JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

RIO HONDO — The Rio Hondo Bobcats were not only playing on Friday to defeat the Zapata Hawks, but for head coach JR Guzman’s 600th victory, as well.

Unfortunately, the Bobcats didn’t accomplish their goal as they fell to the Hawks 57-35, leaving Coach Guzman stuck at win No. 599.

“We talked about it before the game and I made it clear that our focus wasn’t on me getting the 600th win, but to get the victory, most importantly,” said Guzman. “We tried everything we could on defense and we weren’t aggressive on our offensive end, either. They (Zapata) came to play. They’re a playoff team, but our guys didn’t play with enough energy to get the win.”

The Hawks, who lost to District 32-4A-leading La Feria last week, were anxious to get back in business against the Bobcats, and it showed on Friday.

Zapata’s Marcos Bustamente had the hot hand for the Hawks, scoring 26 points while teammate Curly Villa pitched in 14 and grabbed seven rebounds.

The two lead the surge for the Hawks throughout the game and built a momentum for Zapata that Rio Hondo couldn’t match.

For the Bobcats, Albert Adames lead the team in scoring with seven points and snagged four steals with one rebound. Behind Adames was teammate Gonzalo Ortega, who scored five points, grabbed three rebounds and had three steals.

“It’s not going to take much to fire the guys up when we play against La Feria next Tuesday,” Guzman said. “And if anybody can knock off La Feria, it’s going to be us.”

JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

Although the Weslaco Panthers (8-0) are still the top seed in District 32-6A, the Los Fresnos Falcons (7-1) pose the best threat of defeating the Panthers and possibly sharing a league title.

Ever since their 69-63 loss to the Panthers, the Falcons have been on a three-game winning streak, defeating prime talent in Harlingen South and Weslaco East.

As for the Hawks and Wildcats, both teams will be contending for the third spot in the 32-6A standings each with 5-3 records.

Last time these two met, East stole one from South on their home court in a game that came down to the final seconds.

THE LONG ROAD: Harlingen South definitely has the toughest road ahead by first having to take on Weslaco next week and then they have to follow that game up with a revenge match against East.

The Hawks lost to the Panthers 48-38 in their matchup earlier in the season and are coming off a victory over Brownsville Hanna in which they scored 60 points at home.

If South can dethrone Weslaco then they should have no problem avenging themselves against the Wildcats to mark their territory on the district.

In the final two games of the season South will face crosstown rival Harlingen then the Falcons to top it all off.

While the Hawks may have their work cut out for themselves, with junior point guard Aaron Briones leading the way, a shot at the district title isn’t out of reach.

PIVOTAL GAMES: In District 32-3A, an intriguing matchup takes place at Lyford tonight when the Bulldogs will try to take down state-ranked Santa Rosa in a key District 32-3A contest.

Meanwhile, in District 32-4A, the La Feria Lions are sitting pretty with an 8-0 record, but will tested when they face the Rio Hondo Bobcats at home next Tuesday.

JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — After losing a heartbreaker to Los Fresnos last week, the Harlingen South Hawks were eager to take care of business against the Brownsville Hanna Eagles on Tuesday night.

Sure enough, the Hawks did just that by defeating the Golden Eagles 60-49 and improve to 5-3 on the season to keep pace with the second-place Falcons (7-1).

Junior point guard Aaron Briones led the Hawks in scoring with 22 points along with four rebounds, two steals and one block.

“I was really feeling it today. Whenever I had a good shot, I took it and was able to convert so that’s how the game went today,” said Briones.

“Hanna’s a good team and to be able to get this win helps us moving forward, especially with them breathing down our necks in the playoff race,” added South head coach Brian Molina. “This victory gives us some breathing room, but credit to Hanna because they gave us all we could handle tonight.”

With that being said the Eagles had a dominant first half against the Hawks and were able to take a 26-23 lead at the half, leaving South fans stunned at how close the game was.

Unfortunately, Hanna’s momentum came to an end in the third quarter when South went on a 9-2 run in the opening minutes of the second half.

Briones, along with teammate Grant Lowery, drained key three-point shots and snagged a few rebounds in the process to help South steal the lead 44-36 at the end of the third.

“We made a couple of adjustments on defense for the second half and were able to get a couple of key stops,” said Molina. “When they tried to pressure us, our guys were able to break the press and hit a couple of three pointers in transition, which is what they can do pretty well.”

The Hawks were able to carry that momentum over into the fourth quarter with a 12-6 run that sealed the victory.

South’s Noah Perez and Lowery both had 11 points each, with Brandon Bennett leading the team in rebounds by notching six along with two blocks.

JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

LA FERIA — With La Feria being on top of the District 32-4A standings, the Zapata Hawks were in prime position to play spoiler in their matchup against the Lions on Friday.

The Hawks certainly gave the Lions a scare, but fell short in their efforts as they were defeated by the Lions 41-36.

The win pushed the Lions to 7-0 in league play and put them a step closer to winning a conference title.

“It feels great to finish half of the district play with an undefeated record,” said Lions head coach Dario Sanchez “Now we have the second half of the season to prove to ourselves that we can accomplish first a playoff spot and hopefully a district championship.”

The Hawks pulled within three in the beginning minutes of the fourth at 32-39, but weren’t able to sustain any type of lead in the end.

For the Lions, the difference was on the defensive end. Julian Trevino led the team in steals with six and chipped in six points with four rebounds as well.

“I pride myself on defense and that’s the reason I play basketball,” said Trevino.

“All year long he’s (Julian) been one of our best defensive players because he does it better than anyone else,” said Sanchez. “One of his goals is to get those steals and he did that well tonight. That just goes to show what kind of kid he is.”

Senior Jalen Morrell lead the team in scoring with 16 points, three rebounds and three steals while teammate Billy Watson posted 10 points, two rebounds and one steal.

The Lions will travel to Port Isabel on Tuesday night to begin the second half of the district loop.

JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

The Weslaco Panthers are in control of their own destiny at this point as they’ve already defeated some of the premiere talent within District 32-6A.

With wins over crosstown rivals Weslaco East, Los Fresnos and Harlingen South, the Panthers have solidified themselves as the top seed with a 5-0 record.

Meanwhile, the Falcons are currently second in the race for the league crown with a 4-1 record and their only loss coming against the Panthers.

The Falcons will be eager to face Weslaco again later in district play, but will have to take care of business when they play a Harlingen South team that would love to spoil the Falcons’ run in their upcoming game.

For the Hawks, their confidence is surely high after defeating Harlingen 55-34 at home on Tuesday. The Hawks are riding a two-game win streak with their last loss coming against the Weslaco East Wildcats.

With that being said, the Hawks and Wildcats share a 3-2 record with East having the upper hand due to the victory over South.

HAWKS AT FALCONS: Both teams can shoot the ball really well from the perimeter, but South has the advantage in height with their power forward Brandon Bennett, who scored seven points and posted six rebounds in Tuesday’s victory over Harlingen.

On the other hand, the elusiveness of the Los Fresnos guards Albert Alarcon, Gabe Martinez and Jordan Urbina pose a threat for South and are very hard to defend with their ability to penetrate the basket.

In the end whoever wins will still have to answer to the current kings of District 32-6A in Weslaco.

THE WARRIORS’ WAY: The Santa Rosa Warriors are still ranked No. 2 in the state behind Dallas Madison is the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

Santa Rosa averages nearly 70 points a game and the big three for the Warriors are AB Lozoya, Leo Lara and Matt Garcia.

In second place in District 32-3A are the Lyford Bulldogs with a 2-0 record. The Dogs are coming off a 77-67 win over IDEA Quest and are riding a three-game win streak. They face IDEA Frontier next Tuesday in Brownsville at 7:30 pm.

JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

LA FERIA — Midway through the 2016-17 basketball season, the La Feria Lions are right where they want to be in the race for the District 32-4A crown as they sport a 6-0 conference mark and are in first place.

“It’s definitely a huge plus anytime you start out 6-0 in district play,” said Lions head coach Dario Sanchez. “The team is really starting to come together, they’re starting to trust each other and everyone knows their role.”

A big reason for the Lions’ success is the stiff competition they faced earlier, especially from district opponents during the non-district season.

“We were able to see Hidalgo in the PSJA Tournament and the fact that we lost to them helped us re-focus,” said Sanchez. “You learn from all the losses, but when you lose to a district opponent like that, we made sure to prepare better for the next game.”

But just winning games is not enough for the Lions. The team decided early on to set its sights higher than just coming away with victories. The team wants to achieve other goals as well.

“One of the goals we have been pretty consistent with is averaging 40 points a game, and another one is winning 50-50 balls that are up for grabs,” said Sanchez. “When we can maintain control of the ball, it let’s us know that the intensity is there and our effort is up to par.”

The Lions have a bevy of players that contribute, but senior Jalen Morrell holds the standard for how La Feria basketball should be played.

“He’s the leader of the team and since his freshman year he’s really developed into quite the athlete, especially winning Defensive MVP last season for us,” said Sanchez of Morrell.

The second half of the season should be a thrill to watch as several teams are within reach of the first-place Lions. Hidalgo is currently in second place at one game back with a 5-1 record, and tied for third is Zapata and Rio Hondo, which each have 4-2 records.

The Lions will look to continue their win streak when they host Zapata tonight at 7:30.

JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — After the Harlingen South Lady Hawks dropped their game against the Harlingen Lady Cardinals earlier in the evening on Tuesday, the South boys were that much more motivated to defend their home court.

Sure enough, the Hawks did just that as they steamrolled the Cardinals 55-34 thanks to the efforts of Grant Lowery and Noah Perez.

Lowery, who finished the game with 18 points, drilled shots from beyond the perimeter and brought the crowd to its feet with every basket. He also finished the game with four three pointers, two steals and two rebounds, as well.

“I was just letting it go, honestly, and to be able to pick up this win against the Cardinals is a great feeling,” said Lowery. “Coach Molina’s style really allows us to play to the best of our ability, in which I like to shoot threes.”

The Hawks defense didn’t allow the Cardinals to get into their offensive groove and took a 13-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Then South really took command in the second quarter with an 8-0 run that led to a 30-14 lead at the half.

“Anytime we can get a victory over our crosstown rivals, that’s huge,” said South coach Brian Molina. “Our offense really got going tonight and defensively we were able to limit the Cardinals, which resulted in our win.

“Grant had been having trouble in earlier games with his shots, but I just told him to keep shooting the ball with confidence. You know, after he knocked down one, then two, he was able to continue that success and I believe he got his confidence back tonight.”

Teammates Aaron Briones and Perez combined for 20 points and Briones also had four steals.

With the win, the Hawks improved to 5-1 in District 32-6A and will now face Los Fresnos, which is also 5-1, on the road Friday.

JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Ever since the Harlingen Lady Cardinals lost their district opener, a fire was ignited in the girls and hasn’t dimmed a bit.

Harlingen had been on a five-game winning streak and was able to push their streak to six with a 59-47 victory over San Benito on Friday.

San Benito’s top performers, Emilee Barraza and Haley Lopez, sustained injuries in the beginning minutes of the game that left them sidelined until the second quarter.

With that being said, the Lady Cardinals didn’t allow the Lady Hounds to score a basket until four minutes into play and held San Benito to just five points at the end of the first quarter.

Although the Lady Greyhounds were without their premiere players, they were able to pick up the slack and come within eight points at 26-18 before the half.

Harlingen’s Nadia Flores had the hot hand for the Lady Cardinals, sneaking by the Lady Greyhounds’ full-court press to score 10 of the team’s 14 points in the third quarter. She finished the game with 20 points.

“That’s one thing we always practiced as to how we would break a press if we were ever confronted with one,” said Harlingen coach Ashley Moncivaiz. “We were able to push the ball well and they left the back open, which gave Nadia some good looks.”

Despite Flores’ efforts, Harlingen only led San Benito by five points once the third quarter came to a finish.

Harlingen didn’t let up though as the Lady Cards began the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run and maintained their lead all the way through to assure them the victory in the end.

Flores had a monstrous fourth quarter, racking up four rebounds, two steals and pitched in eight points of her own as well.

“It feels good to help my team out as much as I can, and to get everyone else involved as well,” said Flores.

Teammates Ariel Leal and Alyssa Cervantes combined for 20 points in the Lady Cardinals win.

Harlingen faces crosstown rival Harlingen South at 6 pm on Tuesday at the Lady Hawks gymnasium.

JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — After a devastating seven-point loss to the Weslaco Lady Panthers last Friday, the Harlingen South Lady Hawks went back to work on Tuesday with their eyes set firmly on Weslaco East.

Lady Hawks head coach Kelly Garrett picked up the pieces and assured her girls that they needed to be more consistent on both sides of the ball.

Sure enough Harlingen South did just that and defeated East 41-29 to improve to 5-1 on the season.

“The girls have been working hard all season and were disappointed after the Weslaco loss,” said Garrett. “We made it a point of emphasis to pick up the defensive intensity and I think we accomplished that tonight.”

Harlingen South’s full-court press was the key in the first half that lead to their 16-7 lead heading into the second quarter.

“We practice the press very often and tonight we showed what we’re capable of,” said South’s Leah Noe, who led the Lady Hawks on the evening with 11 points and three steals.

Although the press worked very well in the beginning, the Lady Wildcats adjusted and were able to cut the South lead to seven at 19-13 before the half.

“We had several opportunities underneath the basket and didn’t take advantage,” said Garrett “I told the girls that we needed to finish plays and make those easy baskets.”

The Lady Hawks continued to pressure the Lady Wildcats in the second half but only lead by seven at 29-22 at the end of the third.

South’s Noe lead the surge in the fourth quarter with her three steals and six of her 11 points that resulted in their 12-point win. In addition to Noe, Karla Reyes and Cameron Del Angel pitched in with eight points each.

In earlier action at the South gym on Tuesday, the South boys lost in their matchup against Weslaco East in heartbreaking fashion. The Hawks were leading the Wildcats in the final minutes of the game until a late three by East sank the boat for the Hawks in the end.

The Hawks lost the game 45-41 to the Wildcats and are currently 3-2 in district play.

JOSEPH TELLO | Staff Writer

SAN BENITO — After defeating Los Fresnos earlier in the week, the San Benito Lady Greyhounds were eager to return home and try to get their second district win against Weslaco East.

Well, the Lady Greyhounds accomplished that goal by defeating the Lady Wildcats in a low-scoring affair 28-24.

Early in the contest the Lady Greyhounds were in foul trouble, which allowed Weslaco East to enter the bonus with 50 seconds remaining in the first quarter. San Benito head coach Abel Moreno Jr. had no option but to sub key players to keep the game within reach.

“We knew Weslaco East was going to be tough, but we have a deep bench that allows us to rotate well,” said Moreno.

With San Benito’s Arelene Lucero on the bench, the Lady Wildcats were able to take advantage down low and trailed the Lady Greyhounds 16-13 going into the half.

The Lady Wildcats continued to put pressure on the Lady Greyhounds, gaining momentum after taking a 19-16 lead with a little time left in the third quarter. That was until San Benito’s Emilee Barraza drained a three to tie the game at 19-19 heading into the fourth.

Weslaco East took the lead 24-22 after gaining possession on a crucial call by the official. The crowed erupted after the call was made but San Benito’s Mikayla Garcia saved the day.

Garcia sank several free throws late in the game to give the Lady ’Hounds a 25-24 advantage with 1:33 remaining. The Greyhounds were able to milk the clock in the last seconds to get their first district win at home and improve to 2-0 in league play.

“It was very exciting to get the win at home espeacially since I didn’t get to play last season,” Lucero said.

Lucero finished the game with seven rebounds, four points, and two blocks.

The Lady Greyhounds take on Brownsville Rivera next Tuesday in San Benito at 7:30.