DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

LA FERIA — In most team sports, it’s the offense that gets the most recognition and glory.

However, the truth is that defense is an absolutely vital part of any team’s success.

Volleyball is no different and for the 2016 La Feria Lionettes volleyball team, that crucial defense was provided by senior middle hitter Camryn Lopez, who was named the Valley Morning Star’s 2016 Volleyball All-Star Defensive Player of the Year.

The Star sat down with Camryn to talk about this past season and what makes her tick.

Q: How does it feel to be named the Valley Morning Star’s All-Area Defensive Player of the Year?

A: It feels great. All of my hard work paid off.

Q: Talk a little bit about this past season. What moment sticks out for you the most?

A: This season was great. Winning district with my teammates was a moment I’ll never forget.

Q: Talk a little about your time at La Feria? What moment do you remember most about your time as a Lionette?

A: It’s been an amazing journey. I’ve had plenty of great memories that I’m thankful for.

Q: What moment, if any, would you like to change about this past season?

A: My injury. I feel that I could’ve been a stronger player if it wouldn’t have occurred.

Q: Talk a bit about Coach Rebea Fraga. What kind of coach is she?

A: Coach Fraga knows the game inside and out. She has a great amount of experience and wisdom. Being coached by her was an honor.

Q: How long have you been playing volleyball?

A: Five years.

Q: How do you like to prepare for matches?

A: I eat a Snickers bars and crack jokes.

Q: If you couldn’t play volleyball, what sport would you play and why?

A: Basketball. It’s an intense sport that keeps your adrenaline going and is super fun!

Q: Talk a bit about your team? What is the chemistry like between the girls?

A: The chemistry at first wasn’t the best, but throughout the season we became a family.

Q: What game sticks out for you the most this season?

A: Playing Port Isabel in five sets. We were down and came back strong to get the win.

Q: Who would you say was the toughest opponent you faced this season?

A: Raymondville.

Q: Who is your favorite professional athlete?

A: Tim Duncan.

Q: Any college plans?

A: I plan to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Q: Any idea what you want to do professionally?

A: I plan to become a registered nurse.

Q: Tell our readers something about yourself that most people don’t know?

A: Many people don’t know that my favorite TV show is “The Office” and I that I have a deck of magic cards.

VMS All-Star Volleyball Team

Player of the Year
Crystal Ibarra, San Benito

Offensive Player of the Year
Anelli Rodriguez, La Feria

Defensive Player of the Year
Camryn Lopez, La Feria

Libero of the Year
Ashly Cantu, Raymondville

Newcomer of the Year
Ariel Garcia, San Benito

Coach of the Year
Rebea Fraga, La Feria

1st Team
-Yazmine Martinez, Harlingen
-Allyson Benavides, Harlingen South
-Larisa Garcia, San Benito
-Claudia Mesa, Raymondville
-Erinn Ramirez, Mercedes
-Simone Harry, Port Isabel

2nd Team
-Arlene Lucero, San Benito
-Cameron Del Angel, Harlingen South
-Teagan Dickey, Harlingen
-Audrey Zavala, Raymondville
-Myah Salas, La Feria
-Bryanna Ramos, Harlingen

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

WESLACO — Emmett Villalpando may be only 11 years old, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the area’s most successful young boxers.

Earlier this year, Emmett, who is a sixth-grader at Cuellar Middle School in Weslaco and trains out of Barrientes Boxing Gym in Mercedes, earned a silver medal at the South Texas Junior Olympics to go along with the Ringside World Title belt he captured this past summer.

Now the young fighter will represent Texas at the upcoming Regional Silver Gloves Boxing Tournament next month in Little Rock, Arkansas. He earned that right by winning yet another title belt at the Texas State Silver Gloves event in McKinney last week. He’ll travel to Little Rock on Jan 11 as part of the RGV Elite Boxing Team where he’ll compete in the 10- 11-year-old, 60-pound division.

“I’m very happy to have won the State Silver Gloves and even happier that I’m going to represent the whole State of Texas in January at regionals,” Emmett said. “I understand that I have to work twice as hard to win regionals and I have to stay twice as focused, and I’m definitely ready to bring home that title back to Weslaco.”

Emmett’s training schedule in truly brutal as he runs about two miles daily in addition to spending hours in the gym working on his style and boxing techniques. However, he loves every minute of it, his father says.

“He’s in the gym every day, including Sundays when he works on his cardio,” said Emmett’s father, Albert. “He really loves to train, though. He’s just very motivated to always get better.”

But no matter how involved he may be with training for his next fight, his schoolwork always comes first.

“He knows that he won’t be able to do any type of training until his work at school is done,” Albert said. “He stays on top of things because he wants to make sure he can box.”

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

The Port Isabel Tarpons had a pretty solid football season this year as they finished with a 9-2 overall record and clinched a share of the District 16-4A Division II championship with a 4-1 mark.

Leading the charge for the boys in blue was senior running back Omar Silva, who finished the 2016 campaign with 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns.

On Tuesday, Silva’s hard work was officially recognized as he was a first-team selection on the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Class 4A all-state football team.

And the good news for the Tarpons didn’t stop with Silva as a couple of his teammates also made the cut.

Christopher Bode, who finished the season with 110 tackles and 12 sacks, was selected as a first-team defensive lineman.

Finally, Oscar del Abra was named an honorable mention defensive lineman.

“It’s quite an honor for these guys and for the program,” said Tarpons head coach Monty Stumbaugh. “With Omar, what can I say? He was ‘The Guy’ for us and our offense revolved around him. This program has had a lot of good running backs over the years, but he’s one of the best I’ve had.

“As for Bode, that kid just had a motor. He got the job done thanks to second effort because he was always working from start to finish.

“They all worked hard and it’s good to see that all that hard work is being recognized. Also, since they are all seniors, it’s nice to see them go out on top. We’ll sure miss them next season, but I think this honor will stand as a message to all the younger players who can see what can be accomplished through hard work and determination.”

Silva actually missed two whole games this season due to injury and Stumbaugh said that he was held out in another two after the first half.

“Which makes what he did even that much more impressive,” Stumbaugh said. “Had he not been hurt and played in all of our games, we feel he could have easily run for 2,600 or 2,700 yards.”

In addition to the PI trio, Rio Hondo’s Santiago Mendoza was named an honorable mention defensive lineman.

The senior defensive end registered 86 total tackles and had 10.5 sacks this season.

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

When the upcoming holiday break begins for cadets at Marine Military Academy, several of them will have to travel great distances in order to return home.

However, it may be hard to find anyone that will travel more miles than basketball players Zhongyuan Wei, Zhaoyang Zhang, Zheyuan Lin and Jinjie Yuan.

The young cagers’ designation? Northeast and East-central China – specifically, Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

The four have been student-athletes for the MMA Leathernecks for the past few years, but admit that they are still adjusting to “small-town” life here in Harlingen.

However, whatever geographic or cultural differences they may face here in Deep South Texas, when they step out onto the hardwood they are no different than anyone else because, as MMA head coach Mo Molina says, “basketball is an international game that is played the same way no matter where you go.”

Q: How did you come to find about MMA and why did you decide to attend?

Wei (a junior who has been at MMA for 4 years): “My cousin came here before me and he told me about the school, and I like the military, too, so I decided to come here a year after he came.”

Zhang (a junior who has been at MMA for 3 years): “My parents’ friend invited me to this school and I like it.”

Lin (a junior who has been at MMA for 2 years): “At first, my parents just wanted to send me here for a year for the challenge, but after that first year here, I decided that I wanted to stay here until I graduate.”

Yuan: (a sophomore who has been at MMA for 2 years): “My parents found this place and said that a military school would be good for my future.”

Q: The rules of basketball may be the same, but are there any differences in the way the game is played in the Untied States compared to China?

Lin: “The players’ heights are much different. In China, the players are a little shorter. In China, I am big enough to play center, but here I’m not tall enough.”

Yuan: “But really, the game is the same. It’s all about teamwork and that’s the same in both countries.”

Q: What about the way sports in general is treated? Do you see a difference is the way Americans are about sports as compared to back home?

Wei: “Not really. Sports are international. The Chinese love sports just as much as people do here.”

Q: What are your future plans after graduation?

Wei: “My mom wants me to be a doctor, but I’m just not really sure yet.”

Zhang: “I don’t really know yet, but I think I’d like to be a businessman.”

Lin: “I have no idea, but I think I’ll major in economics once I get to college.”

Yuan: “I haven’t decided yet, but I’ve been thinking about getting into business.”

Q: How do you like Harlingen?

Lin: “It’s nice, but it’s a very small town compared to where we are all from. Very small.”

Q: Who is your favorite professional athlete?

Lin: “Kobe Bryant.”

Zhang: “LeBron James.”

Lin: “Allen Iverson.”

Yuan: “Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.”

Q: Who is the toughest Valley team you guys have played against?

All: “Lyford!”

Lin: “They are really good.”

Yuan: “They are all physically strong. Compared to them, I’m weak.”

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

LA FERIA — It’s been a very exciting past few weeks for La Feria cross county runner Tina Sierra.

About a month ago, the four-year varsity standout won the individual title at the District 32-4A meet. She followed that up by winning gold at regionals in Corpus Christi on Oct. 29.

Finally, she ended her stellar cross country career at La Feria High School by finishing in sixth place at the UIL state meet in Round Rock a week ago.

Yet Tina’s proudest moment may have come on Friday afternoon in the La Feria High School library when she signed a letter of intent to run for Texas State University in San Marcos next fall.

“This is proof that people took notice of what I did and it also shows that all the work my parents and coaches did to push me paid off,” she said immediately prior to inking the letter as a bevy of friends, family and well-wishers filed into the library to congratulate her.

Tina said that while she did consider other universities, including the University of Texas at San Antonio, Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches and UTRGV in Edinburg, she ultimately decided on Texas State because it offered the best path toward achieving her career goals.

“I liked their physical therapy program since that’s what I want to become,” she said, “but I also liked the way the coach (Jody Stewart) seems to care about his athletes and I like the way the cross country team has a close bond. All combined, it was the best place for me.”

Texas State is an NCAA Division I university that competes athletically in the 14-team Sun Belt Conference, which includes Appalachian State, New Mexico State and the University of Texas at Arlington.

In addition to cross country, Tina said she also plans to run track at Texas State. Tina has the eighth fastest time in Class 4A in the 3,200-run, which she set at the RGVCA Meet of Champions this past April. She also just missed out on medaling at the UIL state track meet this past May when she finished fourth in the 3,200. But with the high school track season still looming, Tina may still get that medal.

Regardless, her college future is already secured.

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

RIO HONDO — Miranda Martinez may still have another six months to go until she graduates, but her college future has already been secured.

With the stroke of a pen Tuesday, Miranda committed to pitch for the Texas A&M International University Dustdevils softball team beginning in the spring of 2018.

“This is a big goal of mine even though when I first started high school, I didn’t really know I wanted to play college softball, although I have been playing since I was 7,” she said. But somewhere along the line it just hit me that playing in college was a goal I wanted to accomplish and today I did it.”

Thanks to her pitching prowess, the Rio Hondo softball team finished last season with an impressive 27-5 overall record and were 14-0 in District 32-4A en route to the league crown.

Lady Cats head softball coach Brett Esparza said he is confident Miranda has what it takes to succeed at the collegiate level.

“She is an exceptional and very driven young lady, he said. “For her to go from JV to varsity during her freshman season speaks volumes of her character and work ethic.

“Furthermore, she’s just a great student-athlete. She in the top 10 of her class and that makes her very desirable to colleges because she is a student first and then an athlete. We are just so proud of her.”

Miranda, who credits her father for much of her athletic success, said she decided on TAMIU because she liked the softball program, the school’s proximity to the Valley and, most importantly, it fit her academic needs.

“I plan on getting a Bachelor of Arts in biology with a minor in psychology,” she said. “Ultimately I’d like to pursue a career in physical therapy but also go on to graduate school as well.”

TAMIU is a Division II university that competes as part of the Heartland Conference along with nine other teams from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, including St. Edward’s University in Austin, St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and Dallas Baptist University.

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — While football may still be the first thing on people’s minds at Harlingen High right now, the pigskin will have to make room for the roundball as the 2016-17 boys basketball season officially tips off tonight as the Cardinals host Brownsville St. Joseph.

Tipoff is set for 7:30.

The Cards are looking to build upon on a 2015-16 season in which they went 19-14 and qualified for the postseason, but were quickly eliminated by Weslaco High in the opening round.

The Red Birds lost a lot of senior talent over the offseason, including captains Elijah Rhodes, Ernie Ramirez and Juan Cer-rillo, who averaged 11.9 points per game last season.

However, coach Lee Roy Sanchez, who is temporarily filling in for Greg Yates, said that while the team may be youthful, it is hungry.

“We have a lot of young and talented players to evaluate this year and I wanna see how they respond to one another on the court,” Sanchez said during a practice a couple of weeks ago.

Sanchez said he expects returning lettermen Reece Ortega and Matthew Sesler to shoulder much of the offense early on, but also hopes to rely on a solid defense to help get the job done.

Meanwhile, the Bloodhounds are looking to improve on a 14-14 record from a year ago and try to get the program back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.

After tonight, the Cardinals head to the lower-Valley this weekend to take part in the Brownsville ISD Tournament then they host Brownsville Porter next Tuesday in a game set to tip off at 1:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, across town at Harlingen South, the Hawks open things up next Tuesday when they host McAllen High at 2:30 in the afternoon.

The San Benito Greyhounds also get going next week at McAllen Memorial in a game se to begin at 7:30 p.m.

On the girls’ side of the court, both the Lady Cardinals and Lady Hawks are resting after competing in the Chick-fil-A Mid-Valley Classic in Weslaco this past weekend, where the Lady Cards took third place.

Both squads return to action starting Thursday at the Border Brawl Tournament in Pharr.

The Lady Greyhounds, meanwhile, will also take some time off after participating in the La Joya Tournament last week. They don’t return to the court until next Tuesday when they host La Joya Palmview at 7:30.

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

The La Feria girls cross country team ran a solid race at the 2016 UIL state cross country meet in Round Rock on Saturday.

The Lionettes, who came in second place at the Region IV-4A meet a couple of weeks ago, finished in fifth with a total score of 178 points.

The squad was paced by freshman Dariana Vasquez, who came in 14th place overall, and senior star Tina Sierra, who ended her illustrious cross country career with an impressive sixth-place finish.

“Without a doubt, this was a very memorable season,” said Lionettes head coach Gracie Campos. “Discipline, commitment and heart is what best describes the 2016 Lionettes.

“As for Tina, she is an athlete any coach would be proud and lucky to have on their team. She was a true leader to the end. She represented La Feria with excellent character. A coach is only as good as her athletes and she made us look great. We were blessed to have her as a Lionette.”

Saturday’s race marked Sierra’s third trip to the state meet as she only failed to qualify during her sophomore season. Last year, she finished in 11th place.

Bandera took home the Class 4A state title, followed by Kaufman, which won silver, and Alvarado, which claimed bronze. Fairfield finished just ahead of La Feria in fourth.

Emily Garcia of Alvarado won individual gold, followed by Kylie Purifoy of Crandall and McKynzie King of Liberty Hill.

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

LA FERIA — When La Feria girls cross country coach Gracie Campos was told earlier this year that her team looked like a state-qualifying squad in the making, she quickly dismissed the comment.

“I was like, ‘No, no, no. Let’s not talk about that,’” she said. “But once I saw the commitment they had, I did kind of have to agree. I just didn’t want to think too far ahead or jinx them.”

Coach Campos no longer has to worry about hexing her girls since they did indeed qualify for state and will compete in the UIL Class 4A race in Round Rock at 8:30 Saturday morning.

The Lionettes qualified for the state meet by taking second at the Region IV-4A meet in Corpus Christi last month.

Leading the way was freshman Dariana Vasquez, who took individual silver, and senior star Tina Sierra, who claimed the first regional gold of her illustrious cross country career.

Saturday’s meet marks the third time Sierra has run in Round Rock, missing the state meet only during her sophomore season. Last year, she finished in a very respectable 11th place.

“But now that this is my senior year, I would love to do better,” said Sierra, who admitted to playing music in her head or even going over homework problems while running her races.

Sierra, who is also a standout track athlete, said she first got interested in running during middle school.

“My friends decided to run cross country and I didn’t even know what cross country was. But I wanted to hang out with them, so I did it and ended up liking it a lot,” she said.

For Coach Campos, seeing Sierra mature into one of the best runners in the Valley has been rewarding.

“I knew she was special when she was a freshman,” she said of Sierra. “She’s a leader and the girls on the team look at her like she’s a god. However, she’s still humble and very soft-spoken.”

To that end, Sierra said that while she wants to do well individually this Saturday, she is grateful that she gets to run as part of a team this year.

“The last time I ran with a team was during my freshman year,” she said. “It’s so much nicer when you get to go as part of a team because we all push each other to do better.

“I know that this is my final chance at state, and I do feel some pressure to do well. But we’re running as a team up there this year and so we’ll all handle the pressure together.”

DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer

SANTA MARIA — One of the very smallest schools in the Valley is also one of the very few in the Valley to still have a team alive in the UIL state volleyball playoffs.

The Santa Maria Lady Cougars (36-3) made school history on Saturday when they beat Kenedy in a five-game thriller to advance to tonight’s Class 2A regional quarterfinal match against Freer (13-5).

“The program had made it to the second round several times before, but they had never been able to push through to the third round until this year,” said Lady Cougars head coach Sofia Garcia during a quick break from practice on Monday evening.

“I’m so proud of these girls,” she continued. “To be honest, we’re still sort of in shock with the whole thing, but they’ve worked really hard all season and deserve to be where they are now.”

Tonight’s match is set for 7 p.m. at Bishop High School, which is a significant location for the Lady Cougars as not only did they win there this past weekend, they lost there a year ago in a match that may have made this season’s success possible.

“Last season, we played Three Rivers at Bishop and lost a very hard-fought second-round game,” Garcia recalled. “Afterward, the girls took the loss very hard and after all the crying was over, the team decided then and there that they would do whatever it took to get past the second round.”

But while the Lady Cougars may have indeed accomplished the goal they set out to achieve, no one on the squad is ready to stop playing just yet.

“I think we thought that we would all be satisfied by going three-deep, but now that we got here we want to take it even further,” said senior team captain Whitney Salinas.

Alyssa Hinojosa, the team’s other senior captain, added, “We want to set the standard for other teams that come here after us.”

If the Lady Cougars win tonight, they would face the winner between Snook and Shiner in the semifinals of the Region IV-2A tournament in Brenham this weekend.

“Regardless of what happens, it’s been a great season for us,” Garcia said. “The community has really embraced these girls and been there for us all the way. Hopefully, we can go out there, be competitive and make everyone proud.”