BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — With 1.3 seconds showing on the clock, McAllen Rowe senior Mark Medrano was the in-bounds passer, under the hoop.

He found a wide open John Galan, who was in the paint, and the junior sunk a layup at the buzzer to give the Warriors the win.

Rowe beat PSJA North, 66-65, on Friday in a District 30-6A game to hand North its first loss of the district season.

“It was an emotional game, they have a good program and we have a good program,” Rowe coach Jose Luis Yebra said. “We knew it was an important game for the district title. We are all chasing that district title. It’s one of those things, that the emotions get out. Coaches, all of us, we know that competition and we get after it. The kids got after it. We just told our kids to stay positive. It was going to be a game like this. We ended up with the last shot and we made it.”

After Galan hit the shot, the Warriors sprinted to him, surrounding him with love and jubilation.

“I jumped up in the air,” sophomore Louie Yebra said. “Everyone was running toward him. We heard the buzzer, and we ran to him. It was amazing.”

The game was back and forth throughout, and tied heading into the fourth quarter.

Daunte Galvan was an animal for PSJA North. He scored 14 in the fourth quarter, finishing the night with 34. Galvan hit a jumper with 1:37 left to give North a three-point lead. Louie Yebra then had a strong drive and finish at the rim to cut the lead to one. Galan got to preview the final basket with a score to take a one-point lead with 20.2 seconds left. Galvan responded, diving into the paint and drawing a foul.

North fans will lament a bad night at the charity stripe. North missed four-of-nine free throws in the fourth quarter, but with 13.4 seconds left, Galvan confidently sunk both shots to give his team a one-point edge.

Galvan had to be dominant, because of foul trouble to his teammates. Sophomore Elijah De La Garza, who scored 12, and senior Arturo Beltran both fouled out, and missed the majority of the fourth.

Out of the timeout, Coach Yebra had one goal in mind.

“I wanted to make sure that we got the ball to the basket,” he said. “To get a drive, we wanted to make sure that we attacked because of the foul situation, drawing a foul or making a shot. We have some tall kids that can go finish at the basket, and that’s what we were trying to do.”

The ball was in the hands of junior Darrin Everage, who finished with a team-high 20 points.

Everage attacked the rim, but three North defenders met him there, including junior forward Iziaah Rangel, who rose up and blocked Everage’s shot out of bounds; the clock stopped at 1.3.

“We know (Rangel) is a good athlete, he can contribute that way,” Jose Yebra said. “It was a big block. Our kids never put their head down and they continued to play.”

After Galan’s winner, Rowe soaked in the moment, realizing they now stand alone atop 30-6A.

“It was amazing,” Everage said. “This was the first time I played here in a district game, and it felt pretty good. This was one of the best games of my life. I was blessed to play in this game today.”

But, there is no complacency up on Warrior Drive.

“This feels amazing, and it is back to practice tomorrow,” Louie Yebra said. “We have to come out and work hard for the rest of the district. Because we know, they will come out and play us hard, just because we are Rowe. They want to beat us.”

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VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Dec. 21

District 31-6A

Weslaco High 63, Edinburg Vela 49

Edinburg High 53, Edinburg North 46

Edinburg Economedes 76, Donna North 29

District 31-5A

PSJA Southwest 51, PSJA Memorial 46

District 32-4A

Raymondville 68, Grulla 50

Rio Hondo 59, Zapata 49

Port Isabel 51,La Feria 36

Hidalgo 81, Progreso 45

Non-District

Weslaco East 65, Roma 61

Sharyland Pioneer 43, McAllen High 30

McAllen Memorial 62, Sharyland High 52

PSJA North 84, Rio Grande City 72

McAllen Rowe 46, Los Fresnos 31

Harlingen South 38, Mission Veterans 33

La Villa at Premont, not reported

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORE

Friday’s Games

District 31-6A

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES 76, DONNA NORTH 29

Donna North 4 9 11 5 — 29

Ed. Economedes 23 19 20 14 — 76

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (76): Trini Moreno 9, Angel Salinas 12, MJ Barrientos 12, Johnathan Barrientos 23, Saul Alanis 9, Jorge Laredo 5, Rick Chapa 6

DONNA NORTH (29): Rodriguez 9, Luna 4, Gomez 2, Rodriguez 7, Casas 4, Mendoza 3

RECORDS: Edinburg Econmedes 16, 5, 1-0; Donna North 0-1

EDINBURG HIGH 53, EDINBURG NORTH 46

Edinburg High 14 11 11 17 — 53

Edinburg North 6 10 17 13 — 46

EDINBURG HIGH (53): Mark Figueroa 6, Matt Cruz 4, Jorge Hernandez 2, Anton Woodward 23, Jerry Lopez 2, Ricky Alanis 16

EDINBURG NORTH (46): Noah Chavana 3, Andrew Nunez 11, Sergio Quintanilla 10, Aldo Reta 6, Juan Vasquez 16.

RECORDS: Edinburg North 15-10, 0-1

District 32-4A

HIDALGO 81, PROGRESO 45

Progreso 13 11 16 5 — 45

Hidalgo 21 23 23 14 — 81

HIDALGO (81): Andy Flores 18, Alexis Gonzalez 24, Gus Sanchez 6, Luis Toledano 6, Moises Longoria 13, Julio Zamorano 2, Saul Arjona 4, Adian Gutierrez 2, Randy Perales 2, Kyle Perales 2, Sammy Perales 2.

PROGRESO (45): Josh Garza 4, Eddie Rodriguez 12, Jose Zuniga 3, Elian Rodriguez 4, Josue San Roman 3, Arturo Aleman 13, Israel Espinoza 4, Armando Santana 2.

RIO HONDO 59, ZAPATA 49

Rio Hondo 11 20 15 13 — 59

Zapata 7 12 16 14 — 49

RIO HONDO (59): Zeke Rios 11, John Ayala 2, CJ Leal 2, Isaac Jaramillo 4, Daniel Garcia 3, Gabriel Martinez 2, Zechariah Rios 9, Jabez Villarreal 23, Isaiah Olvera 1, John Cavazos 2.

ZAPATA (49): CJ Garcia 22, Xavi Rodriguez 6, Rene Garcia 2, David Chapa 3, JJ Villarreal 10, Aaron Ramirez 3, Alex Turi 2, Tanner Moreno 1.

Non-District

PSJA SOTUHWEST 51, PSJA MEMORIAL 46

PSJA Southwest 4 16 15 16 — 51

PSJA Memorial 12 16 13 5 — 46

PSJA SOUTHWEST (51): Omar Jimenez 14, Derek Cedillo 6, Dawrelle Robinson 6, Carlos Hernandez 12, Jalen Galvan 6, JR Garcia 5, Juan Montes 2.

PSJA MEMORIAL (46): Horacio Cisneros 3, Barac Garcia 3, Nick Cisneros 18, Pete Ozuna 2, Michael Munoz 2, Jose Lozano 12, Jonathan Martinez 2, Orly Munoz 2, Oscar Marquina 2.

WESLACO EAST 65, ROMA 61

Weslaco East 17 15 16 17 — 65

Roma 10 19 14 18 — 61

WESLACO EAST (65): Jaime Vasquez 8, Daniel Flores 5, Jon Ramos 1, Sean Cortez 9, Gerry Granados 3, Gabriel Rivera 14, Aaron Gomez 25.

ROMA (61): Gerardo Cortez 10, Chris Garza 8, AB Gonzalez 1, Miguel Olivarez 15, Antonio Mejorado 5, Edward Garcia 8, Carlos Rios 11, Jacob Beceira 3.

PSJA NORTH 84, RIO GRANDE CITY 72

Rio Grande City 12 17 22 21 — 72

PSJA North 16 25 20 23 — 84

PSJA NORTH (84): Matthew Cantu 6, Arturo Beltran 15, Elijah De La Garza 24, Daunte Galvan 22, Ricky Garcia 2, Isaac Gonzalez 3, Timur Lamb 2, Iziaah Rangel 10.

RIO GRANDE CITY (72): Aaron Marroquin 5, Jaime Covarrubias 20, Raudel Solis 9, Michael Thomas 5, Bryan Jones 2, Leo Ramos 3, Mikey Compean 2, Dennis Trevino 10, Rudy Bazan 4, Josh Garcia 12.

SHARYLAND PIONEER 43, McALLEN HIGH 30

McAllen High 14 2 8 6 — 30

Shary. Pioneer 16 9 9 9 — 43

SHARYLAND PIONEER (43): Eddie Marburger 13, Taggart Chandler 13, Lavar Lindo 10, Aaron Cuevas 5, Miguel Ramos 2.

McALLEN HIGH (30): Jaden Conrow 12, Matthew Ibarra 6, Jackson Helmcamp 4, Sylan Suarez 3, Quinn Canada Jr. 3, Terrell Blackwood 2.

McALLEN MEMORIAL 62, SHARYLAND HIGH 52

Sharyland High 8 14 15 15 — 52

McAllen Mem. 20 17 11 14 — 62

McALLEN MEMORIAL (62): Caleb Eberte 4, Julian Rosales 2, RJ Roth 6, Christian Espinoza 24, Kobe Gushwa 12, Nate Zuniga 8, Miguel Fuentes 6.

SHARYLAND HIGH (52): Nazier Moore 12, Johnny Escamilla 10, Mauro Fernandez 12, Isaac Heredia 2, Andres Abrego 2, Alexis Alvarez 4, David Vela 2, Andres Rubio 7.

McALLEN ROWE 46, LOS FRESNOS 31

McALLEN ROWE (46): Mark Medrano 2, Adrian Salinas 14, Louie Yebra 20, Darrin Everage 4, Tristan Mata 6.

BY TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

McALLEN — The McAllen Rowe Warriors used their length, a slow-down offense and stifling late-game defense to overwhelm the visiting Los Fresnos Falcons 46-31 in non-district action Friday night.

The Warriors held the Falcons to just one made shot in the fourth quarter, and Los Fresnos could muster just three points altogether in the final period. The Warriors, led by Louie Yerba on both sides of the floor, meanwhile spread the floor, ran a “Five out,” a four corners-like set and scored strategically.

Rowe had just nine points in the fourth, but that beat Los Fresnos’ three and it stretched a nine-point lead at the end of three quarters to a 15-point victory. Rowe coach Jose Yerba said his taller team was able to execute the game plan and drain some outside shots to defeat the feisty 11-6 Falcons for the third time this season.

“They are a very good shooting team, and if you don’t play good defense you are going to have trouble with them,” Yerba said. “Especially the way they were playing the zone defense, packing it in, they were making us shoot the ball from the outside. Luckily tonight, with Louie and Adrian, were able to hit those.”

Because of the zone defense and stalling tactics from both sides, the contest did not have much flow. It was herky-jerky most of the way save for a Warriors’ runs here and there. What’s more, Rowe’s dominance on the boards and the Falcons’ cold shooting also contributed to the lethargic output. The victory improved Rowe’s overall record to 9-6.

Even though he scuffled some with his shot, super sophomore Louie Yerba hit several timely baskets and led all scorers with 20. He made just seven of 17 field goals, but he drilled four 3-pointers and was key in a 10-0 second-quarter run that gave Rowe its initial separation from Los Fresnos. He also blocked five shots and pulled down four rebounds.

His play was complemented by senior Adrian Salinas’ dead-eye shooting from behind the 3-point arch. The guard connected on four shots from downtown and finished the game with 15 points. Salinas said the Warriors played well and are rounding into shape with district just around the corner.

“It (shooting) felt amazing. I missed a few shots, it happens. Everyone misses a few shots, but coming off the hands the ball felt good,” said the 6-foot guard, who added that dominating the glass was key for the Warriors. “Rebound and defense. That’s basically our team every day. Getting on the boards offensively and defensively, that’s what we have to do every game.”

Los Fresnos Coach Marco Hinojosa said playing top-notch teams like Rowe will serve the Falcons well deeper into the season. The Falcons have basically done the Hidalgo County basketball circuit in the last month playing traditional powers such as Weslaco, McHi, Edinburg Vela and others away from home.

“This week we played the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the Valley Tuesday and Friday. We were able to go .500, but we wanted to go 2-0,” said Hinojosa about playing Vela and Rowe. “But Rowe is a good team and they are well coached. It’s our third time losing to Rowe, but we are hoping these games prepare us for district (32-6A).

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — Things are starting to click for the PSJA North boys basketball team.

A lot of moving pieces fell into place abruptly at the beginning of the year, and off-season injuries made chemistry even harder to come by, for the Raiders.

The tournament season helped bring them together, and now the team is rising to full speed.

The Raiders pulled off a hard-fought win over the always tough Rio Grande City Rattlers on Friday at PSJA North, 84-72.

“It was a challenge for us, because (RGC has) won some tough games, and beaten some quality teams,” North coach Jaime Gongora said. “We always try to schedule tough to get us ready for district. This was a good measuring stick for us, because of the type of basketball they have been playing. I thought our kids, overall, this is the best game they have played. We still made little mistakes, but it is coming.”

Early fouls on both ends caused both teams to adjust. PSJA North junior forward Iziaah Rangel came out early in the second quarter, and Rio’s Aaron Marroquin and Jaime Covarrubias were both plagued with foul trouble all game.

“Timur Lamb came in and gave us some big quality minutes when Iziaah got into early foul trouble,” Gongora said. “Ricky Garcia did a good job off the bench. And our freshman Isaac, he has been a big surprise, because he has given us a lot of solid minutes.”

A few early hand-check calls made it very difficult for the Rattlers to apply their typical defensive pressure.

Sometimes, though, defense isn’t enough, like when sophomore guard Elijah De La Garza glides through the lane and finishes with a layup over the big man. Or, when North senior guard Daunte Galvan pulls up from three with a defender in his face and still hits it.

“Everybody starts hitting after that,” De La Garza said. “When we all have confidence in each other, and we are all cheering for each other, those threes can really get us going.”

North jumped out to an 8-0 advantage, but Rio hung tough. To start the second, Rio cut the North lead down to four. That’s when Galvan connected with a signature 3-pointer, the defense all over him.

Seconds later, Galvan drilled another from deep. After a pair of Rio free throws, senior forward Arturo Beltran was open in the corner and buried a three of his own. Just like that, the Raiders’ lead was back up to 11.

“That was big,” De La Garza said. “When he hits those and we go up big, it makes it that much harder, especially with the defense we are playing, for them to come back.”

Few teams expected Beltran to be so good this year, or at least that is what their defenses have suggested.

“A lot of people have been keying in on Daunte and Elijah,” Beltran said. “Usually the defenders try to help out too much, but they don’t know that I am a good 3-point shooter. So, don’t be sleeping on me, because I will make it rain on you guys.”

Not only has Beltran become a player that can carry the load on offense with his shooting, but his work on the other end has also earned plaudits from Gongora.

“Coming into this year, I thought Arturo would be one of our better offensive players,” Gongora said. “It is kind of a weird deal where he has turned into probably our best defensive player.”

On Friday, Beltran had 15. De La Garza led the team with 24, and the black to his silver, Galvan, scored 22. Rangel had 10 despite the foul trouble.

Rio was led by Covarrubias with 20. The big man, Josh Garcia cleaned up inside with 12 points for the Rattlers. With Marroquin and Covarrubias limited, Raudel Solis had to step up. Solis was tasked with playing physical defense and handling the ball; he added nine points. Solis was also responsible for some of the nice passes that led to Garcia’s inside points.

Everybody in the PSJA North locker room knew it could take some time to get the team on the same page, but that just makes it that much sweeter now that things are starting to click.

“We are feeling really comfortable with each other right now,” De La Garza said. “We have been practicing a lot, especially on moving the ball, and it is coming together. When we move the ball, we are great.”

The road ahead is not without peril for the Raiders. They will sail into battle for the District 30-6A title beginning Dec. 29.

“The district season is exciting,” Galvan said. “We still have to work on our game. We are getting better together, and getting ready for district. We are really looking forward to facing Nikki Rowe and McHi.”

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VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Dec. 18

Non-District

Edcouch-Elsa 77, La Joya Palmview 50

Valley View 72, San Perlita 55

Harlingen South 60, Edinburg North 51

Harlingen High 52, McAllen High 49

PSJA North 72, Donna High 47

Edinburg High 64, Mission Veterans 54

Rio Grande City 60, La Joya High 58

Los Fresnos 64, Edinburg Vela 57

McAllen Rowe 46, Weslaco East 43

Weslaco High 76, Sharyland High 43

Edinburg Economedes 74, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 42

PSJA Southwest at Brownsville Hanna, not reported

McAllen Memorial at Brownsville Porter, not reported

District 32-4A

Zapata 57, Grulla 48

Hidalgo 78, Rio Hondo 69

Port Isabel 66, Raymondville 57

La Feria at Progreso, not reported

Thursday, Dec. 20

Non-District

San Isidro at Riviera, 6:30 p.m.

Mission High 58, Brownsville Hanna 36

Friday, Dec. 21

District 31-6A

Edinburg High at Edinburg North, 6 p.m.

Donna North at Edinburg Economedes, 5 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Weslaco High, 6 p.m.

District 31-5A

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

District 32-4A

Port Isabel at La Feria, 8 p.m.

Rio Hondo at Zapata, 8 p.m.

Grulla at Raymondville, 8 p.m.

Progreso at Hidalgo, 8 p.m.

Non-District

Weslaco IDEA Pike at San Perlita, 10 a.m.

Los Fresnos at McAllen Rowe, 2:30 p.m.

Brownsville Pace vs. Brownsville Pace alumni, 6 p.m.

Lyford at Brownsville St. Joseph, 6 p.m.

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

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

La Villa at Premont, 7:30 p.m.

Los Fresnos at McAllen Rowe, 7:30 p.m.

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

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

Rio Grande City at PSJA North, 7:30 p.m.

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

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORE

Wednesday’s Games

MISSION HIGH 58, BROWNSVILLE HANNA 36

Browsnville Hanna 11 7 7 9 — 36

Mission High 12 18 17 13 — 58

MISSION HIGH (56): Eddie Rivero 8, Tito Moronta 14, Deandre Sifuentes 6, Rey Garcia 9, Martin Vasquez 9, Jahel Salinas 4, Louie Garcia 8.

BROWNSVILLE HANNA (36): Isaac Iracheta 3, Victor Campos 15, Fermie Camacho 5, Cris Torres 4, Sabain Arcereaux 2, Bryan Duran 3, Jarod Lozano 2, Gabriel Garcia 2.

Tuesday’s Games

RIO GRANDE CTIY 60, LA JOYA HIGH 58

La Joya High 15 16 7 20 — 58

Rio Grande City 12 18 17 13 — 60

RIO GRANDE CITY (60): Aaron Marroquin 17, Jaime Covarrubias 9, Raudel Solis 5, Michael Thomas 8, Bryan Jones 2, Mikey Compean 6, Dennis Trevino 3, Rudy Bazan 2, Josh Garcia 8.

LA JOYA HIGH (58): Cesar Villarreal 14, Juan Trujillo 9, Santiago Rodriguez 14, Michael Reyna 6, Jose Garcia 2, JC Barriento 5, Gilbert Uresti 8.

RECORDS: Rio Grande City 12-8.

EDINBURG HIGH 64,
MISSION VETERANS 54, OT

Edinburg High 19 15 7 19 13 — 64

Mission Veterans 11 17 14 9 3 — 54

EDINBURG HIGH (64): Marc Figueroa 6, Matt Cruz 2, John Carranco 2, Jorge Hernandez 6, Antoine Woodard 36, Fermin Ramos 6m Ricky Alaniz 9.

MISSION VETERANS (54): Carlos Ramirez 2, Now Cantu 30, Josue Muniz 4, AJ Gonzaque 2, Jacob Marquez 8, JT Lerma 6, Edney Galvan 2.

EDCOUCH-ELSA 77, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 50

LJ Palmview 11 21 8 10 — 55

Edcouch-Elsa 19 27 19 12 — 77

EDCOUCH-ELSA (77): Marcos Escobar 15, Christian Lira 11, Dillen Gomez 7, Aaron Aguinaga 16, Lupe Balderas 2, Edward Saenz 9, Jesus Trejo 2, Bryan Guerra 15.

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (55): Carlos Montelongo 16, Edgar Leos 2, Fabian Flores 10, Irving Gamez 13, Homer Castilla 7, Gabe Garza 7.

RECORD: Edcouch-Elsa 16-9.

VALLEY VIEW 72, SAN PERLITA 55

San Perlita 10 17 11 17 — 55

Valley View 21 13 16 22 — 72

VALLEY VIEW (72): Isaac Lira 9, Jose Solis 18, Kevan Diaz 17, Deion Ortegon 2, Alan Fuentes 8, Andres Sepulveda 8, Eric Trevino 10.

SAN PERLITA Nieto 2, Howell 11, B. Herrera 7, J. Herrera 5, Willis 3, Terry 5, Rincon 2, Ju. Herrera 15, Olivares 3, Johnson 2.

RECORDS: Valley View 13-5

HARLINGEN SOUTH 60, EDINBURG NORTH 51

Harlingen South 13 18 10 19 — 60

Edinburg North 16 7 12 16 — 51

HARLINGEN SOUTH (60): Joe Cortez 14, Mito Velasquez 6, Reis Chamberlain 2, Grant Lowery 16, Ethan Mireles 2, Teo Turrubiates 14, Alex Rodriguez 1.

EDINBURG NORTH (51): David Gutierrez 9, Ethan Garcia 5, Sergio Quintanilla 24, Aldo Reta 3, Ivan Garza, 2, Frank Sumaya 2, Moises Garza 6.

RECORDS: Edinburg North 15-9.

HIDALGO 78, RIO HONDO 69

Rio Hondo 12 17 14 26 — 69

Hidalgo 17 16 24 21 — 78

HIDALGO (78): Andy Flores 16, Alexis Gonzalez 11, Gus Sanchez 18, Luis Toledano 11, Moises Longoria 7, Julio Zamorano 3, Saul Arjona 10, Kyle Davila 2.

RIO HONDO (69): Zeke Rios 8, John ayala 5, CJ Leal 12, Daniel Garcia 14, Jabez Villarreal 26, Isaiah Olvera 2, Jon Cavazos 2.

PSJA NORTH 72, DONNA HIGH 47

PSJA North 21 17 11 23 — 72

Donna High 7 13 14 13 — 47

PSJA NORTH (72): Matthew Cantu 3, Elijah De La Garza 15, Daunte Galvan 25, Ricky Garcia 2, Isaac Gonzalez 11, Iziaah Rangel 16.

DONNA HIGH (47): Alex Sanchez 3, Roger Rodriguez 11, Derik Medrano 6, Eddy Epperson 3, Joshua Aguilar 2, Trey Rodriguez 2, Eric Garza 13, Avery Bowen 2, Brandon Chavez 5.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

SAN JUAN — Trey Guajardo is the next elite Valley athlete to sign to play Division I baseball at UTRGV.

On Monday, in front of his PSJA High baseball teammates, football teammates, friends and family, Guajardo made it official, signing to play baseball for the Vaqueros.

“It feels great,” Guajardo said. “This was something I have worked for, my entire life. Being able to play collegiate baseball at the next level, and be close to home, it’s an amazing experience.”

As the face and embodiment of what it means to be a Bear, Trey Guajardo has always shown tremendous pride in the school that he called home the past four years.

“(Winning a district title in football, and then signing to UTRGV for baseball) it’s something out of a movie, it is crazy,” Guajardo said. “I worked my whole life for opportunities like this. I had a great football career, there is no doubt about that. But now, it is baseball mode. I am trying to give my all this year, not only to showcase my talents, but it’s my senior year here, and I want to leave my mark at PSJA.”

In the day of transfers and super teams, Trey Guajardo will have proudly worn the Bears across his chest from the time he stepped onto the football field freshman year, to the day his cleats trot off of the high school baseball diamond one final time — whenever the perennial title-contending Bears wrap up their season this spring.

“It’s something I take a lot of pride in,” Guajardo said. “From a very young age, I dreamed of playing baseball for the Bears. Now, I am here. It’s crazy, it has gone by so quickly. I remember like it was yesterday, my freshman year.”

Throughout the course of his career, he has always played whatever role was needed of him. On the football field he played defensive back before becoming the quarterback that took the Valley by storm. In baseball, Guajardo has pitched (starting and relief), played the outfield and shortstop, always playing a pivotal role in big games.

Guajardo credited his time this summer, playing with the South Texas Sliders and hitting the showcase scene hard, with getting him the attention of several schools. Guajardo had other DI offers, and several other DI Juco offers as well, but the UTGRV was the best offer, and so he took it.

“It is very special, as a parent,” said Ruben Guajardo, Trey’s father. “Being greedy, it’s the best opportunity for us to see him play. If it would have been an offer that we liked better elsewhere, he was ready to leave, also. He has to take that next step, and we are behind him. But, we are glad we didn’t have to choose and he will be here, a couple miles down the road.”

Trey’s uncle and Bears baseball coach Marco Guajardo has seen the trend of Valley signings at UTRGV as a huge plus for both parties.

“In the past, a lot of our Valley kids have not gotten the chance here,” he said. “They have always gone elsewhere, and then they end up coming back home. (UTRGV) will have more of a crowd, now. And the kids that (UTRGV coach Derek Matlock) have signed so far, he has a really good group.”

And Trey’s just can’t wait to get in the mix.

“I am looking forward to working with some great coaches, (associate head coach Russell) Raley and coach Matlock over there,” Trey Guajardo said. “They have shown me a lot of love this summer. I can’t wait to put on the UTRGV jersey and get to work.”

[email protected]

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Sharyland Pioneer junior Lavar Lindo has never taken losses well.

“I hate losing,” Lindo said.

When Lindo was younger, the anger from losing would lead to foul trouble, aggression and sometimes even rage.

Lindo’s mom, Angela, played a big part in breaking him of those bad habits.

“When I was a kid, I used to take that anger out on people,” Lindo said. “She taught me to just use it on the scoreboard. Don’t take the anger out on anybody else. When I get angry, just take a breath, calm down, and just put it into the points.”

Lindo never noticed the difference of growing up in a single-parent household. Angela was there for him whenever she was needed.

Beyond his mother, Lindo always knew he could rely on his teammates. He has played with Pioneer teammates Luke Padilla, Ethan Lee and Eddie Marburger since fourth grade. All of his Pioneer teammates have become as close as family.

“They help me out,” Lindo said. “Especially when I am down, they lift me up. They know I take losses really hard. I take it personally, because I know there is always something I can do better.”

Even while Lindo was playing on the football field for the Diamondbacks, he was putting in work, on his own, to make sure he would be ready for the basketball season.

His work ethic is infectious. The entire Pioneer team has off-the-charts hustle.

Having a high work rate is key to Pioneer’s style of play.

“That’s what we like to do, change the game,” Pioneer coach Rene Gonzalez said. “We try to force the other team to play our style of game, by changing up the tempo.”

The Diamondbacks have to be ready to run, apply defensive pressure and play smart with the ball, because Pioneer has such a versatile lineup and team, that they can take many different forms, depending on the opponent.

Lindo is a physical presence on both ends, around the rim.

“He has grown a lot,” Gonzalez said. “To be honest with you, football has helped him a lot. He has gotten a lot stronger, he has gotten more physical. This year, we have seen it. You can contribute that to football getting him aggressive. He’s got to be strong, just to establish his presence underneath the basket, which in turn will help us with the outside shooting, and the guards.”

However, Lindo is a student of the game, and he doesn’t want to limit his value to the team. Lindo has seen the game change, from the pro level, all the way on down.

As the game has become more perimeter centric, Lindo has tried to adjust his game slightly, to stay ahead of the curve.

“Right now, I am working on my shot and my dribbling,” he said. “I am still working on post moves and all that, but I am working on being patient. I know I rush things. And I am working on my outside game.”

The Diamondbacks didn’t get off to the start they wanted to, but coming into the PSJA Tri-City Classic, the focus from everyone on the team was evident.

“We didn’t do what we wanted to in the Hidalgo tournament,” sophomore guard Eddie Marburger said before the PSJA tournament. “So, we are looking to bounce back.”

His words came to fruition, as the Diamondbacks battled through the first two days of the tournament, earning the right to play for the chance to take home the title on Saturday.

The Diamondbacks drew Weslaco High in the semifinals, and the Panthers, who have been playing extremely well since the start of the season, ended the Diamondbacks’ run.

Pioneer faced South San Antonio in the third-place game. South San won 44-42.

Still, the Diamondbacks had a great run in the tournament, yet again proving Marburger’s words true.

“We have been struggling a little bit lately, but when we get it going, it will be a lot of fun,” Marburger said before the tournament.

Another player who exhibits the work ethic that fuels the Diamondbacks is senior guard Taggart Chandler.

Last year, Chandler was prepping for his junior season on the hardwood, when disaster struck.

“Yea it was pretty hard,” he said. “At the beginning of the year, last year, we were scrimmaging half court, and I just kind of fell on it weird. It means a lot to come back and just be able to play again.”

He tore his ACL in the first week of practice and missed the entire season.

A week after surgery, Chandler already had a ball in his hands.

“After I started going to rehab for about a week or so, I started dribbling,” he said. “I couldn’t really do anything like running, but I could dribble a basketball.”

Slowly but surely, Chandler got closer to a return to the court.

“I had to do a lot of jumping,” Chandler said. “The motion of jumping and falling down, I just wanted to make sure I was comfortable with that.”

Once he could trust his leg to handle the rigors, Chandler got to work, trying to make up for lost time.

The Diamondbacks have one more non-district game. They will host McAllen High on Friday.

The District 31-5A season starts for the Diamondbacks just before the New Year, and the Diamondbacks open with sister school Sharyland High.

“We were really excited for district,” Chandler said. “We have been working hard, and we have seen some good teams to help prepare us. We are working hard, and we will be ready.”

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VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Monday, Dec. 17

Non-District

San Isidro 50, Bishop 25

PSJA Memorial 53, Donna North 30

Brownsville Porter 60, McAllen Memorial 46

Tuesday, Dec. 18

District 32-4A

Raymondville at Port Isabel, 8 p.m.

Hidalgo at Rio Hondo, 8 p.m.

La Feria at Progreso, 6:30 p.m.

Zapata at Grulla, 8 p.m.

District 32-3A

Lyford at Weslaco IDEA Pike, 7:30 p.m.

Vanguard Pharr at Santa Rosa, 7:30 p.m.

Non-District

San Perlita at Valley View, 6 p.m.

Mission Juan Diego at Lasara, 6:30 p.m.

La Villa at Macedonian Christian, 6:30 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at Brownsville Hanna, 7:30 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at San Benito, 7:30 p.m.

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

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

Harlingen South at Edinburg North, 7:30 p.m.

La Joya High at Rio Grande City, 7:30 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.

McAllen Rowe at Weslaco East, 7:30 p.m.

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

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

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

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

La Joya Palmview at Edcouch-Elsa, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 20

Non-District

San Isidro at Riviera, 6:30 p.m.

Brownsville Hanna at Mission High, 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 21

District 31-6A

Edinburg High at Edinburg North, 6 p.m.

Donna North at Edinburg Economedes, 5 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Weslaco High, 6 p.m.

District 31-5A

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

District 32-4A

Port Isabel at La Feria, 8 p.m.

Rio Hondo at Zapata, 8 p.m.

Grulla at Raymondville, 8 p.m.

Progreso at Hidalgo, 8 p.m.

Non-District

Weslaco IDEA Pike at San Perlita, 10 a.m.

Los Fresnos at McAllen Rowe, 2:30 p.m.

Brownsville Pace vs. Brownsville Pace alumni, 6 p.m.

Lyford at Brownsville St. Joseph, 6 p.m.

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

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

La Villa at Premont, 7:30 p.m.

Los Fresnos at McAllen Rowe, 7:30 p.m.

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

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

Rio Grande City at PSJA North, 7:30 p.m.

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

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORE

Monday’s Game

Non-District

PSJA MEMORIAL 53, DONNA NORTH 30

Donna North 10 5 2 13 — 30

PSJA Memorial 13 17 16 7 — 53

PSJA MEMORIAL (53): Horacio Cisneros 5, Chris Sierra 2, Barac Garcia 6, Nick Cisneros 18, Jessie Oviedo 2, Alexis Oviedo 1, Alexis Ovalle 4, Jose Lozano 8, Oscar Marquina 7.

DONNA NORTH (30): Adam Rodriguez 3, Marc Luna 2, Jonathan Martinez 2, J. Augirre 6, Jose Cazares 5, Rigo Rodriguez 3, Juan Alvarez 1, Jose Casas 6, Alex Mendoza 2.

BY TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR

Santos Villarreal is a national champion – again.

The former Mission Veterans All-State quarterback-turned-linebacker for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor helped lead the Cru to its second NCAA Division III National Championship in three years. UMHB defeated 13-time champ Mount Union (Ohio) 24-16 last Friday, avenging last year’s loss in the title game.

The game was Villarreal’s third-straight championship contest, and the Cru completed a perfect 15-0 season to receive the D-III title trophy. The come-from-behind victory is something the senior will not soon forget.

“To be honest, my team and I were very confident about winning this game,” said the 5-foot-11 linebacker. “The thought of losing to them last year is all we needed. When we went down 10-0, we weren’t worried. We just knew it was time to play.”

Villarreal, who arrived on UMHB’s Belton campus as a quarterback in 2015, transitioned to defense after one year. He’s acknowledged that he had some self-reflection and maturing to do before fully embracing his situation and new position. Once he did, Villarreal became a big contributor to the Cru’s championship culture. He was a reserve linebacker in 2016.

In two full seasons as a UMHB starter, Villarreal made 123 tackles, recorded 13 tackles for losses, picked off six passes and recovered three fumbles. He was the team’s second-leading tackler in 2018. The Cru posted a 29-1 record from 2017-2018. And in the past 10 years, Mary Hardin-Baylor is 126-10.

“I’ve had the best experience of my life playing football here. I wish every Valley kid could experience winning national titles or even just to be in one. I had a chance to play in two and it’s just incredible,” said Villarreal, a Business Management major. “I’ll remember the bond I had with my teammates and the whole week of preparation for the game. It was fun, intense and the game experience was a dream.”

ROWE’S DOUGHERTY GETS SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

McAllen Rowe product Veronica Dougherty was named to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Sportsmanship team earlier this month. The SCAC has placed a special emphasis on sportsmanship. Each head coach was asked to elect one member from his or her team who displayed good sportsmanship throughout the season.

Dougherty, a midfielder and defender for Centenary College in Shreveport, La., started all 15 games for the soccer team. The 5-foot-6 freshman assisted the game-winning goal in a 3-1 win in the season opener against Belhaven. Dougherty scored a critical game-tying goal on her first shot of her collegiate career in the 83rd minute of Centenary’s eventual 4-3 (2OT) win against Texas Lutheran.

SOUTH’S DEL ANGEL PICKS UP POST-SEASON ACCOLADE

Former Harlingen South All-District volleyball player Cameron Del Angel is making some noise at the junior college level. The Coastal Bend College freshman was named National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIV honorable mention. Del Angel, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter led the Cougars in kills with 176, and kills per set with 1.87 per stanza.

Del Angel, a two-sport star for the Harlingen South Hawks, also recorded 52 digs on the season to go along with 22 total blocks. She posted 192.5 points in 2018. Coastal Bend, located in Beeville (about three hours north of the RGV), is in JUCO Region XIV with JUCOs such as Blinn, Victoria, and Wharton. The Cougars were 13-18 overall this season.

VELA’S HERRERA RUNS WELL FOR INCARNATE WORD

The University of Incarnate Word men’s cross country team pulled an upset late in the season, and Edinburg Vela alum Adam Herrera was there to help the Cardinals. The UIW team finished seventh among 24 schools in the NCAA DI South Central Regional, and they performed better than Baylor, Houston, LSU and TCU and several other big-name universities.

UIW just squeezed into the regional by finishing third in the Southland Conference. However, it had some extraordinary performances to move up on the leaderboard. One of those great times came from Herrera, who placed fifth among the Cardinals and notched a 60th finish among 168 runners in the 10K race. Herrera, a junior, ran as high as 44th early in the race and posted a final time of 33 minutes, 39.3 seconds.

McHI’S BEIKER MAKES ALL-CONFERENCE SQUAD AT OLLU

McAllen High alum Adam Beiker earned a Red River Athletic Conference honorable mention nod for his stellar play for Our Lady of the Lake University. The senior played in 15 games this year, 14 as a starting defender. He had one assist and took six shots. Beiker, 6-feet and 165 pounds, is a biology major and was named a RRAC Scholar Athlete in 2018.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — In Saturday’s final of the City of Palms Tournament, McAllen Rowe was listed as the away team and playing in road uniforms — even though Rowe was on its home court — but after the final buzzer sounded, and the Warriors lifted the first-place trophy in the air, it didn’t matter what color they were wearing, all that mattered was that McAllen High was green with envy.

“It felt really good, playing against a rivalry school like McHi, you want to win those games,” junior forward Darrin Everage Jr. said. “It means a lot, it means more than playing someone else. To win that game, and the championship, that feels good.”

Rowe ran away with the final, beating McAllen High, 56-37.

Everage scored 12, while All-Tournament MVP Louie Yebra, a sophomore forward, added 16.

“It is exciting because I saw some of my players get their confidence, and I saw them shoot the ball very well,” Rowe coach Jose Luis Yebra said. “I saw them play good defense, throughout the tournament. I was pleased that we improved in those areas. I thought we were lacking some of that, and we just beat a couple really good teams, Economedes and McAllen High School. We are trying to get ready for district.”

While the Warriors controlled almost the entire McHi game, the Edinburg Economedes semifinal matchup was not so easy.

“(Econ senior Angel Salinas) is a great shooter, and they had us kind of worried, because we were down by 21,” Yebra said. “We made some adjustments defensively and got the ball out of his hands, and I think that was the difference in the ball game. Our kids just played the defense that we wanted, and we were able to come out with the victory.”

“First quarter, we were still asleep, tired,” senior guard Adrian Salinas said of the 10:30 a.m. semifinal. “Second quarter, we woke up, built up slowly but surely, and by the fourth quarter, we knew we had it.”

Adrian Salinas is one of the toughest defenders Rowe has, but in the final, he knocked down two big 3-pointers that highlight how dangerous he can be, when he has the confidence to shoot. With Everage and Louie Yebra demanding so much of the defense’s attention, he has the opportunity to get a lot of open 3s.

“Those shots built my confidence a lot,” Adrian Salinas said.

Rowe has a ton of versatility, with guys like Everage and Louie Yebra, who can guard bigger guys, and play as stretch bigs, or create mismatches by going against smaller guards.

A big key to the versatility is the play of junior forward John Galan.

“John Galan does a great job inside, on defense and offense,” coach Yebra said. “He helps us out on the boards a lot. That helps Darrin and Louie to be able to do what they do on the outside.”

“Over the summer, I really wanted to work more on my vertical and my post moves,” Galan said. “I already knew, coming into my junior year, I was going to need that a lot more.

“Playing the post, when they pass me the ball, it opens it up, because the defenders all crash in on me. So, then I can pass or make the drive.”

McAllen High senior forward Jaden Conrow led the way for the Bulldogs with 15 points in the final. Conrow and senior guard Matthew Ibarra both were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Galan, Adrian Salinas and Everage all earned All-Tournament nods as well for Rowe. Econ’s Angel Salinas also earned an All-Tournament Team distinction.

Los Fresnos claimed third place with a 49-46 win over Edinburg Economedes. Tamaulipas won the consolation championship, and Donna High took home the consolation third-place game.

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