KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN BENTIO — Senior right-handed pitcher Daniel Dial secured his college future by signing his letter of intent Wednesday afternoon.

Dial will play baseball just down the road at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg.

“This is my only sport,” the senior said. “This has always been my dream to be able to play at the college level. This is an unbelievable feeling to be able to sign. I have put so much work into this and now it is paying off.”

Dial received other offers from Texas State and Our Lady of the Lake, but chose to stay close to home and received a full ride at UTRGV.

“UTRGV is an amazing school; it is a division one program,” he said. “I talked with other schools and UTRGV provided the best fit for me and it helps that it is close to home.”

Dial is a three-year letterman and is expected to serve as the Greyhounds’ ace pitcher this spring, and has ’Hounds skipper Jimmy Young excited for the spring.

“He will be our horse,” Young said. “He put in the work for four years. He is a leader on the team and he understands what it takes to play at the next level. When he goes out there on the mound, we will have a shot. We are excited to have him back for one more year. Failure is not an option for him and he knows that and ever since he told me about his vision and what he wanted to do. He has made sacrifices and has always been about baseball.”

As a junior, Dial received a first-team all-district nod as a pitcher and also led 32-6A in strikeouts with 87.

Dial brings to the table a 2- and 4-seam fastball, a changeup, slider, a 12-6 curveball and is hitting 88 mph on the radar gun heading into the season.

The curveball is still something Dial is trying to perfect along with his velocity as he heads into his final season as a Greyhound.

“It is a completely different level from high school to college,” he said. “I could be throwing hard here, but at the college level, it might not be as hard. I need to hit the weight room for sure and continue to get stronger.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

SAN PERLITA — Trailing by 12 points late in the third quarter, San Perlita coach Marco Mungia had a simple message, and that was to relax, to not overthink things.

The Lady Trojans did just that and fed off an 11-point fourth quarter from Megan Kinney for a 59-55 come-from-behind win over Santa Maria. Later, the San Perlita boys defeated Santa Maria 75-48.

The win will have Lady Trojans fans talking for some time. Kinney finished with a team-high 20 points, and Alyssa Garcia netted 12 points for San Perlita.

“After that run they went on, it was a matter of, ‘How will we respond?’” Mungia said. “We knew they would go on a run, they are the defending district champions for a reason. Our girls persevered and never gave in. One thing we have been working on this year was our mental toughness, and the girls showed that tonight.”

San Perlita managed to cut the lead to five points twice during the fourth quarter, and Karina Rojas’ basket tied the game at 53. Kinney and Elisa Nieto’s free throws helped ice the game during the final seconds.

San Perlita improved to 3-2 in district play and handed Santa Maria its first district loss at 4-1.

After a turbulent 2017 season in which the Lady Trojans won one district game, Tuesday’s win will be looked at as one that helped turn around the program.

“These girls have been down by so much, it was like they were in a sinkhole that they could not get out of,” Mungia said. “But the mentality is different, the girls never give up. Heart and hustle is our team motto, and tonight it was on full display.”

Said Rojas, “This is such an amazing feeling. All the work we put in from last year till now is paying off. We struggled so much last year, and for us to be able to play the way we are now is amazing.”

For Santa Marina, Yazmin Cantu scored a game-high 28 points, and Michelle Almazan finished with 11.

Despite the loss, the Lady Cougars remain in first place.

After a seesaw first half, Santa Maria came out swinging during the third quarter. Cantu scored nine third-quarter points and helped fuel a 13-0 lead. The Lady Cougs led by as much as 44-32 late in the third quarter.

Trojans roll past Cougars

In the boys game, the Trojans needed a win and got one in a big way. The trio of Tige Johnson, Julian Herrera and EJ Nieto proved to be too much for Santa Maria, as San Perlita steamrolled to a 75-48 win Tuesday night.

“The guys came out with speed tonight and wanted to finish the first round of district play on a positive note,” Trojans coach Nataniel Garza said. “We wanted to have that momentum heading into the second half, and one thing we stress here is effort and energy, and the guys came out and set the tone early.”

Herrea led the offense with a nine-point first quarter and went on to score 23 points. Johnson dished a game-high 24 points, Julian Herrera scored 23 points and Nieto netted 15 points in the win.

San Perlita led by as much as 15 points in the second half and did not let up. Bryan Herrera scored five third-quarter points.

The Trojans’ win puts them at 4-1 in district play, and will play Lasara on Tuesday. San Perlita also remains in the hunt for a district title, with a rematch with San Isidro looming.

“We have seen a change in the way we played,” Johnson said. “Before the game against San Isidro we were good, but not good enough. That loss to San Isidro has motivated us to come out stronger, and we feel we are playing better basketball.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

The time has come.

The 2019 softball season is here and has softball fans geared up and eager to see their teams trot onto the field.

Friday marked the first day of practice. On Jan. 26, teams will open up with scrimmages, and on Feb. 11, the regular season will begin.

Softball in the Rio Grande Valley has become a hot commodity and the Valley, has watched teams take the next step in the playoffs, and through select ball and offseason programs, we have seen the improvement on the field.

While San Benito cracked open the door in 2013 by becoming the first softball team from the Valley to reach the state tournament, the Lady ’Hounds followed it with another trip to the state tournament in 2015.

In 2016, the Weslaco High Lady Panthers became the second team to reach the state tournament.

Rio Hondo fell just shy of reaching the state tournament in 2017, but the Lady Bobcats reached the regional final.

That same year, Harlingen South and Weslaco High reached the sweet 16.

While 2018 fell short of expectations, Edinburg Vela and San Benito were the two remaining teams who reached the Sweet 16.

The question heading into the 2019 season is, which team will rekindle that 2013 San Benito magic and make a run to Austin?

There are plenty of teams who have the pieces in play to make a run. San Benito, Edinburg High, Harlingen South, Rio Hondo, Lyford and Brownsville Veterans Memorial are a few teams that just might be playing in late May and possibly early June.

Time will tell on whether the Valley will make that next step and compete at the state tournament, but one thing is for certain, RGV softball is, and has been, on the rise.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — After Tuesday night’s heartbreaking overtime loss to Los Fresnos, Brownsville Hanna senior Fernie Camacho was eager to get back on the court.

On Friday, the senior took the court with a little pep in his step, scoring nine of the Golden Eagles’ 15 points during the first quarter en route to a 36-25 win over Harlingen South.

“Fernie just came out on fire tonight,” Hanna coach Fermin Lucio said. “This was our first district home game and it is a little tough at first with an empty gym, but Fernie was able to bring that energy tonight, and he hit some shots and the team fed off of it.”

Camacho netted a game-high 22 points in the win.

“Every win is huge and every night it is a battle,” Camacho said. “Coach just wants us to show up and play hard every night.”

While the district season is still young, the Eagles remain ahead of the eight-ball with a 2-1 district record and will play host to rival Brownsville Rivera on Tuesday.

“What we preach is to go 1-0 every Friday and Tuesday,” Lucio said. “We don’t look behind or look ahead, and tonight was big for us.”

Despite falling behind by double digits early, South did not go away quietly. The Hawks clawed back to within four (18-14) with 2:20 left in the second quarter.

The Eagles countered with a 6-0 run that pushed their lead to 24-14 late in the period. It was during the third quarter that the Hanna defense made the difference, holding the Hawks to just one point in the period.

“Coach Brian Molina is one of the best coaches in the Valley,” Lucio said. “We knew that this wasn’t going to be a blowout, even when we went up in the first quarter I knew they would adjust and come back. It was about us making the last run, and I thought our boys did a hell of a job towards the end.”

Harlingen South falls to 1-2 in district play and next travels to Los Fresnos on Tuesday night. Grant Lowery led the offense with 12 points, and Mark Becerra finished with seven.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — Harlingen South junior Karla Reyes just wanted the ball in her hands.

Reyes drained 12 fourth-quarter points as Harlingen South picked up a 57-48 win against Brownsville Hanna on Friday night.

Leading by one with less than five minutes to play, Reyes took over during the fourth quarter with two big shots that helped put the Lady Hawks ahead 47-40 with 4:37 remaining.

“After Tuesday’s loss to Harlingen, we knew we needed to bounce back,” Reyes said. “That’s what this team does, we fight and continue to play together.”

Reyes finished with a team-high 20 points.

“She just wanted the ball,” South coach Kelly Garrett said. “She said she knew she could take her, and that is something she doesn’t tell me very often. She did a good job on finishing, that is one thing we were struggling with, but she was able to get into the paint tonight and take over.”

It was only a matter of time as to when Reyes was going to take over a game. While she admits she has been in a slump, Friday’s win was something Reyes needed heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

“I have been in a slump,” Reyes said. “I needed to step up and make plays. When I’m not aggressive I don’t do so well, but when I play aggressive that’s when I know I’m at my best.”

All night long, the Lady Hawks hustled and answered each shot from Hanna.

Reyes received some help from her teammates, as Laura Ramirez, Dolores Mendoza and Destiny Olivarez all hit shots down the stretch for the Lady Hawks. Ramirez netted 13 points, and Mendoza finished with 10.

With Hanna making a bid for a comeback during the final seconds of the third quarter, it was Mendoza who drilled a basket as time expired to give South a 38-34 lead and the momentum.

“That was a big play for us,” Garrett said. “We had a lot of girls step up tonight and make plays.”

The win puts the Lady Hawks in second place with a 4-1 district record. South now shifts its focus to the second half of district play, which tips off Tuesday at Los Fresnos.

Senior Mia Paz finished with a game-high 25 points for the Lady Eagles. Hanna will play Brownsville Rivera on Tuesday.

KEVIN NARRO| Staff Writer

HARLINGEN—Adapt and Overcome.

Those are the two things Harlingen High senior point guard Ariel Leal has learned to do while in a Lady Cardinal uniform.

Leal has spent each year on the varsity and has grown into a leader on and off the court.

On the court Leal has helped direct the Harlingen offense and has played a vital role in their 4-0 district start and 23-5 overall record this season.

Overcome.

The road to Leal’s senior year wasn’t an easy one. During her freshman and sophomore year, Leal suffered a left high ankle sprain. Each year Leal was able to recover and was able to return to the court.

Then came her junior year, where she faced her biggest obstacle.

Against South San Antonio in last year’s area round of the playoffs, Leal went down with a season-ending knee injury to her left knee.

Leal later learned she tore her ACL and meniscus.

“At first it was really tough,” she said. “I would cry sometimes watching my team, because I missed playing. What really hurt was me seeing everyone work out and play summer ball and getting ready for our senior year. But through all that, my teammates, family and friends were all there for me and picked me up.”

Leal was able to recover from the injury and was medically cleared in mid-September. The senior took the recovery head on and managed to work on a variety of ball handling drills in the process.

“I just kept working, once school started I knew I was getting closer to getting cleared,” Leal said. “Then when I got cleared I was able to get back on the court and from there everything went smooth.”

Adapt.

Now with Leal back and healthy, the senior has put together a strong senior campaign as we reach the midway point in the district season and has adapted to her role on the team.

This year, Leal has taken the reigns on offense and is averaging 7.6 points , 4.8 assists, 2.7 steals and 3.1 rebounds per game this season.

“She means a lot to the program,” Harlingen coach Ashley Moncivaiz said. “If I ask her to go out and do something, she will go out there and do it on both ends of the court and she will is never going to let me down.”

With the strong start to the district season and with the this year’s team on pace to win more games than the previous two, Leal feels all the pieces are in play for a district title and playoff run.

“We are all motivated to come out and win,” Leal said. “Last year did not end the way we wanted it to and that is what motivates us. We want to make a deep run in the playoffs and as a senior, we all want to make this year memorable and to just leave everything out on the court.”

KEVIN NARRO | STAFF WRITER

After a 0-2 start in district play, the San Benito Lady Greyhounds have now won two straight and are back at .500 with a 2-2 district record.

The Lady ’Hounds picked up a 36-22 win over Brownsville Rivera on Tuesday night and now will travel to Los Fresnos on Friday to wrap up the first round of district play.

Against Rivera, three Lady ’Hounds scored in double figures. Tyesha Anaya netted a game-high 11 points, while Haley Lopez and Elvira Coronado each scored 10 points each in the win.

Meanwhile, the red-hot Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats continue to roll in District 32-4A. The Lady ’Cats won their sixth straight Tuesday night in a 43-14 win over Progreso.

Both Jamine Rangel and Jazaline Ayala scored eight points each, Natalie Martinez netted seven and Taylor Gomez scored six points in the win.

Rio Hondo is currently 7-1 in district play and will meet La Feria on Friday. The last time the two met in early December, Rio Hondo held off the Lionettes in overtime. La Feria is currently 5-3 in district play and are coming off a win against Grulla.

Lyford is also on a roll. The Lady Bulldogs won their fifth straight game Tuesday night with a 70-16 win over IDEA Riverview. Lyford’s next opponent will be IDEA Vanguard on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

The Lady Bulldogs are now 10-1 in district play and are in good shape to win the district title. In the win against Riverview, three Lady ’Dogs scored in double figures.

Kayleen May led the scoring with 16 points, Sam Delgado finished with 14 points and Damaris Bermudez scored 12 points.

In District 32-2A, Santa Maria improved to 3-0 in league play and 22-6 overall. Santa Maria picked up a 65-4 win over La Sara Tuesday night. The Lady Cougars will now square off against San Isidro on Friday at 6:00 p.m.

For the Lady Coogs, Byanca Cantu scored a game-high 21 points and Michelle Almazan followed with 20 points. Clara Briones finished with eight points and Yazmin Cantu scored nine points in the win.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — No mercy.

Those were the two words Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz echoed to her team Tuesday night before its clash with Harlingen South.

The message was received loud and clear, as Harlingen High thumped rival Harlingen South 53-33 on Tuesday night at South.

“We came in ready on both ends and we set the tone,” Moncivaiz said. “We came in wanting to score, and we didn’t want to show any mercy. That was our mindset coming into tonight’s game.”

Harlingen High’s Alyssa Cervantes drilled a 3-pointer to open up the game and helped spark a 17-2 first-quarter run that set the tone for the night. That, along with relentless pressure on defense, helped as the Lady Cardinals managed to keep their foot on the gas for four quarters.

Alexus Cotto scored a game-high 11 points, Ariel Leal netted eight and Cervantes finished with six for the Lady Cards.

Tuesday night’s matchup was a battle for sole possession of first place in District 32-6A. The Lady Cardinals improved to 4-0 with one game left in the first half of district play.

“Tonight, the girls were more intensely focused, they were flying to the ball and they were ready,” Moncivaiz said. “You can be focused and just going through the motions, and that wasn’t the case tonight. The girls have known they needed to adjust, and they did that over the weekend. They adjusted and were prepared.”

Harlingen High will look to wrap up a perfect 5-0 first half when it takes on Brownsville Rivera on Friday.

The Lady Hawks remain in good shape with a 3-1 district record, and they will have a date with Brownsville Hanna on Friday.

Laura Ramirez scored eight points, Dolores Mendoza finished with nine and Karla Reyes netted six for the Lady Hawks.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN— The Harlingen High Cardinals needed a win and got one Tuesday night against crosstown rival Harlingen South.

Senior Michael Arellano just knows how to play in big games. Arellano dished a game-high 19 points during a 42-36 road win Tuesday night at Harlingen South.

“This was a big win for us,” Arellano said. “Anytime you come here to South it’s going to be tough, we just need to keep working. This is a big rivalry, it is always fun playing South. It was a tough game and it was a physical game, but that is something I’m used to, it is a part of it.”

Against a rugged home crowd, Arellano caught fire with three straight 3s and put Harlingen High ahead 25-17 late in the second quarter. The Cards outscored the Hawks 14-7 in the frame, with Arellano scoring 11 of the points.

Diego Bazaldua added 12 points in the win.

“As far as the adjustments go, (the Hawks) did a great job on their man-to-man defense and adjusted well in the second half,” Harlingen High assistant coach Leeroy Sanchez said. “It was tough. We struggled to score in the third quarter and took some hard, contested shots. That is just a testament to how well South played defensively.”

Harlingen High picked up its first district win and will meet Brownsville Rivera on Friday. Tuesday’s game was looked at as a must-win for the Cardinals if they want to keep pace in the district race.

“Every district game is a must-win,” Sanchez said. “That is how we approach every game we want to win, and if it happens, it happens, and now we can focus on Friday.”

South managed to trim the lead and slowed Arellano during the second half, holding him to five points.

Down the stretch, leading 36-33 with two minutes left, Michael Vasquez drove through the paint for a layup, completing a key three-point play and giving the Cardinals a late 39-33 lead they did not surrender.

“Down the stretch, we made some key baskets and made some stops, and that is what helped put the game away,” Sanchez said. “Anytime you can get a win here is good. It is a tough place to play.”

The Hawks will travel to Brownsville Hanna on Friday. Despite the loss, there is still room for optimism moving forward.

“I thought the kids played well, and the effort was there,” Hawks coach Brian Molina said. “They played hard and we put ourselves in position to win a ballgame, but Harlingen is a tough ballclub and they executed when they needed to.”

Senior Grant Lowery led the Hawks with 12 points, Alex Rodriguez finished with eight and Mito Vasquez netted six.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — The Los Fresnos Falcons entered Friday night as underdogs and played inspired basketball despite coach Marco Hinojosa being out with the flu.

The Falcons delivered their coach a 56-50 road win over Harlingen High on Friday night in the teams’ District 32-6A opener.

“Coming into tonight, this game was for Coach Hinojosa,” Falcons assistant coach Alex Lucio said. “All week long coach reached out to me, and the kids worked hard all week, and they came out and played inspired basketball.”

After a see-saw battle during the first half, the Falcons trailed 32-29. The third quarter is when the Falcons took control, outscoring the Cardinals 19-9 and to hold a 48-41 lead.

Sebastian Szpak led the offense with seven third-quarter points to go with his game-high 21 points.

Harlingen High rallied, using a 7-2 run to tie the game at 48 with 3:21 left on a Michael Arellano layup. The Cards had an opportunity to take the lead with 16 seconds to play but turned over the ball on a five-second violation. Tyler Alvarez put the game on ice with a pair of free throws, making it a two-possession game. Alvarez finished with 12 points.

Ricky Altamirano laid in the bucket that gave the Falcons a 50-48 lead. Leading by four, the Cards again managed to cut the lead to two points.

The win, for now, sets an early tone in the district for a Los Fresnos team that lost multiple starters to graduation.

“We saw the standings, and in some of them we weren’t in them. This was a statement game for us,” Lucio said. “This was our district opener against a very tough Harlingen team. We are young and we are rebuilding, and a win like this is something that can get us going.”

The Falcons now shift their focus to Brownsville Hanna on Tuesday, and Harlingen High will prepare for Harlingen South.

For the Cards, Arellano led the team in scoring with 20 points, and Diego Balzaldua netted nine.

Lady Cardinals 42, Lady Falcons 36

The Harlingen High Lady Cardinals needed every ounce of muscle they had Friday night when Los Fresnos came to town.

Harlingen High relied on its physical defense and timely baskets to get past Los Fresnos.

“Anytime we play Los Fresnos, they play physical and always bring out the best in us,” Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz said. “We had to answer their physicality, and tonight we were not hitting our shots or free throws. Los Fresnos made their free throws and that allowed them to stay in the game.”

The offense struggling to generate points and the physical defense played by Los Fresnos forced the Lady Cards to slow down their offense.

“Games like tonight, we have to slow down and play at a slower pace,” Moncivaiz said. “We have to adjust and I thought we were able to do that in the second half.”

The win sets up an early battle for first place against Harlingen South on Tuesday. Both squads are 3-0 in district play.

“It is going to be fun,” Moncivaiz said. “Anytime we play Harlingen South it will be physical. We will get back to work (today) and work on some minor things and we will be ready for Tuesday.”

Los Fresnos, meanwhile, falls to 1-2 in district and will play host to Brownsville Hanna on Tuesday.

The Lady Cards shook off a slow start on offense during the first half and found their grove in the third quarter.

Bianca Rodriguez hit a 3-point shot to end the frame, giving Harlingen High a 35-30 lead and most importantly, the momentum they needed heading to the fourth quarter.

Rodriguez and Taegan Dickey led the offense with seven points apiece.

Ari Gallardo netted a game-high 15 points for the Lady Falcons, and Jovanna Adame finished with eight points.