KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

Harlingen South’s Sky Tatum wrapped up a solid high school football career for the Hawks as he was one of the Valley’s most feared pass rushers this past season.

Tatum recently took part in the annual Blue-Grey All-American Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Tatum was a part of the West team, which was coached by Mark McMillian.

Tatum had a strong showing as he collected four sacks, including a strip sack and three tackles for loss.

The Valley Morning Star got a chance to catch up with Tatum.

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Q: How did you get invited to the bowl game?
A: They get the top players from across the country and look at your stats. There is a regular combine then a super combine and if you qualify for the super combine you get invited to play in the game.

Q: What was it like playing with different players from across the country?
A: It was fun to meet new people and different players. We built a good chemistry together. It’s amazing to see all the different talents.

Q: Did you pick up on anything new as far as techniques go?
A: I learned some new pass rush moves with an outside step back to the inside and I had to learn how to use my hands.

Q: Talk to us about the traveling and being able to play in AT&T Stadium?
A: The combines where in Houston and it was fun traveling. I’m not a Cowboys fan but playing in AT&T Stadium was awesome. That was the biggest stadium I’ve ever played in.

Q: You had a solid performance. Walk us through it.
A: I had a good showing and I feel I perform better on the bigger stages.

Q: What is your best memory from the game?
A: It would be walking down the tunnel and being greeted by all the fans, and after the game the coaches talking to us as a team.

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN — In sports, playing on the road is always tough. In basketball, the home crowd can make a difference. At Harlingen South, the home crowd was rocking, led by their umbrella-popping student section.

Chanz Love fed of off that home crowd buzz and netted 20 points to help guide the Hawks to their second consecutive win, 63-48 over San Benito.

“We fed off their energy,” Love said. It’s great to have the support of our fans, they make it fun. Tonight was a big one for us going forward. It is definitely one of the more physical games we have played in this year.”

In their last meeting, San Benito would not go down quietly and forced double overtime. This time around, the Hounds started the game hot by taking an early 8-2 lead, only to be answered by Aaron Briones and Love’s hot shooting from beyond the arc.

In the second quarter, the momentum shifted in South’s favor behind a 13-2 run that shot the Hawks ahead 22-13. In that run Briones hit a pair of threes along with Love and some key buckets by Grant Lowery.

“It’s tough to beat the same team twice, especially a team like San Benito, which brings back a lot of experience,” said Harlingen South coach Brian Molina. “They don’t get enough credit. They’re a great basketball team. We had to fight for every point tonight, my hat’s off to San Benito.

“We tried to take away the paint and that hurt us the first time, and they did a good job in the paint tonight in the first quarter. We tried to neutralize that as much as we could. They’re a physical team and I thought we did a good job adjusting at the half.”

Briones, who had been in a funk the last few games, broke out with a game high 24 points and found his form knocking down three balls and finding the lane.

Lowery also found his form with a 16-point performance. 11 of those points came in the third quarter while knocking down three, three pointers.

“Aaron hit some big shots for us in the second quarter and that sent us into the half feeling good and we saw that momentum carry over into the second half,” Molina said. “We learned from the last time we played San Benito that no lead is safe, so I thought the kids came out in the second half and finished the job.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN — On a night when Harlingen South clamped down on San Benito star Miranda Vallejo, it was Mikayla Garcia who stepped in with a game high 16 points to lead the Lady Hounds to a 44-17 win over the Lady Hawks on Friday.

“To be honest, before the game my shots weren’t falling,” Garcia said. “I didn’t think I was going to have a good shooting night but once the game started I just started hitting my shots and it all worked out.”

San Benito is now 7-2 in District 32-6A and stayed tied for second with Harlingen High, which beat Weslaco East on Friday. The Lady Hounds have three games remaining on the schedule with their next game coming on Tuesday at home.

“We have a big game against Hanna before we face the two titans in our district Harlingen and Weslaco,” said San Benito head coach Abel Moreno. “We continue to work hard and our goals have stayed the same, and that’s to win a district title.”

The Lady Hounds rode the three ball from Garcia in the opening quarter and raced out to a 20-11 lead early in the first quarter to set he tone for the rest of the night.

South’s defense held Vallejo in check with only four points in the first half. Vallejo finished with 11 points in the win while Emilee Barraza also checked in 11 points.

San Benito’s defense held the Lady Hawks scoreless in the third quarter and took full control, leading 36-14 at the end of the third quarter. In the second half, San Benito outscored Harlingen South 18-3.

“When we lost to Los Fresnos we realized we needed to be more aggressive on defense,” Moreno said. “We were letting a lot of teams come at us so we started to play more aggressive by closing gaps and working on our down screens. We worked hard to get those things right and now we fixed them, and tonight it showed.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

RIO HONDO — The 2017 softball season was one to remember for the Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats as they won their fourth straight district title along with a historic march to the Region IV-4A final.

However, last season was last season and this year Rio Hondo returns a strong nucleus of players mixed with some young guns who are eager to prove themselves in 2018.

“This is the group to handle the pressure and they understand that last year’s home runs don’t win this year’s games,” said Rio Hondo coach Brett Esparza during practice on Wednesday.

“The kids understand if they want something they have to refocus themselves and that has been something the kids have been focusing on these first few days. We try and not worry about what happen last year because we’re looking at what this year’s goals are and expectations.”

Up the middle, the Lady Cats will be anchored by senior center fielder Bianca Cruz, who is poised to have another strong season. They will also welcome back the Alvarado twins, Annie and Abbie, who, like Cruz, played a vital role on last year’s squad.

Annie will look to toe the rubber this season with Abbie taking her place behind the plate. On the corners, Kayla Castaneda returns at first base and Nayeli Garcia looks to play third.

“We’re feeling really good these first couple of days,” Annie said. “Even though we lost girls to graduation last year, we have plenty of girls back that are ready to lead. As a senior, I take the time to show them the way. We like to have fun here and we have taken the younger girls under our wings. A lot of the freshmen see what happened last year and they want that so we show them, and tell them what needs to be done to get there.”

Senior shortstop April Adames, who grew up playing softball with this year’s group and also played with last year’s seniors, is another player ready to step up.
Last season Adames moved to Kansas due to her father’s job, but this season she has returned home and is hoping to fill in right where she left off.

“I was excited when I got the news I was coming home,” she said. “I grew up playing with this team. I was a little nervous about coming back, but I’m fitting right in.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN — On Thursday, Brandon Garza became the first student-athlete from Harlingen School of Health Professions to sign a letter of intent to play sports at the next level.

Garza put pen to paper and is now set to play golf at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.

“I’ve always dreamt of this day. It is all surreal right now,” said Garza, who plays golf for Harlingen South. “It’s a blessing that I will be able to play the game I love at the next level.”

Garza is a four-year letterman and has been a big part of the Hawks golf program. As a sophomore Garza made the regional finals as part of his team and his junior season he qualified for the regional meet as an individual.

“Brandon has always wanted to play at the next level,” said South golf coach Larry Kruse. “He is a very dedicated kid and is a hard worker. He has done what he has needed to do and he has been a sponge throughout his career. As his coach, I couldn’t be more proud. There is just no quit in him.”

Garza will look to fit right as part of the Swedes golf program, which competes in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Program as part of the NAIA, and said he is ready to adjust to college life.

“I like the idea of a small school,” he said. “The coaching staff is great and I know they will help me both on the course and in the classroom. My parents are excited to see me reach one of my dreams. This year I’m hoping we make regionals as a team and make the state meet.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

The train continues to roll for the San Perlita boys basketball team. The Trojans are now 5-0 in District 32-2A play after a big 93-60 win over Lasara on Thursday night.

San Perlita has gotten strong play from senior guard Victor Galvan. Last week he posted 14 points against La Villa and 21 in a win against San Isidro.
With the strong performances, Galvan was named the boys Valley Morning Star’s Player of the Week.

“These past two games have been very intense,” Galvan said. “We as a team entered district play feeling good. We had played some tough teams in non-district so we felt confident. The San Isidro game was tough because they made comebacks against us. I knew we had to make adjustments and limit our turnovers, and I had to be more aggressive. After I hit a three pointer to tie the game, we kept up our intensity for the rest of the game.”

On the season, Galvan is averaging 17.5 points per game and Trojans head coach Nataniel Garza is pleased with Galvan’s performance.

“Victor is a humble and hardworking young man,” Garza said. “He always puts the team before himself, he has been a big part of our team and is a great leader.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

With just three games remaining on the schedule, San Perlita is aiming to finish the season on a high note. The Trojans will look to keep their three-game win streak intact tonight against Lasara. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 at Lasara High.

In their last outing, San Perlita fed off a 21-point performance from Victor Galvan en route to a 65-57 win against San Isidro. With the win, the Trojans capped of a 4-0 first half in District 32-2A play. Tige Johnson netted 12 points while Julian Herrera finished with 10 points.

LYFORD LOOKS TO REBOUND: The Bulldogs fell to 1-1 in District 32-3A play after a 58-43 loss to IDEA Frontier on Tuesday. In the loss, Julian Romo led the Dogs with 22 points.

Lyford will be at Santa Rosa at 7:30 on Friday night.

HAWKS SNAP SKID AGAINST HANNA: Harlingen South needed a win and got one Tuesday night. After a 4-3 mark to start to the first half of District 32-6A play, the Hawks snapped a three-game skid with a 66-49 win against Brownsville Hanna.

South is now 5-3 in league play and will host San Benito on Friday night at 7:30. The first time the two met it took double overtime to decide a winner, with the Hawks gaining the upper hand 66-63.

In the win against Hanna, Sean Turrubiates led the team in scoring with 22 points, Grant Lowery had 17 and Aaron Briones finished with 14 points.

CARDS LOOK TO KEEP PACE: Harlingen High dropped its second consecutive game on Tuesday night in a loss to Weslaco High. The Cards put themselves in a hole that they could not climb out of. Despite the loss, the Cards remain alive in the playoff race with a 5-3 District 32-6A record.

Big Red will look to snap their skid against Weslaco East on Friday. The final weeks of the season will be fun to watch, as the playoff race heats up.

Los Fresnos sits atop the district with an 8-0 record, while Rivera is in second place with a 6-2 record. Both Harlingen and South are 5-3 with Weslaco looking to make a late run with a 4-4 record.

HOUNDS LOOK TO SPOIL HAWKS’ PLAYOFF RUN: Despite having a 2-6 district record, San Benito has caused fits for teams throughout the season and on Tuesday it was no different. The Hounds took Rivera to overtime, but fell 64-62.

In the loss, the Hounds got some strong play from David Sanchez, who scored 16 points while Ryan Reza finished with 15 points.

Friday’s tilt against South should be an interesting one as the Hounds look to throw a wrench into the district standings.

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN — District 32-6A has arguably been one of the toughest in the Valley this season and on Tuesday it showed.

Weslaco High entered its game against Harlingen High in need of a win to keep its playoff hopes alive while the Cardinals were looking to re-bound from a loss last week and keep pace in the standings.

The Panthers held off a late Harlingen rally and dealt the Red Birds a 60-46 loss as they leaned on their veteran Braxton Bloomquist, who scored a game high 18 points.

“We have been playing well all year, we just had some games where the ball just didn’t go in,” said Weslaco coach Gabe Valdez. “We just try and keep the kids focused, and we have a good team. Win or lose we continue to fight. We preached to them all week to keep their focus and they came out and played hard game against a very good Harlingen team.”

The Panthers wasted no time early on and used an 11-5 run to jump start their offense, and silence the home crowd. Jesus Payes led the Weslaco offensive assault with eight first-quarter points and at one point the Panthers led 20-5 late in the first quarter.

“They’re a good team and they’re not indicative to what their record is,” said Harlingen coach Greg Yates of Weslaco. “They have a lot of size and talented players, they’re a well-coached team and they came out strong against us.

“That hurt us, falling behind like that and we spent a lot of energy coming back. I give my kids credit, we were down by 15 and we came back and took the lead late.”

Harlingen found life late in the second quarter and cut into the lead at 28-16 at the half and used that late momentum in the third quarter.

The Cards used a 16-4 in the third quarter to tie the game at 32 with 2:14 left in the quarter. Harlingen took its first lead of the game on a John Ortega three pointer that gave the Cards a 37-36 lead.

Unfortunately, that was the only lead Harlingen had as Weslaco outscored the Cards 24-9 in the final quarter and sealed the win.

“It’s tough when you spot a team that many points, especially in this district,” Yates said. “I knew they were going to be tough, the first time we played them it came down to the final shot. Tonight I wish we could have gotten off to a better start and it’s unfortunate that we have the flu bug going around and affecting our team, but evidently it’s going around and hurting all of the United States.”

With the win, Weslaco is now 4-4 in district play and is still on the outside looking in. Harlingen and Harlingen South both sit at 5-3 while Brownsville Rivera is 6-2 and still looking up a Los Fresnos, which is 8-0.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

The 2017 football season will be one to remember for San Benito fans. The Hounds ran the table through the regular season and saw a district, bi-district and area title come home to San Benito. This year’s squad was a special one, and was led by one of the most dynamic signal callers in the Valley.

Senior quarterback Erick Retta put a stamp on his senior season by running for 744 yards and seven rushing touchdowns and threw for 2,264 yards along with tossing 28 touch-downs to just two interceptions.

Retta was also named district 32-6A offensive player of the year. With Retta’s strong season, he was named The Valley Morning Star ALL-STAR Most Valuable Player.

“It is a great honor to win the MVP award,” said Retta. “To be honest, I never imagined being an MVP because of my size, but I worked hard to get to where I’m at now.”

Retta was a two-year starter for the Hounds and went 22-3 as the Hounds starting quarterback. Retta won a district title and a pair of bi-district titles as the lead man.

“This season meant a lot to us, so many people doubted us because of the players we lost from last season. However this year we proved people wrong this season.”

Over the season Retta displayed command of the huddle and a clutch gene. In their playoff game against McAllen Memorial, San Benito trailed by four with 1:04 left to play and had their season on the line, Retta delivered the drive of his career.

Retta directed a seven-play, 78-yard drive and capped it off with a 1-yard go-ahead touchdown. There had been many big moments for Retta, but the final drive against McAllen Memorial etched his name in San Benito history.

“Making the comeback against McAllen Memorial in the playoffs has to be my best memory. One-minute left, in the playoffs its everything you dream of.” Retta said.

Retta and this year’s senior group leave behind a standard of excellence laid by coach Dan Gomez.

“Coach Gomez’s and I had a strong relationship, he treated me like a son,” Retta said. “I started my high school career in San Benito when Coach Gomez got here, it was great playing under him and his staff.”

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Senior defensive end Ryan Reza was a force all season long for the San Benito Greyhounds. Reza who spent two years on the varsity had a staple senior season for the Hounds and was a leader on one of the top defenses in the Valley.

Reza’s 20 sack season led him to a district 32-6A defensive lineman of the year award and was named the Valley Morning Star ALL-STAR defensive player of the year.

“Winning this award is very humbling,” Reza said. “I don’t consider it an individual award, if it wasn’t for my teammates and coaches, this award wouldn’t have been possible.”

Six times this season the Greyhounds defense held their opponents under 20 points. As a junior, Reza mustered up just 13 sacks but increased that to 20 his senior season which also marked a career high.

“Defensively we understood each other and trusted each other,” Reza said. I feel that’s why we were able to have success this year. Our coaches did a great job on putting together a great game plan that we believed in and we did our best to execute it. It’s not easy being a Hound, the expectations and demands are always high but that’s what made it special for me.”

Reza’s junior year he recorded five sacks against Laredo United which is a career high. His senior season Reza began the season by recording three sacks in each of the first three games. Five times Reza would finish with three sacks and recorded at least one sack in each game.

“Everyone on defense had a job and a role,” Reza said. “If my teammates didn’t do their job then I wouldn’t have these accolades. These 20 sacks weren’t my sacks’ they were the defenses 20 sacks, we as a unit earned them.”

Reza like his teammate and quarterback Erick Retta set the bar high for the next group of Hounds.

“My message to the younger guys would be, to be the best team in the state. Be better than any team that has put on a purple and gold uniform. Work hard and listen to what is being taught whether it’s a football or life lesson.” Said Reza.

BOBCATS

FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer

From September 8 to November 24 the Rio Hondo Bobcats reined supreme over opponents across South Texas. Thanks in large part to senior Tyler Bush and sophomore Joey Ortega, the Bobcats were able to put together one of its best seasons in school history. And because of their success on the field Tyler Bush has been named VMS’s Offensive Player of the Year while teammate Joey Ortega has been awarded VMS’s Newcomer of the year.

Offensively, 2017 was a memorable year for a certain Bobcat. Bush’s drive, determination and resolve led him to become one of the most recognized names in Rio Grande Valley football, and as he mentioned — it helped having a lot of detractors growing up.

“Growing up a lot of people doubted my ability to play football,” said Bush. “Because of that I felt like I had to work harder. I had a lot to prove and I used that as motivation to be who I am on and off the field today.

“The values my parents have instilled in me growing up and the drive I have to always want to do my best is I think what de-fines me. I just simply go out on the field and do whatever it takes to get the win. Each and every play I gave it my all and played my heart out.”

Bush finished his senior season amassing an eye-popping 3,021 passing yards with 34 touchdowns and 1,084 rushing yards with 10 TDs. And as far as the Rio Hondo history books are concerned — there hasn’t been anybody like him in a while.

“Quarterback wise, touchdown wise, career and single season wise he broke all the records,” said Rio Hondo head coach Rocky James. “He broke my offensive coordinator Victor Sauceda’s records and it was pretty special for Victor to be able to coach this kid who broke his records. Tyler is up there with the Joseph Velas and the Victors in the Rio Hondo history books.

“He is just an unbelievable kid and an unbelievable athlete and we’re hoping he gets a scholarship to continue playing. He strives to be the best and he hated failing.”

Another Bobcat that earned heaps of praise for his performance on the field was Joey Ortega. The sophomore middle line-backer registered 142 tackles and 5.5 sacks this season. However, as Coach James stated that really wasn’t a surprise for him.

“We expected a lot from him this year, even as a sophomore,” said James. “I knew what I had because just watching him as a freshman I just knew what I had. He had so much potential and so much talent but if we can just get him out of his shell of being so quiet he is going to be an even better linebacker.
“He’s just a super quiet guy by nature but his talent level is through the roof and he has the ability to be one of the best line-backers to have ever played in Rio Hondo.”

However, on the field Ortega wasn’t that shy and stood out above other newcomer nominees.

“It’s an honor to be recognized at such a young age and I give thanks to God and to those around me,” said Ortega. “They pushed me to be the best I can be and excel in the position that would benefit me the most.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN — Friday night’s game between Los Fresnos and Harlingen South featured a tale of two teams.

One was looking to stay unbeaten in District 32-6A play while the other was hoping to break out of a slump.

With a playoff-like atmosphere, Los Fresnos (7-0) put a stamp on the first half of district play with a 49-37 win over Harlingen South.

“I want to say this district is the toughest in the Valley,” said Falcons coach Marco Hinojosa. “Every night you need to come ready to play. It’s always hard to beat the same team twice. Seven games is seven games and a lot can happen.”

The Falcons, who are currently ranked the top team in the Valley, displayed their athleticism and veteran leadership.

Gabe Martinez led the Falcons offense with a game high 17 points and used a strong fourth quarter to help put the contest on ice.

“This is a senior ball club and we have a lot of experience,” Hinojosa said. “The kids have played a lot of ball together and it shows. Basketball is a game of runs. They (South) made a run in the first half, we made a run in the second half and we just made the final run to put the game away. Coach (Brian) Molina is a great coach and he always has his kids ready to play.”

Throughout the night, both South and Los Fresnos answered each other’s shots. Andrew Carrizales hit a three pointer to give the Falcons a 34-28 lead early in the fourth quarter.

South continued to battle back and cut into the lead, but late turnovers eventually doomed the Hawks in the final minutes.

After a 4-0 start in district play, the Hawks have dropped their last three games and now find themselves at a crossroads at the midway point. They are currently in fourth place and remain a game up on Weslaco, which is 3-4. The Hawks will begin the second half of league play with a road game at Brownsville Hanna on Tuesday.

“I told the kids that the first round is over. We go back to a 0-0 record,” said Hawks coach Brian Molina. “We need to start the way we did in the first half, but need to finish strong down the stretch.

“There is still plenty of basketball to be played and this district is very competitive. I thought our boys played a good game, but you can’t give any extra shots to a team like Los Fresnos. Credit to them, they got stops and made shots when they needed to.”

Aaron Briones finished with a team high 15 points while Chanz Love netted 12 points in the loss.