DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Memorial’s boys golf team is enjoying a perfect storm that could take it to the Class 6A state tournament next month.

The Mustangs have experience and budding underclassmen, making for a balanced team that has been one of the Rio Grande Valley’s best during the early part of the season.

Led by senior Carlos Reyes, the Mustangs finished second at the Class 6A pre-regional and Border Olympics tournaments, and fourth at the Sharyland ISD and Edinburg ISD Invitationals.

But as deep as the Mustangs are, it begins with Reyes, who is third among RGV boys golfers with a 75 scoring average.

“Whenever he gets out on the golf course, he just wants to beat people,” Mustangs coach Celso Gonzales said. “He doesn’t want to lose. He’s going to do everything in his power to beat you, and that’s his gratification. He’s come a long way, his work ethic has come a long way, and he really understands he’s our leader.”

Reyes’ strength is his accuracy, and Gonzales said his confidence in his swing has grown. But Reyes is also a one-of-a-kind player. He didn’t start playing golf until his freshman year, when he shot over 100 in his first tournament.

“Between now and then, with how far he’s come, he’s a natural talent,” Gonzales said. “It’s his desire to get better.”

Reyes is buttressed by veterans Trevor Kucia and Ross Gonzales, Celso’s son, and a couple of precocious sophomores in C.W. Phillips, a transfer from Sharyland, and Colton Henderson.

Gonzales likens Phillips to Reyes in regard to commitment to the game, and Henderson joined the team in place of the No. 4 golfer on the trip to the Border Olympics last weekend and shot a two-day score of 170.

“This group is starting to gel, they know their roles,” Gonzales said. “They all can do their part. The hard work and the desire to win is huge. If we shoot what we’re capable of shooting, we can go to state. When you have that vision, and someone like Carlos to lead it … I’m grateful.”

SIBLING RIVALRY

Junior Leah Lerma was already a talented golfer. But this season, Mission High coach Danny Castillo said he’s seen an extra push in Lerma’s game.

That motivation is freshman Mia Lerma, Leah’s younger sister.

“It’s a sister competition and it’s pushing Leah and making her better,” Castillo said. “She’s working harder. She’s showing better course management.”

Leah — a long, accurate drive-hitter who boasts an 82 average — is Castillo’s No. 1 golfer, but it’s Mia who has the better average (81).

“Mia’s a tough athlete,” Castillo said. “She plays volleyball, plays softball and she’s my No. 2 girl. She even has a better average than Mia, but Leah’s got the experience and is the veteran. Mia’s got a long swing arc that really propels the driver. She’s small, but she gets great distance, and that’s key. Her short game is lacking at the moment, but once she gets that she’s going to be really special.”

Castillo has been the golf coach at Mission for 29 years, and this year’s team is one of his finest. As a team, the Eagles have improved their average by almost 100 strokes from last season, shooting a 370 this year compared to 460 last year.

“These girls are the anchors,” Castillo said of the Lermas. “The team sees Leah and Mia and how they work and it only influences them to go out and work just as hard to get better.”

ON THE HORIZON

RGV golf teams will participate this weekend in the Mercedes tournament at Llano Grande Golf Course.

March 11-12 begins pre-district invitationals, starting with District 32-6A. District 32-5A is March 22, followed by 30-6A and 31-6A on March 24 and 31-5A on March 28.

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA —La Joya Palmview’s and Edinburg North’s baseball teams are each going through growing pains.

When the two met Tuesday night for a non-district contest, the Lobos’ lineup included a freshman, four players who were backups last year, and two players who were on junior varsity last year. North, meanwhile, started two sophomores and a freshman.

On this particular evening, Palmview persevered, 10-6, at home, largely because it had its ace, junior right-hander Leo Perez, in stock. North is very much in an evaluation stage, particularly at pitcher and catcher, and it showed.

Aside from a five-run fifth inning by North (4-3) that was littered with Palmview (3-3-1) errors, the Lobos otherwise played impressive baseball in a game coach Rick Garcia did not know what to expect going in.

“There’s a lot of things we have to work on and cover, but the young ones are starting to learn what it takes to play ball as a team,” Garcia said. “Traveling ball is a different look than high school, and they have to understand this is their team. Not summer ball. Once we unite in that, we can be as strong as we’ve been in the past.”

The Lobos, Class 6A regional quarterfinalists last year, only ran into trouble in the fifth, when three errors accounted for runs. Aside from that, there were two misplays on balls to center field that kept the inning alive.

“Our guys need to understand there are certain rules per position that we need to apply,” Garcia said. “For instance, our centerfielder lets the ball drop because he thought the right fielder called him off. Our rule is that’s the centerfielder’s call. It’s a miscommunication between young kids, but once that understanding comes we can be a strong team.”

The Lobos were able to take advantage of spotty location from freshman starter Marc Esquivel and sophomore reliever Abram Lopez. Esquivel lasted 3 2/3 innings and surrendered seven runs (six earned) on eight hits while striking out six and walking five, and Lopez allowed three more runs in two innings while striking out one and giving up four hits.

Esquivel and Lopez are expected to add depth behind a North rotation led by Carlo Servin.

“We tell our guys no one’s job is safe,” North coach Damian Gonzalez said. “But we’re making strides. Every game, we want to improve on something.”

Perez threw three scoreless innings to start the game, striking out four and allowing one hit, before being removed with a 4-0 lead for reliever Jesus Guzman. That was Garcia’s plan as he wanted a look at more pitchers.

Jesus Guzman and Mario Guzman, who each threw two innings, will be counted on to play significant roles behind Perez and No. 2 pitcher Elias Ovalle, who, along with senior shortstop Steve Pena, is out with an injury.

Perez, who had a three-run bomb and went 2-for-3 with a walk, said he liked the team’s fight, particularly after surrendering the five-run frame that cut the lead to 7-5, and is optimistic about what’s coming. While defense remains a concern, the Lobos’ offense seems in late-season form as Palmview pounded out 12 hits against three Cougar pitchers with varying velocity.

“It’s all a process, and it begins with setting a personal standard,” Perez said. “If each one of us can do that, it only helps the team. If we’re setting high expectations individually, we can build a pretty dangerous team.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Three balks that produced runs. An overthrow from the shortstop to first baseman that should have been a routine groundout. Dropped balls. Passed balls.

This is life these days for Sharyland High’s baseball team as it played its fourth game of the season Friday morning. With a roster consisting of five underclassmen, it is a rebuild third-year coach Junior Martinez has never seen in his 13 years with the tradition-rich program.

“We’re finding out a lot of things right now, seeing who we can depend on and what guys can do under pressure,” Martinez said. “I have a lot of guys that have not participated in a varsity baseball game until this year.

“Whether they’re freshmen or guys who got moved up from junior varsity … it’s a bunch of guys new to this level of play.”

The Rattlers fell 6-0 to Brownsville Hanna (3-1) to begin the second day of the McAllen/Mission Tournament at Sharyland High. The game was stopped after five innings because of a two-hour time limit for tournament games.

Sharyland High, which is 2-2 with wins over San Benito and Mission High, started two freshmen — four are expected to see a lot of at-bats this season — and has four players who have played a varsity game. The consequence is what happened Friday.

Against Hanna, four of the runs the Rattlers surrendered came by errors. Sharyland pitching failed to register a strikeout, and its two pitchers, sophomore starter Javier Medina and freshman reliever Eduardo Salinas, balked. Medina balked twice.

All three balks took place with a runner on third base, allowing that runner to advance home each time because of the error.

“It’s a new experience for most of us,” said Salinas, who hit eighth in the order and pitched the final three innings. “We’ve been training really hard, but nothing gets us prepared like the games do. We know we’re being depended upon, and hopefully all the hard work pays off.”

This time last year, guys like Salinas, Juan Lopez (who led the Rattlers with two hits as the No. 9 hitter Friday) and lead-off hitter Yulean Torrellas were playing junior high baseball. Even the team’s No. 1 pitcher, junior Michael Cera, did not play a varsity game before Monday’s 1-0 win at San Benito.

“I like what they’ve shown, they’re just young,” said senior Rodrigo Medina, one of the four Rattlers with varsity time. “But they’re competing, and that’s what we’re trying to show them. Every at-bat, every throw, every pitch. Compete.”

The rabid youth movement is a byproduct of the school’s split with Sharyland Pioneer, which went into effect two years ago. Martinez said school enrollment went from 3,200 to 1,600. He had 38 players in his baseball class this year. In previous years, Martinez had at least 75.

“The pool is a lot smaller to choose from,” Martinez said. “It’s just different.”

The Rattlers’ youngsters talk a good game. They emphasize learning from veterans like Medina, Jeff Adame, Jorge Longoria and Vicente Contreras. They talk about the importance of listening to coaches and paying attention.

“We’re excited,” Salinas said. “We’re all obviously new to this and we just want to earn our spots. We may be young and new, but we’re fighting to prove something.”

And the fight has its share of hard times.

“It can be frustrating for us, because the guys who have played varsity are way ahead and more along than us,” Torrellas said. “They want to help us, but since we’re just starting it’s frustrating that it’s not that easy to catch up with them. They’ve been playing 15, 16 years, and we’ve been playing 10, 12 years.

“It’s hard to keep up, but we know we’ll get there one day.”

After Friday morning’s loss, Martinez talked about the compromising situation with the hand he’s dealt. It’s not a hand he does not welcome, however.

The enthusiasm and energy is fresh around the program. While it may not breed consistent positive results right away, it allows for a desired rebirth.

“When you’re blessed with talent, you also have kids who want to do their own thing,” Martinez said. “These guys, the good thing is they listen and they do what they’re supposed to. If we can do the little things right, everything else will take care of itself.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Ruben Cavazos manned the lead-off spot in Mission Veterans Memorial’s lineup the last four years. His leadership, ability and experience were vital for a Patriots team that went 27-10 and finished as a Class 5A regional semifinalist last season.

These days, however, it’s junior Roman De Leon at the top of the batting order. Along with Cavazos, the Patriots lost some big-hitting seniors in Edward Peña, David de Los Santos and Leo Martinez, among others, and now coach Casey Smith has to find out who leads the way for a team with no seniors, but great expectations.

So far, Smith likes what he’s seeing. The Patriots had their way with McAllen Memorial 9-0 on Thursday afternoon on the first day of the McAllen/Mission Tournament at McAllen Memorial High. And, lo and behold, setting the table was De Leon, who went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, including a two-run inside-the-park home run.

“There’s no big difference (from last year),” De Leon said. “We all grew up playing together. We may have lost a lot of key guys, but we still have a good team and the important thing is we play well together.

“We have the same goals as we’ve always had. Nothing changes in that matter. We have the same expectations and we’re going to go from there.”

Mission Vets (3-0) scored nine runs over the final five innings. The Patriots had 15 hits, six for extra bases. They later beat La Villa 16-1 in three innings to close their first day of the tournament.

Offense figured to be where the Patriots would struggle most with the graduation of 10 seniors. But against McAllen Memorial, Jacob Guerrero went 3-for-4 with a stolen base, Anthony Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a RBI and stolen base, and usual suspects Noel Vela (2-for-4, RBI) and Matt de la Garza (1-for-3, RBI) performed to the norm.

“Leadership, experience and depth,” Smith said. “Those are the things we’re going to battle early on and it’s a process like anything else. You go through these tournaments and the whole deal is to find out what some guys can do and to get better. Just by getting out here, getting some at-bats, getting in situations, guys will do that.”

Smith was pleased with how well the Patriots put the ball in play. During Monday’s 2-1 win at Mission High, fly balls left runs on the bases.

Thursday, however, the Patriots kept the ball on the ground and hit it hard against McAllen Memorial sophomore Seth Soto, a transfer from El Paso.

The Patriots played with purpose and enthusiasm, like a bunch of players auditioning for a lead role. In a way, that’s the case.

“Those seniors left their mark,” de la Garza said. “We paid attention to them, saw how they led. Everybody wants to be a captain, and we have a lot of guys eager to fill those spots.”

McAllen Memorial won just two of six non-district games last season before finishing a respectable 6-6 in a tough District 30-6A. The Mustangs return most of that team, including standout sophomore center fielder Garrett St. Clair.

The Mustangs (0-2) mustered just seven scattered hits and struck out nine times in a complete-game shutout for Patriots junior Cristian Ramos. Memorial is still a work in progress, but has capable anchors in St. Clair (2-for-3) and Soto.

“I feel like we’ve got a lot of experience with guys returning from the year we had last year,” St. Clair said. “We have a new pitcher in Soto who can be a key part for our team. We’re mostly juniors and sophomores, but last year showed what we’re capable of and it’s a lot of motivation.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Before the Edinburg High Bobcats had laced up a cleat or swung a bat this preseason, coach Robert Valdez had a message for them.

“We’re not last year’s team,” Valdez said. “Each and every year, you have to find your own identity as a team.”

It can be a difficult message to adhere to, particularly for kids. The Bobcats had a historic season in 2015, reaching the Class 6A regional semifinals for the first time since 1959.

Now Edinburg High is a target. Everyone knows about the Bobcats, and star ace and Texas Tech commit John Henry Gonzalez. The Bobcats aren’t sneaking up on anyone this season, and they are aware of it.

True, they are not last year’s team. But last year’s team is all anyone remembers before the start of a season.

“Not every team does what we did,” said senior infielder/pitcher Robert Valdez Jr., the coach’s son. “Our target is a whole lot bigger. The reigning district champs, we have to defend what we did. We can’t take anyone lightly because we know they’re coming for us.”

OPPORTUNITY CALLS

As the season starts this week, the Bobcats lack depth in the rotation and experience in the infield. Hitting is a strength; two of the team’s top four hitters return in Matt Trevino (.374, 26 RBIs) and Gonzalez (.320, 22 RBIs).

Defense is a work in progress, but there is a strong anchor in Gonzalez, who went 9-1 with an 0.11 ERA and 110 strikeouts to 30 walks last season. The right-hander assures he’ll be even better. Gonzalez worked on conditioning during the offseason, to last through games longer, and hitting spots because he struggled with high counts toward the end of the season.

All eyes will be on the 2015 All-Valley Pitcher of the Year. He’s ready for it.

“It’s the best feeling,” Gonzalez said. “Coming into every game and people are watching like, ‘This is the guy. This is him.’ It fires me up to shut teams down. It pushes me to perform better.”

Gonzalez suffered an ankle sprain on the second day of practice last month, but is expected to be cleared today. The Bobcats will be diligent about working him back into the swing of things, and Valdez knows he will be depending more on pitchers Jaime Cansino, Trevino, Troy Galaviz and his son.

Valdez said Gonzalez is already a “leader by action.” Now he’s learning to be a “leader by voice.”

“It’s really his leadership role to run with,” the eighth-year coach said. “I think the biggest thing he’s trying to get across to the guys is we’re going to go as we pitch. We have arms, but they’re not pitching where they need to be.

“But he’s taking those guys under his wing, and now he’s almost like an extra coach.”

Cansino went 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA in three appearances last season. He was not used a lot because the Bobcats had seniors Jaime Alvarado, Luis Ortega and Michael Castillo as veterans behind Gonzalez. But now they’re gone, and Cansino is the only pitcher on this year’s roster who threw at all last year.

“Bigger opportunities are going to come for us,” Trevino said. “We’re ready for it.”

WHO’S ‘THE MAN?’

Valdez said the team’s hitters have “capability.” The meat of the lineup will truly be the meat of the lineup, he said. And the execution of the offense has pleased players early.

“We have a lot of bats coming up, and one-through-nine in the order can hit,” said senior infielder Daniel Solis, who hit .356 with 13 RBIs and a .437 on-base percentage last year. “We can hit opposite field, we can bunt, we’ve got power. Whatever coach calls for, we can do it.”

Valdez Jr.’s return makes the offense tougher. He missed all of last season with hip and knee injuries, but has swung the bat well and adds power. He’s also a capable pitcher.

As his father mixes and matches position players, Valdez Jr. is slated as the team’s designated hitter for the time being.

“This team, it’s different,” Valdez Jr. said. “Last year’s chemistry, our bonding and accountability were stronger. This year, we have some younger kids and the seniors are doing a lot of teaching. We have to build from there.”

That’s what the coach wants to hear. He knows his team is a marked one. But he also knows the game “can take you from the penthouse to the outhouse in one inning, one pitch,” and he needs his team to understand that.

The pieces are there for the Bobcats. It’s about putting them all together.

“We have to slow things down. We have to re-teach,” Valdez said. “The big thing is you sit back and reflect what you had, guys like (Castillo), a four-year starter. That’s 700 innings. Jaime Alvarado, Luis Ortega and Ryan Amador — three three-year starters, 500-plus innings each. You’re looking at all that experience, and now another athlete steps in with no experience because of what those guys were able to do. They were ‘the man,’ and now we’ve got to find other guys who are ‘the man.’

“That’s the hardest thing for us right now.”

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Top five players to watch in the Upper and mid-Valley this season.

John Henry Gonzalez, Edinburg High, sr.: The future Texas Tech Red Raider was dominant last season with a 9-1 record and 0.11 ERA. Gonzalez has a fastball that reaches the low 90s and he said his location has improved despite issuing just 30 walks last year.

Noel Vela, Mission Veterans Memorial, jr.: The fire-throwing lefty went 11-2 last season with a 1.60 ERA and 141 strikeouts to 46 walks in 83.1 innings. The 141 strikeouts led Class 5A.

Abanny Garcia, McAllen Rowe, soph.: As a freshman last year, Garcia hit .457 with a .530 on-base percentage and a .527 slugging percentage. He also can pitch. He went 6-1 in 2015 with a 1.49 ERA and 44 strikeouts to 11 walks.

Leo Perez, La Joya Palmview, jr.: The 6-foot-1 right-hander went 7-1 with a 0.92 ERA in 10 appearances last season. He had four complete games and four shutouts, and allowed seven earned runs in 53 innings.

Mike Alvarez, Hidalgo, sr.: One of the best hitters in South Texas, Alvarez will anchor the lineup for No. 11-state ranked Hidalgo. Alvarez hit .562 with a .588 on-base percentage last season. He had a .608 slugging percentage.

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RGVSports.com Preseason Top 10

1. Brownsville Veterans Memorial

2. Edinburg High

3. Mission Veterans Memorial

4. La Joya Palmview

5. Hidalgo

6. Edinburg North

7. Weslaco High

8. La Joya High

9. PSJA High

10. McAllen High

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Memorial will once again be a power in the Rio Grande Valley tennis scene this season. How much of a power could be determined this weekend when the Mustangs compete in the prestigious Battle of the Bay tournament in Corpus Christi.

The Mustangs are coming off boys and girls team district championships and return a lot of that firepower, beginning with junior Jack Wang, senior Daniel Magadan, senior Valeria Garza and promising freshman Alan Magadan.

“We have a real good chance to get back to regionals,” coach Rhodora Elizondo said. “Right now we’re just getting ready, getting time and experience and we have one of the strongest tournaments in Texas coming up.”

The Battle of the Bay features state powers from Houston, Austin and south Texas. Elizondo said it is a good measuring stick for the type of talent the Mustangs will see at regionals.

Roma is the only other Valley team participating in the tournament.

McAllen Memorial was the lone upper or Mid-Valley representative, including individuals, last season to advance to the Class 6A regional semifinals, but it fell short there.

Elizondo is confident she has an improved team from last year. Garza, a district champion the last three years, stopped playing soccer this year to focus on tennis. Wang, a regional semifinalist in singles in 2014 and doubles in 2015, is the leader of the pack, and Daniel Magadan is close behind.

Daniel’s brother Alan may be even better than Wang or Daniel. Alan is stronger and taller and simply needs experience, Elizondo said.

Elizondo had a strong doubles team last year, with Wang and then-senior Alvaro Rocha, and said she plans to have the Magadan brothers play doubles later this season.

“He’s a good player, but the maturity is not there yet,” Elizondo said of Alan. “But you can see he’s going to be very good. He just needs some refinement in his game, and at 14 years old he doesn’t have the experience.”

LACKEY’S NOT LACKING

Weslaco High senior Austin Lackey finished second at the Sharyland ISD Invitational last weekend. Lackey shot an 81-70 for a two-day score of 151 to finish behind Harlingen High’s Cole Charvat.

“He’s matured a lot and his game has improved,” Weslaco High boys golf coach Chris Gracia said. “His drives are incredibly long now, and what he’s been working on is mostly his short game. We’re trying to get him to focus on two solid rounds.”

Lackey, who comes from a long legacy of Lackey family members that starred athletically for the Panthers, saw that last weekend when he shot an 81 on day one before finishing strong. A consistent effort could have afforded him the tournament championship.

Gracia said Lackey has put in a lot of work on his putting during the offseason.

“It’s about having more feel,” Gracia said. “He’s been sometimes jabbing at the ball, so he’s worked on changing grips.”

Lackey is the leader of a Panthers team that Gracia said is among the best in his 13 years as coach.

Sophomore Quinlan Vos finished 11th at last weekend’s tournament and sophomore Bradley McCaleb finished 18th. McLean Beckwith, the Panthers’ other senior, finished 27th in the 123-man field.

MIXING AND MATCHING

Roma tennis coach Eddie Marquez knew he had talent coming into this season. His job would be putting that talent in the best position to succeed.

Marquez has seemingly accomplished that with his girls doubles team of seniors Karina Baez and Alejandra Canedo and his mixed doubles team of Raul Ramirez and Stacey Martinez.

Baez and Canedo won the McAllen Memorial tournament earlier this season and finished second in the Laredo Invitational.

“They all have experience,” Marquez said. “They have great volleys and they have real good chemistry. I put them together and it’s worked out.”

Ramirez and Martinez won the Laredo Invitational.

“I know I had the players, it’s just a matter of putting them together and seeing how we do,” Marquez said.

Roma is strong on the girls side. Juniors Chantal Lozano and Monica Cantu have had strong starts to the season. Cantu has won two singles tournaments.

“This is perhaps the best girls team I’ve had, and I’ve had some good ones,” said Marquez, Roma’s coach since 1999.

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

As the high school boys golf season starts up today with the Sharyland ISD Tournament at Shary Golf Course, there’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of unknown, a lot of wait-and-see.

All 24 teams are in the same boat.

“It’s the first tournament since the fall season,” Sharyland High boys coach Fernando Rodriguez said. “We’ll see how the kids come in and see where we’re at. That’s what this tournament is all about.”

Teams like Harlingen High, McAllen High and McAllen Memorial, among others, join District 31-5A stalwarts Edinburg Vela, Mission Veterans Memorial, Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer.

The Rattlers are in a bit of a rebuilding stage. Their best player is precocious freshman Jimmy Lee, though Lee is also ranked No. 1 in the Valley heading into the spring season. He boasts a 72 average.

“His work ethic is what separates him,” Rodriguez said. “He’s very dedicated, very disciplined. He plays tournaments in Houston, Dallas, Austin. He’s a top player on the junior circuit.”

Rodriguez’s team also consists of returner Matthew Gonzalez, who qualified for regionals last year and is the team’s only senior. Junior Victor Rodriguez Jr and sophomore Cord Lopez also figure into the team’s plans.

“It comes down to different players working on different parts of their game,” Rodriguez said. “We concentrate a lot on the short game and good course management, especially playing at Shary Golf Course, where we’ll play district.”

HOVDA AT IT AGAIN

The high school girls golf season teed off a couple of weeks ago with the PSJA ISD Invitational.

Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer again figure to be powers in Valley golf, and individually Weslaco High’s Anika Hovda will star again as well.

The junior placed eighth with a two-day score of 162 at the San Antonio Northside Invitational last weekend.

“She had a slow start on the first day, and on the second day shot about a 75,” said Weslaco girls acting coach Jorge Rivas. “She left some birdies out there, some makeable putts. She was mad at herself for it.”

That’s precisely the attitude Rivas wants.

“Her work habits are phenomenal, and she takes a lot of pride in the game,” Rivas said of Hovda. “I wish the other girls would pick that up. I just want them to concentrate and focus more on how to practice. Some of them are just out here taking this as a class or credit.”

Rivas said Anna Palacios is another player who works hard, but two is not enough.

“I want more focus, I want more of an emphasis on practice,” Rivas said.

Rivas is leading the team with the head coach on a leave of absence for personal reasons. Rivas said he expects to be coaching the team the rest of the year.

FAST STARTS

Some of the usual suspects are off to strong starts to the girls season.

Sharyland Pioneer’s Carina Hernandez and Maria Guajardo placed fourth and ninth, respectively, at the PSJA ISD Invitational last month. Sharyland High’s Carolina Cantu finished seventh.

As a team, Pioneer placed second and Mercedes placed sixth.

At the SA Northside Invitational, Weslaco High placed 10th thanks to Hovda, Palacios, and teammates Tiffany Cardenas, Anica Arce and Michelle Mata.

At the Sharyland ISD Invitational last week, Sharyland High star Ana Jose Erana won with a score of 149. She was followed in second, third and fourth places by teammates Laura Rodriguez, Mariana Flores and Raquel Flores.

Mission High junior Leah Lerma placed fifth.

Edinburg Vela placed second at the tournament with a score of 701, buoyed by the performances of Annika Ellrott (161) and Ariel Chavan (168).

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG —The University Interscholastic League’s biennial reclassification and realignment is a crapshoot. That was never more evident than Monday, when the UIL, the state’s governing body for high school athletics, threw Rio Grande Valley’s Class 5A some curveballs when it released its arrangement for 2016-18.

Three Laredo schools join reconfigured District 31-5A, as Laredo Cigarroa, Laredo Martin and Laredo Nixon team with Sharyland High, Sharyland Pioneer, Mission Veterans Memorial, Valley View, Rio Grande City and Roma for a nine-team league.

“We all have ideas coming in (to realignment), and then none of it ever happens,” Roma athletic coordinator Max Habecker Jr. said. “We had this situation maybe third of our possibilities, and it ends up happening. It is what it is.”

Projections coming into Monday had PSJA Southwest moving from District 32-5A to 31-5A with members Sharyland High, Pioneer, Mission Vets, Valley View, Rio Grande City and Roma to keep 31-5A at seven teams. That would have swapped Southwest for Edinburg Vela, which moved up to Class 6A.

Instead, the new look adds more travel and teams to 31-5A, and allows Southwest to appeal to move up to Class 6A to join sister schools PSJA North, PSJA Memorial and PSJA High in District 31-6A.

Instead of going to 31-5A, Southwest was realigned in District 32-5A with Donna High, Donna North, Edcouch-Elsa, Mercedes, Brownsville Pace, Brownsville Porter and two Brownsville schools that moved down, Veterans Memorial and Lopez. That turned the eight-team 32-5A into a nine-team district.

“The whole plan was thinking we’d go to the west, but they put us to the east with the Brownsvilles and Edcouch-Elsas and those guys and made it a nine-team district,” PSJA ISD athletic director Orlando Garcia said. “Traditionally, football coaches like an eight-team district. Scheduling-wise, it just works out.”

Southwest had expected to stay in Class 5A because it missed the fall deadline to petition to move up. But once Garcia saw Monday that 32-5A had expanded by one school to nine teams, the thought of appealing to move up crossed his mind.

“(The UIL) threw a wrench in this whole thing,” Garcia said. “Curve ball. Immediately when I saw it, my thinking was to go feel 32-5A out, and even a few guys from them came to me saying they’d let us go. Seeing nine teams just gave it the go.”

District 32-5A athletic coordinators agreed that an eight-team district is ideal. A nine-team district means one less non-district game and one more team competing for four playoff spots.

“It evens up everything, and it means more possibilities for our teams in terms of making the playoffs and having more teams in the playoff picture,” Donna ISD athletic director Manny Moreno said. “We were willing to grant it.”

Southwest’s appeal would place it in District 31-6A with its sister schools, and the four Edinburg schools —Vela, Edinburg High, Edinburg North and Economedes.

To appeal, Southwest needs unanimous approval from 32-5A and 31-6A members, which it received verbally from both districts Monday. It will also need approval from the UIL.

Garcia said he expects to get formal approval in meetings with 32-5A and 31-6A coordinators Tuesday, and plans to formally appeal to the UIL on Wednesday afternoon. Garcia has until Feb. 11 to appeal to move up.

“Hopefully there are no bumps in the road when we get to the UIL part, but I’m guessing they’ll give us the green light knowing that everybody else is in agreement,” Garcia said.

Added Moreno: “Unless something changes overnight, I think it should be a given they’ll go up.”

Meanwhile, the district Southwest was expected to join — 31-5A — finds itself in a surprising situation with the Laredo schools jumping on board, but one it can’t control.

Another realignment, another shocking turn of events.

“Every time there’s a realignment, there’s some surprises,” Sharyland High athletic coordinator Ron Adame said. “This year, that’s one of them. It’s something we had anticipated happening, but it’s beyond our control and we’ll go with it. We just have to be ready to travel.”

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The University Interscholastic League, the governing body for high school athletics in Texas, released its 2016-18 Reclassification and Realignment this morning.

As expected, Edinburg Vela and PSJA High moved up a class to 6A, and two Brownsville schools – Veterans Memorial and Lopez – dropped a class to 5A.

The two Weslaco schools, Weslaco High and Weslaco East, are moving to District 32-6A with Brownsville Hanna, Brownsville Rivera, Los Fresnos, Harlingen High, Harlingen South and San Benito.

But the big surprise came in Class 5A, where 31-5A now consists of three Laredo schools – Cigarroa, Martin and Nixon. They join Sharyland High, Sharyland Pioneer, Rio Grande City, Roma, Valley View and Mission Veterans Memorial.

In 32-5A, Brownsville Lopez and Brownsville Veterans Memorial joins sister schools Brownsville Pace and Brownsville Porter, along with Edcouch-Elsa, Mercedes, Donna High, Donna North and PSJA Southwest.

However, it all opens the door for PSJA Southwest, which thought it was headed to District 31-5A but remained realigned in 32-5A, to appeal to move up to Class 6A.

Southwest had expected to stay in Class 5A because it missed the fall deadline to petition to move up. But once PSJA ISD athletic director Orlando Garcia saw 32-5A had expanded by one school to nine teams, his eyebrows raised and the thought of appealing to move up crossed his mind.

“They threw a wrench in this whole thing,” Garcia said. “Curve ball. Immediately when I saw it, my thinking was to go feel 32-5A out, and even a couple of guys from them came to me saying they’d let us go. Seeing nine teams just gave it the go.”

District 32-5A athletic coordinators agreed that an eight-team district is ideal. A nine-team district means one less non-district game and one more team competing for four playoff spots.

On Monday, Southwest had received unanimous verbal approval from 32-5A athletic coordinators to leave to District 31-6A, where it would join sister schools PSJA North, PSJA High and PSJA Memorial. District 31-6A coordinators also gave unanimous approval to accept Southwest.

Now Southwest awaits UIL approval before formally moving up in class.

Here are the reclassifications for 2016-18 for Rio Grande Valley Class 6A and Class 5A schools.

District 30-6A: La Joya High, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, La Joya Palmview, McAllen High, McAllen Memorial, McAllen Rowe, Mission High.

District 31-6A: Edinburg Economedes, Edinburg High, Edinburg North, Edinburg Vela, PSJA High, PSJA Memorial, PSJA North.

District 32-6A: Brownsville Hanna, Brownsville Rivera, Los Fresnos, Harlingen High, Harlingen South, San Benito, Weslaco East, Weslaco High.

District 31-5A: Laredo Cigarroa, Laredo Martin, Laredo Nixon, Sharyland High, Mission Veterans Memorial, Valley View, Rio Grande City, Roma, Sharyland Pioneer.

District 32-5A: Brownsville Lopez, Brownsville Pace, Brownsville Porter, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Donna High, Donna North, Mercedes, PSJA Southwest.

District 16-4A, DI: Hidalgo, Kingsville King, La Feria, Grulla, Zapata.

District 16-4A, DII: C.C. West Oso, Orange Grove, Port Isabel, Progreso, Raymondville, Rio Hondo.

BY GREG LUCA AND DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITERS

When the UIL releases its 2016-18 Reclassification and Realignment at 9 a.m. Monday, Edinburg Vela and PSJA High will move up to Class 6A, pushing Weslaco High and Weslaco East into a highly competitive lower-Valley district.

Most realignment projections include a new District 31-6A featuring three PSJA schools (PSJA High, PSJA Memorial and PSJA North) and the four Edinburg schools (Edinburg Vela, Edinburg High, Edinburg North and Edinburg Economedes). That could potentially force Weslaco High and Weslaco East into District 32-6A, with Brownsville Hanna, Brownsville Rivera, Harlingen High, Harlingen South, Los Fresnos and San Benito.

“There’s no other way that I could figure it out,” Weslaco East athletic coordinator Mike Burget said.

Five of those teams were in the playoffs last season, and four of them won at least one playoff game. East will likely have the smallest enrollment in the district, reporting more than 600 fewer students than San Benito, Harlingen High and Los Fresnos at the last realignment.

“It’s going to be a dogfight every week,” Burget said. “We’ve made the playoffs nine straight years here at East. That’s going to be tested next year, big time.”

With Vela reporting an enrollment number of 2,215 and PSJA High reporting an enrollment of 2,205, both land above the 2,150 cutoff to enter Class 6A. Logistically, each seems to be a fit in District 31-6A, alongside sister schools of the same classification.

“We anticipated that once we turned in our snapshot numbers that we’ll move up to 6A,” Edinburg Vela athletic coordinator Michael Salinas told The Monitor in November. “Most coaches (for other sports on campus) anticipated it. We’ll be back at that level. We’ll be with some familiar opponents. I think it will be good for us either way.”

District 30-6A likely stays unchanged, with McAllen Memorial, McAllen High, McAllen Rowe, Mission High, La Joya High, La Joya Palmview and La Joya Juarez-Lincoln remaining together.

Aside from Vela departing its fields and courts, Rio Grande Valley’s Class 5A could see another significant change.

PSJA Southwest did not petition to move up to Class 6A to join sister schools PSJA North, PSJA Memorial and PSJA High, but it still could appeal to do so after Monday’s realignment.

“We don’t know how we’re going to play our cards yet,” PSJA ISD athletic director Orlando Garcia said. “It’s a difficult situation because we would be (appealing) so late. The most logical thing would be to move up the next realignment (in 2018).”

The one way PSJA Southwest would appeal, Garcia said, would be if given the green light by District 31-5A athletic coordinators. Projections have PSJA Southwest moving from 32-5A to 31-5A with two Brownsville schools, Veterans Memorial and Lopez, dropping from 6A to 5A. A new 31-5A is projected to consist of Southwest, Sharyland High, Sharyland Pioneer, Rio Grande City, Roma, Valley View and Mission Veterans Memorial.

If 31-5A athletic coordinators find a fifth non-district game and give Southwest the green light to appeal for a move to Class 6A, Garcia will do so. But if they can’t, Southwest will have no choice but to stay.

An appeal would need approval from the UIL and unanimous approval from 31-5A members. One 31-5A coordinator said he would not grant approval for Southwest to leave for 6A so late in the process. The coordinator wished to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Garcia could have petitioned to move up a class, with no consequences, up until schools submitted snapshot enrollment numbers in November. But the deadline came and went before PSJA ISD decided anything.

“Moving up was something we talked about and really should have considered more,” Garcia said. “I called the UIL and they said if we didn’t do it at the onset, we would have to do it after the fact. And doing it after the fact puts people in a hole.”

PSJA Southwest reported a snapshot number of 2,075 in October, leaving it just outside of qualifying for Class 6A. Thursday, the UIL released 5A conference cutoffs at 2,149.

Garcia said the reason for moving up Southwest would be to keep it in the same class as sister schools PSJA Memorial, PSJA North and PSJA High.