BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

McALLEN — Things are almost back to normal at Ted Uhlaender field at McAllen High after an offseason renovation.

The infield shines as green as an emerald. The dirt is freshly raked and ready to form giant clouds as Bulldogs slide across home plate. A new turf ring is being brought in to surround the batter’s boxes.

Actual regular-season innings are on the way, and the precursor to that is the sight of McHi senior pitcher Abanny Garcia dominating on the mound.

“Abanny is Abanny,” the familiar refrain from coach Eliseo Pompa, echoes through the clubhouse on Saturday. Pompa took a break from handing out uniforms and organizing equipment to sit and reflect on the season that was and the year to come for his ace.

“Abanny is a hard worker. You tell him what to do, and he will do it,” Pompa said of the UTRGV commit. “He’s looked great on the mound. He’s thrown maybe about 10 innings. Of course, we have to limit the pitches they throw, but we are also kind of limiting the innings, right now. I want them to peak in the later part of district, so, hopefully, they can continue that into the playoffs. He’s in a whole different world when he can connect pitches. He just throws strikes, and we don’t worry too much about him.”

Garcia committed to UTRGV on July 15, following his junior season. During his junior campaign, Garcia pitched 35 1/3 innings, going 5-0. He had 60 strikeouts and just seven walks. He allowed nine runs all year, seven of them earned.

“My confidence is way up there,” Garcia said. “I just want to go out there and strike out everyone.”

The Bulldogs advanced to the Class 6A Region IV semifinals last year, picking up a District 30-6A title on the way.

Garcia is a middle-of-the-order hitter, too. Last year, he hit .439 with 15 runs and 17 RBIs.

“Abanny is good every year,” sophomore Aaron Nixon said. “He’s a freak of nature. He just spots the ball up, and he pitches like a real pitcher.”

Garcia will be back on the mound as the ace and back at first on the days he’s not pitching.

That constant is a positive for a program that has had a lot of change this offseason. The Bulldogs graduated 13 players from last year’s varsity roster.

Luckily, as Nixon put it, McHi isn’t “rebuilding.” It has already “reloaded.”

Nixon is the first moving piece. Last year, he served as a “super closer,” often coming in and pitching multiple innings to secure a Bulldogs win.

“We are looking at him starting a little more this year,” Pompa said. “We are starting off by limiting his work, since he was in football and they do a lot of throwing. So, I keep a track on what they do at practice, so he won’t be too tired.”

Nixon’s workload may expand later in the season. Right now, his main focus is nailing down his defensive position change.

Nixon moved from third base to shortstop following the graduation of last year’s shortstops.

Nixon said the move feels more natural because he has been playing short most of his life.

Robbie Maldonado is also going through multiple changes. The senior will be pitching and playing center field. He rarely pitched after the tournament season last year, and he mostly played at the corner outfield spots.

“In center, you just have to cover more ground,” Maldonado said. “I have been playing in center most of my life, as well, so it should be fun to get out there this year.”

Meanwhile, he may be moving up to the No. 2 spot in the rotation, which means he will have to vary his pitch sequences more and go deeper into games this year.

Maldonado spent the year working on his off-speed pitches, specifically getting better with the command and control of his slider and curveball.
He said he is learning from the best, practicing every day with Nixon and Garcia, as well as Pompa’s quality staff.

“He has looked really good on the mound this year,” Pompa said of Maldonado. “He is throwing strikes. He has developed a good slider, and he has developed a very good move to first. He picked a couple guys off at first during scrimmages.”

With so much talent moving around, Pompa said his best asset is a group of players who can play a variety of positions and take the pressure off of some of those moving pieces.

“It is very interesting to have kids that are multitalented,” Pompa said.

Leading that group is freshman Chris Bernal, who committed to the University of Pittsburgh on July 4, just after his eighth-grade year.

“Our catcher, Nate (Quintanilla), is one of our better pitchers, too,” Pompa said. “So when Nate pitches, Chris is probably going to catch. Chris can play third, he can play second, and he can play the outfield. Also, he can pitch. This is what I’m talking about. Some of our kids play so many different positions, and they play them well. He’s one of those kids who can do that.”

He is already showing what he can do at the varsity level.

“He had a great scrimmage last night,” Nixon said. “He went 2 for 3 with a double off the wall. He’s just gotta relax. You can’t tense up. Last year, in the beginning of the season, some of us tensed up. When we became ourselves, we just started hitting, and it all came together.”

Junior Gibby Mata is another player in the same mold. As a sophomore last year, he was often a defensive replacement at whatever position was needed.

“Gibby was great as a utility player for us last year,” Garcia said. “We really think he can step up on offense, too, this year.”

He has also taken some steps forward as a pitcher, Pompa said, and could sneak into the rotation.

In the end, though, everything comes back to Abanny Garcia. He will be looking to dominate as he has throughout his career — all the way back to his McAllen Rowe days, when he was named The Monitor’s All-Valley Newcomer of the Year in 2015.

“Abanny is a beast,” Maldonado said. “He’s just doing his thing and staying within himself. Knowing we have him, it makes everything easier.”

[email protected]

RGVSports.com Top Ten

1. McAllen High
2. PSJA High
3. Edinburg Vela
4. Los Fresnos
5. Brownsville Veterans
6. Valley View
7. Edcouch-Elsa
8. Rio Grande City
9. Sharyland Pioneer
10. Weslaco High

Five other players to watch

Cheke Marroquin, Jr., pitcher/outfielder, PSJA High: Marroquin pitched 54 innings, going 6-1 with a 1.04 ERA last season. With the graduation of Marc Castillo, Marroquin slots in as the Bears’ ace.

Aaron Galvan, Sr., pitcher/center fielder, Edinburg Vela: the UTRGV commit gets it done on both sides of the plate. He struck out 29 in 25 2/3 innings last year, and he hit .461 with 26 RBIs and 13 doubles.

Joseph Gonzalez, Sr., pitcher, Edcouch-Elsa: as a four-year starter, Gonzalez’s poise on the mound was a big factor in getting the Yellow Jackets to the playoffs last year. His play this year could get them back there.

Ricardo Sanchez, Sr., shortstop, Valley View: Sanchez may be the best middle infielder in the Valley. He was well on his way last year, and his consistency at the plate doesn’t hurt.

Jonathan Martinez, Soph., third base/ pitcher, La Joya High: Martinez rose to prominence as a freshman, raking from the fifth spot in the lineup and becoming the ace of the staff. He was awarded with the District 30-6A Newcomer of the Year award. Look for him to be even better as he continues to develop his secondary pitches to complement his nasty fastball.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

McALLEN — McAllen Rowe put a cap on its district title-winning season on Tuesday by finishing the District 30-6A schedule undefeated.

Rowe knocked off second place McAllen Memorial, 59-55, to reach 12-0.

“It’s always a rivalry whenever we play a McAllen school,” Rowe coach Jose Luis Yebra said. “The last few years, Memorial has been really talented. We take a lot of pride in playing them as tough as we can.”

One of the biggest reasons the Warriors advanced through 30-6A unscathed is the kaleidoscopic play of sophomore Derek Luna.

“I knew he could play very well,” Yebra recalled of Luna’s first few days with the team last year. “I have been watching him since travel ball, but what he has done, right now, it’s amazing. From having a great year last year, to this year leading us again. It’s amazing the things he has done. He is very mature for his age. He looks like a senior to me, with the way he is performing and helping the team.”

Luna is averaging 22.5 points, 7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3 steals per game. His points per game average ranks second in the Valley.
In several of those statistical categories, Warriors teammates rank above him. Senior guard Adrian Bernal leads the Valley with 6.6 assists per game, yet Luna is somehow able to dish out 5.3.

“The other teams always focus on the ballhandler,” Luna said. “So, whenever we see the opportunity, we dish out and get our teammates a score.”

Often, Bernal will earn an assist after receiving a pass from Luna, or vice versa. Sophomore forward Darrin Everage is hauling in 9.3 rebounds per game, and freshman center Jose Yebra is pulling down 9.9 boards per game.

Bernal, a senior, has been starting since his freshman year, and he has played alongside some talented Warriors.

“Alex Keith was good. Daniel (Sotuyo) could score. Kaleb (Garza) could play,” Bernal said. “I don’t know exactly where Derek fits in, but I know if he keeps working hard, he can be among the best that have ever come here.”

Luna can make defenders miss and hit big shots. He can strike from deep, or he can take it to the lane. But, according to Yebra, Luna’s commitment to getting better is what makes him stand out.

Last year, after the season, Luna examined his game and realized he needed to work on his defense.

“On a scale of one to 10, I am at like a seven,” Luna said.

He wants to get to 10 during the upcoming offseason.

“His defense has improved,” coach Yebra said. “He still has work to do, but he’s gotten better defensively. It’s a smart thing for him to do, especially because it has to come from your heart, from within. He’s worked hard at it, and he is still working hard at it.”

Luna’s raw athleticism allows him to stay in front of some of the opponents’ best ballhandlers. He is focused on refining small aspects of his game that come from studying and repetition, such as timing and instincts. His steal total continues to rise as he finds new ways to flip the game’s odds in the Warriors’ favor.

The team’s playoff journey begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday, when Rowe travels to Texas A&M International University to take on District 29-6A’s fourth seed, Del Rio.

“We need to focus on talking to each other,” Luna said. “We need to practice hard during the week, and we need to play good defense.”

[email protected]

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

Mission CISD reinstated Mission Veterans boys basketball coach Romeo de la Garza earlier this month.

“Coach de la Garza resumed his normal duties on Feb. 8,” Mission CISD Director of Public Relations Craig Verley said.

MCISD conformed to The Monitor on Jan. 22 that de la Garza had been placed on administrative leave. De la Garza missed the Patriots’ last seven games, including four home games, during the leave.

Mission Veterans did not reach the playoffs this season, posting a 17-18 overall record and a 6-10 mark in District 31-5A. The Patriots finished their season on Tuesday with a 59-35 loss to Roma.

De la Garza will lead the offseason program as the Patriots prepare for a new-look Class 5A next year after the UIL realignment reshapes districts across the state.

Verley declined to comment further on de la Garza’s status, citing privacy of personnel matters.
De la Garza, Veterans athletic director Leticia Ibarra and interim superintendent Cris Valdez did not return phone calls seeking comment.

[email protected]

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

EDINBURG — Edinburg High had revenge on its mind coming into Tuesday’s clash with Edinburg Vela.

Vela was 3-0 against EHS during the last two seasons, including a win at Edinburg High earlier this year.

“The past few years, we haven’t really beat Vela,” senior guard Damian Garcia said. “It’s always a tough matchup, and I’m just glad we finally got that W for our senior year.”

Vela got up early, but the Bobcats battled back. Edinburg High hit the first shot of the second half to build an eight-point lead and never let the SaberCats back into the game, securing a 60-49 win.

“The past few years, late in the season, we have always had a losing skid,” senior center Jesus Cantu said. “It feels good especially with the win here at Vela, going into the playoffs.”

With Vela’s loss, Edinburg North clinched an outright District 31-6A title after beating PSJA Southwest 47-40 on Tuesday. Vela is the second seed. Edinburg High and Edinburg Economedes both finished the season 10-4, and they split the season series.

Coaches Carlos Ramos of Economedes and Esequiel Cuellar of EHS spoke late Tuesday night, but they decided to meet Wednesday morning to determine if they should flip for the seeding or play a game to break the tie.

Cantu, the defensive anchor in the middle for the Bobcats, was tasked with guarding junior center Noah Sekinger, Vela’s leading scorer, on Tuesday.

“I think I did well enough,” Cantu said. “I didn’t have backside help the whole night, so it was one-on-one. He went to the free-throw line a few times, but I think it was a good contest tonight.”

Sekinger had 20 points on the evening. Cantu finished with six.

“They are two talented big men,” Garcia said. “Two of the top five in the Valley, maybe top two. It’s very entertaining to watch them compete. They are both very intelligent in the post area.”

Junior forward Antoine Woodard has been the Bobcats leading scorer this year, averaging 17.3 points per game.

When EHS faced PSJA High on Jan. 26, Woodard was unavailable, and the Bobcats struggled to a 53-43 loss. The situation, however, helped Edinburg High on Tuesday. Woodard picked up a few early fouls against Vela and had to spend time on the bench in both halves because of foul trouble.

“My team is really good, and they can do it with or without me,” Woodard said. “I told them, ‘You can do this. You can move the ball around as usual. We have shooters. Just keep working as a team and you guys will be fine.’ When I got out of the game, they did exactly what the coaches asked, and they executed very well.”

“Every team member is confident in one another, and it doesn’t matter which players are in,” Cantu added. “We had the sixth and seventh man come in off the bench today, and they flowed right into the offense and the defense. The chemistry is there for us right now.”

Woodard finished the game with 19 for the Bobcats. The other three starters, junior guard Marc Figueroa (15 points), Garcia (13) and junior guard Matt Cruz (five) contributed in support of Woodard and Cantu.

Nate Gomez had eight points off the bench for Vela. Junior guard Josh Diaz and senior guard Trey Chavana each scored seven. Junior forward Aziel Garcia and sophomore guard Matt Arteaga both added three.

Chavana and Sekinger combined for Vela’s first 14 points, allowing Vela to take an early six-point advantage. Garcia and Figueroa got hot in response, and the Bobcats recaptured the lead 15-14 with two minutes left in the first quarter.

“We remember the feeling when they beat us at home (earlier this year),” Garcia said. “We felt like ‘OK, we need to bring something extra next time.’ We knew it was going to be a playoff atmosphere, and we brought it to them today.”

The third seed in District 31-6A will face the second seed from 32-6A, Weslaco High. The 31-6A fourth seed will face top-seeded Los Fresnos in the bi-district round.

“The only things that change in the playoffs is our intensity and how we approach it,” Woodard said. “We just have to keep going hard every day in practice.”

[email protected]

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Monday’s Games

District 31-5A

Laredo Nixon 74, Laredo Cigarroa 48

District 32-5A

Brownsville Pace 83, Brownsville Porter 43

District 32-4A

Hidalgo 42, Progreso 29

Raymondville 71, Port Isabel 62, OT

Grulla 67, Rio Hondo 63

La Feria 57, Zapata 35

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe 59, McAllen Memorial 55

La Joya High 76, La Joya Palmview 66

McAllen High 62, Mission High 52

District 31-6A

Edinburg High 60, Edinburg Vela 49

Edinburg North 47, PSJA Southwest 40

Edinburg Economedes 66, PSJA Memorial 55

PSJA North 78, PSJA High 52

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos 59, Harlingen South 35

Brownsville Rivera 68, Harlingen High 62

Weslaco High 64, Brownsville Hanna 43

San Benito 55, Weslaco East 54

District 31-5A

Roma 59, Mission Veterans 35

Sharyland High 53, Valley View 39

Laredo Martin 67, Rio Grande City 59

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa 51, Donna High 46

Brownsville Veterans 52, Mercedes 45

Brownsville Lopez def. Donna North

District 32-3A

Monte Alto at Edinburg IDEA Quest, not reported

Friday, Feb. 16

District 31–5A

Fourth-place tiebreaker game

Roma vs. Laredo Cigarroa at Zapata, 7 p.m.

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL FINAL STANDINGS

District 30-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-McAllen Rowe 25 8 12 0 —

x-McAllen Memorial 24 9 9 3 3

x-McAllen High 18 14 8 4 4

x-La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 21 12 6 6 6

La Joya High 12 23 3 9 9

La Joya Palmview 6 27 2 10 10

Mission High — — 2 10 10

District 31-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Edinburg North 25 11 12 2 —

x-Edinburg Vela 19 15 11 3 1

x-Edinburg High 26 10 10 4 2

x-Edinburg Economedes 26 12 10 4 2

PSJA Memorial 22 13 6 8 6

PSJA North 13 22 3 11 9

PSJA High 13 22 3 11 9

PSJA Southwest 4 23 1 13 11

District 32-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Los Fresnos 30 6 13 1 —

x-Weslaco High 26 8 10 4 3

x-Brownsville Rivera 18 13 9 5 4

x-Harlingen High 27 10 9 5 4

Harlingen South 23 13 8 6 5

San Benito — — 4 10 9

Brownsville Hanna 14 21 2 12 11

Weslaco East 7 27 1 13 12

District 31-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Laredo Nixon 29 6 15 1 —

x-Laredo Martin 20 13 14 2 1

x-Rio Grande City 22 10 10 6 5

Laredo Cigarroa — — 9 7 6

Roma 16 16 9 7 6

Mission Veterans 17 18 6 10 9

Sharyland Pioneer 12 18 5 11 10

Sharyland High 8 24 3 13 12

Valley View 6 26 1 15 14

District 32-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Brownsville Pace 27 8 14 0 —

x-Edcouch-Elsa 18 16 11 3 3

x-Brownsville Veterans 17 15 8 6 6

x-Brownsville Porter 10 14 7 7 7

Donna High 11 19 6 8 8

Mercedes 19 16 6 8 8

Brownsville Lopez 11 23 4 10 10

Donna North 1 30 0 14 14

District 32-4A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

y-Hidalgo 25 10 13 1 —

x-Port Isabel 18 12 9 5 4

x-Zapata 14 18 8 6 4

x-Raymondville — — 7 7 9

Rio Hondo — — 6 8 —

La Feria 9 21 6 8 7

Grulla 13 20 6 8 8

Progreso — — 2 12 10

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

LA JOYA HIGH 76, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 69

La Joya High 19 22 19 16 — 76

La Joya Palmview 19 16 11 23 — 69

LA JOYA (76): Caleb Zamora 4, Nick Garza 8, OJay Saenz 11, Santiago Rodriguez 2, Alexis Villarreal 16, Jose Garcia 10, Justin Pulido 25.

Palmview (69): Dante Olmeda 11, Freddy Flores 7, Gabriel Garza 7, Irving Gamez 13, Josiah Zapata 2, Paco da la O 29.

RECORDS: La Joya 3-9; Palmview 2-10

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH 60, EDINBURG VELA 49

Edinburg High 18 18 18 6 — 60

Edinburg Vela 19 12 11 7 — 49

EDINBURG HIGH (60): Marc Figueroa 15, Damian Garcia 13, Matt Cruz 5, Antoine Woodard 19, Jesus Cantu 6, Jerry Lopez 2.

EDINBURG VELA (49): Matt Arteaga 3, Noah Sekinger 20, Trey Chavana 7, Nate Gomez 8, Aziel Garcia 5, Bobby Espericueta 1, Josh Diaz 7.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 66, PSJA MEMORIAL 55

PSJA Memorial 15 11 15 14 — 55

Ed. Economedes 16 20 15 15 — 66

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (66): Jose Castillo, Angel Salinas 14, Johnathan Barrientos 19, Saul Alanis 14, Simon Pina 6, Izar Cavazos 10, Saul Calzada 2.

PSJA MEMORIAL (55): D. Garner 5, J. Koenig 11, J.D. Chavez, N. Cisneros, V. Salgado 6, A. Rosales 21, O. Munoz 3.

RECORDS: Edinburg Economedes 24-12, 10-4; PSJA Memorial 6-8.

PSJA NORTH 78, PSJA HIGH 52

PSJA North 26 16 13 23 — 78

PSJA High 16 12 11 13 — 52

PSJA NORTH (78): Mathew Cantu 7, Daunte Galvan 51, Rick Garcia 2, Ramon Salinas 6, Daniel Martinez 4, Severo Lerma 8.

PSJA HIGH (52): Andrew Casas 4, Ryan Garza 7, Isaiah Garza 27, Nate Sanchez 4, Victor Rangel 3, Jesus Ramos 7.

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH 53, VALLEY VIEW 40

Valley View 9 4 12 15 — 40

Sharyland High 13 16 14 10 — 53

SHARYLAND HIGH (53): Ernesto Robinson 7, Will Patterson 3, Brandon McCormick 4, Jonathan Flores 7, Andres Abrego 10, David Vela 2, Maruo Fernandez 9, Max Aguilar 7, Servando Pruneda 4.

VALLEY VIEW (40): Felipe Ayala 10, Isaac Lira 7, Solis 2, Alan Fuentes 6, Lopez 4, Andres Sepulveda 11.

RECORDS: Mission Veterans 6-10.

ROMA 59, MISSION VETRANS 35

Roma 13 16 22 8 — 59

Mission Veterans 11 11 6 7 — 35

ROMA (59): Jesus Ramirez 14, Gilbert Garcia 10, Armando Rodriguez 9, Leonardo Alanis 6, Cesar Contreras 6, Juan Gutierrez 6, Noe Garza Jr 6, Edgar Ayala 2.

MISSION VETERANS (35): Noe Cantu 13, Elijah de la Garza 12, Elias Ibarra 6, Jesus Gonzalez 2, JT Lerma 2.

RECORDS: Mission Veterans 6-10.

LAREDO MARTIN 67, RIO GRANDE CITY 59

Laredo Martin 19 15 11 20 — 67

Rio Grande City 9 26 10 14 — 59

RIO GRANDE CITY (59): Rodrigo Nuñez 7, Aaron Marroquin 16, Jaime Covarrubias 16, Frank Gonzalez 6, Mario Gonzalez 4, Izrael Lambert 10.

RECORDS: Rio Grande City 22-10, 10-6.

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Monday’s Games
District 31-5A
Laredo Nixon 74, Laredo Cigarroa 48
District 32-5A
Brownsville Pace 83, Brownsville Porter 43

District 32-4A
Grulla at Rio Hondo, 8 p.m.
Hidalgo 53, Progreso 29
Raymondville 71, Port Isabel 62, OT

Tuesday, Feb. 13
District 30-6A
McAllen Memorial at McAllen Rowe, 7:30 p.m.
La Joya High at La Joya Palmview, 7:30 p.m.
McAllen High at Mission High, 7:30 p.m.
District 31-6A
Edinburg High at Edinburg Vela, 7:30 p.m.
Edinburg North at PSJA Southwest, 7:30 p.m.
PSJA Memorial at Edinburg Economedes, 7:30 p.m.
PSJA High at PSJA North, 7:30 p.m.
District 32-6A
Harlingen South at Los Fresnos, 7:30 p.m.
San Benito at Weslaco East, 7:30 p.m.
Brownsville Rivera at Harlingen High, 7:30 p.m.
Weslaco High at Brownsville Hanna, 7:30 p.m.
District 31-5A
Roma at Mission Veterans, 7 p.m.
Valley View at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.
Laredo Martin at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.
Laredo Cigarroa at Laredo Nixon, 7 p.m.
District 32-5A
Donna High at Edcouch-Elsa, 7:30 p.m.
Brownsville Veterans at Mercedes, 7:30 p.m.
Donna North at Brownsville Lopez, 7:30 p.m.
Brownsville Porter at Brownsville Pace, 7:30 p.m.
District 32-3A
Monte Alto at Edinburg IDEA Quest, 7 p.m.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

EDINBURG — With less than 20 seconds to play Friday, Edinburg North led Edinburg Vela by five.

Vela had the ball and was looking for a long pass to get an open look. The pass came in, directed at Vela junior center Noah Sekinger.

“I just saw the pass coming in and jumped in front of it,” North senior guard Ben Vela said.

As soon as Vela grabbed the ball, he was fouled. When the whistle blew, Edinburg North coach Rudy Garcia gave a huge fist pump before turning to celebrate with his team.

“You have to give a lot of credit to Vela,” Garcia said. “We needed a defensive stop. And we got it. It was a long pass, and they were looking for a 3. Ben stepped up and played. He’s actually one of our guys that usually comes off the bench. And for him to come in and make plays when we need him, it’s fantastic.”

Vela hit his free throws and the Cougars hung on to win the tightly contested District 31-6A matchup 68-61.

Edinburg North and Edinburg Vela are tied atop the 31-6A standings at 11-2. Edinburg High is just behind at 10-3. Edinburg North closes out the season Tuesday against winless PSJA Southwest, while Edinburg Vela will host Edinburg High. If Edinburg North beats Southwest, the Cougars clinch a share of a district title. If Edinburg Vela also wins, the SaberCats would share the title. But if Vela loses, North can win to secure the district title outright.

“We still have one more game that we have to go play, hard,” Garcia said. “Since I’ve been here, we have had two (district titles). This would be the third. It would be great, because we have a few seniors, but most of our guys are juniors, and then (Rangel) is a sophomore.”

Sophomore forward Izaiah Rangel exploded for a game-high 27 points to lead the way for North.

Sekinger responded with 23 of his own.

Edinburg North used the support of the raucous crowd to jump out to an early lead.

“We knew we could get in front quickly and steal the momentum,” Rangel said. “They are a great team, but I felt like we wanted it more from the very beginning, and we finished out.”

Edinburg Vela had to fight to weather the storm. The smooth shooting of Trey Chavana both from the field and the charity stripe allowed the SaberCats to climb back in it.

Rangel brought the firepower when the Cougars needed it, knocking down back-to-back 3s before the break to give the Cougars a 33-31 halftime lead.

Rangel finished the night 7 of 10 from the free-throw line, but all three of his misses came with the team’s lead at four or less. When it mattered most, though, Rangel came up big, going 4 for 4 in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.

The referees knew this was a rivalry game with huge stakes on the line, so they let the players play. The game started off physical and only got more heated as the point differential shrunk.

“It’s physical, but I love it, though,” Rangel, a quarterback/wide receiver for the football team said. “I love backing down Noah. I love mixing it up. It was great.”

With the crowd split, the night hardly had any quiet moments.

“The atmosphere was crazy,” Rangel said. “It’s great for the school and the community. It brings our community together.”

Senior guard Felix Aleman was North’s next leading scorer with 11 points. Aleman made Vela pay when the SaberCats’ defense gave him an open look. Vela was playing a zone that left Aleman alone in the corner. The defense is designed for Sekinger to contest Aleman’s shots, but Aleman hit three 3s in the third quarter after lulling the SaberCats to sleep.

Chavana had 16 for Vela. Vela had 12 for North

[email protected]

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb. 9

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe 84, La Joya High 42

McAllen Memorial 76, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 65

McAllen High 64, La Joya Palmview 45

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes 54, Edinburg High 52

Edinburg North 68, Edinburg Vela 61

PSJA Memorial 57, PSJA North 52

PSJA High 60, PSJA Southwest 43

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos 69, San Benito 45

Weslaco High 70, Weslaco East 31

Harlingen High 53, Harlingen South 46

Brownsville Rivera 65, Brownsville Hanna 59

District 31-5A

Laredo Nixon 69, Roma 60

Laredo Cigarroa 64, Sharyland Pioneer 54

Laredo Martin 86, Mission Veterans 66

Rio Grande City 76, Valley View 53

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa 68, Donna North 31

Mercedes 46, Donna High 38

Brownsville Pace 66, Brownsville Veterans 50

Brownsville Lopez at Brownsville Porter, not reported

District 32-4A

Grulla 71, Progreso 44

La Feria 44, Hidalgo 41

Raymondville 86, Rio Hondo 63

Port isabel 54, Zapata 43

District 32-3A

Santa Rosa 90, Edinburg IDEA Quest 60

District 32-2A

Lasara at La Villa, not reported

Santa Maria at San Isidro, not reported

Monday, Feb. 12

District 31-5A

Laredo Cigarroa at Laredo Nixon, 7 p.m.

District 32-4A

Grulla at Rio Hondo, 8 p.m.

Hidalgo at Progreso, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 13

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial at McAllen Rowe, 7:30 p.m.

La Joya High at La Joya Palmview, 7:30 p.m.

McAllen High at Mission High, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg High at Edinburg Vela, 7:30 p.m.

Edinburg North at PSJA Southwest, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at Edinburg Economedes, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA High at PSJA North, 7:30 p.m.

District 32-6A

Harlingen South at Los Fresnos, 7:30 p.m.

San Benito at Weslaco East, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Rivera at Harlingen High, 7:30 p.m.

Weslaco High at Brownsville Hanna, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Roma at Mission Veterans, 7 p.m.

Valley View at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.

Laredo Martin at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

Laredo Cigarroa at Laredo Nixon, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna High at Edcouch-Elsa, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Veterans at Mercedes, 7:30 p.m.

Donna North at Brownsville Lopez, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Brownsville Pace, 7:30 p.m.

District 32-3A

Monte Alto at Edinburg IDEA Quest, 7 p.m.

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McALLEN HIGH 64, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 45

La Joya Palmview 12 2 12 19 — 45

McAllen High 15 19 16 14 — 64

McALLEN HIGH (64): Aaron Gutierrez 3, Marcos Saldana 6, Matthew Ibarra 3, Deshaun Primus 14, Jackson Helmcamp 4, Rick Cuellar 10, Jose Calderon 2, Malachi Dames, Bryan Argil 11 ,Jadan Conrow 10.

PALMVIEW (45): Freddy Flores 6, Gabriel Garza 6, Irving Gomez 6, Jasiel Zapata 6, Paco de la O 21.

RECORDS: McAllen High 17-14 , 7-4; Palmview 2-9.

MCALLEN MEMORIAL 76, LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 65

LJ Juarez-Lincoln 16 25 7 17 — 65

McAllen Memorial 17 19 14 26 — 76

MCALLEN MEMORIAL (76): Chris Flores 13, Ace Chavez 2, Eddie Garcia 2, Chris Malendez 16, Josh Sanchez 23, Elian Reyna 10, Brett Baus 8.

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN (65): Juan Martinez 9, Gerson Ramos 2, Lalo Torres 10, Andre Suarez 5, J.R. Galvan 5, Robert Villalon 2, Cruz Mendoza 18, Luis Garza 14.

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial 24-8 , 9-2; Juarez-Lincoln 21-11 , 6-6.

District 31-6A

PSJA HIGH 60, PSJA SOUTHWEST 43

PSJA Southwest 10 10 3 20 — 43

PSJA High 13 4 18 25 — 60

PSJA HIGH (60): Nick Ruiz 16, Andrew Casas 2, Ryan Cole 11, Andrew Liszt, Isaiah Garcia 24, Jesus Ramos 2, A.J. Padron 2.

PSJA SOUTHWEST (43): Omar Jimenez 16, Derek Cedillo 6, Darwrelle Robinson 9, Orlando Torres 3, Adrian Reyna 4, Juan Montes 2, Freddy Leon 3.

RECORDS: PSJA High 3-10.

PSJA MEMORIAL 57, PSJA NORTH 52

PSJA North 11 22 11 8 — 52

PSJA Memorial 6 13 16 22 — 57

PSJA MEMORIAL (57): D. Garner 3, J. Koenig 7, J.D. Chavez 8, N. Cisneros 9, P. Ozuna 2, V. Salgado 4, R. Salinas 8, A. Rosales 14, O. Munoz 2.

PSJA NORTH (52): D. Galvan 33, S. Salazar 3, R. Garcia 2, A. Puente 4, S. Lerma 10.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 54, EDINBURG HIGH 52

1. Economedes 10 16 16 12 — 54

Edinburg High 12 11 17 12 — 52

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (54): Jose Castillo 6, Angel Salinas 9, Johnathan Barrientos 13, Simon Pina 22, Ricardo Chapa 2, Saul Calzada 2.

EDINBURG HIGH (52): Marc Figueroa 4, Damian Garcia 16, Antoine Woodard 25, Jesus Cantu 7.

EDINBURG NORTH 68, EDINBURG VELA 61

Edinbrug Vela 14 17 14 16 — 61

Edinburg North 18 15 19 16 — 68

EDINBURG NORTH (68): Izaiah Rangel 27, Ben Vela 12, Felix Aleman 11, Juan Vasquez 8, Andrew Nuñez 7, Josias Vasquez 3.

EDINBURG VELA (61): Noah Sekinger 23, Trey Chavana 16, Josh Diaz 10, Aziel Garcia 6, Bobby Espericueta 4, Nate Gomez 2.

District 32-5A

EDCOUCH-ELSA 68, DONNA NORTH 31

Edcouch-Elsa 16 16 14 22 — 68

Donna North 12 7 5 7 — 31

EDCOUCH-ELSA (68): A.J. Garza 3, Mateo Salazar 9, Jeremiah Caballero 8, Jesus Diaz 5, Aaron Aguinaga 14, Bryan Guerra 3, Joseph Gonzalez 12, Marin Rodriguez 2, Marcos Escobar 4, Justin Cavazos 2, Matt Sanchez 3, Michael Castaneda 3.

DONNA NORTH (31): Juan Alvarez 1 , Jonathan Martinez 2, Julian Garcia 19, Marcus Lagunes 3, Kory Harrison 2, Luis Diaz 4.

RECORDS: Edcouch-Elsa 17-16 , 10-3.

District 31-5A

LAREDO MARTIN 86, MISSION VETERANS 66

Mission Veterans 8 14 18 26 — 66

Laredo Martin 13 24 25 24 — 86

LAREDO MARTIN (86): Nelson Vasquez 30, Luis Ortegon 27, Mathew Duron 12, Cesar Rivera 10, Kevin Zamora 3, Miguel Sanchez 2, Austin Estevis 2.

MISSION VETERANS (66): Elijah de la Garza 28, Noe Cantu 26, J.T. Lerma 4, Jacob Marquez 3, Austin Villarreal 2, Michael Ayala 2, Jesus Gonzalez.

RECORDS: Mission Veterans 6-9.

RIO GRANDE CITY 76, VALLEY VIEW 53

Rio Grande City 17 26 19 14 — 76

Valley View 15 10 13 15 — 53

RIO GRANDE CITY (76): Rodrigo Nuñez 4, Aaron Marroquin 30, Jaime Covarrubias 14, Frank Gonzalez 2, Mario Gonazelz 14, Izrael Lambert 4, Rudy Bazan 4, Josh Garcia 4.

VALLEY VIEW (53): Felipe Ayala 14, Isaac Solis 19, Jose Lira 8, Allen Fuentez 2, Javi Lopez 2, Andres Sepulveda 8.

RECORDS: Rio Grande City 22-9, 10-5.

District 32-4A

LA FERIA 44, HIDALGO 41

La Feria 16 6 8 14 — 44

Hidalgo 10 8 9 14 — 41

LA FERIA (44): Duran Fernandez 24, Abraham Reyes 2, Noah Conde 7, Marc Torres 11.

HIDALGO (41): Aaron Anaya 5, Alexis Gonzalez 2, Sabastin Forero 2, Julio Zamora 4, Mosis Longoria 6, Guss Sanchez 9, Frankie Sanchez 7, Tony Frias 2, Carlos Zuniga 2.

RECORDS: Hidalgo 24-10 , 12-1.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln clinched the first boys basketball playoff berth in school history this week under coach Albert Carrillo.

“The team was really happy,” he said. “It’s something we had been working hard for. This being the first time in history, the boys were excited. They celebrated after the game.”

On Tuesday, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln topped La Joya High 75-39 to secure a playoff berth. After the moment had passed, the attention turned toward the postseason for a team hungry to create school history.

“We still don’t know who we are going to play — it’s either South San Antonio or Laredo Alexander,” Carrillo said. “We are going to prepare just as we have been for every district game. It’s going to be win or go, and that’s the mentality we are going to take into the playoffs.”

The Huskies avoided a scare after senior center Luis Garza turned his ankle last Friday against McAllen High. Garza missed the game’s final three quarters but was back for the tilt against La Joya High, leading the way with a double-double.

Garza, who is averaging 16.9 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, will be a key to matching up with bigger teams from out of the area.

“In the summer, he did a good job of playing up north against bigger opponents in San Antonio and Houston,” Carrillo said. “And he did fairly well, so I believe that last summer helped him prepare for this playoff game.”

Garza won’t be alone, though.

“It is going to be a combined team effort,” Carrillo continued. “I know one thing we will have to do better is boxing out. That is something we will be working on during practice.”

Carrillo plans to be ready for any opponent.

“One of the things we have been preaching is whoever we are playing against, we have to be mentally tough,” Carillo said. “Anything can happen in a game and our kids are pretty confident moving forward. We have seen Laredo Alexander play and if we match up with them, the kids believe they can win. … I am going to study our opponent as much as I can to give the kids every advantage they can get.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

Edinburg Vela’s steady rise to the top of District 31-6A has been a joy for SaberCats faithful, but with so much left to accomplish, the attitude around practice is focused only on the next game up.

“As a staff, we are going through the details and making sure we clean up some of the things (the players) have been improving on,” Vela coach David Keith said. “They are dialed in, and they are motivated. They know what’s at stake, and they are hungry for a championship.”

Vela’s district title campaign will have to go through the two toughest teams in town.

Vela (19-13, 11-1) faces second-place Edinburg North (23-11, 10-2) at 7:30 tonight before closing out the season with third-place Edinburg High (26-9, 9-3).

“I think our schedule lined up well,” Keith said. “It is cool to be able to play the best teams in the district based on the records this year to close out the season. Playing these teams down the stretch helps you get ready for playoffs.”

Keith says his SaberCats are not a finished product, but that they are getting closer.

“I’ve seen improvement over the last two days in practice,” Keith said. “I would say we are still at 65, maybe 70, percent of what we are capable of doing right now. So there is 30 percent left, and we can get there. We just need to continue to get better every day.”