DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — Almost any other year, the 7-on-7 football season would be irrelevant for Edcouch-Elsa. Nothing more than a chance to get some reps, stay in shape and somewhat of a jump on fall camp in August.

But change has graced the Yellowjackets since Gene Garza, head coach at La Villa from 2007-2011 and an assistant coach at Edcouch-Elsa for five years prior to that, was brought on board as the new offensive coordinator in February. For the first time in awhile, Edcouch-Elsa bypassed spring ball, meaning this 7-on-7 season is the first chance for players to acquaint themselves with a more open, pass-friendly offensive style of play.

“We want the offense to be faster, quicker. We want pace,” 7-on-7 coach Victor Urbina said. “When we’re done with one play, our minds should be focused on the next play already. Speed is what we want.”

So far, the Yellowjackets are seeing the benefit of the new look. They are one of four Rio Grande Valley programs, along with Hidalgo, Mission Veterans Memorial and La Feria, competing in the 64-team state tournament that begins Thursday in College Station.

Edcouch-Elsa is in Division I Pool B with Cedar Hill, College Station and Cy-Falls. The Yellowjackets begin Friday with Cy Falls at 1 p.m., College Station at 3 p.m., and Cedar Hill at 5 p.m.

“The way we play together is a big thing,” junior quarterback Marco Aguinaga said. “We’ve played so much together now that we’re beginning to really make progress. Now we’re seeing the results.”

The Yellowjackets have historically employed a conservative offense. The last couple of seasons, they have worked out of a spread alignment but run the ball out of it more often than not. Sixty-six percent of Edcouch-Elsa’s total yards came via the run last season.

But with an assortment of quick, elusive players — like Aguinaga, and seniors Tey Valdez and Andrew Segura, among others — head coach Joe Marichalar’s directive during the offseason was implementing more juice into his team’s attack.

“Coach (Marichalar) believes this is one of the fastest teams we’re going to ever have here at Edcouch-Elsa, and we want things to open up,” Aguinaga said. “Speed has been a big difference.”

The new offense has even allowed the Yellowjackets to find unheralded talent. Guys like junior J.J. Flores and senior Adrian Rodriguez have emerged as potential key contributors after playing modest roles last season.

Success in 7-on-7 is hardly a barometer of how well a team will do during the regular season, but the opportunity to refine timing and coordination between quarterback and receiver is essential for a passing offense that relies upon that relationship. That’s where 7-on-7 comes into play.

“There are different routes. There’s more passing,” Aguinaga said. “We’re going to work the short game more and more, and especially in 7-on-7 that’s giving us a chance to see something that will translate to the real season.”

“The offense looks a lot smarter,” added senior middle linebacker Sammy Alaniz. “There’s a lot more movement and misdirection. They can give it to any guy who will make a play. It makes the defense think, and as a defensive player it keeps you on your toes.”

The top two teams in each pool at the state tournament advance to the championship round on Saturday morning, while the remaining two teams go into a consolation bracket. Each division’s championship game will be played at 4 p.m. Saturday.

“We’re excited,” Alaniz said. “This is the first time we’re going (to state 7-on-7) as a varsity team, but we’re not just happy being there. We want to win our pool and try and make it to the championship.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

J.J. Avila talks often about seizing opportunities whenever you can get them. So far, he’s done exactly that.

The McAllen native and former McAllen High standout learned late Wednesday afternoon he made the roster for the Houston Rockets’ summer league team that will play in the 24-team Las Vegas tournament beginning Friday. After not being picked in June’s NBA Draft, Avila was invited last week for a try-out to the Rockets’ summer camp and played well enough to make the team.

“It’s amazing to get another opportunity,” Avila said during a phone interview Wednesday night. “I’m happy. I’m excited. I’ve just been trying to make the most of the opportunities I have, and now this is the biggest one I’ve had in quite a long time. I’m ready to make the most of it again.”

Avila, 24, was one of four try-out players competing for a couple of spots in Rockets camp, which started Monday. The Rockets have held four practices since then and will have one more today before leaving for Las Vegas.

A Rockets summer league coach texted Avila about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday congratulating him about making the roster.

“I just tried to play hard,” Avila said. “Their offense and the defense are good for me. They’re almost the same as what I was doing in college the last two years. I just wanted to show what I can do.”

Defensively, Avila said the Rockets’ rotations, help-side defense and the way they defend the post were similar to how he played at Colorado State the last two years. Offensively, Houston is known for its open offensive versatility. The Rockets want players who can play multiple positions. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Avila said he played small forward, power forward and center during camp this week.

“I know I’m not going to get a lot of shot attempts, and that’s fine,” Avila said. “Every time a shot goes up, I just go get it. I’m getting steals, I’m getting offensive rebounds. I’m playing hard on defense, causing turnovers. I want to do the little stuff to help the team.”

The Rockets’ summer league roster includes second-year players Clint Capela and Nick Johnson, each of whom saw considerable time with D-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley last season, and rookies Sam Dekker (Wisconsin) and Montrezl Harrell (Louisville). Forward Christian Wood, out of UNLV, is also on the team and was one of the more notable players that went unselected during June’s draft.

“The team we have is really good,” Avila said. “The way we play, a lot of guys could see some time. Hopefully I can play a lot, but if not I’ll help my teammates by being a coach on the floor and doing whatever I can do. This is the highest level you can get to and I’m ready for it.”

The Rockets begin summer league play at 9 p.m. Friday against the D-League Select Team. They play again at 3:30 p.m. Sunday against Phoenix and 9 p.m. Monday against Toronto.

Games are scheduled to be broadcast on NBA TV and can be followed at nba.com.

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

HIDALGO – Before he started high school at Hidalgo four years ago, Oscar Noguera’s family moved to the United States from Mexico.

They wanted to get away from the violence plaguing Reynosa, Tamaulipas. They were desperate for more opportunity.

“It was humbling. It was very different, a big change,” said Noguera, whose father still works in Reynosa while his mother takes care of the family in Hidalgo. “I knew it was going to be hard, so I worked hard at it. I came all this way to become someone. I never lost sight of that. So no matter how hard the language was, the classes were, I worked to become who I want to be.”

It was a move that paid off. After not playing his freshman year following his transfer because of UIL rules, Noguera won just two games as a sophomore before eventually working his way into the role of the ace for the Pirates, leading the program to consecutive trips to the Elite 8.

Noguera was a Class 4A All-State selection this year, going 13-2 with a 1.11 ERA and 137 strikeouts to 22 walks, allowing just 15 earned runs in 90.2 innings. Because of his success, the senior is RGVSports.com’s 2015 All-Valley Player of the Year.

His coach, Karlos Carrasco, is RGVSports.com’s 2015 All-Valley Coach of the Year, with his team the last Rio Grande Valley baseball program standing for the third consecutive year.

The two are intertwined. You can’t talk about Noguera’s success without recognizing Carrasco, and vice versa.

“He was unhittable this year, and it’s incredible,” Carrasco said. “Going from having just 16 strikeouts his sophomore year to 137 this year … it just doesn’t happen overnight. It’s from all the battles, all his work and everything he went through.”

Noguera’s first year on varsity was his sophomore year, which also happened to be Carrasco’s first as a head coach.

Carrasco helped Noguera adapt to a new culture and way of life in a new country. On the field, he brought him along slowly, always one to protect his pitchers from a game that can be mentally abusive.

“It was very good that we started at the same time,” Noguera said. “We were able to develop good chemistry and a good relationship.”

Carrasco was the hometown kid living the dream, guiding the same team he used to play for on the same field he used to play on. Noguera was quiet, observant. He watched everything and everyone, on and off the field, so he could learn quickly.

Fast forward two years after that sophomore season, and Noguera looks nothing like the young man he was then.

This season, he was dominant. His best pitch is a slider and he can throw all pitches for strikes. The most important thing, however, is he never got down on himself. Not during the rough start to his baseball career. Not during his junior season, tasked with leading a team of which he was the only returning starter. And certainly not this season, when Hidalgo made Valley history by becoming the first program in any sport to be ranked No. 1 in the state in the preseason.

“The most improvement for me came in my responsibility,” Noguera said. “I came into my junior year knowing I was going to be the ace pitcher. You have to prepare harder than you ever did before. What I proved the most is I got better every day.”

Carrasco got better as well. He learned to relax and trust the team, he said.

The Pirates fought through the bull’s-eye of facing high expectations and injuries to three pitchers during district play. They still came out of it co-district champions and with another trip to the Elite 8, falling a game shy of state.

Now Noguera is off to be an infielder/relief pitcher at Ranger College, with the hopes of landing at Texas A&M-Kingsville or Texas A&M-Corpus Christi after his two years are up at the community college. Carrasco, meanwhile, has to start over, but at least with a program of standard he and Noguera helped create.

The duo was responsible for 81 wins over the last three years.

“My challenge coming into this next year is re-teaching kids how to battle,” Carrasco said. “We’re going to be young and it’ll be a building year. Oscar’s group left some high expectations, and I thank him.

“He took this program to a level this program’s never been. Hopefully, this sets the foundation.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Edinburg High coach Robert Valdez unleashed John Gonzalez in 2015.

The previous two years, Valdez had used his hard-throwing right-hander sparingly, primarily as a closer. But this season, with the Bobcats looking to break a string of early ousters in the playoffs, Valdez turned to the Texas Tech verbal commit, and Gonzalez responded.

Gonzalez went 9-1 with a 0.11 ERA in helping lead the Bobcats to the Class 6A regional semifinals for the first time since 1956. Gonzalez had 110 strikeouts to just 30 walks in 63 innings in working his way to becoming RGVSports.com’s 2015 All-Valley Pitcher of the Year.

It’s no coincidence that the Bobcats broke out right when Gonzalez did. Gonzalez threw just 16 innings as a sophomore in 2014 and 10 in 2013.

“This season, I accepted a bigger role,” Gonzalez said. “I was getting stronger and stronger and I just pushed through this season. It got tough there at the end as we started seeing tougher teams, but I adjusted.”

Gonzalez said opponents started catching up to a fastball that hits the low 90’s. So he started going more to a changeup and letting his defense work, nuances of smart pitching he developed under Valdez and pitching coach David Kaz the previous two years.

Valdez took precious care of Gonzalez his first two years, refining everything from arm angle to arm speed. This year, Gonzalez was ready to let loose.

“It’s a great thing,” Gonzalez said. “Growing up, you dream of seasons like this. This year was amazing. It was fun, and it’s fun knowing I can only get better.”

While playing for the Houston Banditos travel team this summer, Gonzalez is working to improve his changeup and is re-introducing a slider he had abandoned but had been a key weapon for him as a youngster.

“Improve the fastball, hit earlier in counts, work on the off-speed stuff,” Gonzalez said. “I want to be ready for anything.”

ROWE’S GARCIA IS ALL-VALLEY NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Abanny Garcia was surprised when McAllen Rowe coach Angel Perez told him he had made the varsity team as a freshman. But Perez saw in Garcia early on what the RGV baseball world would see for itself.

Garcia emerged as an all-around standout for the Warriors, going 6-1 with a 1.49 ERA and 44 strikeouts to 11 walks as a right-handed pitcher, while hitting .457 with a .530 on-base percentage and .527 slugging percentage. He helped catapult a young Rowe team into the postseason in a competitive District 30-6A.

For that, Garcia is RGVSports.com’s 2015 All-Valley Newcomer of the Year.

“How I’ve always thought about baseball is I just want to play wherever I can be used,” Garcia said. “But pitching is where I was always ahead.”

Growing up, Garcia had a wall in his house with a square on it. He would often throw the baseball from distance, attempting to hit anywhere within the square. He taught himself at an early age that baseball was not necessarily about throwing the hardest, but about hitting spots consistently.

It’s why Garcia’s strength is his location, something that can elude even the most seasoned of pitchers. Not bad for a young man who never took pitching lessons and pretty much featured only a fastball and a curveball during his inaugural campaign.

Offensively, Garcia sees the ball well and is patient in his approach.

“I just kept working,” Garcia said. “Outside pitches used to kill me, and I got better and now I can get to them. I’ve just got to keep working and keep getting better. I want to throw harder. I want to add a changeup. There’s a lot of stuff that can still be done.”

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The RGVSports.com 2015 All-Valley baseball team.

SUPERLATIVES

Player of the Year: Hidalgo senior Oscar Noguera (13-2, 1.16 ERA, 137 Ks/22 BBs, 15 earned runs in 90.2 IP)

Pitcher of the Year: Edinburg High junior John Gonzalez (9-1, 0.11 ERA, 4 shutouts, 7 complete games, 110 Ks/30 BBs, 63 IP, Texas Tech verbal commit)

Newcomer of the Year: McAllen Rowe freshman Abanny Garcia (.457, .530 on-base percentage, .527 slugging percentage; 6-1, 1.49 ERA, 44 Ks/11 BBs)

Coach of the Year: Karlos Carrasco, Hidalgo (25-6-1 overall record, Elite 8 finalist, won 3rd straight district title)

FIRST TEAM

Pitcher: Mission Vets Memorial sophomore Noel Vela (11-2, 1.60 ERA, 141 Ks/46 BBs, 83.1 IP)

Catcher: La Joya Palmview senior Jose Hinojosa (.478, 23 RBIs, 1 HR, .523 on-base percentage, .608 slugging)

First Base: Hidalgo junior Mike Alvarez (.562, 28 RBIs, 3 Ks/8BBs, .588 on-base percentage, .697 slugging)

Second Base: Brownsville Vets Memorial senior Javier Pena (.383, 31 hits, 7 2Bs, 28 runs, 8 RBIs, 4 Ks, .462 on-base, .568 slugging)

Third Base: Mission Vets senior Edward Pena (.391, 36 RBIs, 11 2Bs, 10 Ks/20 BBs, .492 on-base percentage, .554 slugging)

Shortstop; Sharyland High senior Mario Vela (.500, 19 RBIs, 3 3Bs, 34 stolen bases)

Outfield: Weslaco High senior Ulises Hernandez (.423, 16 RBIs, 24 runs, .434 on-base percentage, .526 slugging)

Outfield: La Joya Palmview senior Jose Chapa (.507, 27 RBIs, 4 HRs, .552 on-base percentage, .873 slugging)

Outfield: Edinburg North senior Michael Cantu (,420 average, 16 RBIs, .535 on-base percentage, .521 slugging)

Designated Hitter: La Joya High junior Anibal Leal (.507, 26 RBIs, 2 HRs,.547 on-base percentage, .746 slugging)

SECOND TEAM

Pitcher: Brownsville Veterans Memorial junior Fred Villarreal (8-0, 2 saves, 49 IP, 5 ER, 0.71 ERA, 81 Ks)

Catcher: PSJA High senior Christian Sanchez (.472, 12 RBIs, 2 HRs, 19 BBs/7 Ks, .636 on-base percentage, .811 slugging)

First Base: Edinburg Vela senior John Trevino (.400, 17 RBIs, 6 2Bs, 4 HRs, .542 on-base percentage, .800 slugging)

Second Base: Brownsville Hanna senior Roy Sauceda (.444, .535 on-base percentage, .639 slugging, 9 RBIs, 13 runs)

Third Base: Brownsville Vets Memorial senior Noel Solis (.385, .432 on-base, .508 slugging, 25 hits, 15 RBIs, 10 runs)

Shortstop: Brownsville Vets Memorial David Anaya (.421, .468 on-base, .658 slugging, 25 RBIs, 23 runs, 32 hits, 4 homers)

Outfield: Brownsville Porter sophomore Felix Ledesma (432, 20 RBIs, 15 runs, .532 on-base percentage, .636 slugging)

Outfield: Hidalgo junior Danny Espinoza (.406 average, 17 RBIs, 24 runs scored, .531 slugging)

Outfield: Mission Veterans Memorial senior Ruben Cavazos (.408 average, 16 RBIs, 31 runs scored, .504 on-base percentage)

Designated Hitter: McAllen Rowe senior Robbie Partida (.429, 4 HRs, .481 on-base percentage, .789 slugging)

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

The first stop in J.J. Avila’s professional basketball career will be Houston.

After not being selected in last week’s NBA Draft, the McAllen native and 6-foot-7, 240-pound forward will be in summer camp next week with the Houston Rockets to compete for a spot on the Rockets’ summer league team later this month.

Houston was one of five NBA teams Avila worked out for prior to the draft. It was reported the Rockets were impressed by Avila’s versatile skill set. Avila will be competing for one of the last few spots on the Rockets’ summer league team that will play in Las Vegas on July 10-20.

Avila also had an invitation for a guaranteed spot with the San Antonio Spurs’ summer league team in Salt Lake that begins July 6, but agent Adam Godes chose the Rockets because of the bigger Las Vegas tourney, which consists of 24 teams compared to four for Salt Lake.

“If I impress and do what I need to do to make the roster, more eyes will be on me in Vegas,” Avila said during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.

Since Thursday’s draft, Avila said it’s been “a waiting game.” Avila was not among the 60 players chosen in the two-round draft, but it didn’t take long for the Rockets to express their interest.

Houston offered Avila a tryout spot on Saturday, and it became official Tuesday. Avila will fly out to Houston on Sunday for a mini-camp that begins Monday.

“I didn’t get the news I wanted (at the draft), but I’m ready to go and earn a spot, do what I can,” Avila said. “I’m excited. I’ve been working hard. Even since I last worked out with the Rockets (in early June), they’re going to see a different guy. I’m ready to show what I can do and hopefully I get a chance.

“I have all the confidence in the world that I can do it and I have the ability to do it.”

While the opportunity likely has little bearing on Avila’s chance to make the Rockets, who have plenty of veteran depth at the forward spot, it will be a shot for him to audition in front of other NBA teams or attract Houston enough to earn a spot with NBA D-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley.

Avila was a first team All-Mountain West performer for Colorado State in his senior season last year, averaging 16.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He graduated from McAllen High in 2010 as the program’s all-time scoring leader with 2,865 points.

FAST BREAKS: Others joining Avila as tryout players for the Rockets’ summer league team include former University of Houston standout Aubrey Coleman, former University of Florida standout Chris Walker and Jarvis Threatt, who played 36 games last season for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. … The Rockets’ summer league roster includes former Vipers Glen Rice Jr. and Jaron Johnson, both of whom played in RGV last season. Center Clint Capela and guard Nick Johnson, both of whom spent a considerable amount of time with the Vipers as rookies last season, will also participate, as well as forwards Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell, the Rockets’ two picks in last week’s draft.

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Seven Rio Grande Valley high school baseball players were named to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State first team earlier this week.

Sharyland High’s Rolando Moreno (first base) and Mario Vela (shortstop), Hidalgo’s Oscar Noguera (pitcher) and Dylan Dougherty (second base), PSJA High’s Christian Sanchez (first base), Mission Veterans Memorial’s Edward Peña (third base) and La Feria’s Ozzy Cisneros (second base) were named by the organization as first-teamers.

Coaches around the state nominate kids to the team, and the organization’s committee selects the honorees. In all, 21 Valley players were named to the teams.

Moreno hit .446 with 15 RBIs and six doubles for Sharyland this season. Vela lead Class 5A in stolen bases (34) and hit .500 with 19 RBIs. Noguera went 13-2 with a 1.16 ERA and 137 strikeouts to 22 walks, and teammate Dougherty hit .396 with 31 RBIs and two homers. Sanchez hit .472 with 12 RBIs and two homers, and Peña, a University of Texas Rio Grande Valley commit, hit .391 with 36 RBIs and 11 doubles.

On the Class 6A team, the Valley was represented by La Joya High junior Anibal Garcia (second-team first base), Edinburg North junior Saul Garza (third-team catcher), Edinburg High junior John Gonzalez (third-team third base), and La Joya Palmview sophomore Leo Perez (third-team pitcher), junior Esteban Pena (third-team shortstop) and senior Eleazar Garcia (third-team third base).

Mission Vets and Sharyland High dominated selections in Class 5A. Aside from Moreno and Vela, the Rattlers named senior Nick Benavidez (second-team catcher) and senior David Becerra (third-team third base) to the All-State team. Mission Vets also had sophomore Noel Vela (second-team pitcher) and sophomore Matthew De La Garza (second-team second base) along with Peña. PSJA High senior Kike Rubio was named as a third-team shortstop and Brownsville Porter senior Jose Perez was recognized as a third-team pitcher.

In Class 4A, Hidalgo also had junior Mike Alvarez named as an All-Stater, as a second-team third baseman. Rio Hondo sophomore Trey Zepeda was named as a second-team second baseman.

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

The search for 1,000 is back on.

The Edcouch-Elsa ISD school board approved the hire of Robert Capello as Edcouch-Elsa boys basketball coach on Wednesday night, allowing the veteran leader to return to his alma mater for his second coaching stint at the school in search of career win No. 1,000.

Capello has a career record of 982-475 (.674 winning percentage). Capello coached from 1965-2012, the last 30-plus years of that tenure at Edcouch-Elsa. He made the playoffs in 20 of his last 25 years.

When he left coaching in 2012 “because going in another direction was the right thing to do,” he said, Capello ranked 14th in all-time career victories in the National Federation of State High School Associations record book.

If Capello is to notch win No. 1,000, it could come in the same Edcouch-Elsa gym that has bared his name — “Robert M. Capello Sr. Gymnasium” — since May 2005.

“Really, I’m not so interested in records,” Capello said. “I’m more concerned with helping kids realize their potential in sports. I have a lot of patience and I love the game and I have a passion for it. I would like to coach a few more years if possible.

“If (win No. 1,000) happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, I’m not going to make a big deal about it. I’m just so happy the school board gave me this opportunity to come back.”

Capello has built his stellar career with teams that emphasize outside shooting and man-to-man defense. Having learned under Hall of Fame coaches like John Wooden, Bobby Knight, Dale Brown and Nolan Richardson, among others, Capello said he will stress fundamentals, conditioning and teamwork in more of an “advisor/counselor” role as coach.

“I don’t think the game has changed any,” Capello said. “The attitudes of parents and student-athletes have. But the game itself is simple. You take the round ball and put it in the basket in the easiest way possible.”

Capello, 75, is a Lasara native who was a football and basketball star for the Yellowjackets during his high school days. He has coached at Mission High, Lyford and Donna High in the Valley, and also had coaching stays at Barbers Hill, Uvalde and Port Arthur.

Capello was recommended to the school board by Edcouch-Elsa athletic director Christian Navarro, who was looking for a coach after Rick Treviño left for the same job in Mercedes late last month.

“I wanted to give the man his due respect and finish out his career the way it should,” Navarro said. “Get those 1,000 wins. The tradition he brings back, I’m looking for nothing less than a district championship.

“When Rick decided to take the job in Mercedes, I couldn’t counter what he was being offered over there. I decided to give Coach Capello a shot. The man is basketball in this era. He’s won so much and he has the respect of the community.”

The school board also approved the hire of Daniel Richardson as girls basketball coach. Richardson, a 2012 graduate of UTPA and former standout at Edinburg Economedes High, spent last season as an assistant coach under Homer Garr for the Rio Grande City boys basketball team.

“He brings a lot of energy and passion,” Navarro said. “He brought us the best opportunity to continue the trend of moving kids to the college level.”

Richardson said he learned time management and structure under Garr. Richardson’s expertise lies in basketball training. He owns a training facility with his brother in Pharr and has worked with athletes from the high school level to the pros for the last eight years.

“I got to play against Edcouch-Elsa in high school,” said Richardson, who will build his teams around speed and defense. “I know they’re big on tradition. I want to be a part of that.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Kassandra Rocha was set to go to Kansas.

The multi-sport Roma senior standout had been offered to go play volleyball at McPherson College, and Rocha had accepted, willing to go more than 900 miles from home to continue her athletic career.

That is, until last Wednesday, when Rocha received a call from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley track and field coach Xavier Richardson, who offered Rocha a full athletic scholarship to the NCAA Division I program.

“I quickly changed my mind,” Rocha said. “It’s close by, it’s home and they’re paying for everything. I have no idea what brought them on, I just got the call and they asked if I wanted to join. I was pretty excited.”

Rocha is the third student-athlete from Roma to sign with a NCAA DI program. She will compete in the triple jump.

“Roma is never put out there, and it’s disappointing to me,” Rocha said. “There are a lot of great athletes at Roma. Going to UTRGV, I’m hoping to put Roma’s name out there.”

Rocha was a star for the Gladiators, excelling in volleyball, basketball, soccer — all of which she helped lead to the area round of the playoffs — and track and field. She capped her high school career by qualifying for the UIL Class 5A state meet in the triple jump.

Rocha competed in five events for coach Omar Mireles’ girls program: the 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400 relays, and the triple and long jumps.

“I was always apologizing to her because she was running a lot of events for us,” Mireles said. “But that’s the type of athlete she is. You want to put her everywhere.

“For a person that has a lot of talent, she strives for more and more. She doesn’t rely on it. She’s always doing more to complement her talent.”

Rocha thrived at Roma despite an inauspicious start. After dominating her events in middle school, Rocha said “she wasn’t great” in beginning as a Gladiator.

“It was just different competition, and she wasn’t used to losing,” Mireles said. “What she came to understand is everything will have its time and place. She became a student of the sport.

“When she started, she just wanted to go out there and run and jump. But then she started studying the sport and now she always has a game plan when she competes.”

Rocha will be going through a similar situation at UTRGV. Once again, the competition will be faster and stronger than what she’s used to.

But she’s also ready for it.

“Coming from middle school as one of the best, and then you come and see these girls that are faster, stronger, it was shocking and scary,” Rocha said. “But they taught me a lot. They just pushed me harder. It was different. Now I’m prepared for the same going to college, but now I’ll be able to specialize on this one event in this one sport. I’ll be able to learn quicker.”

Being able to put all her time and energy into one sport, let alone one event, is a relief for Rocha, who found herself competing from August through May, and sometimes in two sports at once, during high school.

Being involved in many sports was her mother Lorraine’s idea to keep her kids off the streets.

“From a very early age, my husband and I decided that academics, sports, music … anything to keep them occupied was what we were going for,” Lorraine said. “My husband and I came from humble beginnings, so we never had the opportunity to be involved with extracurricular activities. Our kids are able to by sacrifices or donations from family, and it was our goal to keep them involved in sports.

“The important thing was, to compete in extracurricular activities, you have to pass. You have to have good grades.”

Rocha will major in geology and minor in math at UTRGV. Mireles said the Vaqueros are getting a “fighter,” which is what he called Rocha as the second leg of his relay teams.

The first runner got the lead, Rocha fought to keep it, the third extended it and the anchor finished it off.

“Kassy is a coach’s dream,” Mireles said. “I know she was always going to come through, regardless of the situation.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Three Rio Grande Valley high school baseball players will participate in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State All-Star game later this month, while many other Valley kids will be playing in the RGV All-Star game in La Joya.

Mission Veterans Memorial’s Edward Peña and Sharyland High’s Mario Vela will play for the THSBCA South all-stars in the Class 5A-6A All-Star Game at noon on June 21. Hidalgo’s Oscar Noguera will play for the South all-stars in the Class 2A-3A-4A All-Star Game at noon on June 20.

Both games are at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

“It’s amazing to be a part of,” Noguera said. “Every one of us going has a chance to represent the Valley, our cities and our school. It’s a blessing to be named to a team like this. It’s an honor.”

Noguera went 13-2 this season with a 1.11 ERA as the ace of a Pirates team that finished in the Class 4A Elite 8. Peña, a UTRGV commit, hit .391 with 36 RBIs and two triples for a Patriots team that went to the Class 5A regional semifinals. Vela led Class 5A in stolen bases with 34 and hit .500 with 19 RBIs.

For the RGV game, 6 p.m. on June 27 at La Joya ISD Complex, Mission Veterans Memorial’s Casey Smith and Edinburg High’s Robert Valdez will coach the West. Brownsville Porter’s Bart Bickerton will lead the East. The game is for senior baseball players.

Mission Vets and Edinburg High had the most selections named to the West team with three apiece. Brownsville Porter had the most selections named to the East, with four. San Benito had three.

RGV WEST ALL-STARS

Justin Gonzalez, McAllen High

Enrique Alaniz, PSJA North

Jaime Alvarado, Edinburg High

Mackie Castillo, Edinburg High

Luis Ortega, Edinburg High

Damian Leal, La Joya High

Jose Chapa, La Joya Palmview

Ernesto Garza, La Joya Palmview

Steve Lopez, Zapata

Juan Carreon, McAllen Memorial

Eddie Tamez, Mission High

Christian Sanchez, PSJA High

Kike Rubio, PSJA High

Robby Partida, McAllen Rowe

Oscar Noguera, Hidalgo

Alex Canul, Edinburg North

Michael Cantu, Edinburg North

Jason Gorena, Rio Grande City

Alexis Sanchez, Valley View

Arnie Salinas, Edinburg Vela

Troy Trevino, Edinburg Vela

Edward Pena, Mission Veterans Memorial

Ramiro Hernandez, Sharyland Pioneer

Joey Gonzalez, Edinburg Economedes

Alfredo Garza, Roma

David Becerra, Sharyland High

Mario Vela, Sharyland High

David de los Santos, Mission Veterans Memorial

Ruben Cavazos, Mission Veterans Memorial

Dorian Cerda, Grulla

Sergio Esparza, PSJA Memorial

RGV EAST ALL-STARS

John Ross, Brownsville Porter

Chris Padilla, San Benito

Roy Sauceda, Brownsville Hanna

Javier Pena, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Mario Andrade, Brownsville Pace

Matt Mendoza, Mercedes

Daniel Anciso, Harlingen High

Miguel De Leon, Brownsville Porter

Matt Rosales, Weslaco High

Jake Martinez, Harlingen South

Keegan Danielson, Los Fresnos

Victor Gaitan, San Benito

Isaac Sanchez, San Benito

Andy Cruz, Lyford

Henry Luna, Mercedes

Christopher Diaz, Harlingen High

Jacob Atkinson, Harlingen South

Brian Holt, La Feria

Jose Perez, Brownsville Porter

Luis Acosta, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Freddy Barrera, Weslaco High

Chris Munoz, Brownsville Porter

Robby Tamez, La Feria

Jacob Arroyo, Weslaco East (alternate)

Raul Quintero, Edcouch-Elsa (alternate)