VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Jan. 12

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe 50, McAllen High 42

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 57, La Joya High 49

La Joya Palmview 39, Mission High 35

District 31-6A

Edinburg High 53, PSJA North 46

Edinburg North 78, PSJA High 66

Edinburg Economedes 46, Edinburg Vela 44

PSJA Memorial 56, PSJA Southwest 45

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos 54, Weslaco High 43

Weslaco East 52, Brownsville Hanna 50

Harlingen High 71, San Benito 53

Brownsville Rivera 54, Harlingen South 40

District 31-5A

Mission Veterans 69, Roma 53

Sharyland High 39, Valley View 36

Laredo Nixon 95, Laredo Cigarroa 58

Laredo Martin 77, Rio Grande City 75

District 32-5A

Mercedes 76, Donna North 36

Edcouch-Elsa 54, Brownsville Porter 45

Brownsville Veterans 43, Donna High 35

Brownsville Pace 78, Brownsville Lopez 40

District 32-4A

La Feria 57, Grulla 54

Hidalgo 44, Zapata 23

Raymondville 65, Progreso 59

Port Isabel 70, Rio Hondo 48

District 32-3A

Lyford at Monte Alto, not reported

District 32-2A

San Perlita 72, Lasara 51

San Isidro 72, La Villa 63

Non-District

Brownsville St. Joseph 64, Laredo St. Augustine 43

Tuesday, Jan. 16

District 30-6A

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

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

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

District 31-6A

Edinburg High at Edinburg Economedes, 6 p.m.

Edinburg North at Edinburg Vela, 6 p.m.

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

PSJA High at PSJA Southwest, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

San Benito at Los Fresnos, 7:30 p.m.

Weslaco High at Weslaco East, 7:30 p.m.

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

Brownsville Rivera at Brownsville Hanna, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Roma at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

Laredo Martin at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at Laredo Nixon, 7 p.m.

Laredo Cigarroa at Mission Veterans, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

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

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

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

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

District 32-4A

Grulla at Progreso, 8 p.m.

Hidalgo at La Feria, 8 p.m.

District 32-3A

Monte Alto at IDEA Frontier, 7 p.m.

District 32-2A

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

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Friday’s Game

District 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE 50, MCALLEN HIGH 42

McAllen Rowe 12 3 19 16 — 50

McAllen High 13 17 6 6 — 42

McALLEN ROWE (50): Adrian Bernal 12, Jose Yebra 15, Gabriel Bautista 5, Derek Luna 7, Darrin Everage 9, John Galvan 2.

MCALLEN HIGH (42): Marcos Saldana 1, Matthew Ibarra 8, Desahaun Primus 4, Jackson Helmcamp 2, Malachi Dames 5, Bryan Argil 10, Jaden Conrow 12.

RECORDS: McAllen Rowe 5-0; McAllen High 12-12 , 2-2.

District 31-6A

EDINBURG NORTH 78, PSJA HIGH 66

PSJA HIGH 8 12 21 25 — 66

Edinburg North 17 11 27 23 — 78

EDINBURG NORTH (78): Andrew Nuñez 14, Felix Aleman 14, Izaiah Rangel 32, Ricky Alaniz 14, Cesar Noyola 3.

PSJA HIGH (66): Andrew Casas 10, Andrew Liszt 2, Isaiah Garcia 18, Victor Rangel 5, Jesus Ramos 13, Robbie Garza 8, Ethan Castillo 2, Miguel Villarreal 8.

RECORDS: Edinburg North 17-10, 4-1; PSJA High 0-5.

EDINBURG HIGH 53, PSJA NORTH 46

PSJA North 2 11 10 23 — 46

Edinburg High 9 14 18 12 — 53

EDINBURG HIGH (53): Marc Figueroa 5, Damian Garcia 22, George Hernandez 6, Antoine Woodard 10, Jesus Cantu 8.

PSJA NORTH (46): Fernie Salazar 10, Ricky Garcia 3, Daniel Martinez 6, Daunte Galvan 25, Ramon Salinas 2.

RECORDS: PSJA North 11-15 , 1-4.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 46, EDINBURG VELA 44

Edinburg Vela 9 15 7 13 — 44

Economedes 19 7 8 12 — 46

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (46): Angel Salinas 20, Jonathan Barrientos 5, Saul Alaniz 2, Simon Pina 3, Aizar Cavazos 12, Saul Calzada 4.

EDINBURG VELA (44): Matt Arteaga 7, Noah Sekinger 12, Austin Garza 3, Jordan de la Rosa 3, Bobby Espericueta 10, Josh Diaz 7, Vince Olivarez 2.

RECORDS: Edinburg Economedes 4-1; Edinburg Vela 4-1.

PSJA MEMORIAL 56, PSJA SOUTHWEST 45

PSJA Memorial 18 9 14 15 — 56

PSJA Southwest 12 16 6 11 — 45

PSJA MEMORIAL (56): David Garner 1, Jared Koenig 6, Jose David Chavez 6, Victor Salgado 3, Rat Salinas 8, Adrian Rosales 32.

PSJA SOUTHWEST (45): Raul Jimenez 7, Derek Cedillo 12, Rolando Cedillo 2, Orlando Torres 11, Marco Ramos 2, Freddy Leon 11.

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH 39, VALLEY VIEW 36

Sharyland High 6 7 7 19 — 39

Valley View 3 17 10 6 — 36

SHARYLAND (39): Brandon McCormick 7, Johnny Escamilla 7, Isai Heredia 4, Andres Abrego 6, Mauro Fernandez 10, Max Aguilar 3, Servando Pruneda 2.

VALLEY VIEW (36): Felipe Ayala 7,Isaac Lira 2, Jose Solis 2, Alan Fuentes 2, Jimenez 9, Andres Sepulveda 14.

RECORDS: Valley View 6-22.

MISSION VETERANS 69, ROMA 53

Mission Veterans 20 12 12 25 — 69

Roma 16 16 9 12 — 53

MISSION VETERANS (69): Elijah de la Garza 28, Noe Cantu 24, Elias Ibarra 10, Mikie Ayala 3, Jesus Gonzalez 2, J.T. Lerma 2.

ROMA (53): Cesar Contreras 18, Gilberto Garcia 8, Jesus Ramirez 8, Leonardo Alaniz 5, Noe Garza Jr. 5, Edgar Ayala 4, Tony Mejorado 2, Dario Gonzalez 2, Armando Rodriguez 1.

RECORDS: Mission Veterans 14-12 , 3-5; Roma 4-4.

District 32-5A

MERCEDES 76, DONNA NORTH 36

Donna North 6 10 10 10 — 36

Mercedes 27 20 20 9 — 76

MERCEDES (76): Alex Rincon 6, Caleb Arthur 6, Jared Castaneda 10, Jordan Gonzalez 4, Jay Ayala 2, Jordan Ovalle 22, Brandon Lozoya 22, Horace Pequeno 2.

DONNA NORTH (36): Juan Alvarez 2, John Martinez 12, C.J. Castillo 5, Marcus Lagunes 2, Luis Diaz 4, Julian Garza 12.

RECORDS: Mercedes 2-3; Donna North 0-5.

EDCOUCH-ELSA 54, BROWNSVILE PORTER 45

Brownsville Porter 11 9 13 12 — 45

Edcouch-Elsa 16 10 18 10 — 54

EDCOUCH-ELSA (54): Jeramiah Caballero 7, Aaron Aguinaga 3, Dustin Rodriguez 5, Joseph Gonzalez 20, Marin Rodriguez 12, Phillip Rendon 2, Marcos Escobar 5.

RECORDS: Edcouch-Elsa 10-515, 3-2.

RGVSports.com Top Ten

Team W-L Prev.

1. Los Fresnos 21-5 1

2. Harlingen South 19-7 8

3. Edinburg High 21-6 3

4. McAllen Memorial 18-7 4

5. Harlingen High 21-6 6

6. Weslaco High 18-6 2

7. Edinburg North 16-10 5

8. Brownsville Pace 12-6 10

9. Roma 11-12 9

10. McAllen Rowe 16-8 NR

District 30-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

McAllen Rowe 16 8 3 0 —

McAllen Memorial 18 7 3 1 .5

McAllen High 12 11 2 1 2

La Joya High 11 15 2 1 2

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 17 8 2 2 2.5

La Joya Palmview 1 14 0 3 3

Mission High — — 0 4 3.5

District 31-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Edinburg High 21 6 4 0 —

Edinburg Vela 12 12 4 0 —

Edinburg North 16 10 3 1 1

Edinburg Economedes 17 9 3 1 1

PSJA North 11 14 1 3 3

PSJA Memorial 17 8 1 3 3

PSJA High 10 15 0 4 4

PSJA Southwest 1 13 0 4 4

District 32-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Los Fresnos 21 5 4 0 —

Harlingen South 19 7 4 0 —

Harlingen High 21 6 3 1 1

Weslaco High 18 6 2 2 2

Brownsville Rivera 11 10 2 2 2

San Benito — — 1 3 3

Weslaco East 6 18 0 4 4

Brownsville Hanna 12 13 0 4 4

District 31-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Laredo Nixon 21 5 7 0 —

Laredo Cigarroa — — 6 1 1

Laredo Martin 11 13 5 2 2

Roma 11 12 4 3 3

Rio Grande City 16 7 4 3 3

Sharyland Pioneer 10 12 3 5 4.5

Mission Veterans 13 12 2 5 5

Valley View 6 17 1 6 6

Sharyland High 5 18 0 7 7

District 32-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Brownsville Pace 17 8 4 0 —

Donna High 8 12 3 1 1

Brownsville Porter 5 8 2 1 1.5

Edcouch-Elsa 9 15 2 2 2

Brownsville Lopez 8 15 1 2 2.5

Brownsville Veterans 10 12 1 3 3

Mercedes 14 11 1 3 3

Donna North 1 20 0 4 4

District 32-4A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Hidalgo 16 9 4 0 —

Zapata 10 11 4 0 —

La Feria 6 14 3 1 1

Port Isabel — — 2 2 2

Grulla 8 15 1 3 3

Raymondville — — 1 3 3

Progreso — — 0 4 4

Rio Hondo — — — — —

District 32-3A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Brownsville IDEA Frontier 14 3 — — —

Lyford 9 6 — — —

Santa Rosa 7 8 — — —

Monte Alto 8 10 — — —

Edinburg IDEA Quest 0 6 — — —

District 32-2A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

San Isidro 18 4 1 0 —

San Perlita 10 14 1 0 —

Santa Maria 3 8 0 1 1

La Villa 9 6 — — —

Lasara — — — — —

Individual Statistics

POINTS
Name G Tot. Avg.
D. Galvan, PSJA North 25 677 27.1
E. De La Garza, Mission Vets 25 464 18.6
G. Elizondo, San Isidro 22 397 18.0
M. Arrellano, Harlingen High 26 469 18.0
R. Nunez, Rio Grande City 23 394 17.1
L. Garza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 405 16.9
G. Garcia, Roma — — 16.6
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 26 407 15.7
D. Guerra, San Isidro 21 316 15.0
J. Sanchez, McAllen Memorial 18 262 14.6
J. Ortega, Brownsville Pace 15 217 14.5
N. Sekinger, Edinburg Vela 24 — 14.4
A. Carrizales, Los Fresnos 26 373 14.3
J. Ovalle, Mercedes 25 355 14.2
J. Urbina, Los Fresnos 26 355 13.7
L. Alanis, Roma — — 13.6
G. Lowery, Harlingen South — — 13.4
J. Garza, Donna North 13 173 13.3
C. Flores, McAllen Memorial 25 332 13.3
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 22 289 13.1
J. Barrientos, Economedes 23 299 13.0
A. Moreno, Donna High 21 270 12.9
C. Melendez, McAllen Memorial 25 323 12.9
J. Gonzalez, Edcouch-Elsa 24 307 12.8
M. Maldonado, Grulla 22 280 12.7
B. Argil, McAllen High 23 291 12.7
A. Beltran, PSJA North 18 229 12.7
A. Briones, Harlingen South — — 12.5
M. Garza, San Isidro 21 261 12.4
G. Martinez, Los Fresnos 25 304 12.2
C. Garcia, B. St. Joseph — — 12.2
G. Sanchez, Hidalgo 25 306 12.2
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 24 290 12.1
C. Esteve, B. St. Joseph — — 12.1
F. Aleman, Edinburg North 23 275 12.0
M. Medrano, Weslaco East 11 132 12.0
C. Mendoza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 288 12.0
I. Garcia, PSJA High 23 271 11.8
J. Vasquez, Harlingen High 25 292 11.7
J. Caballero, Edcouch-Elsa 23 265 11.5
A. Nunez, Edinburg North 22 253 11.5
C. Montelongo, La Joya High 26 299 11.5
S. Pina, Economedes 16 181 11.3
J. Rucoba, Brownsville Hanna — — 11.1
F. Sanchez, Hidalgo 25 275 11.0
I. Rangel, Edinburg North 22 243 11.0
D. Medrano, Donna High 21 228 10.9
M. Sesler, Harlingen High 26 283 10.9
A. Marroquin, Rio Grande City 23 250 10.9
C. Love, Harlingen South — — 10.7
N. Cantu, Mission Veterans 12 126 10.5
F. Gonzalez, Rio Grande City 22 230 10.4
R. Rodriguez, Valley View 10 — 10.4
J. Conrow, McAllen High 23 237 10.3
V. Galvan, San Perlita — — 10.3
J. Herrera, San Perlita — — 10.2
A. Sepulveda, Valley View 17 — 10.2
S. Turrubiates, Harlingen South — — 10.1
R. Garza, PSJA High 22 211 9.6
K. Money, B. St. Joseph — — 9.6
I. Gutierrez, Grulla 22 211 9.6
R. Aguilar, Brownsville Pace 16 154 9.6

REBOUNDS
Name G Tot. Avg.
L. Garza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 294 12.3
G. Elizondo, San Isidro 22 271 12.3
L. Alanis, Roma — — 11.0
J. Sanchez, McAllen Memorial 18 177 9.8
N. Sekinger, Edinburg Vela 24 — 8.9
A. Carrizales, Los Fresnos 26 222 8.5
J. Acosta, Mission Veterans 13 109 8.4
F. Ayala, Valley View 17 — 8.1
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 24 185 7.7
L. Lindo, Sharyland Pioneer 18 134 7.4
I. Rangel, Edinburg North 22 162 7.4
J. Conrow, McAllen High 23 168 7.3
B. Bennett, Harlingen South — — 7.2
R. Aguilar, Brownsville Pace 16 114 7.1
C. Arthur, Mercedes 23 162 7.0
A. Moreno, Donna High 21 147 7.0
D. Galvan, PSJA North 25 176 7.0
R. Nunez, Rio Grande City 23 160 7.0
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 20 138 6.9
A. Segovia, Grulla 20 135 6.8
C. Contreras, Roma — — 6.8
J.T. Lerma, Mission Veterans 25 156 6.7
C. Trevino, B. St. Joseph — — 6.6
S. Arjona, Hidalgo 25 166 6.6
A. Beltran, PSJA North 18 116 6.4
J. Rucoba, Brownsville Hanna — — 6.3
M. Sesler, Harlingen High 26 160 6.2
R. Garcia, Mission High — — 6.0
G. Rivera, Weslaco East 11 65 5.9
V. Campos, Brownsville Hanna — — 5.8
A. Marroquin, Rio Grande City 23 134 5.8
J. Ramos, PSJA High 22 117 5.3

ASSISTS
Name G Tot. Avg.
C. Mendoza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 138 5.8
C. Flores, McAllen Memorial 25 139 5.6
J. Castaneda, Mercedes 21 116 5.5
J. Torre, Brownsville Hanna — — 5.4
M. Garza, San Isidro 21 103 4.9
G. Sanchez, Hidalgo 25 120 4.8
I. Garcia, PSJA High 23 107 4.7
A. Rodriguez, Roma — — 4.6
D. Galvan, PSJA North 25 108 4.3
A. Anaya, Hidalgo 25 107 4.3
V. Campos, Brownsville Hanna — — 4.2
C. Garcia, B. St. Joseph — — 4.2
T. Moronta, Mission High — — 4.0
E. De La Garza, Mission Vets 25 99 4.0
J. Urbina, Los Fresnos 26 102 3.9
N. Cantu, Mission Veterans 12 44 3.6
K. Money, B. St. Joseph — — 3.4
J. Sanchez, McAllen Memorial 18 60 3.3
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 24 78 3.3
I. Gutierrez, Grulla 20 69 3.1
A. Nunez, Edinburg North 22 68 3.1
B. Guerra, Edcouch-Elsa 24 74 3.1
J. Arteaga, Edinburg North 13 39 3.0
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 22 64 2.9
J. Ortega, Brownsville Pace 15 43 2.9
M. Maldonado, Grulla 22 64 2.9
T. Chavana, Edinburg Vela 20 — 2.9
M. Ibarra, McAllen High 23 65 2.8
M. Arrellano, Harlingen High 26 72 2.8
O. Saenz, La Joya High 25 67 2.7
P. Silvero, B. St. Joseph — — 2.7
A. Reyes, La Feria 20 53 2.7
C. Montelongo, La Joya High 26 67 2.6
G. Martinez, Los Fresnos 25 64 2.6
B. Argil, McAllen High 20 52 2.6
F. Ayala, Valley View 17 — 2.5

STEALS
Name G Tot. Avg.
J. Urbina, Los Fresnos 26 114 4.4
J. Covarrubias, Rio Grande City 12 47 3.9
D. Galvan, PSJA North 25 84 3.4
G. Sanchez, Hidalgo 23 74 3.2
M. Garza, San Isidro 21 67 3.2
F. Sanchez, Hidalgo 25 77 3.1
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 24 72 3.0
A. Briones, Harlingen South — — 3.0
C. Garcia, B. St. Joseph — — 2.9
A. Marroquin, Rio Grande City 23 64 2.8
N. Cantu, Mission Veterans 12 33 2.8
M. Arrellano, Harlingen High 26 71 2.7
J. Castaneda, Mercedes 21 55 2.6
I. Garcia, PSJA High 23 60 2.6
A. Rodriguez, Roma — — 2.6
F. Gonzalez, Rio Grande City 22 55 2.5
C. Montelongo, La Joya High 26 62 2.4
E. Garza, Donna High 20 46 2.3
E. De La Garza, Mission Vets 25 58 2.3
D. Rodriguez, Edcouch-Elsa 24 50 2.1
P. Silvero, B. St. Joseph — — 2.1
A. Anaya, Hidalgo 25 53 2.1
J. Torre, Brownsville Hanna — — 1.9
A. Carrizales, Los Fresnos 26 50 1.9
F. Aleman, Edinburg North 23 42 1.8
C. Flores, McAllen Memorial 25 45 1.8
L. Garza, LJ Juarez-Lincoln 24 42 1.8
A. Salinas, Economedes 23 42 1.8
I. Gutierrez, Grulla 22 40 1.8

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

Edinburg Economedes went to work right after its 56-48 loss to Weslaco High in last year’s bi-district round.

“I knew I had my four starters, four juniors coming back, and my whole thing is trying to build around them and put the right pieces around them,” Economedes coach Carlos Ramos said. “So the team committed after the season was over. These kids played ball together from February all the way up until August, when football started. So we lost those football players for about three or four months, but after that, we always knew they would be a part of the big picture. At the beginning, we had to find roles for each kid, but I think right now, we are headed in the right direction. Is there room for improvement? Most definitely, but the good thing is last year, we were playing good ball, and then we just kind of plateaued. And bringing in these football players that are great athletes, it just kind of, it’s fun because we know we can do so much with that athleticism.”

The Jaguars are 17-9 overall and 3-1 in District 31-6A, putting them into a tie with Edinburg North for second in the district standings.

“When I became the head coach, we hadn’t made the playoffs in seven years,” Ramos said. “Last year was our first year in the mix. We played a very good Weslaco team, and I believe we lost by eight points. So, that’s where we are aiming now. Our motto now is, ‘Let’s just get in.’ Of course, you want to shoot for the district championship. But as long as we get in, anything can happen in the postseason.”

The Jaguars are in position to capture a playoff berth, and a large reason for that is the play of junior guard Johnathan Barrientos. Barrientos is averaging a team-leading 13 points per game.

“He is a pure shooter,” Ramos said. “The kid is solid. This is his second year on varsity. Last year he was more of a role player, I was getting him adjusted to the team. This year, thank God, we always knew he was going to be able to shoot well. But this summer, he really improved. He brings that shooting to the table. He is starting to drive a little bit more.”

Barrientos is often on the receiving end of assists from junior guard Angel Salinas, and that connection has been deadly this year.

“Angel Salinas, he is our third scorer, and he does so much for us,” Ramos said. “The ball is always in his hands. We ask a whole lot of him. Last year, he was looking to shoot a lot more, but this year, he is looking to distribute. The kids know that he is our leader. But by the same token, Angel is willing to give up the ball, and he has done a fantastic job of leading our team.”

Senior guard Simon Pina is averaging 11.3 points per game.

The growth of Economedes has continued to elevate ECISD, which on Tuesday swept PSJA ISD in District 31-6A action. The top four schools in the district standings this week are all from ECISD.

“We can’t count out any team. It’s a very competitive district. On any given night, anybody can take anybody down,” Ramos said. “But overall, basketball in the city of Edinburg has been at a high level for a very long time. I can’t remember a time like this where all four Edinburg schools are in the mix. It’s good for our district, and it’s great for our fans.”

[email protected]

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

DONNA — Eric Garza is the embodiment of the Donna High basketball team’s character.

Growing up, Garza started playing basketball at the age of 4 against taller, bigger players in leagues in Weslaco and Alamo. He always had to prove he belonged because of his 5-foot-6, 114-pound stature.

“I’m not the biggest guy,” Garza said. “So, I have to play harder to make up the difference.”

When Donna High takes the court, four of the five starters are under 5-foot-8. The height isn’t a permanent problem for Donna — they have only one senior and a handful of juniors. But the team’s starting lineup is made up of two sophomores and a freshman to go with a junior and a senior. The youth offers a lot of promise for the future, but right now, Donna has to wear its size as chip on its shoulder.

Still, no one on the team will ever let size be an excuse.

“Size doesn’t matter,” Garza said. “It’s just heart over height. We just need to play harder, so we can get better and better.”

Donna met Brownsville Pace in a matchup of undefeated District 32-5A teams on Tuesday at Donna High. Pace’s senior forward R.J. Aguilar scored 23 points to lead the Vikings (17-8, 4-0) to a 62-32 win, ending an unbeaten run for Donna (7-14, 3-1) to open district play.

“Of course we were overmatched size-wise, but I thought we were going to do a better job with the shooting the ball and defensively,” Donna coach Manuel Epperson said. “We struggled a little bit in those two facets of the game, and it cost us.”

This loss stings for Donna, but the team has no time to dwell on the sorrows, because its next three games feature Brownsville Veterans, Mercedes and Edcouch-Elsa.

“We played a brutal non-district schedule,” Epperson said. “We have faced the Laredo Alexanders, the McAllen Memorials, to get us ready for these situations.”

Garza is used to touch scenarios. Life hasn’t always been as easy as it looks when he has the basketball in his hands.

Growing up, Garza’s father, also named Eric Garza, wasn’t always the father Eric Jr. needed him to be.

“He really doesn’t do what he says,” the younger Garza said. “He says he is going to buy us stuff, but it’s always our stepdad who does that stuff. I see my stepdad more as a father.”

Garza’s stepfather, Orlando Maldonado, came into his life when he was young and has been a supportive father figure to Eric and his younger brother, Matthew, ever since.

“He’s been there for me, and I am really blessed that he came into my life,” Eric Garza Jr. said. “He’s just been there and supported me and my family.”

Eric Garza Jr. has always had to fight on the court. He developed a tenacity over the years, and he sharpened that edge at home playing one-on-one with Matthew. Eric Garza Jr. was tough on his brother, often dropping vicious dunks and winning big, but he also pushed his brother to be a better player.

Eric Garza Jr. has again had to learn how to be a leader this year. With only one senior on the team, juniors are tasked with stepping up for Donna.

The process hasn’t been easy.

“Right now, I’m not a leader, because I have missed practices,” Eric Garza Jr. admits. “But, I need to show up so I can be a better leader.”

Playing alongside an All-Area type of player in senior forward Anthony Moreno has certainly helped Garza’s game.

“He’s really good,” Garza said of Moreno. “He kicks out the ball when people trap him. He is a really good post player, and he can dribble the ball.”

Those kicks are becoming more frequent as the rest of the perimeter players are becoming more consistent from behind the 3-point line. The trick for Donna will be using those kicks more effectively. Sometimes the right play is to shoot, but Epperson said that maybe the right play is to make an extra pass.

“One more look and maybe that shot goes in as opposed to getting a turnover or things like that,” Epperson said. “We can’t have that. Make that extra pass or take that shot.”

Donna High is close. They will have to fight for it, but they are serious contenders for a playoff berth — something the team hasn’t earned since 2015.

The key will be players like Garza and Moreno continuing to improve, while the younger players learn and mature.

“I’m excited,” Epperson said. “I’m happy with the way they played. This is the first big game they have had all year, and hopefully they learn from this game and take it into every other game.”

[email protected]

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Jan. 9

District 30-6A

McAllen High 65, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 46

La Joya High 44, McAllen Memorial 38

McAllen Rowe 71, Mission High 35

District 31-6A

Edinburg North 64, PSJA Memorial 61

Edinburg Economedes 64, PSJA North 50

Edinburg High 62, PSJA Southwest 49

Edinburg Vela 61, PSJA High 52

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos 70, Brownsville Rivera 38

Harlingen South 59, Weslaco East 50

Harlingen High 81, Brownsville Hanna 51

Weslaco High 64, San Benito 37

District 31-5A

Laredo Nixon 82, Roma 64

Sharyland Pioneer 50, Laredo Cigarroa 45

Laredo Martin 62, Mission Veterans 41

Rio Grande City 71, Valley View 39

District 32-5A

Brownsville Pace 62, Donna High 32

Brownsville Lopez 57, Edcouch-Elsa 56

Brownsville Porter 51, Mercedes 46

Brownsville Veterans 65, Donna North 32

District 32-4A

Zapata 52, Grulla 42

La Feria 34, Raymondville 33

Hidalgo 71, Port Isabel 66, OT

Rio Hondo 73, Progreso 63

District 32-2A

San Isidro 79, Lasara 41

San Perlita 74, Santa Maria 60

Non-District

Brownsville St. Joseph 66, Santa Rosa 60

Monte Alto at Macedonia Christian Academy, not reported

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Games

District 30-6A

LA JOYA 44, MCALLEN MEMORIAL 38

La Joya High 3 14 12 15 — 44

McAllen Memorial 10 8 9 11 — 38

LA JOYA HIGH (44): Ojay Saenz 16, Alex Villarreal 19, Carlos Monetelongo 8,Justin Pulido 11.

MCALLEN MEMORIAL (38): Chris Flores 6, Chris Melendez 2, Josh Sanchez 16, Elian Reyna 10, Brett Baus 4.

RECORDS: La Joya 11-15, 2-1; McAllen Memorial 18-7, 3-1.

District 31-6A

EDINBURG NORTH 63, PSJA MEMORIAL 61

Edinburg North 12 18 16 17 — 63

PSJA Memorial 12 11 17 21 — 61

EDINBURG NORTH (64): J. Arteaga 2, A. Nunez 11, F. Aleman 14, I. Rangel 22, B. Vela 5, J. Vasquez 6, A. Cavazos 1, C. Noyola 2,

PSJA MEORIAL (61): J. Koenig 24, J.D. Chavez 8, V. Salgado 2, R. Salinas 7, A. Rosales 20.

RECORDS: PSJA Memorial 17-8, 1-3.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 64, PSJA NORTH 50

PSJA North 9 11 16 14 — 50

Economedes 19 16 9 20 — 64

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (64): Omar Trevino 8, Jose Castillo 1, Angel Salinas 13, Johnny Barrientos 15, Simon Pina 7, Azar Cavazos 4, Rick Chapa 12, Saul Calzada 4.

PSJA NORTH (50): Daunte Galvan 33, Ricky Garcia 4, James Noriega 3, Timur Lamb 4, Severo Lerma 3, Adan Puente 3.

RECORDS: Edin. Economedes 3-1.

EDINBURG HIGH 62, PSJA SOUTHWEST 49

PSJA Southwest 2 15 7 25 — 49

Edinburg High 18 8 13 23 — 62

EDINBURG HIGH (62): Marc Figueroa 8, Damian Garcia 5, Matt Cruz 2, John Carranco 2, Jorge Hernandez 8, Antoine Woodard 12, Jalen Lee 4, Fermin Ramos 7, Jesus Cantu 14

PSJA SOUTHWEST (49): Omar Jimenez 8, Derek Cedillo 11, Rolando Cedillo 10, Orlando Torres 7, Marco Ramos 7, Juan Montes 2, Freddie Leon 4.

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest 4-0.

District 31-5A

LAREDO MARTIN 62, MISSION VETRANS 41

Laredo Martin 27 7 10 18 — 62

Mission Veterans 7 10 0 24 — 41

LAREDO MARTIN (62): Matthew Carreon 7, Luis Ortegon 16, Nelson Vasquez 15, Matthew Duron 12, Austin Estevis 2.

MISSION VETERANS (41): Vela Garza 14, Elias Ibarra 10, Noe Cantu 9, Landry Gilbin 3, Jacob Marquez 3, Adrian Villarreal 2.

RECORDS: Laredo Martin 5-2; Misson Veterans 13-12, 2-5.

SHARYLAND PIONEER 50, LAREDO CIGARROA 45

Laredo Cigarroa 21 5 8 11 — 45

Sharyland Pioneer 18 8 12 12 — 50

SHARYLAND PIONEER (50): Mauricio Ramiro 3, Cody Sanchez 4, Miguel Angel Gonzalez 10, Luke Padilla 8, Aaron Cuevas 10, Nick Zieske 2, Eddie Marburger 13.

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer 10-12, 3-5; Laredo Cigarroa 6-1.

RIO GRANDE CITY 71, VALLEY VIEW 39

Valley View 2 19 10 8 — 39

Rio Grande City 21 13 17 20 — 71

RIO GRANDE CITY (71): Rodrigo Nuñez 13, Aaron Marroqiun 18, Jaime Covarrubias 10, Frank Gonzalez 8, Mario Gonzalez 11, Izrael lambert 5, Rudy bazan 2, Josh Garcia 4.

VALLEY VIEW (39): Felipe Ayala 7, Isaac Lira 2, Jose Solis 2, Alan Fuentes 7, Lopez 5, Deion Ortegon 2, Jimenez 9, Andres Sepulveda 5.

RECORDS: Rio Grande City 16-7, 4-3; Valley View 0-6.

LAREDO NIXON 82, ROMA 64

Roma 19 21 13 11 — 64

Laredo Nixon 22 21 24 15 — 82

RIO GRANDE CITY (71): Armando Rodriguez 6, Gilberto Garcia 8, Dario Gonzalez 6, Edward Garza 2, Leonardo Alanis 23, Jesus Ramirez 12, Cesar Contreras 1, Noe Garza Jr. 6.

District 32-4A

HIDALGO 71, PORT ISABEL 66, OT

Hidalgo 16 19 9 16 11

Port Isabel 16 9 15 20 6

HIDALGO (71): Gus Sanchez 22, Frankie Sanchez 11, Alexis Gonzalez 10, Tony Frias 8, Saul Arjona 8, Moises Longoria 5, Aaron Anya 5, Luis Toledano 2

PORT ISABEL (66): Tommie Zurita 21, Fernie Lopez 18, Daniel Rinza 13, Dennis Lozano 5, Emilio Galvan 4, Juan Muinz 4

RECORDS: Hidalgo 16-9, 4-0.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

McALLEN — McAllen Memorial senior forward Josh Sanchez can post a triple-double without too much stress.

If he plays well and stays within the offense, he can find those types of numbers on most nights. But Sanchez has a mind for the game, and he realizes that getting his teammates going is crucial.

“Coach tells them all the time like, ‘They are just going to stop him (Sanchez). They are going to underestimate you guys. That’s when you guys need to step up,’” Sanchez said of his coach, Sam Cortez. “(Cortez) has confidence that they are going to step up, and they have so far in district.”

When the Mustangs faced off with the La Joya Palmview Lobos on Dec. 30, Memorial tried to get Sanchez going.

“We tried to feed him in the beginning of the game, but it just wasn’t working,” senior guard Chris Melendez said. “So, we just had to step up, and it worked.”

The onus fell on senior guards Melendez and Chris Flores. Both players responded by carrying the scoring load. Flores scored 22, and Meledez had 18.

“Against Palmview, they were box-and-one (a defensive scheme focused on stopping one main scorer) the whole game on me. That makes it difficult for them to get me the ball,” Sanchez said. “I had under 10 in that game. Considering how much we beat them by, I think it was 20 points, it shows that we have more than just one weapon, and we are going to use all of it to our advantage.”

Sanchez still managed seven points and led the team with 10 rebounds, but his commitment to the team allowed the Mustangs to win on that night.

In Memorial’s win over rival McAllen High on Friday, Sanchez had 19 points, but that wasn’t even a game high, because Flores also had 19 while Melendez added 13.

“My point guard, Chris (Flores), they forget that he is pretty good, too,” Cortez said. “I have a three-headed monster. You try to take one guy away, that’s OK. We have two more that can make you pay on any night.”

Sanchez’s teammates regard him as a leader, but the Mustangs know leaning on him is not the only avenue to victory.

“We just have to step up, because they are going to try to shut down Josh every game,” Melendez said. “So, we just have to step up, and if we do, it’s hard to beat us.”

Sanchez has the skill and size of a collegiate player.

This season, he is averaging 14.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

“He’s on another level,” Cortez said. “He belongs at the next level. You can see it. Sometimes he doesn’t score as much as another guy, but if you look at his stats, he leads in every category. He leads in rebounds. He gets assists. I think he has had two or three triple-doubles this season, already. So that’s impressive on its own.”

Sanchez attacks the paint with a furious rage that often causes defenders to duck out of the way rather than absorb the contact. He learned that skill at a young age. Josh Sanchez played one-on-one in the driveway with his older brother Jonathan Sanchez, who was a standout in football and basketball at McAllen Memorial before graduating in 2016 and pursuing a college football career at Rice University in Houston.

“We have broken two basketball hoop backboards at my house,” the younger Sanchez said. “We would go really hard at the house. That’s why I finish in the paint the way I do, because of the way he would play me. There were no refs, so we would go hard.”

Josh Sanchez has built his own identity after sharing the spotlight with his brother for the first two years of his career, but those two seasons created several memories. Josh and Jonathan shared the frontcourt for all of Josh’s senior year and much of the year before.

“He was the 5 and I was the 4,” Josh Sanchez said. “My oldest brother, John Paul, made a video after the season, and it was a combined highlight video of just Jonathan and I passing the ball to each other and scoring. It was like 3 minutes long, and there was tons of passing in the paint. You could see we knew exactly what we were doing and where we were going. You could see the chemistry was there between us. My family loved seeing that video, because me and my brother were playing together.”

The 2015-16 season holds a lot of significance for Josh Sanchez, as it is the last time the Mustangs advanced past the first round of the playoffs. Last year, Memorial was ousted in the opening round by Laredo United.

The painful loss resonated with the Mustangs, and that pain is what motivates them to go farther this year.

“I think we can beat the Laredo teams,” Melendez said. “We just didn’t show up last year. We played a tournament over there, and we did great. I think we should be able to win this year.”

[email protected]

VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Jan. 5

District 30-6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 67, Mission High 64

McAllen Memorial 61, McAllen High 42

McAllen Rowe 53, La Joya Palmview 49

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela 67, PSJA North 56

Edinburg High 50, Edinburg North 37

PSJA Memorial 65, PSJA High 33

Edinburg Economedes at PSJA Southwest, not reported

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos 91, Harlingen High 40

Brownsville Rivera 57, Weslaco East 40

Harlingen South 64, Weslaco High 53

San Benito 57, Brownsville Hanna 42

District 31-5A

Roma 59, Sharyland Pioneer 53

Rio Grande City 52, Sharyland High 41

Valley View 45, Mission Veterans 43

Laredo Nixon 76, Laredo Martin 64

District 32-5A

Mercedes 59, Brownsville Lopez 49

Donna High 54, Donna North 46

Brownsville Pace 53, Edcouch-Elsa 44

Brownsville Porter 60, Brownsville Veterans 58

District 32-4A

Hidalgo 58, Grulla 54

Port Isabel 65, Progreso 52

Non-District

IDEA Weslaco 74, Monte Alto 56

San Isidro 68, Bruni 39

Lasara at Brownville Frontier, not reported

Tuesday, Jan. 9

District 30-6A

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

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

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

District 31-6A

Edinburg North at PSJA Memorial, 6 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at Edinburg High, 6 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at PSJA High, 6 p.m.

PSJA North at Edinburg Economedes, 6 p.m.

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos at Brownsville Rivera, 6 p.m.

Harlingen South at Weslaco East, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Hanna at Harlingen High, 6 p.m.

Weslaco High at San Benito, 6 p.m.

District 31-5A

Roma at Laredo Nixon, 7 p.m.

Laredo Cigarroa at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Laredo Martin at Mission Veterans, 7 p.m.

Valley View at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa at Brownsville Lopez, 6 p.m.

Mercedes at Brownsville Porter, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at Donna High, 6 p.m.

Brownsville Veterans at Donna North, 6 p.m.

District 32-4A

Zapata at Grulla, 8 p.m.

Port Isabel at Hidalgo, 8 p.m.

Progreso at Rio Hondo, 8 p.m.

Non-District

Monte Alto at Macedonia Christian Academy, 7:30 p.m.

District 32-2A

San Isidro at Lasara, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Friday’s Games

District 30-6A

MCALLEN MEMORIAL 61, MCALLEN HIGH 42

McAllen High 11 6 14 11 — 42

McAllen Memorial 14 17 13 17 — 61

McALLEN MEMORIAL (61): Chris Flores 19, Javi Mendoza 2, Chris Melendez 11, Josh Sanchez 19, Elian Reyna 8, Brett Bans 2.

McALLEN HIGH (42): Marcos Saldana 3, Matthew Ibarra 2, Naz Moore 2, DeShaun Primus 24, Jackson Helmcamp 2, Malachi Dames 2, Jaden Conrow 7.

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial 18-6, 3-0; McAllen High 11-11, 1-1.

McALLEN ROWE 53, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 49

McAllen Rowe 17 16 17 13 — 53

La Joya Palmview 10 10 9 20 — 49

McALLEN ROWE (53): A. Bernal 10, A. Salinas 2, J. Yebra 10, G. Bautista 4, Derek Luna 26, J. Elizondo 5, D. Everage 6.

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (49): Gabriel Garza 9, Irving Gamez 18, Josiah Zapata 2, Allan Zarate 3, Paco De La O 17.

RECORDS: La Joya Palmview 0-3; McAllen Rowe 3-0.

District 31-6A

EDINBURG VELA 67, PSJA NORTH 56

PSJA North 18 13 12 13 — 56

Edinburg Vela 12 14 15 26 — 67

EDINBURG VELA (67): Noah Sekinger 28, Trey Chavana 9, Nate Gomez 3, Austin Garza 5, Jordan De La Rosa 5, Aziel Garcia 3, Bobby Espericueta 2, Josh Diaz 10.

PSJA NORTH (56): Timur Lamb 7, Severo Lerma18, Ramon Salinas 2, Daunte Galvan 29.

RECORDS: PSJA North 11-13, 1-2.

District 31-5A

RIO GRANDE CITY 52, SHARYLAND HIGH 41

Sharyland High 6 9 17 9 — 41

Rio Grande City 15 15 10 12 — 52

RIO GRANDE CITY (52): Rodrigo Nunez 16, Aaron Marroquin 18, Jaime Covarrubias 1, Frank Gonzalez 8, Mario Gonzalez 2, Izrael Lambert 5, Josh Garcia 2.

SHARYLAND HIGH (41): Brandon McCormick 2, Jonathan Flores 2, Isai Heredia 9, Andres Abrego 1, David Vela 3, Mauro Fernandez 18, Max Aguilar 2, Servando Pruneda 4.

RECORDS: Rio Grande City 15-7, 3-3.

ROMA 59, SHARYLAND PIONEER 53

Roma 11 24 8 16 — 59

Sharyland Pioner 7 13 15 18 — 53

ROMA (59): Armando Rodriguez 5, Gilberto Garcia 11, Dario Gonzalez 9, Leonardo Alanis 11, Jesus Ramirez 7, Cesar Contreras 11, Noe Garza Jr. 1, Juan Gutierrez 2, Tony Mejorado 2.

SHARYLAND PIONERR (53): Maury Ramiro 16, Cody Sanchez 2, Luke Padilla 4, Aaron Cuevas 8, Nick Zieske 2, Eddie Marburger 6, Ethan Lee 6, Geo Garza 9.

RECORDS: Roma 11-11, 4-2; Sharyland Pioneer 9-12, 2-5.

VALLEY VIEW 45, MISSION VETERANS 43

Valley View 16 6 13 10 — 45

Mission Veterans 0 10 14 19 — 43

VALLEY VIEW (45): Andy Sepulveda 12, Isaac Lira 12, Felipe Ayala 9, Alan Funtes 6, Dion Ortegon 2, Jose Solis 2.

MISSION VETERANS (43): Noe Cantu 15, Elijah De La Garza 14, Elias Ibarra 8, Landry Gilpin 3, JT Lerma 3.

RECORDS: Valley View 1-5; Mission Veterans 13-11, 2-4.

District 32-5A

DONNA HIGH 54, DONNA NORTH 46

Donna North 5 9 17 15 — 46

Donna High 9 16 12 17 — 54

DONNA HIGH (54): Alex Sanchez 5, Derik Medrano 23, Eddy Epperson 3, Eric Garza 8, Anthony Moreno 13, Carlos Bowen 2.

DONNA NORTH (46): Juan Alvarez 2, John Martinez 4, Julio Aguirre 2, CJ Castillo 1, Jerry Flores 12, Julian Garza 22, Luis Diaz 3.

RECORDS: Donna High 3-0; Donna North 0-3.

RGVSports.com Top Ten

Team W-L Prev

1. Los Fresnos 19-5 2

2. Weslaco High 17-5 1

3. Edinburg High 19-6 6

4. McAllen Memorial 17-6 NR

5. Edinburg North 15-9 NR

6. Harlingen High 20-5 NR

7. McAllen High 11-10 7

8. Harlingen South 16-7 4

9. Roma 10-11 9

10. Brownsville Pace 10-6 NR

District 30-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

McAllen Memorial 17 6 2 0 –

McAllen High 11 10 1 0 .5

McAllen Rowe 14 8 1 0 .5

La Joya High 10 15 1 1 1

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 13 7 1 1 1

La Joya Palmview 1 13 0 2 2

Mission High 3 8 0 2 2

District 31-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Edinburg High 19 6 2 0 –

Edinburg North 15 9 2 0 –

Edinburg Vela 8 11 1 0 .5

PSJA North 11 12 1 1 1

Edinburg Economedes 15 9 1 1 1

PSJA Memorial 15 5 0 1 1.5

PSJA High 10 13 0 2 2

PSJA Southwest 1 11 0 2 2

District 32-6A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Los Fresnos 19 5 2 0 –

Harlingen High 20 5 2 0 –

Harlingen South 16 7 1 0 .5

Weslaco High 17 5 1 1 1

Brownsville Rivera 10 9 1 1 1

San Benito 2 10 0 1 1.5

Weslaco East 6 16 0 2 2

Brownsville Hanna 12 11 0 2 2

District 31-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Laredo Cigarroa – – 6 0 –

Laredo Nixon 19 5 5 0 .5

Laredo Martin 10 12 4 1 1.5

Roma 10 11 3 2 2.5

Mission Veterans 13 10 2 3 3.5

Rio Grande City 14 7 2 3 3.5

Sharyland Pioneer 9 11 2 4 34

Valley View 5 16 0 5 5.5

Sharyland High 4 11 0 6 6

District 32-5A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Edcouch-Elsa 9 13 2 0 –

Brownsville Pace 10 6 2 0 –

Donna High 7 11 2 0 –

Brownsville Lopez 7 14 0 1 1.5

Brownsville Porter 3 8 0 1 1.5

Donna North 1 18 0 2 2

Brownsville Veterans 9 11 0 2 2

Mercedes 13 10 0 2 2

District 32-4A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Hidalgo 14 9 2 0 –

Zapata – – 2 0 –

Grulla 8 13 1 1 1

Raymondville – – 1 1 1

Port Isabel – – 0 2 2

La Feria – – – – –

Rio Hondo – – – – –

Progreso – – – – –

District 32-3A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

Brownsville IDEA Frontier 13 2 – – –

Lyford 7 6 – – –

Monte Alto 7 9 – – –

Santa Rosa 6 8 – – –

Edinburg IDEA Quest 0 5 – – –

District 32-2A

Overall District

Team W L W L GB

San Isidro 17 4 – – –

La Villa 7 5 – – –

San Perlita 8 14 – – –

Santa Maria 3 8 – – –

Lasara – – – – –

Individual Statistics
POINTS
Name G Tot. Avg.
D. Galvan, PSJA North 23 615 26.7
E. De La Garza, Mission Vets 23 436 19.0
G. Elizondo, San Isidro 21 383 18.2
R. Nunez, Rio Grande City 21 365 17.4
G. Garcia, Roma – – 16.6
N. Armstrong, Brownsville Hanna – – 16.2
G. Rivera, Weslaco East 11 178 16.2
J. Pulido, La Joya High 24 379 15.8
D. Guerra, San Isidro 20 295 14.8
J. Sanchez, McAllen Memorial 16 227 14.2
A. Moreno, Donna High 19 268 14.1
J. Ovalle, Mercedes 23 324 14.1
A. Carrizales, Los Fresnos 24 336 14.0
L. Alanis, Roma – – 13.6
B. Argil, McAllen High 20 269 13.5
J. Urbina, Los Fresnos 24 323 13.5
C. Melendez, McAllen Memorial 23 310 13.5
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 20 266 13.3
C. Flores, McAllen Memorial 23 307 13.3
J. Gonzalez, Edcouch-Elsa 22 287 13.0
A. Beltran, PSJA North 18 229 12.7
G. Martinez, Los Fresnos 23 288 12.5
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 22 272 12.4
I. Garcia, PSJA High 21 259 12.3
C. Garcia, B. St. Joseph – – 12.2
J. Caballero, Edcouch-Elsa 21 255 12.1
C. Esteve, B. St. Joseph – – 12.1
F. Aleman, Edinburg North 21 252 12.0
C. Montelongo, La Joya High 24 287 12.0
M. Medrano, Weslaco East 11 132 12.0
M. Garza, San Isidro 20 235 11.8
A. Nunez, Edinburg North 20 234 11.7
G. Sanchez, Hidalgo 23 260 11.3
F. Sanchez, Hidalgo 23 258 11.2
J. Rucoba, Brownsville Hanna – – 11.1
F. Gonzalez, Rio Grande City 20 214 10.7
D. Moreno, Donna High 19 197 10.4
J. Conrow, McAllen High 20 207 10.4
R. Rodriguez, Valley View 10 – 10.4
I. Rangel, Edinburg North 20 206 10.3
V. Galvan, San Perlita – – 10.3
N. Cantu, Mission Veterans 10 102 10.2
J. Herrera, San Perlita – – 10.2
A. Sepulveda, Valley View 17 – 10.2
A. Marroquin, Rio Grande City 21 214 10.2
R. Garza, PSJA High 22 211 9.6
K. Money, B. St. Joseph – – 9.6
J. Castaneda, Mercedes 19 183 9.6
J. Covarrubias, Rio Grande City 10 94 9.4
L. Padilla, Sharyland Pioneer 19 164 8.6

REBOUNDS
Name G Tot. Avg.
G. Elizondo, San Isidro 21 257 12.2
L. Alanis, Roma – – 11.0
A. Moreno, Donna High 19 194 10.2
J. Sanchez, McAllen Memorial 16 144 9.0
A. Carrizales, Los Fresnos 24 207 8.6
J. Acosta, Mission Veterans 13 109 8.4
F. Ayala, Valley View 17 – 8.1
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 22 172 7.8
J. Conrow, McAllen High 20 152 7.6
L. Lindo, Sharyland Pioneer 18 134 7.4
I. Rangel, Edinburg North 20 144 7.2
C. Arthur, Mercedes 21 149 7.1
D. Galvan, PSJA North 23 162 7.0
R. Nunez, Rio Grande City 21 145 6.9
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 20 138 6.9
J.T. Lerma, Mission Veterans 23 156 6.8
C. Contreras, Roma – – 6.8
C. Trevino, B. St. Joseph – – 6.6
S. Arjona, Hidalgo 23 152 6.6
A. Beltran, PSJA North 18 116 6.4
J. Rucoba, Brownsville Hanna – – 6.3
G. Rivera, Weslaco East 11 65 5.9
V. Campos, Brownsville Hanna – – 5.8
J. Ramos, PSJA High 20 114 5.7
A. Marroquin, Rio Grande City 21 120 5.7
A. Villarreal, La Joya High 21 108 5.1

ASSISTS
Name G Tot. Avg.
C. Flores, McAllen Memorial 23 128 5.6
J. Castaneda, Mercedes 19 106 5.6
J. Torre, Brownsville Hanna – – 5.4
I. Garcia, PSJA High 21 103 4.9
M. Garza, San Isidro 20 98 4.9
G. Sanchez, Hidalgo 23 109 4.7
A. Rodriguez, Roma – – 4.6
D. Galvan, PSJA North 23 100 4.3
V. Campos, Brownsville Hanna – – 4.2
C. Garcia, B. St. Joseph – – 4.2
J. Urbina, Los Fresnos 24 96 4.0
E. De La Garza, Mission Vets 23 92 4.0
N. Cantu, Mission Veterans 10 39 3.9
A. Anaya, Hidalgo 23 88 3.8
K. Money, B. St. Joseph – – 3.4
J. Sanchez, McAllen Memorial 16 54 3.4
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 22 72 3.3
A. Nunez, Edinburg North 20 61 3.1
J. Arteaga, Edinburg North 12 36 3.0
B. Guerra, Edcouch-Elsa 22 67 3.0
M. Ibarra, McAllen High 20 60 3.0
B. Lozoya, Mercedes 20 59 3.0
O. Saenz, La Joya High 23 63 2.7
P. Silvero, B. St. Joseph – – 2.7
G. Martinez, Los Fresnos 23 60 2.6
E. Epperson, Donna High 19 50 2.6
B. Argil, McAllen High 20 52 2.6
F. Ayala, Valley View 17 – 2.5
E. Marburger, Sharyland Pioneer 16 39 2.4

STEALS
Name G Tot. Avg.
J. Urbina, Los Fresnos 24 103 4.3
J. Covarrubias, Rio Grande City 10 40 4.0
D. Galvan, PSJA North 23 80 3.5
G. Sanchez, Hidalgo 23 74 3.2
M. Garza, San Isidro 20 62 3.1
F. Sanchez, Hidalgo 23 71 3.1
E. Ibarra, Mission Veterans 22 67 3.0
A. Marroquin, Rio Grande City 21 60 2.9
N. Cantu, Mission Veterans 10 29 2.9
C. Garcia, B. St. Joseph – – 2.9
E. Garza, Donna High 16 45 2.8
I. Garcia, PSJA High 21 56 2.7
J. Castaneda, Mercedes 19 51 2.7
A. Rodriguez, Roma – – 2.6
F. Gonzalez, Rio Grande City 20 50 2.5
C. Montelongo, La Joya High 24 58 2.4
E. De La Garza, Mission Vets 23 52 2.3
P. Silvero, B. St. Joseph – – 2.1
A. Anaya, Hidalgo 23 46 2.0
F. Aleman, Edinburg North 21 39 1.9
J. Torre, Brownsville Hanna – – 1.9
C. Flores, McAllen Memorial 23 42 1.8

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

When coach Nicholas Lopez came to PSJA High after working as an assistant at Edinburg Vela, he knew he wanted to bring one thing to the program, and that was speed.

“That is something we completely brought in,” Lopez said. “The kids were kind of used to getting back into a man defense and trying to keep the score low. … We have a lot of great athletes at PSJA, similar to what we had at Vela. So we instituted, we call it the new Bears system. We pick up full-court pressure as much as we can. We run as much as we can, and we feel like we have great kids, great athletes at PSJA, so we think we can run with anybody.”

The Bears run up the court when they get the ball, run back on defense and make group substitutions to keep the players fresh.

The first group packs a potent punch on offense, led by senior guard Isaiah Garcia, who is averaging 12.3 points per game through his first 21 games.

“Isaiah is a great player,” Lopez said. “With him being a senior, we talked about, ‘This is your last chance to do something.’ We talk a lot about legacy. … That is one of the things Isaiah has really taken to heart. He has elevated his game.”

Senior guard Robert Garza has taken perhaps the biggest step forward this season for the Bears. Garza worked to improve, and through 22 contests this year, he is averaging 9.6 points per game.

“I think Robbie Garza has put in a lot of time,” Lopez said. “He was a junior last year who didn’t get much playing time. But he spent a lot of time this summer working on his game. He did a lot of personal training, he came to a lot of camps that they had here in the Valley, and he played a lot of summer ball. So he has been a pleasant surprise. He is a starter now at the two spot. He is a great shooter. He has put in the time, and now I think he is starting to see the fruits of his labor.”

The second unit for the Bears brings a different look, with two football standouts playing big roles. Senior forward Nathan Sanchez is averaging 3.4 rebounds per game off the bench, which is the third-highest mark on the team. Junior Andrew Liszt is averaging 4.6 points.

“We have the first group that is a little bit more of the basketball IQ kids,” Lopez said. “Then we have that tough scrappy second group that I think is a really good change of pace off the bench. I think it’s really a good one-two punch. We have that smooth ball movement of the first group, and then we have the tough gritty defensive unit that comes off the bench that can get us some quick steals and turn the game around for us.”

[email protected]

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

La Joya High hosted Edcouch-Elsa in a non-district tilt on Nov. 28.

Early in the first half, La Joya senior guard Alexis Tovar went to the ground with an injury.

Tovar did not return to the game, having suffered a torn ACL that would keep him out for the rest of the season.

“You just feel bad for the kid,” La Joya coach Eric Montalvo said. “It’s his senior year, and we were expecting a lot of good things from him. But it’s just something that we preach as a program that everyone has to be ready to go.”

Tovar played in only eight games, and during that time he averaged 8.3 points, 3.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. His production wasn’t easy to replace, and the Coyotes couldn’t do so with just one player.

Senior Ojay Saenz moved from shooting guard to point guard, and sophomore Jesus Huerta has also filled in at point.

“A lot of it is just point guard by committee,” Montalvo said. “It just depends on the situation. We will get different kids in there to run the point depending on what’s happening on the floor.”

Despite the loss, the Coyotes (10-15, 1-1) remain hungry to compete in a cutthroat District 30-6A.

“30-6A is always tough,” Montalvo said. “You have the three McAllen schools that are always tough, and Juarez-Lincoln is playing well right now. They are a veteran group. I told the kids, ‘Every game is a big game right now. Once you get to district play, every game counts.’”

For the Coyotes this season, much of the spark on offense has come from senior Juztin Pulido and junior Carlos Montelongo. Pulido is averaging 15.8 points per game, with Montelongo at 12.0 through Tuesday’s game.

“Juztin is one of our returning starters, and Carlos was our little spark plug off the bench last year,” Montalvo said. “This year, Carlos stepped into a bigger role, and we have been asking for him to score more, but the one thing about Carlos is that we like his defensive intensity and his speed and quickness on the defensive side, so that helps us a lot.”

Montalvo said Alex Villarreal has also been a big factor on the inside for the Coyotes. Villarreal leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game and is also contributing 8.3 points per game.

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