Harlingen CISD Pre-District Swimming and Diving Meet

Jan. 8 – Jan. 9

Harlingen CISD Aquatic Center

Team Results

BOYS

1, Los Fresnos, 327.5; 2, McAllen Memorial 311; 3, PSJA Southwest, 251; 4, Sharyland High, 229; 5, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 210, 6, Weslaco High, 179; 7, Sharyland Pioneer, 136; 8, Harlingen High, 129; 9, Harlingen South, 114; 10, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 83.

GIRLS

1, McAllen Memorial, 379.5; 2, Los Fresnos, 246; 3, Sharyland High, 213; 4, McAllen High, 211.5; 5, Harlingen High, 205; 6, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy 180; 7, Brownsville Hanna, 171; 8, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 122; 9, Harlingen High, 115; 10, PSJA North, 111.

Individual Results

BOYS

200-yard medley relay

1, PSJA Southwest, 1:44.46; 2, McAllen Memorial, 1:46.89; 3, Sharyland High, 1:51.39; 4, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:51.79; 5, Los Fresnos, 1:53.75; 6, Weslaco High, 1:56.06; 7, Harlingen South, 1:59.54; 8, PSJA North, 2:01.45.

200-yard freestyle

1, Luis S. Davila, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:54.72; 2, Luciano Farias-Ramirez, Sharyland High, 1:55.71; 3, Ruben D. Treviño, McAllen Memorial, 1:55.59; 4, Joshua Velasquez, PSJA Southwest, 1:56.56; 5, Caden Garza, McAllen Memorial, 1:58.14; 6, Carlos Paredes, Los Fresnos, 1:58.58; 7, Daniel Escamilla, Los Fresnos, 2:05.83; 8, Mikey Moore, McAllen High, 2:06.31.

200-yard IM

1, Joseph Velasquez, PSJA Southwest, 2:06.67; 2, Robert T. Anaya, McAllen Memorial, 2:06.79; 3, Adrian Fierro, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 2:16.77; 4, Daryl L. Wells, 2:18.09; 5, Cooper Gates, McAllen Memorial, 2:21.38; 6, David Benavides, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:24.28; 7, Esteban Gonzalez, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 2:24.57; 8, Kevin Pearedes, Los Fresnos, 2:27.45.

50-yard freestyle

1, Jonathan Ashford, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 22.89; 2, Javier Suarez Moreno, Sharyland High, 23.47; 3, Juan Mejia, PSJA Southwest, 24.36; 4, Ari Morales, Los Fresnos, 24.64; 5, Guillermo Ibarra, Sharyland High 25.23; 6, Javier Espinoza, Los Fresnos, 25.45; 7, Luis Osuna, Los Fresnos, 25.46; 8, Adrian Francis Gomez, McAllen Memorial, 25.53.

1-meter diving

1, Abraham Rodriguez, McAllen Rowe, 337.95; 2, Adolfo Pacheco, Weslaco High, 295.90; 3, Andres Hinojosa III, Harlingen South, 254; 4, Ethan Plummer, McAllen Memorial, 248.4; 5, Alexander Cervantes, Sharyland Pioneer, 235; 6, Levi L. DeLeon, McAllen High, 221.90; 7, Luis Ponce, Sharyland Pioneer, 205.70; 8, Alec Garza, McAllen Memorial, 201.85.

100-yard butterfly

1, Joshua Velasquez, PSJA Southwest, 56.49; 2, Will McKinney, Los Fresnos, 56.69; 3, Luis S. Davila, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 59.70; 4, Caden Garza, McAllen Memorial, 1:03.67; 5, Daniel R. Treviño, Weslaco High, 1:03.68; 6, Adrian Francis Gomez, McAllen Memorial, 1:04.27; 7, Javier Espinoza, Los Fresnos, 1:04.99; 8, Gilberto Rebolloso, Weslaco High, 1:05.38.

100-yard freestyle

1, Adrian Fierro, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 51.20; 2, Gabriel Peña, Mission Veterans Memorial, 54.00; 3, Luis Osuna, Los Fresnos, 55.64; 4, Ari Morales, Los Fresnos, 56.01; 5, Andres Hinojosa III, Harlingen South, 56.03; 6, Mikey Moore, McAllen High, 56.07; 7, Enrique Maldonado, PSJA High, 56.71; 8, Gerardo Cortez Padilla, Sharyland High, 56.73.

500-yard freestyle

1, Ruben D. Treviño, McAllen Memorial, 5:1.445; 2, Joseph Velasquez, PSJA Southwest, 5:15.35; 3, Carlos Paredes, Los Fresnos, 5:24.44; 4, Bets Hinojosa, PSJA Southwest, 5:43.75; 5, Patricio, Peña Sanchez, 5:46.27; 6, Marco Rivera, Sharyland High, 5:48.19; 7, Richard Rodriguez, McAllen Memorial, 5:49.07; 8, Jesse Robero, Los Fresnos, 5:56.69.

200-yard freestyle relay

1, Sharyland High, 1:36.68; 2, Los Fresnos, 1:39.84; 3, Brownsville St. Joseph, 1:40.26; 4, PSJA Southwest, 1:40.39; 5, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:44.21; 6, Weslaco High, 1:44.57; 7, Harlingen High, 1:45.14; 8, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1:46.43.

100-yard backstroke

1, Robert T. Amaya, McAllen Memorial, 55.65; 2, Luciano Farias-Ramirez, Sharyland High, 55.95; 3, Juan Mejia, PSJA Southwest, 1:00.28; 4, Daryl L. Wells, Weslaco High, 1:04.31; 5, Cesar I. Vega, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:04.75; 6, Cooper Gates, McAllen Memorial, 1:06.68; 7, Zack Garza, PSJA Southwest, 1:07.85; 8, Julian Solis, PSJA Memorial, 1:09.32

100-yard breaststroke

1, Jonathan Ashford, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1:02.43; 2, Hugo Arredondo, Brownsville Hanna, 1:08.09; 3, Will McKinney, Los Fresnos, 1:10.77; 4, Javier Suarez Moreno, Sharyland High, 1:10.91; 5, Tyler Vallejo, Sharyland Pioneer, 1:13.11; 6, Diego Davila, McAllen High, 1:14.66; 7, Esteban Gonzalez, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:14.68; 8, Jose D. Gomez, PSJA High, 1:15.34.

400-yard freestyle relay

1, PSJA Southwest, 3:39.70; 2, Los Fresnos, 3:41.26; 3, McAllen Memorial, 3:41.28; 4, Harlingen South, 3:41.18; 5, Sharyland Pioneer, 3:51.94; 6, Sharyland High, 3:52.53; 7, Harlingen High, 3:55.90; 8, Weslaco High, 3:56.81.

GIRLS

200-yard medley relay

1, Los Fresnos, 2:03.90; 2, McAllen Memorial, 2:06.31; 3, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 2:08.72; 4, McAllen High, 2:15.96; 5, Sharyland High 2:18.52; 6, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:22.23; 7, McAllen Memorial 2:22.24; 8, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 2:23.18.

200-yard freestyle

1, Sarah Villarreal, Los Fresnos, 2:14.70; 2, Sarah Chandler, Sharyland High, 2:17.18; 3, Karla Castillo, Mission Veterans Memorial, 2:21.68; 4, Arnasas L. Haley, Harlingen South, 2:23.33; 5, Miren J. Aponte, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 2:23.57; 6, Baylee Moreno, McAllen High, 2:23.67; 7, Luisa Hernandez Belleza, McAllen Memorial, 2:25.66; 8, Julieta Gardea, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:27.80.

200-yard IM

1, Hannah J. Bradford, McAllen Memorial, 2:19.53; 2, Natalia, Davila, Brownsville Hanna, 2:30.59; 3, Andrea Moreno, Los Fresnos, 2:33.82; 4, Yeye Rodriguez, PSJA North, 2:35.12; 5, Sarah Flores, Harlingen High, 2:40.96; 6, Lola D. Garza, Harlingen South, 2:41.84, 7, Andrea Valdez, Sharyland High, 2:43.38; 8, Fernanda Barredo, McAllen High, 2:48.03.

50-yard freestyle

1, Jessie Hainley, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 26.29; 2, Stacia Benitez, McAllen Memorial, 27.20; 3, Diana Fieroo, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 27.94; 4, Julia Worley, PSJA North, 17.95; 5, Tonnih Ruiz, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 28.09; 6, Maya Athena Imperial, Brownsville Hanna, 28.15; 7, Avia Guerra, McAllen Memorial, 28.39; 8, Tammy Smith, McAllen High, 28.45.

1-meter diving

1, Sandra Valdez, Sharyland High, 359.05; 2, Patricia Rocha de Murga, McAllen Memorial, 288.90; 3, Katherine De Leon, McAllen Memorial, 272.25

100-yard butterfly

1, Stacia Benitez, McAllen Memorial, 1:02.81; 2, Abby Garza, Sharyland High, 1:00.97; 3, Sarah Aleman, McAllen Memorial, 1:10.42; 4, Julia Worley, PSJA North, 1:13.11; 5, Megan Blevins, McAllen Memorial, 1:13.26; 6, Kendall House, Los Fresnos, 1:13.99; 7, Melanie Cumpian, Harlingen High, 1:15.49; 8, Tonnih Ruiz, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1:17.25.

100-yard freestyle

1, Jessie Hainley, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 57.73; 2, Andrea Moreno, Los Fresnos, 59.24; 3, Lourdes Wisby, PSJA Southwest, 1:04.25; 4, Kaylie Castro, Los Fresnos, 1:04.40; 5, Tammy Smith, McAllen High, 1:05.79; 6, Lauren Castillo, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1:05.92; 7, Leslie Montemayor, PSJA Memorial, 1:07.20; 8, Morgan D. Parker, Weslaco High, 1:08.00.

500-yard freestyle

1, Maya Athena Imperial, Brownsville Hanna, 5:38.31; 2, Avia Guerra, McAllen Memorial, 5:50.05; 3, Ivana Besteiro, Los Fresnos, 5:54.79; 4, Sarah Villarreal, Los Fresnos, 6:02.61; 5, Abby Garza, Sharyland High, 6:03.97; 6, Sarah J. Aleman, McAllen Memorial, 6:10.53; 7, Natalia Davila, Brownsville Hanna, 6:12.69; 8, Megan Blevins, McAllen Memorial, 6:22.01.

200-yard freestyle relay

1, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:51.73; 2, Brownsville Hanna, 1:54.53; 3, McAllen Memorial, 1:55.01; 4, Harlingen South, 1:56.32; 5, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1:5881; 6, Sharyland High, 2:00.12; 7, McAllen High, 2:01.55; 8, Harlingen High, 2:01.96.

100-yard backstroke

1, Glea Garza, Sharyland High, 1:11.51; 2, Jessica Watson, Harlingen South, 1:12.37; 3, Diana Fierro, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:12.77; 4, Sophia Douglas, Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, 1:13.57; 5, Bobbie J. Anderson, Harlingen South, 1:15.46; 6, Morgan D. Parker, 1:17.24; 7, Kendall House, Los Fresnos, 1:18.16; 8, Cristina Nava, Sharyland High, 1:18.80.

100-yard breaststroke

1, Hannah J. Bradford, McAllen Memorial, 1:11.26; 2, Ivana Besteiro, Los Fresnos, 1:19.59; 3, Yeye Rodriguez, PSJA North, 1:21.12; 4, Paige Blevins, McAllen Memorial, 1:21.74; 5, Margot Gutierrez, McAllen high, 1:23.41; 6, Nadia Gutierrez, Sharyland Pioneer, 1:25.27; 77, Adriana Garza, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1:26.19; 8, Andrea Valdez, Sharyland High, 1:27.47.

400-yard freestyle

1, Los Fresnos, 4:03.04; 2, Brownsville Hanna, 4:17.12; 3, McAllen Memorial, 4:17.53; 4, Harlingen South, 4:28.86; 5, PSJA North, 4:32.48; 6, Harlingen High, 4:33.64; 7, McAllen High, 4:41.57; 8, Sharyland High, 4:42.57.

2015-16 MASTER GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Thursday’s Game

District 32-3A

Edinburg IDEA Quest 46, Monte Alto 6

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

La Joya Palmview 54, La Joya High 24

McAllen Memorial 46, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 20

McAllen Rowe 42, McAllen High 39

District 31-6A

Edinburg High 61, Edinburg Economedes 42

PSJA North 68, Weslaco East 44

Weslaco High 66, PSJA Memorial 18

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna 42, Harlingen South 38

Brownsville Rivera 36, Los Fresnos 31

Harlingen High 42, Brownsville Veterans Memorial 41, OT

San Benito 60, Brownsville Lopez 36

District 31-5A

Rio Grande City 53, Edinburg Vela 37

Mission Veterans Memorial 46, Valley View 27

Sharyland High 52, Sharyland Pioneer 35

District 32-5A

Brownsville Pace 38, Donna North 30

Donna High 51, Brownsville Porter 27

Edcouch-Elsa 61, PSJA Southwest 52

Mercedes 58, PSJA High 36

District 32-4A

Raymondville 46, Grulla 36

Hidalgo 49, Port Isabel 39

Rio 40, La Feria 33

Zapata 53, Progreso 28

District 32-3A

Lyford 42, Brownsville IDEA Frontier 30

District 32-2A

San Isidro 46, Riviera-Kaufer 33

La Villa 76, San Perlita 28

Valley-GIRLS basketball boxscores

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL 46, LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCON 20

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 2 7 7 4 — 20

McAllen Memorial 10 14 10 12 — 46

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN (20) — Not reported

McALLEN MEMORIAL (46) — Kailey Caldwell 14, Tani Talamantez 12, Selma Regolado 8, Draik Banks 6,Valeria Treviño 4, Ebony Johnson 2

RECORDS: La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 8-17, 1-3; McAllen Memorial 15-11, 4-1

McALLEN ROWE 42, McALLEN HIGH 39

McAllen Rowe 5 4 11 12 — 42

McAllen High 9 7 14 9 — 39

McALLEN ROWE (42) — Mayda Garcia 14, Jovanni Solis 8, Diana Gonzalez 6, Deanna Spear 6, Ryela Rodriguez 4, Victoria Tarbutton 3, Karolina Rodriguez 1.

McALLEN HIGH (39) — Alex Gamino 13, Heaven Wilbanks 7, Victoria Alanis 7, Jarizza Villarreal 4, Sydney Pemelton 4, Brianna Coffee 2, Celeste Saenz 2.

RECORDS: McAllen Rowe 16-8, 4-0, McAllen High 9-16, 2-2

LA JOYA PALMVIEW 54, LA JOYA HIGH 24

La Joya High 6 3 10 5 — 24

La Joya Palmview 4 23 16 11 — 54

LA JOYA HIGH (24) — M. Garcia 3, K. Cassanova 11, E Cantu 3, A Olivarez 7.

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (54) — Joilys Gomez 3, Brittany Cano 2, Samantha Guttierez 21, Renee Flores 15, Cynder Magallon 8, Martha Bocanegra 5.

RECORDS: La Joya Palmview 16-7, 3; La Joya High 13-14, 1-3

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH 61, EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 42

Edinburg Economedes 9 6 10 17 — 42

Edinburg High 8 15 20 18 — 61

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (42) — Ashley Escalante 7, Daniela Castro 12, Lizbeth Cabrerra 4, Cassandra Trevino 3, Sylvia Perez 11.

EDINBURG HIGH (51) — Jayla Santa Maria 8, Rita Garcia 3, Mercedes Hernandez 19, Janessa Santa Maria 7, Jennifer Galvan 14, Natlie Roxvbrgh 10.

RECORDS: Edinburg High 22-7, 4-1; Edinburg Economedes 10-11, 1-3

PSJA NORTH 68, WESLACO EAST 44

Weslaco East 12 11 5 16 — 44

PSJA North 17 12 24 15 — 68

WESLACO EAST (44) — Kimberly Charles 10, Chylee LeFevre 9, Mig Cepeda 8, Gissel Reyes 6, Yaritza Marin 4, Valeria Castaneda 4, Gabriela Kirtley 3.

PSJA NORTH (68) — Belle Palacios 21, Sarah Serrano 14, Arianna Medrano 13, Angela Ochoa 12, Stephanie Crispin 6, Mel Palacios 2.

RECORDS: Weslaco East 16-13, 3-1; PSJA North 23-2, 4-1

District 31-5A

MISSION VETERANS 46, VALLEY VIEW 27

Valley View 10 2 10 5 — 27

Mission Veterans 9 13 14 10 — 46

VALLEY VIEW (27) — E. Saenz 7, N. Del Angel 5, A. Ramirez 4, M. Hernandez 2, E. Solis 1, C. Trejo 4, M. Gaitan 4.

MISSION VETERANS (46) —Makenzie Gerlach 2, Rosa Silva 2, Andrea De La Garza 4, Ashley Smith 22, Lyndsey Garza 11, Gaby Gallardo 4, Krista Perez 1.

RECORDS: Valley View 9-6, 0-4; Mission Veterans 17-11, 2-2

SHARYLAND HIGH 52, SHARYLAND PIONEER 35

Sharyland Pioneer 9 16 31 35 — 35

Sharyland High 19 31 40 52 — 52

SHARYLAND PIONEER (35) — Ashley Briseno 16, Miranda Ramos 10.

SHARYLAND HIGH (52) — Anna Marshall 17, Maddy Garza 9, Sonia Treviño 9, Nani Carretero 9.

RECORDS: Sharyland 19-6, 4-0; Sharyland Pioneer 7-20, 1-4

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — PSJA North was waiting for a game like this one, for a variety of reasons.

Though the Lady Raiders entered Tuesday’s contest having won seven of their last eight games, they did so in an inconsistent fashion — their high-scoring offense was prone to sputter and the team lacked cohesion due to injury.

No such ills were apparent against Weslaco East. Playing their most focused and unified game in weeks, PSJA North’s hot-handed shooting propelled them to a 68-44 win. Of the six Lady Raiders to see the court, five hit at least 50 percent of their attempts from the floor.

Belle Palacios scored a game-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting.

Though North’s offensive attack hummed like a well-tuned instrument, their defense stifled East for much of the night. The Lady Raiders gathered 12 steals with guard Sarah Serrano totalling a team high five.

“We played a complete game,” North coach Randy Bocanegra said. “… We made some adjustments defensively and started to hit some shots. I think this game woke us up.”

That awakening included guard Arianna Medrano, who scored 13 points and made a trio of 3-pointers. Medrano leads the team in made shots from downtown (67) but entered a period of passive play during the New Year — oftentimes giving up open looks.

Against East, however, Medrano helped lead her team early. Thanks to eight first-quarter points from the sharp-shooting senior, North took a 17-12 lead heading into the second quarter. So aggressive was Medrano, she collided with Palacios during a loose ball situation, giving her teammate a bloody nose.

“I told Arianna at the beginning of the game, ‘You need to make sure you get yours,’” Bocanegra said. “Get out there, start hitting your shots and see how you feel.”

Weslaco East (16-13, 3-1) entered with a five game winning streak, but looked to North as a barometer to measure their standing in a competitive District 31-6A. The Lady Wildcats played North well during the first half. Guards Kimberly Charles and Gissel Reyes chipped in six points each during the first half, and their team notched eight first-half steals — one more than the Lady Raiders (23-2, 4-1).

Then, Angela Ochoa happened.

During the third quarter, leading 29-23 with starting guard Sarah Serrano on the bench with four first half fouls, the junior backup guard put on a shooting clinic. Ochoa connected on all four of her shots from beyond the arc, helping North outscore East 24-5 during the third to put the game away.

Ochoa’s dead-eye shooting marked a turning point for the game as well as the junior guard, who until Tuesday had gone stretches without playing time and lacked confidence during rare instances she stepped on the court.

“It was amazing for me to be making those shots,” Ochoa said. “I didn’t shoot anything before the game or during warmups, it was just an awesome feeling to play like that.”

While everything went Ochoa’s way, East never recovered. The Lady Wildcats were plagued by turnovers — committing more than 20 on the evening — and missed defensive assignments which often led to open lanes for cutting Lady Raider guards.

“It all got away from us,” East coast William Kromer said. “I think we just shut down from that point. Our defense fell apart. We had to start gambling and do stuff we don’t normally do. We were trying to throw different stuff at them, and it just didn’t work.”

[email protected]

The Monitor sports reporters Mario Aguirre, Jon R. LaFollette and Greg Luca discuss boys and girls high school basketball in the Valley.

Click here to listen to the show in your browser.

Click here to listen and subscribe to the show in iTunes.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

After hovering near the .500 mark for much of the non-district season, Weslaco East is a winner of five consecutive games and has kickstarted its run through District 31-6A with a 3-0 record and a first-place tie with Weslaco High.

During its current hot streak, East is scoring an average of 48 points per game while holding opponents to just 30. Though the Lady Wildcats’ defensive effort has been a constant throughout the year, their offense has undergone a makeover.
“I went back and looked at every set we have,” East coach William Kromer said. “And if it wasn’t working, I threw it out. The rest were polished or tweaked a little bit, but basically it all comes down to repetition and making sure the kids are comfortable.”

The root of the mid-season upheaval stems from a Dec. 8 loss to Brownsville Rivera in which the Lady Wildcats scored just 13 points. That woeful offensive output galvanized Kromer.

Looking to jumpstart that side of the ball, he prescribed rest and a crash course in rediscovering the fundamentals. East has only played five games in 30 days, meaning fresh legs and a fresh basketball perspective.

“We transition the ball well,” Kromer said. “The transition offense is producing points, and the outside game has developed as well… We just want to be a balanced team. When you can score in several ways, you keep the defense guessing.”
Although the wins are nice, Kromer and his team are realistic about the competition they’ve beaten. Of their last five opponents, only Mercedes has a winning district record.

Friday’s game against PSJA North (22-2, 3-1) will be a chance for East (16-12, 3-0) to not only keep their win streak alive, but is also an opportunity for Kromer to measure the growth his team has made in recent weeks.

“You have to get a hand in their face,” Kromer said of North’s 3-point shooting attack. “The shooters are gonna make their shots when they’re guarded, but they’ll really hit them when they’re open. We’ve got to focus on rotation and guarding that 3.”

A YEAR OLDER, A YEAR BETTER

The McAllen Rowe Lady Warriors find themselves in a familiar position during the early portion of district play — on top of the standings.

After beating McAllen Memorial 45-33 on Tuesday, Rowe is the lone unbeaten team in District 30-6A and in command of their pursuit for a second district crown in as many years.

With the return of guard Deanna Spear from a foot injury suffered during volleyball season, the Lady Warriors (15-8, 3-0) possess the same starting five as they did a year ago. With so much varsity experience and familiarity with each other, coach Raul Vega sees his team coaching itself on the court at times.

“They’re seeing certain things on their own now,” Vega said. “Instead of the coaches on the sideline letting them know to do this next or that next, they’re seeing things for themselves. It looks like we’ve added a few wrinkles into the system, but it’s really just them making adjustments with experience.”

One element that is new for Rowe is depth, specifically in guard Vanessa Leal, who received the bulk of starting minutes in place of Spear. Vega says Leal’s court vision has improved due to her increased role, as well as her confidence.

“Getting that playing time opened her eyes up to how good she can be,” Vega said. “She became the defensive stopper for us at the guard level. She’s a plus player to have coming off the bench now.”

[email protected]

VALLEY-GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Tuesday’s Games
Non-district
Lyford 57, Santa Gertrudis 33

District 30-6A
La Joya Palmview 55, Mission High 21
McAllen High 50, La Joya High 37
McAllen Rowe 45, McAllen Memorial 33

District 31-6A
Edinburg High at PSJA Memorial, not reported
PSJA North 64, Edinburg Economedes 46
Weslaco High 54, Edinburg North 37

District 32-6A
Brownsville Hanna 53, Brownsville Lopez 45
Brownsville Veterans Memorial 52, San Benito 40
Harlingen High 49, Los Fresnos 42
Harlingen South 49, Brownsville Rivera 28

District 31-5A
Edinburg Vela 60, Valley View 26
Mission Veterans Memorial 50, Sharyland Pioneer 34
Sharyland High 38, Roma 33

District 32-5A
Brownsville Pace 56, Brownsville Porter 38
PSJA High 36, Donna High 31
Mercedes 50, Edcouch-Elsa 32
PSJA Southwest 43, Donna North 39

District 32-4A
Grulla 57, Port Isabel 52
La Feria 60, Progreso 24
Rio Hondo 33, Raymondville 28
Zapata 51, Hidalgo 41

District 32-2A
Bruni 44, San Isidro 41
San Perlita 38, Lasra 26
Santa Maria 32, La Villa 27

VALLEY-GIRLS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES
District 30-6A
LA JOYA PALMVIEW 55, MISSION HIGH 21
Mission High 0 11 4 6 — 21
La Joya Palmview 12 12 16 15 — 55
mission high (21) — Brittany Garza 8, Ashley Sanchez 8, Daniela Gonzalez 2, Leah Rodriguez 2, Ariel Sanchez 1
la joya palmview (55) — Brittany Cano 13, Samantha Gutierrez 13, Renee Flores 10, Martha Bocanegra 6, Jolys Gomez 5, Edna Ovalle 3, Christina Chavez 3, Krystal Bocanegra 2
RECORDS: Mission High 2-22, 0-4, La Joya Palmview 15-7, 2-1

McALLEN HIGH 50, LA JOYA HIGH 37
La Joya High 3 11 9 14 — 37
McAllen High 9 14 15 12 — 50
LA JOYA HIGH (37) — Monica Garza 11, Karina Cassanova 9, Ashley Olivarez 7, Clarissa Mendiola 4, Daniela Cantu 3, Selena Alaffa 3.
McALLEN HIGH (50) — Heaven Wilbanks 13, Brianna Coffee 13, Celeste Saenz 11, Victoria Alanis 10, Sydney Pemleton 2, Alex Gamino 2.
RECORDS: La Joya High 13-13, 1-3; McAllen High 9-15, 2-1

McALLEN ROWE 45, McALLEN MEMORIAL 33
McAllen Memorial 10 5 13 5 — 33
McAllen Rowe 8 14 14 9 — 45
McALLEN MEMORIAL (33) — Ebony Johnson 16, Tani Talamantez 5, Kaley Caldwell 8, Selma Regalado, 4.
McALLEN ROWE (45) — Dianna Gonzalez 4, Jovanni Solis 14, Dianna Spears 2, Mayda Garcia 15, Jewel Membrere 3, Ryela Rodrdiguez 4, Karolina Rodriguez 3.
RECORDS: McAllen Memorial 14-11, 3-1; McAllen Rowe 15-8, 3-0

District 31-6A
PSJA NORTH 64, EDINBURG ECONOMDES 46
Score by quarter not reported.
PSJA NORTH (64) — Arianna Medrano 20, Belle Palacios 9, Sarah Serrano 13.
ECONOMEDES (46) — Not reported
RECORDS: PSJA North 22-2, 3-1; Edinburg Economedes 10-10, 1-2

WESLACO HIGH 54, EDINBURG NORTH 37
Edinburg North 11 4 17 5 — 37
Weslaco High 13 13 13 15 — 54
EDINBURG NORTH (37) — Klarissa Lopez 16
WESLACO HIGH (54) — Brianna Peña 20, Jazzlyn Muniz 16
RECORDS: Edinburg North 14-13, 0-4; Weslaco High 20-6, 3-0

District 31-5A
MISSION VETERANS MEMORIAL 50, SHARYLAND PIONEER 34
Mission Veterans 14 9 14 13 — 50
Sharyland Pioneer 2 5 16 9 — 34
mISSION VETERANS (38) — Jackie Howell 3, Rose Silva 7, Andrea De La Garza 9, Josie Rios 6, Ashley Smith 19, Lyndsey Garza 4, Krista Perez 2.
SHARYLAND PIONEER (33) — Ashley Briseno 10, Crystal Alonzo 9, Miranda Ramos 2, Cesia Beltran 2, Melissa De Leon 4, Victoria Mossman 5, Daylann Garza 2
RECORDS: Mission Veterans Memorial 15-11, 1-2; Sharyland Pioneer 7-19, 1-3

SHARYLAND HIGH 38, ROMA 33
Sharyland High 9 8 10 11 — 38
Roma 11 4 7 11 — 33
SHARYLAND HIGH (38) — Nanly Carretero 2, Audee Hinojosa 5, Amanda Frias 2, Sonia Trevino 4, Anna Marshall 9, Maddie Garza 16.
ROMA (33) — Krissynthia Rocha 14, Jeselle Guerra 6, Samantha Alaniz 4, Denise Pena 9.
RECORDS: Sharyland High 18-6 3-0; Roma 8-17, 2-2

District 32-5A
PSJA SOUTHWEST 43, DONNA NORTH 39
PSJA Southwest 9 8 10 11 — 43
Donna North 11 4 7 11 — 39
PSJA SOUTHWEST (43) — M. Medelin 23, H. Martinez 6, K. Bucio 4, D. Cardenas4, M. Garcia 2, L. Melendez 2.
DONNA NORTH (39) — I’Dasha Sorrell 16, Evelyn De Leon 10, Jasmine Trejo 6, N. Contreras 4, Yara Ybarras 3.
RECORDS: PSJA Southwest 5-19, 2-2; Donna North 11-12, 1-3

District 32-4A
GRULLA 57, PORT ISABEL 52, OT
Score by quarter not reported.
GRULLA (57) — Leslie Guerrero 20, Samantha Sifuentes 14, Larissa Martinez 12, Carolina Alamillo 6, Bryanna Perez 2, Jenny Morales 2, Maxine Solis 1.
PORT ISABEL 52 (52) — Not reported
RECORDS: Grulla 11-11, 2-2, Port Isabel 8-24, 1-3

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA — A year ago, Celeste Saenz spent her freshman year on the McAllen High junior varsity team. Tuesday at La Joya High School, the undersized post was burdened with the task of making up for an absent teammate.

When McHi’s Sydney Pemelton left at halftime due to personal reasons, a lone bucket was her only contribution to the scoreboard. Saenz was called upon to reach Pemelton’s de-facto quota of 10 points.

Mission accomplished. Saenz scored 11 points nine coming during the second half of a 50-37 win over La Joya High. She also contributed four rebounds, an assist and hit two free throws during the fourth quarter to help stave off a Lady Coyotes team who refused to go away.

“Celeste steps it up whenever we need her to” sophomore guard Brianna Coffee said. “I’ve been playing with her since kindergarten. She’s still young, but with more experience, I feel like she’ll be a better player. I can’t wait to see how she plays the older she gets.”

The win improves the Lady Bulldogs’ record to 2-1 in District 30-6A and is a key victory against a La Joya team (1-3) with like-minded playoff aspirations.

Saenz was one in a trio of productive McHi sophomores. Coffee and guard Heaven Wilbanks each scored a game-high 13 points. Junior forward Victoria Alanis was the fourth Lady Bulldog in double digits, scoring 10.

Such even point distribution is the by product of a McHi team absent a go-to scorer. Without a player who can take over a game, Gonzalez is content to get points by any means necessary.

“Every game, I count on at least 40 points from Heaven, Brianna, Sydney and Victoria,” Gonzalez said. “Anything above that is a blessing. But that’s what I look for every game. It doesn’t matter how we get it, although I prefer to see it spread out like it was tonight.”

That balanced attack proved too much for an ill and ill-shooting La Joya team. Forward Daniela Cantu went 1-of-13 from the field, missing several 3-pointers from the corner.

Compounding the Lady Coyotes’ woeful shooting was Ashley Olivarez’s immune system. While coach Rene Zamora spent the timeout before the second quarter on his knees drawing up a play, Olivarez bent over a trash can near the visiting locker room vomiting. Olivarez finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds in limited minutes.

Though Olivarez, the team’s leading scorer, saw sporadic playing time because of the flu, Zamora says Olivarez played out of necessity.

“She’s the only post I have who can do the things she does,” Zamora said. “Plus, this is a game we had to win if we were going to get to the playoffs. I know it’s still early, but we have to take advantage of every opportunity.”

McAllen High took a 7-1 lead during the first quarter and never relinquished its advantage. While Olivarez continued to get sick on the sideline, the Lady Bulldogs trapped and pressed and pushed the ball up the court all the way to a 23-14 halftime lead.

But La Joya hung around due in part to resilient guard play. Monica Garcia and Karina Cassanova finished with 11 and nine points, respectively, and both combined for 15 rebounds. With the possessions, the Lady Coyotes didn’t go away until late in the fourth quarter, when McHi turned the game into a free-throw contest.

“We played sluggish at first,” Gonzalez said. “But as the game went along, we settled down and outran their size. We got out on the break and tried to wear them down, and I think that’s what ended up winning us the game.”

[email protected]

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

EDCOUCH — First-year coach Daniel Richardson has spent the bulk of the season shaping and molding the Edcouch-Elsa Lady Yellowjackets into his basketball vision. During Saturday’s district game at home against Donna North, Richardson added a new wrinkle to his schemes.

“We haven’t really pressed teams a lot this season,” Richardson said. “I didn’t know if we could do that for a whole game. It’s still something that’s a little new to us.”

Though E-E implemented an unfamiliar defensive look, they coasted to a 61-39 win over Donna North thanks in part to a reliable source — Janie Herrera’s hot hand. The senior guard collected a game-high 20 points while sinking half of her 14 field goal attempts and hitting five-of-six shots from the foul line.

Along with guard Charlene Flores (10 points) and post Jocelynn Palomin (10 points), Herrera was one of three Lady Yellowjackets to score in double figures. Though E-E’s offensive attack was balanced — eight players scored — Herrera’s abilities shined brightest.

“She’s a leader for us,” Flores said. “She sees the court really well, and she has the ability to drive and finish or hit shots from deep.”

Flores is a senior, but is playing just her first year with the Lady Yellowjackets (10-12, 2-1 District 32-5A) after moving to the program from Edinburg North. Along with Herrera, Flores scored in every quarter.

“I really like the chemistry of the team,” Flores said. “Everyone gets along and we all know what our goals are. We have a new coach, and we’re trying to get better and get to the playoffs, something we didn’t do last year.”

E-E opened the game with a 6-0 run during which they made three of their first four shots. But Donna North would answer. After the first quarter, it was just a 12-10 lead in favor of the Yellowjackets.

The remainder of the game was dominated by E-E, who outscored North by 20 points in the final three quarters — generating turnovers, controlling the boards and scoring on second chance opportunities. The Yellowjackets pulled away with a 24-9 second quarter.

“Our defense helped win us the game,” Richardson said. “We were active on that side of the ball and it made things a littler easier for us on the offensive side.”

For Donna North (11-11, 1-2), Saturday’s loss featured an all-too familiar trend for a young program looking to establish a competitive culture. Though the Lady Chiefs have equaled last year’s win total at the season’s midway point, coach Meritza Pedraza was weary of her team’s ominous body language.

“I think our biggest weakness right now is mental toughness,” Pedraza said. “Anytime there was a turnover, they put their heads down. We need to overcome those mistakes.”

Pedraza is in her first year as head coach for Donna North, replacing former coach Robert Garcia, who was reassigned for personal reasons during the early part of the season.

Jackie Contreras led the Lady Chiefs in scoring with 10 points.

[email protected]

VALLEY-GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES
Thursday’s Games
Non-district
La Joya High 69, Brownsville Lopez 45
Sharyland High 48, Harlingen South 46

Friday’s Games
District 31-6A
Edinburg High 44, Edinburg North 35
PSJA North 49, PSJA Memorial 43
Weslaco East 52, Edinburg Economedes 22

District 31-5A
Roma 47, Mission Veterans Memorial 45
Edinburg Vela 51, Sharyland Pioneer 42

VALLEY-GIRLS BASKETALL BOXSCORES
District 31-5A
ROMA 47, MISSION VETERANS 45
Roma 8 10 11 18 — 47
Mission Veterans 14 4 11 16 — 45
ROMA (47) — Jesselle Guerra 3, Krysinthia Rocha 13, Denise Pena 19, Samantha Alaniz 6, Diamond Ramirez 4, Kosette Garza 1.
MISSION VETERANS (45) — Jackie Howell 5, Makenzie Gerlach 4, Rosa Silva 2, Andrea De La Garza 2, Ashley Smith 19, Lindsey Garza 6, Gaby Gallardo 6, Krista Perez 1
RECORDS: Mission Veterans 15-11, 0-2; Roma other box has.

District 31-6A
PSJA NORTH 49, PSJA MEMORIAL 43
PSJA Memorial 13 13 7 10 — 43
PSJA North 17 0 11 11 — 49
PSJA MEMORIAL (43) — Violet Torres 5, Monique De Leon 11, Madison Garza 4, Alex Soto 11, Kayla Anguiano 12.
PSJA NORTH (49) — Sarah Serrano 13, Melissa Palacios 2, Arianna Medrano 5, Asia De La Garza 2, Belle Palacios 25, Alexia Neal 2.
RECORDS: PSJA Memorial 11-13, 0-3; PSJA North 21-2, 2-1

WESLACO EAST 52, EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 22
Edinburg Economedes 5 11 3 3 — 22
Weslaco East 13 13 14 12 — 52
EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (22) — Ashley Escalante 4, Daniella Castro 7, Sylvia Perez 4, Brittany Rodriguez 3, Lizbeth Cabrera 2, Kassandra Trevino 2.
WESLACO EAST (52) — Gissel Reyes 18, Chylee Lefevre 9, Valerie Castaneda 8, Missy Murillo 5, Mig Cepedea 4, Kimberlee Charles 2, Cynthia Trevino 2, Gabriella Kirtley 2, Yari Marin 2.
RECORDS: Edinburg Economedes 10-9, 1-1; Weslaco East 16-12, 3-0.

BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Jayla Santa Maria wasn’t supposed to be on the court, but her coach gave her the benefit of the doubt.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Santa Maria and her Edinburg High teammates held a three-point lead over inner-city rival Edinburg North. Santa Maria, a sophomore, had four fouls and just two made field goals. But coach John David Salinas hoped his best player would avoid contact and remain in Friday’s game at Edinburg High..

Forty-eight seconds later, his wishful thinking was betrayed. Santa Maria fouled out on an attempted takeaway. However, even though Santa Maria watched from the sideline, the Lady Bobcats held on for a 44-35 victory, completing a furious second-half rally to notch their first District 31-6A victory on the season.

“The other girls did a heck of a job to keep the game close,” Salinas said. “That’s what we kept telling the girls during the early part of the game. They just had to keep the game close and get out of the first half and hope we were still within 10 points.”

Although EHS never trailed by double digits, staying within that margin was an arduous task during the first half. Thanks to sharp shooting from North’s Klarissa Lopez and lackluster defense, the Lady Bobcats faced a 17-9 deficit after the first quarter.

The early going was where Santa Maria became familiar with the whistle, as she was called for three fouls during the opening period. For much of Santa Maria’s time on the bench, the Lady Bobcats (20-7, 1-1) relied on post play from senior Jennifer Galvan (10 points, 12 rebounds) and junior Natalie Roxburgh (8 points, 5 rebounds).

“We were just running down the floor,” Galvan said. “We weren’t really running a lot of set plays because so many of our plays are for Jayla. But when she was on the bench, we just had to run the floor as much as we could, get transition layups and play defense.”

Despite playing what Salinas said was the worst half of basketball Edinburg has played this season, the team trailed the Lady Cougars by a 29-25 margin at halftime.

During the second half, however, Edinburg turned a two-possession deficit into a defensive-oriented rout. In the last two quarters, the Lady Bobcats outscored North 20-6 — collecting steals and scoring on second-chance opportunities along the way. Only two of the Lady Cougars (14-12, 0-3) points came away from the foul line.

“We just got away from what were doing at the beginning,” North coach Jenny Rae Garcia said. “We stopped penetrating and attacking, and we stopped rebounding the ball.”

Santa Maria pulled her team within one point with a layup late in the third quarter. Little sister Jenessah followed with a transition bucket to give Edinburg a 32-31 lead that would only increase. Though Jenessah scored just six points, she made half of her shot attempts and provided her team with quality guard play when called upon to do so.

“I knew she was going to be great for us this season,” Jayla said. “She’s done great for us playing at a quick pace and handling the pressure.”

[email protected]