BY TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

ALAMO — PSJA Memorial sophomore Derek Barrios started summer track about four years ago. He remembers watching the pole vaulters while he was running around the oval and thinking, “Whoa, I’d like to try that.”

So he did. And he was good at it. Then, he talked his sister Victoria, now a PSJA Memorial senior, into trying the event when she was a freshman.

“He said, ‘You know what, we should do this together,’” Victoria said. “So I did it my freshman year. I came out and did a jump. And it was so scary, but also so exciting. And then he came out to see me, and he said, ‘You got it, sis.’ And I said, ‘I know I got it.’”

Now, both of them have it.

Today’s 31-6A and 32-6A Area track meet at PSJA Stadium will mark the third straight area meet for Victoria, a 5-foot-1 senior who set a new district record with a 10-foot, 9-inch vault two weeks ago.

Sophomore Derek, the gold medalist at the Meet of Champions, will make his first appearance at the area level, and he brings a 14-0 vault to the playoff meet.

Victoria is favored to win gold and move on to the regional meet, although nothing is assured. Derek has a tougher road in front of him, but he is confident he can best his previous marks.

PSJA boys track coach Lee Roy Perez said the key for Derek will be keeping his emotions in check. He lacks big-meet experience in pressure situations, but he has the ability to post some strong vaults, Perez said.

PSJA girls track coach Freddy Colunga said Victoria’s work ethic is her strong suit. She’s a solid athlete who has demonstrated the maturity and skill to handle being a front-runner, he said. Colunga added that Victoria, who will attend UTRGV this fall, has the talent to do something special at today’s meet and then compete for a medal at regionals.

PSJA has fielded very competitive track teams and for years has sent many athletes to compete at the collegiate level. But a brother-sister pole vaulting duo is a new wrinkle to the program. Coaches said the Barrios siblings may not have advanced this far — or even tried pole vault — if not for their close and respectful relationship.

Victoria keeps an eye on her younger brother, and she said he does the same for her. But the senior added that her little brother can also be an instigator.

“He makes me get on roller-coasters, and I do not want to go on them,” Victoria said. “And he’ll say something like, ‘C’mon, it’s just like pole vault. That’s how high it is.’”

She added that they are very close not just because they are siblings, but because they are teammates.

“I feel as though when I make a mistake, he’s right there to tell me to do this or that. And when I jump, I’ll fix what he said,” Victoria said. “And I’m like, ‘Thanks, bro. You helped me out.’”

Derek said goading Victoria into pole vault didn’t take much effort. That, he said, was a sign of their strong relationship.

“We help each other out whenever we need each other, and we are always there for each other,” said Derek, who added that Victoria’s advice goes beyond the track. She gives him a hand with homework and even aided him in preparation for a recent job interview.

Today, they may be able to help each other advance to the regionals.

TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

McALLEN — Liberty Hill didn’t have the wind in the second half, but the Panthers sailed right past the Hidalgo Pirates with two goals after intermission en route to a dominating 3-1 victory in a Class 4A Region IV semifinal Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The defeat brought the Pirates’ season to a close, but not after an impressive playoff run. Still, Hidalgo simply could not get on track on offense Friday, and its defense had trouble handling the Panthers’ speed and strength.

Hidalgo coach Zeke Morales said his senior-laden team played the game it wanted to, but it may have faced an opponent that was just better Friday night.

“I think we did everything right. The game plan was to play like we were supposed to play and try and go up on top first, but we couldn’t, and you know, that’s just the way it goes,” Morales said. “To win big games, you need talent, hard work and luck. Unfortunately today, we didn’t get too much of that. But I’m very proud of my kids. What a fantastic season we had.”

Though Hidalgo (18-14) ran roughshod over its opponents in the first two rounds of the postseason and won a close game against Grulla to qualify for the regional semifinals, the Pirates were stymied by the Panthers’ defense and shut out until the very end of the match.

Morales and his players said they were impacted by the outstanding play of Liberty Hill senior goalkeeper David Larkin and speedy and skilled sophomore forward Jaron Frye. In the second half especially, Frye routinely got behind the Pirates’ defense for solid chances.

Liberty Hill was a bigger, stronger team. The Panthers showed it from the very beginning, with 6-foot senior Bryce Stratton notching the team’s first goal 19 minutes in. Stratton rose above three Hidalgo defenders near the back post to score a header off a corner kick. The two teams played to a draw the rest of the half, as the Panthers took a one-goal lead into the locker room.

The first 35 minutes of the second half were dominated by Liberty Hill and Frye. The sophomore dazzled with his speed and dribbling and had several chances before ultimately escaping two Hidalgo defenders and finding the net with 33:15 left. The goal put the Panthers in the driver’s seat, up 2-0.

Liberty Hill added one more score 10 minutes later to take a commanding lead. The Panthers defense kept the Pirates at bay for the remainder of the match, though Hidalgo sophomore Juan Gomez snuck in a strike at the 4:39 mark to give the game its final score.

Senior Josh Morales said the Pirates studied Frye and knew how to defend him and the others, but they couldn’t take away from how well the Panthers played.

“We knew what to expect coming in. They were an overall excellent team. They had good patience. They could touch the ball short. Touch the ball long. They knew how to pass,” Morales, a team captain, said. “We trust our coaches. We have talented players. We had a plan. We wouldn’t do anything different. We just came across a really good team.”

Hidalgo produced some strong chances. The Pirates made several productive runs against the wind late in the first half, and even more after the intermission. But once the Pirates fell behind by multiple goals, the deficit was too much to come back from.

TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

Roxy Chapa lives a life devoted to Christian values. She’s also an exceptional softball player.

The Texas A&M-Kingsville junior catcher decided during the summer before her freshman year in college to dedicate her life to Christ. She’s performed Christian outreach in the community and even went to the Philippines last summer for two months to do missionary-style work.

“I was at a children’s home in Manila,” Chapa said of living in that country’s capital. “I would do tutorials (English, math, science and Christian values) during the day and devotional and small Bible studies in the evening for younger boys. I loved it so much. I miss them every day and hope to go back.”

Her balance of school, sports and life seems to be working. The 2015 Sharyland High grad exploded onto the scene at Kingsville during her freshman season. Chapa lettered all four years at Sharyland and was named to all-district teams several times.

But few would have predicted the 5-foot-10 catcher would become the Javelinas softball program’s first-ever Division II All-American during her freshman year. In 2016, she hit .345 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs. Chapa followed that season with a successful sophomore effort. The RGV Thunder Gold club team alum started 49 games, batted .358 and was named second-team All-Lone Star Conference for the second straight year.

“In softball, I try and do everything to give God the glory, whether I do great or horrible,” Chapa said. “It has taken a huge load of stress and pressure off me, because I know that is all temporary, and I will spend eternity with God.”

And it shows in her play. With about one-third of the 2018 season behind her, Chapa is batting a team-high .365 with 19 hits, 14 RBIs and five home runs in helping lead Texas A&M-Kingsville to an 8-7 overall record. The Javelinas are on a six-game winning streak and sport a 3-3 Lone Star Conference record. On Sunday, Chapa hit two home runs in the Javelinas’ win 6-0 win over Midwestern State.

“My personal goal is to improve in every aspect of the game from last season and be better every day,” Chapa said. “Our team goal is get into the postseason. That hasn’t been done in our program for a while, and we have the talent do it.”

PSJA NORTH’S ALEMAN LEAVES ARKANSAS FOR KINGSVILLE

Former PSJA North softball player Ileana Aleman recently packed her bags and left Division I University of Arkansas for the friendly confines of Texas A&M-Kingsville. The infielder is a graduate student and is seeing plenty of action, unlike at Arkansas, where she redshirted during her freshman year and played sparingly after that. Aleman earned her degree from Arkansas in 2016.

Aleman has started seven games and played in nine in the infield. She’s batting an impressive .364 through 22 at-bats with four RBIs. Texas A&M-Kingsville is DII school and plays in the Lone Star Conference. Aleman is a former All-Valley and All-Area selection who graduated high school in 2014.

HANNA’S BETANCOURT STAYS SHARP AT ST. MARY’S

Oscar Betancourt is leaving it all out on the field so far during his senior year. The 2014 All-Metro MVP from Brownsville Hanna has started the season sizzling, batting .435 in 12 games this year for the DII St. Mary’s University Rattlers in San Antonio. The left fielder has shown a very deft eye at the plate by collecting 11 hits and 10 walks in 33 plate appearances through last weekend.

He’s not a power hitter. Betancourt has only one extra-base hit this season. But his numbers are a huge improvement over 2017, during which the 5-foot-7 Betancourt hit .225 with 20 hits and 12 walks in 39 games. Betancourt starred for two years at Richland College in Richardson (Dallas suburb) before transferring to St. Mary’s. The Rattlers are 8-4 in 2018. They haven’t been to the postseason since 2015.

RIO HONDO’S FLORES ALREADY HELPING AT SUL ROSS

Freshman Jennifer Flores hasn’t taken long to make her mark at Division III Sul Ross State University. Just seven games into the season, Flores is hitting .500 with nine hits and eight runs scored in 18 at-bats. The former Rio Hondo all-district star has three RBIs and one home run through last weekend.

The 5-foot-7 Flores, who really flourished in the circle during her senior year at Rio Hondo, is 1-0 in two games started. She’s surrendered eight hits in nine innings pitched and is posting a 2.25 ERA for the 5-2 Lobos. Sul Ross is located in Alpine, near Big Bend National Park in West Texas, and has about 1,800 students.

Know an RGV athlete doing well at the collegiate level in any sport? Send us a tip at [email protected].

TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

McALLEN — Ryela Rodriguez was a tour de force at McAllen Rowe.

Standing nearly 6 feet tall with good jumping ability and an instinct for the ball, she was an all-district volleyball performer who had the attention of plenty of small-school scouts.

Like most high school athletes who want to play college ball, though, her thoughts were on Division I programs. That’s what most people talked about whenever the subject came up, Rodriguez said. The 5-foot-11 middle blocker wasn’t really aware of junior colleges or their programs.

However, as time moved forward and her desire to play college volleyball became stronger, she was introduced to Tyler Junior College — a JUCO powerhouse in a variety of sports. The DIIs and DIIIs kept calling, but she felt really good about going to East Texas’ Piney Woods area to play for the Apaches at a two-year school.

So, she worked with her family and club team coaches with the RGV Venom and went through the recruiting process — traveling and playing in tournaments everywhere she could to get on Tyler’s radar. Finally, Rodriguez got Tyler coaches to notice after they watched her play in person in Las Vegas. She was invited to make a campus visit.

“I practiced with the team, and when I was there, I knew that was the school for me,” Rodriguez, a sophomore, said. “Playing at Tyler has been nothing but an honor and an amazing experience. Playing for such a competitive and successful program put pressure on me and my teammates, but it also helped us rise to the occasion and has been nothing but an experience I have been blessed to be part of.”

The 2017 season was not easy for Tyler, but the team learned from its early season losses and began a hot streak about two-thirds of the way through the year. Rodriguez and the apaches were 10-9 on Oct. 11. They then went on an 11-game winning streak, claimed a regional title and advanced to the NJCAA Volleyball Championship semifinals before losing.

TJC ended up ranked fourth nationally, and Rodriguez, a team captain, was second on the team in blocks, averaging more than a block per set.

In addition to performing well on the court, the sophomore has also done well outside the gym. Last spring, she won TJC’s Female Athlete Champion of Character Award and was elected Executive Vice President for the TJC Student Senate. The NJCAA named her to its national All-Academic third team last spring.

After the season, Rodriguez decided to end her collegiate volleyball career. She will move on from Tyler after the spring semester and focus on academics at Baylor or Texas A&M, she said.

NORTH’S ANZALDUA MAKES MOST OF TIME AT UTSA

If you called David Anzaldua “Big man on campus,” you’d be correct. He’s the biggest guy on UT-San Antonio’s football team at 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds. The fourth-year junior — a Larry Coker recruit from 2014 — is also beginning to use his size to his advantage.

Anzaldua, a former all-state selection from Edinburg North, played in 12 games last year, mostly on special teams. But in eight games in 2017, he worked himself into a heavy rotation for the Roadrunners’ O-line. He logged lots of time at guard in victories over Rice and UTEP and a loss to North Texas. During UTSA’s final game, Anzaldua was listed as a second-team guard, behind only a senior.

ECONOMEDES PAIR GET PLENTY OF PITCH PLAY

Krysta Armstrong didn’t score a lot of goals for Sul Ross State University, but the freshman from Edinburg Economedes got plenty of playing time for the Lobos. Armstrong, a 5-foot-7 midfielder, played an average of 37 minutes in 16 games. The former two-time district MVP scored one goal on 18 shots on target.

Armstrong’s Economedes teammate at Sul Ross, Ayssa Ozuna, a 5-foot-4 forward for the 8-7-1 Lobos, played 289 minutes and did not score any goals. Ozuna was a three-time all-district and two-time district offensive MVP selection at Economedes. Division III Sul Ross State, in Alpine near Texas’ Big Bend National Park, plays in the American Southwest Conference.

GRULLA’S ZARAZUA MARKING TIME AT TAMI

Mireya Zarazua, a former all-state qualifier and all-district runner from Grulla, has been a steady performer for Texas A&M-International in Laredo the last three years. The cross country runner marked a season-best 25 minutes, 34.5 seconds and a 41st-place finish (among 82) in the 6,000-meter run at the Heartland Conference Championships last fall.

The junior systems engineering major also did well as a sophomore in 2016, placing 35th with a personal record 24:19.6 at the conference meet and helping the Dustdevils to fifth-place finish. At Grulla, Zarazua lettered in track for four years, ran cross country and played soccer, serving as a captain for three years.

Know an RGV athlete doing well at the collegiate level in any sport? Send us a tip at gluca@ themonitor.com.

TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

McALLEN — McAllen Rowe held La Joya Juarez-Lincoln to just two third-quarter field goals, using stifling defense to claim a 54-46 District 30-6A victory Saturday afternoon.

Behind 6-foot-1 sophomore Derek Luna and 6-foot-2 sophomore Darrin Everage, the Warriors hassled the Huskies into seven turnovers, blocked four shots and outscored them 12-4 in the third quarter, including an 8-0 run to start the second half. Luna led Rowe with 18 points, and Everage did a little of everything with six points, nine rebounds, five blocks and five steals.

The district-opening win lifts Rowe to 1-0 in 30-6A (10-8 overall) and drops Juarez Lincoln to 0-1 and 12-6 overall.

Rowe coach Jose Yebra said the Warriors recommitted themselves to playing hard-nosed defense and limiting the Huskies shooting opportunities during the second half.

“We were able to put more pressure on the point guard, and I don’t think they saw the same look they saw in the first half,” Yebra said. “They are a good shooting team, and we respect that. We knew we needed to play good defense to beat them, and I think our kids did that in the second half.”

The Huskies, a senior-laden team, have been one of the Valley’s pleasant surprises early in the season. Behind accurate 3-point shooting and crisp passing, Juarez-Lincoln has scored some quality victories so far this year. Early in the game versus Rowe, Juarez-Lincoln looked capable of earning an important upset win on the road.

Rowe was still very much in the game at halftime, trailing 29-28, but Juarez-Lincoln hit five treys in the first half — most of which were uncontested — playing an inside-out game that out-quicked Rowe defenders to generate looks from beyond the 3-point arc.

That all changed after intermission. Juarez-Lincoln, led by Cruz Mendoza’s 11 points, went 2 of 9 from the floor in the third quarter and turned the ball over seven times. The Huskies offense improved slightly in the fourth, but Rowe’s defense continued beating shooters to their spots. On offense, the Warriors’ superior ballhandling skills were too much for the Huskies.

Luna frequently sliced through Juarez-Lincoln defenders for layups or trips to foul line. Luna said he felt good about his shot but added that the difference in the game was his team’s defense, which forced 14 Huskies turnovers and blocked 10 shots. Although 6-foot-1 is not particularly tall on the hardwood, Luna and the 6-foot-2 Everage were at least 3 to 4 inches taller than the Huskies’ biggest player.

The Huskies’ Luis Garza, a post with excellent footwork and court positioning, came into the day averaging nearly 15 points per game. But he had a cold shooting night and was matched against the taller Everage.

“I knew he was good offensively, and that he has moves, and that he can get around you,” Everage said. “But the main focus I had was to front him, take away him getting the ball. And the times I did get behind him, I just stayed solid and got my hands up.”

Gabriel Bautista added 13 points for the Warriors and hit three 3-pointers. Freshman Luis Yebra added 10 points for Rowe. Meanwhile, J.R. Galvan had 10 for Juarez-Lincoln.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

It took a comeback effort by the Edinburg Economedes Jaguars to win their season opener 19-14 against the Hanna Golden Eagles on Friday night at Brownsville’s Sams Memorial Stadium.

Economedes running back Sonny Castillo bulled his way up the middle for 3 yards to get into the end zone with 7:41 remaining to put his team back into the lead for good by five points, 19-14, and give the Jaguars their second straight season-opening victory over the Eagles.

Economedes defeated Hanna 41-10 a year ago in Edinburg to open the season en route to a 7-4 campaign that included a trip to the playoffs. Hanna is coming off a 3-7 season.

“This was a great win for us and we can keep on going if we just believe in each other,” Economedes quarterback Albert Guerra said. “It feels very good to get this one. Our linemen were getting their blocks and our running backs were behind them and finding the holes. And as far as passing, our receivers did all they could do (to help us get the win).

“We received great competition from Brownsville and we have a lot of respect for them,” Guerra added. “They played with all they had. They’re a good team.”

Hanna took the lead 14-7 at the 6:45 mark of the third quarter when reserve sophomore QB Victor Campos scored on a 6-yard run and then threw a two-point conversion pass to running back Cesar Mancias.

Mancias led all rushers in the game with 139 yards.

Economedes closed the gap to 14-13 with 2:21 showing in the third quarter as Guerra went in on a 1-yard keeper. But the extra point sailed wide, leaving the Jaguars trailing by a point.

Both teams moved into scoring position in the final period and the Jaguars were the ones to eventually prevail on Castillo’s 3-yard run up the middle with 7:41 left. A try for two points failed, but Economedes was still in the lead to stay.

“The first thing I told these guys after the ballgame was that I was so proud of their effort,” Hanna coach Mark Guess said. “I think that’s where we’re turning the corner from last year to this year is our effort across the board.

“Yes, we made some mistakes, but those mistakes came when the guys were going 100 miles per hour and giving it their all,” he added. “Giving that type of effort is all you can ask.”

Wide receiver Pete Segura, who finished with six receptions for 104 yards, caught a 21-yard scoring pass from Guerra at the 10:49 mark of the second quarter as the Jaguars took a 7-0 advantage. Hanna got to within 7-6 on a 77-yard interception return of a Guerra pass by Eagles’ free safety Matthew Garcia with 1:12 left before halftime. The extra point failed, leaving Hanna down a point at intermission.

Campos’ 6-yard TD run and two-point conversion pass with 6:45 to go in the third quarter gave the Eagles their 14-7 edge before the Jaguars’ comeback.

Hanna starting quarterback Joe Cavazos III missed the game due to an injury.

It was clear Thursday night that Oscar Lozoya’s mentality was quality over quantity.

The Raiders’ senior wide receiver reeled in three touchdowns on four receptions, and senior running back Quintae Smith-Barrett added a pair of scores on the ground as Rivera routed Porter 35-14 in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week at Sams Memorial Stadium.

“I was going hard every play and my quarterback (senior Nicholas Blanco) and I have played together since elementary and we have that chemistry,” Lozoya said. “He just hit me when I was open. It’s a big part of our game, we trust each other and we attacked the weak spots in (Porter’s) zone and we scored.”

Lozoya’s four catches totaled just 86 yards, but he made his mark in the end zone. Smith-Barrett finished with 187 yards rushing and two scores as the Rivera racked up over 300 yards of offense in the non-district contest.

The Raider defense did the rest, as it forced two fumbles while Daniel Limon added an interception to stall a Porter drive late in the second half.

Rivera (1-0) got off to a needed quick start, scoring on its first two drives of the game.

On the Raiders’ first possession, Blanco hit Lozoya on a 34-yard strike to take an early 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.

Rivera forced Porter (0-1) to fumble at its own 33-yard line and the Raiders capitalized on the miscue with a 4-yard run for a touchdown by Smith-Barrett to give Rivera a 14-0 lead with 6:08 to play in the opening quarter.

“It was the turnovers that were costly,” Porter coach Carlos Uresti said. “After the first turnover it felt like we were playing catch up. We’re going to run the ball, so we can’t fall behind by a lot. Throwing the ball is not what we emphasize. We got out of our comfort zone and start throwing the ball … but we have to get better at throwing it.”

Porter got one of those back, as it finished its next drive with a 6-yard touchdown run by Jose Villalon to cut the deficit in half with 1:04 left in the first quarter.

Both teams went scoreless in the second quarter and Rivera would go into halftime with a 14-7 edge.

The second half was much of the same for the Raiders, as Smith-Barrett kept the offense going with a 2-yard scoring spurt to give his team a 21-7 advantage midway through the third quarter.

Porter answered quickly with a 70-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Garcia to Ramiro Martinez less than 20 seconds later to bring itself within seven once again.

From there, however, the Rivera defense stiffened.

“They had momentum and we got some momentum back,” Rivera coach Tom Chavez said. “The boys settled down a little bit and defensively … I’m proud of them, they grinded it out, gave us opportunities on offense.”

Blanco and Lozoya made sure the Cowboys wouldn’t catch up with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns. Blanco hit Lozoya on a 25-yard strike to make it 28-14 and after a short Cowboys punt gave the Raiders good field position just outside the red zone, they connected again on a 21-yard toss to put the game out of reach.

“We’ve been working hard on our offense, we have to continue that,” Chavez said. “(The game) could have been the other way. We persevered in the fourth quarter.

“I’m proud of the guys.”

Uresti felt his team got tired late in the second half with several players playing on both sides of the ball.

“The kids gave it all they had,” he said. “Maybe we need to not utilize certain kids going both ways, we just have to learn from the film. We ran out of gas at the end and obviously turnovers caused us to fall behind.”

Rivera, who topped Porter 14-7 in the 2016 season opener, was happy to start the season on a good note once again and hopes to build from it. The Raiders finished 1-9 last fall but are hoping Thursday’s win will kickstart the team in the right direction.

“It’s good, were 1-0 and we’re looking forward to the next game,” Lozoya said. “We don’t want what happened last year to happen again.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @andrewmcrum.

TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

McALLEN — McAllen High has a long and legendary football history. Not too long ago, quarterback Fred Hover added his name to oak plaques inside the Bulldogs football offices with one of the best three-year runs in program history.

The 5-foot-9-inch speedster is McHi’s career leader in all-purpose yards. His feet are as quick as his release and decision-making. He helped lead the Bulldogs to their first outright district championship in more than 30 years in 2013, when the team went 9-1 in the regular season of his junior year. He had nearly 2,300 yards of offense and 23 touchdowns.

Now, Hover enters his third year at Southwestern University in Georgetown with the mindset of doing the same. Already a 2016 honorable mention all-conference selection despite sharing time under center with another quarterback, Hover said he feels good about the upcoming campaign because of the game-time know-how under his belt.

“Experience is everything,” Hover said. “The more that comes, the more confident I become. I know what to expect from defenses, and the game slows down so I can just play ball without any hesitation.”

He did just that last season. The junior completed 52 of 84 pass attempts (62 percent) for 602 yards and four touchdowns. Hover, a dual threat, also carried the ball 129 times for 614 yards and five TDs. What’s more, he only turned the ball over five times all year.

“Well, playing only half the games surely helped out in that category,” Hover joked. “But it mainly comes down to eliminating risks, taking what the defense gives you… and excellent film study so you know what to expect.”

Division III Southwestern won six straight games to close out last season. But now a new challenge awaits Hover and his teammates, as the Pirates move to the tougher American Southwest Conference, where perennial power and 2016 DIII National Champion Mary Hardin-Baylor resides. But Hover said the team is excited and ready to line up against some of the best with their own mix of youth and experience.

Not too long ago, Hover was a star under the Friday night lights. And while he is thoroughly enjoying a new phase in life, he’ll never forget playing for the purple and gold.

“My favorite memories at McHi are the drum line, the intense rivalries with each school and playing in front of the entire community every Friday night,” Hover said.

PALMVIEW’S GUERRERO WILL LEAD UTA CROSS COUNTRY AS SENIOR

La Joya Palmview alum and University of Texas at Arlington cross country runner Michael Guerrero made a name for himself as a junior. A two-time state cross country qualifier for the Lobos, Guerrero continued his winning ways by helping the Mavericks win the Division I Sun Belt Conference Championship in 2016 by individually placing fourth.

He then followed up with a ninth-place finish in the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 11 that put UTA in third place as a team and qualified him for the NCAA finals. This year, Guerrero is a senior and a team leader. He also runs track for the DI Mavericks.

BROWNSVILLE VETS’ CARDENAS NOW STARRING FOR OLLU VOLLEYBALL

There’s no mistaking what Our Lady of the Lake University thinks of junior Mariza Cardenas. The Brownsville Veterans graduate’s photos are all over the Saints’ season preview material.

The former All-Metro MVP and All-Valley selection started 15 games last year to help lead OLLU to a 24-5 record and a Red River Conference (Division III) championship. The 5-foot-11-inch middle hitter had 58 kills and 47 blocks last year. Cardenas has been on the Dean’s list and a conference scholar athlete two straight years.

E-E’S DINNALL-GUERRA LOOKS TO IMPROVE ON UTPB FRESHMAN YEAR

Ray Dinnall-Guerra is a big boy. The 6-foot-1-inch, 300-pound University of Texas of the Permian Basin sophomore defensive lineman is a load. The Edcouch-Elsa alum is working his way up in a brand new football program.

The UTPB Falcons, whose campus is in Odessa, were 2-9 during their inaugural season last year. The former all-district defensive lineman made the best of it, playing in 10 games, snagging 10 tackles (four for losses) and two sacks.

Know an RGV athlete doing well at the collegiate level in any sport? Send us a tip at [email protected].

There’s nothing like playing at home for the first time of the season and winning handily.

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial volleyball team experienced that feeling Tuesday by sweeping past visiting San Benito 25-11, 25-23, 25-15 in a non-district match.

The two teams each went to the postseason a year ago and would appear to be solid contenders for the playoffs again in their respective districts this season.

Still, the Lady Chargers were the ones maintaining their momentum throughout all three games Tuesday to hand the Lady Greyhounds a rare loss so far on the season.

The excitement of coming out here in front of our fans helped us a lot,” Lady Chargers coach Lisa Mares said. “I’ve told our seniors to cherish every match, every game and every point, so I think the excitement surrounding this being our first time at home (this season) had a lot to do with it.”

The Lady Chargers were just a little more consistent in their play overall, particularly on offense. Apart from the second game, when the Lady Chargers were down 20-16 at one point and successfully rallied to win 25-23, they never gave the visitors more than just one chance to prevail in any game.

San Benito coach Rudy Medina said it wasn’t a very good showing by her team against Brownsville Veterans.

My girls didn’t perform like they should have tonight,” Medina said. “I’m pretty disappointed, but sometimes it happens. They just have to learn from it, and hopefully it works out for the best.

I have to give Veterans credit for being a good team, but we just didn’t perform, and that’s what hurt us tonight,” she added.

The Lady Chargers jumped out to an 11-4 advantage on the way to taking the first game 25-11.

The score was tied six times in the second game, the second-to-the-last time of which was 13-13, before the Lady Greyhounds surged ahead and led by their biggest margin, 20-16, when a block by the Lady Chargers carried out of bounds.

But Brownsville Veterans fought back to deadlock the tally for the final time at 23-23 and went up 24-23 on an ace by Kassy Jimenez. The Lady Greyhounds then hit the ceiling with a high volley on the next point and lost control, giving the Game Two win to Brownsville Veterans 25-23.

Down the stretch in the third and final game, San Benito came within 16-13 of the lead, but that was as close as the Lady Greyhounds got as Brownsville Veterans prevailed 25-15 to sweep the match.

Leaders in statistics for the Lady Chargers, who next are at a Laredo tournament beginning Friday, were Cassie Valdez with 13 digs, 10 kills and 17 assists; Bridgette Himes with nine kills, eight digs and 13 assists; Cynthia Garcia with eight kills, eight digs and three aces; Kassy Jimenez with 29 digs and three aces; and Rebecca Caedenas with five kills.

For the Lady Greyhounds, who next play in the Sharyland Tournament starting Thursday, the stat leaders were Crystal Ibarra with 11 kills, Kayleen Reyes with five kills and Sarah Garcia with 25 digs.

PORT ISABEL — Winning the seventh annual Volley at the Beach Tournament on Saturday provided the Hanna volleyball team with a healthy dose of confidence.

Hanna went 6-0 in the tournament, including 3-0 in pool play on Thursday, and defeated PSJA Southwest 21-25, 25-16, 15-10 in Saturday’s championship match.

Port Isabel was the host of the three-day, 12-team event that featured pool play on Thursday and Friday before the squads were seeded for Saturday’s bracket competition.

It was the second time in three years for the Lady Golden Eagles, 14-3, to capture the Volley at the Beach title. Harlingen South won it last year, but did not return this season.

“This feels great because we put so much effort into it,” said Hanna’s Xitlali Montes de Oca, a senior outside hitter/all-around player. “A parent talked to us a day before this tournament began about coming together and playing with teamwork, and I think it really helped us.

“I feel like this (tournament championship) lifts up our team and gives us more confidence,” she added. “We didn’t know we could get this far. We beat good teams that really put up a battle against us, and it makes us feel like a really strong team now for what’s ahead (including District 32-6A competition).”

The Lady Eagles opened the day with a 25-11, 25-21 quarterfinal victory against La Feria before downing Corpus Christi Carroll 26-24, 25-17 in the semifinals.

Then, in the final, the second game between Hanna and PSJA Southwest was tied eight times, the last time at 13-13, before the Lady Eagles surged ahead for a 21-14 advantage en route to taking the set 25-16 to send the match to a third and deciding game after dropping the first set 25-21.

Hanna led 6-0 and 10-2 in the third game against the Lady Javelinas before taking the set 15-10 on an ace by Angelina Castillo.

“It’s always pleasant to win a trophy, and it gives us momentum and confidence,” Hanna coach Ansgar Hagemann said. “I think the girls had a lot of confidence and showed what they can do against Carroll and then maybe got a little nervous to start out against Southwest because it was the final.

“It’s not an everyday thing that you get to play a final, so they were a little bit frozen in the beginning, but then they loosened up and got more in control,” he added. “Losing the first game and then coming back to win is not really our game plan. We’d rather start strong and carry over the momentum to the following games and win the match.”

To reach the final, PSJA Southwest, 13-2, defeated Monte Alto 25-8, 25-17 in the quarterfinals and downed Santa Rosa 25-18, 25-9 in the semifinals.

“We have a young team and this was the first time in our school history to reach the final of this tournament, so we were a little nervous,” Lady Javelinas coach Jaclyn Olvera said. “I’m excited to see how our season goes. As the season progresses, I see how we’re maturing.”

Carroll defeated Santa Rosa 25-22, 25-16 in the third-place match, while Lopez topped Monte Alto 25-14, 19-25, 15-2 for the consolation championship. The Lady Lobos played three matches on Saturday and all of them went three games.