VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe 80, La Joya Palmview 60

McAllen Memorial 61, McAllen High 58

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 61, Mission High 40

District 31-6A

PSJA Memorial 63, PSJA High 48

Edinburg Economedes 50, PSJA Southwest 41

Edinburg North 53, Edinburg High 52

Edinburg Vela 74, PSJA North 65

District 32-6A

San Benito 42, Brownsville Hanna 40

Los Fresnos 71, Harlingen High 55

Weslaco High 62, Harlingen South 31

Brownsville Rivera 64, Weslaco East 46

District 31-5A

Rio Grande City 61, Mission Veterans 39

Laredo Nixon 98, Sharyland High 38

Laredo Martin 89, Laredo Cigarroa 68

Valley View 73, Sharyland Pioneer 51

District 32-5A

Brownsville Pace 83, Edcouch-Elsa 56

Brownsville Lopez 58, Mercedes 55

Donna High 37, Donna North 25

Brownsville Veterans def. Brownsville Porter

District 32-4A

Hidalgo 50, Grulla 38

Port Isabel 56, Progreso 36

Rio Hondo 55, La Feria 48

District 32-3A

Santa Rosa 65, Brownsville IDEA Frontier 48

Monte Alto at Lyford, not reported

District 32-2A

San Isidro 62, Lasara 36

San Perlita 55, Santa Maria 49

Friday, Feb. 2

District 30-6A

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

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at McAllen High, 7:30 p.m.

McAllen Memorial at La Joya High, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg High at PSJA Southwest, 6 p.m.

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

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

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

District 32-6A

Brownsville Rivera at Los Fresnos, 7:30 p.m.

Weslaco East at Harlingen South, 7:30 p.m.

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

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

District 31-5A

Roma at Laredo Cigarroa, 7 p.m.

Laredo Martin at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Valley View at Laredo Nixon, 7 p.m.

Sharyland High at Mission Veterans, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Brownsville Lopez at Edcouch-Elsa, 7:30 p.m.

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

Donna High at Brownsville Pace, 7:30 p.m.

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

District 32-4A

Grulla at Zapata, 8 p.m.

Hidalgo at Port Isabel, 8 p.m.

Rio Hondo at Progreso, 8 p.m.

District 32-3A

IDEA Frontier at Monte Alto, 7 p.m.

District 32-2A

Lasara at Santa Maria, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

MCALLEN MEMORIAL 61, MCALLEN HIGH 58

McAllen High 14 12 16 16 — 58

McAllen Memorial 11 9 17 24 — 61

MCALLEN MEMORIAL (61): Chris Flores 14, Ace Chavez 13, Chris Melendez 12, Josh Sanchez 18, Elian Reyna 4.

MCALLEN HIGH (58): Marcos Saldana 2, Matthew Ibarra 9, Deshaun Primus 6, Jackson Helmcamp 11, Rick Cuellar 4, Bryan Argil 11, Jaden Conrow 15.

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial 22-8, 7-2 ; McAllen High 15-13, 5-3.

District 31-6A

PSJA MEMORIAL 63, PSJA HIGH 48

PSJA High 16 12 6 14 — 48

PSJA Memorial 14 7 29 14 — 63

PSJA MEMORIAL (63): David Garner 11, J.D. Chavez 12, Nick Cisneros 4, Vick Salgado 4, Ray Salinas 2, Adrian Rosales 30.

PSJA HIGH (48): Andrew Casas 2, Isaiah Garcia 14, Nate Sanchez 7, Jesus Ramos 13, Robert Garza 6, Miguel Villarreal 6.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 50, PSJA SOUTHWEST 41

PSJA Southwest 9 11 5 16 — 41

Ed. Economedes 15 8 12 15 — 50

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (50): Angel Salinas 7, Johnny Barrientos 17, Saul Alanis 9, Simon Pina 10, Aizar Cavazos 2, Rick Chapa 3, Saul Calzada 2.

PSJA SOUTHWEST (41): Omar Jimenez 14, Rolando Cedillo 9, Dawrelle Robinson 3, Orlando Torres 3, Juan Montes 5, Freddy Leon 7.

RECORDS: Economedes 22-1, 7-3.

EDINBURG VELA 74, PSJA NORTH 65

Edinburg Vela 28 24 14 8 — 74

PSJA North 19 15 23 8 — 65

EDINBURG VELA (74): Noah Sekinger 18, Trey Chavana 14, Nate Gomez 7, Austin Garza 8, Bobby Espericueta 12, Josh Diaz 13, Nate Garcia 2.

PSJA NORTH (65): Daunte Galvan 40, Ramon Salinas 5, Timur Lamb 1, Daniel Martinez 4, Justin Perez 2, Severo Lerma 10, James Noriega 3.

RECORDS: PSJA North 12-9, 2-8.

EDINBURG NORTH 53, EDINBURG HIGH 52

Edinburg North 16 11 12 14 — 53

Edinburg High 13 12 16 9 — 52

EDINBURG NORTH (53): Andrew Nunez 9, Felix Aleman 11, Izaiah Rangel 15, Ben Vela 3, Josh Vasquez 5, Ricky Alanis 10.

EDINBURG HIGH (52): Marc Figueroa 7, Damian Garcia 13, Matt Cruz 4, Antoine Woodard 13, Jesus Cantu 15.

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER 73, VALLEY VIEW 51

Sharyland Pioneer 15 22 — 73

Valley View 14 14 7 15 — 51

SHARYLAND PIONEER (73): Trevino 3, Cody Sanchez 9, Miguel Angel Gonzalez 7, Luke Padilla 9, Aaron Cuevas 8, Nick Zieske 4, Tyler Kennedy 2, Eddie Marburger 6, Ethan Lee 2, Geo Garza 5, Lavar Lindo 18.

VALLEY VIEW (51): Felipe Ayala 11, Isaac Lira 7, Jose Soils 2, Alan Fuentes 9, Lopez 6, Jimenez 4, Andres Sepulveda 12.

RECORDS: Valley View 6-22.

RIO GRANDE CITY 61, MISSION VETERANS 39

Mission Veterans 3 6 15 15 — 39

Rio Grande City 23 9 12 17 — 61

RIO GRANDE CITY (61): Rodrigo Nuñez 10, Aaron Marroquin 13, Jaime Covarrubias 5, Frank Gonzalez 9, Mario Gonzalez 8, Izrael Lambert 12, Josh Garcia 4.

MISSION VETERANS (39): Noe Cantu 18, Elias Ibarra 9, Landry Gilpin 1, Jacob Marquez 7, JT Lerma 2, Adrian Villarreal 2.

RECORDS: Rio Grande City 20-9, 8-5.

LAREDO NIXON 98, SHARYLAND HIGH 38

Score by quarter not reported.

LAREDO NIXON (75): Esteban Guerra 10, LJ Herrra 15, AJ Melendez 26, RJ Rodriguez 8, Joel Pena 13, Jonathan Garcia 2, Joseph Garcia 3, Neal Garcia 9, Martin Tovar 12, Roger Vazquez 9.

SHARYLAND HIGH (38): Brandon McCormick 2, Jonathan Flores 6, Isai Heredia 2, Andres Abrego 3, David Vela 4, Mauro Fernandez 16, Max Aguilar 5.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

HIDALGO — Hidalgo held a comfortable lead during the fourth quarter of its first District 32-4A game of the season, against Rio Hondo on Dec. 19.

“There was about 1:30 left. We were already up by like 10. Coach just wanted to waste time,” junior shooting guard Andy Flores said. “I saw the lane, I drove, and I took a hard left step, and my knee just gave out.”

Many of the Pirates said they weren’t sure of the severity of the injury right away. They were hoping it wasn’t serious.

But Flores knew what had happened.

“I heard the pop, and when I heard that pop, I knew,” Flores said. “I tore my ACL in the eighth grade. I remember how it felt. I remember that sound. When I heard the sound, as soon as I was on the ground, I already knew. I was disappointed, and I was just hoping it could be a sprain or nothing serious. But, when I went to the doctor and he told us, my heart was broken. It hurt a lot. But when I heard that it was a torn ACL, it just gave me the motivation to come back even stronger.”

Flores was the team’s leading scorer through the non-district schedule. He’s been playing on varsity since his freshman year. Last year, he averaged 12.4 points per game.

Many teams would have been rattled by an injury of that magnitude. La Joya High has struggled this year since losing senior guard Alexis Tovar. Edinburg High lost its first district game of the year last week against PSJA High, when junior forward Antoine Woodard missed the game.

But the Pirates (21-9, 9-0) are undefeated since the loss of Flores.

The difference for the Pirates isn’t about strategy, scheme or luck. It all comes down to Flores.

“Through the whole injury, he has had a great attitude,” senior point guard Aaron Anaya said. “That has kind of rubbed off on the rest of the players. One of the things that’s impacted us is, we come to school early to shoot around. Despite his injury, he is still coming around early in the morning. He still helping the guys out, and that really encourages us. We think, “Well, Andy is coming. He is really hurt, so why can’t we come and put up shots?’ So him being around is really lifting up the team.”

Flores and Anaya were the pioneers of the before-school workouts. They began the habit last year, often taking upward of 300 shots before the first bell rang for the day.

“Because I know me and Aaron Anaya, we are kind of like the leaders on this team, we would come early in the mornings, like at 6:30,” Flores said. “After that, everybody started to come. We started communicating more, because we all started practicing together. We all play in the summer. We are close. When I went down, I didn’t want them to be like sorry for me. I didn’t want to be all down. I wanted them to continue going.”

That’s what motivated Flores to come in early in the days after his surgery, just to be around his teammates, supporting them from the sidelines. Flores said his primary concern is for the seniors. He doesn’t want their last season ruined because of a fluke injury.

Fittingly, Flores has been a huge help in filling the gap he left. Sophomore guard Gus Sanchez, the son of coach Gus Sanchez, started the year as the backup point guard, behind the senior Anaya. The young guard, affectionately known as “little Gus” to his teammates, was asked to step into the starting lineup at the two after Flores went down.

“It was a big move for me,” the younger Sanchez said. “He would put up 20 some points a game. So, I knew I had to carry a big role there. I had to fill in for him. So, I’ve been developing into that role of the two, because I played the one. I had to develop into the two, which means more scoring first than passing first.”

Immediately, Flores started working with Sanchez.

“When I was playing, I knew every day in practice I had to work. I had to practice hard, because Gus is a hell of a player,” Flores said. “I knew that any day he could just take my spot. … When I went out I told him, ‘I know you are going to step up, and I hope you make me proud.’ And I have been helping him out. I can’t practice with him, but I have been helping him out with his shot and giving him some tips. He’s a sophomore. He’s still young. I told him, ‘Yes you are young, but you are the starting shooting guard for the Hidalgo Pirates, and you have to have a big mouth. Talk in practice. Make people know that you are there. Don’t let people push you around.’ And it helped him a lot, just motivated him. If he didn’t do good in a game, I would just tell him like, ‘Don’t worry. Tomorrow is another day.’ Every game I tell him, ‘You are making me proud. You are taking over, and I’m thankful to have you as a teammate, because even though I went out, Hidalgo still has a star player.’”

This season, Sanchez is averaging 12.1 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 steals per game.

Despite having the coach’s son, Gus Sanchez, the coach’s nephew, Frankie Sanchez, and the Hidalgo girls’ coach Saul Arjona’s son, Saul Arjona Jr., the Pirates have never had any issues with chemistry.

While AAU basketball continues to rise in popularity, the price continues to rise, as well, creating a barrier for many.

“For the most part, they don’t have the means to travel and do that,” coach Gus Sanchez said.

Instead, almost all of the Pirates grew up playing at the Hidalgo Youth Center. Some of the best players in the Valley over the last couple years grew up playing there.

“We would always play,” senior forward Frankie Sanchez said. “We all grew up playing at the youth center, here in the pavilion and in the park.”

Pretty much every player for Hidalgo got playing time together before varsity, so when they reached the pinnacle of high school athletics, they were already comfortable playing together. That tight bond has fueled the last 17 years, during which the Pirates have made the playoffs every year under coach Sanchez.

“This team is like family to me,” Saul Arjona Jr. said. “These guys are unselfish players, which I like. And that really helps us out a lot, because that gets us moving the ball around a lot, so we can score easier.”

“We played against each other, and it was very competitive back then, and it still is,” the younger Gus Sanchez added.

“Andy and I, we are best friends on and off the court, even in school,” Frankie Sanchez said. “We are real close. We started playing together freshman year. When he went down, it hurt us, because we rely a lot on him. And then Gus filled ’em up, and we are back on track. We are ready now.”

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Thursday’s Game

District 32-2A

San Perlita 93, Lasara 60

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

McAllen High 79, La Joya High 37

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 58, La Joya Palmview 49

McAllen Memorial 71, Mission High 54

District 31-6A

PSJA High 53, Edinburg High 43

Edinburg North 53, Edinburg Economedes 46

Edinburg Vela 73, PSJA Memorial 54

PSJA Southwest 54, PSJA North 50

District 32-6A

Weslaco High 83, Brownsville Rivera 35

Harlingen South 63, San Benito 48

Los Fresnos 80, Brownsville Hanna 43

Harlingen High 78, Weslaco East 56

District 31-5A

Sharyland High 52, Sharyland Pioneer 46

Laredo Cigarroa 80, Valley View 56

Laredo Nixon 79, Rio Grande City 55

Laredo Martin at Roma, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna High 58, Brownsville Porter 46

Edcouch-Elsa 56, Mercedes 50

Brownsville Pace 67, Donna North 27

Brownsville Veterans 72, Brownsville Lopez 45

District 32-4A

Port Isabel 60, Grulla 56

Hidalgo 63, Raymondville 24

Progreso 45, La Feria 40

Rio Hondo at Zapata, not reported

District 32-3A

Edinburg IDEA Quest at Monte Alto, not reported

District 32-2A

San Isidro 80, La Villa 50

Tuesday, Jan. 30

District 30-6A

La Joya Palmview at McAllen Rowe, 7:30 p.m.

Mission High at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.

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

District 31-6A

Edinburg North at Edinburg High, 6 p.m.

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

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

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

District 32-6A

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

Weslaco East at Brownsville Rivera, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen South at Weslaco High, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer at Valley View, 7 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

Laredo Nixon at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.

Laredo Cigarroa at Laredo Martin, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Brownsville Pace at Edcouch-Elsa, 7:30 p.m.

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

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

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

District 32-4A

Hidalgo at Grulla, 8 p.m.

Port Isabel at Progreso, 8 p.m.

District 32-3A

Monte Alto at Lyfors, 7:30 p.m.

District 32-2A

Lasara at San Isidro, 5 p.m.

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 31-6A

MCALLEN HIGH 79, LA JOYA HIGH 37

La Joya High 4 13 11 9 — 37

McAllen High 24 18 20 17 — 79

MCALLEN HIGH (79): Aaron Gutierrez 5, Marcos Saldana 9, Matthew Ibarra 4, Deshaun Primus 6, Jackson Helmcamp 3, A.J. Anaya 5, Rick Cuellar 12, Jose Calderon 3, Malachi Dames 6, Bryan Argil 6, Jaden Conrow 20.

LA JOYA HIGH (37): Nick Garza 4, Ojay Saenz 8, Santiago Rodriguez 4, Alex Villarreal 11, Jorge Garcia 2, Juztin Pulido 8.

RECORDS: McAllen High 15-12 , 5-2; La Joya 11-20 , 2-6.

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 58, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 49

LJ Juarez-Lincoln 11 19 13 12 — 58

La Joya Palmview 12 16 14 7 — 49

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN (58): Juan Martinez 3, Lalo Torres 20, J.R. Galvan 7, Andre Suarez 3, Cruz Mendoza 21, Luis Garza 5.

LA JOYA PALM VIEW (49): Freddie Flores 3, Gabriel Garza 4, Irving Gamez 10, Dante Olmeda 11, Allan Zarate 9, Paco de la O 12.

RECORDS: Juarez Lincoln 5-3; Palmview 2-3

Dsitrict 31-6A

PSJA HIGH 53, EDINBURG HIGH 43

Edinburg High 8 4 9 22 — 43

PSJA High 11 7 11 24 — 53

PSJA HIGH (53): Isaiah Garcia 20, Robert Garza 5, Nathan Sanchez 14, Jesus Ramos 8, Miguel Villarreal 6.

EDINBURG HIGH (43): Marc Figueroa 5, Damian Garcia 19, Matt Cruz 2, Jorge Hernandez 3, Jesus Cantu 14.

RECORDS: PSJA High 2-7; Edinburg High 7-2

EDINBURG NORTH 53, EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 46

Edinburg Economedes 13 16 9 8 — 46

Edinburg North 13 7 16 17 — 53

EDINBURG NORTH (53): Andrew Nunez 19, Iziaah Rangel 5, Ben Vela 12, Roel de Leon 2, Juan Vasquez 4, Alec Cavazos 1. Ricky Alaniz 10

ECONOMEDES (46): Omar Trevino 9, Jose Castillo 2, Angel Salinas 4. Johnathan Barrientos 8, Saul Alanis 8, Aizer Cavazos 4, Saul Calzada 11.

RECORDS: Edinburg North 20-11, 4-2; Economedes 6-3.

EDINBURG VELA 73, PSJA MEMORIAL 54

PSJA Memorial 21 4 17 12 — 54

Edinburg Vela 16 16 19 22 — 73

EDINBURG VELA (73): Noah Sekinger 18, Trey Chavana 14, Nate Gomez 14, Aziel Garcia 12, Bobby Espericueta 1, Josh Diaz 14.

PSJA MEMORIAL (54): David Garner 8, Jose David Chavez 9, N. Cisneros 2, Victor Salgado 6, K. Salinas 5, Adrian Rosales 21, Jonathan Martinez 3.

PSJA SOUTHWEST 54, PSJA NORTH 50

PSJA North 12 15 11 12 — 50

PSJA Southwest 12 7 9 26 — 54

PSJA SOUTHWEST (54): Omar Jimenez 11, Derek Cedillo 13, Roladno Cedillo 8, Dawrelle Robinson 4, Orlando Torres 6, Juan Montes 2, Eddie Zuniga 4, Freddy Leon 6.

PSJA NORTH (50): Daunte Galvan 32, Ricky Garcia 2, Ramon Salinas 2, Daniel Miz 10, Justin Perez 2, Severo Lerma 2.

Disrtict 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH 52, SHARYLAND PIONEER 46

Sharyland High 10 8 14 20 — 52

Sharyland Pioneer 7 7 6 26 — 46

SHARYLAND HIGH (52): Neto Robinson 7, Will Paterson 3, Brandon McCormick 7, Jonathan Flores 2, Isai Heredia 4, Andres Abrego 1, Mauro Fernandez 28.

SHARYLAND PIONEER (46): Cody Sanchez 7, Miguel Angel Gonzalez 6, Luke Padilla 1, Aaron Cuevas 20, Nick Zieske 2, Eddie Marburger 7, Ethan Lee 1, Lavar Lindo 2.

RECORDS: Sharyland 2-10; Pioneer 4-8.

District 32-5A

DONNA HIGH 58, BROWNSVILLE PORTER 46

Brownsville Porter 8 14 12 12 — 46

Donna High 13 13 17 15 — 58

DONNA HIGH (58): Derik Medrano 12, Joshua Aguilar 2, Eric Garza 25, Anthony Moreno 19.

BROWNSVILLE PORTER (46): Mundo Martinez 3, Raymond Zuniga 7, Alvaro Sanchez 1, Kevin Garcia 5, Sharrard Aubwani 2, Chris Orozco 4, Andrez Fragoso 18, Ben Pescadero 2, Rocco Almazan 4.

RECORDS: Donna High 5-4.

Distirct 32-4A

HIDALGO 63, RAYMONDVILLE 24

Raymondville 4 8 7 5 — 24

Hidalgo 21 13 12 17 — 63

HIDALGO (63): Aaron Anaya 4, Alexis Gonzalez 4, Sabastion Forero 5, Julio Zamorano 2, Moses Longoria 9, Gus Sanchez 8, Frankie Sanchez 12, Luis Toledano 2, Tony Fridas 2, Saul Arjona 10, Carlos Zuniga 5.

RAYMONDVILLE (24): Jaden Tagle 2, James Anderson 4, Aaron Castillo 6, Xavier Ledesma 6, Eliseo Cerda 4, Daniel Gutierrez 1, Rudy Ambriez 1.

RECORDS: Hidalgo 21-9 , 9-0.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

MERCEDES — As the evolution of basketball continues in the Valley, the lineups keep getting smaller, and Edcouch-Elsa is a prime example.

The Yellow Jackets don’t play a traditional low-post big man very often. Friday night on the road, the smaller lineup led the Yellow Jackets to a 56-50 win over rival Mercedes.

“It was great,” senior guard Joseph Gonzalez said. “The fans loved it. We loved it. Our coach loved it. We needed it. It was big.”

The Yellow Jackets are 14-15 overall and 7-2 in District 32-5A, and the win moves them two games clear of third place in the district with five games to go.

“Our coach told us this was going to be a big game as we get closer to the playoffs,” Gonzalez said. “So, we needed this win to put us in a good spot for second place.”

The Yellow Jackets start one player over 6 feet tall. The rest of the lineup is 5-foot-10 or shorter.

While the size disadvantage typically hurts the Yellow Jackets on the boards, it allows them to run freely up and down the court.

Senior forward Dustin Rodriguez is another reason the Yellow Jackets can succeed with a smaller lineup.

Rebounding is usually a group effort for E-E, with six players averaging more than three rebounds per game.

Among that group, Rodriguez is the only player capable of rebounding against any team.

“I work out on my legs a lot,” Rodriguez said. “The key to rebounding is both the timing and my leaping ability. I put in hours of work on my legs, just so I can get rebounds for my team, to keep us in the game. I try to do my best.”

As a freshman, Rodriguez averaged eight rebounds per game at the sub-varsity level. On Friday, he pulled down eight boards.

“Dustin is our little Energizer bunny. That guy can go all day,” Edcouch-Elsa coach Lalo Rios said. “He can play. He’s got a motor. He just does a lot of everything. We really value and appreciate what he brings to the table.”

The explosiveness he brings to rebounding also applies to scoring.

“That guy is always jumping around in practice,” Gonzalez said. “His ability to rebound for us is huge. Nobody expects him to do that. And he uses it at the other end to get above defenders for an open look at the rim.”

Rodriguez scored 10 points in Friday’s win.

“It feels good, because this is our hometown rivalry,” Rodriguez said. “We just tried to come out here and execute the game plan and try to get a W away, because we are on the road. And we have Pace and Lopez next. We are going to try to come for them, too.”

Brownsville Pace remains undefeated in 32-5A, and the two teams will meet Tuesday at Edcouch-Elsa.

The Yellow Jackets charged out to an early lead and never really looked back, leading by as much as 11 for stretches of the game. Mercedes hung tough and got the game to a single-possession difference multiple times, but the Yellow Jackets would not be denied the win.

Rios has become known for his five-in, five-out substitutions, but on Friday he showed a different look, using what he described as “big-game minutes.”

“Obviously, this is our rivalry,” he said. “It’s intense, and we knew it was going to be neck and neck all the way through. So, we decided to shorten the lineup a little bit, and let the guys that can carry us to victory play a little bit more.”

Several players needed to adjust, but one in particular was not tired at the end of the game.

“I condition a lot in practice,” Rodriguez said. “I’m always running. So, I never get tired. That’s the way I am. I have been an athlete all my life. I’ve just conditioned a lot. I come out here, and I don’t get tired.”

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RGVSports.com Top Ten
Team W-L Prev
1. Los Fresnos 25-5 1
2. McAllen Rowe 20-8 4
3. Edinburg Vela 15-13 7
4. Edinburg High 24-7 3
5. Brownsville Pace 21-8 6
6. Brownsville Rivera 15-10 NR
7. Harlingen High 23-8 2
8. McAllen Memorial 20-8 5
9. Rio Grande City 19-8 NR
10. Edcouch-Elsa 13-15 NR

District 30-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

McAllen Rowe 20 8 7 0 —

McAllen Memorial 20 8 5 2 2

McAllen High 14 12 4 2 2.5

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 18 10 3 4 4

La Joya High 11 19 2 5 5

La Joya Palmview 2 17 1 6 6

Mission High — — 1 6 6

District 31-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Edinburg High 24 7 7 1 —

Edinburg Vela 15 13 7 1 —

Edinburg North 19 11 6 2 1

Edinburg Economedes 22 10 6 2 1

PSJA Memorial 19 10 3 5 4

PSJA North 12 17 2 6 5

PSJA High 11 17 1 7 6

PSJA Southwest 3 18 0 8 7

District 32-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Los Fresnos 25 5 8 0 —

Brownsville Rivera 15 10 6 2 2

Harlingen High 23 8 5 3 3

Harlingen South 20 10 5 3 3

Weslaco High 20 8 4 4 4

San Benito — — 2 6 6

Weslaco East 7 21 1 7 7

Brownsville Hanna 13 16 1 7 7

District 31-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Laredo Nixon 24 5 10 0 —

Laredo Martin 14 13 8 2 2

Laredo Cigarroa — — 7 4 4.5

Rio Grande City 19 8 7 4 4.5

Roma 13 14 6 5 5.5

Sharyland Pioneer 11 14 4 6 6

Mission Veterans 15 14 4 7 7.5

Valley View 6 20 1 9 9

Sharyland High 6 21 1 10 9.5

District 32-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Brownsville Pace 21 8 8 0 —

Edcouch-Elsa 13 15 6 2 2

Brownsville Porter 8 10 5 3 3

Mercedes 17 12 4 4 4

Donna High 9 15 4 4 4

Brownsville Veterans 11 15 2 6 6

Brownsville Lopez 9 19 2 6 6

Donna North 1 24 0 8 8

District 32-4A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Hidalgo 20 9 8 0 —

Port Isabel 15 9 6 2 2

Zapata 12 14 6 2 2

La Feria 7 17 4 4 4

Grulla 10 16 3 4 4.5

Raymondville — — 2 5 5.5

Progreso — — 1 7 7

Rio Hondo — — — — —

District 32-3A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Santa Rosa 10 9 2 0 —

Brownsville IDEA Frontier 18 5 3 1 1.5

Lyford 10 7 1 1 1

Edinburg IDEA Quest 3 16 0 2 2

Monte Alto 8 13 0 3 2.5

District 32-2A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

San Perlita 11 14 3 0 —

San Isidro 21 4 2 1 1

Santa Maria 6 9 2 1 1

Lasara — — 0 2 2.5

La Villa 10 9 1 3 3.5

Individual Statistics
POINTS
Name G Tot. Avg.
D. Galvan, PSJA North 29 777 26.8
D. Luna, McAllen Rowe 28 627 22.5
E. De La Garza, Mission Vets 26 492 18.9
M. Arrellano, Harlingen High 26 469 18.0
G. Elizondo, San Isidro 25 435 17.4
L. Garza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 405 16.9
A. Woodard, Edinburg High 29 487 16.8
R. Nunez, Rio Grande City 27 453 16.7
N. Armstrong, Brownsville Hanna — — 16.2
G. Rivera, Weslaco East 11 178 16.2
M. Fernandez, Sharyland High 23 361 15.7
J. Pulido, La Joya High 28 430 15.4
J. Ortega, Brownsville Pace 17 262 15.4
J. Ovalle, Mercedes 29 422 14.6
N. Sekinger, Edinburg Vela 24 — 14.4
A. Carrizales, Los Fresnos 28 400 14.3
J. Sanchez, McAllen Memorial 19 269 14.2
D. Guerra, San Isidro 24 339 14.1
G. Garcia, Roma — — 13.8
C. Flores, McAllen Memorial 26 353 13.6
L. Alanis, Roma — — 13.4
J. Urbina, Los Fresnos 28 374 13.4
G. Lowery, Harlingen South — — 13.4
J. Garza, Donna North 13 173 13.3
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 23 302 13.1
A. Moreno, Donna High 21 270 12.9
J. Gonzalez, Edcouch-Elsa 27 342 12.7
A. Beltran, PSJA North 18 229 12.7
M. Maldonado, Grulla 26 329 12.7
M. Garza, San Isidro 24 303 12.6
J. Cantu, Edinburg High 30 376 12.5
A. Briones, Harlingen South — — 12.5
G. Martinez, Los Fresnos 27 338 12.5
B. Argil, McAllen High 26 322 12.4
C. Melendez, McAllen Memorial 26 323 12.4
D. Everage, McAllen Rowe 28 344 12.3
J. Yebra, McAllen Rowe 28 341 12.2
C. Garcia, B. St. Joseph — — 12.2
I. Garcia, PSJA High 27 330 12.2
C. Esteve, B. St. Joseph — — 12.1
G. Sanchez, Hidalgo 27 324 12.0
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 25 300 12.0
M. Medrano, Weslaco East 11 132 12.0
C. Mendoza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 288 12.0
J. Barrientos, Economedes 28 334 11.9
I. Rangel, Edinburg North 26 309 11.9
F. Aleman, Edinburg North 27 321 11.9
A. Nunez, Edinburg North 26 304 11.7
J. Vasquez, Harlingen High 25 292 11.7
N. Cantu, Mission Veterans 13 150 11.5
F. Gonzalez, Rio Grande City 26 299 11.5
J. Rucoba, Brownsville Hanna — — 11.1
A. Marroquin, Rio Grande City 27 300 11.1
C. Montelongo, La Joya High 28 305 10.9
D. Medrano, Donna High 21 228 10.9
M. Sesler, Harlingen High 26 283 10.9
D. Garcia, Edinburg High 30 322 10.7
C. Love, Harlingen South — — 10.7
J. Conrow, McAllen High 26 279 10.7
J. Caballero, Edcouch-Elsa 26 275 10.6
R. Rodriguez, Valley View 10 — 10.4
F. Sanchez, Hidalgo 27 279 10.3
V. Galvan, San Perlita — — 10.3
S. Pina, Economedes 19 193 10.2
J. Herrera, San Perlita — — 10.2
A. Sepulveda, Valley View 17 — 10.2
I. Gutierrez, Grulla 26 264 10.2
A. Salinas, Economedes 28 284 10.1
S. Turrubiates, Harlingen South — — 10.1
J. Castaneda, Mercedes 25 252 10.1
D. Primus, McAllen High 21 207 9.9
T. Rangel, Los Fresnos 28 276 9.9

REBOUNDS
Name G Tot. Avg.
L. Garza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 294 12.3
G. Elizondo, San Isidro 25 305 12.2
L. Alanis, Roma — — 10.4
J. Sanchez, McAllen Memorial 19 196 10.3
J. Yebra, McAllen Rowe 28 276 9.9
D. Everage, McAllen Rowe 28 260 9.3
N. Sekinger, Edinburg Vela 24 — 8.9
J. Cantu, Edinburg High 30 263 8.8
J. Solis, Grulla 12 112 8.6
A. Carrizales, Los Fresnos 28 236 8.4
I. Rangel, Edinburg North 26 212 8.2
F. Ayala, Valley View 17 — 8.1
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 25 192 7.7
C. Arthur, Mercedes 27 207 7.7
A. Segovia, Grulla 24 182 7.6
A. Woodard, Edinburg High 29 217 7.5
L. Lindo, Sharyland Pioneer 18 134 7.4
B. Bennett, Harlingen South — — 7.2
J. Conrow, McAllen High 26 184 7.1
D. Galvan, PSJA North 29 205 7.1
R. Nunez, Rio Grande City 27 191 7.1
R. Aguilar, Brownsville Pace 18 126 7.0
D. Luna, McAllen Rowe 28 197 7.0
A. Moreno, Donna High 21 147 7.0
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 23 152 6.6
C. Trevino, B. St. Joseph — — 6.6
S. Arjona, Hidalgo 27 176 6.5
J.T. Lerma, Mission Veterans 26 163 6.5
C. Contreras, Roma — — 6.4
A. Beltran, PSJA North 18 116 6.4
J. Rucoba, Brownsville Hanna — — 6.3
M. Sesler, Harlingen High 26 160 6.2
A. Marroquin, Rio Grande City 27 162 6.0
R. Garcia, Mission High — — 6.0
J. Ramirez, Roma — — 6.0
G. Rivera, Weslaco East 11 65 5.9
V. Campos, Brownsville Hanna — — 5.8
A. Salinas, Economedes 28 161 5.8
J. Ramos, PSJA High 26 149 5.7

ASSISTS
Name G Tot. Avg.
A. Bernal, McAllen Rowe 27 177 6.6
A. Salinas, Economedes 28 171 6.1
C. Mendoza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 138 5.8
C. Flores, McAllen Memorial 26 146 5.6
J. Castaneda, Mercedes 25 134 5.4
J. Torre, Brownsville Hanna — — 5.4
D. Luna, McAllen Rowe 28 147 5.3
M. Garza, San Isidro 24 119 5.0
J. Covarrubias, Rio Grande City 16 79 5.0
G. Sanchez, Hidalgo 27 133 4.9
A. Rodriguez, Roma — — 4.8
I. Garcia, PSJA High 27 128 4.7
A. Anaya, Hidalgo 27 113 4.2
V. Campos, Brownsville Hanna — — 4.2
C. Garcia, B. St. Joseph — — 4.2
D. Galvan, PSJA North 29 119 4.1
T. Moronta, Mission High — — 4.0
E. De La Garza, Mission Vets 26 103 4.0
J. Urbina, Los Fresnos 28 105 3.8
N. Cantu, Mission Veterans 13 48 3.7
I. Gutierrez, Grulla 26 92 3.5
K. Money, B. St. Joseph — — 3.4
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 25 81 3.2
J. Sanchez, McAllen Memorial 19 61 3.2
A. Nunez, Edinburg North 26 81 3.1
B. Guerra, Edcouch-Elsa 27 83 3.1
D. Everage, McAllen Rowe 28 85 3.0
C. Melendez, McAllen Memorial 26 78 3.0
T. Chavana, Edinburg Vela 20 — 2.9
J. Solis, Grulla 13 38 2.9
M. Maldonado, Grulla 26 73 2.8
M. Ibarra, McAllen High 26 74 2.8
M. Arrellano, Harlingen High 26 72 2.8
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 23 64 2.7
J. Ortega, Brownsville Pace 17 46 2.7
P. Silvero, B. St. Joseph — — 2.7
A. Reyes, La Feria 20 53 2.7
C. Montelongo, La Joya High 28 72 2.6
O. Saenz, La Joya High 27 70 2.6
G. Martinez, Los Fresnos 27 68 2.5
F. Ayala, Valley View 17 — 2.5

STEALS
Name G Tot. Avg.
A. Bernal, McAllen Rowe 27 190 7.0
A. Salinas, Economedes 28 162 5.8
D. Everage, McAllen Rowe 28 137 4.9
J. Urbina, Los Fresnos 28 123 4.4
G. Sanchez, Hidalgo 27 99 3.6
J. Covarrubias, Rio Grande City 16 56 3.5
D. Galvan, PSJA North 29 89 3.1
F. Sanchez, Hidalgo 27 84 3.1
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 25 77 3.1
M. Garza, San Isidro 24 71 3.0
D. Luna, McAllen Rowe 28 85 3.0
A. Briones, Harlingen South — — 3.0
J. Yebra, McAllen Rowe 28 82 2.9
C. Garcia, B. St. Joseph — — 2.9
N. Cantu, Mission Veterans 13 36 2.8
A. Rodriguez, Roma — — 2.8
M. Arrellano, Harlingen High 26 71 2.7
I. Garcia, PSJA High 27 73 2.7
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 23 64 2.7
J. Castaneda, Mercedes 25 68 2.7
A. Marroquin, Rio Grande City 27 72 2.6
F. Gonzalez, Rio Grande City 26 67 2.6
D. Rodriguez, Edcouch-Elsa 27 61 2.3
C. Montelongo, La Joya High 28 64 2.3
E. Garza, Donna High 20 46 2.3
E. De La Garza, Mission Vets 26 58 2.3
A. Anaya, Hidalgo 27 59 2.2
P. Silvero, B. St. Joseph — — 2.1
I. Gutierrez, Grulla 26 51 2.0
J. Torre, Brownsville Hanna — — 1.9
A. Carrizales, Los Fresnos 26 50 1.9
F. Aleman, Edinburg North 27 50 1.9
C. Flores, McAllen Memorial 26 47 1.8
L. Garza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 42 1.8

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

Rio Grande City has won three straight games and is closing in on a playoff spot.

The Rattlers are tied with Laredo Cigarroa for third in District 31-5A, as both teams have a 7-4 record in district.

Rio moved to 7-4 on Tuesday with a decisive 85-53 win against Sharyland Pioneer, a team still fighting for its own playoff life.

“It was big,” Rio coach Juan Aldape said. “The first round, we started 1-2 the first three games. Right now, we are on a three-game win streak with that one. It’s big for momentum to finishing out the season and going over there at Nixon Friday night.”

Rio Grande City faces a tough test in district-leading Laredo Nixon at 7:30 tonight. RGC then faces Mission Veterans, Sharyland High and Valley View before closing out with a home game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 13 against the second-place team in district, Laredo Martin.

The early struggles Aldape highlighted could prove to be a difference-maker during the home stretch.

“You know how they say it’s not too good to peak early?” Aldape said. “Well, I guess we peaked early in the season when we went on that hot streak. And then I don’t think we dropped down, but we had some tough losses where we learned from them. Hopefully, that will help us finish out the second round strong.”

Senior center Rodrigo Nuñez is regarded as one of the best frontcourt players in the Valley. Last year, the 6-foot-8 athletic big man led the Valley in points per game (20.2) and ranked third in rebounds per game (10.9).

This year, Nuñez’s stats are down just a tick (16.7 points, 7.1 rebounds), but that’s not because he is playing any worse, Aldape said.

“Rodrigo gets the ball, and here comes the double team, or even the triple team here and there,” Aldape said. “Luckily, Rodrigo has been fortunate to hit his teammates, and they have been finishing. We don’t rely so much on him, because the other guys are chipping in their part, as well. To where, he doesn’t have to be a 25-30 point a game player. Everybody is chipping in. We have four players scoring in double digits.”

Sophomore guard Aaron Marroquin has been a big piece to the puzzle for the Rattlers this year. Marroquin played on varsity last year, and that experience has helped him take his game to the next level this season.

“His freshman year was a lot of learning, but he learned quick, and he is very basketball savvy,” Aldape said. “And then playing with these kids with Rod and Jaime (Covarrubias) and Frankie (Gonzalez), the IQ of basketball is just so high, and they just know when to hit those open gaps. With them doing that, Aaron has been able to find his groove.”

Marroquin is averaging 11.1 points per game this season.

With a tough finish to the season ahead, the Rattlers cannot afford any letup. That’s why Aldape has been hammering home one point in particular.

“It’s still anybody’s game,” Aldape said. “I told the kids, ‘Let’s play one game at a time, and then after that, we will see what happens. But, we can’t look forward, or we can’t count on things to stay the same.’ This is high school basketball. Upsets are bound to happen, anywhere and everywhere. So, we just have to take care of our part and see how the last few games play out.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

EDINBURG — At a special Edinburg school board meeting on Tuesday, the board of trustees’ vote to decide the next Edinburg North football coach and boys athletic coordinator resulted in a tie.

Current Edinburg North baseball coach Damian Gonzalez was recommended to the board first and received three votes from the seven-member board.

Current quarterbacks coach at Edinburg North Raul Salas was recommended next, and he also received three votes.

The board announced the job opening will be addressed at the next meeting, which will take place next Tuesday.

“They are both Edinburg boys. They are both good, and they are both qualified,” board member Oscar Salinas said. “Both of them are pretty good. Me being a coach, I just decided I am going to vote for the one that is recommended (Gonzalez). I’m not going to pick one over the other. It’s a tough decision. We will come back really quick and make a decision as soon as we can.”

Gonzalez has been the baseball coach for the Cougars for the last 7 years.

Salas has been the quarterbacks coach for the last two years.

“They both played at North,” ECISD athletic director Roy Garza said. “Same team. … Salas played quarterback, and Damian was a center. They both played baseball for us, as well.”

Gonzalez and Salas played on the first team in school history to win a district title — a feat the school hasn’t accomplished since.

Both candidates also coached under Roy Garza, who was the Cougars football coach from 2005-13.

Gonzalez has the experience edge, having been the offensive coordinator at ENHS from 2012-14. He helped the Cougars reach the third round of the playoffs in 2012 and 2013. He served as the offensive line coach from 2007-2011, and the team made the playoffs three of the five years he held that position.

Salas has never been a coordinator at the high school level, but he brings a lot to the table, according to Salinas.

“I think he is a good candidate,” Salinas said of Salas. “He is qualified. He has been in the program. He knows the kids. I feel like he would be a good person to run the program.”

Asked if the decision was down to Gonzalez and Salas, Salinas said: “I think that it’s these two — but, you know, we will go back and look at it again. The superintendent and the administration will look at it again. And then they will make a decision.”

Raul McCallum was named the head volleyball coach at the meeting, replacing Adrian Cavazos, who resigned following the 2017 season. McCallum served as an assistant coach for Cavazos last year and has been with the program for 21 years.

“It was just the perfect fit,” Salinas said of McCallum’s approval. “Having a familiarity with the kids and then having paid his dues, we just felt that he was a great candidate. He’s done a great job there also. And he is also a really good math teacher. So we feel good about it.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

Mission Veterans boys basketball coach Romeo de la Garza has been placed on administrative leave, MCISD confirmed Monday.

De la Garza was not on the bench for either of the Patriots’ two games late last week.

MCISD public relations director Craig Verley declined to make any further statement on the situation, saying he can’t comment on “personnel matters.”

De la Garza could not be reached for comment, and Mission Veterans football coach and athletic coordinator David Gilpin declined to comment.

De la Garza has been the boys basketball coach at Mission Veterans since the school’s first season in 2005.

This year, the Patriots are 15-13 overall and 4-6 in District 31-5A. Assistant coach Jeffrey Espino will serve as the interim coach.

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

This story has been updated to include Campbell’s release from Hidalgo County jail.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrested Edinburg Vela football coach John Campbell on Saturday on a driving while intoxicated charge, according to Hidalgo County jail records.

Campbell’s personal recognizance bond of $2,000 was paid Sunday, and Campbell was released at about 8 p.m.

Campbell spent most of his coaching career in San Antonio before he was hired as the football coach and athletic coordinator at Edinburg Vela on April 19.
Campbell led Vela to a 12-1 season, with the SaberCats going 7-0 in District 31-6A. After the season, Campbell was named The Monitor’s All-Area Coach of the Year.
ECISD athletic director Roy Garza and other ECISD officials could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

When the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles kick off at 5:40 p.m. today, new PSJA North linebackers coach Frank Franz will have an interesting perspective.

As a Texan and former quarterback, Franz is excited to see two Texas quarterbacks (Case Keenum for the Vikings and Nick Foles for the Eagles) facing off for the right to play in the Super Bowl. But, Franz has an even deeper connection to the game. While Franz was playing his college ball at McMurray University in Abilene, he got to know one of the ball boys particularly well.

“Casey was my ball boy — Case now they call him,” Franz said. “Ironically enough, my head coach at McMurray was Steve Keenum. Case is his son. You saw that game that he just won at Minnesota. He was my ball boy in college, so I was rooting for him. It’s exciting to see. I followed him all the way through college. I always tell people, ‘I taught him what not to do.’ He watched me and saw all the mistakes that I made.”

Franz, who was hired earlier this month by PSJA North after spending the last seven seasons as the defensive coordinator at Edinburg North, said he sent a congratulatory text to Steve Keenum after last week’s thrilling 29-24 win by the Vikings over the New Orleans Saints.

Franz played quarterback in college, starting from 1995-97.

After he graduated, he had several different coaching jobs, coaching different positions and learning the intricacies of the game. He spent several years in the college game before taking a high school job at El Paso Coronado.

“I was coaching on the offensive side of the ball,” Franz said. “I was an offensive guy by trade, so I coached quarterbacks and receivers pretty much, and in El Paso, really we coached both sides of the ball. So I coached a little secondary.”

Franz is originally from the Valley, so when the chance to come back was presented, Franz jumped at the offer. He coached quarterbacks at Sharyland High for a year before taking a job with the RGV Dorados of the af2 in 2005.

“I started as a secondary coach with coach Kevin Guy,” Franz said. “Then, when he moved on to the arena league, my offensive coordinator at Edinburg North, Marty Hammond, was the head coach of the Dorados after Guy, and he kept me on staff as defensive coordinator.”

Franz said his job with the Dorados was his first time coaching defense full time, and he liked it so much he hasn’t left that side of the ball since.

PSJA North coach Marcus Kaufmann and former Edinburg North coach Rene Saenz saw the same quality in Franz.

“He gets along with the kids,” Kaufmann said. “I went to a powerlifting meet with him. All of the Edinburg North kids came up to him and gave him a hug or gave him high fives. And then, the kids came over to me and said, ‘Coach, you got a good one’ — from the kids. All of those kids got to know him, and they were attracted to him. That’s a great personality to have.”

Saenz witnessed the same from Franz during the past seven years at Edinburg North.

“The kids went all out for him,” Saenz said. “He’s a players’ coach. They liked his enthusiasm and his fire and his energy. He brought energy every day to practice.”

Energy is what defines the PSJA North program. With a young staff made up of coaches like Kaufmann and defensive coordinator Will Littleton, the Raiders specialize in lively practices and a fun atmosphere.

“He’ll fit in, and we won’t miss a beat with him in there,” Kaufmann said. “We’ll just roll right along and get rolling again. He’ll fit right in. We have been talking to him for about a week and a half now, and it’s like he’s always been here.”

Franz credits some of his coaches for showing him how to connect with players and bring that energy to the team.

“That’s why I do this, because I really find some joy in teaching kids something and not necessarily how to do things, but more how not to do things,” Franz said. “Look, I have made mistakes along the way, but I have also done some good things, and if you want to have success in life, these are some lessons I can teach you. I have always had a good rapport with the kids. I’m not necessarily young, but I’m not crazy old either, so I feel like I have a good rapport with the kids, and I always have. That excites me every day, just going in there and building that relationship with them. I have said it from the beginning, but it’s all about your relationship with those kids.”

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