BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF REPORT

HIDALGO — Last year, Weslaco High pulled off one of the biggest wins in the Hidalgo Pirate Classic tournament, only to lose the championship game to Los Fresnos.

The Panthers beat Houston Dickinson in the semifinal last year, a foreshadowing of this year’s final, when the Panthers would again be matched up with a tough non-Valley team.

On Saturday afternoon at Hidalgo High School, the Weslaco High Panthers outlasted the Laredo LBJ Wolves 61-55, in the Platinum Bracket Championship of the 7th Annual Hidalgo Pirate Classic.

“Last year, it slipped through our hands,” senior guard Safi Fino-A-Laself said. “I am glad we are finally bringing the ’chip back to Weslaco High.”

The tournament win is Weslaco High’s first since 2010.

“We have been close every year, and finally we got the win this year,” Weslaco High coach Gabriel Valdez said. “Hopefully, it will carry over to the next tournament. It was a long time coming for us.”

The Panthers pulled ahead at the 2:08 mark of the third quarter, but the pressure from LBJ never ceased.

“We got a lot of pressure in the San Antonio tournament, which really helped us,” Valdez said of the South San Bobcats Tournament that ran from Nov. 29-Dec. 1. “We knew Laredo was going to be that kind of team. We talked about some things, and who to hit to break that pressure. We just missed a bunch of shots today. It could have played out a little bit differently. Laredo has a great ballclub. We just kept our composure and pulled it out.”

Fino-A-Laself was already one of the best players in the Valley, but with the Panthers’ talent-laden rosters of the past couple season, he has had to play different roles.

Now, he and his two best mates, Caleb Ybarra and Isaiah Garcia, are the three guards who start for the Panthers. In anticipation of his increased role this year, Fino-A-Laself made a major move this offseason.

“This summer, I went to live with my dad for a while in Albuquerque,” Fino-A-Laself said. “I got a shooting coach named Ron. Him and my dad really worked me out, and they made sure that I got (my jumper) down this season, because I really haven’t had a jump shot for the majority of my basketball career. They made sure I got that down, so I could bring it to the table this year.”

Fino-A-Laself started the year scoring 31, 27 and 24 points. In three games at the South San Tournament, Fino-A-Laself scored a combined 57 points against Fort Worth Wyatt, San Antonio MacArthur and Dallas Kimball.

“Those teams are really fast,” Fino-A-Laself said. “We competed. We didn’t win, but we didn’t get blown out like we were supposed to. … We have gotten a lot better at breaking those presses, because of facing teams like that. We have learned to play a more composed offense and defense because of it.”

Fino-A-Laself totaled 18 in the championship game Saturday, including seven of the team’s 13 fourth-quarter points. Not only does he know how to get buckets when the team needs them — he has become something of a savant at playing in the clutch for the Panthers — but he is a versatile player who adds a lot of value beyond his scoring. On Saturday, he skied past the taller Wolves’ bigs to pull down several key rebounds. He is a smooth passer, and he knows how to find Garcia and the rest of his shooters beyond the arc.

His poise down the stretch, against a pestering LBJ defense was the difference in the game.

“It was a lot of mind games,” said Fino-A-Laself, who was one of several Panthers dealing with foul trouble on Saturday. “They had me in my head for a little bit there, I’m not going to lie, but in the fourth quarter, I had to take a deep breath, step back and take my time. Because when I freak out, the team freaks out, and we can’t have that, if we want to win. I had to regain my composure, get us back on track, and from there, we got the win.”

Having Garcia and Ybarra by his side in the biggest moments helps Fino-A-Laself be the leader his younger team needs.

“My three guards, Safi, Caleb and Isaiah, do a really good job of understanding the game, and playing with a little more IQ,” Valdez said. “They call us the Rugrats because we are a squad,” Fino-A-Laself said. “We run as one. Caleb plays the defense, and me and Isaiah, we are the quick triggers. Of course, it is a team effort from everyone, but it feels good for us, because I think we have worked really hard for this.”

All three were named to the All-Tournament team, Fino-A-Laself earning the tournament MVP award.

“It was a pretty cool moment,” Ybarra said. “This is our first year starting, all together.”

In the title game, Garcia scored 12 and Ybarra added 10.

As Fino-A-Laself pointed out, Ybarra’s defense is a big factor for the Panthers. He is often tasked with guarding the opponent’s best player, and against LBJ that was again true, as he drew fellow All-Tournament team member Osvaldo Garza, the Wolves’ senior guard.

“I just had to play a little more back, because he was quick with his left hand,” Ybarra said. “So, I made him play to his right.”

In the semifinal against a short-handed Hidalgo, Garza scored 12 of LBJ’s 56 points. Ybarra held him to 7.

The Panthers aren’t just the Rugrats. Senior forwards Matt Casanova and Alexis Lizarraga are the type of bigs that can bang with the bigger Laredo and San Antonio forwards, but they are also skilled and quick enough to get out and run and find the open spot, when the Rugrats hit top gear.

Behind the senior-laden starting lineup, Valdez has a bench unit comprised of sophomores and juniors.

“We have all really embraced that leadership role,” Fino-A-Laself said of himself, Garcia and Ybarra. “I am the team captain. I have to set things straight, when things need to be set straight. A lot of the guys listen when they need to. It’s not just me, though, Caleb and Isaiah have taken on the leadership role as well. Those younger guys have taken a liking to us, and they are listening to us. We are doing better as a team because of it.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

ELSA — While most teams in the Valley were taking part in tournaments across the region, some of the best basketball was played in a non-district game Friday night.

The Edcouch-Elsa Yellow Jackets and the Edinburg High Bobcats went toe-to-toe in a thriller, with the Yellow Jackets pulling off a late rally for the win, 59-57.

The Bobcats led from the 2:58 mark of the fourth quarter, but the margin was slim. With 48 seconds left on the clock, EE senior Bryan Guerra connected on a layup to cut the lead to one point.

Then, the Yellow Jackets swarmed to the ball, buzzing around and looking for steals. The defensive pressure was too much for the Bobcats, and an errant passes trailed out of bounds.

With 17.4 on the clock, the Yellow Jackets put the ball in the hands of senior Marcos Escobar.

“The coaches just told me to attack the rim, if I had the layup take it,” Escobar said. “I saw (EHS senior) Antoine (Woodard) come over and try to get that block. Then, I saw (EE junior) Aaron (Aguinaga) cutting, and I gave him the ball.”

Escobar’s unselfish play resulted in an Aguinaga layup at the rim, giving EE its first lead since the 4:36 mark of the fourth quarter.

“That basket was super exciting,” Escobar said. “It got the team fired up, it got the crowd fired up. It was amazing.”

The Bobcats ran a play with roughly ten seconds left.

“We told Aaron, he had to deny Antoine,” EE coach Lalo Rios said. “Because, I think Antoine might have scored every point in that fourth quarter. And so we told (Aguinaga), ‘if (Woodard) gets it, he is probably going to score. We haven’t stopped him yet.’ We said, ‘we have to have anyone else but Antoine try to beat us.’”

Woodard scored 13 of EHS’ 16 fourth-quarter points.

Aguinaga has been grinding all summer – in the lab as he described it – to get ready for this year. He has seen his minutes increase, and also the amount of responsibility.

“Every game, they always put me on the best player, because they know I hustle the most. and I try to play best defense on them,” Aguinaga said.

So, when the moment called for his defense, Aguinaga was ready.

“I saw that they were going to screen for (Woodard on the final play), but I went over the screen,” Aguinaga said. “I locked him up, and didn’t let him get that ball.”

Instead, it was Edinburg High junior Jorge Hernnadez who took a tough shot from the free throw line, which missed.

Rios’ late sub to bring in senior Nico Ybarra paid off, as Ybarra’s fresh legs allowed him to rise up and grab the game-sealing rebound.Woodard’s work ethic shined in the final moment as he was the one contesting Ybarra for the rebound.

“Edinburg always travels well,” Rios said. “They are a very good team, and we have been having some success early on. We knew our crowd was going to be out here tonight, supporting us. We expected a dogfight, and we got a dogfight. Luckily for us, we got the win.”

Edcouch-Elsa beat Edinburg High on Friday night in front of the Yellow Jackets’ raucous fans.

“The crowd was awesome,” Escobar said. “We fed off of their energy. They also helped us get this win tonight.”

Aguinaga has become accustomed to guarding the other team’s best player, but Woodard was on another level Friday night. He finished with 32 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Woodard displayed range from three, and a tenacity when finishing at the rim.

Aguinaga held his own, though, with 19 points, five rebounds and of course, the game-winner.

“What a tough matchup, two very athletic, very gifted basketball players,” Rios said. “It was fun to watch, but it was very stressful at the same time. We tried telling Aaron, to keep it about the team and not about them. For the most part, he did a good job. When we needed him, he was able to get us some points.”

Escobar had 16 for the Yellow Jackets and Ybarra and Guerra added six and five, respectively. The Bobcats’ seniors point guard Marc Figueroa was the second-leading scorer with nine, while Hernandez added seven.

Like Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, Aguinaga and Woodard battled each other all night. One sequence had Aguinaga on a fastbreak, only for Woodard to chase him down and pin his layup to the glass. Woodard was then given a fastbreak of his own, but Aguinaga’s defense also forced a miss.

At the half, each had 11 points, and Woodard had four rebounds, while Aguniaga had three.

The Bobcats began the game with a barrage of 3-pointers, and jumped out to 18-9 lead in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets were finally able to stem the tide, and by the end of the first quarter the EHS lead was down to just one point.

With the Yellow Jackets jelling extremely well, playing cohesively, and with a giant crop of younger guys getting valuable experience, the future is bright for EE, for this year and beyond.

“We are very impressed with these guys,” Rios said. “We lost 12 guys from last year’s team, and we only have three left that have varsity experience. To be 12-6 speaks volumes of their commitment, their effort and their work ethic. We are very proud of them, but we also know that we are just scratching the surface with them. We are hoping that come district time, we are a lot better than where we are right now.”

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VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Dec. 7

Non-District

Edcouch-Elsa 59, Edinburg High 57

Brownsville IDEA Frontier 79, Vanguard Rembrant 56

Saturday, Dec. 8

Non-District

McAllen Memorial at La Joya Palmview, 3:30 p.m.

Tournaments

Dec. 6-8

Los Fresnos Tournament

Friday’s games

McAllen Rowe def. Uvalde

Euless Trinity def. Harlingen High

Los Fresnos def. San Antonio Reagan

Edinburg Vela def. Fort Worth Poly

Saturday’s games

Championship semifinals, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (main gym)

Consolation semifinals, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (freshman gym)

Guaranteed game, 3 p.m. (freshman gym)

Third-place game, 4:30 p.m. (main gym)

Championship, 6 p.m. (main gym)

La Feria Tournament

Thursday’s Games

Mercedes 65, Raymondville 54

West Oso 71, Brownsville Jubilee 38

Edinburg Economedes 75. Port Isabel 45

Brownsville St. Joseph 67, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 39

La Feria 68, La Feria JV 29

PSJA Southwest 39, Brownsville Lopez 32

PSJA Memorial 52, Corpus Christi Miller 36

La Feria 34, PSJA Memorial 33

Edinburg Economedes 48, Brownsville St. Joseph 41

Friday’s Games

Main Gym

Brownsville Jubilee 55, Raymondville 53

Mercedes 59, La Feria 33

Brownsville Lopez 62, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 59

West Oso 47, PSJA Memorial 36

Port Isabel 78, Brownsville Lopez 52

Edinburg Economedes 47, Corpus Christi Miller 35

West Oso 50, La Feria 41

Back Gym

Port Isabel 76, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 43

Edinburg Economedes 49, PSJA Southwest 33

Brownsville Jubilee 61, La Feria JV 43

Corpus Christi Miller 56, Brownsville St. Joseph 28

Raymondville 62, La Feria JV 31

Mercedes 71, PSJA Memorial 45

PSJA Southwest 44, Brownsville St. Joseph 33

Saturday’s Games

Main Gym

Fifth-place game, 9 a.m.

Consolation game, 10:30 a.m.

Third-place game, noon

Championship game, 1:30 p.m.

Hidalgo Tournament

Friday’s Games

Platinum Bracket

Houston Stafford 42, PSJA High 41

Santa Maria 72, Edinburg North 36

Weslaco High 57, Mission High 50

South San Antonio 51, Brownsville Pace 45

Edinburg North 47, Houston Stafford 13

Weslaco High 38, South San Antonio winner 33

Hidalgo 58, Kingsville King 54

Donna High 54, Laredo Cigarroa 44

Rio Grande City 51, Sharyland Pioneer 38

Laredo LBJ 55, PSJA North 54

Hidalgo 68, Donna High 45

Laredo LBJ 82, Rio Grande City 56

Gold Bracket

Rio Hondo 55, Grulla 22

Weslaco IDEA 45, Harlingen South 41

Donna North 48, Alamo IDEA 31

San Benito 73, Buccaneers 27

Sna Benito 48, Donna North 40

Rio Hondo 88, Weslaco IDEA 54

Consolation Bracket

PSJA High 83, Santa Maria 42

Brownsville Pace 69, Mission High 66

Laredo Cigarroa 74, Kingsville King 69

PSJA North 77, Sharyland Pioneer 74

Saturday’s Games

Platinum Bracket

Fifth-place game, 1:30 p.m.

Third-place game, 3 p.m.

Championship game, 4:30 p.m.

Gold Bracket

Third-place game, 1:30 p.m.

Championship game, noon

Consolation Bracket

Third-place game, 3 p.m.

Championship game, 4:30 p.m.

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Friday’s Game

Non-District

EDCOUCH-ELSA 59, EDINBURG HIGH 57

Edinburg High 20 7 14 16 — 57

Edcouch-Elsa 19 9 12 19 — 59

EDCOUCH-ELSA (59): Marcos Escobar 16, Christian Lira 3, Dillon Gomez 4, Aaron Aguinaga 19, Bryan Guerra 5, Nico Ybarra 6, Lupe Balderas 2, Edward Saenz 4.

EDINBURG HIGH (57): Marc Figueroa 9, Jorge Hernandez 7, Antoine Woodard 32, Fermin Ramos 3, Ricky Alaniz 6.

VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Dec. 7

Non-District

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

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

Saturday, Dec. 8

Non-District

McAllen Memorial at La Joya Palmview, 3:30 p.m.

Tournaments

Dec. 6-8

Poteet Tournament

Thursday’s Games

San Perlita 101, Poteet 68

Los Fresnos Tournament

Thursday’s games

McAllen Rowe 50, Los Fresnos 44

Edinburg Vela 63, Harlingen High 48

Friday’s games

McAllen Rowe vs. Uvalde, 3 p.m.

Harlingen High vs. San Antonio Reagan, 3 p.m.

Los Fresnos vs. Euless Trinity, 4:30 p.m.

Edinburg Vela vs. Fort Worth Poly, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Championship semifinals, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (main gym)

Consolation semifinals, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (freshman gym)

Guaranteed game, 3 p.m. (freshman gym)

Third-place game, 4:30 p.m. (main gym)

Championship, 6 p.m. (main gym)

La Feria Tournament

Thursday’s Games

Mercedes 65, Raymondville 54

West Oso 71, Brownsville Jubilee 38

Edinburg Economedes 75. Port Isabel 45

Brownsville St. Joseph 67, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 39

La Feria 68, La Feria JV 29

PSJA Southwest 39, Brownsville Lopez 32

PSJA Memorial 52, Corpus Christi Miller 36

La Feria 34, PSJA Memorial 33

Edinburg Economedes 48, Brownsville St. Joseph 41

Friday’s Games

Main Gym

Raymondville vs. Brownsville Jubilee, 9 a.m.

Mercedes vs. La Feria, 10:30 a.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln vs. Brownsville Lopez, noon

West Oso vs. PSJA Memorial, 1:30 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez vs. Port Isabel, 3 p.m.

Corpus Christi Miller vs. Edinburg Economedes, 4:30 p.m.

La Feria vs. West Oso, 6 p.m.

Back Gym

Port Isabel vs. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 9 a.m.

Edinburg Economedes vs. PSJA Southwest, 10:30 a.m.

Brownsville Jubilee vs. La Feria JV, noon

Brownsville St. Joseph vs. Corpus Christi Miller, 1:30 p.m.

La Feria JV vs. Raymondville, 3 p.m.

PSJA Memorial vs. Mercedes, 4:30 p.m.

PSJA Southwest vs. Brownsville St. Joseph, 6 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Main Gym

Fifth-place game, 9 a.m.

Consolation game, 10:30 a.m.

Third-place game, noon

Championship game, 1:30 p.m.

Hidalgo Tournament

Thursday’s Games

At State Farm Arena

Edinburg North 68, San Benito 67

Santa Maria 47, Buccaneers 24

Laredo LBJ 74, Harlingen South 70

Kingsville King 73, PSJA High 66

Weslaco High 63, Rio Grande City 55

Sharyland Pioneer 59, Mission High 47

Houston Stafford 47, Hidalgo 46. OT

South San Antonio 54, PSJA North 45

At Hidalgo main gym

Hidalgo 77, Donna North 31

South San Antonio 47, Weslaco IDEA 26

Sharyland Pioneer 72, Rio Hondo 35

Houston Staffrod 80, Donna North 21

PSJA North 87, Weslaco IDEA 58

Edinburg North 61, Donna High 50

Weslaco High 76, Grulla 23

Laredo LBJ 71, Brownsville Pace 69

At Hidalgo auxiliary gym

Mission High 52, Rio Hondo 47

Rio Grande City 76, Grulla 51

Donna High 52, San Benito 31

Laredo Cigarroa 59, Santa Maria 49

Bronwsville Pace 75, Harlingen South 58

Kingsville King 95, Alamo IDEA 32

Laredo Cigarroa 60, Buccaneers 23

PSJA High 59, Alamo IDEA 23

Friday’s Games

At State Farm Arena

PSJA High vs. Houston Stafford, 9 a.m.

Edinburg North vs. Santa Maria, 10:30 a.m.

Mission High vs. Weslaco High, noon

South San Antonio vs. Brownsville Pace, 1:30 p.m.

PSJA High-Houston Stafford winner vs. Santa Maria-Edinburg North winner, 5 p.m.

Mission High-Weslaco High winner vs. Brownsville Pace-South San Antonio winner, 7:30 p.m.

At Hidalgo main gym

Kingsville King vs. Hidalgo, 9 a.m.

Laredo Cigarroa vs. Donna High, 10:30 a.m.

Sharyland Pioneer vs. Rio Grande City, noon

Laredo LBJ vs. PSJA North, 1:30 p.m.

Kingsville King-Hidalgo winner vs. Laredo Cigarroa-Donna High winner, 3 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer-Rio Grande City winner vs. Laredo LBJ-PSJA North winner, 5 p.m.

At Hidalgo auxiliary gym

Alamo IDEA vs. Donna North, 9 a.m.

Buccaneers vs. San Benito, 10:30 a.m.

Rio Hondo vs. Grulla, noon

Harlingen South vs. Weslaco IDEA, 1:30 p.m.

Alamo IDEA-Donna North winner vs. Buccaneers-San Benito winner, 6 p.m.

Rio Hondo-Grulla winner vs. Harlingen South-Weslaco IDEA winner, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

At Hidalgo main gym

Fifth-place game, noon

Third-place game, 3 p.m.

Championship game, 4:30 p.m.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
MERCEDES — Seniors Caleb Arthur and Jared Castaneda burst onto the Mercedes basketball scene as sophomores coming off the bench for the Tigers.
Arthur and Castaneda learned from the likes of Rey Rincon, Jaime Rodriguez, Alex Rios, Richard Urbina and Roger Adame III.
“Everybody has been working hard all summer,” Castaneda said. “The work ethic, we learned it from Jaime and Rey, and we just kind of passed it on to these guys.”
Now, Castaneda and Arthur are leading a group of mostly juniors into new territory. Those teams from a few years ago, regularly battled in the playoffs, and dominated their district. Last year, the Tigers missed the playoffs for the first time under coach Rick Trevino, meaning that pivotal junior class is lacking the playoff experience.
Arthur and Castaneda are there to bridge the gap.
“Caleb and Jared are both three-year lettermen, and they are the only ones who have that playoff experience,” Trevino said. “They have both been huge for us this year, and they are helping get everyone involved with their passing.”
The Tigers cleaned up at the Mission Thanksgiving Classic, winning the entire tournament. After the tournament, Trevino was asked who his tournament MVPs were, and rather than name them himself, he put it to a team vote. The players selected Arthur and Castaneda.
“It was a great accomplishment,” Arthur said. “I want to thank my teammates. Really it was more of a team award, because I feel like in that tournament, everyone showed what they are capable of doing.”
The Tigers got off to a hot start, reeling off eight straight wins to begin the season. Then things got real for the Tigers.
Mercedes traveled to Laredo for the Border Olympics tournament. There they faced extremely tough out-of-Valley competition, including the eventual tournament winners San Antonio Antonian.
“We knew exactly what we were getting into,” Trevino said. “Antonian is kind of like a prep school. They won the whole thing. They beat Nixon, who is ranked in the state. They were in our pool. They were just a different kind of athleticism and speed. It was good to see that. Because we knew that any little mistake we made would hurt us, for example, with a big dunk on the other end.”
The Tigers went 1-3 at the tournament, but they held their own against everyone they played, and more importantly, they learned a lot about their team.
“I think the Laredo tournament really helped us figure out who we are as team,” Castaneda said. “It magnified our mistakes, so that we can fix them. We competed against those teams. Laredo United South lost to Ray, by two points. They were a top 20 school in Texas. And then, we lost to them by three. So, that really showed us where we are as a team.”
Arthur and Castaneda lead the team in assists. On any given night one of the four leading scorers, Castaneda and Arthur along with juniors Jordan Ovalle and Brandon Lozoya, can get hot and burn the opposition. Arthur and Castaneda have done a tremendous job of finding Lozoya and Ovalle for open looks. Against those bigger teams, senior Jesse Fuentes and junior Jay Ayala had the responsibility of guarding the low post monsters they faced. It wasn’t easy, and it took a group effort, but the work ethic that started Rincon and Rodriguez, showed in Laredo.
The following Monday, the practice court for Mercedes became the proving ground. Players challenged each other in practice.
“It got a little intense, the guys were getting after each other,” Trevino said. “And there is nothing wrong with that. If it is happening every day, that is different. That hasn’t happened too much. They are wanting to get better. I thought we did have a hard-nosed practice.”
The Laredo tournament was a wake-up call of sorts for the Tigers, but they proved they are still the class of the Valley by getting back on track with a 50-43 win over La Joya Palmview on Tuesday.
Arthur’s game has developed so sharply over the last two years, that he has suddenly become one of the most versatile players in the Valley.
“Caleb has come a long way,” Trevino said. “He started for us last year, but he didn’t do as much for us as he is now. After a rebound, usually he would have to outlet, but now he can dribble it up himself and be like a guard. He can play the point if he wanted to, he kind of does sometimes. He can play the guard on the side, or he can post up and play the four underneath. He is our most versatile guy. I think he is one of our biggest x-factors.”
Castaneda, meanwhile, has always been great with the ball in his hands, but his basketball IQ seems to double every year. Now, he is so much of a coach on the court that he can see the plays happening before the players even get into position. His passing vision is second to none.
“Jared used to be a part of that same group as a sophomore. He would come off the bench and he was kind of figuring things out,” Trevino said. “Now he is doing everything full speed. He’s got a whole new level to his game. Before, he didn’t understand how to work at full speed all the time. Now he really does understand as a senior.”
Mercedes’ district (32-5A) is going to be a fight all year long. Brownsville Pace, Brownsville Veterans and Edcouch-Elsa have all shown themselves to be formidable challengers to the title. Even teams like Donna High, Valley View and Brownsville Porter will provide a tough contest night in and night out.
The feeling in Mercedes, though, is that they have the goods to win that title. They have proven it throughout the beginning of the year, and the young team continues to improve with every game.
“We are humble, we are not saying we will win this game or that game, we are just going to come out and give our all every night,” Ovalle said.
For now, though, the Tigers are only focused on one title, and that is the La Feria tournament title. The tournament begins today, and the Tigers are ready for the challenge.
“If you really want to see some good up-and-down basketball, come out and watch us,” Trevino said. “You will have fun watching us. The kids feed off the crowd.”
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VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Dec. 4

Non-District

Rio Grande City 74, Grulla 43

PSJA North 91, Roma 55

Mission Veterans 81, San Benito 43

Mercedes 50, La Joya Palmview 43

Hidalgo 80, Valley View 58

Edcouch-Elsa 60, Weslaco East 40

Rio Hondo 55, Santa Maria 30

Port isabel 83, Juan Diego Academy 43

San Isidro 79, Hebbronville 50

Brownsville Veterans 57, Harlingen High 54

Harlingen South 67, Sharyland High 61

Donna High 58, PSJA High 48

Los Fresnos 67, Edinburg North 52

Edinburg Economedes 55, La Joya High 36

Laredo Alexander 82, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 32

Edinburg High 64, Brownsville Hanna 61

Sharyland Pioneer 56, Mission High 45

Santa Rosa 101, Monte Alto 49

Laredo United South 72, Edinburg Vela 46

Brownsville Lopez at PSJA Memorial, not reported

PSJA Southwest at Donna North, not reported

Friday, Dec. 7

Non-District

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

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

Saturday, Dec. 8

Non-District

McAllen Memorial at La Joya Palmview, 3:30 p.m.

Dec. 6-8

Tournaments

Three Rivers Tournament

San Isidro

Progreso Tournament

Valley View

La Feria Tournament

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln

PSJA Southwest

Mercedes

Los Fresnos Tournament

Los Fresnos

McAllen Rowe

Edinburg Vela

Tuloso-Midway Tournament

McAllen High

Weslaco East

Roma

Mission Veterans

Hidalgo Tournament

Mission High

PSJA High

PSJA North

Edinburg North

Weslaco High

Sharyland Pioneer

Rio Grande City

Grulla

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Tuesday’s Game

Non-District

RIO GRANDE CITY 74, GRULLA 43

Rio Grande City 16 21 24 13 — 74

Grulla 9 14 4 16 — 43

RIO GRANDE CITY (74): Aaron Marroquin 9, Elias Lobos 2, Jaime Covarrubias 20, Devin Diaz 4, Raudel Solis 9, Michael Thomas 4, Bryan Jones 2, Dennis Trevino 12, Rudy Bazan 2, Adrian Gonzalez 4, Josh Garcia 6.

GRULLA (43): Chris Salinas 7, Greg Garza 4, Jared Gomez 4, Deion Ozuna 9, Dillen Salinas 2, Marco Scott 4, Roly Montemayor 13.

PSJA NORTH 91, ROMA 55

Roma 11 16 16 12 — 55

PSJA North 28 22 23 18 — 91

PSJA NORTH (91): Daunte Galvan 35, Iziaah Rangel 19, Elijah De La Garza 14, Matthew Cantu 11, Israel Olivarez 4, Isaac Gonzalez 4, Arturo Beltran 3, Felipe Hernandez 2.

ROMA (55): Gerardo Cortez 18, Chris Garza 4, Abraham Gonzalez 4, Miguel Olivarez 4, Edward Garza 10, Carlos Rios 11.

RECORDS: PSJA North 6-3.

MISSION VETRANS 81, SAN BENITO 43

San Benito 5 7 19 12 — 43

Mission Vets 19 18 21 23 — 81

MISSION VETERANS (81): Noe Cantu 29, Josue Muniz 21, Aaron Munoz 5, Carlos Ramirez 4, Homer Garza 5, Rico Lozoya 2, Jacob Marquez 2, JT Lerma 2, Mauricio Gonzalez 1.

SAN BENITO (43): Devin 13, Jeremy Sauceda 7, Marcos Valadez 2, Xander Torres 4, Joshua 6, Armando 4.

MERCEDES 50, LA JOYA PALMVIEW 43

LJ Palmview 9 10 16 8 — 43

Mercedes 11 16 10 13 — 50

MERCEDES (50): Caleb Arthur 8, Alex Rincon 2, Jared Castaneda 5, Jay Ayala 11, Jesse Fuentes 6, Jordan Ovalle 5, Brandon Lozoya 13.

LA JOYA PALMVIEW (43): Carlos Montelongo 17, Josh Raya 4, Sigifredo Flores 12, Irving Gamez 7, Homer Castilla 3.

HIDALGO 80, VALLEY VIEW 58

Valley View 10 9 14 25 — 58

Hidalgo 10 20 27 23 — 80

HIDALGO (80): Andy Flores 18, Alexis Gonzalez 14, Gus Sanchez 17, Luis Toledano 9, Moises Longoria 4, Julio Zamorano 5, Saul Arjona 10, Randy Perales 1, Kyle Davila 2.

VALLEY VIEW (58): Isaac Lira 13, Elian Camarillo 2, Jose Solis 17, Alan Fuentes 4, Deion Ortegon 12, Andres Sepulveda 10.

RECORDS: Hidalgo 6-0.

EDCOUCH-ELSA 60, WESLACO EAST 40

Edcouch-Elsa 18 19 9 14 — 60

Weslaco East 8 16 6 10 — 40

EDCOUCH-ELSA (60): Marcos Escobar 22, Dillon Gomez 7, Aaron Aguinaga 7, Bryan Guerra 6, Nico Ybarra 1, Damian Granados 15, Edward Saenz 2.

RECORDS: Edcouch-Elsa 11-6.

RIO HONDO 55, SANTA MARIA 30

Rio Hondo 13 12 12 18 — 55

Santa Maria 5 6 8 11 — 30

RIO HONDO (55): Zeke Rios 8, Johnathan Ayala 2, CJ Leal 3, Cristian Soto 3, Isaac Jaramillo 4, Daniel Garcia 4, Zechariah Rios 5, Jabez Villarreal 18, Isaiah Olivera 5, John Cavazos 3.

RECORDS: Rio Hondo 5-4.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

GRULLA — With the Grulla gym full to the brim, red fans on one side and blue fans on the other, the building reached a fever pitch when Grulla junior Deion Ozuna hit a jumper to cut Rio Grande City’s lead to three points.

RGC junior Aaron Marroquin responded with the Rattlers’ second triple of the game, and the Rattlers started to extend the lead as the second quarter continued.

RGC started the game by charging out to an 11-point lead, before the Gators fought back to set up Ozuna’s make.

The Rattlers again grew the lead in the second quarter, and started to pull away. It was the Rio defense that changed the shape of the game. When the starters came back in, during the second quarter, the steals and blocks started to rain down on the Gators.

“When we play together, our defense is just as solid as anyone in the Valley,” Rio coach Juan Aldape said. “We started off struggling a little bit, but once we got into our up and down offense, you saw what the kids can do.”

Rio Grande City continued to grow the margin into the second half, as the 10-man Gators team started to tire out. The Rattlers went on to win 74-43 on Tuesday night in the classic RGCISD battle.

“It is a great feeling,” Marroquin said. “Playing these games, it is a different atmosphere. The crowd is great, a lot of fans for both teams.”

Last year, everything for the Rattlers centered around the big man in the middle, Rodrigo Nunez. Nunez is now playing ball at Coastal Bend College. Senior Jaime Covarrubias, along with Marroquin, knew they would need to be the motor for the offense, especially in the early going. The Rattlers graduated several seniors along with Rodriguez, and now have a lineup with a large presence of freshmen and sophomores to complement a strong junior crop.

“Yea, we miss him a lot, but we have to move on,” Marroquin said of Nunez. “We have new players. We have Mikey (Thomas) and Dennis (Trevino), they have contributed already, and they will help us in the long run. … All this summer, we have been going to tournaments, playing games. That really helps.”

The defensive effort, which made all the difference on Tuesday, is something the Rattlers pride themselves on.

“When we get our steals, when we move and everything, it is a great feeling because I’m pretty sure no one in our district can stop us,” Marroquin said. “Once we start going, good luck. Good luck stopping us.”

That defense was in playoff form already, even if the shooting wasn’t. A big reason for the cohesiveness of the unit can be credited to the work the team has put in over the summer.

“All summer, starting right after May, we started to play together in the tournaments,” Marroquin said. “We just go to the park, we go to different places, we know how to play together, and we have really good chemistry.”

The new cast of characters for Rio was able to show their prowess Tuesday.

Thomas scored four points and had several beautiful dump-off passes in the post.

“Mikey is a freshman; he is doing real good,” Covarrubias said. “He’s picking it up quick. Me and Aaron show him a couple plays, and he picks them up right away. That’s what I like about him, he is a quick learner. He still has three more years after this one; the sky is the limit for that kid.”

Trevino caught fire on Tuesday, posting 12 points, the second-highest total on the team, after Covarrubias’ 20.

The big man for Rio on Tuesday was Bryan Jones. Jones got just two points, but his defense, rebounding and leadership on the court adds much more value to his game than just his scoring.

“Chachi is the type of guy that, he doesn’t care about scoring or any of that, as long as he moves the ball around,” Covarrubias said. “He tells us what to do and we listen to him. He’s like a captain out there.”

Marroquin scored 9 points, despite two quick fouls costing him early minutes. Covarrubias was near a triple-double, as he often is. Raudel Solis added nine points off the bench for the Rattlers.

“(Solis) can score, he can do anything,” Marroquin said. “I like him on the floor, because he will stick on you. He won’t stop bothering you. The whole game, if I tell him to guard someone, he will be there bugging you all night long.”

Grulla’s senior big man Roly Montemayor led the Gators with 13, and Ozuna added nine.

The Rattlers may not be quite as big as last year, but they are faster, deeper and more explosive.

“It took us a while to get going, but as soon as our team got going, when we got that flow going, it was like nobody could stop us,” Covarrubias said. “I love how we work together. It’s the best thing in the world, when we are clicking like that.”

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VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Tournaments

Seguin Tournament

Thursday’s Games

Roma 63, Ingram 48

Roma 53, Uvalde 46

Friday’s Games

Roma 45, Uvalde 40

San Antonio Southside 86, Roma 83, OT

San Antonio Jay 52, McAllen High 46

Laredo Border Olympics

Thursday’s Games

PSJA North 73, San Antonio Veterans Memorial 61

Laredo Martin 65, PSJA North 48

San Antonio Antonian 70, Merceds 48

Laredo United South 57, Mercedes 53

Edinburg High 41, Lanier 40

Laredo United 78, Edinburg North 45

San Antonio Jefferson 74, Edinburg North 52

Laredo Nixon 80, Edinburg Economedes 44

Friday’s Games

PSJA North 69, Edinburg North 49

PSJA North 68, Mercedes 56

Mercedes 70, St. Augustine 52

Laredo United South 71, Edinburg High 52

Saturday’s Games

Laredo Martin 80, Mercedes 70

Platinum Bracket Championship

San Antonio Antonian 86, Laredo Nixon 78

Gold Bracket Championship

Laredo United South 61, San Antonio Jefferson 53

Silver Bracket Championship

PSJA North 70, San Antonio Lanier 32

All-tournament team

MVP — Bryan Armstrong, San Antonio Antonian

Daunte Galvan, PSJA North

Andy Pompa, Laredo United

Jesus Trevino, Laredo United South

Alex Lopez, San Antonio Jefferson

AJ Melendez, Laredo Nixon

LJ Herrera, Laredo Nixon

Gamino Ramos, San Antonio Antonian

Juan Reyna, San Antonio Antonian

San Isidro Tournament

Friday’s Games

Faith Christian Academt 49, La Villa 33

Valley View def. Brownsville First Baptist

San Isidro 70, Agua Dulce 20

MMA 50, IDEA McAllen 39

La Villa 46, Brownsville First Baptist 24

Valley View def. Faith Christian Academy

IDEA McAllen 51, Agua Dulce 37

San Isidro 65, MMA 33

Saturday’s Games

Seventh-place game

Agua Dulce 60, Brownsville First Baptist 30

Consolation game

IDEA McAllen 42, La Villa 31

Third-place game

MMA 44, Faith Christian Academy 37

Championship game

San Isidro 68, Valley View 63

CCCA Tournament

Thursday’s Games

Corpus Christi Ray 66, La Joya High 36

Brownsville Veterans 60, La Joya High 28

Corpus Christi King 53, La Joya Palmview 43

San Antonio Lee 81, La Joya Palmview 38

Friday’s Games

La Joya High 58, Corpus Christi Carroll 55

La Joya High 50, Brownsville Rivera 48

Edcouch-Elsa 70, La Joya Palmview 40

Orange Grove 59, La Joya Palmview 53

Saturday’s Games

La Joya High 59, Austin St. Anderw’s 54

San Antonio Madison 49, Corpus Chrsiti Veterans 44

South San Tournament

Thursday’s Game

San Antonio Warren 47, McAllen Rowe 37

Friday’s Game

Hays 46, McAllen Rowe 41

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Friday’s Games

Non-District

Rio Hondo 87, Weslaco IDEA Pike 41

Tournaments

Laredo Border Olympics

Friday’s Games

Mercedes 70, St. Augustine 52

Edinburg High 41, Lanier 40

San Isidro Tournament

Friday’s Games

Faith Christian Academt 49, La Villa 33

Valley View def. Brownsville First Baptist

San Isidro 70, Agua Dulce 20

MMA 50, IDEA McAllen 39

La Villa 46, Brownsville First Baptist 24

Valley View def. Faith Christian Academy

IDEA McAllen 51, Agua Dulce 37

San Isidro 65, MMA 33

Saturday’s Games

Brownsville First Baptist vs. Agua Dulce, 10:50 a.m.

Consolation game

La Villa vs. IDEA McAllen, 1:30 p.m.

Third-place game

Faith Christian Academy vs. MMA, 4:10 p.m.

Championship game

Valley View vs. San Isidro, 6:50 p.m.

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Saturday’s Games

Non-District

RIO HONDO 87, WESLACO IDEA PIKE 41

Rio Hondo 23 32 17 15 — 87

IDEA Pike 15 11 10 5 — 41

RIO HONDO (87): Zeke Rios 13, Johnathan Ayala 4, George Reyna 2, CJ Leal 9, Isaac Jaramillo 6, Ivan Juarez 3, Daniel Garcia 16, Zechariah Rios 3, Jabez Villarreal 23, Isaiah Olvera 4, Isaiah Hernandez 2, John Cavazos 2.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela’s sensational quarterback was told just weeks before the season that he would not play this year.

During the summer, the dual-sport flamethrower worked on his pitching, his fastball reached 87 MPH. He also did a lot of work with the football team, studying the playbook and calls, and playing with his receivers, developing chemistry.

As he was winding down his summer, a few weeks before the start of school, Sotelo felt a twinge in his arm, followed by pain.

Sotelo had torn his Ulnar Collateral Ligament, a common baseball injury. The injury usually requires Tommy John surgery, which comes with a 6-to-9 month recovery time.

“When I first went to the doctor, they told me I couldn’t play,” Sotelo said. “We scheduled the checkup after that. I went to therapy three times a week. Did some extra workouts on the side, just trying to get stronger and stronger. Finally, when I went up for my last checkup, they said ‘ok, we will clear you.’”

Sotelo missed Edinburg Vela’s final scrimmage against PSJA High. He came into the season opener against Laredo United with just one day of practice under his belt.

“It was hard. I was still there getting the mental reps, but of course, it’s not the same as getting the actual live reps,” Sotelo said.

In his first live game, with no safety net, Sotelo completed 9-of-15 passes, but for just 25 yards.

“The first couple games, we weren’t sure,” senior running back Christian Flores said. “Coach too, he was shuffling (senior) Elijah (Trujillo) in. But (Sotelo) stepped up during district, and he started showing out and put scores in.”

To make things even tougher on Sotelo, there were several other talented quarterbacks on the roster. Trujillo knew the system. Senior Frankie Zuniga, a transfer from Edinburg North, had the best completion percentage in the Valley the previous year, before he was injured. Freshman Chase Campbell came into Vela with a lot of hype, and the two knew each other from their standout careers at South Middle School.

The competition was fierce, but the coaching staff put their faith in Sotelo. Aside from a few series from Trujillo, Sotelo never lost any snaps. He made every snap he took count, and through his play, he earned the right to be known as Vela’s starter.

Flores said by the time the SaberCats reached their first district game against Edinburg North, the team knew Sotelo was the right man under center.

Now, there is no denying how talented the sophomore is.

“AJ has probably got one of the best arms that I have been around. He’s right there with Nathan (Garcia, who graduated last year from Vela),” Flores said. “He’s a good quarterback, he is growing. I mean, he’s only a sophomore. He’s getting a ton of experience being with us older guys, and it is good that he is getting this playoff experience so early in his career.”

“This guy has been amazing all season long,” senior receiver Aziel Garcia said. “Starting off from the first game, he has made tremendous strides every week. It is incredible to see him play so well.”

Sotelo has completed 146-of-224 passes this year for 2,111 yards and 25 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions.

“He has been calm and locked in all year,” senior left tackle Jayden Borjas said. “He is uncharacteristically mature for a sophomore, and that has been important to our offense this year.”

In Vela’s area round playoff game against Laredo Alexander, Sotelo went 18-for-20 for 278 yards and 5 TDs.

Garcia was a spark for Sotelo, catching fire with five receptions for 129 yards and 4 touchdowns.

“It was insane to watch,” Garcia said. “To know that he has two more years here, he is going to be a great player for us.”

After the season, Sotelo will get another MRI on his elbow to determine if he still needs surgery.

“Hopefully it comes out clean,” Sotelo said. “With the way I have been throwing the football, I am pretty confident.”

The journey from the inexperienced, injured sophomore quarterback who was getting pulled at halftime, to now being the leading force behind Vela’s run back to the third round of the playoffs has been tough. Sotelo never complained. Never talked about the injury. He never wanted any sympathy; he wanted to earn respect instead. He did.

Staying positive and focused on the goal of getting better was the key for Sotelo.

“Thank God He has allowed me to go through this whole football season,” Sotelo said. “I like to take on challenges. I feel like I am pretty good with facing adversity. When there is a challenge, I say bring it on. It is only going to make me better.”

Now, Sotelo leads his team into battle, as the SaberCats prepare to take on the Austin Westlake Chaparrals in the Class 6A-DII Regional Semifinals, at 7:30 Friday in Corpus Christi.

“I’m very excited for the game,” Sotelo said. “As a team we have to play perfectly and minimize our mistakes. We just have to come out confident. Mentally ready. We just have to execute the game plan that we have set up for us, because if we get it done, we can win.”

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