HARLINGEN – Harlingen South looked sharp at the District 32-6A meet Tuesday at Harlingen High.

The Hawks will send seven out of 10 entrees into today’s finals.

“Today is the important day,” South tennis coach Noe Stillman said. “The kids did their jobs today, and their effort was excellent.”

The finals kick off at 8:30 a.m. today at Harlingen High.

“I’m happy with the way my team played today,” Harlingen High coach James Tanamachi said. “Of course, we would have loved to have won more matches, but everyone fought hard. My boys doubles team did well, both Luke Alvarado and Dalton Mann played very well today.”

Other results included:

Girls singles: Valeria Montero (Harlingen South) def. Janeth Sosa (Brownsville Hanna) 6-1, 6-1; Kayla Ortiz (Los Fresnos) def. Malana Pena (San Benito) 6-0, 6-2.

Boys singles: Adrian Mungia (Harlingen South) def. Dennis Vatchev (Los Fresnos) 6-4, 7-5; Victor Ringheanu (Harlingen South) def. Chancellor Wyatt (Los Fresnos) 6-2, 7-5.

Girls Doubles: Sophia Deleon and Desirae Diaz (Brownsville Hanna) def. Emma McMinn and Fatima Rodriguez (Harlingen South) 6-2, 6-2; Autumn Turrubiates and Kennedy Kibler def. Samantha John and Aliyah Gutierrez (Los Fresnos) 6-2, 6-3.

Boys singles: Billy Yeupell and Chris Rayner (Harlingen South) def. Porter Moody and Mike Sanchez (Harlingen High) 6-2, 6-0. Dalton Mann and Luke Alvarado (Harlingen High) def. Ryan Morales and Asa Britten (Harlingen South) 6-2, 6-4.

Mixed Doubles: Matthew Cavazos and Kara Lemar (Harlingen South) def. Robert Lopez and Daniela Mauriz 6-2, 6-1. William Bell and Kelly Yeupell (Harlingen South) def. Laura Macmanus and Andy Cortez (Harlingen High) 6-4, 6-3.

By KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN BENITO— Resilient was the one word to describe the San Benito Lady ’Hounds on Tuesday night.

With their backs against the wall and trailing by four runs, it was two-out lighting that struck.

Freshman standout Jaelynn Huerta and senior AJ Jasso swatted homers, and junior Kari Cisneros provided the go-ahead two-run double during the sixth inning to help seal a 6-5 come-from-behind win over Los Fresnos.

“Throughout the night, coach wanted us to stay in the zone and to keep our hands level at the plate,” Cisneros said. “And that is exactly what we did and even though we didn’t score early we were able to put the bat to the ball. All night we kept fighting, and when I hit that double I thought to myself, ‘Finally.’ When I saw the ball hit the gap, I just saw the pitch and I took it, and I was able to pull through for the team.”

The Lady ’Hounds will ride the momentum into the second half of district play with a 4-1 record and travel to Harlingen High at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Meanwhile, Los Fresnos remains in good shape with a 3-2 record and will play host to Harlingen South at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

“The girls continued to go after it,” San Benito coach Denise Lira said. “We just talked about it. Maybe we weren’t scoring runs or producing, but we were just chipping away little by little and we stayed aggressive at the plate, and they kept trying to find a way.”

Los Fresnos grabbed an early 2-0 lead during the first inning off an RBI from Reba Reyes. The Lady Falcons’ offense worked San Benito starter Nana Carrizales deep into counts and applied the pressure early.

After a bumpy start in the first, Carrizales settled in and retired 10 in a row before yielding a one-out base hit during the fourth inning. The hit was followed by a two-out homer from Aileen Avelar that pushed the lead 4-1.

Carrizales finished the night in the circle with 13 strikeouts, five hits and five runs, and she issued just one walk.

“We knew that (Carrizales) has a nice spin on the ball and likes to throw a riseball,” Los Fresnos coach Traci Blackmon said. “So I kept telling our hitters to go after the low pitches and I thought we did a great job on forcing her to throw a lot of pitches, but unfortunately sometimes it doesn’t go our way.”

Avelar later cranked her second homer of the night to cut the lead 6-5 during the seventh inning. Avelar finished 2-for-3 with one strikeout. Reyes went 1-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and run scored.

Avelar’s second homer was the 33rd homer as a team. The previous record was 32 homers in a season.

“I’m really proud of that tonight,” Blackmon said of the homers. “We are in good shape. We need to win the games we are supposed to win, and this year this district is just as tough week in and week out. But I’m happy on where we are at the midway point.”

The Lady ’Hounds’ rally came during the fifth and sixth innings. Senior April Garcia drew a two-out walk followed by a sacrifice bunt from Cisneros that set the stage for Huerta’s two-run homer. During the sixth, Jasso hit a leadoff homer that tied the game, followed by the two-run double from Cisneros.

“We are in a strong district and every game is tough, but going into the second round we are keeping it at a one-game-at-a-time approach,” Lira said. “We have seen everyone and everyone has seen us, so we need to step our game just as much as we head into the second round.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN PERLITA — Senior Mark Becerra has always had a passion to not only take the court but to play defense, and in one word he described his game as greedy.

Greedy as in Becerra refused to allow an opposing offense to find the basket.

Becerra thrived in the Hawks’ system, and one of the team’s goals was to only allow 10 points per quarter. Becerra owes his success to a team effort, but also to the system coach Brian Molina implemented.

The senior locked up opposing players throughout the year and, for his efforts, was named the Valley Morning Star ALL-STAR Defensive Player of the Year.

“For me it was an honor to receive this award,” Becerra said. “But it wasn’t just me, it was a team effort and coach getting us prepared each week.”

With Becerra having to go up against some of the area’s top scorers week in and week out, he played a main role in the Hawks’ defensive style. Becerra also played a key hand in helping Harlingen South earn a playoff berth this past season.

“I don’t really have an NBA guy I look up to and try and craft my game like him,” Becerra said. “I just go out there with a mentality that I need to be greedy, and go and lock up their best player.”

On the year, Becerra not only played solid defense but also scored 7.2 points, pulled down 4.4 rebounds and swiped 4.1 steals per game.

He started attending basketball games at a young age, and from then on he was hooked and thought to himself that maybe one day he would be able to take the court.

“Being able to watch the older guys play and me just growing up around the game was special,” Becerra said. “I’m thankful to have been a part of this program. I was able to be on the big stage my junior and senior year, and I’m glad I was able to do it with a group of guys I played with growing up.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN PERLITA —Harlingen High senior guard Michael Arellano will walk away as one of the best scorers in Cardinals basketball history.

With his smooth shot and swagger, Arellano overcame an ACL injury his junior season and returned to the lineup as a senior.

Arellano went down with a season-ending knee injury against McAllen Memorial during last year’s area round. While the road to recovery was a tough one, Arellano took the bull by the horn and helped Harlingen High to another playoff berth as a senior.

The senior once again led the Harlingen High offense and averaged 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Arellano scored in double figures 30 times, and 13 times he scored 20 or more points. His season high came against Corpus Christi Miller and Brownsville Rivera by scoring 32 points.

For Arellano’s efforts, he was named The Valley Morning Stars ALL-STAR Offensive Player of the Year for a second straight season.

“First off, I want to thank God, because without him none of this is possible,” Arellano said. “I’m thankful for the people around me and that I was able to win this award again. It was a blessing to be able to come back, I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches.”

Arellano felt he was fully ready when he took on Miller. The timing couldn’t have come at a better time. Arellano scored 32 points and was feeling good going into the Cardinals’ district opener against Los Fresnos.

“I felt good after that and I just kept a focus on getting better, and wanted to help my team win games,” he said.

Arellano was cleared Sept. 4 to rejoin his team. On the girls side, senior Ariel Leal also went down with a season-ending knee injury the same week Arellano went down.

“It was a tough recovery process, and when you are dealing with a knee, that can be intense,” Arellano said. “After the first day I was a little uneasy, but God gave me the strength to get through it all.”

Throughout their recovery period, the two build a relationship and helped each other recover.

“We had therapy on the same days, and we ended up calling each other ACL buddies,” Arellano said. “Our injuries happen in the same week, and we both just wanted to get better and get back on the court. We both wanted to prove people wrong. She was real happy on the way her season ended. I wasn’t too happy with the way my season ended, we wanted to go farther in the playoffs, but God has other plans for us.”

Looking back on his Cardinals career, Arellano feels content with closing this chapter in his life.

“One thing I’ll miss is my teammates and coaches. We have so many memories and big moments that we shared from the playoffs to the Bird Bowls. One that sticks out for me is my junior year and that playoff run. Even though I got hurt, it helped me become the person I am today and made my mind stronger.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN PERLITA — Fourth-year coach Nataniel Garza has steadily built a strong foundation as the boys basketball coach for the San Perlita Trojans.

Each year under Garza, the Trojans have made strides and made the playoffs. The past two seasons, San Perlita reached the third round of the playoffs but failed to get over that hump.

This year, however, there was just some kind of magic in the air. The table was set for the Trojans to have a banner year. San Perlita won a second straight district title and 28 games, which marked a career high for Garza.

The wins didn’t stop there, the Trojans reached the regional tournament for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

Garza was named this year’s Valley Morning Star ALL-STAR Coach of the Year.

“First of all, I couldn’t me more proud of Tige on winning the MVP award,” Garza said. “(Tige) will be the first to tell you that it is more than an individual award. As far as I go, it is bigger than me and it took all of us together to win this award, and although the award has my name on it, it has to be shared with the coaches around me that help the athletic program and our administration that have supported me.”

Garza, a passionate coach who comes with a team-first attitude, has built his career on a hustle and run-and-gun approach, and feels the award goes beyond the court and that it means so much to the community of San Perlita.

“For the team to get the recognition that they have gotten, they deserve it, and here in San Perlita we have some of the hardest working kids that are very goal-oriented,” Garza said. “The kids bought into the system and have a great work ethic, and they get the job done.”

Looking back on the season, Garza owes it to his players who have put in the work and made everything possible.

“The truth is, if it wasn’t for the kids, I wouldn’t be getting this award,” Garza said. “I share it with them, and if anything the kids deserve it more than me. They are the ones that have helped me, and above all I want to thank the kids.”

Along with Garza bringing home the coach of the year award, junior Tige Johnson was named The Valley Morning Star ALL-STAR MVP. The duo feels the awards were a fitting end to a banner season.

“At the end of the year we received different accolades and we knew we were still waiting on the Valley Morning Star, and we were waiting to hear the news to put the icing on top of the cake,” Garza said. “In a way, this puts a close to the season that we had, and the Valley has a great set of players and we continue to get better, and in our area we have a great set of coaches as well.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN PERLITA — Junior Tige Johnson is no stranger to San Perlita athletics.

Johnson saw his older brother and mother make their names in Trojans athletics throughout the years, and now Johnson is carrying that torch.

The 2018-19 season was a special one for Johnson and the Trojans. San Perlita took the next step as a program by reaching the regional tournament and brought home a second straight district title.

Johnson averaged a double-double with 28 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 6.0 blocks per game. After his strong junior season, he was named The Valley Morning Star ALL-STAR Most Valuable Player.

“Coach broke the news to me on Tuesday,” Johnson said. “He called me over and at first I thought I was in trouble, but I knew I hadn’t done anything until he broke the news to me. He and I celebrated and took in the moment. It is just a great accomplishment.”

Johnson was the fuel that helped keep the Trojans’ running. Despite having one more year to continue writing his script, he came into his own and took over games with his defense and offensively developed his 3-point range.

“For me, getting this award is a privilege, and being one of the younger guys, this is cool. This year I felt I put in a lot of work, and playing AAU ball and playing against strong competition helped me up my game,” Johnson said. “There were some things I felt I improved on this year, and shooting was one of them.”

While Johnson and a good crop of the team will return next season, the sky is the limit for Johnson and the Trojans. His junior year will hold a close place in his heart. Johnson played with his cousin, Noah Olivarez, who will graduate this spring.

“This year was amazing, and it was a special year that I won’t forget,” Johnson said. “Especially because of the people I was able to share it with. I was able to play with my friends that I grew up with and my cousin. I’m going to miss him so much. We have been together since we were babies, and for us to go on one last run together was amazing.”

The Trojans are on the fast track to being one of the top programs in the Rio Grande Valley with a firm foundation built and with their window of opportunity remaining open.

“What we do here is great, and we continue to make progress each day,” Johnson said. “Moving forward as an upperclassman, we need to get the younger guys ready to go and just continue to get better.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN PERLITA — Freshman CJ Olivarez entered the Santa Rosa basketball program with one goal, and that is to one day win a state title.

It’s a goal that isn’t impossible and is on the minds of those who take the court for the Warriors.

Olivarez stepped in right away and made an impact on the court for a youth-filled team that reached the regional tournament for a fourth straight year and saw a 15th straight district title behind a 23-9 year.

He averaged 14.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 steals per game, and his breakout freshman year earned him the the Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR Newcomer of the Year award.

“It means a lot, but I couldn’t have done this without my family, my team, the community or my coaches,” Olivarez said.

Different was the one word used to describe Olivarez. The youngster takes to the court with a different approach each night.

“I’m just a different person on the court,” he said. “Each night I go out there and learn something new.”

Along with the Warriors’ rich tradition and their state appearances come the expectations and goals once set by Aron Ramirez, Leo Lara and AB Lozoya. Olivarez understands the expectations, which have been taught to him.

“Every day in open gym, the older guys talked to me about what to expect,” Olivarez said. “They have showed me things on how to get better, and they just told me to keep working, that all of us got this and we will be ready.”

With a district title and a trip to the regional tournament under his belt, Olivarez and the Warriors feel primed for another run. As a team, this group is hell-bent on continuing the legacy that was left before them.

“The guys that were here before created a winning culture and created a legacy here in Santa Rosa,” Olivarez said. “The goal is to bring home a state title and for us to continue that legacy.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Entering the season, Harlingen South needed a third baseman and needed to find another arm in the circle. Freshman Iliana Saucedo and sophomore Alexa Saucedo were plugged in right away.

It didn’t take long for the Lady Hawks to find their answer, and if there was any question on how well the two have fit in, Friday night put those questions to bed.

Against Harlingen High, the South offense was crisp and displayed power and speed.

Harlingen South used a nine-run second inning and a seven-run fourth inning as South crushed rival Harlingen High 17-0 in four innings.

Behind the runs came the power surge from the Saucedos, who each collected homers.

The sisters went a combined 3-for-6 at the plate with three runs and five RBIs.

On the night, South collected 17 hits on 17 runs. Kytana Muniz went 2-for-3 at the plate and hit a walkoff, three-run homer that sealed the win in the fourth. Kayla Rogers continued to swing a hot bat, as she went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, and Christina Arellano also went 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored.

“As the more games you play, the better you become,” Harlingen South coach Elias Martinez said. “In our situation that is what is happening, we are hitting and seeing the ball well, and we are playing solid defense and pitching, and Tuesday will be the ending of the first half of district play and we will see where we all stand. But I like where we are at right now and, of course, there is always room for improvement.”

Born in San Antonio, the Saucedo sisters moved to Niceville, Fla., when they were children and then to Harlingen earlier this year. Both their parents attended Harlingen South. The Saucedos have found themselves a home and, despite their youth, the two have helped make an impact on a deep and talented club.

“We have a lot of family here and our parents have friends here, and they both went to Harlingen South and we didn’t really know anyone at school,” Iliana Saucedo said. “We always wanted to be here because it is a part of our family, and it does feel like this was just meant to be.”

The second inning was one to remember for the Saucedo family.

After back-to-back RBIs from Krystal Gonzales and Muniz, Iliana Saucedo launched a three-run moon shot that put South ahead 7-0. After a base hit from Alyssa Ledesma, Alexa Saucedo crushed a two-run homer over the scoreboard.

“I really don’t have an approach. I try not to think because then you get overwhelmed,” Iliana Saucedo said. “I just smile when I hit it because I’m so happy, nothing really is going through my mind.”

“Hitting a homer was the last thing I expected to happen,” Alexa Saucedo said. “It was a great time to hit it, and especially that my sister just hit one, I was able to follow up with a homer at the same time.”

Harlingen South improves to 4-0 in district play with one game remaining in the first half against Brownsville Hanna on Tuesday. The second round of district play begins next Friday.

Harlingen High (0-4 district) continues to look for its first district win as it takes on Brownsville Rivera on Tuesday.

“Both girls are very coachable, and they will do whatever it takes to help the team,” Martinez said of the sisters. “Which is great, and they came in at the perfect time for us, and they both have power and great arms. For me as a coach, it is just awesome.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN BENITO — Very few things are ever guaranteed, but San Benito, there is one thing that is guaranteed and that is Lady Greyhound Softball.

San Benito’s softball program runs with a strong winning tradition and is much like a factory producing softball players year in and year out.

This year, San Benito will graduate a mainstay of seniors, but to no surprise already have their next crop taking in the experience and contributing on the field.

San Benito’s group of four sophomores is made up of pitcher’s Megan Cavazos and Jenessa Silva, catcher and third baseman Jordan Ramos and outfielder Katelyn Garza. All are filling the shoes of former San Benito household names.

“They have certain qualities to them and each one of them has something different to give to the team and program,” said San Benito coach Denise Lira. “In the two years, I have been here you see the development and growth starts young.”

Confident, outgoing and crazy were three words used to describe the youngsters, who have played and grown up with one another.

“Since San Benito is a small town, we all grew up playing with each other,” Ramos said. “We have played together from t-ball all the way through and we are like a family.”

Ramos has had big shoes to fill with Kim Harper and Joanna Gonzalez occupying the catcher’s position over the past few seasons, but has emerged as a key piece on the field and in the lineup.

Much like Gonzalez, Ramos can also play third base and bats in the middle of the order.

“For me, it is just being able to remember what they taught me,” Ramos said. “All the little tips and tricks I learned from them were for me to just stay confident and be a leader on the team and help my pitchers and to put my team first.”

Ramos has been swinging a hot bat, Cavazos has dazzled in the circle and has shown the ability to start and come in as relief. The same can be said about Silva, who entered Wednesday’s game in relief against Brownsville Hanna and kept the Lady Eagles at bay.

“They each bring a different piece to the puzzle,” said Lira. “They have gone through some pressure situations last year that have helped them this year and now that they are getting more experience and playing more. This year, they are gaining confidence and building mental toughness at the plate, the mound and on the field and they are improving themselves and our team.”

Garza has also come into her own in left field. Like Ramos, Garza is filling the shoes of former Lady ’Hound Deztiny Hernandez. Both Garza and Cavazos have stepped up at the plate. Against Harlingen South, both Cavazos and Garza hit back-to-back homers, providing a spark at the bottom of the order.

“It has been challenging,” Garza said. “I had to adjust to my role as a starter from cheering on and being loud in the dugout for my team to being a starter, but it has become a lot easier with my teammates coming in and correcting me and helping me along the way.”

While the pieces are in play for a potential district title and another playoff run this year, the future looks bright with what the underclassman are bringing to the table as they continue to grow and develop.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN BENITO—For a second straight week, mother nature threw a wrench into the softball world.

With San Benito’s match up against Brownsville Hanna pushed to Wednesday, the Lady ’Hounds needed a spark and got one from their big bats in Jaelynn Huerta and Jordan Ramos.

The Lady Greyhounds offense took a four-run lead into the fourth inning, until Huerta and Ramos opened the flood gates. The five-run frame was highlighted by a three-run homer from Huerta that proved to be enough as San Benito rebounded with a 9-6 win over Brownsville Hanna.

“We need those timely hits to score those runs,” said San Benito coach Denise Lira. “We have talked about it before and our timely hitting helps build our leads early and whether they are big leads or small, it definitely gets our momentum going.”

Both Ramos and Huerta have been swinging hot bats and have become mainstays in the middle of the San Benito lineup. Ramos finished the night going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Huerta drove in four runs and went 1-for-3 at the plate.

Lead-off batter April Garcia scored three runs and checked in a 2-for-3 night along with Kari Cisneros who also went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Senior pitcher Nana Carrizales started in the circle and was sharp for three innings, only yielding one base runner via a walk. Carrizales ran into trouble in the fifth inning after surrendering a three run homer to Alex Rivera that helped spark a Hanna rally.

Carrizales finished the night by tossing four innings, giving up six hits, four runs, walked two and struck out six. Sophomore hurler Jenessa Silva came in relief and retired the first five batters she faced and helped San Benito wiggle out a fifth inning jam.

“When I got the ball, coach Lira just told me to do my best,” said Silva. “I just needed to take time and realize the situation and figure out a way to help my team. When I go in to pitch, I don’t worry because I know I have a strong defense behind me and they will back me up and they did that tonight.”

Silva helped seal the win for San Benito, and gave up three hits and two runs — both in the seventh inning. She finished with three innings of work, giving up three hits and one walk.

“Nana did well for us again. She started for us and kept Hanna off balance,” Lira said. “Jenessa came in and did an amazing job and got us out of that jam in the fifth, but she did a great job on coming in and getting the job done and kept their batters off balance.”

Brownsville Hanna sits with a 2-1 district record, but will close out the first round with Los Fresnos, then Harlingen South.

“All of our games have been close,” said Hanna coach Greg Larson. “Tonight was close too and every game is crucial and it can go either way. Now we will prepare for Los Fresnos and they are a tough team and can hit the ball extremely well. So we have our work cut out for us and then we have Harlingen South after that.”

San Benito meanwhile will travel to Brownsville Rivera on Friday before wrapping up the first round of league play against Los Fresnos. Wednesday’s win was also a good way to respond after a tough loss against Harlingen South last Friday.

“We take every game with a one game at a time approach and we take each opponent seriously and we don’t take anyone lightly.” Said Lira.