By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Roman Ortega has been the swimming coach at Porter for quite some time.

Without getting too specific, Ortega says he’s not exactly sure just how long he’s been at the position, maybe 34 or 35 years.

During that time he’s tutored countless swimmers in the Porter program with various levels of skill. Some have been those just learning to swim, while others have displayed a high level of proficiency in their events. Many have been somewhere in between as well.

The highlight for the Porter Cowboys came in 2007 when they won a regional championship. Also around that time they won some District 32-5A titles with the help of standout swimmers such as Jonathan Castillo and Patrick Everitt.

Ortega said his message to the Porter swimmers has always been the same.

“It’s to do the right thing and try your best at all times,” he said. “That’s something that applies to life, not just athletics. Whether it’s practicing (in the pool) together as a group or on your own, it’s what you should try to do.

“Jonathan and Patrick did the right thing and were always trying to do their best,” Ortega added. “That’s how you win a regional championship.”

This season’s Porter swimming team includes a number of underclassmen with a good amount of potential, Ortega said.

The Cowboys are preparing for the 32-5A meet Jan. 29 at Brownsville’s Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center.

“This is the second straight year for us and Pace to be in that district with some schools from the Upper Valley, and it’s a very tough district,” Ortega said. “There are some strong teams such as PSJA (High) and PSJA Southwest.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t had the elite type of swimmer participate with us in a while, and we’re working hard to try to change that,” he added. “We’ve got some great numbers this year. We started off with 55 swimmers. A lot of them are learn-to-swim kids. We’ve got a pretty good core group right now, and hopefully they stay together and can help make things different in a couple of years to come.

“Our goal is to do the best we can. That’s why we’re here (daily at the Clark Center) practicing hard, even over the holidays, because you have to continue to work out (to do well). As long as we improve day to day and meet to meet, we’ll accomplish our goals in that regard (of doing our best).”

Among the swimmers to watch for the Porter boys are Jorge Banda, Miguel Angel Villanueva, Jerry Limas and Chris Sandoval. For the girls it’s Karla Zendejas, Sandy Mendoza and Joleen Carrizales.

UPDATE: The 16-team field is complete for the Harlingen CISD Winter Splash Bash Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the recently opened Harlingen Aquatic Center.

In addition to host schools Harlingen High and Harlingen South, the field includes Rivera, Lopez, Los Fresnos, St. Joseph Academy, Sharyland High, Sharyland Pioneer, Mission High, Mission Veterans Memorial, Weslaco High, Weslaco East, Edinburg Vela, McAllen High, McAllen Memorial and McAllen Rowe.

Also, the District 32-6A meet is scheduled to be held Jan. 29 and 30 at the Harlingen Aquatic Center. A pre-district meet, which should attract most if not all of the 32-6A teams, is scheduled for Jan. 8 and 9 at the same site.

UPCOMING: The upcoming swimming & diving meets include the Winter Splash Bash Invitational, Friday and Saturday at Harlingen; Santa’s On His Way Meet, Friday and Saturday at Roma; PSJA Tri-City Holiday Hustle Class 5A Invitational, Dec 11 and 12; Pre-Regional Meet, Dec. 11 and 12 at the Clark Center; Brownsville City Meet, Dec. 18 at the Clark Center.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The Rivera Raiders were one of many soccer teams around the state beginning workouts Monday as per UIL rules.

The weather wasn’t exactly ideal, with temperatures in the 50s and a slight drizzle falling, but no one was heard complaining about the conditions at the Raiders’ outdoor practice.

It seems a bad weather day with soccer is always preferable to a sunny day without the sport being played.

“It’s great,” said Hernan Cruz, a senior midfielder and one of two returning starters for the Raiders. “We were anxious, and we’ve been waiting for this day because we’re coming off a great season. This is a great opportunity to build another (successful) team.

“Thank God we’re here (practicing),” he added.

As hundreds of squads throughout Texas inaugurated a new season with their initial practices, the Raiders enter it with a unique distinction as defending Class 6A state champions.

Only Cruz and Eliezer “Chaii” Acero, also a senior, are back as starters from the Rivera team that went 28-0 last season and captured the first 6A title in boys soccer with a 2-0 victory against Katy Cinco Ranch in the state final April 18 at Georgetown.

Even though there are plenty of new faces for the Raiders on the varsity this season, there’s still a feeling among the coaches and players that Rivera will develop and eventually do well with basically a revised squad. The Raiders have qualified for the state playoffs during 23 of the past 24 seasons. The only time they didn’t advance to the postseason during that stretch was 2009.

In all, 15 players from last season’s squad are gone, including nine starters.

“The expectations are high again,” Raiders coach Salvador Garcia said. “Yes, we are a new team, and, yes, we have new faces. It’s a new beginning and a new chapter, but the expectations are the same. Around Rivera soccer we always have high, realistic expectations, and this year it’s not going to be any different.

“This team has faith and a belief (it can do well),” Garcia added. “It’s a team hungry to succeed. Any time you have those ingredients, good things are going to come out. That’s what we’re expecting.”

The Raiders will focus on conditioning during the next month or so, their coach said.

Like other soccer players in Brownsville and throughout South Texas, the athletes have been playing more or less year-round. Now it’s a matter of being in shape and fine-tuning their skills before the regular season begins Jan. 7. Teams can start scrimmaging Dec. 28.

“We have chemistry, and that’s very important from the beginning because this team can do so many things,” said Acero, a team captain along with Cruz who figures to play in the midfield and maybe some at forward this season. “I just want to show the guys that I’m not going to give up that easy. It’s going to take a lot for something like that to happen. It’s a big responsibility for me and the other seniors on this team (to be leaders), but I can handle it.”

Added Jose “Memito” Villanueva, a senior sweeper and a member of the varsity last season, “I see our team full of potential. We just need to expand it starting in the preseason, and hopefully we can get things done. I feel confident. It’s a new season but the same goal. With God’s help and working hard, I feel we’ll do great.

“I would just say never count us out,” he added.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds just want to be part of the soccer conversation in Brownsville.

That conversation includes the city’s high school teams that have done some amazing things on the state level in recent years, such as bringing home UIL Class 6A, 5A and 4A championships.

Based on what the Bloodhounds did last season by going 16-4-2 and reaching the TAPPS state semifinals, plus considering what they might do this time around with most of the team returning — yes, they’re certainly a part of that conversation.

“We realize that Brownsville is a powerhouse community of soccer, and we’re excited about representing the city in the private school division,” said Tino Villarreal, entering his third season as the Bloodhounds’ soccer coach after just completing his first year as SJA’s coach in football following a stint as an assistant.

“We’ve established a new culture of reaching higher levels of success in soccer here at our school, so our expectations are pretty high now,” added Villarreal, who is assisted by Javier Medina. “At the same time, we know we have to start at ‘ground zero’ again, regardless of the number of returning starters we have or how far we went in the playoffs before.

“If you don’t hit the reset button (and start over), you can find yourself out of the playoffs (when you take things for granted).”

As members of TAPPS Division I, the Bloodhounds annually begin their soccer season one month or so earlier than the state’s public schools.

SJA opened its workouts Oct. 19 and played its first game Nov. 17, beating Marine Military Academy of Harlingen 6-1. The Bloodhounds play their second match at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pharr Oratory, a defending state champion in TAPPS Division III.

As per UIL rules, public schools in the Rio Grande Valley and around the state aren’t beginning soccer workouts until Monday and won’t play their first games until Jan. 7.

The Bloodhounds will be seeing their public school brothers at the Brownsville ISD Tournament in mid-January.

“The experience we gained from last season by making it as far as we went in the playoffs is a huge strength for us,” Villarreal said. “We beat teams such as Dallas Bishop Lynch that had six committed (NCAA) Division I players plus teams like Dallas Bishop Dunne along with (San Antonio schools and recent TAPPS state champions) Central Catholic and Antonian.”

The Bloodhounds have nine players back with varsity experience. They lost three defensive players to graduation and had another player transfer to Brownsville Veterans Memorial.

Among the SJA returnees are three players who earned TAPPS all-state honors last season. They are goalkeeper Mario Ramirez, attacking center midfielder Jose Kauachi and Andres Rico, another midfielder.

“I think everyone on the team is excited that we’re starting again,” said Kauachi, a junior who tied for the team lead in scoring last season with forward Mario Garcia as each had 18 goals. Gerardo Moses, another forward, came next with 16.

“It makes me happy that we’re playing again so we can show everybody what we have,” Kauachi added. “We just want to work hard and prove ourselves because what we did last season doesn’t really help us now. That’s the mindset we have to have.

“We just want to do as well as we can during the regular season and go as far as we can in the playoffs.”

Other experienced players back are center midfielder Gerardo Elizondo, central defender Rodrigo Sanchez and left wingers Anuar Atiye and Luis Amado.

Newcomers include right winger Miguel Guerra and defenders Pedro Coronado, Manuel Ravise and Dante Villarreal.

“We have a lot of returning starters and some players that are new to us,” said Rico, a senior. “We all have to get ready for our district (against San Antonio schools) because it’s going to be a tough one. With time, we’ll get the team chemistry back together and we’ll be good.

“We’re going to reach far, and I’m confident in what we can do,” Rico added. “Let’s hope for the best.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Hanna’s swimmers were encouraged by their participation at last weekend’s Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association meet in Corpus Christi.

The Golden Eagles took four boys and four girls to the meet at the Corpus Christi ISD Natatorium. A number of other Rio Grande Valley teams also had athletes at the event. There are eight or nine TISCA meets in Texas each school year, Hanna coach Sam Perez said.

TISCA meets provide a fairly accurate gauge for swimmers and divers to see how they might rank compared to their competitors around the region and state. A TISCA/pre-regional meet is scheduled for Dec. 12 and 13 at Brownsville’s Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center.

At Corpus Christi, the Hanna girls received strong showings from Maya Imperial in the 200 and 500 freestyles and Natalia Davila in the 100 and 200 freestyles. Both are juniors. Those two also swam with Gloria Orta and Tahliya Martinez on Hanna’s 400 freestyle relay.

Imperial, a past state qualifier in the 500 freestyle, and Davila made it to the B finals in their individual events.

“We were really happy with their times, and we’re looking forward to a good season,” Perez said. “It really motivates them to see the times of the other girls (and know they can compete with them). It’s really motivating to step up to the competition (like that).

“TISCA meets are kind of like a prequel to state (in February), if you will,” Perez added. “You get an idea of where you stand against everyone else. It’s not often that other schools (around Texas) come together like that (for a state-level competition).”

Martinez, also a junior, said competing at a TISCA event helps her focus on improving her times.

“I think my season is going really well,” said Martinez, who started swimming as a child. “I’m dropping a couple of seconds and things like that (in my events).

“Swimming (competitively) is sometimes really hard, but it’s also fun,” she added. “The outcome is good most of the time.”

NEW FACILITY: The recently opened Harlingen CISD Aquatic Center is set to hold what is believed to be its first major meet Dec. 4 and 5. It’s called the Harlingen CISD Winter Splash Bash Invitational.

The brand new $7.8 million facility, which was recently inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, is located next to Boggus Stadium.

The Winter Splash Bash Invitational is expected to attract a field of 14 teams along with host schools Harlingen High and Harlingen South. Brownsville and Los Fresnos teams are entered.

Sandra Flinn, a former swimmer at Texas A&M and a coach for more than 25 years, is the new facility’s aquatic coordinator.

The coach for Harlingen South is Rene Flores. He is assisted by Hector Castaneda. Harlingen High is coached by Danny Euresti, and he is assisted by Yvonne Moran.

Construction on the facility began in July 2013. It was expected to open in time to be the host site for the District 32-6A meet late last January. However, the facility wasn’t quite ready for use at that time and the 32-6A meet again was held at Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center in Brownsville, so the weekend of Dec. 4 and 5 figures to be the first major event staged at the new aquatic center.

The 2016 32-6A meet is scheduled to be held Jan. 29 and 30 at the Harlingen CISD Aquatic Center. A predistrict meet, which should attract most if not all of the 32-6A teams, is scheduled at the same site Jan. 8 and 9.

UPCOMING: The upcoming swimming & diving meets include the Harlingen CISD Winter Splash Bash Invitational on Dec. 4 and 5; Santa’s On His Way Meet on Dec. 4 and 5 at Roma; PSJA Tri-City Holiday Hustle Class 5A Invitational on Dec. 11 and 12; Pre-Regional Meet on Dec. 11 and 12 at Clark and the Brownsville City Meet on Dec. 18 at Clark.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

PORT ISABEL — Port Isabel coach Blake Ramsey said it’s been a while since his team has won against Lyford in girls basketball.

So he was a pretty happy coach when the Lady Tarpons triumphed 47-42 over the Lady Bulldogs during a non-district game Monday at the Port Isabel gym.

“I feel good about this win,” said Ramsey, whose ballclub improved to 4-4. “I don’t think we’ve beaten Lyford since I’ve been here — maybe three years or so — and it’s nice to (finally) get a victory against them. They’re always a tough team to beat, and they’re well-coached, so I’m glad to pull out this win.

“Defense has to be our key (to winning) because we’re not very big (to score a lot of points),” he added. “We have to get after it on defense and harass teams (into making turnovers).

“It’s still early in the season, and we’re experimenting with two groups of five (players rotating in and out). We had a couple defensive breakdowns there (during the second half) that let them make a run (and take a 37-36 lead), but then we got back after it, and our defense started creating some turnovers and layup opportunities for us.”

The Lady Tarpons, sparked by the 27-point effort of senior guard Alex Martinez, were up 15-7 after one quarter and 21-17 at halftime. They took a 32-30 advantage into the final period before the Lady Bulldogs seized their only lead since early in the game by going ahead 37-36 on Hannah Perez’s 3-pointer with 6:11 remaining.

From there, Port Isabel scored from underneath the basket three straight times to restore its lead to five points, 42-37, and won going away. The Lady Tarpons’ Victoria Macias scored off an offensive rebound with 29.2 seconds left to give her team an eight-point edge, 47-39, before Perez nailed her fourth 3-pointer of the game with 19.9 seconds to go to account for the final score of 47-42.

“We’re a young ballclub, and we had too many turnovers,” said Lyford coach Teresa Gutierrez, whose team slipped to 3-5. “Right now we’re just trying to see who will fit into what spots (in the lineup before district). It’s a learning process for us at the moment. I graduated eight players, including four starters, from last year’s team (so we’re a ballclub in transition).”

Port Isabel’s Martinez was active making steals at midcourt and driving for some fastbreak layups, scoring nine of her points in the first quarter, one in the second, nine during the third and eight during the fourth.

“She could have had even more had she not missed a few layups,” Ramsey said.

After Martinez came Tasha Ramirez and Hadassah Daigle with six points each for the Lady Tarpons.

Perez, with 12 points, was the only one to score in double figures for the Lady Bulldogs. She netted a pair of 3-pointers during the third quarter and two more during the fourth period. In all, 11 players scored for Lyford, with Jackie Santillan and Amber Vela coming up next with six and five points, respectively.

Each team next plays Dec. 1 as non-district action continues. Lyford will be at Kingsville King and Port Isabel will be at home against La Villa.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

An MVP is the type of athlete who at times must step forward and carry a team.

Even with a wealth of talent around her, Joseline Caraveo was that kind of player for the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons this volleyball season.

The 5-foot-11 senior middle blocker was one of the main reasons the Lady Falcons quickly emerged as the top team in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, making Caraveo a clear choice as MVP of The Brownsville Herald’s 2015 All-Metro Volleyball Team.

“Joseline had a great season last year and an even better one this year,” said Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods, whose squad went 39-9 and won District 32-6A with a 14-0 record before advancing three rounds in the Class 6A playoffs. “She was our sparkplug. If we needed an explosive kill, she’d provide it. She had a lot of big-game points for us (with her kills and blocks).

“Her personality, her character (made a difference),” added Woods, who surpassed 600 career wins this season. “It was her desire to work hard and win. To be part of a great team was her main concern.”

Caraveo, a member of the varsity for four years, simply was a force at the net. As a senior she recorded 351 kills with 237 blocks. From the service line she displayed 91.3 percent accuracy and had six aces in addition to 62 digs, proving she could play anywhere on the court.

When the Lady Falcons faced Laredo Alexander during the second round of the playoffs on Nov. 7 at La Joya Palmview, it was a rough start to the match as Los Fresnos lost the first game 25-20. Things were not looking too good early for the Lady Falcons, but Caraveo was there to pick up the squad with some timely and authoritative kills that seemed to give new life to her teammates. Eventually, the entire team followed her lead and went on to win the match 25-21, 25-16, 26-24.

It was not the first time she had stepped forward as an impact player in a critical situation for the Lady Falcons.

“This season was just amazing,” said Caraveo, who hopes to continue her volleyball career in college while studying pre-med. “Everyone on this team was just compatible with each other, and we all helped bring up the team when we were down. It was just a special year for us.

“This year’s team was so strong and mentally focused on going far,” added Caraveo, a three-year starter. “Unfortunately, we didn’t go quite as far as we expected (and didn’t make it back to the Region IV-6A Tournament like last year), but this was one of those teams that was very dedicated to the sport.”

Caraveo was named the 32-6A MVP as well.

“There’s really no way to describe the feeling (that goes with receiving those types of awards),” she said. “It’s just something very special. I couldn’t do it without God helping me, and my coaches, too.

“I also thank my club coaches, my parents (Chris and Sandra Caraveo) and my family for supporting me,” she added.

With a new chapter of life ahead of her upon graduation in the spring, Caraveo said she’ll take plenty of treasured thoughts to college and beyond of her days playing volleyball for the Lady Falcons.

“I’ll always have good memories, especially of my coaches and teammates,” she said. “I’ll never forget them.”

The Brownsville Herald’s

2015 All-Metro Volleyball Team

Superlatives

Most Valuable Player

Joseline Caraveo, Los Fresnos

Defensive Most Valuable Player

Sam Ibarra, Los Fresnos

Setter of the Year

Miranda Gonzales, Los Fresnos

Libero of the Year

Krista Lopez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Newcomer of the Year

Isis Delgado, Los Fresnos

Coach of the Year

Lisa Mares, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

First Team

Ebony Casanova, Pace

Pamela Ellis, Hanna

Jenny Cardenas, Rivera

Sarah Sandoval, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Jackie Kingsbury, Los Fresnos

Karla Sosa, Porter

Second Team

Sausha-Rae Brown, Hanna

Flora Herrera, Hanna

Alexandria Martinez, Port Isabel

Valeria Varela, Pace

Michelle Morales, Rivera

Megan Sanchez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Brownsville Veterans Memorial enjoyed a better-than-expected volleyball season by going 30-13, taking second in District 32-6A with a 12-2 record and advancing two rounds in the Class 6A state playoffs.

For those reasons, the Lady Chargers are receiving two of the top awards on The Brownsville Herald’s 2015 All-Metro Volleyball Team. They are Lisa Mares as coach of the year and Krista Lopez as libero of the year.

“It was an awesome experience (playing on this team, and) especially being able to see how we progressed throughout the season,” said Lopez, a 5-foot-2 senior and three-year starter. “It made me feel good to see the young talent we had step up when we needed them.”

Lopez led the Lady Chargers with 647 digs and also ranked first on the team in service receptions with 790. Of that total, the senior standout committed only 28 service reception errors. At the service line, she tied for second on the team with 44 aces.

Lopez, blessed with great leaping ability, was one of those rare liberos who also could hit effectively. She finished with 47 kills from her back-row position.

“Krista is a phenomenal athlete, and she’s been good since she was a freshman,” Mares said. “She’s become more confident each year and done a very good job with her serving and hitting.

“I’ve always let her hit because she has such a high vertical, and she can get up there,” Mares added. “In practice she’s always with the hitters. She’s one of two girls who never missed a practice. Her commitment (to winning) is incredible. I told Krista it was her job to take charge of the back row, and she was my coach back there.”

Lopez also was named 32-6A’s defensive player of the year.

Regarding her postseason honors, Lopez said, “It’s a great accomplishment. It’s something I’ve worked hard for these past few years. However, it wouldn’t be possible without the encouragement and confidence given to me from my coaches and teammates.”

For Mares, it’s the second All-Metro coach of the year award she has received in three years.

“I’m really humbled and appreciative,” said Mares, who just completed her sixth season directing the Lady Chargers. “I dedicate it to my mother (Guadalupe ‘Lupita’ Garcia who died Aug. 17 at age 56). She was always a big supporter to me.

“When something like that happens, you lose a part of you,” Mares added. “I felt her a lot with me, and I think it made me work even harder to do her justice.

“We had a team that was very understanding (when I missed one week at tournament time due to her death). They were understanding with me and themselves. It’s not just (exclusively) about volleyball. You share your vulnerability with them (and it’s great to receive understanding and comfort in return).”

Although the Lady Chargers shared the district title with Los Fresnos the past two seasons, they came into 2015 as something of an unknown, having to replace several key starters who graduated, particularly at the net.

Thanks to the contributions of varsity newcomers, the Lady Chargers evolved into one of the Rio Grande Valley’s top 10 teams and were the only ones to take 32-6A champion Los Fresnos beyond three games during district play.

“I don’t see it as being just about me,” said Mares, the mother of sons aged 3 years and 11 months. “It’s more the (program) foundation we have. I give a lot of credit to my coaching staff. They’re the best in the world.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

One way to describe the Los Fresnos volleyball team this season would be to say it was a talented collection of MVP-caliber players.

That was the way Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods viewed her Lady Falcons. They went 39-9, won District 32-6A with a 14-0 record and advanced three rounds in the Class 6A playoffs.

“It was a team of MVPs, that’s the way I looked at it,” Woods said.

From that standpoint, it’s no surprise Los Fresnos has dominated selections on The Brownsville Herald’s 2015 All-Metro Volleyball Team.

In addition to Los Fresnos’ Joseline Caraveo, a senior middle blocker who was chosen All-Metro MVP, teammates Sam Ibarra, Miranda Gonzales and Isis Delgado also are among the top All-Metro award recipients. Ibarra is the defensive MVP, Gonzales is the setter of the year and Delgado is the newcomer of the year.

“In my heart, this was truly a special team,” said Woods, who topped the 600-win mark for her coaching career Oct. 17. “I want to thank everyone who considered and selected these girls for the awards they’re receiving.

“I’ve told them many times how proud I am of them,” Woods added. “I’m just glad they were on my team.”

Along with Caraveo, heading the list of top performers for the Lady Falcons was Ibarra, a 6-foot-1 senior middle blocker. As a senior she led the team with 379 kills and 337 blocks.

“It was a great experience just to play with everyone on this team and build the chemistry that we had,” said Ibarra, a three-year member of the varsity and a starter for two seasons. “Working together like we did just taught me the value of great teamwork, what it means to work hard and what it takes to be a great team. It was a fun and exciting season.

“We all had our part to do, and I knew mine was (hitting) at the net along with playing defense and blocking,” Ibarra added. “If I could stop the ball at the net (with a block), it meant that it didn’t have to go to the back row, where they would have to pick it up, so that’s what I tried to do.

“It’s meant so much to me to play at an amazing school and to play for such an amazing coach. She’s taught me well. We were pushed in every practice. It’s meant so much and it’s been a lot of fun.”

The most important stats for Gonzales and Delgado weren’t kills and blocks. Instead, they were found in the assists and digs categories. Gonzales, a 5-9 senior setter, finished with a team-best 572 assists along with 166 digs. Delgado, a 5-4 freshman libero, led the team with 588 digs.

Woods said her freshman libero was “rock solid” the entire season.

“I saw her at our (summer) boot camp, and the more I saw her play the more I liked her,” Woods said of the young freshman. “She started every match for us.”

It’s pretty unusual for a team to have a 13-year-old on the varsity roster let alone in the starting rotation.

“It was my first year being a libero (after playing setter), and since it was my first year (on the high school level), at first I really didn’t think I had a chance (to be on the varsity and start),” Delgado said. “For this being my first year and having people help me and train with me, I think I did an OK job. I just tried to be confident, help the team and keep everyone’s spirits up. (My goal was) to be a good team player.

“Getting an award like this is a dream come true,” Delgado added. “I never imagined I’d get something like this. I feel confident with my team, and an award like this one motivates me for the future.”

Gonzales, a first-time starter and third-year member of the varsity, was kept constantly busy putting up some well-placed sets, mainly for Caraveo, Ibarra and junior outside hitter Jackie Kingsbury (326 kills).

“This team is my family,” Gonzales said. “Even after the season we’re still close, and we still have a bond between us. We developed a love for each other through the sport. That’s really what volleyball does. It brings people together, and for us it brought us together. It’s just been an amazing experience.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

While the team standings at last weekend’s Brownsville ISD Fall Festival Swimming & Diving Meet reflected strong showings by Upper Rio Grande Valley teams, there were still a number of standout individual performances by Brownsville-area swimmers.

For the Metro area at the meet, the top finish by a team in the girls division was Hanna in fourth place, and for the boys it was Los Fresnos in fifth place. Above them, it was all the Upper Valley at the two-day event completed Saturday at Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center. It attracted more than 650 athletes representing 33 teams, and it was one of the bigger Valley meets so far this season.

“We had some pretty good swims by individuals (from the Brownsville area),” said Monica Rosales, Clark Aquatic Center director.

The local individual standouts included Rivera’s Stephanie Castillo, Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Jonathan Ashford, St. Joseph Academy’s Adrian Fierro, SJA’s Luis Davila, SJA’s Jessie Hainley, Los Fresnos’ Ivana Besteiro and Brownsville First Baptist’s Victor Carreon.

All of them won at least one event at the meet, and Castillo, Ashford and Fierro were double-winners.

Castillo captured the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, and she also competed on her school’s first-place 200 medley relay along with Fernanda Rodriguez, Ximena Gonzalez and Sofia Gonzalez. In that same relay, SJA was second and Los Fresnos third.

Ashford won the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke. Notable for Ashford was that his time in winning the 100 breaststroke was 59.96 seconds, which was believed to be the first time he dipped under 1 minute in the event.

It was also a day of distinction for Fierro, who set SJA school records in winning the 50 and 100 freestyles in 23.04 and 50.65 seconds, respectively. Teammates Davila and Hainley were winners in the boys 200 freestyle and girls 100 freestyle, respectively, making it quite an enjoyable outing for the Bloodhounds, who picked up some second places from those swimmers as well.

Los Fresnos’ Besteiro won the 50 freestyle and was second in the 100 freestyle in the girls competition.

Continuing the strong showings by city private schools, Brownsville First Baptist’s Carreon won the 100 butterfly and took second in the 100 freestyle in the boys division.

CHESS GAME

Although district meets for Valley teams are still two months away in late January, Rosales said even at this nearly midpoint of the season coaches never stray too far from trying to figure out which events might allow their swimmers to score the best and contribute to a possible conference title.

“It’s definitely all about strategy and where the coaches put their swimmers to score the most points (at the district meet),” said Rosales, once a coach herself before taking over duties as an administrator at the Clark Center.

The District 32-5A Meet involving Pace and Porter is scheduled for Jan. 22 at the Clark Center. The District 32-6A Meet is set for Jan. 30 in Harlingen.

The regional meet for 6A teams is scheduled Feb. 5 and 6 at the Clark Center, and the regional meet for 5A teams will take place on the same dates in Corpus Christi.

UPCOMING

The Valley’s top swimmers and divers will be competing this weekend at a Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (TISCA) qualifying meet in Corpus Christi.

The Valley’s next big meet is set for Dec. 5 at Harlingen’s recently opened aquatic facility.

The Pre-Regional Meet is scheduled Dec. 11 and 12 at the Clark Center.

The Brownsville City Meet is on tap Dec. 18 at the Clark Center.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — It’s a much better way to start a basketball season on a positive note rather than a negative one.

The Los Fresnos Falcons would have to agree.

The Falcons enjoyed a season-opening 59-48 triumph at home Tuesday against Weslaco East.

Even though Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa wasn’t all that pleased with his team’s play during its opener, he’s still glad it was a win.

“I’m not happy with the way we played, and actually I’m kind of disappointed,” Hinojosa said. “But of course, I’ll take an ugly win any day compared to a pretty loss, so I guess I’m OK (with it).”

The Falcons, coming off a District 32-6A tri-championship campaign and a trip to the second round of the playoffs, hope Tuesday’s victory was the first of many more to come this season.

They led 18-7 after the opening quarter and held a 32-21 advantage at the intermission. Los Fresnos was up 45-32 going into the final period.

The closest the Wildcats came to the lead during the second half was eight points, 52-44, with 4:59 remaining when D.J. Ramirez scored from underneath after grabbing an offensive rebound.

From there, the Falcons quickly restored their double-digit lead to 15 points, 59-44, with three straight baskets to win handily, eventually by 11 points, 59-48.

Earlier, the Falcons led by as many as 17 points, 42-25, when Jordan Urbina hit a 3-pointer from the left corner with 2:57 showing in the third quarter.

Leading the way for Los Fresnos were Urbina, Albert Alarcon, and Andrew Carrizales, all with 12 points. Urbina hit four 3-pointers, and Alarcon and Carrizales each had two. Also for the Falcons, Hugo De La Cruz had 10 points.

De La Cruz left the game with an injury at the end of the third quarter, was helped to the locker room and did not return. Hinojosa wasn’t quite certain about the severity of the injury but said his standout point guard, a returning starter, might miss some time.

The Falcons next play at the St. Anthony’s Tournament in San Antonio starting Thursday.

For the Wildcats, who next play at the Edcouch-Elsa Tournament, also starting Thursday, the scoring leader was Ramirez with 17 points. Felix Jimenez added 12 points, including three 3-pointers.

They were the only ones scoring in double figures for the Wildcats, who also were playing their season opener.

“We need to clean up a lot of things,” Weslaco East coach Jorge Martinez said. “Los Fresnos came out with a good crowd (supporting the home team). You have to play extremely well when you’re on the road and playing against a good opponent.

“We did make (some) stops, but we were still giving them too many second chances on offensive rebounds,” Martinez added. “We didn’t capitalize on our stops, so we have to clean up some things.

“It’s early in the season, and this is our first game of the year. Hopefully we can learn from this experience and get better as the season goes on.”