DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Edinburg Economedes has emerged as a playoff threat in District 31-6A. Junior Ismael Lopez is a big reason why.

In eight appearances this season, Lopez is 4-2 with a 3.41 ERA. He has 28 strikeouts to seven walks in 26 2/3 innings.

“He’s a real confident kid,” coach Rigo Sanchez said. “He’s got good off-speed stuff, and he’s real consistent.”

Lopez works hard in bullpen sessions and conditioning. In his third year as a varsity player, he’s the anchor for a program on the rise. Economedes is 2-2 in district play, 7-9-1 overall. The Jaguars have already won as many total and district games as they won all last season.

“These kids are hungry to win,” Sanchez said. “We knew we’d be experienced, and we competed last year. We lost a lot of close ballgames. If we can be more consistent, we think we have a shot in this district.”

Pitching is a key. Aside from Lopez, there is Geraldo De Leon and Frank Montano. De Leon has a 2.86 ERA in nine appearances and Montano has 20 strikeouts in 17 innings.

“Having these arms, you need them,” Sanchez said. “They’re getting ahead of the count, they work ahead. They do a real good job of mixing it up and keeping guys guessing.”

FINDING THE ACE

During scrimmages two months ago, McAllen High coach Eliseo Pompa was looking for an ace for his pitching staff.

“I couldn’t find the guy,” Pompa said.

So the veteran coach turned to senior Rigo Sanchez, who had played exclusively at catcher before this year. But Sanchez has been a revelation on the mound, boasting an ERA of 0.21 in six appearances with 41 strikeouts to seven walks with one earned run in 33 innings.

Sanchez has been vital for a Bulldogs team that has won 11 of 16 games and is tied for first place in district with La Joya Palmview heading into their District 30-6A clash tonight at Palmview.

In district play, Sanchez has shut out Mission High and McAllen Memorial and surrendered two unearned runs against La Joya High.

He rotates between catcher and pitcher, catching one game and throwing the next.

“He spots his ball very well,” Pompa said. “He’s very consistent, he’s throwing strikes and he doesn’t get behind hitters.”

Sanchez has been a boon for a McHi defense led by second baseman Keola Zamora. Zamora has single-handedly preserved two wins this season with his range and athleticism.

McHi has a team ERA of 2.03 and allowed just 26 earned runs in 89 2/3 innings.

ON THE RISE

Donna North’s goal heading into this season was to make the playoffs. But five games into District 32-5A play, the Chiefs are competing for a district title.

In its third season of varsity baseball, Donna North is 4-1 in 32-5A. One reason is expected: maturity. Another is the Chiefs are finally hitting well enough to complement strong pitching and defense.

“These guys get it now,” coach Leroy Rodriguez said. “They get what it takes to be successful. Even in practices, we have a routine now for what works. I’m real happy with the way we’re playing.”

Junior right-hander Manny Ramirez, the team’s ace during the program’s varsity tenure, is joined by the emergence of senior Axel Vazquez. Each is 2-0 in district and each has an ERA barely above 1.00.

Ramirez has grown physically and shown more life on his fastball. Vazquez is also the anchor of the Chiefs’ lineup, hitting .533 in district play and able to put a swing on any pitch.

There is more depth, overall, in Donna North’s order this season. Ramirez is hitting .300 in district and he’s the No. 7 hitter. Catcher Eddie Peña is also a threat.

“It’s very tough to get outs in this lineup,” Rodriguez said.

The Chiefs lost many one-run and two-run games last year. The offense couldn’t hold up. This season, that’s no longer the case.

“The goal is still the same,” Rodriguez said. “Make it to the playoffs. If we’re still hanging around for district at the end, we’ll shoot for it.

“But we’re not talking about district titles. We’re talking about making history and being one of the four teams to get in.”

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The following is updated standings in Rio Grande Valley high school baseball through games of Thursday, March 31.

District 30-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

McAllen High 11 5 4 1 —

LJ Palmview 11 7 4 1 —

La Joya High 12 6 3 2 1

McAllen Rowe 5 8 3 3 1.5

McAllen Memorial 9 7 2 3 2

Mission High 6 9 2 3 2

LJ Juarez-Lincoln — — 0 5 4

District 31-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Edinburg North 13 6 4 0 —

Edinburg High 9 7 3 1 1

PSJA North 10 9 3 2 1.5

Economedes 7 9 2 2 2

Weslaco High 8 7 2 2 2

PSJA Memorial 5 12 1 4 3.5

Weslaco East 2 12 0 4 4

*Edinburg High has tied twice

*Economedes has tied once

*Weslaco East has tied once

District 32-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Brownsville Vets 16 1 6 0 —

Los Fresnos 11 3 5 1 0.5

Bro. Hanna 11 5 5 1 0.5

San Benito 7 5 3 3 3

Harlingen High 10 8 2 4 4

Bro. Lopez 7 8 1 5 5

Bro. Rivera 3 12 1 5 5

Harling. South 7 8 1 5 5

*Brownsville Lopez has tied twice

*Brownsville Veterans has tied once

District 31-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Mission Vets 15 3 4 0 —

Edinburg Vela 11 3 4 1 0.5

Valley View 9 7 3 1 1

Roma 5 10 2 2 2

Rio Grande City 6 9 2 2 2

Sharyland High 8 8 1 2 2.5

Shary Pioneer 7 9 0 4 4

*Edinburg Vela tied once

*Mission Veterans Memorial tied once

*Valley View tied twice

District 32-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Bro. Porter 8 6 4 1 —

PSJA High 12 5 4 1 —

Donna North 7 8 4 1 —

Edcouch-Elsa 6 6 3 2 1

Brownsville Pace 4 8 2 3 2

Donna High 7 6 2 3 2

Mercedes 4 8 1 4 3

*PSJA Southwest 1 13 0 5 5

*Donna High has tied once

*PSJA Southwest has tied once

District 32-4A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Port Isabel 9 3 4 1 —

Progreso 9 6 4 1 —

Hidalgo 10 7 4 1 —

Grulla 5 10 3 2 1

Rio Hondo 8 8 3 2 1

Raymondville 5 11 1 4 3

Zapata 5 8 1 4 3

La Feria 3 10 0 5 4

*Port Isabel has tied once

*Zapata has tied once

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Valley View was on a high coming off Thursday’s impressive win over Edinburg Vela, opening eyes everywhere in District 31-5A. It was a declarative moment for the Tigers, who felt they were ready to take that next step in the hierarchy of the league.

Then Valley View ran into a buzz saw Tuesday.

Mission Veterans Memorial junior left-hander Noel Vela continued his dominance this season in striking out 14 in a complete-game no-hitter Tuesday, leading the Patriots to an 8-0 whitewashing of the Tigers at Mission Veterans Memorial High.

Vela lowered his ERA to 0.27 and improved to 3-1. In 26 innings through five appearances, the UTRGV commit has 50 strikeouts to 14 walks.

“Noel dominated,” Patriots coach Casey Smith said. “He got ahead, he threw strikes, he changed speeds and he spotted the ball well. When you’ve got stuff like his, he’s going to be very hard to beat.”

It was the first no-hitter for Vela this season.

“It never crossed my mind,” Vela said. “My only focus was getting ahead and throwing good pitches. A no-hitter never even entered my thoughts at all.”

Mission Vets (15-3-1, 4-0 31-5A) produced a four-run third inning against Valley View (9-7-2, 3-1), which was hoping to put itself alone in first place in district with a win.

Willy Pena earned the first of two sacrifice RBIs to start things off and Eddie Galvan followed with a RBI single. Moments later, Galvan and Vela scored off a throwing error from third to first.

The Patriots loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth. Vela drilled a two-run double, Matt De La Garza scored on a passed ball and Pena contributed his second sacrifice RBI for the final run.

Mission Vets did all of its damage against Valley View right-hander Alexis Flores, who allowed eight runs (five earned) on five hits, walked six and struck out three in four innings. Flores was the emergency starter after projected starter Aaron Rodriguez, one of the Tigers’ top pitchers, was injured during pregame warm-ups.

Mission Vets only had six hits, but made them count. Vela, meanwhile, had no blemishes aside from a pair of walks to lead-off hitter Ricardo Sanchez.

“It was fastball and curveball,” said Pena, who has caught Vela this season. “We hardly had to go to a changeup. We kept them off balance. We got ahead in counts, he threw good pitches.”

No Tiger hit the ball past the infield.

“We came in feeling good about ourselves and we didn’t do what we were supposed to do,” Valley View coach Mario Gonzalez said through a translator. “When you can’t put the ball in play, you don’t give yourself a chance to win.

“(Vela) was aggressive in the strike zone. We were passive. Once we got behind, that was pretty much the game.”

Gonzalez, fielding a team consisting of eight sophomores this season, said he’d have to go back to square one. It was a big game for both teams, but Smith implied it may have been bigger for one than the other.

“I didn’t,” Smith said when asked how much emphasis he put on this game. “We talked all week long about worrying about ourselves. If we’re focused and we play hard, that’s all we need to take care of, regardless of the opponent.

“We know there’s going to be a challenge every Tuesday and Friday, and for us our main job is to focus and play hard.”

Smith is wary of fast starts. The Patriots started 31-5A play with five straight wins last season before losing a couple in a row and settling for a 10-2 record.

“We’re a hitting a stride early and we’re doing well,” Vela said. “It’s a confidence-booster knowing we’re the only (31-5A) team still unbeaten. But we still have to keep getting better and keep working hard.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson will be the keynote speaker at the 2016 All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet on June 14 at the DoubleTree Suites in McAllen.

Pearson, who was inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor in 2011 after a standout career defined by his performances in the clutch, will highlight the function hosted by RGVSports.com in conjunction with the RGV Sports Hall of Fame. The awards banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will recognize team and individual standouts in multiple sports during the 2015-16 Rio Grande Valley high school sports season.

“We are excited about celebrating the best and brightest varsity athletes in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Stephan Wingert, publisher at AIM Media. “Our student athletes are an inspiration to our community and deserve to be recognized for their achievements. Please join us as we congratulate them on a job well done.”

For tickets, log on to TheMonitor.com, BrownsvilleHerald.com, or ValleyStar.com and click on the rgvsports_banquet link on the toolbar on the home page of each web site.

Pearson caught 489 passes for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns during his Cowboys career. He is renown for his “Hail Mary” catch from Roger Staubach during the final minute of a 1975 playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. That was one of two clutch 50-yard touchdown receptions Pearson produced during his illustrious career.

Staubach referred to the play after the game as the original “Hail Mary.” Pearson made a name for himself during the moments of a football game when it mattered moist.

“There’s no truth to the rumor that I would hope we were losing in the fourth quarter and especially the last two minutes so I could pull out the football game,” Pearson jokingly told ESPN.com in 2011. “But I was always confident I could perform in those situations.”

Pearson, 65, played 10 years in the NFL, all for the Cowboys and was a three-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion. Since retiring, Pearson has been a sports broadcaster for CBS and HBO.

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

HIDALGO — Hidalgo has battled growing pains via inexperience and an injury to one of its top position players. But five games into the district season, the Pirates find themselves in a familiar position: first place in 32-4A.

Hidalgo beat Port Isabel 8-5 at home on Thursday night to force a two-way tie for first. The Pirates got timely hitting — inconsistent most of this season — and stellar pitching from junior ace Samuel Jimenez, forced into the No. 1 role after playing on junior varsity last season.

Hidalgo coach Karlos Carrasco said before the game he’s seen his team at its absolute best and its absolute worst this season. On Thursday, the Pirates were at their absolute best when they needed to be.

“They came through, finally,” Carrasco said. “These guys are trying to find their momentum, their rhythm. We really needed this. We had been coming up short in big situations, and we finally came through.”

Port Isabel (9-3-1, 4-1 32-4A) jumped out on top when Jeremy Martinez scored on an error, an unwelcome trend for the Pirates on Thursday. Hidalgo (10-7, 4-1) answered by scoring three in the bottom of the first, and went ahead 4-2 in the third inning when Luis Rosales homered for the second time this week.

“It was a fastball and I took advantage,” Rosales said. “It was exciting.”

The Tarpons rallied to tie it at 4 before the Pirates pulled away for good.

Senior Mike Alvarez had a fourth-inning RBI single, and No. 9 hitter Raul Ortiz delivered the blow with two-run double in the fifth for a three-run lead.

The Tarpons used two of their top pitchers before the game was even five innings old. Starter Antonio Garza and Jose Martinez, a combined 8-1 with 8 earned runs in 53.1 innings this season, allowed seven runs on eight hits, walking six and striking out five in 4.1 innings.

The Pirates’ offense did its job, and the game would have been a rout if the defense did its job. Three of Port Isabel’s five runs came via errors, a brief glimpse of the Pirates at their worst.

“That’s bad on our part, and we have to take care of our business to get where we really want to be,” Carrasco said.

The right-handed Jimenez threw a complete game and struck five while allowing two earned runs on seven hits. He walked one.

“These coaches are working for me, and I know this is a big responsibility,” Jimenez said. “There is tradition. They tell us we are one of the best teams, in the Valley and the state.”

The Pirates came into this season ranked No. 11 in Class 4A by the Texas Association of Baseball Coaches. They are not currently ranked. But with All-Valley player Dylan Dougherty sidelined for all but one game so far this season with shoulder and leg injuries, it’s been a process for a Pirates team that only has two starters in the lineup from last year’s Elite 8 finalist.

“We’re almost getting to where we’re supposed to be,” said Alvarez, one of those returning starters. “That team was undefeated coming in and this was huge for us.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — The sophomore drilled a bases-clearing triple on a rocket to left center. The freshman followed moments later with a sacrifice RBI to deep left.

Edinburg North’s baseball team has two sophomores, a freshman and only one senior in its lineup, but the inexperience hasn’t mattered so far in District 31-6A. The Cougars blanked Weslaco High 5-0 on Tuesday night at Edinburg North High to improve to 4-0 in district, 13-6 overall.

“We know there will be growing pains, but right now we’re OK,” said Joey Salinas, the sophomore infielder who went 1-for-2 with four RBIs for the Cougars. “It’s been a tough process as far as working on the approach, adjusting to what we’re supposed to do. Someone like me, I wasn’t expecting to start this whole season, but I am and we’re here. I’ve gotten my opportunity, and these guys have gotten opportunities. We’re working hard and we have to keep it going.”

Edinburg North (13-6) has wins over district title contenders Edinburg High and Weslaco High, and another win over playoff contender PSJA North.

Coach Damian Gonzalez is pleased.

“This team is starting to grow,” Gonzalez said. “We’re maturing. We’re talking to them constantly in the cages, putting them in situations. These guys like that high inside pitch, but that’s not good for us. Stuff like that, they’re learning. They’re picking up on what we want to do and they’re starting to buy in.”

The Cougars chased Panthers starter Dylan Hernandez, a senior lefty used to provide a different look against North, after one out in the first inning. Hernandez faced six batters, allowed four runs on two hits and walked three.

Salinas’ triple started things off and Marc Esquivel, the freshman, contributed the sacrifice RBI after Pito Davila walked. It was 4-0 after the first inning, more than enough for North ace Giancarlo Servin.

Servin produced a complete-game shutout, striking out 13, walking four and allowing three hits. In 38 innings this season, the junior right-hander has 66 strikeouts to 18 walks and has allowed three earned runs.

“We’ve taken it one game at a time,” said Servin, the team’s No. 3 pitcher last season behind Alex Canul and Sam Garza. “That starts with the little things, stuff like bunting the ball when the runner’s on first, coming through with guys in scoring position, two-out hits. We’ve capitalized on other teams’ errors.”

The Cougars only had four hits, and just two against senior Kristian Estebanes, who pitched admirably in 6.2 innings of relief, but the defense— called beautifully by catcher Saul Garza, who had a pair of stunning highlights when he threw out two Panther baserunners with remarkable force and ease — was uninviting and Servin was practically unhittable.

Weslaco (7-7, 1-2 31-6A) only threatened in the seventh inning when it loaded the bases with two outs before Servin escaped the jam.

“This game will love you one day and hate you the next,” Panthers coach Eddie Serna said. “Tonight, it was their night. We just need to put it aside and move forward. We’ve seen everybody’s No. 1 (pitcher) so far in district. We have to continue to be ready to fight every week.

“But our kids are positive, they don’t give up … they load up the bases and one key hit there, who knows? We might still be playing.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Behind the dominance of juniors Noel Vela and Cristian Ramos, Mission Veterans Memorial’s pitching was never in doubt this season. It’s the hitting, however, that has opened eyes.

The Patriots dominated Sharyland High 15-0 at Sharyland High to win their District 31-5A opener Thursday afternoon. Mission Vets (12-3-1) gutted Sharyland pitching for 11 hits, struck out twice in 45 at-bats and walked nine times.

In 16 games this season, the Patriots have scored 135 runs, an average of 8.4 per game. Mission Vets coach Casey Smith said his team is taking advantage of positive counts and putting the ball in play with two strikes.

“We’re all taking good approaches at the plate,” said junior catcher William Peña, who went 3-for-4 with five RBIs. “I think no one is trying to do too much; we all know what we’re capable of and we’re staying within that.”

Mission Vets’ surge began in the third inning when Vela, the No. 3 hitter, was intentionally walked with the bases loaded and two outs. Peña followed with an RBI single and Eddie Galvan added another one.

“They wanted to get rid of Noel to face me, and I knew I had to come through in that situation,” Peña said. “I had to make it hurt for them.”

The Patriots added two more runs in the fifth to chase starter Damian Moya, scored two more in the sixth and eight more in the seventh.

Galvan went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Vela went 2-for-3 with a walk and a RBI. Vela’s performance followed a blistering four-game stand last week in which he hit 10-for-13 with two homers and nine RBIs.

“I’m just trying to hit fastballs,” said Vela, who did not pitch Thursday because he has soreness in his arm lingering from Friday’s start. “I’m not getting behind in the count and seeing curveballs. I’m swinging at good pitches. For me, to be pitching well carries over confidence-wise to my hitting, and that’s what I have going.”

As pleasant as it was for Mission Vets, it was the complete opposite for the young Rattlers (7-7, 0-2 31-5A). Starting three freshmen, coach Junior Martinez’s team committed two errors and saw rocky pitching out of the bullpen.

Freshman reliever Eduardo Salinas hit three straight batters to lead off the sixth inning. He was removed after walking three batters to lead off the seventh, and Rodrigo Medina followed by walking two more batters.

Moya, a junior, allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings. He walked three and struck out one. His pitching was the best of the day for the Rattlers.

“We have freshmen making freshmen mistakes,” Martinez said. “You can’t give a team like that extra outs, and we did. We did the same thing against (Edinburg) Vela (an 8-4 loss Tuesday). We’re young, and we’re going to have to learn how to deal with it.

“Once I get everybody on the same page with the right attitude, maybe good things will start happening.”

Ramos, who improved to 4-0 and had a 0.88 ERA coming into Thursday, was not so generous to Rattlers hitters.

In six innings, Ramos struck out three, walked one and allowed four hits. Galvan secured the Patriots’ third shutout of the season with a 1-2-3 seventh.

“I’m starting off where I left off last year,” said Ramos, who throws five pitches for strikes and changes speeds seamlessly. “I fixed some form on my pitching, but that’s it. It’s really about pounding the strike zone and coming right at them. It’s worked.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — In a dramatic slugfest that featured 31 hits between the two teams, La Joya High and La Joya Palmview went to work late Thursday to produce a District 30-6A classic.

The Coyotes rallied from a four-run sixth inning deficit to upend the Lobos 13-12 at La Joya Palmview High. Trailing 12-11 heading into the seventh, pinch-runner Julian Castillo scored on a passed ball with no outs to tie the game before fellow reserve Juan Rodriguez scored the go-ahead run moments later when relief pitcher Jesus Guzman overthrew first baseman Mario Hinojosa.

Reliever Anibal Leal dismissed Palmview’s 4-5-6 hitters in order after allowing a leadoff single to close matters in the bottom of the frame.

The win lifted La Joya High to 11-5, 2-1 in 30-6A. Palmview dropped to 8-7-1, 1-1 in district.

“We battled,” first-year Coyotes coach Alex Guajardo said. “There were some times we were down in the count, but we kept on fighting. We always found a way to put the ball in play.”

La Joya High produced 22 hits. Ryan Lopez went 4-for-5 with a RBI. Isaac Garces produced a clutch two-run double down the third base line in the sixth that cut a 10-6 deficit to 10-8. Starting pitcher Jose Delgado went 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

Esteban Prado went 3-for-3 with two RBIs as the Coyotes benefited from consistent production all throughout the lineup.

It wasn’t necessarily bad pitching from either team. The Lobos and Coyotes hit, and hit hard, and capitalized on the other’s mistakes when they happened.

“It was nerve-wracking, but our kids kept their composure and they did what they needed to do,” Guajardo said. “Our motto is to always battle. No matter what. Our kids buy in. The kids have been great, receptive.”

Palmview was more efficient with its offense, but errors, particularly in the final two innings, hampered the inexperienced ballclub. Garces’ hit in the sixth, for instance, came when starter Elias Ovalle threw the wrong pitch.

Coach Rick Garcia wanted a wasted outside pitch with two strikes and one out, but Garcia threw it inside, where Garces was more than happy to take advantage.

“He threw something we didn’t call,” Garcia said. “That’s a kid (Garces) that is sitting on the fastball and anything inside.

“It’s mistakes like that, and when we do that we’re going to lose games. Especially close games.”

Unofficially, Palmview had five errors to La Joya’s four.

Palmview did not score in the first and seventh innings, but it was the final frame that mattered. Leal earned the win by throwing the final three innings.

“I just tried to throw strikes, and as the game got on I started dominating my corners,” said Leal, who improved to 3-0. “That’s a great team that can really hit the ball. They make you really pitch.

“But we didn’t give up, until the last out.”

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BY DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Edinburg Vela boys basketball coach Lalo Rios made it clear to his team what its goal was well before the start of the 2015-16 season.

State or bust.

“(It was) our mindset the minute we lost at regionals last year,” Rios said. “There was nothing else. You may not believe it, but every day we broke our huddle, since the day we lost at regionals, we broke it at ‘state!’

“Last year, we broke everything at “regionals!’ and we got there. This year, we said we’re not going to set the bar at regionals, we’re going to set it at state.”

Thursday, the SaberCats join Donna High, Edinburg High, Harlingen High, Roma, Santa Rosa and Sharyland High as the only Rio Grande Valley boys basketball programs to make it to the UIL state tournament. Santa Rosa was the last program to do it, in 2008-2009. Harlingen High has made the tournament six times, Santa Rosa three times and Roma twice.

Sharyland High was the last upper or mid-Valley team to make it to state, falling to Dimmitt in 1977-78. Vela is the Valley team from the largest classification (Class 5A) to make it to state.

“So what makes a quality team that can handle the pressures, adversities and achieve a level of state?” said Dan Townsend, a starter on the 1978 Rattlers team. “It begins with the coach who plants a seed of ‘We’re going to do this, boys.’ Vic Benter told us at the beginning of the season we were going to state. Period.”

That’s where it started as well for the No. 8 SaberCats as they go against No. 3-state ranked and defending state champ Lancaster in the 5A state semifinal at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

“We made them believe every day we were going to state,” Rios said. “In practices, we told them, ‘If you want to go to state, you have to do this. If you want to go to state, you have to do that.’ So from the very get-go, the talk and the focus was always state.”

‘WE WILL WIN THIS’

Vela has three players scoring in double figures, led by Ryan Garza’s 18.3 points per game. The SaberCats go 10 deep in the rotation and return 10 players from last year’s regional semifinalist.

The experience and depth is key at this time of the season. Like Vela, Roma, Sharyland and Santa Rosa did not boast size, but had shooting, speed and balance. Vela’s Luis Salinas is the SaberCats’ tallest rotation player at 6-foot-3, but the SaberCats have rangy, attacking athletes like the Gladiators, Rattlers and Warriors did.

“In 2009, we were pretty average,” said Santa Rosa coach Juan Cipriano, who led the Warriors team in 2008-2009 and whose 2015-16 edition finished two points shy of another trip to state. “Our tallest guy was Aaron Ramirez, who was 6-2. But we could jump out of the gym. You can make up for lack of size by being in the right spot at the right time.”

The 2009 and 2016 Warriors were balanced teams that received production throughout the lineup. The 1978 Rattlers had four players who averaged double-figures in scoring. The lone outlier was the 1972 Roma team that relied heavily upon three-time all-state selection Jesus “Chuy” Guerra, who averaged 26 points.

Another common thread between Vela and past Valley state teams is scheduling. Santa Rosa, Roma and Sharyland High were Class 2A programs who played a heavy non-district schedule against teams from Class 4A, then the top classification in the UIL. Cipriano, Guerra and James Laffoon, a junior post on the 1978 Rattlers, agreed their respective teams did not realize their potential until winning tournament games against 4A teams.

Vela’s non-district schedule this season included contests against Class 6A teams San Antonio MacArthur and San Antonio Jay, regional power Laredo Alexander, and Valley playoff teams La Joya Palmview and Edinburg North.

“We told the kids at regionals, we’re coming back next year,” Rios said. “What hurt us last year was the lack of experience. And so I could see the kids believe that when I explained we had 10 guys back, I think they bought into that. We told them we will win this.”

GOTTA DANCE

No Valley boys basketball team has won a game at the UIL state tournament. That’s where Vela has a chance to make history.

“They’re going to walk into a gigantic facility and it’s so massive, even the basket looks different,” Laffoon said. “You’re used to playing in a small gym in the Valley and you don’t realize it’s going to be a very important part of your life.”

With Vela being in Roma’s district, Guerra has had a chance to watch the SaberCats this year. He and former teammate Jaime Escobar, brother of current Roma coach Abel Escobar, agree that Vela has impressively developed a style of play that works.

“They’re very balanced,” Guerra said. “They’re deep and they can run you. They score a lot of different ways and are fundamentally sound. I feel they have a good chance. They force you to play basketball at their style.”

Townsend said the Rattlers got by on three principles: team, defense and passing. Vela’s principles are similar. It’s a team-oriented philosophy centered around pace, attack and a five-in, five-out substitution pattern that requires responsibility from everyone.

Guerra can appreciate the exciting style of basketball. The SaberCats have scored 100 points three times this season, but Guerra’s 1972 Gladiators, without a 3-point line to use, scored in triple-digits seven times.

“They have created their formula on how to play the game, and they’re executing to the max,” Guerra said. “It’s an amazing job.”

Now the job is to finish.

“They belong there, and it’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” Escobar said. “At the end of the day, what’s meant to be is meant to be. If they’re there, they might as well dance.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA — Edinburg High entered Friday’s La Joya Tournament game against Edinburg Vela on a low. Vela came in on a high.

By the time the game ended two hours later, it was the Bobcats feeling pretty good and the SaberCats wondering what happened.

Edinburg High dominated Vela 11-2 in five innings in a game that was called short because of the tournament’s two-hour time limit. Senior ace and Texas Tech commit John Henry Gonzalez threw all five innings for the Bobcats and struck out eight and walked three. His only hiccup was a two-run double by Aaron Galvan during the second inning.

The Bobcats pounded out 12 hits against Galvan, the SaberCats’ sophomore ace, and three Vela relievers. They played a clean game defensively. It was a welcome sight for a team that started the season with five losses in eight games.

“It’s definitely nice,” Edinburg High coach Robert Valdez said “The main thing is this was a game that wasn’t so much about Robert Vela, it was about ourselves. We hadn’t been finishing games, we had been playing sloppy and undisciplined. It’s not about getting the win, it’s about progressing. It was really great to see everybody come together as a team.”

Edinburg High (3-5-1) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and was never threatened the rest of the way. Seven of nine hitters registered a hit. Daniel Solis went 3-for-3 with five RBIs, demonstratively dismissing a slump by opening up his stance and following through on the ball, and Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with a RBI.

“Yeah, just a bit,” Gonzalez said with a smile when asked if he feels his hitting is overlooked. “Everybody thinks of John Henry the pitcher, but my hitting is good and I’m only going to get better.”

Galvan lasted just 3 1/3 innings, walking four and striking out one while surrendering seven runs on six hits. In three appearances this season, the lefty has 14 walks to 11 strikeouts but has been the rock of Vela’s rotation.

“I tried way too hard,” Galvan said. “I wanted to shut them out and I was just trying to overpower. I wasn’t really pitching. I thought I could blow it by them, and I left the ball up a lot. I have to learn from this.”

On the mound, Gonzalez gave the scouts and fans in attendance what they came to see. Just a couple of weeks removed from an ankle injury, the right-hander used a hard-blowing inside fastball to set-up an outside curveball that left Vela (5-2-1) searching for answers.

Vela hitters never adjusted against Gonzalez. Though they managed some success at the top of the order in drawing walks and getting on base, nothing came of it.

Vela coach Jaime Perez said his team didn’t compete.

“They took it to us,” Perez said. “We were beat and we never recovered, and this one is difficult on me because we haven’t done this all year. I’ve got to reflect and go back and just make sure the kids see this as one game. It happens to everybody.

“To these kids, it meant a lot because it is Edinburg High, but this has no bearing on us.”

Before Friday, the SaberCats had been one of the hottest teams to start the season. They had a strong run at the loaded Border Olympics tournament last weekend, only losing by one run to eventual tourney champ Boerne Champion.

That was Vela’s lone blemish before running into the Bobcats.

“I have a feeling we were a little scared of the name, and he’s a good pitcher, but I believe we could have hit him a little bit more,” Galvan said of going up against Gonzalez. “We just have to compete harder.”

That’s what Perez was asking of his team after Friday’s game. And it’s what Valdez and his players loved seeing from the winners during the contest.

“We hadn’t been feeling confident about ourselves and our team,” Solis said. “We weren’t confident about winning. But now, beating a quality team like Vela, we can get some momentum and keep this going.”

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