BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Rowe was seven points away from an undefeated tour of District 30-6A a season ago. A 35-29 loss to McAllen Memorial spoiled an otherwise impressive season which saw the Lady Warriors earn a district title and finish as one of the top teams in the Valley.

There’s reason for optimism again in 2015. Rowe returns five senior starters, including volleyball standouts Mayda Garcia and Ryela Rodriguez. Garcia was named district MVP a season ago, and Rodriguez made second team all-district.

But coach Raul Vega isn’t taking anything for granted as his team aims to defend its district title.
“We can’t base anything on preseason predictions or expectations,” Vega said. “We’re just going to work hard, take things game-by-game, make each game a learning experience and focus on the little things. That way, hopefully the big stuff comes together.”

The Lady Warriors hope to get back senior point guard Deanna Spear, who suffered a torn tendon in her foot in September during Volleyball season. Vega says he’s eyeing a mid-December return for Spear, just in time for the beginning of district play.

“I don’t really worry about her trying to come back in terms of where she fits on the team,” Vega said. “Because of her experience and playing time, she’s fine in those regards. I’m more concerned that injury gets healed completely.”

Rowe begins the season at the McAllen High girls basketball tournament on Nov. 19.

LADY RAIDER DOWN
PSJA North point guard Sarah Serrano will miss the first six weeks of the season after suffering a knee injury during practice. The senior guard will undergo surgery Friday to repair torn cartilage.

Upon her return, Serrano looks to share the bulk of North’s high-scoring offensive load with teammates Belle Palacios and Ariana Medrano. Last year, Serrano averaged 11.6 points, 7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.4 steals per game for a Lady Raiders team that won a share of the District 31-6A title and advanced to the regional quarterfinals.

North lost two starters from last year’s squad, including Cynthia Martinez, who led the team in points per game (13.2) and led the Valley in 3-pointers made (118). Medrano will look to replicate Martinez’s production from long range. A season ago, Medrano averaged 8.8 pointers per game and connected 43 times from behind the arc.

The Lady Raiders open the season at home against Hidalgo on Nov. 10.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Laurynn Williams’ plan was to better herself over the summer through a summer team helmed by Valley View coach Arnold Martinez.

Then the Donna High guard broke a toe during a non-basketball related accident.

Though the damaged appendage set back her offseason work load, Williams, a junior, is healthy and ready to help the Bravettes defend the District 32-5A title.

“This year, I would say we need to be better at communication,” Williams said. “We’ve got a lot of new faces on the team this year. Three of our seniors graduated. The leadership is there, now it’s just the commitment to get better.”

Donna High begins its season at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln on Nov. 10.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PSJA North plays Edinburg High today at Cats Stadium in a game that exists only as a formality. Win or lose, nothing changes regarding either team’s prospects.

Edinburg High has just one victory and is not in contention for the postseason. PSJA North already has a bi-district date against San Benito, and will face the Greyhounds at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 at Bobby Morrow Stadium.

But coach Jorge Peña isn’t focused on the postseason just yet, and still sees work to be done for his team to round into postseason form.

“I try to keep everything as normal as possible,” Peña said. “Our practices have been the same, our approaches have been the same. We’ve been working very hard on making sure that we work on our basics and our technique, especially this late, we just need to keep doing that. It’s important to peak at the right time.”

The Raiders (4-5, 3-2) have won three of their last four games, and have been spurred in part by the trio of Bo Adams, Darren Fuentes and Brandon Villarreal. All have been used in myriad ways throughout the season depending situations and matchups. Fuentes and Adams have split time at quarterback and receiver while Villarreal has served primarily as a running back.

“It’s a blessing as a coach to be able to call on any of those kids and know that they’ll be able to perform,” Peña said.

Though the Raiders are locked into their district seeding, the team will carry on as if tonight’s game is a season opener. As long as the game is close, those healthy and eligible to play will see the field.

“It’s important that our team play our game,” Peña said. “We want to play Raider football and look strong going into the playoffs. If we do that, I think we’ll be alright.”

OPEN THEM UP
During its 30-13 win over PSJA Memorial a week ago, Edinburg North collected four interceptions and forced three punts. It was the kind of performance defensive coordinator Frank Franz was looking for.

“We like playing teams that can throw,” Franz said. “We match up really well against teams like that. Our guys just go wild and have fun.”

As the Cougars (3-6, 2-3) ready for Friday’s winner-take-all game against Edinburg Economedes (4-5, 2-3) for the final playoff spot in 31-6A, Franz is scheming to get the run-heavy Jaguars to pass the ball.

“We’ve got to stop their power runs, their sweeps and their blocking,” Franz said. “We want to force them to open up their offense and get them into more of a spread. If they open things up, that’ll open things up for our defense as well.”

Forcing Econ to pass would most benefit senior safety John Mendoza, who grabbed three interceptions a week ago. Mendoza has 11 INTs on the season, tied for second-most in the state, according to MaxPreps.

THE WORK GOES ON
The PSJA Memorial Wolverines finished 2-7 during coach Mike Uribe’s first year with the team. Though Memorial fell short of their postseason aspirations, including an 0-6 run through district, Uribe pledges to get an early start on 2016.

“We’re excited about the guys we have coming back next year,” Uribe said. “For us, the season never ends. We’re going to roll our sleeves up and start putting the work in to get to where we want to be.”

Memorial quarterback Mike Gonzalez led the district in passing yards (2,168) and receiver Jay Bocanegra led the district in receptions (83) and receiving yards (946).

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Though Adrian Rivera has played just five games this season, his brief time on the gridiron has translated into high-impact play for Edinburg North.

Since first suiting up for the Cougars on Sept. 25, the senior receiver has totaled 327 yards and four touchdowns on 24 receptions. During North’s tour through District 31-6A, Rivera has frustrated Weslaco East, drawn double teams against PSJA North and been a steady presence on a Cougars team that has seen its share of ups and downs.

But Rivera almost never saw the field this year, and resigned himself to missing his final season after receiving some bad news on Sept. 8, his birthday.

“I was hoping for the best,” Rivera said. “And after practice, coach (Rene Saenz) come up to me and said, ‘It looks like you’re not allowed to play,’ What a birthday present, right?”

Rivera moved to Edinburg from Kingsville during the summer in order to live with his father and younger brothers. In the offseason, Rivera spent time in the gym getting to know his teammates.

But in order for the wideout to play, he first had to clear his transfer with the District 31-6A Executive Committee. Obstructing Rivera’s hopes was a piece of paper — a Previous Athletic Participation Form filled out by Kingsville King coach Teddy Carrier that stated Rivera’s move was for athletic reasons. UIL does not allow student-athletes to participate in sports if they move solely for athletic purposes.

“Whenever that little box on the sheet is checked, that’s when things get sticky,” Saenz said.

Rivera’s transfer request was denied by the DEC, which meant a trip to UIL headquarters in Austin wherein he plead his case to play for the Cougars.

“I had to answer a whole bunch of questions,” Rivera said. “They kept asking me why I moved to Edinburg. I always said it was family reasons. I wanted to spend my last year in high school with my little brothers. I wanted to play as well. I told them they’d never understand how much the game of football means to me.”

The UIL sided with Rivera, who calls the decision one of the best days of his life.

“It was so hard to go through practice and the drills and not be able to be out there helping my team,” Rivera said. “I got tired of just wearing jeans and a jersey on game day.”

His first game came during a 38-34 loss against Weslaco East. Though the Cougars came away empty-handed, Rivera finished with 154 yards and two touchdowns on nine catches.

“He’s a tremendous athlete,” Saenz said. “His hand-eye coordination is down, he’s got the speed to beat anybody. He’s so good, he’d probably be our quarterback if we didn’t already have one.”

That quarterback is junior Cristian Espionza, who has enjoyed playing alongside his new target.
“He makes things easier for me as a passer,” Espnioza said. “You just throw the ball anywhere near him, and he’s a threat to go get it.”

As the Cougars (3-6, 2-3) prepare for Friday’s winner-take-all showdown against Edinburg Economedes (4-5, 2-3) for 31-6A’s final playoff spot, Rivera fluffs off any added pressure given what’s at stake.

“For me, every game is like a playoff game this season,” he said. “It’s my last year. I’m just trying to go out there and have fun with it and not think too much.”

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

The history between Weslaco East and Weslaco High is short. The teams have played each other just three times since East opened in 2000.

But the rivalry’s scant track record does not equate to lack of intensity. After last season’s game, wherein the Panthers beat the Wildcats 28-21 to claim the outright District 31-6A title, the teams did not shake hands at midfield for unspecified reasons.

This year’s game looks to be just as emotional. Each program enters Friday’s game at Bobby Lackey Stadium with an unblemished district record. The winner is awarded the 31-6A crown while the loser leaves with a bad taste in its mouth on the eve of the postseason.

The WIldcats (7-1, 5-0) return just two full-time offensive starters from a season ago. Despite the turnover, East’s offense is just as productive as last year. The Wildcats average 385 offensive yards per game, only 10 yards less than they did in 2014.

The spark plugs for East’s scoring attack are senior running back Emilio Tamez and multi-positional athlete Ciro Rojas. The pair have combined to score more than 25 touchdowns on the season, with Rojas scoring as a rusher, receiver and returner.

Weslaco High (7-2, 5-0) has cruised through district play on both sides of the ball. The Panthers have defeated district opponents by a combined score of 231-37, winning games by an average margin of 39 points.

The Panthers offense is led by four running backs: Brian Guerra, Jonathan Martinez, Usiel Gonzalez and Major Free. Through eight games, they accounted for more than 80 percent of Weslaco’s total rushing yards (2,833). Defensively, the Panthers are led in tackles by defensive back Diego Rodriguez (85) and linebacker Jordan Nichols (81).

Weslaco High leads the all-time series 2-1. A victory would give the Panthers their third consecutive win over the Wildcats. East’s lone win against its crosstown rival came in 2012 when they won 24-0.

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Boys — 1, PSJA Southwest, 321; 2, Mission Veterans Memorial, 284; 3, Weslaco High, 275; 4, Brownsville Rivera, 256; 5, Edinburg High, 218; 6, Edinburg Vela, 182; 7, Mission High, 156; 8, McAllen Rowe, 143; 9, Brownsville Hanna, 117; 10, PSJA North, 102.

Girls — 1, Brownsville Hanna, 376; 2, McAllen Rowe, 353; 3, Brownsville Rivera, 310; 4, PSJA North, 192; 5, Mission Veterans Memorial, 167; 6, Edinburg High, 151; 7, Weslaco High, 147; 8, Edinburg Vela, 132; 9, Edinburg North, 82; 10, Edinburg Economedes, 57.

1, PSJA Southwest, 1:50.91; 2, Weslaco High, 1:54.74; 3, Brownsville Rivera, 1:55.32; 4, Edinburg Vela, 1:57.25; 5, Edinburg High, 1:58.21; 6, McAllen Rowe, 2:00.81; 7, Mission High, 2:02.68; 8, PSJA North, 2:03.88.

200-yard freestyle

1, Justice Rivera, Edinburg Vela, 2:01.18; 2, Bets Hinojas, PSJA Southwest, 2:04.45; 3, Enrique Maldonado, PSJA High, 2:06.99; 4, Ryan Shea, Brownsville Rivera, 2:07.34; 5, Ivan Pena, Mission Veterans Memorial 2:12.69; 6, Leo Ruiz, PSJA Southwest, 2:14.69; 7, Derek Lopez, PSJA Memorial, 2:14.63; 8, Nicholas C. Cano, Weslaco High, 2:15.26.

200-yard IM

1, Juan Mejia, PSJA Southwest, 2:16.06; 2, Eddie Velador, Edinburg Vela, 2:24.11; 3, Julian Solis, PSJA Memorial, 2:31.48; 4, Eloy Garza, Edinburg Vela, 2:31.87; 5, Jose D. Gomez, 2:32.53; 6, Justin Gonzalez, PSJA North, 2:35.33; 7, Brock A. Bloomquist, Weslaco High, 2:35.83; 8, Jafet Marin, Brownsville Rivera, 2:37.04.

50-yard freestyle

1, David Garza, Edinburg high, 23.15; 2, Bets Hinojosa, PSJA Southwest, 24.47; 3, Israel Salinas, Mission Veterans Memorial, 25.24; 4, Gabriel Pena, Mission Veterans Memorial, 25.34; 5, Francisco J Cerda, Weslaco High, 25.59; 6, Christian Silva, Mission Veterans Memorial, 25.59; 7, Carlos Robles, McAllen Rowe, 25.68; 8, Deven Cardenas, Brownsville Rivera, 25.77.

100-yard butterfly

1, Joshua Velasquez, PSJA Southwest, 56.32; 2, Adrian Flores, Brownsville Rivera, 58.77; 3, Justice Rivera, Edinburg Vela, 1:00.85; 4, Daniel R. Trevino, Weslaco High, 1:06.23; 5, Deven Cardenas, Brownsville Rivera, 1:06.55; 6, Eloy Garza, Edinburg Vela, 1:06.83; 7, Pablo De Los Santos, Brownsville Rivera, 1:07.47; 8, Ivan Pena, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:11.33.

100-yard freestyle

1, Juan Mejia, PSJA Southwest, 53.44; 2, Daryl L. Wells, Weslaco High, 54.44; 3, Gabriel Pena, Mission Veterans Memorial, 54.96; 4, Francisco J. Cerda, Weslaco High, 57.26; 5, David Uribe, McAllen Rowe, 57.61; 6, Christian Silva, Mission Veterans Memorial, 57.82; 7, Christopher Barbosa, Mission High, 59.40; 8, Enrique Maldonado, PSJA High, 58.12

500-yard freestyle

1, Joseph Velasquez, PSJA Southwest, 5:17.71; 2, Adrian Flores, Brownsville Rivera, 5:41.24; 3, Eddie Velador, Edinburg Vela, 5:42.17; 4, Andre Rodriguez, PSJA North, 5:42.46; 5, Zack Garza, PSJA Southwest, 5:56.98; 6, Eric Flores, Mission Veterans Memorial, 6:08.26; 7, Nicholas C. Cano, Weslaco High, 6:08.26; 8, Gilberto Rebolloso, Weslaco High, 6:18.26.

200-yard freestyle relay

1, PSJA Southwest, 1:37.62; 2, Edinburg High, 1:41.23; 3, Brownsville Rivera, 1:42.06; 4, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:42.32; 5, Edinburg Vela, 1:43.45; 6, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:47.46; 8, McAllen Rowe, 1:47.96.

100-yard backstroke

1, Joseph Velasquez, PSJA Southwest, 1:00.43; 2, David Garza, Edinburg High, 1:04.79; 3, Daryl Wells, Weslaco High, 1:06.94; 4, Ryan Shea, Brownsville Rivera, 1:08.61; 5, Pablo De Los Santos, Brownsville Rivera, 1:08.92; 6, Daniel Marin, Edinburg North, 1:10.80; 7, Zack Garza, PSJA Southwest, 1:11.21; 8, Justin Gonzalez, PSJA North, 1:12.01.

100-yard breaststroke

1, Joshua Velasquez, PSJA Southwest, 1:04.29; 2, Carlos Robles, McAllen Rowe, 1:07.04; 3, Hugo Arredondo, Brownsville Hanna, 1:10.21; 4, Andre Rodriguez, PSJA North, 1:13.36; 5, Marco Barragan, Edinburg High, 1:14.48; 6, Derek Lopez, PSJA Memorial, 1:15.49; 7, Israel Salinas, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:17.20; 8, Jose D. Gomez, PSJA High, 1:17.32.

400-yard freestyle relay

1, Mission Veterans Memorial, 3:48.29; 2, PSJA Southwest, 3:57.14; 3, Weslaco High, 3:57.20; 4, Mission High, 3:59.76; 5, Brownsville Rivera, 4:12.63; 6, Edinburg High, 4:15.08; 7, Brownsville Hanna, 4:21.87; 8, Mission Veterans Memorial, 4:22.91.

1, Brownsville Rivera, 2:08.23; 2, McAllen Rowe ‘A’, 2:08.40; 3, Brownsville Hanna, 2:16.86; 4, Mission Veterans Memorial, 2:19.38; 5, McAllen Rowe ‘B’, 2:20.95; 6, Weslaco High, 2:21.25; 7, Edinburg Vela, 2:21.30; 8, Edinburg High, 2:30.15.

200-yard freestyle

1, Maya Athena Imperial, Brownsville Hanna, 2:09.39; 2, Stephanie Castillo, Brownsville Rivera, 2:13.05; 3, Karla Castillo, Mission Veterans Memorial, 2:23.94; 4, Ayanna Delias, McAllen Rowe, 2:28.69; 5, Ximena Gonzalez, Brownsville Rivera, 2:26.76; 6, Leslie Montemayor, PSJA Memorial, 2:29.46; 7, Natalie Ybarra, PSJA North, 2:32.96; 8, Erika Miller, Mission Veterans Memorial, 2:32.96.

200-yard IM

1, Natalia Davila, Brownsville Hanna, 2:33.97; 2, Shaena Reyes, McAllen Rowe, 2:34.94; 3, Sofia Gonzalez, Brownsville Rivera, 2:53.85; 4, Lulu Ortega, Brownsville Rivera, 2:53.85; 5, Raquel Cueva, McAllen Rowe, 2:54.02; 6, Lauren Ortiz, Edinburg North, 3:20.97; 7, Ariana Hinojosa, Brownsville Hanna, 3:26.19; 8, Vivian Molina, Edinburg Economedes, 4:00.22.

50-yard freestyle

1, Ina Te, McAllen Rowe, 26.37; 2, Alison Tacderas, Edinburg High, 27.20; 3, Yeye Rodriguez, PSJA North, 27.59; 4, Keily Meador, Edinburg Vela, 28.11; 5, Tahliya O Martinez, Brownsville Hanna, 28.68; 6, Gloria Orta, Brownsville Hanna, 29.08; 7, Ayanna Delias, McAllen Rowe, 29.14; 8, Lauren Castillo, Mission Veterans Memorial, 29.21.

100-yard butterfly

1, Ina Te, McAllen Rowe, 1:02.35; 2, Ximena Gonzalez, Brownsville Rivera, 1:10.68; 3, Yeye Rodriguez, PSJA North, 1:10.96; 4, Gloria Orta, Brownsville Hanna, 1:19.71; 5, Christa Guerra, Edinburg Vela, 1:21.22; 6, Naquita Deysel, Brownsville Hanna, 1:25.65; 7, Korinna Errizuirz, Brownsville Rivera, 1:31.09; 8, Sabrina S. Dougherty, Edinburg North, 1:41.25.

100-yard freestyle

1, Maya Athena Imperial, Brownsville Hanna, 59.87; 2, Julia Worley, PSJA North, 1:00.57; 3, Alison Tacderas, Edinburg High, 1:01.85; 4, Cassandra Arteaga, Edinburg Vela, 1:05.37; 5, Bianca Benavides, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:05.47; 6, Lauren Castillo, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:06.21; 7, Leslie Montemayor, PSJA Memorial, 1:07.32; 8, Marianna Lam, McAllen Rowe, 1:07.50.

500-yard freestyle

1, Stephanie Castillo, Brownsville Rivera, 6:03.73; 2, Lourdes Wisby, PSJA Southwest, 6:30.49; 3, Karla Castillo, Mission Veterans Memorial, 6:32.90; 4, Sofia Conzalez, Brownsville Rivera, 6:40.20; 5, Tahliya O Martinez, Brownsville Hanna, 7:03.22; 6, Daniela Gonzalez, McAllen Rowe, 7:17.79; 7, Carolina Garcia, Brownsville Hanna, 7:25.34; 8, Tabitha Rowland, McAllen Rowe, 7:25.54.

200-yard freestyle relay

1, McAllen Rowe, 1:52.44; 2, Brownsville Hanna, 1:52.65; 3, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:56.02; 4, Brownsville Rivera, 1:56.59; 5, PSJA North, 1:56.78; 6, Edinburg Vela, 2:00.44; 7, Edinburg High, 2:01.31; 8, Weslaco High, 2:02.71.

100-yard backstroke

1, Lourdes Wisby, PSJA Southwest, 1:10.13; 2, Natalia Davila, Brownsville Hanna, 1:1.408; 3, Megan Wyna, McAllen Rowe, 1:15.28; 4, Andrea Yarritu, McAllen Rowe, 1:16.69; 5, Morgan D. Parker, Weslaco High, 1:17.50; 6, Raquel Cueva, McAllen Rowe, 1:17.87; 7, Maddy Garza, McAllen Rowe, 1:18.20; 8, Lulu Ortega, Brownsville Rivera, 1:19.57.

100-yard breaststroke

1, Julia Worley, PSJA North, 1:20.79; 2, Fernanda Rodriguez, Brownsville Rivera, 1:21.26; 3, Shaena Reyes, McAllen Rowe, 1:23.20; 4, Keily Meador, Edinburg Vela, 1:24.38; 5, Bianca Benavides, Mission Veterans Memorial, 1:28.07; 6, Cyanna L. Cano, Weslaco High, 1:34.26; 7, Alison Meador, Edinburg Vela, 1:36.23; 8, Ferin Hinojosa, Edinburg High, 1:37.34.

400-yard freestyle relay

1, Brownsville Hanna, 4:14.45; 2, PSJA North, 4:24.59; 3, Brownsville Rivera, 4:43.72; 4, Brownsville Hanna, 5:00.11; 5, Weslaco High, 5:05.08; 6, Edinburg North, 5:10.85; 7, Edinburg High, 5:25.67; 8, Mission High, 5:56.43.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — With the benefit of coming off their bye week, Edinburg North entered PSJA Stadium on Friday with added time to refresh, refocus and recharge themselves for a push to the playoffs.

Quarterback Cristian Espinoza sensed a change.

“Just the way we were carrying ourselves in practice and warmups before for the game, there was an energy that hasn’t been there this season,” Espinoza said. “We knew how important this game was, so we just came in ready to take care of business.”

And take care of business they did. After defeating PSJA Memorial 30-13, Edinburg North set up a winner-take-all contest next week against Edinburg Economedes for the final playoff spot in District 31-6A.

“I was talking to (Econ coach Gabe) Peña earlier this season,” North coach Rene Saenz said. “We were looking ahead at the schedule and he said, ‘I hope our game matters.’ I think he turned into a bit of a prophet.”

Saenz says his team will enjoy Friday’s win for the night, and they rightly should. It’s been an up-and-down season for the Cougars, and their victory over the Wolverines marked their most complete win this season.

The catalyst for North was its defense. Though that unit surrenders 350 yards per game, they limited PSJA Memorial to 232 and frustrated the Wolverines’ offense with four takeaways, three of which came from senior John Mendoza. Mendoza has collected 11 interceptions on the season, tied for second-best in Texas, according to MaxPreps.

“He’s been working really hard,” Espinoza said. “He’s one of the leaders on the team and helps everyone get better. He definitely deserves to get those picks that are coming to him, but he works for them for sure.”

Mendoza’s first pick came during the first three minutes of the game. His 71-yard return put the Cougars on their own 5-yard line and set up a 24-yard field goal from Eduar Escobar to put Edinburg North up 3-0 with 8:40 left in the opening quarter. From then on, it was all Cougars, all the time.

Running back Jaime Guerra carried the ball into the end zone from 20 yards out to give North a 9-0 lead after a failed two-point conversion. Espinoza found receiver Joseph Acuna on a 12-yard touchdown pass and Juan Flores exploded for a 52-yard touchdown run. With 9:15 left in the first half, the Cougars were up 23-0, their biggest lead of the night.

While North’s offense continued to score, the defense continued to shut down the Wolverines. Aside from a pair of touchdowns when the game was already decided, PSJA Memorial had four interceptions, three punts, two fumbles lost on kickoffs, and a turnover on downs.

“Guys were swarming to the ball tonight,” Espinoza said. “There were always five or six guys near the ball ready to make the tackle instead of just one, like there have been in other games.”

TRICKS UP THEIR SLEEVES
The Cougars attempted trick plays during key moments throughout the game, to varying degrees of success.

A fake PAT in the first quarter didn’t result in two points. However, a fake punt on fourth down that became a pass from Justin Guerra to Adrian Ortiz did. That first-down conversion extended a Cougars drive that resulted in a touchdown.

“Those plays have been there, we just haven’t been able to run them when we want to because we haven’t always been on the same page,” Saenz said. “With some guys hurt, you had different guys understanding different parts of the play.”

Key returners for the Cougars were center Julian Rico, and linebackers Javier De La Cruz and Luis Zapata.

GAME RECOGNIZE GAME
Espinoza and PSJA Memorial QB Mike Gonzalez are the best passers in the district. After the game, Espinoza says the two briefly spoke to one another.

“I just wished him success in the future,” Espinoza said. “He’s a great player for them and is a great senior talent.”
Espinoza completed 7-of-13 passes for 92 yards and a score. Gonzalez threw for 213 yards on 19-of-40 attempts, including 4 INTs and a touchdown.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Silvia Perez was one of just four Valley girls basketball players to average a double-double a season ago. As a junior, the Edinburg Economedes post scored 12.3 points, grabbed 12.1 rebounds per game and was the focal point for coach Mariana Campos’ offense.

Despite Perez’s production, the Lady Jaguars missed the playoffs when they failed to overcome Weslaco East during a play-in game for the final postseason spot in District 31-6A.

As Perez returns for her senior campaign, Campos hopes to see her grow in ways not apparent in the box score.

“I want to see her develop as a leader,” Campos said. “As a senior and our go-to girl, she needs to be more vocal and keep things moving on the court. During practice, she’s already calling out to other players.”

Last season, Econ’s emotional leader was senior guard Emily Suarez. But where Suarez led with a quiet demeanor, Perez commands the court in a more boisterous fashion.
“She’ll let you have it,” Campos said of Perez’s leadership. “She’s not afraid to get after you if you mess up.”

Suarez leaves more than just her soft-spoken ways behind. She was the Lady Jaguars’ second-leading scorer with 11.3 points per game, and led the team in 3-pointers made with 38. The duo of senior Ashley Escalante and junior Lizbeth Cabrera will look to replicate Suarez’s production.

“Ashley was essentially our sixth man last year,” Campos said. “She started two games for us. I think experiencing the intensity of trying to make the playoffs last year will be good for her.”

CONSISTENT COYOTES

The La Joya High Lady Coyotes finished their first season under coach Rene Zamora with a 3-9 record in District 30-6A. But Zamora didn’t see a team on the fritz. He saw a squad taking their lumps and learning what it takes to be competitive.

“I thought the girls did a good job of learning the system,” Zamora said. “They grew a lot as a team last year and learned what it’s going to take for them to get to where we want to be.”

Though the Lady Coyotes went 8-21 last year, 11 of their losses were decided by 10 points or less. In those games, La Joya went 4-7. In district games decided by the same margin, the Lady Coyotes were 1-4.

“We’re going to have to condition,” Zamora said. “We’re not that deep, so we have to get the girls up to par by district. … We’re going to stress finishing. Bottom line, we have to finish. It’s four quarters. We can’t let off whether we’re up or down. We have to fight until the end because you never know the outcome.”

La Joya graduated three seniors, but will get the bulk of their starters back, including four-year letterman and all-district first teamer Ashley Olivarez, sophomore Karina Casanova and sophomore Monica Garcia.

RATTLERS RETURN

Rio Grande City boasted one of the bigger lineups in the Valley a season ago. But the Lady Rattlers’ youth hindered them during their most urgent moment — a season-finale loss to Sharyland High that ended RGC’s playoff hopes.

The Lady Rattlers enter 2015 with much of their size intact and hope to be a year better in their quest for the postseason. RGC looks to be led in part by sophomore Jocy Amaya, a hybrid player who meshes the size of a post player with the skill set of a guard
.
“She’s worked on her shot a lot,” Lady Rattlers coach Gustavo Valenciana said. “She’s extended her range tremendously. She shot a lot of threes over the summer and let her play guard a little bit.”
Amaya led RGC in points and rebounding a season ago.

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