BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

The story of the Rio Grande City Lady Rattlers’ season has been one of inconsistency. Sporting a young starting five without the presence of a senior, the team has seen its youth be a blessing and a curse.

But during Monday’s Class 5A bi-district game against Brownsville Pace at PSJA North High School, Rio played one of its most focused games of the season. Thanks to stout perimeter defense and 29 points from sophomore post Jocy Amaya, the Lady Rattlers won 55-33 to secure their first playoff win in program history.

“I kept talking to the kids about the opportunity for history,” coach Gustavo Valenciana said. “We missed out on our goal for a district championship, but we I said, ‘We can still get a trophy if we win. Next year gets tougher. Don’t leave it to chance.’”

“It was a very, very special moment for us in the locker room after the game,” he continued. “The kids were anxious, but excited. I was anxious, too.”

Rio advances to the area round to play Laredo Cigarroa at Zapata at 7 p.m. Friday. The matchup doubles as a chance for the Lady Rattlers to test their mettle against an incoming district opponent.

Laredo Nixon, Martin and Cigarroa will join District 31-5A in the fall due to UIL realignment.

“Our district gets really crowded now,” Valenciana said. “I think this will be a good opportunity to see where we’re at and how good we really can be beginning next year with a veteran team.”

Cigarroa will prove a formidable foe. The Lady Toros went 14-0 in District 29-5A to win the district title. Cigarroa is 30-6 overall and are 10-2 against Valley teams (with losses to Harlingen High and Weslaco High).

Valenciana scouted Cigarroa’s bi-district contest against Alice and was impressed with the Lady Toros’ size, speed and ability to press. In an effort to bring his team up to speed (literally) against a faster Cigarroa squad, the Lady Rattlers are practicing against the boys team.

“Perhaps I don’t give my team enough credit sometimes,” Valenciana said. “I had time to go back and watch film today, and we played even better than I remember we did. We just had this level of energy that sometimes isn’t always there for us. We’ll certainly need that against Cigarroa if we want things to go our way.”

WHO’S LEFT
There are 10 Valley-girls teams competing in the area round. Alphabetically, they are Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Edinburg IDEA Quest, Edinburg Vela, Harlingen High, Hidlago, Mission Veterans Memorial, PSJA North, Rio Grande City, Sharyland High and Weslaco High.

Valley’s Best and Mythical Standings for 2.18.16

Team Standings

Boys

1, Harlingen High, 55.25; 2, La Joya Palmview, 53; 3, Harlingen South, 50; 4, Weslaco High, 41.25; 5, McAllen High, 39; 6, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 36; 7, PSJA North, 34; 8, Mission Veterans Memorial, 26.25; 9, Los Fresnos, 26; 10, Mission High, 24; 10, San Benito, 24.

Girls

1, La Joya Palmview, 81; 2, Weslaco High, 60; 3, McAllen Memorial, 58.25; 4, Harlingen South, 51.75; 5, Harlingen High, 46; 6, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 38; 7, Mission Veterans Memorial, 35; 8, Los Fresnos, 32; 9, Brownsville Hanna, 25; 10, Donna High, 25.

Individual Standings

Boys

Track Events

* Fully Automatic Time

100-Meter dash

1, Abraham Garza, Sharyland High, 10.96; 2, David Garza, Rio Grande City, 11.03; 3, Christopher Rosales, Harlingen High, 11.05; 4, Gunnar Henderson, McAllen High, 11.10; 5, Fabian Ledesma, Mercedes, 11.23; 6, Juan Jose Peña, Roma, 11.29.

200-Meter dash

1, Christopher Rosales, Harlingen High, 21.97; 2, Justin Medina, Edcouch-Elsa, 22.23; 3, Jaime Padilla, Edcouch-Elsa, 22.28; 4, Christian Perales, Los Fresnos, 22.92*; 5, Javier Gonzalez, Harlingen South, 23.04*; 6, Marc Ledesma, Mercedes, 23.04*.

400-Meter dash

1, Sergio Murillo, Weslaco High, 50.17; 2, Christopher Rosales, Harlingen High, 51.38; 3, Adrian Lopez, La Joya Palmview, 5.191; 4, Alex Cordova, Mission High, 52.01; 5, Daniel Mireles, Sharyland Pioneer, 52.65; 6, Luis Escalera, Sharyland High, 52.77.

800-Meter run

1, Victor Boca, La Joya Palmview, 1:57.11; 2, Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:57.67; 3, Anthony Garza, Brownsville Rivera, 1:59.40; 4, Marcus Guajardo, Edinburg Vela, 2:01.35; 5, Ruben Chapa, Brownsville Rivera, 2:04.64; 6, Arturo Cedillo, McAllen High, 2:04.65.

1600-Meter run

1, Dominic Cavazos, Mercedes, 4:26.03; 2, Jose Aleman, Sharyland Pioneer, 4:29.46; 3, Juan Orozco, PSJA North, 4:31.79; 4, Jose Boca, La Joya Palmview, 4:33.01; 5, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 4:33.78; 6, Jose De Ochoa, Mission Veterans Memorial, 4:34.70.

3200-Meter run

1, Fabian Garza, Mission Veterans Memorial, 9:49.67; 2, Anthony Garza, Brownsville Rivera, 9:49.90; 3, Dominic Cavazos, Mercedes, 9:58.00; 4, Juan Orozco, PSJA North, 10:01.31; 5, Francisco Morales, Donna High, 10:10.78; 6, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 10:15.93.

110-Meter hurdles

1, Joshua McGowen, McAllen High, 14.26; 2, Manuel Lerma, McAllen High, 15.56; 3, Carlos Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15.87*; 4, Brandon Bradford, PSJA North, 15.88*; 5, Robert Little, Mercedes, 15.94*; 6, Tristan Guerra, Sharyland Pioneer, 16.14*.

300-Meter hurdles

1, Joshua McGowen, McAllen High, 38.40; 2, Marc Garcia, Mission High, 40.16; 3, Gunner Henderson, McAllen High, 41.20; 4, Jorge Cantu, San Benito, 41.32; 5, Tristan Geurra, Sharyland Pioneer, 41.94; 6, Jose Garza, Sharyland High, 42.02.

400-Meter relay

1, Harlingen South, 43.84*; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 43.88*; 3, Mission High, 43.94*; 4, PSJA North, 44.03*; 5, McAllen Memorial, 44.04*; 6, Edinburg Economedes, 44.14*.

800-Meter relay

1, Harlingen South, 1:31.75; 2, San Benito, 1:31.78; 3, Los Fresnos, 1:31.88; 4, Sharyland High, 1:32.36; 5, Weslaco High, 1:32.39; 6, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:32.69*.

1600-Meter relay

1, Harlingen High, 3:28.40; 2, La Joya Palmview, 3:30.86; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:31.52*; 4, Edinburg Economedes, 3:31.75*; 5, Weslaco High, 3:32.02; 6, Brownsville Rivera, 3:32.30.

Field Events

Shot put

1, Mike Zuniga, Rio Hondo, 57-09; 2, Travis Barnes, Harlingen High, 53-11; 3, Ricardo Espinoza, La Joya Palmview, 51-04; 4, John Belmares, San Benito, 51-02; 5, Mike Gonzalez, PSJA Memorial, 49-01; 6, John Banda, Weslaco East, 48-01.5.

Discus

1, Mike Zuniga, Rio Hondo, 157-11; 2, Mike Gonzalez, PSJA Memorial, 156-04; 3, Tanner Trigg, Sharyland Pioneer, 151-07; 4, Jordan De Leon, Mission Veterans Memorial, 150-05; 5, Sydney Mock, Port Isabel, 147-01; 6, Johnny Howell, Sharyland Pioneer, 146-03.

Long Jump

1, Alexander Lara, Weslaco High, 22-01.5; 2, Brandon Frausto, Brownsville Lopez, 21-03; 3, Jose Barrera, McAllen Rowe, 21-02.5; 4, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 21-02.5; 5, Anthony Gonzalez, Brownsville Porter, 20-11.25; 6, Michael Arguellez, Edinburg Vela, 20-04.5

Triple Jump

1, Pete Perez, Los Fresnos, 43-08; 2, Brandon Frausto, Brownsville Lopez, 43-00; 3, Josh Garcia, PSJA North, 42-11; 4, Jose Galvan, Progreso, 42-09.5; 5, Hector Bosque, McAllen Rowe, 42-08.25; 6, Marcus Barrera, Donna High, 42-05.75.

High Jump

1, Robert Rosales, Valley View, 6-04; 2, Victor Boca, La Joya Palmview, 6-02; 3, Joe Solis, Edinburg Vela, 5-10; 4, Alexander Lara, Weslaco High, 5-10; 5, Landry Gilpin, Mission Veterans Memorial, 5-10; 6, Devin Rosas, Harlingen High, 5-10.

Pole Vault

1, Jon Zapata, Weslaco High, 13-06; 2, Mike Garza, PSJA North, 13-00; 3, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 13-00; 4, Marcus Ramirez, Harlingen South, 13-00; 5, Samuel Alvarez, Harlingen South, 12-06.

Girls

Track Events

* Fully Automatic Time

100-Meter dash

1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 12.21; 2, Mirna Tamez, La Joya Palmview, 12.85; 3, Karina Quintanilla, Harlingen South, 12.88; 4, Yasmine Martinez, Harlingen High, 12.89; 5, Marina Garcia, Brownsville Hanna, 13.14; 6, Melody Magee, McAllen High, 13.21.

200-Meter dash

1, Nicole Gonzalez, Harlingen South, 25.97; 2, Rebeca Martinez, Sharyland Pioneer, 26.56; 3, Auden Pineda, Brownsville Hanna, 26.81; 4, Mia Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview, 26.97; 5, Yasmine Martinez, Harlingen High, 27.01; 6, Reyna Medrano, Brownsville Lopez, 27.05.

400-Meter dash

1, Nicole Gonzalez, Harlingen South, 59.27; 2, Juliana Guerrero, Harlingen High, 61.86; 3, Mia Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview, 62.42; 4, Bailey Villalon, La Joya Palmview, 63.14; 5, Auden Pineda, Bronwsville Hanna, 63.28; 6, Yvonne Sanchez, Donna High, 63.63.

800-Meter run

1, Kelly Aguinaga, Edouch-Elsa, 2:26.00; 2, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 2:27.41; 3, Nadia Sifuentes, Brownsville Hanna, 2:27.50; 4, Devin Sanchez, Harlingen High, 2:29.00; 5, Lauren Rodriguez, San Benito, 2:32.00; 6, Naila Flores, La Joya Palmview, 2:32.63.

1600-Meter run

1, Beth Ramos, Edinburg North, 5:20.07; 2, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 5:24.50; 3, Ana Bautista, Rio Grande City, 5:28.29; 4, Kelly Aguinaga, Edcouch-Elsa, 5:28.68; 5 Vianney Sanchez, Edinburg High, 5:31.05; 6, Hope Ngo, Brownsville Pace, 5:37.41.

3200-Meter run

1, Ana Bautista, Rio Grande City, 11:45.39; 2, Soledad Cruz, Mercedes, 12:14.80; 3, Nadia Sifuentes, Brownsville Hanna, 12:16.00; 4, Andrea De Le Rosa, Brownsville Rivera, 12:19.00; 5, Marlette Treviño, Rio Grande City, 12:25.42; 6, Mayra Bernardo, Edinburg Economedes, 12:31.82.

100-meter hurdles

1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 14.55*; 2, Gabriela Solis, Edinburg Vela, 16.68*; 3, Olivia Garcia, Edinburg Vela, 17.05*; 4, Samantha Riveria, PSJA North, 17.19*; 5, Andrea Muniga, McAllen Memorial, 17.19*; 5, Caleigh Hausenfluck, Sharyland High, 17.24*; 6, Alyssa Salazar, Los Fresnos, 17.24*.

300-meter hurdles

1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 44.54*; 2, Thanya Garza, McAllen Memorial, 49.49*; 3, Alyssa Salazar, Los Fresnos, 49.80; 4, Skylar Hernandez, McAllen High, 50.21; 5, Esperanza Pedraza, Weslaco High, 51.35*; 6, Diana Perez, Sharyland High, 52.12.

400-meter relay

1, Harlingen South, 50.58; 2, La Joya Palmview, 50.71; 3, McAllen Memorial, 51.13*; 4, Weslaco High, 51.53*; 5, Weslaco East, 51.71*; 6, Los Fresnos, 51.74*.

800-meter relay

1, La Joya Palmview, 1:51.37; 2, Donna High, 1:51.36; 3, McAllen Memorial, 1:51.69*; 4, Los Fresnos, 1:51.84; 5, Harlingen South, 1:52.05; 6, Sharyland Pioneer, 1:52.28.

1600-meter relay

1, Harlingen High, 4:11.59; 2, Weslaco High, 4:12.77*; 3, McAllen Memorial, 4:15.22*; 4, Brownsville Pace, 4:19.06; 5, Los Fresnos, 4:21.65*; 6, McAllen Rowe, 4:22.09*.

Field Events

Shot Put

1, Valeria Granadas, Los Fresnos, 27-10.5; 2, Eloisa Martinez, McAllen Memorial, 37-01; 3, Alexis Vasquez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 36-07; 4, Gertrudis Ruiz-Balli, Brownsville Pace, 35-09.5; 5, Felicita Seanz, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 35-06; 6, Malaya Pistokache, Sharyland Pioneer, 33-04.

Discus

1, Karen Guerra, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 122-08; 2, Yvette Tamez, Donna High, 119-09; 3, Ciera Gonzalez, Weslaco High, 119-07; 4, Emily Zamora, Edinburg Vela, 113-08; 5, Valeria Granadas, Los Fresnos, 113-07; 6, Ashley Navarro, Mission Veterans Memorial, 113-03.

Long Jump

1, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 17-03.75; 2, Caleigh Hausenfluck, 17-02.5; 3, Mirna Tamez, La Joya Palmview, 16-10; 4, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans Memorial, 16-02; 5, Auden Pineda, Brownsville Hanna, 16-02; 6, Shana Alvarado, Edcouch-Elsa, 16-01.

Triple Jump

1, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans Memorial, 35-06.5; 2, Juliana Guerrero, Harlingen High, 35-03; 3, Amanda Lozano, Mission Veterans Memorial, 34-03.25; 4, Bridgette Famiglietti, Sharyland Pioneer, 34-00; 5, Jakcie Alanis, PSJA High, 33-10.5; 6, Charlize De La Garza, Mission Veterans Memorial, 33-09.75.

High Jump

1, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 5-02; 2, Charlize De La Garza, Mission Veterans Memorial, 5-02; 3, Hannah Kelly, McAllen High, 5-02; 4, Jackie Alanis, PSJA High, 5-00; 5, Patty Young, Edinburg Vela, 5-00; 6, Danielle Burget, Weslaco East, 5-00; 7, Annelle Rodriguez, Harlingen South, 5-00.

Pole Vault

1, Sydney Salinas, Weslaco High, 11-00; 2, Marifer Valenica, Brownsville St. Joseph, 10-06; 3, Carolina Carillo, PSJA North, 8-06; 4, Elizabeth St. Clair, McAllen Memorial, 8-06; 5, Kimberly Castro, PSJA North, 8-06; 6, Bianca Cardenas, Edcouch-Elsa, 8-06.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela’s turbulent season paid dividends when it mattered most.

After taking their lumps during a year wherein key players missed significant time with injuries, the Lady SaberCats entered Tuesday’s bi-district game against Mercedes well-versed in finding ways to win.

Holding just a one-point lead over the Lady Tigers heading into the fourth quarter, Vela’s resolve helped it acquire buckets down the stretch to keep Mercedes at bay for a 41-37 victory. The win sets up an area round contest against Victoria East at a time and place to be determined

today.
Both teams played a tight game from start to finish. The biggest lead of eight points was notched by Mercedes during the first quarter, when the Lady Tigers opened on an 8-0 run thanks in part to back-to-back corner 3s from senior guard Alyssa Marquez.

But Vela responded with a 6-0 run of its own, setting the tone for the game’s back-and-forth nature.Mercedes led 14-11 after the first quarter behind hot-handed shooting. Of the Lady Tigers’ five first-quarter field goals, four came from downtown.

But Mercedes’ long-range attack mostly vanished the rest of the game after Vela switched from a 1-3-1 into a 3-2 zone. The Lady Tigers made just two 3-pointers the rest of the way.

“They like to shoot a lot,” Vela coach Lottie Zarate said. “They like to take the ball inside and kick it back out. We wanted to eliminate both of those components and force them to take tough shots.”

Mercedes, an undersized team, struggled to get clean looks inside against a taller Vela squad. The few open shots it got at the rim often came in transition off steals. Junior guard Jacklynn Flores scored six of her nine points doing just that.

Though Vela had a size advantage, it failed to completely dominate the paint. Posts Bianca Cortez and Brittany Escobar cleaned the glass, but combined to go 1-of-8 from the field during the first half, leaving easy points on the board during a game in which every possession counted.

Consistent post play arrived during the second quarter in the form of Terri Garza, who scored six points in that time on 3-of-3 shooting. She finished with eight points.

“I always get really nervous before games,” Garza said.

“I get really nervous and excited, and every time I touch the ball something bad happens. But tonight, I just calmed down and let everything come to me. I just played my game.”

Leading 31-30 with eight minutes to play, Vela opened with a 6-0 run during a frantic stretch of play that saw both teams commit their share of turnovers.

Mercedes didn’t score in the fourth quarter until a Victoria Anciso free throw with 3:15 left. Though the Lady Tigers’ press defense turned into a few more transition layups, the clock expired to end a historic season for Mercedes, which went undefeated in district for the first time in program history.

“We struggled to make midrange shots,” Mercedes coach Monica Meza said.

“When you can’t box out or crash the boards, you make it very difficult on yourself. Unfortunately, that’s the way it went for us tonight.”

[email protected]

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Aside from handcuffing Jordan Rudd to the bench, Edinburg High did just about everything it could to stop her.

Through Monday’s Class 6A bi-district game at Edinburg High School, the Lady Bobcats face-guarded the junior point guard, pressed her and then resorted to a 2-3 zone. All of it was for not naught, however, as Rudd scored 30 points en route to handing Edinburg a 49-40 loss.

This is the second time in as many years in which the two teams met in the bi-district round, with the Lady Chargers besting Edinburg High both times. The Lady Bobcats finish the season with a 28-10 record.

Despite Rudd’s standout performance, Edinburg was never completely out of the game until the closing minutes. Though the Lady Bobcats trailed by double digits for much of the night, the team had plenty of opportunities to close the gap, it just couldn’t convert.

Edinburg took 25 shots at the foul line, but made just eight. While it owned the glass and could have converted several second-chance buckets, officials allowed for a physical game, making it difficult to score on put-backs.

“It’s our job to adjust to the way the officials call the game,” Edinburg High coach John David Salinas said. “We just couldn’t manage a way to do that. At the end of the day, you have to put the ball in the basket, and we just couldn’t do it. Even if we make half of our free throws, maybe this becomes a different ballgame.”

Jayla Santa Maria led Edinburg with 17 points, but her performance was overshadowed by Rudd’s sensational play.

Whether it was collecting easy points at the foul line (where she went 8-of-11), scoring on midrange pull-ups or connecting on three straight attempts from deep, Rudd scored in every facet of the game.

“She was just feeling it,” Brownsville Veterans Memorial coach Valentine Paz said. “She shot wherever she wanted to tonight because she was feeling it. If you’re in that groove, you might as well take them.”

The Lady Chargers took the lead 6-4 during the first quarter and never looked back. The team led by double digits for much of the night as Rudd’s passing and handling abilities kept the offense clicking.

But it was her scoring that provided a safety net for a team that, despite the win, did not play its best basketball. Edinburg outrebounded Vets by a significant margin and several Lady Chargers missed their share of open jumpers — Briana Cortez, Krista Lopez and Hanna Meyers combined to go 3-of-24.

Rudd set the tone early for the Lady Chargers, scoring eight points during the first quarter — matching Edinburg’s point total by herself. Taking a 13-9 lead into the second quarter, Rudd got hot from downtown, sinking back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers from the top of the key near the volleyball line.

Vets led Edinburg 32-17 at the half.

Though down, the Lady Bobcats responded with an 8-2 run to begin the third quarter, trimming the Lady Chargers’ lead to single digits.

With teammates experiencing an off-night shooting the ball and Edinburg’s defense keying on her, Rudd responded by scoring all nine of Vets’ third quarter points, muting the Lady Bobcat’s run.

“I never really think of it as ‘It’s all on me,’” Rudd said. “I just do what I need to do to try and get my teammates into it and get them easy baskets.”

Taking a 41-30 lead into the final quarter, Vets was content to play keep-away. With the ball in her hands, Rudd and the Lady Chargers killed clock and forced Edinburg to foul in hopes of getting the ball back.

“Our offense just broke down,” Edinburg junior post Natalie Roxburgh said. “We got the rebounds, but we, including myself, just couldn’t get it to go down into the hole. Just one of those nights.”

[email protected]

Valley-Girls Basketball Playoff Schedule

Class 6A Bi-district
Monday’s Games

Brownsville Veterans Memorial 49, Edinburg High 40
Harlingen High 88, Edinburg North 52
Laredo Alexander 82, McAllen High 31
Laredo United 72, La Joya Palmview 49
PSJA North 66, Harlingen South 37
Weslaco High 59, Brownsville Rivera 40

Tuesday’s Games

Del Rio 37, McAllen Rowe 33
Laredo United South 66, McAllen Memorial 63

Class 5A Bi-district
Monday’s Games

Mission Veterans Memorial 55, PSJA High 40
Rio Grande City 55, Brownsville Pace 33

Tuesday’s Games

Sharyland High 59, Edcouch-Elsa 32
Edinburg Vela 41, Mercedes 37

Class 4A Bi-district
Tuesday’s Game

Beeville 40, La Feria 38
Hidalgo 45, Rockport-Fulton 31
West Oso 49, Rio Hondo 29

Class 3A Bi-district
Monday’s Game

Banquete 42, Lyford 39
Bishop 44, Brownsville IDEA Frontier 20
Edinburg IDEA Quest 51, Santa Gertrudis 33

Tuesday’s Game

San Diego 77, Santa Rosa 42

Class 2A Bi-district
Monday’s Games

Refugio 53, La Vila 39
Corpus Christi London 66, San Isidro 29
Port Arnasas 64, San Perlita 32
Agua Dulce 37, Santa Maria 36

Class 6A Area
Friday’s Games

Brownsville Veterans Memoiral vs. Laredo Alexander at Corpus Christi Carrol, 7 p.m.
Harlingen High vs. Laredo United at Rio Grande City High School, 7 p.m.
PSJA North vs. Del Rio, TBD
Weslaco High vs. Laredo United South, TBD

Class 5A area
Friday’s Games

Edinburg Vela vs. Victoria East, TBD
Mission Veterans Memorial vs. Flour Bluff at Texas A&M Kingsville, TBD
Rio Grande City vs. Laredo Cigarroa at Zapata, 7 p.m.
Sharyland High vs. Victoria West, TBD

Class 4A area

Hidalgo vs. Crystal City, TBD

Class 3A Area
Friday’s Game

Edinburg IDEA Quest vs. Odem at Falfurrias High School, 7 p.m.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — During the three-hour bus ride to Laredo, members of the McAllen Rowe Lady Warriors will do the usual to pass the time: sleep, crack jokes, gossip about boys or just stare out the window.

But overshadowing the trip for Tuesday’s bi-district game against Del Rio is a truth they all recognize, but won’t necessarily speak of. That this bus trip, for much of the team, could be their last one together.

The Lady Warriors boast a roster replete with seven seniors and ranks among the most successful Valley teams over the last two years. During that time, Rowe has won 45 games, accumulated a 22-2 record in District 30-6A, won back-to-back district titles and been a model of consistency.

Yes, the Xs and Os for a successful team are present. But the Lady Warriors know that success is more than know-how or talent. There is something to be said for chemistry, and playing alongside your friends.

“Chemistry wise, I would say this is the best team I’ve ever had,” Rowe coach Raul Vega said. “I don’t have any problems with them.

They all get along and they all look after each other on and off the court. They’re so together in a way that I’ve never seen before.”

Watching Rowe is akin to a basketball assembly line. Though the team lacks a go-to scorer, each player fits into a specific role and play to the best of their ability. The result is a methodical and exacting style of play that’s almost surgical.

Rowe’s corps of seniors has been playing together in large part since their time at Fossum Middle School. But the crew of seven who make up most of the varsity roster didn’t fully form until their sophomore season, wherein the young team took its lumps.

During the 2013-14 season, Rowe won just six games, finished second to last in district and appeared on the ropes. With players beginning to blossom in other sports — most notably volleyball — Vega offered the players a chance to pull the escape hatch.

Instead of discord, the Lady Warriors chose harmony.

“It was definitely something we had to figure out,” Mayda Garcia said during a phone interview. “We had no leadership on the team around that time. No one knew if we’d make the playoffs or how the season was going to go. We learned a lot about ourselves.”

The catalyst for the team’s run was last year’s McAllen Rowe round robin tournament, in which the team went undefeated to claim its first tournament crown together. That kick-started a 13-game win streak which propelled them to a district title.

“We were really excited to see what was to come after that,” Ryela Rodriguez said during a phone interview. “We went out there every time not knowing what was going to happen, but the wins started coming for us after that.”

Several members of the team say point guard Deanna Spear has improved the most since their time together as middle schoolers. Though reserved and shy in person, teammates describe Spear as a quiet leader who effectively runs the offense with an eye on chemistry.

“I’m always trying to keep people involved,” Spear said. “Whether it’s just making sure people are getting the ball when they’re open, getting people touches when there is a favorable matchup, it takes five people to score.”

Garcia says Rodriguez has made great strides as well, morphing from a player who got by on height, to a dual threat who can hold her own on the glass as well as handle the ball.

“She was that goofy tall girl that no one really thinks can do anything,” Garcia said. “She just stood there to look intimidating, more or less. She really wants to do something on the court now and has been working a lot in the post. She can actually run down the court too and take it to the rim. It surprises us.”

All of Rowe’s growth and togetherness will be tested Tuesday when they face Del Rio in the bi-district round at Texas A&M International. Though the Rams are technically the worst playoff team in District 29-6A, they’ve beaten Laredo Alexander and Laredo United, teams who split the district championship.

Though Rowe has played Laredo-area schools this season, Del Rio is not one of them. Vega hasn’t seen them in person, but he knows they have a 6-foot-2 post and a speedy point guard as a formidable one-two punch. He says quickness and starting strong will be keys to securing a victory and extending the Lady Warriors’ season.

Win or lose, however, there’s no denying Rowe is experiencing the end of an era. At some point, the season has to end. But it’s a thought the team will soak in once the moment arrives. For now, there’s a game to win.

“Every game going in, (Coach) looks at the seniors and says, ‘You play how you want to. You only have so much time left.’ We always thought, ‘Eh, it’s three months. That’s a lot of time.’ But this could be our last game. We’re taking things more seriously, trying to focus on what we can do better, but the end has been on our minds.”

[email protected]

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — The taxpayers of PSJA ISD have Michael Gonzalez to thank for the shiny and new portion of chain-link fence near T-STEM Early College High School.

As the PSJA Memorial senior practiced the discuss throw Thursday for his season-opening meet at Saturday’s Winter Relays, only a measly orange mesh fence stood between the far-flung projectiles and passing students.

The distance from the throwing ring to the school’s sidewalk is roughly 190 feet, a significant distance for a thrower to achieve during a preseason practice. But for Gonzalez, his burgeoning strength came at the expense of someone’s car.

On an attempt where everything clicked — his footwork, pivot and release — the discuss sailed past the fence, bounced off the sun-dried grass and careened into a gray sedan.

“It didn’t do anything major,” Gonzalez says of the damage. “It hit near the rim of her tire. (The driver) watched me do it, too. Everything was fine, though.”

No harm no foul, but a school official put an end to the workout session and the new segment of fencing was installed Friday.

No vehicles were dinged Saturday at PSJA Stadium, and Gonzalez didn’t come anywhere near the distance achieved in his practice attempt. Still, even on a day where Gonzalez put up numbers which left him indifferent, he managed to win gold in the boys discus (156 feet, 4 inches) and shot put (49-01), setting a new personal best in the latter event.

For Gonzalez, a multi-sport athlete who ranks among the Valley’s premier throwers, gold is expected every time he enters the ring. For him, the luster of first isn’t as important as improving — especially during his final season.

“Last year, I was just going out there and trying to throw as far as I could,” Gonzalez said. “This year, I’ve really been focusing a lot on my technique. I’m stronger, but I’m also smarter. I’m more aware of the things I have to do when I’m competing.”

Gonzalez’s senior-year goal is simple: State meet or bust.

Adding fuel to his already-competitive fire is a bitter loss at the regional meet in San Antonio a season ago. During a competition in which the top two finishers automatically qualify for state, Gonzalez finished third, clipped by seven inches on the final throw from Terrance Steele of Cibolo Steele.

“I’m still not over it,” Gonzlaez said. “It just makes me grind more. Hopefully I can go back there and take what’s mine.”

With regionals still three months away, Gonzalez will have to let the long-simmering sting of defeat settle a little more.

Helping him get over his post-regional blues is PSJA Memorial throwing coach coach Marc Evans — who last year made a mid-season move from Wesalco East and didn’t begin coaching Gonzalez until the District 31-6A meet.

“What we’ve been working on with him is putting his rhythm together,” Evans said. “We’re going throwing his timing in the ring, the release, where his head is supposed to be, and something he’s been good at since before I got to work with him, and that’s when to pull and finish it.”

“One day, everything is going to come together and he’s going to throw 190 feet. That’s good enough to medal at the state level. If he keeps working hard and eliminates the negatives, there’s no one that can beat him.”

[email protected]

PSJA North Winter Relays Results

PSJA Stadium

Pharr

Feb. 13

BOYS
Track Events

100-meter hurdles — 1, Carlos Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15.87; 2, Brandon Bradford, PSJA North, 15.88; 3, Omar Silva, Port Isabel, 16.27; 4, Juan Vargas, Weslaco East, 17.21; 5, Eriberto Rodriguez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 17.27; 6, Andrew Rodriguez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 17.98.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Carlos Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 42.27; 2, Omar Silva, Port Isabel, 42.76; 3, Obed Fernandez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 43.79; 4, Rene Ramirez, PSJA North, 43.93; 5, Trey Guajardo, PSJA High, 44.25; 6, Juan Vargas, Weslaco East, 45.38.

400-meter relay — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 43.88; 2, PSJA North, 44.03; 3, PSJA Southwest, 44.19; 4, Weslaco East, 44.98; 5, PSJA High, 45.67; 6, PSJA Memorial, 46.47.

800-meter relay — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:32.69; 2, Weslaco East, 1:33.26; 3, PSJA Southwest, 1:33.68; 4, PSJA Memorial, 1:34.22; 5, PSJA North, 1:34.67; 6, PSJA High, 1:36.28.

1600-meter relay — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:31.52; 2, PSJA Memorial, 3:32.92; 3, Weslaco East, 3:33.01; 4, PSJA North, 3:34.71; 5, La Joya High, 3:39.54; 6, PSJA High, 3:41.90.

3200-meter relay — 1, Weslaco East, 8:18.54; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 8:27.79; 3, La Joya High, 8:27.94; 4, PSJA Southwest, 8:50.90; 5, PSJA Memorial, 8:55.08; 6, PSJA High, 9:46.30.

6400-meter relay — 1, Weslaco East, 18:39.27; 2, PSJA North, 18:48.94; 3, PSJA Southwest, 19:42.55; 4, PSJA High, 19:56.51; 5, PSJA Memorial, 20:08.34; 6, La Joya High, 20:18.51.

800-meter sprint medley relay — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:37.20; 2, PSJA Memorial, 1:38.78; 3, PSJA High, 1:39.29; 4, PSJA North, 1:40.68; 5, PSJA Southwest, 1:41.69; 6, Weslaco East, 1:41.87.

1600-meter sprint medley relay — 1, La Joya High, 3:45.40; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:48.92; 3, PSJA North, 3:52.53; 4, Weslaco East, 3:54.84; 5, PSJA Southwest, 3:56.13; 6, PSJA High, 4:00.26.

Distance medley relay — 1, PSJA North, 10:53.41; 2, Weslaco East, 11;00.58; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 11:17.82; 4, PSJA High, 11:31.72; 5, PSJA Southwest, 11:33.02; 6, Progreso, 11:58.06.

Field Events

High Jump — 1, Rafael Cantu, PSJA High, 5-08; 2, Dakota Moss, La Joya High, 5-06; 3, Andrew Rodriguez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 5-06.

Pole Vault — 1, Mike Garza, PSJA North, 13-00; 2, Rolando Montemayor, Weslaco East, 20-02.50.

Long Jump — 1, Juan Vargas, Weslaco East, 20-04; 2, Rolando Montemayor, Welaco East, 20-02.50; 3, Brandon Ramos, La Joya High, 19-10.5; 4, Vicente Rodriguez, PSJA Memorial, 19-04; 5, Jose Galvan, Progreso, 10-91; 6, Elias Gutierrez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 18-09.25.

Tripe Jump — 1, Josh Garcia, PSJA North, 42-11; 2, Jose Galvan, Progreso, 42-09.50; 3, Raudel Alvarez, PSJA North, 42-05.50; 4, Rosendo Garza, Weslaco East, 40-10.50; 5, Rolando Montemayor, Weslaco East, 40-08.25; 6, Rey Garcia, Progreso, 40-06.5.
Shot Put Wheelchair — 1, PSJA Southwest, 11-06.5.

Shot Put — 1, Mike Gonzalez, PSJA Memorial, 49-01; 2, John Banda, Weslaco East, 48-01.50; 3, Nicholas Marquez, Port Isabel, 44-02; 4, Abram Aguilar, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 41-04; 5, Jesse Treviño, Weslaco East, 40-08.50; 6, Diego Treviño, PSJA Southwest, 40-00.50.

Discus — 1, Mike Gonzalez, PSJA Memorila, 156-04; 2, Sydney Mock, Port Isabel, 147-01; 3, John Banda, Weslaco East, 142-05; 4, Jesse Treviño, Weslaco East, 134-06; 5, Diego Treviño, PSJA Southwest, 124-00; 6, Daniel Villarreal, La Joya High, 118-09.

GIRLS

Track Events

100-meter hurdles — 1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 14.55; 2, Gabriela Solis, Edinburg Vela, 16.68; 3, Olivia Garcia, Edinburg Vela, 17.05; 4, Samantha Rivear, PSJA North, 17.19; 5, Andrea Mungia, McAllen Memorial, 17.19; 6, Alyssa Flores, Weslaco East, 17.80.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 44.54; 2, Thanya Garza, McAllen Memorial, 49.49; 3, Esperanza Pedraza, Weslaco High, 51.35; 4, Brisia Gonzalez, Port Isabel, 52.85; 5, Samantha Rivera, PSJA North, 53.16; 6, Andrea Mungia, McAllen Memorial, 53.68.

400-meter relay — 1, McAllen Memorial, 51.13; 2, Weslaco High, 51.53; 3, Weslaco East, 51.71; 4, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 53.07; 5, McAllen Rowe, 53.20; 6, PSJA High, 53.29.

800-meter relay — 1, McAllen Memorial, 1:51.96; 2, Weslaco East, 1:53.26; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:53.99; 4, Edinburg Vela, 1:55.09; 5, Weslaco High, 1:55.13; 6, PSJA High, 1:55.27.

1600-meter relay — 1, Weslaco High, 4:12.77; 2, McAllen Memorial, 4:15.22; 3, McAllen Rowe, 4:22.09; 4, Mission Veterans Memorial, 4:23.12; 5, PSJA High, 4:29.61; 6, PSJA North, 4:31.20.

3200-meter relay — 1, McAllen Rowe, 10:29.93; 2, Weslaco High, 10:34.45; 3, Edinburg Vela, 10:36.17; 4, Mission Veterans Memorial, 10:38.55; 5, Weslaco East, 10:44.21; 6, McAllen Memorial, 10:48.18.

6400-meter relay — 1, Weslaco High, 22:58.85; 2, McAllen Rowe, 23.27.97; 3, Edinburg Vela, 23:33.67; 4, PSJA High, 23:52.45; 23:52.45; 5, La Joya High, 24.26.71; 6, PSJA North, 24:52.36.

800-meter sprint medley — 1, Weslaco High, 1:59.00; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:59.00; 3, Edinburg Vela, 2:00.36; 4, Mission Veterans Memorial, 2:00.99; 5, PSJA North, 2:01.88; 6, McAllen Rowe, 2:02.79.

1600-meter sprint medley — 1, Weslaco High, 4:30.77; 2, Mission Veterans Memorial, 4:40.55; 3, PSJA Memorial, 4:41.85; 4, Edinburg Vela, 4:43.57; 5, PSJA Southwest, 4:46.34; 6, McAllen Rowe, 4:48.08.

Distance medley relay — 1, PSJA High, 13:45.12; 2, Weslaco High, 13:52.91; 3, McAllen Rowe, 13:59.03; 4, Edinburg Vela, 14:17.68; 5, PSJA North, 14:22.97; 6, La Joya High, 14:52.99.

Field Events

High Jump — 1, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 5-02; 2, Charlize De La Garza, Mission Veterans Memorial, 5-02; 3, Jackie Alanis, PSJA High, 5-00; 4, Patty Young, Edinburg Vela, 5-00; 5, Danielle Burget, Weslaco East, 5-00; 6, Katherine DeLeon, McAllen Memorial, 4-10.

Pole Vault — 1, Sydney Salinas, Weslaco High, 11-00; 2, Elizabeth St. Clair, McAllen Memorial, 8-06; 3, Kimberly Castro, PSJA North, 8-06; 4, Carolina Carrillo, PSJA North, 8-06; 5, Maria Gonzalez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 8-00; 6, Erica Mire, Port Isabel, 8-00.

Long Jump — 1, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 17-04.75; 2, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans Memorial, 16-02; 3, Alanis Jackie, PSJA High, 15-10.75; 4, Natalie Young, McAllen Memorial, 15-8.5; 5, Tiffany Borrego, PSJA North, 15-05.75; 6, Jade Rodriguez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15-04.

Triple Jump — 1, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans Memorial, 35-06.50; 2, Amanda Lozano, Mission Veterans Memorial, 34-03.25; 3, Jackie Alanis, PSJA High, 33-10.50; 4, Charlize De La Garza, Mission Veterans Memorial, 33-09.75; 5, Natalie Young, McAllen Memorial, 33-08.50; 6, Simone Harry, Port Isabel, 33-06.50.

Shot Put — 1, Eloisa Martinez, McAllen Memorial, 37-01; 2, Alexis Vasquez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 36-70; 3, Felicita Saenz, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 35-06; 4, Ciera Gonzalez, Weslaco High, 33-03; 5, Tamara Castillo, PSJA Southwest, 32-08.50; 6, Jazmin Cortez, PSJA North, 32-08.

Discus — 1, Karen Guerra, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 122-08; 2, Ciera Gonzalez, Weslaco High, 119-07; 3, Emily Zamora, Edinburg Vela, 113-08; 4, Ashley Navarro, Mission Veterans Memorial, 113-03; 5, Diana Bustos, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 107-01; 6, Tamara Castillo, PSJA Southwest, 106-09.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Ana Bautista kick-started the track season Friday in familiar territory — out front and alone.

The Rio Grande City senior distance runner placed first in the girls 3200-meter run at the Steve Stark Relays at Richard Thompson Stadium with a time of 11 minutes, 45.39 seconds, besting teammate and runner-up Marlette Treviño by 40 seconds.

Despite the gold-medal effort, Bautista fell short of her intended time of 11:30, what would have been a new personal best.

“The first lap, I went too fast,” Bautista said. “I was already setting my time early, and another girl was out in front of me, so I caught up to her and put her behind me. I slowed down by the third lap, but that kind of threw off my times a bit.”

Just as they did a season ago, the Lady Rattlers look to distance running as a strong point. Bautista, Treviño and teammate Adrianna Cruz ranked among the Valley’s best in distance events in 2015 and look to do so again this year.

PALMVIEW PUPPIES
La Joya Palmview was among the most balanced girls teams in the Valley last year. Behind stout sprinting, consistent endurance runners and elite relay units, the Lady Lobos claimed the District 30-6A title.

But Palmview doesn’t have such continuity this year — not yet at least. At the Stark Relays, coach Claudia Bazan watched a crew of new faces and JV callups try to find their early-season niche.

“We threw a couple of them in the relays to see what we have in them right now,” Bazan said.“We’ve got a lot of freshman and sophomores, and we just want to see if they can handle the pressure.”

Bazan says she’s eyeing more than times as indicators for success. She wants to see if kids get nervous, how they cope with race-day anxiety and handle the baton during relays.

One of the returning faces is senior Mia Hinojosa, who ranked among the Valley’s best in the 200 dash last year. In an effort to get Hinojosa in shape, Bazan put her in the 400 dash — an event

Hinojosa hasn’t run since her freshman year. Still, that didn’t’ stop her from winning gold in the event with a time of 1:02.42.

“Coming out of that last corner was when the pain really started to kick in,” Hinojosa said. “I could feel it in my legs. But I know this is good for me. It’s only going to make me better.”

THE GOOD WITH THE BAD
Sharyland High girls coach Melissa Dearth started with the good news. Her 800-meter relay team came off the track after an impressive first outing, running splits of 26 and 27 seconds.

“This is the (4×200) team,” Dearth said. “We’ve found it.”

Then came the bad news: the team was disqualified for starting in the wrong spot.

“As soon as the red flag went up, I knew the race wasn’t going to count,” Dearth said. “But I still like what I saw in terms of effort. There are a lot of kids who are already hitting their marks in a lot of their events.”

Sharyland is looking for a bounce-back year. The Lady Rattlers finished fifth at district a season ago.

An individual standout Friday was sophomore Caleigh Hausenfluck, who placed first in the 100 hurdles (16.92) and the long jump (17 feet, 2.5 inches).

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Despite an off night from leading scorer Janie Herrera, the Edcouch-Elsa Lady Yellowjackets withstood a second-half rally from Donna High to win Friday’s District 32-5A girls basketball play-in game 36-30.

E-E clinches the final playoff spot in 32-5A and plays Sharyland High at 6 p.m
Tuesday in Mission in a Class 5A bi-district game.

“We built a nice little cushion, but (Donna) fought back again,” first-year E-E coach Daniel Richardson said. “In the fourth quarter, they hit some big shots and closed the gap. … The energy was there, though. Everybody really kind of stepped up. We grew a lot. We had girls that really didn’t fill up any kind of stat during the year who came out and got rebounds and some key baskets.”

Herrera, who averages 13 points per game, scored just five on Friday, although Richardson says her buckets came during big moments.

The Lady Yellowjackets return to the postseason after missing the playoffs a season ago. Richardson says this year’s goal has been one of rebuilding the program.

“I told them ‘Congratulations,’” Richardson said. “They don’t really get to see me smile cheek to cheek like that. I’m a hard guy to get a smile out of, to see that type of joy.”

CLASS 4A
HIDALGO 23, RIO HONDO 18: At Rio Hondo, the Lady Pirates clinched the third seed in a District 32-4A seeding game. Hidalgo plays Rockport-Fulton in a bi-district game at 6 p.m Tuesday at Alice.

CLASS 3A
EDINBURG IDEA QUEST 43, BROWNSVILLE IDEA FRONTIER 42: At Donna, the Lady Trail Blazers clinched the second seed in District 32-3A thanks in part to an Esmer Rodriguez free throw.
Quest plays Kingsville Academy in the bi-district round at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at Texas A&M-University Kingsville.

Trailing 42-40 during the closing minutes of Friday’s seeding game at IDEA Donna, Quest’s Sharon Marrufo drew a charge to give the Lady Trail Blazers the ball. Quest scored on the ensuing possession to tie the game.

After a Frontier miss, Rodriguez was fouled on the rebound and given two free throws.
“There were three seconds left,” Quest coach Robbie Cruz said. “The first one went in and the second one rolled off the rim. She told me after the game, ‘Coach, I missed on purpose to kill the clock.’”