Valley HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Monday, Dec. 4

Non-District

Mission High at Sharyland Pioneer, 7:30 p.m.

San Benito at Mission Veterans, 7:30 p.m.

Hebbronville at San Isidro, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 5

Non-District

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

Weslaco East at Edcouch-Elsa, 7:30 p.m.

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

Lyford at Grulla, 6:30 p.m.

Laredo Martin at Edinburg High, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Rivera at McAllen Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

Los Fresnos at Edinburg North, 7:30 p.m.

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

Rio Grande City at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.

La Joya High at Edinburg Economedes, 7:30 p.m.

Hidalgo at Valley View, 8 p.m.

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

Laredo LBJ at Donna High, 7 p.m.

PSJA Memorial at Brownsville Lopez, 7:30 p.m.

Progreso at Lasara, 7:30 p.m.

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

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

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

Tournaments

Craig Smith Tournament

At Edinburg

Saturday’s Games

Winners Bracket

Semifinals

At Edinburg Economedes

Edinburg Economedes 50, Edinburg Vela 43

At Edinburg High

Edinburg High 64, Edinburg North 43

Championship

At Edinburg Economedes

Edinburg High 50, Edinburg Economedes 43

Consolation Bracket

Championship

At Edinburg High

Brownsville Athlos vs. Brownsville Lopez, 1:30 p.m.

Guarenteed game

At Edinburg High

La Joya Palmview vs. Edinburg IDEA, 10 a.m.

All-Tournament Team

MVP: Antoine Woodard, Edinburg High

Jesus Cantu, Edinburg High

Damian Garcia, Edinburg High

Jonathan Barrientos, Edinburg Economedes

Angel Salinas, Edinbugr Economedes

Felix Aleman, Edinburg North

Andres Nuñez, Edinburg North

Trey Chavana, Edinburg Vela

Noah Sekkinger, Ecinburg Vela

Rodrigo Nuñez, Rio Grande City

Noah Armstrong, Brownsville Hanna

Wyatt Elbert, Brownsville Athlos

Luke Padilla, Sharyland Pioneer

Armando Pelero, Brownsville Lopez

San Isidro Tiger Shootout

Saturday’s games

7th place game

Faith Christian 46, IDEA Pharr 18

Consolation game

Brownsville First Baptist 50, ISEA McAllen 19

Third place game

Donna North JV 38, Agua Dulce 26

Championship game

San Isidro 72, Premont 47

South San Tournament

Saturday’s games

Winners Consolation Bracket

Semifinals

Weslaco High 73, Killeen 64

Championship

Dallas Carter 69, Weslaco High 59

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

EDINBURG — The trophy was always going to stay in Edinburg.

Coming into Saturday, all four ECISD schools were the in the semifinals of the Craig Smith Tournament, guaranteeing a winner within the district.

“ We kind of thought that was going to be the scenario,” Edinburg High coach Esequiel Cuellar said. “Looking at the bracket early on, we kind of thought that the bracket was going to play out the way it did.”

Economedes beat Vela 50-43 and Edinburg High beat Edinburg North 64-43 to lock in the championship matchup.

In the final game on Saturday at Economedes High School, Edinburg High beat Economedes 50-43 to seal the tournament championship.

“ It felt awesome to win the tournament,” Edinburg High sophomore Jorge Hernandez said. “It was a good experience overall.”

All-tournament MVP junior Antoine Woodard was a large reason why his team came out on top.

“ It was a pretty good tournament,” Woodard, who had a game-high 17 points in the final, said. “We had good completion, playing against Hanna and Sharyland Pioneer. Those are two teams that are tough. That prepared us for this game against Econ, and we came out and took the ‘W.’”

Woodard and all-tournament team member Jesus Cantu, a senior center, got the Bobcats rolling right away, scoring nine of Edinburg High’s first 12 points.

The Bobcats led by about 10 from Woodard and Cantu’s start through to the end of the third quarter, but Economedes made it a game late.

With just over four minutes to play, Econ cut the lead to six.

“ Economedes is tough,” Cuellar said. “They have a bunch of shooters. I think we did a good job of contesting their shots early on. We made it a little difficult for them to execute what they wanted. … That Salinas kid got a little hot in the fourth, but he is that type of player. He is a competitor, and he makes everyone on his team better.”

All-tournament team member Angel Salinas finished the game with 13 points, tying also hot-shooting all-tournament team member Jonathan Barrientos for the team-high point total.

Rebounding helped the Bobcats maintain their lead. Cantu had a game-high 12 rebounds, while Woodard added eight.

Still, Cuellar knows that when district play rolls around, the Bobcats will have to play cleaner games.

“ Sometimes, these kids make mistakes and get a little hardheaded,” Cuellar said. “The decision-making has got to get better. At different times in the game, we didn’t make good decisions. We kind of kicked ourselves in the butt. Our kids still have to understand how to handle the clock better and understand foul situations on the floor. I don’t think we did a good job of that today. … Our kids are thinking that they can shoot the ball whenever they want to. With a 10-point lead, they are settling for outside shots.”

Hernandez didn’t have a point in the game, but the sophomore who scarcely played is trying to make his mark whenever his name gets called.

“ I am focusing on defense,” Hernandez, who was the only Bobcat to come off the bench in the final, said. “Like coach said, I’m just being a role player. I noticed that my defense is coming along more than my offense. I have to keep it under control. I play as a role player, and I do my job.”

Having played two games each day for the last three days, the Bobcats are certainly feeling a little worn out.

“ The coaches do a really good job of working with us on conditioning,” Woodard said. “We do a lot of running up and down the court, taking free-throw shots when we are fatigued, all the stuff that prepares us for this time.”

For now, though, it’s all about rest, recovery and the celebration meal:

“ Ice cream,” Woodard said with a grin.

[email protected]

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

PORTLAND — When Edinburg Vela has received a kickoff this year, two SaberCats have typically been at the back of the formation: senior Brandon Guzman and junior Daniel Enriquez.

Guzman and Enriquez have been dangerous to opponents all season, but they had yet to get a kickoff into the end zone. So finally crossing the goal line Friday provided Vela with a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy game.

With 1:38 left in the first half, the Austin Westlake Chaparrals’ kicker, junior Gabriel Lozano, was set to kick off.

“Everybody saw the score and was a bit down, but I was like, ‘Let’s have fun. It’s the last game of my senior year. Let’s just have fun with it. Let’s go score,’” Guzman said. “They kick it off, I catch it, and I see the hole. Nick Enriquez blew the hole up. I see it, like Moses with the Red Sea. It just opened up. Then I followed Daniel (Enriquez) and made it to the end zone.”

Daniel Enriquez knew Guzman was gone pretty quickly, or at least he thought he did.

“It looked like it was gone immediately, and then No. 80 came out of nowhere,” Daniel Enriquez said of Westlake junior Grant Andruss, who caught up to he and Guzman around the 30. “I was like, ‘I don’t want him to make the play, because that would be on me.’ So, I had to block him for my teammate so he could score.”

The score was one of two touchdowns Vela mustered against Westlake.

The speed, size and athleticism of Westlake were too much on Friday night, as Westlake beat Vela 70-14 in a Class 6A Division II Region IV semifinal at Ray Akins Wildcat Stadium.

“It was a special group of guys that we had here,” Guzman said “It was a great season overall. There was just something special about this team that brought us all together. We still fought to the end.”

On Westlake’s first drive, senior running back Nakia Watson ran for 32 yards, and junior quarterback Taylor Anderson ran for 34. Watson punctuated the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to put the Chaparrals up.

Westlake wasn’t stopped on a drive until about two minutes remained in the first half. Meanwhile, Vela couldn’t get a drive going, punting four times in the first half.

Westlake played almost the entire second half without using any starters.

Watson finished with 153 yards and two touchdowns. Anderson completed 14 of 18 passes for 380 yards and five TDs. He also rushed for 111 yards and two TDs.

“There is no way for us to simulate the speed of the game,” Vela coach John Campbell said. “We knew that it was probably going to take a quarter to adjust. They are bigger, more physical football players than what we are used to seeing. We were hoping to weather the storm for a little bit, but it kind of blew up on us, and we dug ourselves a hole that we really couldn’t ever get out of.”

Vela senior quarterback Nathan Garcia finished 10-of-16 passing for 186 yards. Junior Aaron Alvarez was Vela’s leading rusher with 57 yards. Junior Aziel Garcia had only two catches on the evening, but his 90 yards were good enough to lead the team.

Vela’s other score came from Nathan Garcia. Vela was facing a first-and-goal situation from the 1-yard line. Garcia got the snap and faked the handoff before cutting between two defenders for the touchdown.

Garcia and Guzman started playing together in middle school and never looked back.

“It means a lot that we both scored tonight,” Guzman said. “Me and Nate have been together for the longest time. We are best friends. A friendship that can’t be broken.”

Campbell is a stern coach who has become known for his scowl. After the game, though, his demeanor was slightly different. He reminded his players of how important it is to cherish every moment of the last bus ride home together. He told his players he was proud of them. He reminded them of what they had accomplished on the road to the third round. And he delivered his postgame message with a smile.

“The reality is, in the third round, there are only good teams left, and half of those teams are going to have their season come to an end,” Campbell said. “We played a heck of a football team tonight, a team that I strongly suspect we are going to be seeing playing for a state championship in a couple of weeks. We still have each other, and we are going to enjoy each other for this last bus ride home.”

For Campbell, seeing Guzman and Nathan Garcia both score was a special moment.

“The way it finished, obviously we would have loved for the score to have been different, but the guys that got in the end zone and the guys that made some plays, it was kind of a poetic finish,” Campbell said.

Vela’s season has been filled with memorable moments. Several came to mind as the season came to an end on Friday.

Daniel Enriquez thought back to Week 2 against Edcouch-Elsa, when his older brother Nick threw a pivotal block to spring Daniel for his first career punt-return touchdown.

Guzman recalled a story from freshman year. Vela’s freshman team was down by a handful against Roma.

“Coach Flores, our freshman coach, called the jet sweep for me,” Guzman said. “I took it to the house. It was about 40 or 60 yards. That won the game for us.”

Guzman also had a memory from this year that will stick with him. In Week 6, Vela faced rival Edinburg High. Guzman and Nathan Garcia found the chemistry early in that game, and Guzman exploded for what he described as his “best game ever,” catching six passes for 168 yards and two TDs.

Even Campbell was able to reflect on the season and pinpoint a major highlight.

“It’s funny, because it’s this time, now,” Campbell said. “It’s this time with the kids after a ball game. We get to kind of go back and reflect. We are going to enjoy each other’s company from here on back to Edinburg. This will be kind of a bitter tasting pizza, but at the same time a good one, because we get to enjoy each other. Now we get to talk about how the whole season went.”

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VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Dec. 1

Non-District

Mercedes 89, PSJA High 69

Harlingen High 67, Mission Veterans 46

PSJA Memorial 51, Weslaco East 44

La Joya High 82, Grulla 60

Los Fresnos 72, Brownsville Pace 67

Port Isabel 70, Donna North 45

PSJA Southwest at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, not reported

Donna High at San Perlita, not reported

Brownsville St. Joseph at Mission High, not reported

TOURNAMENTS

Craig Smith Tournament

At Edinburg

Friday’s Games

At Edinburg Economedes

Rio Grande City 49, La Joya Palmview 38

La Feria 49, Brownsville Athlos 46

At Edinburg High

Brownsville Hanna 75, Idea Edinburg 35

Sharyland Pioneer 56, Brownsville Lopez 54

Consolation Bracket

At Edinburg Economedes

Brownsville Athlos 46, La Joya Palmview 45

At Edinburg High

Brownsville Lopez 82, Idea Edinburg 44

Winner’s Brakcet

At Edinburg Economedes

Edinburg Economedes 47, Rio Grande City 46

Edinburg Vela 62, La Feria 38

At Edinburg High

Edinburg North 60, Brownsville Hanna 58

Edinburg High 60, Sharyland Pioneer 42

Saturday’s Games

Winners Bracket

Semifinals

At Edinburg Economedes

Edinburg Economedes vs. Edinburg Vela, noon

At Edinburg High

Edinburg High vs. Edinburg North, noon

Championship

At Edinburg Economedes

Edinburg Economedes- Edinburg Vela winner vs. Edinburg High-Edinburg North winner, 4:30 p.m.

Consolation Bracket

Championship

At Edinburg High

Brownsville Athlos vs. Brownsville Lopez, 1:30 p.m.

Guarenteed game

At Edinburg High

La Joya Palmview vs. Edinburg IDEA, 10 a.m.

South San Tournament

Friday’s games

Pflugerville 70, Weslaco High 59

Weslaco High 56, SA Warren 55

McCollum 50, Laredo Martin 40

Eagle Pass 49, Sharyland High 35

Akins 52, Harlingen South 48

Sam Houston 65, McAllen Rowe 51

Cedar Park 44, McAllen High 42

Laredo Martin 82, Sharyland High 48

Harlingen South 66, Floresville 59

McAllen Rowe def. Harlandale

SA Southwest 55, McAllen High 52

Saturday’s games

Winners Bracket

Semifinals

SA MacArthur vs. SA Wagner, 11 a.m.

Silsbee vs. South San, 12:30 p.m.

Championship

SA MacArthur-SA Wagner winner vs. Silsbee-South San winner, 8 p.m.

Winners Consolation Bracket

Semifinals

Weslaco High vs. Killeen, 8 a.m.

Championship

Weslaco High-Killeen winner vs. Dallas Carter-Schertz Clemens winner, 3:30 p.m.

Consolation Bracket

Consolation semifinals

Laredo Martin vs. Harlingen South, 11 a.m.

McAllen Rowe vs. SA Southwest, 12:30 p.m.

Consolation Championship

Laredo Martin-Harlingen South winner vs. McAllen Rowe-SA Southwest winner

VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Friday’s Game

Non-District

LA JOYA HIGH 82, GRULLA 60

Grulla 8 23 14 15 — 60

La Joya High 15 23 20 24 — 82

LA JOYA HIGH (82): Jesus Huerta 6, Caleb Zamora 3, Nick Garza 3, Ojay Saenz 6, Jon Martinez 5, Alex Villarreal 12, Carlos Montelongo 14, Juztin Pulido 33.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

Edinburg North coach Rene Saenz had been a part of the North football program for 23 years, until Thursday night when he found out he was being reassigned.

Saenz started with ECISD in the feeder program, working at different middle schools for 10 years. In 2005, when now-Edinburg CISD athletics director Roy Garza was made head coach at Edinburg North, Garza brought Saenz on as a defensive coordinator. Saenz had served as North’s head coach and athletics coordinator for the past four years.

“We had a great working relationship while coaching together,” Garza said. “It’s a tough decision, but the district chose to go in a different direction.”

Saenz first received word that his job was in jeopardy before a board meeting held by ECISD on Thursday night. He met with Garza and other school administrators at 2 p.m. Friday at Richard Flores Stadium, where he was read a letter saying he had been reassigned to Barrientes Middle School as a physical education teacher. Saenz was told the decision was based on the direction of superintendent Rene Gutierrez.

Saenz is yet to meet with his team, but he hopes to do so before he leaves the school.

“I love the kids I have coached,” Saenz said. “I respect them tremendously. This year, the way they fought, they never quit playing hard.”

In Week 9 this year, Edinburg North had the most difficult path of the three teams vying for the fourth playoff spot in District 31-6A.

North earned a win over PSJA Memorial in overtime in Week 10 to substantially improve its odds of making the playoffs. Then, a Week 11 win over PSJA High secured Saenz’s third trip to the postseason in his fourth year as the head coach.

The Cougars returned just one starter on defense coming into the year and had to cycle through three quarterbacks due to injuries.

“Sometimes these decisions aren’t just about football,” Garza said. “Parents sometimes get involved. They want their kids to play more and play different positions. … It was a tough year overall. Expectations were very high this year. They are still fairly young. It is very volatile and across the Valley. Year in and year out, six or seven coaches will have to move on. That’s basically it.”

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VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

TOURNAMENTS

Craig Smith Tournament

At Edinburg

Thursday’s Games

Pool Play

At Edinburg Economedes

Edinburg Economedes 75, Idea Edinburg 20

Edinburg Vela 67, Brownsville Lopez 47

Brownsville Athlos 71, Idea Edinburg 33

Rio Grande City 90, Brownsville Lopez 59

Edinburg Economedes 69, Brownsville Athlos 36

Edinburg Vela 66, Rio Grande City 44

At Edinburg High

Edinburg High 47, Brownsville Hanna 29

Edinburg North 67, La Joya Palmview 53

Brownsville Hanna 66, La Feria 44

Sharyland Pioneer 54, La Joya Palmview 43

Edinburg High 60, La Feria 18

Edinburg North 57, Sharyland Pioneer 40

Friday’s Games

At Edinburg Economedes

La Joya Palmview vs. Rio Grande City, 11 a.m.

La Feria vs. Brownsville Athlos, 12:30 p.m.

At Edinburg High

Idea Edinburg vs. Brownsville Hanna, 11 a.m.

Brownsville Lopez vs. Sharyland Pioneer, 12:30 p.m.

Consolation Bracket

At Edinburg Economedes

La Joya Palmview-Rio Grande City loser vs. La Feria-Brownsville Athlos loser, 5:30 p.m.

At Edinburg High

Idea Edinburg-Brownsville Hanna loser vs. Brownsville Lopez-Sharyland Pioneer, 5:30 p.m.

Winner’s Brakcet

At Edinburg Economedes

La Joya Palmview-Rio Grande City winner vs. Edinburg Economedes, 2:30 p.m.

La Feria-Brownsville Athlos winner vs. Edinburg Vela, 4 p.m.

At Edinburg High

Idea Edinburg-Brownsville Hanna winner vs. Edinburg North, 2:30 p.m

Brownsville Lopez-Sharyland Pioneer vs. Edinburg High, 4 p.m.

South San Tournament

Winners Bracket

Thursday’s Games

Dallas Kimball 62, SA Southwest 38

Schertz Clemens 93, Sharyland High 36

SA MacArthur 68, Laredo Martin 42

SA Warren 68, SA Harlandale 57

SA Wagner def. McAllen Rowe

Killeen 60, Harlingen South 56

SA Johnson 67, McAllen High 43

Dallas Carter 84, Houston St. John’s 31

Silsbee 100, SA St. Mary’s Hall 86

SA O’Connor 63, Eagle Pass 33

Weslaco High 57, SA McCollum 38

Pflugerville 86, CG East Central 74

Keller Central 66, SA Sam Houston 62

SA Clark 50, Austin Akins 48

Midland 68, Cedar Park 55

South San 74, Floresville 36

Friday’s games

Dallas Kimball vs. Schertz Clemens

SA MacArthur vs. SA Warren

SA Wagner vs. Killeen

SA Johnson vs. Dallas Carter

Silsbee vs. SA O’Connor

Weslaco High vs. Pflugerville

Keller Central vs. SA Clark

Midland vs. South San

Friday, Dec. 1

Non-District

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

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

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

Donna North at Port Isabel, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.

Weslaco East at PSJA Memorial, 7 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Mission Veterans, 7:30 p.m.

Donna High at San Perlita, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville St. Joseph at Mission High, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Corpus Christi Tournament

Seguin Torunament

Rio Hondo Tournament

South San Tournament

Craig Smith Invitational, Edinburg

Santa Maria Tournament

San Isidro Tournament

Friday, Dec. 1

Non-District

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

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

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

Donna North at Port Isabel, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.

Weslaco East at PSJA Memorial, 7 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Mission Veterans, 7:30 p.m.

Donna High at San Perlita, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville St. Joseph at Mission High, 7:30 p.m.

TOURNAMENTS

Craig Smith Tournament

At Edinburg

Thursday’s Games

Pool Play

At Edinburg Economedes

Economedes vs Idea Edinburg, 10:30 a.m.

Edinburg Vela vs Brownsville Lopez, noon

Idea Edinburg vs Brownsville Athlos, 1:30 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez vs Rio Grande City, 3 p.m.

Brownsville Athlos vs Edinburg Economedes, 4:30 p.m.

Rio Grande City vs Edinburg Vela, 6 p.m.

At Edinburg High

Edinburg High vs Brownsville Hanna, 10:30 a.m.

Edinburg North vs La Joya Palmview, noon

Brownsville Hanna vs La Feria, 1:30 p.m.

La Joya Palmview vs Sharyland Pioneer, 3 p.m.

La Feria vs Edinburg High, 4:30 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer vs Edinburg North, 6 p.m.

South San Tournament

Winners Bracket

Thursday’s Games

Dallas Kimball vs. SA Southwest

Sharyland High vs. Schertz Clemens

Laredo Martin vs. SA MacArthur

SA Harlandale vs. SA Warren

McAllen Rowe vs. SA Wagner

Harlingen South vs. Killeen

McAllen High vs. SA Johnson

Houston St. John’s vs. Dallas Carter

Silsbee vs. SA St. Mary’s Hall

Eagle Pass vs. SA O’Connor

Weslaco High vs. SA McCollum

Pflugerville vs. CG East Central

Keller Central vs. SA Sam Houston

Austin Akins vs. SA Clark

Midland vs. Cedar Park

Floresville vs. South San

Friday’s games

Dallas Kimball-SA Southwest winner vs. Sharyland High-Schertz Clemens winner

Laredo Martin-SA MacArthur winner vs. SA Harlandale-SA Warren winner

McAllen Rowe-SA Wagner winner vs. Harlingen South-Killeen winner

McAllen High-SA Johnson winner vs. Houston St. John’s-Dallas Carter winner

Silsbee-SA St. Mary’s Hall winner vs. Eagle Pass-SA O’Connor winner

Weslaco High-SA McCollum winner vs. Pflugerville-CG East Central winner

Keller Central-SA Sam Houston winner vs. Austin Akins-SA Clark winner

Midland-Cedar Park winner vs. Floresville-South San winner

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

EDINBURG — Once again, the Edinburg Vela SaberCats’ defense got the job done when the team needed it most last week.

Coming into the area round, Vela’s opponent, Eagle Pass, was averaging 32.7 points per game. The SaberCats held the Eagles to 10.

“We had practiced a lot to stop what they were coming out with, and that’s a strong run game,” junior middle linebacker Luis Gutierrez said. “We were able to succeed in that, succeed in what we had practiced. After that, putting the pressure on the quarterback, it got to him. And that’s what we hoped to do.”

Vela held Eagle Pass to 76 rushing yards and 153 passing yards.

A big part of that success was senior defensive lineman Timothy Ellington. Ellington came up with two sacks in the area round.

“It was really fun,” Ellington said. “To me, I really don’t put much attention on it, but I know that my teammates get really hyped on the field. It’s a really big motivator to our offense that we can still be in this.”

Ellington is one of a handful of seniors on the defense, and he has been a major factor for the SaberCats this year. In other years, fans often pointed to the Vela defense as a weak link, but that has changed this season.

“I can 100 percent say this is the best defense Vela has had,” Gutierrez said. “It’s not that we have better players this year. It’s that the work we have put in from last year is something crazy, and the scheme is helping us a lot. We have been working our tails off this year.”

“I agree,” Ellington added. “It’s not that we have better athletes or anything. It’s just that we know what’s going on and how to execute it. And we are doing our jobs.”

When Vela coach John Campbell took the job in the spring, the changes to the offense were very subtle. The changes to the defense, however, were more pronounced.

”For me, it was kind of a big adjustment,” Ellington said. “Because for the past three years, I have been used to playing defensive end, because we had a four-man front. But this year, he has been switching us around, playing outside shade five, or jumping into a three, or just moving around the whole D-line. So, I mean, it’s been a good experience this year, with this new defensive end coach here.”

Jody Cantu is the defensive line coach for Vela. Like many other assistants on the staff, Cantu benefited from using spring ball to get his unit comfortable.

“Last year, we were debating having spring ball,” Gutierrez said. “It really paid off to have it. We were able to catch on from there. Jumping into this year, we have a bond with our coaches that has been going on for a long time. We are comfortable with it now.”

Ellington’s work with Cantu has allowed him to flourish this year. He and junior Sergio Carrizalez have been the anchors on the D-line.

“Sergio, he is one of my really good friends,” Ellington said. “He’s a really funny guy. And he is a good football player, and a really good kid.”

“They keep us protected, and we keep them protected,” Gutierrez said. “We have each other’s backs. It’s always good to have a good front line. Knowing that you have strong people behind you and in front of you is a luxury that we have.”
Ellington is known for his pass rushing, but he is also a key in Vela’s run defense. Despite his skill and success this year, his best attributes may not be shown on the gridiron.

“Timothy is solid,” Campbell said. “The thing that is hard is we can’t convey how good a young man he is. Not only is he a great football player, but when you are in the stands, you just see a jersey and a helmet, but he is one of those guys that can be the foundation of your program. He does it all. He’s a great student. He’s very active in his community, very active in his school. Obviously, as you can see on Friday nights, he’s an outstanding football player, as well.”

Ellington and the rest of the defense have a tough task in front of them this week. Vela faces Austin Westlake in the Class 6A Division II Region IV semifinals.

“It’s a school and a community that prides themselves on excellence,” Campbell said. “Our work is cut out for us. They do a lot of exotic things on defense, a lot of things that you will see on a college Saturday. They have a very polished offense, an outstanding offensive line. Their running back is a Wisconsin commit. He’s very impressive. On top of that, they are very well coached in the kicking phases, too. So, they are a very good football team.”

The SaberCats say they are excited to be in the third round. Ellington started playing football when he was in third grade. He was the first in his family to go to Vela, and he has heard about it from the rest of his family ever since he was a freshman. So, being in the third round as a senior is something for Ellington to be excited about.

“It feels amazing,” Ellington said. “We haven’t been here since my sophomore year, so it feels good.”

The trick for Vela is acknowledging that the third round is an accomplishment, while also remaining focused on advancing.

“It’s something that is new to me, coming into the Valley,” Campbell said. “The reality is that there are enough quality football teams down here, that the third round doesn’t need to be the destination. We should be able to do something bigger and better. With that being said, at this time in the playoffs, there are teams like Lake Travis, Westlake and Steele that present formidable challenges not just from a regional standpoint, but at a statewide level. But that’s a big thing. This is another game. Yes, we are excited to be in the third round. And yes, we do acknowledge that this is a very big challenge, but by no means is the third round our goal.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR

LA JOYA — With less than 30 seconds left in overtime, senior guard Dustin Rodriguez hit a jumper to reclaim the lead for Edcouch-Elsa.

The Yellow Jackets’ one-point lead would be enough, as they won in overtime 66-65 over the La Joya High Coyotes on Tuesday at La Joya High School.

“This win feels very good,” Edcouch-Elsa coach Lalo Rios said. “It was a good game. La Joya gave us everything that we could handle, and I’m just proud of the guys for finding a way to pull it out.”

Rodriguez hit the game-winner, but it didn’t feel like it at the time.

“I was just thinking about getting back on defense,” Rodriguez said. “I just wanted to get another stop and keep scoring.”

After the basket, Edcouch-Elsa scrambled on defense. With about 12 second to go, La Joya senior guard OJay Saenz had the ball in the left corner. Saenz was surrounded by defenders, but he got free and took a shot. Just before the shot fell, the timeout call came in from the La Joya bench, and the basket didn’t count.

La Joya then had the ball on an inbounds play from the baseline with 11.2 left in overtime. The ball was passed into a good spot for senior forward Alex Villarreal, but Rodriguez saw what was coming.

“I saw that he was going to throw the ball over toward me,” Rodriguez said. “I just played it and got the steal. Then, I held the ball so we could call timeout.”

After the steal, La Joya got the stop it needed, but couldn’t get an open look to steal the game. Saenz missed a mid-range jumper from the baseline as time expired.

Rodriguez finished the game with 11 points.

“He’s the heart and soul of our team,” Rios said. “He plays with a lot of passion and a lot of energy. He’s one of the few guys that we have back from last year that had any experience at the varsity level. Tonight was an example of him doing good things for us.”

For much of the overtime period, only Rodriguez and senior guard Joseph Gonzalez were asked to handle the ball. Gonzalez added six points and six rebounds.

“He’s tough,” Rios said of Gonzalez. “He’s one of our leaders and one of our captains. We call on him and Dustin to take care of the ball in crucial situations, because they are the ones that have varsity experience. Joseph did a great job for us tonight. He hit some big shots. He wasn’t hitting from the outside, but he started attacking the basket and getting guys open. That’s what we need from him.”

La Joya looked poised to run away with the game early. The Coyotes jumped out to a 7-2 lead thanks to the hot shooting of Villarreal, who had the Coyotes’ first four points. Meanwhile, E-E got a little trigger happy and started spotting up from deep despite contests from the defense.

“I told them, ‘It’s a 32-minute game, and games are never won in the first half,’” Rios said. “We just told them to stay levelheaded, stay hungry and stay under control. Chip away, slowly but surely, and once we were able to do that, we got some confidence, and then we were able to get a big lead.”

La Joya led comfortably for much of the first quarter, but junior forward Marcos Escobar helped E-E erase the deficit. Escobar got an offensive rebound in traffic and delivered a perfect pass to AJ Garza, who knocked down a corner 3 to bring E-E within one point. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the quarter, but E-E didn’t take its first lead until midway through the second quarter. Gonzalez drove the lane and was fouled on a shot. Gonzalez sank the jumper and hit the ensuing free throw to give E-E a 24-21 lead with 4:57 left in the first half.

“Coach told me my role is not to be one-dimensional,” Gonzalez said. “I have to do whatever it takes to help the team.”

On the first play of the second half, La Joya senior guard Alexis Tovar went down with an apparent leg injury after stepping on the ball awkwardly. Tovar did not return.

“It changed the momentum a lot,” Gonzalez said. “Coach told us right there to start going into the paint and driving.”

Tovar’s absence, combined with E-E’s confidence, allowed the Yellow Jackets to grow their lead. Senior forward Phillip Rendon knocked down a 3-pointer with two minutes remaining in the third quarter to give the Yellow Jackets their largest lead of the game at 49-39.

The combination of Villarreal and junior guard Carlos Montelongo kept the Coyotes in the game and allowed the team to catch back up. Villarreal finished with 12 points, and Montelongo had 16.

E-E’s leading scorer was senior forward Marin Rodriguez, who had 17.

With Rios in his first year at E-E and several new faces on the varsity roster, non-district matchups hold a special significance for the Yellow Jackets.

“These games are big for our chemistry,” Gonzalez said. “Chemistry is big. We have to build it up. We played a lot in the summer, but now is the time where teams are hot. We have to be hot, too, and carry the chemistry into district.”

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VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Nov. 28

Non-District

Brownsville Hanna 60, La Joya Palmview 48

Edcouch-Elsa 66, La Joya High 65, OT

Brownsville St. Joseph 36, Hidalgo 33

PSJA High 98, Donna North 52

Valley View 53, Macedonia 38

PSJA North 95, Rio Hondo 62

Mission Veterans 50, PSJA Southwest 25

Sharyland Pioneer 49, Santa Rosa 40

Mission High 89, South TX Christian Academy 38

Santa Maria 44, La Feria 29

Brownsville Frontier 67, Lasara 48

Los Fresnos 72, McAllen High 60

Edinburg High 50, Brownsville Rivera 46

Rio Grande City 76, Brownville Porter 36

La Villa 57, Progreso 41

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 64, San Benito 36

Sharyland High 62, Brownsville Lopez 56

Harlingen High 67, Brownsville Pace 56

Nov. 30-Dec. 2

Tournaments

Corpus Christi Tournament

Seguin Torunament

Rio Hondo Tournament

South San Tournament

Craig Smith Invitational, Edinburg

Santa Maria Tournament

San Isidro Tournament

Friday, Dec. 1

Non-District

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

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

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

Donna North at Port Isabel, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.

Weslaco East at PSJA Memorial, 7 p.m.

Rio Grande City at Hidalgo, 7:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Mission Veterans, 7:30 p.m.

Donna High at San Perlita, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville St. Joseph at Mission High, 7:30 p.m.

VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Game

Non-District

MISSION VETERANS 50, PSJA SOUTHWEST 25

Mission Veterans 14 2 19 15 — 50

PSJA Southwest 3 3 9 10 — 25

MISSION VETERANS (50): E. De La Garza 19, E. Ibarra 12, J. Acosta 2, L. Gilpin 1, J. Marquez 5, J.T. Lerma 7, A Villarreal 2.

PSJA SOUTHWEST (25): Derek Cedillo 1, Rollie Cedillo 9, Marco Ramos 6, Freddy Leon 3, Raul Jimenez 6.

BROWNSVILLE ST. JOESPH 36, HIDALGO 33

St. Joseph 8 11 10 7 — 36

Hidalgo 8 7 16 2 — 33

HIDALGO (33): Andy Flores 13, Alexis Gonzalez 6, Frankie Sanchez 3, Moises Longoria 2, Josh Sanchez 2, Aaron Ayala 2, Luis Toledano 2, Carlos Zuinga 3

RECORDS: Hidalgo 3-2

BROWNSVILLE HANNA 60, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 48

Score by quarter not reported.

BROWNSVILLE HANNA (60): Jamie Rucoba 14, Austin Jimenez 12, Jose Torre 11, Noah Armstrong 8.

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (48): Paco de la O 15, Gus Canales 9, Dante Olmera 8, Alan Zarate 4, Freddy Flores 3, Gabriel Garza 2, Daniel Garcia 2, Irving Games 2.

SHARYLAND PIONEER 49, SANTA ROSA 40

Sharyland Pioneer 14 11 21 3 — 49

Santa Rosa 9 8 13 10 — 40

SHARYLAND PIONEER (49): Mauricio Ramiro 2, Miguel Angel Gonzalez 9, Luke Padilla 11, Aaron Cuevas 1, Eddie Marburger 7, Geo Garza 7, Lavar Lindo 10, Leo Salinas 2.

SANTA ROSA (40): Sam Torres 9, Ryan Perez 10, AB Lozoya 12, Leo Casas 3, Jonah Agudo 6.

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer 2-3.

RIO GRANDE CITY 70, BROWNSVILLE PORTER 36

Brownsville Porter 4 16 8 8 — 36

Rio Grande City 20 15 19 16 — 70

RIO GRANDE CITY (70): Rodrigo Nunez 19, Aaron Marroquin 20, Aaron Garza 3, Raudel Solis 4, Frank Gonzalez 6, Marin Gonzalez 9, Izrael Lambert 2, Rudy Bazan 5, Josh Garcia 2.

PSJA NORTH 95, RIO HONDO 62

Rio Hondo 18 12 13 19 — 62

PSJA North 26 18 39 13 — 95

PSJA NORTH (95): Matthew Cantu 3, Arturo Beltran 23, Daunte Galvan 40, Rolando Coronado 5, Ricky Garcia 4, Ramon Salinas 9, Daniel Martinez 2, Severo Lerma 3, Adam Puente 6, Bryan Rodriguez 1.

RECORDS: PSJA North 4-4.

VALLEY VIEW 53, ALAMO MACEDONIAN 38

Alamo Macedonian7 4 19 10 — 38

Valley View 15 11 16 11 — 53

VALLEY VIEW (53): Jose Solis 2, Isaac Lira 9, Ricky Rodriguez 10, Felipe Ayala 16, Alan Fuentes 3, Edgar Jimenez 3, Andres Sepulveda 10.

RECORDS: Valley View 4-7.

PSJA HIGH 98, DONNA NORTH 52

PSJA High 32 25 19 22 — 98

Donna North 14 13 15 11 — 52

PSJA HIGH (98): Said Dorado 4, Nick Ruiz 8, Andrew Casas 5, Alex Hernandez 6, Andrew List 3, Isaiah Garcia 15, Syrus Lozano 2, Nate Sanchez 6, Jacob Loredo 4, Jesus Ramos 6, Robbie Garza 16, Ethan Castillo 2, Miguel Villarreal 13, Victor Rangel 5, Edwin Quintanilla 3.

DONNA NORTH (52): Ernie Camillo 6, John Martinez 8, Cesar Castillo 3, Jerry Flores 7, Julian Garza 24, Luis Diaz 2, Kory Harrison 2.

RECORDS: PSJA High 5-3.