BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Weslaco — A quick glace at the results of the Weslaco Christmas Invitational gives the impression of an uneventful day at the pool for the girls of the Edinburg North swim team. Aside from Bianca Salinas’ first place performance in the 500 Yard Freestyle, no other member of the Lady Cougars won an individual or team event.

Despite the seemingly mundane performance, at day’s end the Edinburg North girls comfortably sat atop the girls team standings with 415 points, beating second place Edinburg High by a 95-point margin.

“We just swam well across the board,” Edinburg North swim coach Fernando Delgado said.

Though the Lady Cougars didn’t take home the day’s top prize with a slew of podium finishes, they did so with veteran consistency – including a third place showing from senior Abril Cantu in the 100 Yard Butterfly and a fifth place finish in the 200 Yard Individual Medley from senior Vanessa Velasquez.

“We have a large group of seniors,” Delgado said. “They’ve all been with me since they were freshman. That’s why the team’s been strong.”

The Lady Cougars swim team traditionally performs well, and has churned out such talent as Cassandra Sanchez, a recent graduate who currently attends the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on a swimming scholarship.

But nestled among the strong finishes of the Lady Cougar’s upperclassmen, however, was Kendra Moreno, a talented freshman who has impressed so far this season. At Weslaco, Moreno finished fourth in the 50- ard Freestyle with a time of 30.69 seconds, and was the lead swimmer in the 200 Yard Medley Relay.

“We’re mixing her in with the relays,” Delgado said. “Are relays are not set, though. We’re always trying to figure out which of our swimmers gives us the best chance to win.”

Moreno made a good case to remain on the relay unit after posting the second fastest individual time on her team with 37.52.

BOYS WILL BE BOYS

Where the Edinburg North girls flourished in the water, the boys of the Weslaco High team did so as well, placing second in boys competition with 370 points, just 16 point behind first place Harlingen High.

Standout individual times came from Francisco Cerda, a sophomore who placed second in the 200 Yard Freestyle with a time of 2:08.42, and the first place performance of senior Isaiah Crouse in the 100 Yard Freestyle with a time of 58.05

Weslaco coach Justin Esparza says the boys team is mostly made up of “younger swimmers,” but wasn’t prone to low expectations before the beginning of the season.

“I knew we had a lot of potential,” Esparza said. “They had a moment they were peaking during the summer, and I was kind of worried about that. But, in the fist six weeks of training, we broke all of our best times of last year. I was really pumped about that.”

Though Esparza is satisfied with his team’s success, the Panthers are still refining their technique in the run up to district competition next month.

“I’m changing up their workouts completely,” Esparza said. “Any time I feel like they’re plateauing, I change the workout routines so their muscles are always being tested. That’s led to huge improvements in their times.”

STIMULATED GROWTH

When Edinburg High swim coach Oscar Garza took over the Bobcats swimming program three years ago, he inherited a program devastated by the Edinburg ISD split.

“I only had 11 kids on the roster,” Garza said.

From those meager beginnings, participation has mushroomed along with results. The Bobcats swim team now consists of 56 kids, and finished second place in both boys and girls competition at Weslaco.

“I think it’s a good indicator of what these kids can do,” Garza said. “They’ve been busting their butts off, and it’s going to take a lot of hard work to compete with these other schools.”

Edinburg High’s boy’s relay teams took home first place in the 200 Yard medley relay, a unit comprised of upperclassmen.

“I tell them they really need to push themselves, and that they medal,” Garza said. “It’s a point of emphasis for my seniors and juniors.”

Members of the Bobcats took home first in several individual events as well, including David Garza in the boy’s 200 Yard Freestyle and Allison Tacderas in the girl’s 100 Yard freestyle.

[email protected]

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — As the smack of basketballs echo in the Sharyland Pioneer gym, from across the hall in a newly furbished weight room comes a voice muffled by a glass door and cement walls.

There, the sweat-drenched members of the Pioneer girls basketball team are seated on the floor about the fitness equipment looking solemnly at the source of the muted sound, coach Nicole Villarreal. Villarreal’s timbre, usually a soft and inviting tone, has risen to a level of obvious frustration.

“Do we want to believe we can get better?” Villarreal asks.

The speech marks the conclusion of a Lady Diamondbacks practice which left Villarreal vexed.

“We’re just trying to fix things that are obviously broken,” Villarreal said. “Like not listening.”

Pioneer does indeed have many issues so far this season. The team has kick-started its inaugural run with a dismal 2-10 start. But what ails the Lady Diamondbacks is not necessarily mended by a quick fix. The team’s roster is littered with youth and is absent of any varsity experience.

“I’ve got a great JV team playing at the varsity level,” Villarreal said.

This year marks Villarreal’s fourth season as a head coach and her first with the upstart Pioneer program. Though she has spent more than a decade coaching girls hoops in San Antonio, her position at Pioneer gives her an opportunity to do something bigger than basketball: reconnect with her Valley roots.

Villarreal attended Mercedes and was a member of the basketball team. Her 5-foot-9 frame made her a commodity on the court as she played a variety of positions.

She fondly recalls de-facto camps conducted by her father, a juvenile corrections officer, in her yard.

“I remember my dad bringing out chairs and me doing dribbling drills,” Villarreal said. “I remember him hand-drawing the lines (of the court) with spray paint and me going out there shooting. Ever since I was little, he was my first coach.”

Villarreal’s parents loomed large in her homecoming. She lists being close to mom and dad as the biggest factor which propagated the move.

After graduating, Villarreal wormed her way around the Valley working various assistant coaching gigs. First came Deleon Middle School followed by a two-year stint at Edcouch-Elsa and a two-year stay at Edinburg High where she was the first assistant coach.

Looking to gain more knowledge about the game, Villarreal moved to San Antonio in 2002 where she worked as an assistant coach at Warren High School.

“Basketball (in San Antonio) is so much more advanced than it is in the Valley,” Villarreal said. “They play year-round. There are AAU and club teams. Kids are getting training year-round. It’s not just when we get them in school. I had kids who were gym rats.”

It’s that same no-days-off mentality Villarreal brings to the Lady Diamondbacks. Upon first meeting her team in May, she enrolled them in a summer league in Edinburg and handed them the playbook to study. The move surprised some on the team who weren’t used to such off-season conditioning.

“We were all shocked,” senior guard LeKia Carr said. “Last year we didn’t have playbooks or things like that. Everything she gave us was new to us.

Carr, one of the rare upperclassmen on Villarreal’s team, was a member of the Sharyland High girls basketball squad before the school district split. Carr was given a choice between staying with the tenured program and joining the fledgling Lady Diamondbacks.

“I thought it would be better to join something new rather than something that was already there,” Carr said.

The learning curve has been steep for Pioneer, noticeably on the offensive side of the ball, which falls apart when opposing teams play press defense.

“We beat (Brownsville) Porter, but they don’t play press,” Villarreal said. “If I was an opposing coach, I would always throw the press at us, because we just can’t handle it.”

Even when the Lady Diamondbacks have the lead, they let their youth get the better of them.

“We had a double-digit lead against (La Joya) Juarez-Lincoln,” Villarreal said. “I told the girls to move the ball around, look for good shots near the rim and kill clock to protect the lead. Our first play in the first quarter was a 3-point shot even though we’re not a 3-point shooting team. Sometimes I feel like I’m wasting my timeouts.”

While Villarreal acknowledges her team’s lack of experience, she doesn’t use it as an excuse.

“I could have scheduled an easy schedule for them, but I chose not to” she said. “I chose to schedule some powerhouses because our district is strong.”

Those quality programs include McAllen High, Edinburg Economedes, Edinburg North and Weslaco East. Villarreal sees all of those games as simulations for upcoming District 31-5A contests against Roma, Mission Veterans Memorial and Sharyland.

Villarreal admits this season will a series of tough lessons learned. She does see better days ahead, however.

“I see lots of potential in these girls,” she said. “For now, we’re just having to grow up fast.”

[email protected]

To report basketball scores, call The Monitor sports desk at (956) 683-4402.

Girls basketball scores

Brownsville Hanna 76, Mission 34

Donna 60, IDEA Quest 31

Edinburg North 60, Sharyland Pioneer 18

Edinburg Vela 62- Mercedes 46

Harlingen 63, Lyford 31

Harlingen South 47, Edinburg Economedes 37

La Joya Palmview 57 at PSJA Memorial 37

McAllen Rowe 34, Los Fresnos 32

Port Isabel 39, Edinburg Quest 21

PSJA North 61 at La Joya 25

McAllen High 65, Rio Grande City 53

Port Isabel 39, Edinburg Quest 21

Sharyland 48, PSJA High 41

Roma 42, Laredo United South 39

Valley View 57, Santa Rosa 33

Weslaco 50, Brownsville Veterans 36

Weslaco Eats 32, Mission Veterans 27

Benavides at San Isidro, not reported

Edinburg High at Brownsville Lopez, not reported

La Joya at PSJA North, not reported

McAllen Memorial at Edcouch-Elsa, not reported

Progreso at Brownsville IDEA, not reported

Raymondville at Lasara, not reported

San Perlita at Monte Alto, not reported

Tuesday’s Games

Non-District

WESLACO EAST 32, MISSION VETERANS 27

Mission Veterans 10 4 5 8 — 27

Weslaco East 5 8 6 13 — 32

Mission Veterans (27) — Ashley Smith 9 pts; Elle Garza 6 pts; R, Silva 5 pts; D. Ibarra 4 pts; K. Perez 3 pts.

Weslaco East (32) — Michelle Marquez 12 pts; Felicia Rivera 7 pts; Ashley Cruz 7 pts; lauren Marquez 2 pts; Yari Marin 2 pts; Faith Olga 2 pts

RECORDS: Mission Veterans 5-6; Weslaco East 8-5

SHARYLAND 48, PSJA HIGH 41

Sharyland 7 16 17 8 — 48

PSJA High 15 10 4 12 — 41

SHARYLAND (48) — Nancy Carrtera 5; Brianna Flores 4; Natalia Portillo 6; Sonia Trevino 5; Ana Marshall 12; Maddie Garza 16.

PSJA High (41) — Mariah West 9; Reanna Rocha 13; Erin Castaneda 8; Elisa Garcia 2; Bekah Trevino 2; Taylor Calderon 2; Hannah Martinez 5.

RECORDS: Sharyland 8-5; PSJA High 4-9.

VALLEY VIEW 57, SANTA ROSA 33

Santa Rosa 7 10 7 9 — 33

Valley View 9 15 17 16 — 57

santa rosa (33) — Jennifer 8; Jazzy 6; Brianna 6; Sonny 5; Mariah 4; Magda 4.

valley view (57) — Jazzelle Rodriguez 15; Alisha Ramirez 12; brenda Cantu 9; Ana Prado 8; Franchesca Munguia 3; Natalia del Angel 3; Ari Bustamante 2; Monterat Hernandez 4; Jennifer Hernandez 1

RECORDS: Not reported

PSJA NORTH 61, LA JOYA 26

La Joya 15 4 5 2 — 26

PSJA North 16 14 15 16 — 61

la joya (26) — Alexandria Lopez 2; Eva Hinojosa 3; Desary Segundo 11; Julissa Montoya 3; Clarissa Mendiola 2; Ashley Olivarez 4; Virginia Paz 1

psja north (61) — Sarah Serrano 10; Cynthia Martinez 12; Tiffany Puente 2; Toni Acevedo 2; Ariana Medrano 12; Lisa Palacios 12; Belle Palacios 9; Kara Ramirez 2.

RECORDS: Not reported.

PALMVIEW 57, PSJA MEMORIAL 37

PSJA Memorial 8 6 11 12 — 37

Palmview 14 11 12 17 — 57

PSJA Memorial (37) — Alex Soto 5; Monique de Leon 4; Ashlee Martinez 2; Baile Torres 3; Ally Gonzalez 2; Katherine Facundo 6; Kayla Angulario 7; Madison Garza 4; Victoria Hernandez 4

Palmview (57) — Lizbeth Martinez 5; Brittnay Cano 3; Samantha Gutierrez 28; Arianna Ramirez 3; Monica Noyola 15; Christina Chavez 2; Martha Bocanegra 1

RECORDS: Palmview 7-5

BROWNSVILLE HANNA 76, MISSION 34

Hanna 16 19 13 28 — 76

Mission 4 11 15 4 — 34

HANNA (76) — Carolina Moreno 17, Taylor Cano 11, Priscilla Hernandez 11, Janet Adame 8, Jessica Munoz 6, Isabel Salinas 6, Alizia Chavez 4, Hidy Martinez 4, Vanessa Herrera 3, Dahlia Reyes 2.

MISSION (34) — Daniela Perez 17, Ashly Diaz 6, Amanda Garza 6, Emberly Garza 3, Briana Garcia 1

RECORDS: Brownsville Hanna, 10-3 Mission 2-8

DONNA HIGH 60, IDEA QUEST 31

IDEA Quest 12 6 7 6 — 31

Donna High 8 15 21 16 — 60

IDEA QUEST (31) — Jocelyn V. 17, Diana M. 5, Tanya R. 5, Alyssa C. 4

DONNA high (60) — Aileen Gaza 14, Edith Zuniga 9, Emily Cavazos 8, Desiree Hernandez 7, Allison Loredo 6, Daisy Rios 6, Bridget Guillen 6, Sarah Gonzalez 2, Marina Martinez 2

RECORDS: Donna High 6-7

HARLINGEN SOUTH 47, EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 37

Harlingen South 11 9 10 17 — 47

Economedes 13 7 11 6 — 37

HARLINGEN SOUTH (47) — R. Bouls 20, M. Flores 11, E. Susen 8, L. Dominguez 2, L. Ledesma 2, A. Garcia 2, M. Perez 2

ECONOMEDES (37) — Emily Suarez 16, Maritza Ziera 6, Kimberly Barrientos 3, Macy Trevino 2, Sylvia Perez 10

RECORDS: Economedes: 9-6

ROMA 42, LAREDO UNITED SOUTH 39

Laredo United South 14 8 5 10 — 39

Roma 11 13 7 11 — 42

LAREDO UNITED SOUTH (39) — Not reported.

ROMA (42) — Kryssynthia Rocha 6, Kassy Saenz 1, Luz Gonzalez 8, Kassandra Rocha 22, Diana Gonzalez 5,

RECORDS: Roma 7-2

MCALLEN HIGH 65, RIO GRANDE CITY 53

Rio Grade City 12 17 14 10 — 53

McAllen 19 13 17 16 — 65

Rio grande city (53) — Jacy Amaya 18, Jackie Tenono 13, Gina Villarreal 10, Adriana Cruz 6, Jackie Garcia 2, Ashley Bazan 2, Samantha Lopez 1, Yamileth Garza 1

mcallen (65) — Erika Mora 17, Janette Herrerea 14, Victoria Alanis 12, Kathy Maravilla 10, Alex Gamino 5, Heavan Wilbanks 4, Sabrina Guzman 3

RECORDS: Rio Grande City 9-6, McAllen High 7-6

EDINBURG NORTH 60, PIONEER 18

Edinburg North 16 13 14 17 — 60

Pioneer 0 6 2 10 — 18

edinburg north (60) — Stephanie Flores 11, Klarissa Lopez 10, Natalie Alaniz 9, Melissa Mojarro 7, Fernie Olvera 6, Brianna Garza 5, Charlene Flores 4, Nikki Rodriguez 4, Allison Peralez, 2 Pamela Cantu, 2

sharyland pioneer (18) — Kayla Alaniz 5, Ashley Briseno 5, Chelsea Chandler 3, Miranda Ramos 2, Daylann Garza 2, Kazzie Chamber 1

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer 2-10.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — When Mission High girls basketball coach Rachel Carmona selected her starting roster Thursday night at Neuhaus Gym in Mission, she did so with a devil may care attitude.

“Let’s see how that one does,” Carmona said.

And, much like the Lady Eagles season thus far, it proceeded to go abysmally. Mission began the opening quarter against Brownsville Hanna by committing nine turnovers and scoring just two baskets. Shoddy ball handling and poor shooting throughout the evening doomed the Lady Eagles to a lopsided 76-31 loss.

As for her choice of starters, Carmona described their performance as “unpredictable.”

The Lady Eagles (2-8) were without three players due to injury, including senior forward Frida Alverez. Alverez, who averages 13 points a game, is out until at least January with a knee injury.

Hanna (10-3) was led in scoring by junior guard Carolina Moreno with 17 points. Moreno also grabbed three rebounds and collected two assists.

The Lady Golden Eagles guards dominated all night. Their press defense overpowered a slow-footed Mission team, including senior guard Emberly Garza, who was nursing an injured right ankle. Garza scored three points on 1-of-7 shooting.

“The girls came out and they were aggressive,” Hanna coach Luis Gonzalez said. “That’s one thing we do on the defensive end. That opened up a lot on the offensive end.”

The Lady Golden Eagles got whatever they wanted offensively. Be it put backs from center Taylor Cano, to a trio of 3-point bombs courtesy of Priscilla Hernandez, Hanna racked up buckets at will.

“District’s around the corner,” Gonzalez said. “We still have some things we need to fix like free throw shooting, high percentage shots. But, I’m just happy with the efforts my girls made.”

The lone bright spot for Mission was the play of senior forward Daniela Perez, a double-double machine who ended with 18 points and 12 rebounds. With her teammate Alverez sitting on the sideline in jeans, Hanna routinely swarmed Perez in the post.

“There were three girls guarding me every time I had the ball,” Perez said. “I just passed it back out to my teammates and tried to get better position.”

Though Mission’s shooters hoisted away, the touch simply wasn’t there. Aside from Perez, the Lady Eagles shot a lowly 5-of-25 from the field.

Despite the less than ideal start, Perez sees a silver lining that could pay dividends as the season progresses and bodies mend.

“We’re just getting ready,” she said. “These are just practice games that we have to take one by one. There are sophomore and freshman guards who need the experience.”

[email protected]

BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Mission Veterans coach Romeo de la Garza hinted that his Patriots were fatigued after winning the Mission Thanksgiving Basketball Classic championship Saturday at Nuehaus Gym.

“It’s been a long two days,” de la Garza said. “We played two games (Friday) and two games (Saturday).”

Credit such a modest quote as good sportsmanship, but the results on the hardwood proved otherwise as the Patriot’s easily ran away to a 66-34 win over Eagle Pass in the title game.

Mission Vets controlled the contest from start to finish, and never trailed while overpowering a diminutive and undermanned Eagles squad. The Patriots’ offensive game plan was elementary yet effective, run.

“With this team, that’s what we want to look to do,” de la Garza said. “We want to look to wear people down. I feel like our conditioning is good where it’s at right now, and it’s only going to get better.”

The Patriots (11-0) exhausted Eagle Pass (6-1) on both sides of the ball. Defensively, they employed a swarming full court press which converted several Eagles turnovers into easy transition points. On offense, Mission Vets muscled their way to the rim at will.

“We just ran out of gas,” Eagles coach Ernesto Reyes said. “It’s a long trip. We’re traveling six hours away from home and we just got tired.”

Eagle Pass had no answer for Patriots senior forward Jaycobb Hinojosa, who could only be guarded when he was sitting on the bench. Hinojosa scored a game-high 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Be it breakaway layups, strong drives to the rim or a third quarter bomb from behind the arc, Hinojosa was close to automatic when the ball left his hands.

“My friends and I, we do the things we’re supposed to do,” Hinojosa said. “They did their part, so I wanted to do my part to help them out.”

Hinojosa’s performance earned him tournament MVP.

“He brings a lot of energy,” de la Garza said. “If you get him in the open floor, good things are going to happen. And, if he’s defending and in passing lanes, he makes it tough for teams to get into their offense.”

Teammates Jesus Vasquez and Rigo Peña were each named to the All-Tournament team. Both finished with nine points in Saturday’s win. Their individual honors exemplified a strength de la Garza sees in his roster.

“One thing we have is a lot of depth,” he said.

The sixth man for Mission Vets was sophomore Adam Solis, who scored nine points off the bench in addition to a pair of rebounds and two steals. Solis was a member of the varsity team a year ago, but saw limited playing time due to injuries.

“Adam is the type of kid that, once he gets going, he’s going to give us some good minutes,” de la Garza said.

The Patriot’s weekend-long tenure at Mission High School wasn’t a series of games as much as it was a collection of blowouts. Mission Vets won all four of its games by an average margin of 30 points.

“I tell the guys every time we step on the court that we’re not playing against an opponent,” de la Garza said. “We’re playing against our own potential and where we want to be.”

The Patriots will have a week off before facing Edcouch Elsa on Dec. 9

“We’re going to enjoy this,” de la Garza said. “But then we’ll get back in the gym and work on things that we need to correct.”

[email protected]

BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Weslaco’s Griselda Fino didn’t carry herself like a winning basketball coach Tuesday night at Edinburg Vela High School.

Though her Lady Panthers came away with a 45-37 win over the Lady Sabercats, Fino couldn’t help but dwell on the negatives.

“We missed a lot of easy shots,” Fino said. “We kind of got down on ourselves. I think we lost our focus.”

The game was a rematch from last week’s Border Bash tournament which saw Weslaco win comfortably by double digits.

The Lady Panthers looked as if they would repeat history in the first half. The team generated 17 turnovers and dominated the boards en route to a 31-16 halftime lead.

Junior forward Amy Garcia scored eight of her 11 points in the game’s first quarter, cherry picking for easy buckets behind Vela’s porous defense.

“It’s not like we didn’t have the personnel to compete,” Vela head coach Lottie Zarate said. “We just had girls out there standing around and watching the game.”

Vela responded in the second half, however, cutting Weslaco’s lead to five points. The score was 37-32 with four minutes left in the game. Lady Sabercats senior guard Ariel Rodriguez led the charge, scoring 12 of her team’s 23 second half points.

“Her senior leadership on the floor and being able to keep her composure on the floor, that’s what we need,” Zarate said.

Rodriguez finished with a game-high 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting.

Though Vela (4-4) sniffed an upset, the team couldn’t complete the comeback due in part to suspect free throw shooting near the game’s end. The team shot 9-of-18 from the charity stripe on the night.

The Lady Sabercats also gave away many possessions, committing 30 turnovers..

Vela’s sophomore point guard Jaida Muhammad was responsible for eight turnovers, and was often frustrated by the defense of Weslaco’s stand-out guard Angela Villarreal.

“I told my girls games like this will prepare us for district play,” Zarate said. “This is a good team to get better against.”

Though Villarreal defended well, her offense never came to her. She finished with nine points on 2-of-12 shooting, and 3-of-7 from the charity stripe.

Villarreal’s offensive struggles mirrored Weslaco’s second half woes. The Lady Panthers missed several shots around the rim and lost their significant rebounding advantage. Though forward Maegan Peraiz led all players with 10 boards, nine of those came in the first half.

“I don’t know what happened to her (in the second half),” Fino said. “I just don’t know.”

Peraiez was never a factor in the second half, and fouled out in the fourth quarter.

Vela’s resurgence came thanks to its rediscovered rebounding abilities. The Lady Sabercats mustered a measly seven boards in the first half, but grabbed 26 in the second and took control of the game’s tempo.

Though Weslaco held off the upset bid, Fino vows her Lady Panthers (11-1) will learn from the close victory.

“We’ll regroup, and refocus after this.” Fino said. “We have to play better, bottom line.”

[email protected]re

BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MCALLEN — It is completely understandable when a coach is terse, brooding and unapproachable following a 16-point blowout.

When PSJA North girls basketball coach Randy Bocanegra found himself in such a scenario, however, his mood was genial, warm and frank.

His Lady Raiders were the only Valley team left standing at Saturday’s annual Border Bash tournament at McAllen High School. They faced a superior San Antonio Churchill squad in an afternoon semifinals matchup.

“To be honest, we’re just happy to be here,” Bocanegra said.

And his team played like it.

The Lady Raiders routinely left opposing shooters wide open for 3-point shots, collapsed too often against penetrating guards, were consistently outrebounded and couldn’t defend the pick-and-roll.

The scoreboard reflected the team’s errors, as Churchill rolled to a 74-50 win.

“We worked hard, and (Churchill) just shot phenomenal,” Bocanegra said. “They lit us up.”

The Lady Chargers (11-1) were dead-on from long range throughout the contest, sinking 10 shots from behind the arc. Many of Churchill’s 3-point attempts were the result of an effective slash-and-kick offense, led by point guard Mikki Flores who collected a game-high seven assists.

PSJA North (5-1 at press time) never had an advantage or mismatch they could exploit. Lacking any semblance of a viable post threat, the Lady Raiders were resigned to hoisting contested jumpers.

While the team made their first quarter shots, including a pair of 3-pointers from senior guard Cynthia Martinez, PSJA North went cold in the second, not scoring until one minute before halftime on a Tiffany Puente free throw.

“We definitely were a little fatigued,” Bocanegra said.

The Lady Raider’s shooting touch never returned, and were at times blocked by Churchill’s lengthy defenders.

“I thought they were a little faster than us, a little quicker than us,” Bocanegra said.

Don’t forget taller, as Churchill finished with a 29-16 advantage on the boards.

Despite the loss, however, Bocanegra and the Lady Raiders were by and large upbeat and optimistic. The team advanced to the Border Bash final four for the first time in their history.

“We’re happy this happened,” Martinez said. “People don’t really notice us, and so now we feel like we’re going to get some notice.”

The Lady Raiders are in a loaded District 31-6A, and will compete against PSJA Memorial and the Weslaco and Edinburg programs once district play begins. Five of the seven teams in the district finished with winning records last season.

Martinez is undaunted.

“Our goal is to get district,” she said. “I’ve been trying to get better with shooting, attacking and getting better of defense as well.”

[email protected]

JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Should Edinburg Vela swimmer Elroy Garza ever wish to revisit his best day in the pool, he’ll have to rely solely on his memories to do so.

“I don’t think he expected it,” Edinburg Vela swim coach William Oullette said. “We didn’t’ expect it. We didn’t even video record it.”

Garza, a sophomore, broke a personal record in the 50-yard freestyle at last week’s Weslaco swim meet, finishing in first place with a time of 24.89 seconds.

“He was just trying to get faster,” Oullete said. “And he was just sitting there trying to psych himself up before the race saying, ‘I’m going to get under 25 (seconds).’”

Garza started in the fourth lane, one of the slower starting spots in the competition’s fastest heat. Swimming against juniors and seniors with more experience, Garza took an early lead once he hit the water, and never looked back as he edged second place by a tenth of a second.

“I didn’t even get a chance to say congratulations to him,” Oullette said. “The whole team went and grabbed him and congratulated him. I just sat there laughing because (Garza’s performance) was unexpected. It was out of nowhere.”

Vela, and swimmers throughout the Edinburg school system, face a steep learning curve compared to some of their Valley competition. The schools system has no pool in which any of its teams may practice, forcing all teams to share a public pool at South Park in Edinburg.

“Some other cities have swim clubs or middle school teams,” Oullette said. “We don’t have that. So when we get these kids, we get them raw.”

Oullette’s Sabercats finished with 20 medals at the Weslaco meet, and their coach is optimistic about the team’s abilities come district competition.

THE NEW KID

The Roma girls swim team is loaded with young talent that is already paying dividends in the pool. Several underclassmen won medals for the Gladiators, including Daniella Perez, who placed second in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 2:21.49.

“That’s not unusual for us,” assistant coach Anna Synder said. “A lot of our girls come from middle school and have been swimming for a while.”

The swimmer who bested Perez was teammate Jocelyn Martinez, who took first place by a margin of 19 seconds. Martinez is a notable newcomer for Roma, and is a Mexico native currently in her first year with the team.

“She wanted to swim here,” Snyder said. “She also wanted to work on her English because she wanted to go to a good school in the United States. She’s a good leader and extremely hard working.”

Though Martinez dominated her turn in the freestyle competition, her skill set is not one dimensional.

“She’s good at long distances and short distances,” Snyder said. “She’s really just an excellent all around swimmer. We’re hoping the younger swimmers look up to her and follow her lead.”

[email protected]

JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

LAREDO — Roma coach Max Habecker Jr. summed up the Gladiators’ evening in fitting fashion Thursday night at the Bill Johnson Student Activity Center in Laredo.

“It wasn’t a storybook ending,” Habecker said. “But that’s why it’s called a storybook.”

What was a record-breaking season for Roma’s football program, which made the postseason for the first time in the school’s 24-year history, came to a heart-breaking conclusion in a 28-24 Class 5A, Division II area round loss to Gregory-Portland.

“Our kids played good enough to win,” Habecker said. “We had the lead, we just made some mistakes, critical mistakes.”

The Gladiators faced a 21-17 deficit with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. On third down-and-five, senior quarterback Robert Garza found receiver Aldo Ramirez in the back of the end zone to put Roma up 24-17 with 1:46 left.

Roma, though celebratory, didn’t think the game was a gimme by any means.

“I thought we still had a lot of game left to go,” sophomore running back Ramon Espinoza said.

The ensuing kickoff was botched, however, giving the Gregory-Portland Wildcats the ball on their own 45-yard line.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Garza said. “I had faith the defense would come through.”

Garza’s wishful thinking, unfortunately, couldn’t translate to reality.

A Gladiators defensive unit that had been otherwise stout for much of the evening gave up yardage at the game’s most critical moment.

After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Roma gave the Wildcats a first down on the Gladiators’ 12 yard line, running back Eric White punched the ball in from five yards out for what would be the game-winning score.

There was a controversial moment on the Wildcats’ final drive when running back Steven Starcher fumbled the ball on the 30-yard line. Though a Gladiator crawled out from the bottom of the pile, the ball firmly in hand, the officials awarded Gregory-Portland possession.

“We had three bean bags on the ground,” Habecker said. “And one referee said it wasn’t our ball after three referees saw it was a fumble. I don’t know, man. We still shouldn’t have made those mistakes.”

Roma’s biggest lead occurred early in the third quarter after Garza connected with Ramirez on a 28-yard touchdown pass to go up 17-7. What looked like a blowout, however, became a sputtering offensive game.

The Wildcats defense honed in on Espinoza, shutting him out for zero yards gained on four carries. Espinoza led the team in rushing with 63 yards.

As Gregory-Portland fans filed out of the stadium after the game, Roma players and coaches lingered to say an emotional goodbye to a memorable year.

“It’s just sad knowing I’m not going to be able to put the pads on with my family,” Garza said. “We’ve been together since sophomore year, we have a bond that no one can break apart. We’ll always be brothers until we die.”

The Gladiators finished the season with an overall record of 6-5-1.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

SHARYLAND — James Cole was set apart by his wardrobe.

While friends, teammates and coaches wore Sharyland Rattler red in support of Cole at the Sharyland gymnasium on Thursday, Cole was adorned in a bright green polo, the color of the University of North Texas.

Cole signed his letter of intent to attend the university beginning next year and compete as a member of the track and field team.

“I talked with my parents about (the decision to sign with North Texas),” Cole said. “It was just where I felt at home better, where I wanted to spend the next four years.”

Cole received a full four-year scholarship, and will study pre-med biology in hopes of one day becoming an anesthesiologist.

The senior was introduced by athletic director Richard Thompson as “the fastest kid to ever run at Sharyland.” Such a statement isn’t empty hyperbole.

“He’s been one of the fastest kids at the school in the last 15 to 20 years,” Sharyland track coach Marcelino de la Fuente said.

Cole began his time on the track as a member of the relay team, mostly serving a supporting role. In the last two years, however, Cole has been showcased in individual events, notably the 200 meter dash.

“I’ve always been trying to work on my speed,” Cole said. “My coaches have been tremendous in working with me and helping me to get better.”

Cole placed fifth in last year’s UIL State Track Meet in the 200 meter dash with a time of 21.37 seconds.

The soon-to-be North Texas Eagle will look to finish his senior year on the track in quick fashion.

“Hopefully I continue strong,” Cole said. “Hopefully I can go sub-21 (seconds in the 200 meter dash), win state and enter college running good.”

Cole is also a wide receiver for the Sharyland football team, and will play tonight in the team’s area-round game against Calallen in Kingsville.

Sharyland celebrated a second college signing with Annie Hernandez, a senior cross country and track and field athlete. Hernandez will attend the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley next fall.

“I’ve known I wanted to go to UT-RGV for a long time,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez, who has competed at varsity level since her freshman year, qualified for state competition her sophomore year and was named Sharyland cross country MVP a year ago.

Hernandez missed her senior season in cross country, however, due to a broken foot. The injury was a side-effect brought on by so much running.

“I was on crutches for six week,” Hernandez said. “I went on the college visit with my crutches.”

The decision to attend a college so close to home was for reasons more academic than athletic.

“I wanted to go there for their pharmacy program,” Hernandez said.

[email protected]