BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Memorial’s C.W. Phillips advanced to state for the second consecutive season, earning the third individual berth with a ninth-place finish at the UIL Region IV-6A golf tournament on Tuesday at the Republic Golf Club in San Antonio.

He was the only Class 6A boys golfer from the Valley to advance to state.

Phillips shot a 70 on Monday and a 72 on Tuesday to post a 142, finishing one stroke ahead of a three-player group that included Brownsville Hanna’s Santiago Garcia and Harlingen High’s Dylan Martinez.

After Martinez and Garcia finished, Phillips was still out on the course. As he was coming to the final few holes, he had a good idea of what he needed to shoot to advance.

“The last four holes really made the difference,” Memorial coach Celso Gonzales said. “He went bogey, bogey, and he was a little frustrated. I calmed him down, and I said, ‘Listen, we just need to par out, and you are going to be fine.’ So, he puts it within 6 feet and makes the birdie putt. That was something else.”

After Phillips finished his round, his teammates — seniors Colton Henderson, Ross Gonzales and Trey Mikulik, plus sophomore Raul Gonzalez — were there to celebrate with him. The scene was electric, with fist bumps, chest bumps and hugs all around.

Austin Westlake’s Matthew Denton won the regional championship on a one-hole playoff after finishing tied with teammate Jackson Davenport with a 134. Westlake comfortably claimed the team title with a 546 — 24 strokes ahead of San Antonio Johnson. Austin Vandegrift shot a 581 to secure the third team state qualifying spot.

Trey Bosco from Austin Lake Travis shot a 139 to finish tied for fifth and advance as an individual, while San Antonio Reagan’s Christian Hansen shot a 141 to earn the other individual state qualifying spot.

Harlingen High had the Valley’s best team finish, coming in sixth with a 615. McAllen Memorial tied for ninth with a 643, McAllen High tied for 12th with a 671, Edinburg North finished 14th with a 673 and PSJA North came in 15th with a 759.

The Class 6A state tournament will take place May 14-15 at Legacy Hills Golf Club in Georgetown.

“He is peaking at the right time,” Gonzales said of Phillips. “After district, the young man decided he was going to get his game back on track. He put in a ton of work, and it showed (Tuesday).”

VALLEY HS GOLF RESULTS

UIL Region IV Tournament

Tuesday, April 24

Final Round

Boys

Team Scores

1, Austin Westlake, 276-270 — 546; 2, San Antonio Johnson, 283-287 — 570; 3, Austin Vandegrift, 292-289 — 581; 4, San Antonio Reagan, 299-300 — 599; 5, Harlingen High, 308-307 — 615; 6, Smithson Valley, 305-312 — 617; 7, New Braunfels, 316-304 — 620; 8, Laredo Alexander, 309-312 — 621; T-9, Laredo United, 318-325 — 643; T-9, McAllen Memorial, 322-321 — 643; 11, San Antonio Taft, 329-317 — 646; T-12, Helotes O’Connor, 330-341 — 671; T-12, McAllen High, 337-334 — 671; 14, Edinburg North, 333-340 — 673; 15, PSJA North, 367-392 — 759; N/S, Brownsville Hanna, 347, W/D.

Individual Scores

1, Matthew Denton, Austin Westlake, 68-66 — 134

2, Jackson Davenport, Austin Westlake, 69-65 — 134

3, Garrett Martin, San Antonio Johnson, 67-68 — 135

4, Reid Davenport, Austin Westlake, 70-67 — 137

T-5, Trey Bosco, Austin Lake Travis, 69-70 — 139

T-5, Johnny Keefer, San Antonio Johnson, 67-72 — 139

T-7, J. Holland Humphries, Austin Westlake, 69-72 — 141

T-7, Christian Hansen, San Antonio Reagan, 71-70 — 141

9, C.W. Phillips, McAllen Memorial, 70-72 — 142

T-10, Santiago Garcia, Brownsville Hanna, 71-72 — 143

T-10, Dylan Martinez, Harlingen High, 74-69 — 143

T-10, Cole Sherwood, Austin Vandegrift, 73-70 — 143

Other Valley Leaders

T-21, Jacob Flores, PSJA Memorial, 73-76 — 149

T-26, Nicholas Galvan, Harlingen High, 76-76 — 152

T-31, Mikey Bullock, Harlingen High, 75-79 — 154

T-37, Ethan Galvan, Edinburg Vela, 74-81 — 155

T-39, Lucas Abbott, McAllen High, 79-77 — 156

VALLEY HS BASEBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, April 24

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe 6, McAllen Memorial 5

McAllen High 9, Mission High 3

La Joya High 8, La Joya Palmview 4

District 31-6A

Edinburg North 6, PSJA Memorial 3

Edinburg High 7, PSJA Southwest 5

Edinburg Vela 8, PSJA High 1

PSJA North 8, Edinburg Economedes 3

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos 3, Weslaco High 2

Brownsville Rivera 13, Harlingen South 9

Harlingen High 12, San Benito 3

Brownsville Hanna 5, Weslaco East 3

District 31-5A

Laredo Cigarroa 8, Roma 7

Mission Veterans 1, Sharyland High 0

Sharyland Pioneer 7, Laredo Martin 3

Valley View 8, Laredo Nixon 0

District 32-5A

Brownsville Veterans 10, Donna High 4

Edcouch-Elsa 4, Brownsville Porter 0

Donna North 5, Mercedes 0

Brownsville Pace 6, Brownsville Lopez 1

District 32-4A

Port Isabel 4, Progreso 2

Raymondville 5, Hidalgo 4

Grulla 6, La Feria 0

Zapata 9, Rio Hondo 1

Friday, April, 27

District 31-6A

PSJA North at Edinburg High, 7 p.m.

Edinburg North at PSJA High, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Edinburg Economedes, 7 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

District 32-6A

Weslaco High at Los Fresnos, 6:30 p.m.

San Benito at Harlingen High, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Sharyland High at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

Roma at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Valley View at Mission Veterans, 7 p.m.

Laredo Nixon at Laredo Martin, 7 p.m.

District 32-4A

La Feria at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

Progreso at Grulla, 7:30 p.m.

Raymondville at Zapata, 7:30 p.m.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Ever since Jaime Perez took over as the Edinburg Vela baseball coach, the SaberCats have been scratching and clawing to reach the top of the mountain.

They finally got there on Tuesday, beating PSJA High 8-1 to clinch the program’s first ever District 31-6A title.

“This was a long time coming,” Perez said. “This senior class is my first senior class. They were here at ground zero. … It’s a great feeling, and it’s fun.”

Vela got it done on Tuesday the way it has all year, behind the dominance of senior Aaron Galvan. Galvan went 6 1/3 innings, giving up just one run on six hits with 10 strikeouts.

“(Before the game) I felt loose,” Galvan said. “I felt confident. I was ready to go.”

“If you can throw your breaking ball for a strike, especially early in the count, and then get your fastball over for a strike, then you have them guessing,” Perez said. “That changes the game, because they can’t just sit one pitch. He was throwing the breaking balls at all different angles, and then he was pumping the fastball in at 89-90 (mph) all game. That’s pretty darn good.”

Vela got the party started in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs against PSJA junior pitcher Cheke Marroquin. A throwing error brought in the speedy center fielder Matthew de la Cruz. Senior Joey Recio hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Galvan, who reached on the error.

De la Cruz finished 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs. Galvan was 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. Junior right fielder Nico Rodriguez was 1 for 2 with two walks and a run. Junior shortstop Ramsey Amador was 1 for 2 with a run scored and a stolen base.

In the bottom of the fifth, de la Cruz drove in the last two runs with an inside-the-park home run. De la Cruz drove the ball to the wall, and he scored standing on the throw home.

Galvan has been with Vela for four years, and he has been waiting his whole career for the payoff he got on Tuesday.

“It felt great,” Galvan said. “I promised, last year, that I would come in this year, and work as hard as I could to bring a district title to this school. I told the team, ‘We will be district champs at the end of this year.’ They rode with me, and now we are here. They are my brothers, and I couldn’t be happier to be sharing this with them.”

Vela faced a valiant foe in PSJA High. The Bears threw their ace, Marroquin, but Vela had a plan to counter.

“We intended to come in, be aggressive and get Cheke off his rhythm early,” junior right fielder Nico Rodriguez said.

The Bears notched a hit in each of the first three innings, but they couldn’t capitalize, as Galvan erased baserunners. In the top of the fifth, Galvan walked the leadoff batter but used his picturesque pickoff move to get the runner out. The second batter also walked, but Galvan repeated the process. Even though the Bears knew the pickoff was coming, Galvan still got the out.

The game didn’t go by without any bad blood. In the first, Amador was batting after the opening run scored. Marroquin went inside, and Amador voiced his displeasure. The next pitch nailed him in the leg. Tempers calmed after the at-bat, but the pot was simmering. In the fourth, Amador was up again, and he again was pitched inside, eventually striking out. As Vela took the field for the fifth, the teams exchanged word. Amador threw a ball that was judged to be in the direction of a PSJA High player. The umpires took a long time to discuss the situation. Amador had already been warned, so when the incident occurred, the umpires said they were forced to eject him.

“Ramsey is a competitor,” Galvan said. “He just has to know when to cool it. We were up 6-1 at the time. He just has to cool it.”

After the game, Vela had a celebration replete with a Gatorade bath for Perez.

“It felt great,” junior third baseman Yulean Torrellas said. “Especially to do this with these guys and these coaches, it feels great. For me to be a part of this is amazing.”

Vela plays its final game of the regular season at 7 p.m. Friday at Edinburg Economedes.

“(Tuesday) was huge for us,” Perez said. “We are not satisfied. We are not done. We have high expectations here, and we don’t want to stop playing any time soon.”

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RGVSports.com Top Ten

Team W L Prev

1 McAllen High 31 7 1

2 Edinburg Vela 24 9 3

3 PSJA High 19 15 2

4 Weslaco High 28 9 6

5 Los Fresnos 25 12 4

6 Browsnville Veterans 30 11 7

7 Valley View 25 10 5

8 Sharyland High 25 11 9

9 Brownsville Rivera 24 10 NR

10 Rio Grande City 26 11 NR

VALLEY H.S. BASEBALL STANDINGS

*- 1 tie

y-clinched district title

x-clinched playoff berth

District 30-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-McAllen High-* 24 1 11 0 —

x-Mission High-** 12 10 8 3 3

x-La Joya High 18 8 7 4 4

McAllen Rowe 13 12 6 5 5

McAllen Memorial 16 11 5 6 6

La Joya Palmview-* 7 17 2 9 9

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 4 21 0 12 11.5

District 31-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

x-Edinburg Vela 21 4 11 1 —

x-PSJA High-*** 16 7 10 2 1

x-Edinburg North-** 14 11 9 3 2

x-PSJA North-** 18 8 8 4 3

Edinburg High-* 9 15 5 7 6

Edinburg Economedes 6 18 3 9 8

PSJA Southwest-* 9 17 2 10 9

PSJA Memorial 3 22 0 12 11

District 32-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

x-Weslaco High 23 3 10 2 —

x-Los Fresnos 20 7 9 3 1

x-Brownsville Rivera 17 8 8 4 2

Brownsville Hanna 15 5 7 5 3

Harlingen High-* 10 11 5 7 5

San Benito-* 8 17 4 8 6

Weslaco East 9 17 3 9 7

Harlingen South 6 13 2 10 8

District 31-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

x-Valley View-* 19 8 12 2 —

x-Sharyland High 23 4 11 3 1

x-Rio Grande City-* 15 9 10 4 2

Sharyland Pioneer 19 10 8 7 4.5

Laredo Cigarroa-* 12 16 8 7 4.5

Laredo Martin 15 12 7 7 5

Mission Veterans 8 18 5 9 7

Roma-** 4 16 3 10 7.5

Laredo Nixon-* 6 11 1 13 11

District 32-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Brownsville Veterans 17 6 13 0 —

x-Brownsville Lopez-* 13 5 10 3 3

x-Edcouch-Elsa-* 12 10 8 5 5

Brownsville Pace — — 5 8 8

Donna North 9 14 5 8 8

Mercedes 8 12 5 8 8

Donna High 8 20 4 9 9

Brownsville Porter — — 1 12 12

District 32-4A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Zapata 15 6 11 1 —

Grulla 12 11 7 5 4

Rio Hondo 10 12 7 5 4

Raymondville 14 8 7 5 4

Progreso 11 10 7 5 4

Port Isabel 6 15 5 7 6

Hidalgo 5 17 2 10 9

La Feria-* 6 16 2 10 9

Type or paste story here

Tuesday, April 24

District 30-6A

La Joya High at La Joya Palmview, 7 p.m.

McAllen Memorial at McAllen Rowe, 7 p.m.

McAllen High at Mission High, 7 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg North at PSJA Memorial, 7 p.m.

Edinburg High at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

PSJA High at Edinburg Vela, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at PSJA North, 7 p.m.

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos at Weslaco High, 6:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at San Benito, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Laredo Cigarroa at Roma, 7 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at Laredo Martin, 6 p.m.

Valley View at Laredo Nixon, 7 p.m

District 32-5A

Brownsville Veterans at Donna High, 7 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at Brownsville Porter, 7 p.m.

Mercedes at Donna North, 7 p.m.

District 32-4A

Hidalgo at Raymondville, 7:30 p.m.

Grulla at La Feria, 7:30 p.m.

Zapata at Rio Hondo, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April, 27

District 31-6A

PSJA North at Edinburg High, 7 p.m.

Edinburg North at PSJA High, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Edinburg Economedes, 7 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

District 32-6A

Weslaco High at Los Fresnos, 6:30 p.m.

San Benito at Harlingen High, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Sharyland High at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

Roma at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Valley View at Mission Veterans, 7 p.m.

Laredo Nixon at Laredo Martin, 7 p.m.

District 32-4A

La Feria at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

Progreso at Grulla, 7:30 p.m.

Raymondville at Zapata, 7:30 p.m.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

The Edcouch-Elsa Yellow Jackets have had a year full of highs and lows.

They have almost seemed like two different teams at times. Sometimes they can outscore anyone and hit any pitcher. Other games they self-destruct, committing errors and going quiet at the plate. They have also been in between the two extremes at times.

“Sometimes it feels like when we struggle at the plate, our defense shuts down, too,” Edcouch-Elsa coach Ryan Garza said. “Other times, one or the other will go well, but we will still look good. We are just trying to put all three aspects of the game together, to give us the best chance to win some ballgames.”

The pitching of senior Joseph Gonzalez and junior Ben Rangel has been stellar. The Jackets have also received good contributions from freshman Manny Silva, the third man in the rotation, and senior Jarren Garcia with spot relief.

When the Yellow Jackets clinched a playoff berth against Brownsville Pace last Tuesday, the team was slightly reserved.

“I guess we felt more like it was expected,” Garza said. “The boys didn’t seem to get so crazy pumped up.”

The focus now is on finding that consistency necessary to succeed in the playoffs.

“We need to get that offense hitting a little bit more consistently,” Garza said. “If we can get going in the playoffs, I think we are a tough team to beat. We have a lot of kids who don’t want the season to end, so we are just going to keep fighting.”

Edcouch-Elsa closes out its season at 7 tonight against Brownsville Porter.

“We are going to continue to scout all of our possible (playoff) opponents,” Garza said. “We have a little bit of an advantage, in that we finish a game earlier.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

Sharyland High is officially in the playoffs. For many of the sophomores and junior who make up the majority of the roster, this will be their first trip to the postseason.

Sharyland coach Barton Bickerton is the only coach most of them have known at Sharyland, and he has the Rattlers’ young core ready for a playoff push.

So when the Rattlers clinched a playoff berth with a win against Laredo Nixon on Friday, they didn’t bring any more celebration than they normally do.

“It was business as usual,” Bickerton said. “We have been on the verge here for a while, and we were up 10-1 at one point. The kids took it kind of businesslike. And now, we are just getting ready for the next one.”

This year, the Rattlers have been playing well together.

“This isn’t the Sharyland High team that you are used to,” Bickerton said. “In the past, we have always had one or two superstars that could kind of carry us. This team, one through nine, is solid.”

The team’s one true superstar coming into the year was junior pitcher Lalo Salinas. He suffered an injury after his second start and has been out ever since. Bickerton said Salinas is close to being able to play, and he hopes to get Salinas a few innings on the mound before the postseason, if possible.

Bickerton’s point is exemplified by how the Rattlers responded to the loss of Salinas. It hasn’t been any one guy on the mound. Sharyland’s effort has been by committee, and yet, the pitching has still been a net plus.

Two young arms, junior Ivan Alvarez and sophomore Andy Lozano, have been the biggest bolsters to the rotation. Lozano hadn’t pitched before this year, and Alvarez was used very sparingly last year. Alvarez has a 2.68 ERA through 34 innings, and Lozano is at 3.00 through 39 2/3. Alvarez (28) and Lozano (26) lead the team in strikeouts, but that isn’t necessarily their strong suit.

“We just ask them to throw strikes,” Bickerton said. “The key to this team has been our defense. So, even if our pitcher gets hit, we have the defense backing them up and turning those into outs.”

Before the season, Sharyland may not have had a wide variety of stars, but one has certainly been born this year in sophomore center fielder Pepe Contreras.

“He’s been unbelievable this year,” Bickerton said. “He is one of those guys that if he puts it in play and on the ground, he has about a 90 percent chance of being safe, just because of how fast he is. And then he gets on, he almost always can get to third on his own.”

Contreras is batting .456 on the year, which leads the team. He also leads the team with 33 runs, 41 hits, a .524 on-base percentage and 18 steals.

“He has really saved us in the outfield,” Bickerton said. “He is a beast in center field, with his speed.”

The Rattlers are pretty well locked in to the No. 2 seed, according to Bickerton. They face Mission Veterans at 7 tonight before closing out the year at Rio Grande City.

“We are pretty much where we need to be,” Bickerton said. “We know what we need to do to win.”

[email protected]

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen Memorial senior CW Phillips posted the lowest round at the District 30-6A tournament to help his team seal a district title and a trip to regionals.

Phillips shot a day-one 70 for a two-day total of 153, which was the lowest individual score.

“Honestly, I can’t explain the feeling of going back to regionals,” Phillips said. “This has been a great season — my last ride as a senior. This team is unlike any other team. We have more talent than you could imagine. I’m really excited. I see how hard the guys have been working recently.”

Teammates Ross Gonzales (163), Raul Gonzalez (164) and Colton Henderson (164) came in fifth and tied for sixth to contribute to the title win.

The Mustangs will compete in the UIL Class 6A Region IV tournament today and Tuesday at The Republic Golf Club in San Antonio.

“Our motto this year has been, ‘Manage the course,’” Memorial coach Celso Gonzales said. “At this stage, everyone is a good player, so it all comes down to who can shave off a stroke here or there by knowing how to play the course.”

The Mustangs advanced to regionals last year, and even though the team was eliminated at the tournament, Phillips earned his individual trip to state.

The team was close then, but the Mustangs are even closer now. Four of the five players are seniors, with Raul Gonzalez being the lone sophomore. Trey Mikulik is the fifth member of the team and fourth senior.

“We are the closest we have ever been,” Henderson said. “We all hang out together after school. … What helped a lot with the chemistry was last year at district when we came back to beat McHi. Knowing that we can overcome adversity and that we have the talent to do it is what brought us together and basically gave us that confidence going into this year.”

The team bonded on and off the course. The McAllen High girls soccer team advanced to state, and Colton Henderson was there to support his cousin Westyn Henderson. Colton Henderson could have gone alone, or with family, but instead he and Ross Gonzales traveled together.

“We just wanted to support the Valley,” Ross Gonzales said. “That was a big accomplishment for them. So we went up there to represent McAllen and support the Valley. Once a ’Stang, always a ’Stang, but we still support McHi.”

Ross Gonzales and Colton Henderson even indulged in a little body paint at the game to show their support for the Bulldogs.

The two have become close by sharing rides to practice. They don’t live particularly close to the course they practice at, McAllen Country Club, especially compared to their teammate Phillips, who lives directly next to the course. But, they do live close to each other, so they take turns driving each other to practices.

Henderson started his high school career at Sci Tech.

“I used to love computer engineering and programming,” Henderson said. “So, I went there to pursue that, but the social environment wasn’t right for me. I like being social with my friends, and Memorial just felt like a better fit for me.”

Once he got to Memorial, the golf team became like a second family to him.

Henderson said he has a very analytical mind, so he likes to study golf through the numbers. He evaluates yardages and distances to help him decide which club is the correct one for each shot. He studies the elevation of the course, so he knows which way balls will break when he hits to certain spots.

“I’m a very mental player, so I like to analyze the golf courses,” he said. “Sometimes, I just like to go on the spreadsheets and just geek out a little bit.”

That data was useful, but it took some time to pay dividends on the course for Colton Henderson. This year, things have clicked for him, and he finished the regular season with the fourth best scoring average in district, averaging 81.77 per round.

“Honestly, I think it was just about getting experience,” Henderson said. “I am fairly new to golf. I started my freshman year. I just worked a lot with my teammates and coach Celso. Everyone on the team is talented, and we all want each other to be better.”

Henderson’s data is an asset to all of his teammates.

“Colton is really fundamental when it comes to swings. He knows a lot about the swing,” Ross Gonzales said. “He gives us a lot of tips and tricks to help our swings. It helps a lot. Going into district, he helped me out with something minor with my swing. He helped me with my short game a lot with that little tweak.”

Right now, the Mustangs are unified and ready for the challenge at hand.

“We want to go up there and represent for the Valley, not just as individuals, but as a team,” Phillips said. “It’s our last chance, so we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. … I am looking at it as we have two tournaments left, because we have a team ready to advance to state.”

sberrios-thomas@themonitor,com

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Mission High junior Andy Martinez has been one of the best hitters in the area, he has been a workhorse on the mound, and he even has 26 steals on 27 attempts.

There isn’t much he can’t do on the field.

“He’s been an all-around player since his freshman year, but this year he has taken it to the next level,” Mission coach Rick Lozano said. “That kid is unbelievable. I have been here 30 years, and I have never seen anything like him.”

Martinez has helped the Eagles get to 8-3 in District 30-6A, which is good enough for second place with one game left in the season.

Mission lost out on a chance to go to the postseason last year because an ineligible player on another team allowed the team ranked just behind Mission in the standings to pick up a win by forfeit during the final week of the season. The Eagles missed the berth by one game.

“After the way it ended last year, we wanted to have a cushion,” junior catcher Juan Garza said. “Thank God we played well enough to earn a three-game cushion, and I think that allowed us to just go out there and play ball.”

Martinez has been on fire with his bat this year. He is hitting .525 with 21 RBIs, 14 doubles, six triples and four home runs.

The Eagles have a potent lineup that can produce runs, but reliable pitching was lacking early on. Martinez stepped into that role, and even though he hasn’t always been prefect, he has powered through innings to help his team. In 31 2 / 3 innings, Martinez has a 4.42 ERA with 37 strikeouts.

“He’s a good help all over, but he has been an especially big help on the mound,” Lozano said. “He’s been pitching those big games that we are winning, and he goes deep into every game. He’s a big-time player.”

His double-play partner, sophomore shortstop Steve Villarreal, has also been a bonus with the bat in his hand. He is hitting .369 with 20 RBIs and three home runs.

“He has a lot of potential,” Lozano said. “He just needs to take better at-bats. … He leads the team in walks. They tend to pitch around Steve. He doesn’t see much to hit, and it kind of frustrates him.”

Much of the frustration for the Eagles stems from mental errors. Mission has struggled with double-play balls and has totaled 40 fielding errors this year.

“We just can’t let ourselves down,” Garza said. “We have been in a couple games where we are down right away 4-0, and that’s just how it is the rest of the game. Even two runs down. The mentality has to change, so we don’t give up on games anymore.”

Garza was part of last year’s team that missed the playoffs in agonizing fashion.

“I took on a lot of blame for last year, and I took it personally,” Garza said. “So, in the offseason, I worked on a bunch of things, and thankfully I got a little bit better.”

His number have greatly improved at the plate. Garza is hitting .406 with a team-leading 22 RBIs and two home runs.

“He’s been hitting the ball well,” Villarreal said. “He’s improved a lot from last year. He has been hitting a lot of hard shots. He’s been helping us out, by driving in those runs.”

Martinez hits leadoff, and Villarreal and Garza hit third and fourth, respectively. The top of the lineup is in playoff form. The question for the Eagles will be if their pitching and defense can give their bats a chance.

Villarreal believes they can.

“We just have to stay focused and play as a team.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — On Weslaco High’s senior night Friday, the seniors got the job done from beginning to end.

Senior pitcher Rico Avila started and earned the complete-game win on the mound, and senior left fielder Evan Margo drove in the final run with a walk-off double to the right-center field gap.

“Before the game, I got a little emotional, because all of my family, my grandparents, everyone, they were all here to support me and the rest of the team,” Margo said. “I got to come through at the end, for the seniors and for everybody, to get the win.”

The District 32-6A-leading Panthers beat the San Benito Greyhounds 12-2 in five innings on Friday night.

“We clinched a playoff spot for our 13th consecutive year,” Weslaco High coach Eddie Serna said. “Every year, these guys feel the pressure of making it into the playoffs. Once we get that box checked, it frees them up to just go out there and play.”

Seniors Avila, Margo, catcher Luis Longoria and designated hitter Marco Leal were all on the field for the Panthers on Friday.

“I remember my first game. All of us seniors played together as freshmen,” Avila said. “Here we are four years later, and we are all still wearing the purple and white. And wearing it well.”

Avila said he didn’t have his best start, but the Panthers are in such good form that it didn’t matter. The heart of Weslaco’s lineup gave Avila the run support he needed.

Longoria went 3 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Avila went 2 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs. Margot went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a stolen base, plus his game-ending RBI.

Avila surrendered a run in the opening frame, but the Panthers had a response ready, plating three in the bottom half.

“I think (Avila) was a little amped up with senior night and everything,” Serna said. “Once he settled down, he found his groove, and we were fine. … I told him, ‘Just settle in, and we will get you your run support.’ We knew we were going to come through.”

The Panthers exploded for seven runs in the third, and Avila was a big reason why. With two runners on and two outs, he launched a liner up the middle that rolled past San Benito’s center fielder and to the wall.

“I just tried to crowd the plate,” Avila said. “I was just waiting on one. I drilled one (foul), and I almost hit coach Serna. I took one down the middle, and when I saw him bobble it a little bit, I just took off.”

The bobble allowed three runs to score on what looked like a routine single.

Before the game, the Panthers held a ceremony to honor the seniors.

“It’s very special,” Avila said. “Playing with these brothers that I grew up with, and wearing this purple and white, it really means something to you.”

The Panthers are playing some of their best ball with two weeks left in the season.

“The top of the lineup has been really hot,” Serna said. “We can depend on our whole lineup to deliver, but when they all get rolling like that, it’s hard to stop them.”

Weslaco closes out its district season with a series against Los Fresnos starting Tuesday.

“We are expecting a good atmosphere and an exciting series with a good team,” Serna said.

The Panthers have plenty on the horizon, with a district title at their fingertips and a playoff push ready to commence. But Friday was about enjoying the win and remembering the fun times with the seniors.

“I love when we win with Rico on the mound,” Longoria said. “Because we have been friends for so long, and when he gets the win, he is happy, and that makes me happy.”

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