Offensive Player of the Year: Nathan Chavez, San Perlita

San Perlita guard Nathan Chavez only averaged a point per game as a junior behind plenty of key players.

Chavez exploded his senior season, averaging 27 points during the season and 32 points during District 32-1A play. Chavez is the Valley Morning Star’s Offensive Player of the Year.

“I knew my time would come eventually,” Chavez said. “I knew players were going to graduate and I knew that I had to step up and take that role.”

Chavez’s rise was not easy, nor expected, like San Perlita’s season. The Trojans should have had a huge drop off with the talent that left. Chavez and San Perlita held their own against Tilden McMullen this season, finishing second in the district and picking up a bi-district playoff victory.

“I just had to do what I had to do to help my team,” Chavez said.

San Perlita’s Nathan Chavez (10) is pictured Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at San Benito.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Denise Cathey

Defensive Player of the Year: Adrian Zamora, Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa went 16-0 in District 32-3A, only giving up 46 points a game in district play as they captured an undefeated title and bi-district playoff victory under Rene Duque.

Santa Rosa’s 6’3 center Adrian Zamora anchored the Warriors’ defense. Zamora is the Valley Morning Star’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Zamora averaged around four blocks a game, but forced many more missed shots and was a constant presence on the defensive boards.

“To me, I think a block is better than making a shot,” Zamora said. “It gets the team energized and it leads to points on the other side of the court.”

Zamora found himself in foul trouble against San Diego in the area round. The Warriors lost 94-83.

“It was a good season,” Zamora said. “We had ups and downs, but it was a fun season. We did not do as good as we wanted, but it was fun overall.”

Santa Rosa’s Adrian Zamora (21) is pictured Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at San Benito.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Denise Cathey

Utility Player of the Year: Chris Thrailkill, San Benito

San Benito needed a stud in the run up to capture its first outright district title in more than 60 years. Senior post Chris Thrailkill was the guy.

Thrailkill could do anything on the court and did everything he could to help the Greyhounds to a remarkable season. Thrailkill is the Valley Morning Star’s Utility Player of the Year.

The big man averaged a double-double for the Greyhounds. Thrailkill scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had at least two blocks a night during the 2022-23 season.

“I just did what I could to help our team win,” Thrailkill said. “I knew what I wanted to do and we got it done.”

Thrailkill on both sides of the court dominated in the paint. The big man maneuvered well through lanes despite usually being the biggest player on the court.

“I just needed to at least put up 15 points a game, and get a double-double,” Thrailkill said. “I had to find the open man when I got doubled, basically do it all.”

Thrailkill was happy he said about being able to make his community proud during the team’s run this season.

San Benito’s Chris Thrailkill (23) is pictured Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at San Benito.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Denise Cathey

Newcomer of the Year: Peter Jackson, San Benito

San Benito basketball is going to be in good shape the next two seasons with explosive guard Peter Jackson pushing point.

Jackson balled out in his first year playing varsity basketball in the Rio Grande Valley after hooping in Florida. The game is different in the Valley, Jackson said.

Jackson took no time acclimating and was a sensation for the Greyhounds in their District 32-6A title win. Jackson in the Valley Morning Star’s Newcomer of the Year.

“It is a different game,” Jackson said. “They have some super athletes over there. They just play full-court man the whole game.”

Jackson averaged eight points, four assists, four rebounds and three steals a game as a sophomore during the 2022-23 season. Jackson is easily one of the most athletically gifted underclassmen this season, but knows he still needs to work on some things going into next season.

San Benito’s Peter Jackson (10) is pictured Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at San Benito.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Denise Cathey

Coach of the Year: Luis Garza, San Benito

San Benito’s team was full of football players, Luis Garza said throughout the season. It took those football players a little bit to become used to the hardwood, but when they did – they tore it up like they did during football.

Greyhounds head coach Luis Garza is the Valley Morning Star’s Coach of the Year.

Garza’s Greyhounds took a lot of losses early in the season. San Benito came into District 32-6A with only a handful of wins and a lot of doubt, but the Greyhounds went on to capture their first outright district title since 1961.

Garza and his Greyhounds also won a bi-district playoff game over Edinburg Economedes, the first in two decades. San Benito ended the season with a record of 14-11, including going 9-1 in District 32-6A.

Sna Benito’s Coach Luis Garza is pictured Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at San Benito.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Denise Cathey

First Team All-Star

Ryan Sanchez, Harlingen High; Jayden Rendon, Harlingen High; Chris Ibarra, Santa Maria; Noah Rosales, La Feria; Ken Jones, Harlingen Marine Military Academy

Second Team All-Star

DeAnthony Mireles, San Benito; Felipe Alaniz, Santa Rosa; Adrian Guajardo, Raymondville; Julian Johnson, San Perlita; Jaiden Basaldua, Rio Hondo

Offensive Player of the Year: Marco Coello, Brownsville Lopez

Brownsville Lopez’s Marco Coello was easily one of the best dribble-penetrating guards and all-around offensive talents in the Valley this season.

Coello glided by the constant zone defenses that are a mainstay in the Valley, especially in district play when wins become crucial. Coello averaged 26 points, six assists, nine rebounds and four steals this season for the Lobos.

Coello is The Brownsville Herald’s 2023 All-Metro Boys Basketball Offensive Player of the Year.

”I achieved a lot of my goals this season,” Coello said. “When I am playing during the season, I try not to think about it too much, but at the end I go through my checklist.”

One of things off the checklist was a 2,000-career point milestone. Coello finished with more than 2,500 points as a star player for a Lobos program that barely missed out on the playoffs.

“As a team, we played great,” Coello said. “We definitely played past our expectations. We came up a little bit short, by one game. It came down to injuries and commitment. As a team we did well.”

Brownsville Lopez’s Marco Coello is the Brownsville Herald’s Offensive Player of the Year. Photo taken at Brownsville Veterans Memorial High School. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

Defensive Player of the Year: Cleveland Smith, Port Isabel

The Smith Brothers — Christian, Jeffrey and Cleveland — balled out for the Tarpons this season as the team captured a District 32-4A championship.

Defense and 3-point shooting by the brothers paved the way, but Cleveland Smith was the standout this season of the three brothers, becoming the District 32-4A’s MVP and The Brownsville Herald’s 2023 All-Metro Boys Basketball Defensive Player of the Year.

Cleveland Smith averaged six steals a game this season. Smith turned those steals into points as well, scoring 18 points a game.

“We have to keep the pressure up top,” the guard said. “Me and Christian play a big part in that, in our zone defense.”

If Tarpons coach Gilbert Rodriguez needs to open it up and play a full-court press, Smith is a cross-country runner and can keep up with guards around South Texas.

Despite his success, Smith said he was slacking a bit this season and needs to step it up heading into his junior season.

Port Isabel’s Cleveland Smith is the Brownsville Herald’s Defensive Player of the Year. Photo taken at Brownsville Veterans Memorial High School. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

Utility Player of the Year: Jj Salazar, Los Fresnos

Salazar solidified himself as one of the best all-around players in the Valley as a junior this season.

Salazar helped the Falcons return to playoffs, after missing out the previous season, with his ability to do it all. Salazar is The Brownsville Herald’s 2023 All-Metro Boys Basketball Utility Player of the Year.

Salazar averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, four assists and two steals per game during the season. Salazar attributed most of his success offensively to the little things that his teammates do that he said “goes unnoticed.”

“My teammates put me in good positions to get steals, points and rebounds,” Salazar said. “Usually, there are situations where we have three guys boxing out and I will just come in, crash the board and get it. I think there is a lot of that. I just have to give props to my team.”

Salazar has high expectations for the Falcons after a bi-district playoff victory.

“The biggest thing is just to bring back a gold ball,” Salazar said. “This is going to be my fourth year, and that is something I really really want to do.”

Los Fresnos’ Jj Salazar is the Brownsville Herald’s Utility Player of the Year. Photo taken at Brownsville Veterans Memorial High School. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

Newcomer of the Year: Beto Galarza, Brownsville Hanna

The Eagles had a senior-heavy ball club in 2022-23 that was very talented.

Ricardo Roman, first-team All-Metro and Kevin Flores, second-team All-Metro, were studs and mainstays on both sides of the court.

Galarza, a guard, forced his way on the court this season as a sophomore and is The Brownsville Herald’s 2023 All-Metro Boys Basketball Newcomer of the Year.

“It was a really good experience this season,” Galarza said. “The seniors, they really helped me out a lot. They taught me a lot of things that I can use for next season.”

As a sophomore, Galarza averaged eight points, four assists, three rebounds and one steal a game for the Eagles. Galarza is ready to step up his junior year for an Eagles team that will need him.

Brownsville Hanna’s Beto Galarza is the Brownsville Herald’s Newcomer of the Year. Photo taken at Brownsville Veterans Memorial High School. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

Coach of the Year: Fermin Lucio, Brownsville Hanna

Brownsville Hanna’s boys basketball team was supposed to be good this season, but the game still needs to be played and the Eagles delivered.

In his sevent season with the Eagles, Fermin Lucio guided his team to a 29-win season, a BISD tourney title, a second-place finish in District 32-6A and a bi-district playoff win.

Lucio is The Brownsville Herald’s 2023 All-Metro Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

“We did a lot of a great things,” Lucio said. “I was blessed with a great group of guys. A senior-led team with a combination of some young guys that really stepped up. I am just proud of them and blessed to be in this situation. This group of kids made the whole program look great. Overall, great season.”

Brownsville Hanna head coach Fermin Lucio is the Brownsville Herald’s Coach of the Year. Photo taken at Brownsville Veterans Memorial High School. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

All-Metro First Team

Jimmy Navarro, Brownsville St. Joseph; Ricardo Roman, Brownsville Hanna; Gio Galvan, Los Fresnos; Tyler Rudder, Brownsville Pace; Jeffrey Smith, Port Isabel

All-Metro Second Team

Ezekiel Ibarra, Brownsville Lopez; Rodrigo Castaneda, Brownsville Veterans; Luis Ramirez, Los Fresnos; Christian Smith, Port Isabel; Kevin Flores, Brownsville Hanna

SAN BENITO — Harlingen South’s Steven Ortegon was always going to be the go-to-guy on a 2022-23 Hawks team that had graduated a heap of starters and key players the year prior.

Ortegon needed to step up his junior season and did, plus some. Ortegon is the Valley Morning Star’s Most Valuable Player for the 2022-23 season.

The now-senior, Ortegon helped the Hawks capture a District 32-5A title by scoring 24 points per game and contributing with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals every time he suited up for head coach Brian Molina.

“It was a good year,” Ortegon said. “We did not finish how we wanted. We won a district championship for the first time in five or six years, but it was a fun season to play with my team. We had some seniors graduate, that I am going to miss, but we have basically our whole team coming back next year. It should be fun.”

A 43-41 loss at the hands of McAllen High in the playoffs put a damper on a terrific season by the Hawks, that saw them win 13-straight District 32-5A games en route to a title. The Hawks went 20-13 on the season and 15-3 in District 32-5A, averaging 52 ppg.

Ortegon averaged 24 of the team’s 52 points per game, nearly half of the scoring each night. Syill, the 6-foot guard remains humble about his role on the team. Ortegon understands that he needs to help his teammates become more involved offensively and even continue to improve his own individual game.

“It could be better,” Ortegon said. “I have my moments. There are some shots that I miss, that I know I should have made, but that is what I am trying to work on this summer. I am trying to expand my arsenal. I want to try and score different ways, get different looks to try and get buckets more.”

Ortegon has a smooth shot, great form – elbows always tucked when he elevates. Ortegon nailed 116 3-pointers this season, shooting an outstanding 49% from beyond the arc.

It should only take Ortegon half of his senior season to eclipse the illustrious 2,000 point mark. Ortegon is going to be sitting on 1,675 points when the Hawks begin running games in 2023.

BROWNSVILLE — Gerry Martinez dominated Brownsville area basketball the past four years at Los Fresnos and Brownsville St. Joseph, two seasons spent at each school. Martinez finished his career with the Bloodhounds to cap off an amazing high school career that saw him score more than 2,000 points.

Martinez averaged 26.9 ppg his senior season. He also grabbed seven rebounds and found his teammates three times a game. Martinez is the Brownsville Herald’s Most Valuable Player for the 2022-23 season.

Martinez’s silky smooth layups, great free-throw shooting and a lethal outside shot terrorized defenses, but it was the strides in his defensive game that continued to set Martinez apart.

The guard was tasked with stopping top outside threats this and delivered with a career-high in steals. Martinez finished with 141 steals, averaging five steals a game for a Bloodhounds team that relied on Martinez more because of the graduation of key players .

“For me personally, I made it a big goal in the offseason,” Martinez said. “I want to guard the best player. I do not care who it was and I think I did a pretty good job in the offseason in order to put myself in the position to succeed.”

Martinez admitted that the team’s success was not what the team had hoped for.

“We overcame so much this year,” Martinez said. “Not having a big for most of the year, it hurt us. I feel like my team needed me more this year. We had players last year that could take the weight off my shoulders. This year there was more weight on my shoulders, but I had been working my whole life for moments like that.”

The Bloodhounds made up for the lack of size and depth with heart. Brownsville St. Joseph went 21-8 overall and 7-3 in TAPPS 5A District 4, but only lost one game, a playoff game, by double digits.

“It was a fun four years,” Martinez said. “A lot of ups and downs, but the downs make the ups a lot better. I feel like every year I got better.”

The 6-foot guard is going to continue his playing days at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Bloodhounds head coach Sam Lucio praised Martinez’s work ethic when the 2,000-point career scorer signed in April.

“It was like having another coach on the court,” Lucio said in April. “His basketball IQ is very high for a high school kid. We are going to miss him.”

AUSTIN — San Benito one-hit Pearland, but three runs scored off of a sacrifice fly, wild pitch and a bad throw by the Greyhounds in the top of the third.

The Greyhounds had a chance to come up clutch in the top of the seventh but lost 3-2 in a Class 6A state semifinal at Red & Charline Field McCombs Field at the University of Texas at Austin.

“We had some missed opportunities,” San Benito head coach Elias Martinez said. “Our girls do not quit, they fight to the very end, and that was evident right now, we had a runner on. That is Lady ’Hounds’ softball. We fell short, but not because of lack of effort or heart. We just ran out of at-bats.”

Leila Lopez drilled a shot to the second baseman with two outs. It was too hot to handle for the second baseman, but the Oilers picked up the final out on the next batter.

The Oilers picked up their first hit during the top of the sixth off of senior pitcher Emily Delgado. The Greyhounds were one out away from picking up a team no-hitter, a cool consolation prize had they held on to it. Delgado relieved starter Amira Rodriguez for the bottom of the fourth after JoJo Montes’ RBI double shrank the lead to 3-2.

“There was games that we had been behind before, that we came back and took,” Delgado said. “I think the whole time we were just thinking about that opportunity that we get, we are going to jump on it and take back this game.”

Rodriguez is a terrific young pitcher for the Greyhounds. The sophomore dazzled during the playoffs, smacking grand slams and pitching lights out. The sophomore ran into some trouble in the third by walking the first three batters. A sac fly scored the first run, a wild pitch brought in the second and bad throw to third yielded the winning run.

San Benito scored the first run of the game during the top of the first inning. Kylie Sanchez hit into a fielder’s choice to drive in a run with bases loaded and no outs.

“Emily and Amira, they are all gamers,” Martinez said. “Give them the ball, and they are going to give you their best effort the whole way through. We could not be more proud of them. They fought until the bitter end. Finishing off third in state, is not that bad. It is not that bad.”

SAN BENITO — The winningest softball coach in the Rio Grande Valley, Elias Martinez, is leading the San Benito Greyhounds to the show again.

The 643-win Martinez and his team do not have an easy opponent, in the dugout or on the field when they play today. The Greyhounds (40-5) meet the Pearland Oilers (39-3) in the Class 6A state semifinal at 4 p.m. at Red & Charline McCombs Field at the University of Texas in Austin.

San Benito was given a No. 2 ranking by the Texas Girls Coaching Association in its Class 6A state softball poll very early in the season. Rankings at the beginning of the season are given, but at the end of the season they are earned.

Martinez said way back in March, after the Greyhounds defeated Brownsville Hanna 15-0 to open District 32-6A, that his team deserves its ranking. San Benito proved it by making it all the way to the final four.

Martinez then said if a team from the Valley was going to do it in softball, win a state championship, it was going to be San Benito.

This Greyhounds team is special. Two great pitchers, a lineup that can play small ball and can smack home runs out of the park with ease, and a defense that is very stingy. Emily Delgado and Amira Rodriguez steal the headlines at times with terrific showings in the circle and clutch hitting, but the whole team can play.

Despite this being Martinez’s third trip to state with a Greyhounds team, Pearland’s dugout has the more experienced head coach. Pearland’s Laneigh Clark has guided the Oilers to five state appearances and one state title in 2010. Clark has 686 wins in Texas softball and is the winningest coach in Class 6A history.

On the field, Texas A&M signee Hailey Golden is a player to watch. The Oilers outfielder is batting .512 coming into the state tournament.

It is hard to get film on Pearland, Martinez said Wednesday as his team had a hitting practice early in the day before a pep rally in the evening. It was a similar situation before they played San Antonio East Central in the regional final, but the longtime coach stuck with an old saying.

“You have to dot your Ts and cross your Is,” he said.

The Greyhounds have to play their game.

“They are all good,” Martinez said. “It is going to be a great tournament. One thing that they can expect from us is that we are not going to quit. We are going to fight, and that is what Lady ‘Hounds softball is. We do not quit, and we fight to the bitter end.”

SAN BENITO — Not many high school teams experience summer softball together — no more school, just sleeping in and playing softball.

San Benito’s softball season ends this week, regardless of the outcome of the Class 6A state softball tournament. The Greyhounds play in the first 6A state semifinal against Pearland at 4 p.m. Friday at Red & Charline McCombs Field at the University of Texas at Austin.

If San Benito beats Pearland, it faces the winner of Bridgeland High and Denton Guyer for the 6A state championship at 4 p.m. Saturday at the same facility.

“I think we are all ready to just be out there to take it all in and get ready to go,” now graduated pitcher and shortstop Emily Delgado said.

However it ends, the Greyhounds have made history together. San Benito has been here before under head coach Elias Martinez. The Greyhounds made it to the state tournament in 2013 and 2015, both times losing in the state semifinal.

“I have had some great athletes that worked their tails off,” Martinez said. “Because of them, we were able to get there. It feels good, it never gets old and we always want to improve.”

Martinez picked up career win No. 643 in the clincher of the Region IV-6A finals against San Antonio East Central. Martinez says the Greyhounds are relaxed and confident after beating East Central 13-1 over 14 innings of softball, 11-1 in Game 1 and 2-0 in Game 2.

“Our girls have worked hard from the very beginning,” Martinez said. “Our approach is, take it one game at a time, leave it on the field and have no regrets.”

Martinez’s coaching staff is comprised of Dulio Garza, Gus Gonzalez, Gilberto Rodriguez and Norma Rodriguez. Martinez said the players have responded well to the coaching staff all season and hopes the experience of the staff gives the players confidence in Austin.

“(Martinez) tells us what to expect, he is going to guide us,” Delgado said. “It is going to be different, but I expect to see a lot of purple and gold out there. It will be good.”

First baseman Kylie Sanchez also praised the community for the support throughout the season. Sanchez is ready to take the field defensively for a Greyhounds defense that took care of business in the regional final behind both pitchers, Delgado and sophomore Amira Rodriguez.

“I always tell my pitchers I got their back, they know it,” Sanchez said. “We just have to keep everything routine, just playing toss and catch.”

Leadoff hitter Bethany Aguilar hopes to start things off for the Greyhounds offensively. Aguilar and Elyssa Ruvio continue to provide the spark for the offense at the top of the lineup.

“I am looking to just block it out and play my game,” Aguilar said of the possible atmosphere inside McCombs field.

Standing in the way of San Benito’s chance to win a 6A softball title is Pearland. The Oilers are on a 21-game win streak and have not lost yet in the playoffs. Pearland was almost eliminated by Deer Park in a one-game Region III-6A final, but the Oilers rallied in the bottom of the seventh.

Pearland and San Benito have common opponents. They both have played San Antonio Brennan, San Antonio Harlan, Corpus Christi Flour Bluff, Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial and Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway. The Greyhounds went 7-2 in those games, and Pearland went 5-0.

“We are just there to represent the whole RGV now,” Rodriguez said. “We are playing for our girls and playing for our hometown, so we are just going to get out there and show out.”

Sierra Herrera, Keara Dominguez, Aliyah Puente, Amira Rodriguez, JoJo Montes, GG Garcia, Bethany Aguilar, Emily Delgado, Mia Gonzalez, Elyssa Ruvio, Leila Lopez, Jade Maya, Jenna Torres and Kylie Sanchez make up the roster going to Austin, and Patty Mendiola is the team’s manager.

EDINBURG — A lightning delay forced RGVFC off the pitch in the 21st minute and with it the hosts’ bright start to the match.

The Toros were the far better side for the opening 20 minutes with a relentless attack that yielded countless of chances against the visiting Charleston Battery, but after the lightning break the visitors took their chances and left the Rio Grande Valley with a 2-0 victory.

“Prior to coming here for the media session, I reviewed the first half of the match, and we dominated this team [Charleston] but we do not, for whichever reason, put the ball in the net. They had one attack in the first half, and we make a small mistake and get punished,” Toros head coach Wilmer Cabrera said.

Battery striker Augustine Williams converted a 64th minute penalty to double the visiting side’s advantage and give himself a brace.

The Sierra Leon international opened the scoring a few minutes after play resumed. The Toros failed to clear a ball whipped in the box and Williams pounced to put the Battery up 1-0.

Leading the pack in the East! 🐺

Two goals from Augustine Williams and a 10-save performance from Trey Muse helped the @Chas_Battery defeat @RGVFC 2-0!#RGVvCHS | https://t.co/3TkwJeS8P1 pic.twitter.com/AXKgT2NiVp

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) May 28, 2023

Toros’ debut keeper, league debut, Carlos Merancio could not keep high percentage chances, a point-blank shot and a penalty, out of the back of his net. The two goals were enough for Battery and they would see out the match.

““It is always good to earn minutes, but it is obviously difficult to lose points at home. The most important aspect is the team, not the individual marks. As a unit we need to keep working toward improvement to shake this off and lift the team spirit,” Merancio said.

Ricky Ruiz, Taylor Davila and Christian François all had good chances in the opening minutes, only to see their shots saved. The Toros outshot the Battery 20-to-10 and directed more of those shots on target 10-to-2. RGVFC finished with 59% of the possession.

“We can change our playstyle, drop back, and clear the ball, but that is not the way that we feel is the way we should play at all. The players know that if we continue playing with good possession and being aggressive, tonight we had ten shots on goal or more but were unable to score while their goalkeeper just received easy shots to his body. I take the responsibility for this naturally but when we play anywhere, home, or away, teams respect us because we have good control of the ball,” Cabrera said.

CORPUS CHRISTI — The San Benito Greyhounds’ seniors on the softball team were excited about the prospects of having a graduation at Cabaniss Field before even stepping foot in Corpus Christi.

The seniors saved themselves from an awkward graduation by winning the Region IV-6A final and graduating as winners, instead of having to go to Beeville today for a Game 3.

The Greyhounds defeated San Antonio East Central in Game 2 by a score of 2-0 to win the series 2-0 and advance to the Class 6A state semifinal round next week in Austin.

Seniors Emily Delgado, Bethany Aguilar, GG Garcia, Leila Lopez, Kylie Sanchez, Elyssa Ruvio and Patty Mendiola grabbed their cap and gowns as regional champions.

“It is a great feeling,” Delgado said. “I spent so much time with these girls, and there is no place that I would rather be. It is a great feeling to go to state. I am glad to share it with my sisters.”

The Greyhounds’ two runs came off throwing errors by the Hornets. Aguilar scored during the bottom of the fifth after a pickoff attempt by the catcher went wayward and Aguilar sprinted home to make it 2-0.

Sanchez scored during the bottom of the fourth inning after being moved over to third by a bunt. After securing the out, the San Antonio East Central first baseman opted to check Sanchez, who was already safe at third, but the throw missed the third baseman high and Sanchez strolled in to make it 1-0.

“The ball went over and I ran as fast as I could,” Sanchez said. “I do not have the greatest speed, but I was trying to score for my team. It felt amazing knowing I was the first run and doing it on my graduation date. I wanted to do it for my team, coaches and everyone.”

San Antonio East Central outhit San Benito 7-5 with an extra at-bat, but had two errors and San Benito had none. Delgado gave up the odd hit early in the innings, but the defense responded to end the Hornets’ threats.

“We started off a little slow,” Delgado said. “But I know my defense had my back, and we came out here and worked. Every time someone got on first, I looked at my corners and said, ‘Let’s run a double play.’ Sometimes we were just looking for outs.”

Next up for the Greyhounds is the Class 6A state tournament next week at Red & Charline McCombs Field at the University of Texas at Austin. If San Benito wins next Friday in the Class 6A state semifinal, it advances to the state championship game the following day.

San Benito’s offense flexed its might early in Game 1 of a Regional IV-5A final Thursday night, but the Greyhounds exploded during the top of the fifth inning to run-rule San Antonio East Central.

The Greyhounds won the game 11-1 over the Hornets in Beeville and now take a 1-0 series advantage into Game 2 Friday night at Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi.

“There was no way we were going to let them beat us,” San Benito head coach Elias Martinez said. “We came out aggressive and played smart defensively. We made the routine plays and kept everything at a minimal. Our girls would not be denied.”

A 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of Elyssa Ruvio’s fly ball catch, Emily Delgado’s backhand and throw to first, and Jenna Torres’ routine putout from third sealed Game 1 with Amira Rodriguez in the circle.

Rodriguez started the fifth with a solo home run, and Ruvio and Delgado tacked on late RBIs to extend the lead. Rodriguez had another crack at it but flew out to end the inning.

Rodriguez and Delgado started the game off strong. Rodriguez brought in two with a single with the bases loaded. Heads-up baserunning by Delgado to steal home scored the Greyhounds’ next run, giving them a 3-0 lead after only an inning. San Benito led 6-1 after two innings.

It will be a new game Friday night, Martinez said. The head coach knows that the series is far from over, but is pleased with the performance Thursday in Beeville.

“That was San Benito softball at its finest,” Martinez said.