BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

Edinburg North grad Saul Garza signed to play baseball for Louisiana State University on Wednesday.

Garza was one of 19 players from his team at Howard Junior College in Big Spring to sign to play NCAA Division I baseball on Wednesday.

“It just feels good, actually getting to sign with one of my dream schools,” Garza said.

When Garza first arrived at Howard in the fall, the teenager from Edinburg faced a big adjustment.

“At first it was tough, because I didn’t know too many people coming in,” Garza said. “But, I mean, this team has gotten so close. We have guys coming in from so many DI programs, and all of them have told us, ‘You will never be on a team that is closer than this one.’ We all just seem to click. We know we are all here trying to be the best possible players.”

Once Garza started to feel at home, the adjustments in his game came quickly and easily. With talented, experienced teammates and a staff of knowledgeable and charismatic coaches, Garza put all his efforts into becoming the best player he could possibly be.

The results have shown in his play this season. Garza is third in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference with 10 home runs. He is hitting .390 and has driven in 33 runs with five doubles.

“This season has been a learning process,” Garza said. “I have been learning a whole new aspect of the game. It’s a lot faster paced. I have been learning a lot more about the mental side of the game. Throughout my high school career, I mostly just relied on physicality and hard work, and all that does pay off, but once you get to the next level, a lot of it is really about the mental side of the game. What to do in what counts, what position you are in. But playing with so many talented guys — we have guys who played at TCU and Arkansas last year — them bringing that experience to the table and teaching us young guys, I feel like that has helped us.”

Howard is 22-13 overall and 14-6 in conference play. The Hawks are tied for third in the conference, but two games separate the first-place team from the fifth-place team with 19 games left in the season.

One Hawk who helped Garza’s growth is sophomore Reese O’Farrell. The catcher from Burlington, Ontario, Canada, has taken Garza under his wing, Garza said.

“He taught me so much about our pitching staff, especially the older pitchers that we have,” Garza said. “How to talk to each pitcher, because not every pitcher reacts the same way to the same kind of feedback.”

Garza said he has also developed genuine friendships with sophomores Bryan Sturgess, Robbie Bullard, Mason Peterson and Doug Facendo.

“Out here in West Texas, there isn’t that much to do,” Garza said. “So we are with each other 24/7, on and off the field. That has helped a lot.”

Facendo also signed to a DI school Wednesday. He is headed to Texas Tech.

“We have already been talking about hopefully meeting up next year in the College World Series if both of our teams make it that far,” Garza said. “We know each other so well, so it’ll be really fun to face each other at the next level.”

Maybe Garza will be in the College World Series next year, or maybe he’ll be fulfilling his dream of playing baseball professionally. As a junior college player, Garza is eligible to be selected in June’s MLB Draft.

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VALLEY HS BASEBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, April 12

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos 1, Harlingen High 0

District 32-5A

Brownsville Lopez 9, Donna High 4

Brownsville Veterans 10, Edcouch-Elsa 1

Brownsville Pace at Mercedes, not reported

Wednesday, April 11

District 30-6A

Mission High 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 2

Thursday, April 12

District 30-6A

La Joya Palmview at McAllen Rowe, 7 p.m.

McAllen High at McAllen Memorial, 7 p.m.

District 31-6A

PSJA Southwest at Edinburg North, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Edinburg High, 7 p.m

PSJA High at PSJA North, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at PSJA Memorial, 7 p.m.

District 32-6A

Weslaco High at Harlingen South, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, April 13

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial at La Joya High, 7 p.m.

McAllen Rowe at Mission High, 7 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at McAllen High, 7 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg North at PSJA North, 7 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at Edinburg High, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

PSJA High at Edinburg Economedes, 7 p.m.

District 32-6A

Harlingen South at Weslaco High, 6:30 p.m.

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

District 31-5A

Laredo Nixon at Mission Veterans, 6 p.m.

Valley View at Roma, 7 p.m.

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

Sharyland High at Laredo Cigarroa, 6 p.m.

District 32-5A

Brownsville Porter at Donna High, 7 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at Mercedes, 7 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez at Brownsville Veterans, 7 p.m.

District 32-4A

Zapata at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

Port Isabel at Grulla, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 14

Non-District

Robstown at Zapata, 3 p.m.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

ALAMO — PSJA High’s biggest star may be slightly hard to recognize.

That’s because sophomore Devon de Leon is the only one on the field with a mask, as the catcher.

When de Leon first started catching, he didn’t really like it. Now, when the 6-foot-2 sophomore looks back, he can’t believe he didn’t immediately love the position.

“Growing up, I just started to work on (the position), and I found the love for it,” de Leon said. “I just love the game from back there. You are a captain back there. You can see the whole field, from left to right. I love the game, and I love the position.”

Now one of the best catchers in the Valley, De Leon has been catching junior pitcher Cheke Marroquin since the two were around 11 years old.

They developed a bond that has allowed the Bears (10-7-4, 6-2) to flourish this year. Marroquin has stepped into the ace role and been lights out on the mound. De Leon leads the team with three home runs and has been a dominant force on offense and defense.

“Cheke is a real strong character guy,” PSJA High coach Marco Guajardo said. “He’s the kind of guy who wants the ball in big moments. … Devon doesn’t play the way you would expect for his age. He actually grew a lot more (this summer), and he is still only a sophomore. Everybody thinks he’s a senior. He is just going to get that much better over the next couple years.”

De Leon is hitting .433 this year. He has 26 RBIs, four doubles, two triples and the aforementioned three homers. Marroquin is the only other Bears hitter with a home run this season. But Marroquin is known for his dominant arm. He has raised his velocity to the low 90s, and he has improved his location, as well. Marroquin is 2-3 this year with a 3.20 ERA, 38 strikeouts and just 15 walks.

“Our relationship just continued to grow as we played together, growing up,” de Leon said. “It just built up from then. That chemistry really means a lot to the team.”

Guajardo said he can call different pitches in two-strike counts because he doesn’t have to worry about de Leon giving up free bases via a dropped third strike.

De Leon displayed a strong arm last year that allowed him to mow down many would-be base stealers. He spent much of his time during the offseason working on improving his quickness against steal attempts.

De Leon was just as committed to his offense. He said he took about 300 swings every day.

After losing back-to-back games to Edinburg Vela and Edinburg North this season, PSJA High needed a win over PSJA Southwest to get back on track. The Bears won 10-0 and are eager to exact revenge for their two losses.

“The emotions were really crazy,” de Leon said. “That (game against Vela) was my first home loss. It was heartbreaking. Our fans were disappointed. We just have to keep our heads high and keep playing.”

“It happens,” Guajardo added, referencing the losses. “We are still in the mix. We are just one game behind. In the end, I think this will be good for the team. A little wake-up call, and it kind of humbled us a little bit.”

De Leon learned a lot about building relationships with pitchers during his freshman year. He knew most of the staff already, but he wasn’t as familiar with senior Marc Castillo.

“I knew who he was, but I wasn’t really close with him,” de Leon said. “At the beginning of my freshman year, we were kind of distant. And then during the season, Mark and I got really close. We became brothers, and I know I will always stick up for him, and he will do the same.”

That experience will prove vital as de Leon’s career progresses and he becomes one of the older players on the team. But for now, de Leon is still a kid at heart.

“We call him a big teddy bear,” Guajardo said.

“My favorite color is pink,” de Leon admitted, “and I like to eat a lot of sweets.”

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VALLEY HS BASEBALL SCHEDULE

Monday, April 9

District 31-5A

Laredo Martin at Valley View, not reported

Sharyland Pioneer 9, Mission Veterans 0

Sharyland High 6, Roma 5

Rio Grande City 5, Laredo Cigarroa 1

Tuesday, April 10

District 30-6A

La Joya Palmview at McAllen Rowe, 7 p.m.

Mission High at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 7 p.m.

McAllen High at McAllen Memorial, 7 p.m.

District 31-6A

PSJA Southwest at Edinburg North, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Edinburg High, 7 p.m

PSJA High at PSJA North, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at PSJA Memorial, 7 p.m.

District 32-6A

Weslaco High at Harlingen South, 6:30 p.m.

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

District 32-5A

Donna High at Brownsville Lopez, 7 p.m.

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

Brownsville Pace at Mercedes, 7 p.m.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Hidalgo senior striker Jonathan Gomez made his presence known in the Class 4A Region IV quarterfinals on Saturday at H-E-B Park.

Gomez scored a pair of goals to lead the Pirates past the Grulla Gators 3-2.

“This felt special,” Hidalgo coach Esequiel Morales said. “Especially being at this venue. I was just talking about how wonderful this venue is, and how special it is to play here. … It’s amazing that we are the first two schools to play here, and it is a great showcase for our team.”

The third round marked the furthest any of the Pirates had been in the playoffs. They were thrilled when they punched their ticket to the fourth round for the first time in their careers.

Gomez just needed to get the game going to find his rhythm.

“I was very nervous today, before the game,” Gomez said. “After I got that first touch, I was excited.”

The Pirates will face Liberty Hill in the regional semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“I’m sure they are going to be a very good team,” Morales said. “At this level, every team you play is a good team. … We know they are going to be well-coached. We saw them when they came down for the regional tournament a few years ago.”

Gomez was thankful for the support from the Hidalgo faithful.

“The crowd helps us a lot,” Gomez said. “It isn’t about just us. I want to thank the crowd today. And I can’t wait to see the crowd next week. We are just excited about moving on.”

Hidalgo found offense on the counterattack. The first goal was set up by a counter that resulted in a foul on the left wing, just outside the box. Freshman Angel Espinoza swung the free kick deep into the box, hooking it narrowly inside the crossbar and to the right of the goalie for the first score of the game.

“(Making it look like a pass) was the idea,” Morales said. “We have set plays, and we set him up. The kid did really well. He executed it perfectly. I am very happy about that.”

Gomez scored his pair of goals in the first half to put the Pirates up 3-0. Both tallies came when he made runs past the Grulla defense. Both times he was one-on-one with the keeper, and both times he scored near side.

“After the first time they kicked it up (to me), I saw the defense was a little bit slow,” Gomez said. “I knew I could beat them with speed. The rain helped a lot. The water helped.”

After his second goal, Gomez cartwheeled into a backflip, which fired up the crowd.

“(Gomez) is one of my best friends,” senior captain Joshua Morales said. “Seeing him score and do those famous backflips, it’s amazing. …. Jonathan is such a great athlete. He’s quick. He’s fast. He’s good with the ball at his feet. We knew coming in that the field would be wet, which makes it easier for Jonathan to dribble around those defenders.”

Rivals Hidalgo and Grulla met twice during the regular season, and each team won one matchup 2-1. The games were physical, and the rivalry intensified in the third meeting. Hidalgo was eager to come out with the tiebreaker and win the season series.

“We told our guys at halftime, 3-0 is nothing,” Esequiel Morales said. “We saw a couple teams get eliminated from the playoffs after having a lead at halftime. We just had to be ready.”

Despite Morales’ warning, Grulla would not be denied. In the second half, Gators junior Josue Carrillo netted a pair of free kicks to bring the game to within one goal, 3-2.

“I was very nervous, and I was frustrated with the team,” Gomez said. “I kept telling them, ‘Stay positive, and we will come out with the win.’”

Carrillo’s second goal came from more than 35 yards away. On both scores, Carrillo tucked his shot just under the bar, and the keeper couldn’t make the play.

Gomez has been a reliable source of offense for the Pirates this year, but Morales said the senior has been on another level since the playoffs began.

“He is a senior, so that pressure, and those expectations, have been there all year, and he has still delivered,” Morales said. “I’m very blessed to have him. We are very excited about the game he had today.”

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BY HENRY MILLER | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

McALLEN — McAllen Memorial’s CW Phillips put his driver in his golf bag and walked by a small group that was following the lead foursome during the District 30-6A golf championship at Palm View Golf Course on Friday.

“Stick around,” he said. “This match is getting pretty good.”

He then hit his approach shot on the par-4 ninth hole high and about 25 feet from the pin. When his turn to putt came, he started the ball about 5 feet above the hole and watched as it slowly turned and dropped in.

The senior shot a two-day 153 total to outdistance McAllen High’s Lucas Abbott and lead the Mustangs to their fourth straight District 30-6A golf championship. Phillips entered the day with a seven-stroke lead over Abbott and teammate Raul Gonzalez. But the course wasn’t friendly to anyone on Friday, except McHi’s Justin Ochoa — the only player to shoot sub-80 with a 77.

Phillips earned his second straight district title, notching birdies on three of the day’s final fours holes to end with an exclamation point.

First, he knocked in a 40-foot putt for birdie on No 15. On 16, he drove the ball out of bounds but then drove the green on his second attempt and saved par. His approach on 17 stopped 3 feet from the pin and led him to another birdie. Then, on No. 18, his chip came to rest about 2 feet from the hole, and he tapped it in for another birdie.

“I’ve just been blessed to have kids that love to play golf,” McAllen Memorial coach Celso Gonzalez said. “My job is to just steer them in the right direction. I know what the deal is with these 18-year-olds. They’ve been producing since they were freshmen.”

Memorial’s boys claimed their 12th district title under Gonzalez’s direction. He also won four titles with the Memorial girls team and has led the program since 1989.

Four of the five players on the 2018 boys team are seniors, including Gonzalez’s son Ross, who tied for third overall after forcing a playoff.

“That was fun to watch,” Gonzalez said. “He’s played every sport, pretty much, and I’m just blessed that he stuck with golf.”

Memorial entered the day with a 30-stroke lead and finished with a 21-stroke advantage over McHi.

Besides Memorial and McHi advancing to the regionals, La Joya Palmview’s Andrew Lopez and Derek Zuniga moved on as individual players. The teammates each finished with a two-day 163 total and were also in the playoff for third with Gonzalez.

Misson High’s girls won their third straight district title, holding off a surging La Joya Palmview by 10 strokes, 729-739.

Palmview’s Briana Silerio overcame a two-stroke deficit after the first day and shot a 78 for a two-day 157 total. Mission’s Mia Lerma ended the day with a 159 total to claim second.

Along with the Palmview and Mission girls teams, McAllen Rowe’s Annika Canales and McAllen Memorial’s Jessica Garcia also advanced to the regional tournament at the Republic Golf Club in San Antonio. The boys will compete April 23-24, with the girls following April 25-26.

VALLEY HS BASEBALL SCHEDULE

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McAllen High 7, La Joya High 0

Mission High 13, McAllen Memorial 7

La Joya Palmview 8, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 7

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela 16, Edinburg North 5

Edinburg High 8, Edinburg Economedes 5

PSJA High 10, PSJA Southwest 0

PSJA North 9, PSJA Memorial 3

District 32-6A

San Benito 10, Harlingen South 7

Weslaco High 14, Brownsville Rivera 2

Brownsville Hanna 6, Los Fresnos 2

Harlingen High 12, Weslaco East 3

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer 7, Laredo Nixon 3

Laredo Martin 5, Sharyland High 4

Rio Grande City 11, Roma 3

Laredo Cigarroa 18, Mission Veterans 0, 5 innings

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa 3, Donna High 1

Brownsville Lopez 20, Donna North 7

Brownsville Veterans 13, Mercedes 4

Brownsville Porter at Brownsville Pace, not reported

District 32-3A

Lyford 21, Edinburg IDEA Quest 1

Saturday’s Games

District 32-4A

Progreso at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

Grulla at Zapata, 1 p.m.

VALLEY HS BASEBALL BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 31-6A

PSJA HIGH 10, PSJA SOUTHWEST 0

PSJA High 307 00 — 10

PSJA Southwest 000 00 — 0

PSJA HIGH (10): Vincente Castillo 3-3, 2 RBIs; Ariben Gutierrez 2-2; J. Sanchez 3-3.

PSJA SOUTHWEST (0): Rogelio Reyes 1-2.

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest 9-13, 2-6; P)SJA High 6-2 in district.

EDINBURG VELA 16, EDINBURG NORTH 5

Edinburg High 020 12 — 5

Edinburg North 016 18 — 16

EDINBURG VELA (16): Nico Rodriguez 2-2, 2 walks, 3 runs, HR; Marc Esquivel 3-4, 3 RBIs, 3 runs, HR; Jonathan Navarro 3 RBIs, HR, 2-4,2 runs; Ramsey Amador 2-3, RBI, 2 runs.

EDINBURG NORTH (5): Argelio Guajardo 1-3, 2 RBIs, HR; Frankie Zuniga 1-2, 2 RBIs.

RECORDS: Edinburg Vela 17-4, 7-1; Edinburg North 6-2 in district.

District 32-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER 7, LAREDO NIXON 3

Laredo Nixon 000 002 1 — 3

Sharyland Pioneer 200 500 x — 7

WP: Jacob Rosales 4 innings, 1 hit, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk.

SHARYLAND PIONEER (7): Jacob Rosales 2-3, RBI, run, triple; Kike Valdivia2-3, RBI, run; Roberto Montoya 2-3, run; Johnny Lugo 1-2, 2 RBIs, run, double.

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer 18-7-1, 7-4.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Under the Friday night lights, McAllen High sophomore Aaron Nixon toed the rubber, his signature eye black accenting his stare as he looked for the sign.

Nixon proceeded to mow down the La Joya High Coyotes with ruthless precision.

Nixon pitched a complete game one-hitter as the Bulldogs (20-1-1, 7-0) beat the Coyotes 7-0 in District 30-6A action at Ted Uhlaender Field at McAllen High.

“That is the best he has looked over the last two years,” McHi skipper Eliseo Pompa said of Nixon. “Last year, he was our closer. This year, he started more games, and it was a strong showing today.”

Nixon (4-1) started the game off with nine straight strikes for three punch-outs.

The Bulldogs got Nixon a run in the bottom half, and Nixon was off to the races.

He struck out 15 batters over seven innings, and he did it in 68 pitches.

“It’s always fun to watch Aaron,” sophomore outfielder Jacob Vela said. “He can dominate just about anybody he faces.”

“At the end of the game, I was like, ‘Dad, how many Ks did I have?’” Nixon said. His father replied 15. “I was like ‘Wow.’ It surprised me, because they are a great team. I love competing against them. They have great hitters. It was a great game.”

The Coyotes hung around, thanks in large part to stranded base runners for McHi.

In the bottom of the fourth, McHi’s bats jolted to life.

Hector Garcia led off the inning with a triple to the wall. The Bulldogs recorded two outs with Garcia still at third, but a fresh face made a familiar play for McHi fans.

Vela, who transferred from McAllen Memorial, produced the single that finally drove Garcia home.

“It felt really good, because it was important to get that run in,” Vela said. “I just went up there looking for something to drive, and I got it.”

Junior outfielder Rigo Moreno belted a scoreboard-smashing two-run home run to bring in Vela.

“To me, that was the whole key to the game,” Pompa said of Vela’s hit. “Because that allows (Moreno) to come up and hit that homer, which really got us going.”

McHi carried the momentum into the fifth, when senior first baseman Abanny Garcia led off with a double. Senior catcher Nate Quintanilla was robbed of a hit on a fantastic catch in left field before senior outfielder Robbie Maldonado walked. Freshman third baseman Chris Bernal atoned for earlier runners left on base by driving in Abanny Garcia, and junior Gibby Mata drove in Maldonado to push the Bulldogs lead to 6-0.
Nixon scored the Bulldogs’ seventh run in the sixth. He was driven in by Quintanilla’s single.

Nixon carried the no-hitter into the third before La Joya senior Carlos De Leon legged out an infield single.

“I felt good, because my teammates always have my back,” Nixon said. “They don’t put me in a lot of pressure situations, because they are always running up the score, and it’s just a lot of fun playing with these guys, because they are like family.”

The Bulldogs’ chemistry is high right now, as evidenced by Vela’s warm welcome to the team.

“Once I got here, (my teammates) were family already,” Vela said. “They accepted me and loved me. It’s as if I had been here since freshman year.”

“I’ve known him forever,” Nixon said. “We’ve known each other since we were like 8. Right when he got here, he didn’t have to adjust to anything. As soon as he got here, we all had that chemistry right away.”

The Bulldogs are united, and they have been unstoppable this season.

“Our lineup is insane,” Nixon said. “Everybody can hit it out of the park. Everybody is hitting for average. The chemistry is insane right now, and it is just fun to be a part of.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

In a tight District 31-6A boys team title race, Edinburg North emerged victorious on Wednesday at Tierra del Sol golf course in Pharr.

The Cougars shot a two-day score of 674 to secure their spot at the Class 6A Region IV boys tournament April 23-24 at The Republic golf course in San Antonio.

PSJA North placed second with a 678 to earn the other regional spot.

Edinburg Vela (697) was the next closest team in third.

On the girls leaderboard, Edinburg High won the district crown with a score of 759, earning a trip to San Antonio.

The girls regional is April 25-26 at the same course.

PSJA High (766) claimed the final team spot at the regional tournament with a second-place finish.

Also advancing to refionals is Edinburg Vela’s Ethan Galvan, who won the individual boys tournament with a 149. Jacob Flores took the other spot with a 153.

The girls individual qualifiers were Andrea Saenz (179, second place overall) of Edinburg North and Edinburg Economedes’ Aliyah Guzman (182, fourth).

The girls individual title went to Beatriz Chavez, who shot 159 for Edinburg High. Her teammate Deborah Chavira (181) finished third.

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

Sharyland ISD once again dominated the District 31-5A tournament, but a new boys team winner stole the show.

Sharyland High was propelled by another dominant outing from senior Jun Min Lee, but Sharyland Pioneer had a more consistent team effort to net the district title on Wednesday at Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course in Laredo.

“We were one stroke ahead coming out of the first day,” Sharyland High coach Ashley Garza said. “I do have some younger players on the team. They played strong, but I feel like Pioneer just played better today. Our boys are not happy with their performance, and I think they are ready to practice hard the next two weeks to get ready for regionals.”

Lee, who has helped the Rattlers claim a few district titles throughout his career, took first overall with a two-day score of 141. Three of the next four leaders were Diamondbacks. Sharyland High’s second-best finisher was Daniel Branca in seventh with a score of 165.

“There was a lot of wind this morning, but it was just a long day,” Garza said. “When you have to sit there and wait constantly, it drains the day.”

The two individuals who advanced to the regional tournament along with Sharyland High and Pioneer were Felix Gomez (159) from Laredo Martin and Mission Veterans’ Steven Hinojosa (161).

Luis Chavez (147) led the way for Pioneer. Orlando Garcia (150), Ethan Lee (161) and Andrew Viera (179) rounded out Pioneer’s team. Alex Guerra’s score (180) was dropped for team calculations.

Aside from Lee and Branca, the only Rattlers golfer who finished under 170 was Cordero Lopez (167).

In the girls tournament, Sharyland High’s A team advanced to regionals with the tournament win. Pioneer also advanced with a second-place finish.

The top three finishers on the girls’ side were Sharyland High seniors Raquel Flores (146) and Laura Rodriguez (151), and Sharyland Pioneer’s Linsey Garza (161).

“They had a couple struggles, as well. The weather, of course, was a struggle, and it was just a long day,” Garza said of Flores and Rodriguez. “It’s hard to stay focused for seven hours, especially when it’s windy. … We are a strong team, but we are not going to just sit back for two weeks and let regionals come around. We are going to get prepared for the next step.”

The individual finishers were Rio Grande City’s Isabella Carmona (173) and Gabriella Osuna (186) from Sharyland High’s B team.

“She’s really excited,” Garza said. “Gabriella has been working hard all year. She has shown me improvement all year, and she is definitely excited to be a regional qualifier.”

The UIL Class 5A Region IV tournament for the boys will be held April 23-24 at Golf Club of Texas in San Antonio. The girls’ tournament will be April 25-26 at the same course.

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