BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — How inexperienced was Madeline Ayala when she joined the Mission Juan Diego Academy Lady Lions basketball team in 2012?

“I didn’t even know what a pick was,” the junior forward said.

Ayala’s case is not unusual for the second-year program.

The Lady Lions play for a private school so small, the program doesn’t have a freshman or junior varsity team, meaning the Lady Lions sport one of the more eclectic rosters in the Valley.

“We do the best with what we have,” Juan Diego coach Tony Casso said.

What Casso has is a surprise title contender that today travels to Mansfield to play Friday in the TAPPS 1A District 6 state semifinal. The team is made up of seasoned varsity talent and players who only recently learned the fundamentals of basketball.

Credit for the team’s successful coalescence in part belongs Casso’s mother and assistant, Teresa Casso — a Hall of Famer who spent 32 years as head girls basketball coach at McAllen High before retiring after the 2010 season.

“This is the family business,” Tony said. “When I was offered the job as coach, I told them that she had to come with me. I couldn’t do it without her.”

Though Teresa spent her career guiding one of the Valley’s most tenured programs at McHi, she says she didn’t feel daunted when she was called on to assist in building the Lady Lions from scratch.

“What helped me was I was a middle school coach at one time,” Teresa said. “And when I was at McHi, I was very involved in the freshman and J.V. teams. I knew how to coach up players.”

When mother and son begin molding players, they start with the game’s elementary components: passing, dribbling, setting screens. From there they focus on sound defensive fundamentals.

“We teach defense first because it’s easier to teach than offense,” Teresa said. “We have a saying that says ‘defense wins championships.’ Offensive teams can always have an off-night.”

The Lady Lions began their inaugural campaign 0-8, a bumpy, if expected, start. It wasn’t until the arrival of guard Jasmine Long, who transferred from McAllen Memorial midway through the season, that the Lady Lions began to turn into a promising squad.

“When Jasmine got here, you could see everyone try and bring their game up to her level,” Tony said. “Everyone wanted to get better.”

Long knew of Teresa from her time growing up in McAllen, and says her presence made joining the Lady Lions an easy choice. But even Long, formerly a wing, had to adjust to a new position under the Casso style of play.

“We had to teach (Jasmine) how to play point guard,” Teresa said. “She had to learn how to run the offense and be an effective passer.”

With the addition of Long and the team’s physical style of defense, the Lady Lions advanced to the playoffs in their first year, losing in the first year.

This season, Long averaged 21.5 points, the highest of any girls player in the Valley. Her sister Karla, a freshman guard, rebounded from a torn right LCL suffered during volleyball season to average 16 points along with a team-high 5 assists. Ayala averages 12.2 rebounds despite being undersized for her position.

The team’s increased talent led to splitting the TAPPS 1A District 6 championship with rival Brownsville First Baptist, who the Lady Lions play Friday at 6 p.m. for a bid to the state championship game Saturday. It will mark the fifth time the teams have faced each other this season, with First Baptist leading the season series 3-1.

“Both teams know each other very well,” Teresa said. “We could probably call their plays and they could probably call ours. It’s going to be a tough game, but the girls are excited and I think they’ll be ready.”

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Valley’s Best and Mythical Track and Field Standings for March 5, 2015.

Boys
Team standings — 1, Sharyland High, 85; 2, McAllen Memorial 64; 3, Harlingen High, 52; 4, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 49; 5, Edinburg Vela, 41; 6, Donna High, 38; 7, Los Fresnos, 34; 8, Brownsville Rivera, 26; 9, La Joya Palmview, 24; 10, Weslaco East, 23.

Field Events
Shot Put – 1, Mike Zuniga, Rio Hondo, 54-1; 2, Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 53-9; 3, John Melmares, San Benito 49-10; 4, Johnny Howell, Sharyland Pioneer, 49-8; 5, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memoiral 49-1; 6, Travis Barnes, Harlingen High, 48-5.
Discus — 1, Angel Espinoza, Brownsville Rivera, 163-8; 2, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 163-3; 3, Lucas Rios, McAllen Memorial, 154-2’ 4, Gilbert Castro, Progreso, 153-9; 5, Gabriel Almandariz, Edcouch-Elsa, 150-8; 6, Mike Zuniga, Rio Hondo, 150-6.
Long jump — 1, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 22-4; 2, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 22-1.5; 3, Ciro Hernandez, PSJA North, 21-6; 4, Roel Garcia, Mercedes, 21-3; 4, Trevor Speights, McAllen Memorial, 21-1; 6, Felipe Flores, Browwnsville Veterans, 21-0.
Triple jump — 1, Dominick Castillo, Donna North, 42-9; 2, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 42-7; 3, Hector Bosquez, McAllen Rowe, 42-3; 4, Mark Reyna, IDEA Quest, 42-2.5; 5, Pete Perez, Los Fresnos, 41-5.5; 6, Adrian Cruz, Edinburg Vela, 41-4.
High jump — 1, Brendon Rivera, Edinburg Vela, 6-10; 2, Diego Martinez, Sharyland High, 6-2; 3, Robert Rosales, Valley View, 6-1; 4, Anthony Garza, Weslaco High, 6-0; 5, Kris Marroquin, Weslaco High, 6-0; 6, Adrian Rodriguez.
Pole vault — 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 14-6; 2, Seth Carter, Sharyland High, 13-6; 3, Jose Garcia, Mission High, 13-6; 4, Albert Villarreal, Harlingen High, 13-6; 5, Marcos Carrizales, Rio Hondo, 13-6; 6, Jon Zapata, Weslaco High, 13-0; 6, Alexis Galarza, Edcouch-Elsa, 13-0; 6, Ishmael Milleda, Weslaco High, 13-0.
Running Events
100-meter dash — 1, James Cole, Sharyland High, 10.86; 2, Gabe Vasquez, San Benito, 10.99; 3, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 11.03; 4, Adrian Rodriguez, McAllen High, 11.04; 5, Rodrigo Vega, Donna High, 11.04; 6, Lupe Moron, Weslaco East, 11.08.
200-meter dash — 1, James Cole, Sharyland High, 22.24; 2, Christopher Rosales, Harlingen High, 22.36; 3, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 22.52; 4, Mike Medillen, Edinburg Economedes, 22.62; 5, Jose Torres, PSJA North, 22.64; 6, Anthony Gonzalez, Brownsville Porter, 22.64.
400-meter dash — 1, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 50.52; 2, Christopher Montemayor, Harlingen High, 50.58; 3, Marcos Medina, Harlingen High, 50.70; 4, Yariel Matute, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 51.04; 5, Michael Cavaozos, Edinburg Vela, 51.04; 6, Adrian Rodriguez, Edcouch-Elsa, 51.19.
800-meter run — 1, Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans, 1:57.39; 2, Ricardo Mendoza, La Joya High, 1:58.34; 3, Isaac Arevalo, Edinburg Vela, 1:58.39; 4, Michael Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:58.65; 5, Victor Munoz, PSJA Memorial, 1:58.98; 6, Dante Goana, PSJA Southwest, 1:59.03.
1600-meter run — 1, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 4:28.66; 2, Anthony Garza, Brownsville Rivera, 4:29.02; 3, Joshua Perez, Donna North, 4:29.64; 4, Adam Herrera, Edinburg Vela, 4:30.03; 5, Tristan Pena, Edinburg North, 4:31.10; 6, Ricardo Mendoza, La Joya High, 4:32.03.
3200-meter run — 1, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 9:38.0; 2, G.J. Reyna, Mission Veterans, 9:46.25; 3, Christian Manchua, Brownsville Rivera, 9:47.49; 4, Oser Rodriguez, Harlingen High, 9:49.0; 5, Fabian Garcia, Mission Veterans, 9:50.96; 6, Joshua Perez, Donna North, 9:51.22.
110-meter hurdles — 1, Vince Castillo, Donna High, 14.27; 2, Marcus Pena, Sharyland High, 14.97; 3, JR Villarreal, Weslaco East, 15.60; 4, Tristan Guerra, Sharyland Pioneer, 15.74; 5, Alan Martinez, Mission High, 15.74; 6, Brnadon Bradford, PSJA North, 16.09.
300-meter hurdles — 1, Vince Castillo, Donna High School, 38.40; 2, Omar Silva, Port Isabel, 40.10; 3, Jorge Cantu, San Benito, 40.85; 4, Rene Pecina, La Joya Palmview, 41.14; 5, Edward Velasquez, Brownsville Riverea, 41.27; 6, Carlos Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 41.32.
400-meter relay — 1, McAllen Memorial, 43.35; 2, Donna High, 43.5; 3, Los Fresnos, 43.64; 4 Weslaco East, 43.65; 5, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 43.83; 6, Rio Grande City, 44.04.
800-meter relay — 1, Los Fresnos, 1:31.81; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:31.84; 3, Sharyland High, 1:31.98; 4, Weslaco East, 1:32.36; 5, Weslaco High, 1:33.11; 6, Edinburg Vela, 1:33.16.
1600-meter relay — 1, Harlingen High, 3:25.25; 2, Edinburg Vela, 3:26.16; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:29.49; 4, La Feria, 3:31.15; 5, Sharyland Pioneer, 3:31.75; 6, PSJA Southwest, 3:31.84.

Girls
Team standings — 1, Sharyland Pioneer, 88; 2, Harlingen South, 69; 3, Los Fresnos 50; 4, McAllen Memorial, 47.75; 5, St. Josepeh Academy, 45; 6, Port Isabel, 38.5; 7, Mission Veterans, 35; 8, Edinburg High, 32.75; 9, Weslaco High, 27.25; 10, McAllen Rowe, 25.

Field Events
Shot put — 1, Nora Monie, Sharyland Pioneer, 45- 3.5; 2, Daniela Murchison, Port Isabel, 44-4; 3, Brittany Vielma, PSJA Southwest, 39-9.5; 4, Valeria Granados, Los Fresnos, 38-5.5; 5, Clarissa Chavez, Brownsville Veterans, 37-11; 6, Maisie Trevino, Edinburg Economedes, 36-9.
Discus — 1, Nora Monie, Sharyland Pioneer, 140-10; 2, Clarissa Chavez, Brownsville Veterans, 134-9; 3, Daniela Murchison, Port Isabel, 134-7; 4, Brittany Vielna, PSJA Southwest, 127-7; 5, Karen Guerra, La Joya Juerez-Lincoln 119-2; 6, Gertrudis Ruiz-Balls, Brownsville Pace, 118-2.
Long jump — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 18-4.5; 2, Gabby Torres, Port Isbabel, 17-10.5; 3, Jiovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 16-11; 4, I’Dasha Sorrell, Donna North, 16-10.5; 4, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 16-7.5; 6, Pamela Ellis, Brownsville Hanna, 16-4.5.
Triple jump — 1, Jaleah Calvillo, Los Fresnos, 37-1; 2, Celeste Elizodona, Grulla, 34-9; 3, Abriana Saenz, Edinburgh Norht, 34-8.5; 4, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans, 34-0.75; 5, Brenda Maritinez, La Joya Palmview, 34-0; 6, Jiovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 33-8.5.
High jump — 1, Joan Cepeda, PSJA Memorial, 5-4; 2, Gabby Torres, Port Isabel, 5-4; 3, Jaleah Valvillo, Los Fresnos, 5-4; 4, Maria Avila, Brownsville Pace, 5-2; 5, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 5-0; 6, Natalie Martinez, Edinburg High, 5-0; 6, Jillian Terry, Idea Quest, 5-0; Katherine De Leon, McAllen Memorial, 5-0.
Pole vault — 1, Megan Lopez, Brownsville St. Joseph, 10-6; 2, Marifera Valencia, Brownsville St. Joseph, 9-6; 3, Aaryn Martinez, Mission Veterans, 9-6; 4, Carolina Carrillo, PSJA North, 9-0; 5, Crystal Hernandez, Edcouch-Elsa, 6, Sydney Salinas, Weslaco High, 8-6; 6, Brisin Gonzalez, Port Isabel, 8-6.

Running Events
100-meter dash — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 11.86; 2, Valerie Mancha, PSJA High, 11.98; 3, I’Dasha Sorrell, Donna North, 12.08; 4, Yasmine Martinez, Harlingen High, 13.02; 5, J’yah Cook, Port Isabel, 13.04; Mariana Gonzalez-Garcia, McAllen Memorial, 13.04.
200-meter dash — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 25.18; 2, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph, 26.01; 3, Rebeca Martinez, Sharyland Pioneer, 26.21; 4, Mia Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview, 26.37; 5, Valerie Mancha, PSJA High, 26.53; 6, Nicole Gonzalez, Harlingen South, 26.71.
400-meter dash — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 59.49; 2, Nicole Gonzalez, Harlingen South, 60.30; 3, Fabiola Carbajal, Mission Veterans, 60.76; 4, Katherine DeLeon, McAllen Memorial, 61.04; 5, Juliana Guerrero, Harlingen High, 61.62; 6, Sofia Salinas, Brownsville Hanna, 61.68.
800-meter run — 1, Alexandria Cruz, Edinbug High, 2:16.68; 2, Sofia Salinas, Brownsville Hanna, 2:23.70; 3, Adriana Cruz, Rio Grande City, 2:24.38; 4, Isabel Mendoza, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:24.39; 5, Olivia Aranda, PSJA Southwest, 2:24.52; 6, Yvonna Sanchez, Donna High, 2:25.66.
1600-meter run — 1, Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High, 4:59.85; 2, Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 5:09.13; 3, Beth Ramos, Edinburg North, 5:11.46; 4, Lizate Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 5:24.0; 5, Brianna Robles, Sharyland Palmview, 5:32.74; 6, Yarell Tamez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 5:33.63.
3200-meter run — 1, Beth Ramos, Edinburg North, 10:50.89; 2, Alexandria Cruz, 11:14.45; 3, Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 11:34.46; 4, Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 11:43.25; 5, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 11:57.05; 6, Ana Ochoa, Edinburg Economedes, 12:04.33.
100-meter hurdles — 1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph, 14.96; 2, Jaleah Calvillo, Los Fresnos, 15.27; 3, Gabby Torres, Port Isabel, 15.81; 4, Maria Avila, Brownsville Pace, 16.44; 5, Jennifer Pena, Sharyland High, 16.64; 6, Olivia Garcia, Edinburg Vela, 16.64.
300-meter hurdles — 1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph, 44.87; 2, Thanya Garza, McAllen Memorial, 47.51; 3, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans, 48.75; 4, Yasmin Gonzalez, McAllen Memorial, 49.06; 5, Kassandra Torres, Sharyland Pioneer, 49.93; 6, Skylar Hernandez, McAllen High, 49.97.
400-meter relay — 1, Harlingen South, 50.10; 2, Sharyland Pioneer, 50.70; 3, Los Fresnos, 50.77; 4, McAllen Memorial, 51.05; 5, La Joya Palmview, 51.05; 6, McAllen Rowe, 51.24.
800-meter relay — 1, Sharyland Pioneer, 1:48.35; 2, McAllen Rowe, 1:50.19; 3, Mission Veteran, 1:50.30; 4, Weslaco High, 1:50.46; 5, La Joya Palmview, 1:50.77; 6, McAllen Memorial, 1:51.11.
1600-meter relay — 1, McAllen Memorial, 4:07.34; 2, Weslaco High, 4:09.71; 3, Sharyland Pioneer, 4:12.52; 4, Los Fresnos, 4:13.0; 5, Edinburg High, 4:15.21; 6, PSJA Southwest, 4:15.35.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

McAllen — As the Weslaco High Lady Panthers track team sprinted into first place during the girls competition at Saturday’s McAllen ISD Invitational track and field meet at McAllen Rowe High School, girls coach Pablo Almaguer was more preoccupied with the weather.

Overcast skies, light precipitation and chilly temperatures forced the meet to forego preliminary races and skip to finals heats.

“You get a day like (Saturday), and the first thing on your mind is everyone’s safety,” Almaguer said.
Athletes in attendance avoided serious injury, and the Lady Panthers posted a meet-high 111.5 points despite conditions that were less than ideal. The bulk of Weslaco’s points came in each of the four relay events, during which the team placed no worse than second. The Lady Panthers won gold in both 4×200-meter relay and 4×800-meter relay.

“We were happy with the results,” Almaguer said. “We’ve had a tough time trying to build this team up. We’re just happy to come out of there with a win.”

Weslaco fielded 18 girls, six more than the team took to last week’s relays in Brownsville, where it finished sixth. One reason for the increased attendance was the addition of basketball players Angela Villarreal and Brianna Pena. Another is a growing contingent of healthy bodies.

“We haven’t had some of our girls, Almaguer said. “We’ve been bringing them along slowly.”
One particular runner on the mend for the Lady Panthers is senior Alyssa De Leon, who placed second in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 50.24 seconds. Almaguer says De Leon has been dealing with cramps since December.

“I didn’t even let her run in the finals at Brownsville,” he said. “She only ran in the prelims. We’re trying to progress her slowly so she’s fully healthy at the end of the season. She did drop her time from Brownsville, however, by about two seconds.”

While the Lady Panthers cruised on the track, freshman in Eleanor Arndt excelled during field events, collecting gold in the high jump with a mark of 5-foot-0, and silver in the long jump with a distance of 15-5 1/2

“She’s going to be a special one for us,” Almaguer said. “She’s such a young talent, and she’s already mentally sound. We’re very happy to have her on our team.”

The Sharyland Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks placed second during girls competition with a score of 78. Pioneer saw podium finishes in seven events despite only having nine athletes in attendance. Nora Monie won gold in the shot put with a distance of 38-7 before taking first once more during the discus throw (111-9).

Alexandria Cruz of Edinburg High placed first in the 800-meter run (5:04.54) and 1600-meter run (5:04.54).

The boys competition was held at McAllen Memorial High School and was dominated by the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies who placed first with 148 points behind 13 podium finishes. Saturday marked the team’s third consecutive first-place finish.

“I’m really proud of the way the kids competed,” boys coach Horacio Garza said. “Even though the weather wasn’t that great, they were soldiers. They went out there and went for it.”

The Huskies’ performance during relay events mirrored the Lady Panthers’, as Juarez-Lincoln finished no worse than second and earned gold in the 4×200-meter relay and 4×800-meter relay.

Individual gold-medal finishes came from Anthony Mora, who won the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.85, and senior Carlos Barrera, who placed first in the triple jump with a distance of 40-9 1/2

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Mcallen ISD Invitational Meet Results

Saturday, Feb. 28

Boys

At McAllen Memorial

Team Standings — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 148; 2, La Joya Palmview, 74; 3, Edinburg Economedes, 56; 4, McAllen Memorial, 53; 5, Mission Veterans 50; 6, La Feria, 41.

Field Events

High jump — 1, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 5-10; 2, Diego Martinez, Mission Sharyland, 5-10; 3, Kris Marroquin, Weslaco High, 5-10; 4, Adrian Cavozos, Sharyland Pioneer, 5-4; 5, Andrew Rodriguez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 5-4; 6, Xavier Martinez, San Benito, 5-4.

Pole vault — 1, Luis Trujillo, Mission Veterans, 11-06; 2, Rudy Villanueva, Edcouch-Elsa, 11-0; 3, Billy Guerra, La Feria, 10-06; 4, Vicente Martinez, La Joya, 10-0.5; 5, Ishael Villeda, Weslaco High, 10-00.

Long jump — 1. Ciro Hernandez, PSJA North, 20-09; 2, Roel Garcia, Mercedes, 20-8.5; 3, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 20-03.75; 4, Zack Ramon, Sharyland Pioneer, 19-7; 5, Juan Badillo, Weslaco East, 19-6.5; 6, Damian Quintanilla, La Joya Palmview, 19-3.

Triple jump — 1, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 40-09.5; 2, Hector Bosquez, McAllen Rowe, 39-11; 3, Martin Baez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 39-08; 4, Damian Quintanilla, La Joya Palmview, 39-5.5; 5, Josh Garcia, PSJA North, 38-6; 6, Chaunts Weston; Sharyland Pioneer, 38-5.

Shot put — 1, Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 51-0; 2, John Belmares, San Benito, 49-10; 3, Jordan De Leon, Mission Veterans, 45-3.5; 4, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 44-3; 5, Johnny Howell, Sharyland Pioneer, 43-7; 6, Jason Velasco, McAllen Memorial, 43-5.

Discus — 1, Lucas Rios, McAllen Memorial, 146-10; 2, Jordan De Leon, Mission Veterans, 144-0; 3, Jonathan Perez, McAllen Rowe, 141-4.5; 4, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 138-2.5; 5, Johnny Howell, Sharyland Pioneer, 132-11.5; 6, Tanner Trigg, Sharyland Pioneer, 131-7.5.

Running Events

100-meter dash — 1, Carlos Vela, Edinburg Economdes, 11.41; 2, Sean Landez, Sharyland High 11.71; 3, Ino Rios, McAllen Rowe, 11.73; 4, Angel Garcia, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 11.81; 5, Carlos Andrade, Sharyland High, 11.89; 6, Adonis Barrillas, La Joya Juarez Lincoln, 11.95.

200-meter dash — 1, Anthony Mora, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 22.85; 2, Marcelo Matamoros, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 23.19; 3, Mike Medellin, Edinburg Economedes, 22.24; 4, Justin Medina, Edcouch-Elsa, 23.25; 5, Omar Mendiola, Sharyland High, 23.47; 6, Fred Quintanilla, La Joya Palmview, 23.60.

400-meter dash — 1, Victor Castillo, McAllen Memorial, 52.44; 2, Yariel Matute, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 52.46; 3, Carlos Hernandez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 54.10; 4, Luis Escalera, Sharyland High, 54.18; 5, Vincent Vento, La Feria, 54.68; 6, Juan Zuniga, Sharyland High, 54.88.

800-meter run — 1, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 2:03.50; 2, Michel Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 2:04.15; 3, Mauricio Hernandez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 2:04.93; 4, Carlos Rodriguez, La Feria, 2:05.05; 5, Ezequiel Ramirez, McAllen Memorial, 2:07.42; 6, Jose Luna, La Joya High, 2:08.56.

1600-meter run — 1, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 4:28.66; 2, Ricardo Mendoza, La Joya High, 4:32.03; 3, Jose Aleman, Sharyland Pioneer, 4:34.82; 4, Juan Orozco, PSJA North, 4:38.53; 5, David De Hoyos, Edcouch-Elsa, 4:40.91; 6, Jose Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 4:44.03.

110-meter hurdles — 1, Allen Martinez, Mission High, 16.70; 2, Marc Garcia, Mission Hihg, 16.85; 3, Rene Pecina, La Joya Palmview, 16.95; 4, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 17.51; 4, Tristan Guerra, Sharyland Pioneer, 17.51; 6, Andrew Rodriguez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 17.59.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Rene Pecina, La Joya Palmview, 41.50; 2, Angel Diaz, Edinburg High, 42.09; 3, Marc Garcia, Mission High, 42.46; 4, Pablo Pratt, McAllen Memorial, 43.00; 5, Carlos Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 43.03; 6, Marcus Nunez, La Feria, 44.00.

4×100-meter relay — 1, Edinburg Economedes, 44.26; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 44.31; 3, McAllen High, 44.63; 4, Mission Sharyland, 44.66; 5, Mission High, 45.97; 5, Weslaco High, 45.97.

4×200-meter relay — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:33.28; 2, Edinburg Economdes, 1:34.94; 3, McAllen Rowe, 1:36.06; 4, McAllen High, 1:36.15; 5, Roma High, 1:37.81; 6, Edinburg High, 1:39.41.

4×400-meter relay — 1, La Feria, 3:31.15; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:31.57; 3, La Joya Palmview, 3:40.54; 4, McAllen Memorial 3:42.26; 5, Edinburg Economedes, 3:46.07; 6, Edinburg High, 3:48.16.

3200-meter run — 1, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 9:38.00; 2, GJ Reyna, Mission Veterans, 9:48.18; 3, Fabian Garcia, Mission Veterans, 9:50.96; 4, Mathew Peynado, Mercedes, 9:53.50; 5, Jonathan Reyes, Mercedes, 9;55.18; 6, David De Hoyos, Edcouch-Elsa, 9:58.37.

4×800-meter run — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 8:27.12; 2, Weslaco East, 8:30.90; 3, Mission Veterans, 8:31.81; 4, La Feria, 8:43.15; 5, Sharyland Pioneer, 8:54.56; 6, Weslaco High, 9:09.72.

Girls

At McAllen Rowe

Team Standings — 1, Weslaco High, 111.5; 2, Sharyland Pioneer, 78; 3, McAllen Rowe 76; 4, McAllen Memorial, 73; 5, La Joya Palmview, 59; 6, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 54.

Field Events

High jump — 1, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 5-0; 2; Gabriella Garza, Weslaco High, 4-8; 2, Jayla Santa Maria, Edinburg High, 4-8; 2, Sydney Pemelton, McAllen High 4-8; 2, Jacqueline Garza, Weslaco High, 4-8; 2; Jennifer Pena, Sharyland High, 4-8.

Long jump — 1, Jacklyn Flores, Mercdes 16-0; 2, Jiovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 15-9.5; 3, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 15-5.5; 4, Monique Rodriguez, Edinburg Economdes, 15-5; 5, Reyna Del Castillo, Edinburg High; 6, Mirne Tanez, La Joya Palmview, 14-10.5.

Triple jump — 1, Prunela Martinez, La Joya Palmview, 33-2; 2, Jionanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 32-6; 3, Bridgette Famiglietti; Sharyland Pioneer, 31-3; 4, Monique Rodriguez, Edinburg Economedes, 31-3; 5, Cynthia Carcia, Brownsville Veterans, 31-0.5; 6, Calley Hausenfude, Sharyland High, 30-11.5.

Shot put — 1, Nora Monie, Sharyland Pioneer, 38-7.5; 2, Maisie Trevino, Edinburg Economdes, 36.9; 3, Faith Olszak, Weslaoc East, 35-2.5; 4, Jazmin Cortez, PSJA North, 33-7.5; 5, Felicia Saenz, La Joya Juarez Lincoln, 33-2.5; 6, Malaya Pistokache, Sharyland Pioneer, 31-10.

Discus — 1, Nora Monie, Sharyland Pioneer, 111-9; 2, Lauren Earhart, Edinburg Economedes, 104-3; 3, Karen Guerra, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 103-5; 4, Malaya Pistokache, Sharyland Pioneer, 94-6; 5, Brandi Farias, San Benito, 93-10; 6, Adriana Naranjo, San Benito, 92-11.

Running Events

100-meter dash — 1, Valenca Banda, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 13.21; 2, Caitlin Alaniz, Weslaco East, 12.31; 3, Alyssa Garza, La Joya Palmview 13.21; 4, Kimberly Munoz, La Joya Jurez-Lincoln 13.29; 5, Rebecca Martinez, Sharyland Pioneer, 13.33; 6, Cassidy Whiteland, McAllen Memorial, 13.40.

200-meter dash — 1, Mia Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview, 26.52; 2, Rebecca Martinez, 27.30; 3, Caitlin Alaniz, Weslaco East, 27.85; 4, Ashley Cantu, Brownsville Lopez, 26.68; 5, Breanna Pena, Edinburg High, 28.78; 6, Cassidy Whitehead, McAllen Memorial, 28.84.

400-meter dash — 1, Mallory Raad, McAllen High, 1:02.68; 2, Katherin DeLeon, 1:03.49; 3, Jarin Pena, Weslaco High, 1:03.58; 4, Karolyna Acosta, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 1:03.96; 5, Krista Lopez, Brownsville Veterans, 1:04.49; 6, Julissa Montoa, La Joya High, 1:04.74.

800-meter run — 1, Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High, 2:16.68; 2, Isabel Mendoza, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:24.39; 3, Karolyna Acosta, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 2:29.33; 4, Julissa Montoya, La joya Juarez-Lincoln, 2:34.02; 5, Veronica Dougherty, McAllen Rowe, 2:35.0; 6, Reanna Zamfir, Brownsville Veterans, 2:35.4.

1600-meter run — 1, Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High, 5:04.54; 2, Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer; 3, Yaneli Tamez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln; 4, Veronica Dougherty, McAllen Rowe; 5, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palview; 6, Isabel Mendoza, Sharyland Pioneer.

100-meter hurdles — 1, Yasmin Gonzalez, McAllen Memorial, 17.02; 2, Bianca Garza, Brownsville Veterans, 17.48; 3, Sarah Killian, McAllen High, 17.55; 4, Kassandra Torres, Sharyland Pioneer, 17.61; 5, Halleigh Scott, McAllen Rowe, 17.68; 6, Andrea Munguia, McAllen memorial, 17.74.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Thamie Garza, McAllen Memorial, 48.84; 2, Alyssa DeLeon, Weslaco High, 50.24; 3, Kassandra Torres, Sharyland Pioneer, 50.95; 4, Kaihla Reyes, San Benito, 51.43; 5, Yasmin Gonzalez, McAllen Memorial, 51.84; 6, Esperanza Pedraza, Weslaco High, 52.48.

4×100-meter relay — 1, McAllen Rowe, 51.24; 2, Weslaco High, 51.68; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 51.68; 4, McAllen Memorial, 51.73; 5, McAllen High, 52.55; 6, Edinburg High, 52.84.

4×200-meter relay — 1, Weslaco High, 1:50.46; 2, La Joya Palmview, 1:52.58; 3, McAllen memorial 1:52.99; 4, McAllen Rowe, 1:53.11; 5, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:53.64; 6, Edinburg High, 1:54.02.

4×400-meter relay — 1, McAllen Memorial, 4:07.34; 2, Weslaco High, 4:09.71; 3, McAllen Rowe, 4:21.02; 4, Edinburg Economedes, 4:27.40; 5, Mission High, 4:32.71; 6, Sharyland High, 4:33.71.

3200-meter run — 1, Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 11:33.25; 2, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 11:57.05; 3, Natali Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview, 12:06.22; 4, Vianneil Sandez, Edinburg High, 12:13.08; 5, Ana Ochoa, Edinburg Economedes, 12:15.62. 6, Anita Hernande, Sharyland High, 12:23.65.

4×800-meter relay — 1, Weslaco High, 10:30.47; 2, Mission High, 10:52.34; 3, McAllen Rowe, 10:55.55; 4, Sharyland High, 11.09.79; 5, Weslaco East, 11:36.69.

The following are Valley’s Best and Mythical Standings for Feb. 26, 2015

Boys

Team Standings — 1, Sharyland High, 86; 2, McAllen Memorial, 66; 3, Harlingen High, 56; 4, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 53; 5, Edinburg Vela, 44; 6, Donna High, 38; 7, Los Fresnos, 36; 8, Brownsville Rivera, 30; 9, Weslaco East, 22; 10, Mission Veterans, 20.

Field Events

Shot put — 1, Mike Zuniga, Rio Hondo, 54-1; 2, Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 53-9; 3, Johnny Howell, Sharyland Pioneer, 49-8’ 4, Edward Pequerno, McAllen Memorial, 49-1; 5, Travis Barnes, Harlingen High, 48-5; 6, John Belmares, San Benito, 48-5.

Discus — 1, Angel Espinoza, Brownsville Rivera, 163-8; 2, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 163-3; 3, Lucas Rios, McAllen Memorial, 154-2; 4, Gilbert Castro, Progreso, 153-9; 5, Gabriel Almandariz, Edcouch-Elsa, 150-8; 6, Mike Zuniga, Rio Hondo, 150-6.

Long jump — 1, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 22-4; 2, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 22-1.5; 3, Ciro Hernandez, PSJA North, 21-6; 4, Roel Garcia, Mercedes, 21-3; 5, Trevor Speights, McAllen Memorial, 21-1; 6, Felipe Flores, Brownsville Veterans, 21-0.

Triple jump — 1, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 42-7; 2, Hector Bozquez, McAllen Rowe, 42-3; 3, Mark Reyna, Idea Quest, 21-2-5; 4, Pete Perez, Los Fresnos, 41-5.5; 5, Adrian Cruz, Edinburg Vela, 41-4; 6, Michael Sifuentes, Brownsville Veterans, 40-11.

High jump — 1, Brandon Rivera, Edinburg Vela, 6-10; 2, Diego Martinez, Sharyland High, 6-2; 3, Robert Rosales, Valley View, 6-1; 4, Anthony Garza, Weslaco High, 6-0; 5, Kris Marroquin, Weslaco High, 6-0. 6, Five tied at 5-10.

Pole Vault — 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 14-6; 2, Seth Carter, Sharyland High, 13-6; 3, Jose Garcia, Mission High, 13-6; 4, Albert Villarreal, Harlingen Hihg, 13-6; 5, Jon Zapata, Weslaco high, 13-0; 6, Alexis Galarza, Edcouch-Elsa, 13-0; 6, Ishmael Villeda, Weslaco High, 13-0.

Running Events

100-meter dash — 1, James Cole, Sharyland High, 10.86; 2, Gabe Vasquez, San Benito, 10.99; 3, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 11.03; 4, Adrian Rodriguez, McAllen High, 11.04; 5, Rodrigo Vega, Donna High, 11.04; 6, Lupe Moron, Weslaco East, 11.08.

200-meter dash — 1, James Cole, Sharyland High, 22.24; 2, Christopher Rasales, Harlingen High, 22.36; 3, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 22.52; 4, Mike Medillen, Edinburg Economedes, 22.62; 5, Jose Torres, PSJA North, 22.64; 6, Anthony Gonzalez, Brownsville Porter, 22.72.

400-meter dash — 1, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 50.52; 2, Christopher Montemayor, Harlingen High, 50.58; 3, Marcos Medina, Harlingen High, 50.70; 4, Yariel Matute, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 51.04; 5, Michael Cavozos, Edinburg Vela, 51.04; 6, Adrian Rodriguez, Edcouch-Elsa, 51.19.

800-meter run — 1, Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans, 1:57.39; 2, Ricardo Mendoza, La Joya High, 1:58.34; 3, Isaac Arevalo, Edinburg Vela, 1:58.39; 4, Michael Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:58.65; 5, Victor Munoz, PSJA Memorial, 1:58.98; 6, Dante Doana, PSJA Southwest, 1:59.03.

1600-meter run — 1, Anthony Garza, Brownsville Rivera, 4:29.02; 2, Joshua Perez, Donna North, 4:29.64; 3, Adam Herrera, Edinburg Vela, 4:30.03; 4, Tristen Pena, Edinburg North, 4:31.10; 5, Michael Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 4:32.43; 6, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 4:32.67.

3200-meter run — 1, GJ Reyna, Mission Veterans, 9:46.25; 2, Christian Machuca, Brownsville Rivera, 9:47.49; 3, Orsor Rodriguez, Harlingen High, 9:49.0; 4, Joshua Perez, Donna North, 9:51.22; 5, Angel Montanez, PSJA High, 9:51.74. 6, Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest, 9:52.38.

110-meter hurdles — 1, Vince Castillo, Donna High, 14.22; 2, Marcus Pena, Sharyland High, 14.79; 3, J.R. Villarreal, Weslaco East, 15.60; 4, Tristan Guerra, Sharyland Pioneer, 15.74; 5, Alan Martinez, Mission High, 15.74; 6, Brandon Bradford, PSJA North, 16.09.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Vince Castillo, Donna High, 38.40; 2, Omar Silva, Port Isabel, 40.10; 3, Jorge Cantu, San Benito, 40.85; 4, Rene Pecina, La Joya Palmview, 41.14; 5, Edward Velasquez, Brandon Rivera, 41.27; 6, Carlos Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 41.32.

400-meter relay — 1, McAllen Memorial, 43.35; 2, Donna High, 43.59; 3, Los Fresnos, 43.64; 4, Weslaco East, 43.65; 5, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 43.83; 6, Rio Grande City, 44.04.

800-meter relay — 1, Los Fresnos, 1:31.81; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:31.84; 3, Sharyland High, 1:31.98; 4, Weslaco East, 1:32.36; 5, Weslaco High, 1:33.11; 6, Edinburg Vela, 1:33.16.

1600-meter relay — 1, Harlingen High, 3:25.25; 2, Edinburg Vela, 3:26.16; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:29.49; 4, Sharyland Pioneer, 3:31.75; 5, PSJA Southwest, 3:31.84; 6, Harlingen South, 3:31.90.

Girls

Team Standings — 1, Sharyland Pioneer, 90; 2, Harlingen South, 69; 3, McAllen Memorial, 50; 4, Los Fresnos, 49.75; 5, St. Joseph Academy, 46; 6, Port Isabel, 40.5; 7, Edinburg High, 36.75; 8, Mission Veterans, 35; 9, McAllen Rowe, 25; 10, Edinburg North, 23.

Field Events

Shot put — 1, 1, Nora Monie, Sharyland Pioneer, 45-3.5; 2, Daniela Murchison, Port Isabel, 44-4; 3, Brittany Vielma, PSJA Southwest, 39-9.5; 4, Clarissa Chavez, Brownsville Veterans, 37-11; 5, Maisie Trevino, Edinburg Economedes, 36-8.75; 6, Sarah DeLeon, Donna High, 36-7.

Discus — 1, Nora Monie, Sharyland Pioneer, 140-10; 2, Clarisa Chavez, Brownsville Veterans, 134-9; 3, Daniela Murchison, Port Isabel, 134-7; 4, Brittany Vielma, PSJA Southwest, 127-7; 5, Karen Guerra, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 119-2; 6, Gertrudis Ruiz-Balli, Brownsville Pace, 118-2.

Long jump — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 18-4.5; 2, Gabby Torres, Port Isabel, 17-3.75; 3, Jiovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 16-11; 4, I’oasha Sorrell, Donna North, 16-10.5; 5, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 16-7.5; 6, Pamela Ellis, Brownsville Hanna, 16-4.5.

Triple jump — 1, Jaleali Cavillo, Los Fresnos, 35-5; 2, Celeste Elizondo, Grulla, 34-9; 3, Abriana Saenz, Edinburg North, 34-8.5; 4, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans, 34-.75; 5, Brenda Martinez, La Joya Palmview, 34-0; 6, Jiovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 33-8.5.

High jump — 1, Joan Cepeda, PSJA Memorial, 5-4; 2, Gabby Torres, Port Isabel, 5-4; 3, Jaleah Calvillo, Los Fresnos, 5-4; 4, Maria Auila, Brownsville Pace, 5-2; 5, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 5-0; 6, Natalie Martinez, Edinburg High, 5-0; 6, Jillian Terry, Idea Quest, 5-0; 7, Katherine DeLon, McAllen Memorial, 5-0.

Pole vault — 1, Megan Lopez, Brownsville St. Joseph, 10-6; 2, Marifer Valencia, Brownsville St. Joseph, 9-6; 3, Aaryn Martinez, Mission Vets, 9-6; 4, Carolina Carrillo, PSJA North, 9-0; 5, Crystal Hernandez, Edcouch-Elsa, 9-0; 6, Sydney Salinas, Weslaco High, 8-6.

Running Events

100-meter dash — 1, Cieerra Pena, Harlingen South, 11.86; 2, Valeria Mancha, PSJA High, 11.98; 3, I’Dasha Sorrell, Donna North, 12.08; 4. Yasmine Martinez, Harlingen High, 13.02; 5, J’yah Cook, Port Isabel, 13.04; 6, Marian Gonzalez-Garcia, McAllen Memorial, 13.04.

200-meter dash — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 25.18; 2, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph, 26.01; 3, Rebeca Martinez Sharyland Pioneer, 26.27; 4, Mia Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview, 26.37; 5, Valerie Mancha, PSJA High, 25.63; 6, Nicole Gonzalez, Harlingen South, 26.71.

400-meter dash — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 59.49; 2, Nicole Gonzalez, Harlingen South, 60.30; 3, Fabiola Carbajal, Mission Veterans, 60.76; 4, Katherine DeLeon McAllen Memorial, 61.04; 5, Natalie Garza, Port Isabel, 61.74. 6, Stephanie Sauceda, Weslaco High, 61.99.

800-meter run — 1, Alexander Cruz, Edinburg High, 2:17.32; 2, Sofia Salinas, Brownsville Hanna, 2:23.70; 3, Olivia Aranda, PSJA Southwest, 2:24.52; 4, Yvonne Sanchez, Donna High, 2:25.66; 5, Isabel Mendoza, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:27.91; 6, Karina Prado, Mercedes, 2:28.26.

1600-meter run — 1, Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High, 4:59.85; 2, Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 5:09.13; 3, Beth Ramos, Edinburg North, 5:11.46; 4, Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 5:24.00; 5, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 5:32.74; 6, Yarell Tames, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 5:33.63.

3200-meter run — 1, Beth Ramos, Edinburg North, 10:50.89; 2, Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High, 11:14.45; 3, Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 11:34.46; 4, Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 11:58.66; 5, Ana Ochoa, Edinburg Economedes, 12:04.33; 6, Yvette Yracheta, Edinburg North, 12:04.93.

100-meter hurdles — 1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph, 14.96; 2, Jaleali Calvillo, Los Fresnos, 15.27; 3, Gabby Torres, Port Isabel, 15.81; 4, Maria Avila, Brownsville Pace, 16.44; 5, Jennifer Pena, Sharyland High, 16.64; 6, Oliva Garcia, Edinburg Vela, 16.64.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph, 44.87; 2, Thanya Garza, McAllen Memorial, 47.51; 3, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans, 48.75; 4, Yasmin Gonzalez, McAllen Memorial, 49.06; 5, Kassandra Torres, Sharyland Pioneer, 49.93; 6, Skylar Hernandez, McAllen High, 49.97.

400-meter relay — 1, Harlingen South, 50.10; 2, Sharyland Pioneer, 50.70; 3, Los Fresnos, 50.77; 4, McAllen Memorial, 51.05; 5, La Joya Palmview, 51.05; 6, McAllen Rowe, 51.50.

800-meter relay — 1, Sharyland Pioneer, 1:48.35; 2, McAllen Rowe, 1:50.19; 3, Mission Veterans, 1:50.30; 4, La Joya Palmview, 1:50.77; 5, McAllen Memorial, 1:51.11; 6, PSJA Southwest, 1:51.53.

1600-meter relay — 1, McAllen Memorial, 4:11.84; 2, Sharyland Pioneer, 4:12.52; 3, Los Fresnos, 4:13.00; 4, Edinburg high, 4:15.21; 5, PSJA Southwest 4:15.35; 6, PSJA Memorial, 4:15.77.

BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

ROMA — PSJA North’s Cynthia Martinez played every minute of Tuesday’s Class 6A quarter regional round playoff game against the Laredo Alexander Lady Bulldogs at Roma High School.

A quick look at the senior shooting guard’s box score however, alludes otherwise. In 32 minutes of action, Martinez mustered a single make on 12 attempts, her lone field goal arriving when Alexander’s eventual 62-46 victory was already assured.

“I felt bad,” Martinez said of her shooting woes. “As a senior, I want to be out there helping my team, and I wasn’t doing that.”

It was an evening which found Martinez and the rest of the Lady Raiders out of character. A team designed to run the court, attack the basket and fire away from range, PSJA North looked flustered, winded and shot blanks from behind the arc.

“We seemed a little slow,” PSJA North coach Randy Bocanegra said. “We just seemed a little nervous.”

Tuesday’s loss signified the end of a history-making season for the Lady Raiders. The team clinched a share of its first district championship in District 31-6A, and advanced to the third round of the postseason, a feat which no other Valley team accomplished.

“I told the girls that this game does not define our season,” Bocanegra said. “We accomplished most of the goals we set for the team. This doesn’t take away anything. But we are disappointed because we’re competitors.”

Despite the lopsided loss, the Lady Raiders stuck around during the first half. Though undersized by Alexander’s lengthy guards and post Dannia Gonzalez, PSJA North never trailed by more than seven, and faced a 29-22 halftime deficit.

“It’s not like we weren’t getting open shots,” sophomore point guard Sarah Serrano said. “They just weren’t going in.”

Serrano, who scored 23 points during the team’s 49-48 area round victory over Laredo United, struggled for much of the evening, only attempting three shots before fouling out during the fourth quarter.

Though PSJA’s 3-point touch returned in the third quarter, during which the team sank four long-range bombs, they were plagued by turnovers, a reoccurring theme throughout the night.

“(Alexander’s) defense was so tough,” junior small forward Belle Palacios said. “We had a hard time controlling the ball and moving it around on the court.”

Palacios led the team in scoring with 15, but also led the turnover count with 9. During the third quarter, Palacios committed consecutive turnovers which led to breakaway layups for Alexander guard Mariana Avina. Palacios played the duration of the game despite suffering an injured back.

“I had a hard time boxing out tonight,” she said. “I couldn’t put any force on my back. I told Sarah that she had to pull double duty tonight.”

In the end, fatigue and unforced turnovers domed the Lady Raiders during the second half, in which they were outscored 32-24.

“We didn’t shower,” Serrano said of the team’s actions in the locker room after the game. “We said if we didn’t win, we wouldn’t shower. Everyone just got iced and people were crying.”

Though the team wore the stench of defeat on the bus home, Bocanegra was already thinking about the possibility of next year.

“We’re going to work all summer during the offeason and try to get back here.”

[email protected]

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — Mike Uribe was named the new head football coach for the PSJA Memorial Wolverines on Monday night at the PSJA High lecture hall. The PSJA ISD school board voted unanimously to award the position to Uribe, who will also serve as PSJA Memorial athletic coordinator.

“PSJA is a strong, professional organization and school district,” Uribe said. “I’m excited to work in such a large and respected school district. PSJA Memorial, relatively speaking, is a new school. It’s had a lot of successes, and I want to build on those successes that they’ve been able to build over a short period of time.”

Uribe spent the 2014-15 season as defensive coordinator for the McAllen Rowe Warriors. Prior to that, he served as head coach for the Mercedes Tigers for five seasons. During Uribe’s tenure with the team, the Tigers went 32-24 overall and 26-11 in district play.

“It was a tough decision because we really liked the three finalists that were nominated,” PSJA ISD board member Ronnie Cantu said. “We were torn, but some resumes were stronger, and that’s what we went on.”

Cantu said Uribe’s playoff experience was a factor during the hiring process. The postseason has eluded the Wolverines during the past three seasons under former coach Gus Cavozos when the team went 7-15 combined in district competition.

“Mike comes from a program that’s had some success,” PSJA ISD athletic director Orlando Garcia said. “And (Mercedes’) non-district record was pretty tough under his tenure. That’s how coaches get ready for district and the playoffs.”

Cavozos stepped down from coaching duties in January to become director for the Safe Schools Initiative for PSJA ISD, a program meant to redirect kids into positive programs throughout the school system.
Uribe did not attend the meeting. Instead, he went to dinner with friends to ease his mind and pass the time.

“The waiting was very, very difficult,” Uribe said. “I was on pins and needles waiting for the decision. And as the time for the board meeting got closer, I got more excited and anxious.”

Cavozos and Garcia were among the first to congratulate Uribe.

“I’m going to enjoy the moment tonight,” Uribe said. “And then I’m going to roll up my sleeves, and I’m going to work my tail off for (PSJA Memorial), and for these kids to have the most productive and successful season they possibly can.”

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — The PSJA North Lady Raiders have never practiced this late in the season, but that’s OK with senior shooting guard Cynthia Martinez.

“I don’t want the season to be over,” she said. “I’m not ready for softball season.”

While the rest of the Valley girls basketball teams have seen their seasons come to an end, the Lady Raiders are the lone team standing after advancing to the regional quarterfinal round for the first time in the program’s history.

“This is what we’ve wanted all along,” junior small forward Belle Palacios said. “We’ve wanted to have the attention and to have everyone notice us.”

Everyone has indeed noticed the team as of late, especially point guard Sarah Serrano, who made the game-winning layup during last week’s 49-48 area round victory over Laredo United. A video clip of the shot circulated online, and spurred congrats throughout the hallways during school.

“I just tell them it was my teammates who helped me out,” Serrano says. “We wouldn’t have been in that situation were it not for them.”

Down one point with 11 seconds remaining, Ariana Medrano inbounded the ball to Serrano, who took it the length of the court before juking a Laredo United defender to create space and penetrate deep into the lane for an open shot.

“I don’t know why they didn’t play the press,” Serrano said, “But I knew once the ball left my hands that it was good.”

Serrano, who led the team with 23 points during the win, has blossomed this year for the Lady Raiders. After receiving sporadic playing time as a freshman, she has started all but one game during her sophomore campaign. On the season, Serrano is averaging 11.5 points, 7 rebounds, 4.5 assist and 3.5 steals.

“She plays soccer, and to be honest, I think it helps her in basketball,” coach Randy Bocanegra said. “In soccer, they run all the time just like we do on offense, and the field is so much bigger, it gives her a greater sense of vision.”

Bocanegra relied heavily on Serrano’s ability to drive to the basket during their win over Laredo United in part because of the team’s lackluster shooting. Though PSJA North runs an effective penetrate-and-kick offense, the team went 2 for 17 from behind the arc during their last game.

“They did a good job of closing out and defending me,” Martinez said. “It was tough to get a shot off.”
Martinez leads the team in 3-point attempts with 371 and has converted 114 of them (31 percent). Though Serrano and Palacios have routinely led the team in scoring over the last four weeks, both look up to Martinez and describe her as the team’s best player.

“I don’t really look at it that way,” Martinez said. “If I have an off night, Sarah can score, or Belle can score. Anyone of us on this team can score on any given night.”

From the way Bocanegra describes the team’s looming competition, it will take a more consistent approach to beat Alexander.

“They’re long and lanky,” he said. “Hopefully they have an off night like they did against (McAllen High).”
Alexander defeat the Lady Bulldogs 46-41 during the bi-district round, a game that was closer than many had anticipated.

“(McAllen High) just played, they were able to break the press and run the floor. They didn’t do anything special. I don’t think they made any adjustment. They just kept playing, which is what we want to do.”

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BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

The PSJA North Lady Raiders advanced the Class 6A regional quarter round of the playoffs Friday after beating the Laredo United Longhorns 49-48 at Alice High School.

Sophomore point guard Sara Serrano hit the game-winning floater as time expired.

“Nobody wanted to win,” North coach Randy Bocanegra said. “In the last minute, there were five lead changes.”

The Lady Raiders inbounded the ball with 11 seconds remaining. Serrano ran the length of the court before hoisting the go-ahead bucket.

“It was like a story book,” Bocanegra said. “I told the kids in the timeout before the inbound, ‘We’re going to win. We’re going to score.’ It was just like that.”

The Lady Raiders trailed by as many as 8 points, but tied the game at 36 with 5 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

“(United was) trying to pressure guards and slow the game down,” Bocanegra said. “We told (our) guards to get out and we started running, and we wore them out. They were gassed.”

Serrano led the team in scoring with 23 points, followed by junior small forward Belle Palacios with 19.

PSJA North will play Laredo Alexander in the next round at a time and location yet to be determined.

CLASS 6A

Del Rio 53, Weslaco High 49: At South San Antonio High School, the Lady Panthers were eliminated from the playoffs and finished the season with a record of 31-5.

Weslaco split the District 31-6A championship with PSJA North after qualifying for the fourth round of the playoffs each of the last two years.

CLASS 5A

Victoria East 57, Mission Veterans 54: At Corpus Christi Miller High School, the Lady Patriots were edged by the Lady Titans. The team trailed by as many as 13, but had the lead during the final two minutes. The team finished the season with an overall record of 21-13.

Victoria West 38, Roma 29: At Tuloso-Midway, the Lady Gladiators lost to the Lady Warriors. Roma placed third in District 31-5A with a district record of 8-4.

Friday’s game marked the first time the team has advanced to the area round under coach Romeo Rios.

Flour Bluff 32, Sharyland High 27: At Texas A&M-Kingsville, the Lady Rattlers were defeated by the Lady Hornets. Sharyland, which beat Mercedes during the area round, finished the season with an overall record of 21-14.

BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

FALFURRIAS — With the end of her high school career on the line, Ariel Rodriguez watched from the sideline. Four fouls and a poor shooting night relegated the Edinburg Vela Lady SaberCats senior guard to the bench.

There, she was helpless to stop the Tuloso-Midway Cherokees from pulling away to a 54-34 victory during Friday’s Class 5A area round playoff game at Falfurrias High School.

The game served as the antithesis to Rodriguez’s season. She entered the contest the second-highest scoring player in the Valley at 17.9 points. Against the Cherokee, she mustered 9 points on 17 shots.

“(Tuloso-Midway) had a tough defense,” Rodriguez said. “It was tough to score. Honestly, we were kind of intimidated by their defense.”

Rodriguez’s shooting woes were contagious, as the rest of the SaberCats struggled to score as well. Sophomore point guard Jaida Muhammad was the only Vela player to post double-digits, finishing with 11 points.

Vela faltered from the get-go and faced a 14-2 deficit during the first quarter as the Cherokees’ Lexi Ruiz and Emma Gray scored 6 points apiece.

“We were barely getting the feel of the playoff surroundings,” Muhammad said. “I think it was nerves. We were rushing the ball too much.”

The Lady SaberCats tried to force the ball inside to freshman post Bianca Cortez during the early going, but Cortez was routinely flustered by the experience of Gray, a junior.

More concerning than Cortez’s struggles was an injury to Rodriguez midway through the opening quarter. As Rodriguez lowered her head and charged to the basket, she tripped over a Tuloso-Midway defender, reaggravating a knee injury sustained against Mission Veterans earlier this month. Rodriguez limped to the sideline before returning near the quarters’ end.

“I got Charlie-horsed,” Rodriguez said. “It kept my knee from bending (the rest of the game).”

Vela’s offense kick-started in the second quarter, where Muhammad and sophomore guard Julissa Cuellar contributed 6 and 5 points, respectively, many of which came on fast breaks generated by turnovers. The Lady SaberCats outscored the Cherokees 14-10 in the second quarter and faced a 28-22 deficit at the half.

“There were a lot of opportunities where we could have taken control of the game,” Vela coach Lottie Zarate said. “But we just couldn’t do it.”

Tuloso-Midway pulled away for good during the third quarter as Jamie Horman, a sophomore point guard, collected a pair of 3-pointers. Rodriguez, meanwhile, hoisted four air balls from the same distance. Making matters worse, the SaberCats went 3-of-14 from the foul line.

The loss marks the end of a 14-game winning streak for Vela, a run that saw the team go 12-0 in District 31-5A en route to the district championship. Rodriguez, who fought back tears at game’s end, held her head high in spite of the emotion.

“Coach gave me the role of leadership this season,” she said. “And I felt like I did that.”

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