
A: “Last Chance U.”

Q: Who is your favorite professional athlete?
A: Barry Sanders.

Q: Do you have a favorite professional sports team?
A: The San Francisco 49ers.

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Hamburgers.

Q: If you could have a super power what would it be?
A: Teleportation.

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that place be?
A: Hawaii.

Q: What is your favorite animal?
A: Dogs, especially the breed French bulldogs.

Q: What is your favorite holiday?
A: Thanksgiving.

Q: Who is going to win the NCAA basketball tournament?
A: Villanova.

Q: What is something that no one really knows about you?
A: I am a reserved person, until you get to know me.

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

SAN BENITO — The 2018 track season is underway and the Harlingen South boys team got the campaign started on the right track.

The Hawks finished with 92 points to win the team title at the annual Bobby Morrow Relays on Friday at San Benito High School.

Weslaco High finished in second with 70 points while Brownsville Hanna finished in third with 65.

In the high jump, South’s Adrian Morales finished in first with a 6-00 and San Benito’s Marco Salinas finished in third with 5-08.

“It was the first event of the year and I thought Marco had a good showing,” said Hawks coach Ralph De La Rosa. “He had a really good at-tempt at 6-2, but just didn’t have enough momentum to get him over the bar and he hit it on the way down, but it’s not a bad start to the season.”

South’s Sammy Ruiz finished fourth in the pole vault with a 10-06 while Weslaco’s Jon Zapata finished in first with a 14-00.

The discus was where the Hawks made their biggest mark. Sky Tatum led the way with a 160-05 jump, Chase Harrell followed with a 152-01 and, in third place, Andrew Ott finished with a jump of 148-09.

Friday’s wet weather had a hand in cancelling the long jump, triple jump and the shot put competitions.

“We were a little rusty but we had some things that we needed to see,” said De La Rosa. “The kids did what we expected and we gave a lot of kids an opportunity. We also got to see a lot of teams in our district and they looked strong and fast, but we were able to score points and were able to get some key points in some events.”

On the girls side, South’s Annelle Rodriguez won gold in the high jump with a leap of 5-01. In the pole vault, Rio Hondo’s Neftali Estrada took first place with a jump of 8-00 and in second place was San Benito’s Karina Gonzalez, who cleared 6-06.

DAVE FAVILA | Valley Morning Star

Like death and taxes, one thing for certain is that the Harlingen South tennis team will be successful each season.

So it should come as little surprise that the Hawks are in the UIL Region IV-6A team tennis semifinals and take on Austin Vandergrift at 10 a.m. today at the Northside Tennis Center in San Antonio.

According to head coach Noe Stillman, the Hawks have won 10 consecutive district titles and have been ranked in the state top 25 for the past 10 years, including one season when the squad was No. 9.

“This year our boys squad is 133-2 on the season and ranked 19th in the state,” said Stillman. “They are solid all around and have really overachieved all season, now we’ll see how they fare against a very good Vandergrift team.”

The boys team is led by junior Adrian Mungia and senior Jorge Garcia. And while the boys have done particularly well this season, the girls team is no slouch and is led by junior Valeria Montero and undefeated sophomore Kara LeMarr.

The Hawks’ path to the regional semis began a week ago with a bi-district rout against PSJA High. The team followed that up with a second-round beating of Laredo United then a regional quarterfinal win over Eagle Pass earlier this week in Laredo.

Meanwhile, Vandergrift opened with a first-round victory over San Antonio Churchill, an area-round win against San Antonio Clark then a regional quarters defeat of Austin Westlake.

The winner between South and Vandergrift will take on either Austin Lake Travis or Laredo Alexander in the regional finals on Friday with a trip to the state tournament in College Station on the line.

Valley results

Tuesday’s scores

District 32-6A
Brownsvile Rivera def. Los Fresnos 25-14, 25-19, 25-23
Harlingen South def. Weslaco East 25-10, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18
Harlingen def. Brownsville Hanna 28-30, 25-21, 25-17, 25-14

District 32-4A
La Feria def. Raymondville 18-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-19

District 32-2A
Santa Maria def. San Perlita 25-10, 25-22, 25-17

Non-district
Brownsville St. Joseph def. La Villa 25-13, 16-25, 25-15, 25-12