RGVSPORTS.COM
The McAllen Memorial Mustangs season came to an end on the road in Laredo on Saturday afternoon, as they lost to Laredo Alexander 40-28, in the Class 6A DII Bi-District round. Campbell Speights had three touchdowns on 220 yards rushing. Ethan Bazan also had a receiving score for Memorial. Alexander was led by QB Junior Rodriguez and running back Camilo Pedraza. The Laredo Alexander Bulldogs scored 20 points in the third quarter to pull away for the win. Alexander will face Edinburg Vela in the area round.
Class 4A DI Bi-District
LA VERNIA 55, GRULLA 28: At Sinton, senior quarterback Dillen Salinas saw his high school career come to an end on Satruday. The Gators (3-8) reached the playoffs again, before losing in the first round to the Bears (10-1).

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Saturday’s Game

Non-District

Edinburg Economedes 54, San Benito 45

McAllen Rowe 57, Sharyland Pioneer 41

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS

La Joya Packs’ South Texas Shootout

Thursday’s Games

Pool Play

G1: La Joya High 50, Eagle Pass Winn 42

G2: Corpus Christi Moody 64, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 45

G3: San Antonio Cornerstone 94 Donna North 31

G4: Eagle Pass 56, La Joya Palmview 44

G5: Grulla 74, La Joya High JV 37

G6: Laredo Alexander 77, Sharyland High 56

G7: Edinburg North 61, Corpus Chirsti King 50

G8: Edcouch-Elsa 77, Mission High 44

G9: Eagle Pass Winn 62, Mission Veterans 59

G10: Edinburg Vela 66, Corpus Christi Moody 44

G11: PSJA Memorial 48, Donna North 39

G12: Harlingen High 63, Eagle Pass 57

G13: Edinburg High 91, Grulla 35

G14: Laredo LBJ 84, Edinburg North 72

G15: McAllen Memorial 47, Sharyland High 40

G16: Edcouch-Elsa 62, Laredo Cigarroa 55

G17: La Joya High 55, Mission Veterans 51

G18: San Antonio Cornerstone 62, PSJA Memorial 44

G19: Edinburg Vela 83, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 40

G20: Harlingen High 56, La Joya Palmview 44

G21: Edinburg High 73, La Joya High JV 26

G22: Laredo Alexander 78, McAllen Memorial 55

G23: Laredo LBJ 67, Corpus Christi King 55

G:24 Mission High 59, Laredo Cigarroa 55

*LJ-La Joya High, JA-La Joya Juarez-Lincoln main gym, JB- La Joya Juarez-Lincoln secondary gym, P-La Joya Palmview, LI-Licoln, M-Memorial

Friday’s Games

Guaranteed Games

G25: Eagle Pass 64, La Joya High 51

G26: La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 62, La Joya High JV 22

G27: PSJA Memorial 78, Grulla 38

G28: Eagle Pass Winn 48, La Joya Palmview 39

G29: Laredo LBJ 58, Edinburg Vela 56

G30: Corpus Christi Moody 73, Donna North 38

G31: San Antonio Cornerstone 63, McAllen Memorial 35

G32: Harlingen High vs. Mission Veterans, 1:30 p.m. (JA)

G33: Edinburg North vs. Laredo Cigarroa, 1:30 p.m. (JB)

G34: Sharyland High 59, Edcouch Elsa 55

G35: Laredo Alexander 69, Mission High 27

G36: Edinburg High 52, Corpus Christi King 50

Silver Brakcet

At La Joya Juarez-Lincoln main gym

G37: Mission Veterans 68, La Joya High JV 26

G38: C.C. King 79, Donna North 34

G39: Sharyland High 73, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 46

G40: Laredo Cigarroa 47, La Joya Palmview 42

Gold Bracket

At La Joya Palmview

G41: Eagle Pass Winn 61, Grulla 54

G42: Edinburg North 69, PSJA Memorial 41

G43: C.C. Moody 73, McAllen Memorial 46

G44: Eagle Pass 84, Mission High 39

Platinum Bracket

At La Joya High

G45: La Joya High 56, Edinburg High 51

G46: San Antonio Cornerstone 64, Laredo LBJ 59

G47: Laredo Alexadner 54, Edinburg Vela 47

G48: Harlingen High 68, Edcouch-Elsa 50

Saturday’s Games

Silver Brakcet

At La Joya Juarez-Lincoln main gym

Mission Veterans 68, La Joya High LV 26

C.C. King 74, Donna North 34

Sharylnad High 73, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 46

Laredo Cigarroa 47, La Joya Palmview 42

La Joya High JV def. Donna North

Mission Veterans def. C.C. King

Laredo Cigarro def. Sharyland High

Consolation Chmapionship

La Joya Palmview def. La Joya High JV

Third-Place Game

Sharyland High def. C.C. King

Championship

Mission Veterans 49, Laredo Cigarroa 48

Gold Bracket

At La Joya Palmview

Eagle Pass Winn 61, Grulla 54

Edinburg North 69, PSJA Memorial 41

C.C. Moody 73, McAllen Memorial 46

Eagle Pass 84, Mission High 39

Mission High 52, PSJA Memorial 47

McAllen Memorial 61, Grulla 33

Edinburg North 52, Eagle Pass Winn 46

C.C. Moody 60, Eagle Pass 50

Consolation Chmapionship

Mission High 50, McAllen Memorial 37

Third-Place Game

Eagle Pass 78, Eagle Pass Winn 39

Championship

Edinburg North 49, C.C. Moody 47

Platinum Bracket

At La Joya High

La Joya High 56, Edinburg High 51

SA Cornerstone 64, Laredo LBJ 59

Laredo Alexander 54, Edinburg Vela 47

Harlingen High 68, Edcouch-Elsa 50

Edinburg High 80, Laredo LBJ 79

Edinburg Vela 80, Edcouch-Elsa 42

Laredo Alexander 68, Harlingen High 43

SA Cornerstone 72, La Joya High 45

Consolation Chmapionship

Edinburg Vela 67, Edinburg High 51

Third-Place Game

Harlingen High 73, La Joya High 42

Championship

Laredo Alexadner 67, SA Cornerstone 58

Brownsville ISD Tournament

At Brownsville Veterans

Saturday’s Games

Brownsville Lopez 49, Brownsville Rivera 46

Brownsville Veterans 54, Brownsville Hanna 34

Brownsville Pace 56, Brownsville Porter 37

Brownsville Hanna 49, Brownsville Rivera 47

Brownsville Porter 51, Brownsville Lopez 28

Brownsville Pace 69, Brownsville Veterans 66

Brownsville Pace wins Tournament Championship

San Perlita Tournament

Silver Bracket

Saturday’s Games

Roma 54, Valley View 47

Valley View 83, Macedonia 37

Valley View 65, Bishop 57

Valley View 43, Brownsville IDEA Frontier 38

Valley View wins Silver Bracket Championship

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

EDINBUGR — Edinburg Vela senior left tackle Jayden Borjas and senior tight end Nico Rodriguez were reminiscing on a story form sophomore year.

“We had a little run play where we blocked for Robert Guerra,” Borjas said. “It went for about a 75-yard score, and we looked at each other and said ‘this is going to be a great thing for three more years.’ And it has been.”

Runs like that were commonplace with the powerful back Guerra running the ball for Vela.

The line Borjas was a part of at that time helped groom him and make him into the player he is today. Two years ago, he was the young pup on the line, getting advice from the veterans.

As the years passed by, Borjas watched linemate after linemate graduate. Now, he is the elder statesmen on the line, the lone senior. And now, the younger guys look to him for that guidance at Vela (10-0, 6-0).

“It is kind of different for me, because since my sophomore year, I have been passed the torch every year, from guys like Jaime Alaniz, Caleb Luna and Julio Cuello,” Borjas said. “It is different for me, but I am enjoying it. It’s my turn to show these guys what it is like to work and to show them the leadership I got from those guys.”

Borjas will lead his offensive line into battle against Harlingen South (4-6, 2-3) at 7:30 Friday night at Richard R. Flores Stadium in the bi-district round of the Class 6A-DII playoffs.

“It means a lot to know that we are supposedly the best team in the Valley,” junior tackle Tyler Bailey said. “You don’t think about it much, but the times you do, it really hits you.”

The Vela offensive line jelled quickly, and the starting five was able to stay healthy for the first nine weeks. Then came Edinburg High. Juniors Tyler Bailey and Jorge Hinojosa were both injured in the EHS game. Bailey suited up the following week, but junior David Carreon is out with injury now, and Hinojosa will be a game-time decision for Vela this week. Junior center Sebastian Garza has been the only lineman other than Borjas who hasn’t been affected or moved by the injuries. Sophomore Ronnie Garza and senior Felix Hernandez will both be filling in as needed this week.

Borjas is one of the best tackles in the Valley, but so is Bailey, meaning the SaberCats have the flexibility to fill holes as needed, so Bailey has been working at guard this week.

Sebastian Garza took over at center this year, and has quickly become a big part of the line.

“He has done real well, especially considering center is the hardest position,” Bailey said. “In the zone offense that we run, he is up in front of everyone and he really has to move. He has done real well, especially being a soccer player, he is really fast.”

The line has been one of the steadiest units for Vela. The SaberCats ran for 1,714 yards behind the line and passed for another 1,821 yards.

To finish the regular season, the line was put to the test against the Valley’s best defense, Weslaco East.

“It was tough, honestly, to figure them out,” Bailey said. “They were strong, they were physical, they had a motor and they just kept going.”

The win came for the SaberCats, 21-0, and there was a lot of meaning to closing the year that way.

“It was very emotional, especially for the seniors, knowing it is their last district home game,” Bailey said. “It was a big win for them, especially to be the first team to shutout Weslaco East. And then put up 21 points on the best defense in the Valley.”

Vela was dominant from start to finish this year, and a big reason why was the steadying presence of the offensive line. Having a strong line was vital to sophomore quarterback AJ Sotelo in his first full season on varsity. Having the time to throw allowed him to gain the confidence needed to lead the SaberCats into the playoffs.

“AJ has been in the zone all year for us,” Borjas said. “I trust him fully, 100 percent. He is only a sophomore, but I trust him fully, and I think he’s got it.”

After the injuries hit, the line could have gone downhill, but the combination of the personalities in the group and the chemistry developed during the first 10 weeks created the perfect balance amidst the turmoil.

“That chemistry helped out a lot,” Borjas said. “The strength of our unit is to be cohesive and strong with our communication. We know our calls. We know what the guys next to us are going to do. We have a feel for everybody. That helped us out when we had to bring new people in. We trusted those guys because of the connection we built this year.”

Vela knows the third round, and beyond, is the goal every year. The SaberCats also know, from hard-earned experience, that if they don’t give their full attention to South this week, there may not be a next week, as was the case for Borjas.

“I was a part of that team that lost to Weslaco East in the first round,” Borjas said,” and I remind them that all the time.”

Edinburg Vela lost to Austin Westlake in the third round of the playoffs last year. If the two teams were to meet again, it would once again be in the third round.

“We go into every game thinking it will be tough,” Bailey said. “We treat every game like we are playing Westlake, because that is obviously our ultimate goal, to get up there and play them again. So we have to play like that every week in order to get there.”

[email protected]

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Nov. 14

Non-District

Rio Grande City 75, Mission High 39

Tuesday, Nov. 13

Non-District

Edinburg Economedes 78, Brownsville Hanna 42

McAllen High 63, Brownsville Veterans 41

Mercedes 68, San Benito 43

Sharyland High 67, PSJA High 56

Edinburg High 60, La Joya High 43

Brownsville Porter 63, Brownsville Rivera 49

PSJA Southwest 59, Brownsville Lopez 47

Edcouch-Elsa 85, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 33

Weslaco High 78, Brownsville Pace 62

Harlingen High 56, Brownsville St. Joseph 37

Harlingen South 76, Sharyland Pioneer 59

Laredo United 63, Edinburg Vela 53

Edinburg North 64, Santa Rosa 59

McAllen Memorial 46, Donna High 37

Los Fresnos 65, Weslaco East 39

VALLEY HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOX SCORES

Wednesday’s Game

Non-District

RIO GRANDE CITY 75, MISSION HIGH 39

Mission High 7 7 10 18 — 39

Rio Grande CIty 21 32 13 12 — 75

RIO GRANDE CITY (75): Aaron Marroquin 10, Jaime Covarrubias 18, Devin Diaz 3, Joel Barrera Jr. 9, Bryan Jones 6, Leo Ramos 3, Mikey Compean 3, Dennis Trevino 12, Rudy Bazan Jr. 3, Michael Thomas 4, Josh Garcia 4.

MISSION HIGH (39): Eddie Rivera 11, Deandre Sifuentes 4, Hector Becho 2, Andy Martinez 2, Martin Vasquez 12, Jahel Salinas 7.

RECORDS: Rio Grande City 1-0; Mission High 0-1.

Tuesday’s Game

Non-District

EDINBUG ECONOMEDES 78,

BROWNSVILLE HANNA 42

Brownsville Hanna 7 7 10 18 — 42

Edinburg Econ 21 32 13 12 — 78

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES (78): Alert Guerra 4, Trini Moreno 16, Ethan Cruz 3, Angel Salinas 28, Michael Barrientes 13, Saul Alanis 7, Alejandro Garza 2, Rick Chapa 5 .

BROWNSVILLE HANNA: Fernie Camacho 18, Cristian Torres 2, Sabian Arceneaux 3, Nick Ramirez 9, Gabriel Garza 6, Charles Thrilwall 4.

RECORDS: Edinburg Economedes 1-0; Brownsville Hanna 0-1.

MERCEDES 68, SAN BENITO 43

Mercedes 20 11 15 22 — 68

San Benito 10 14 11 8 — 43

MERCEDES (68): Caleb Arthur 19, Jordan Ovalle 18, Justin Closner 7, Rollie Herrera 5, Josh Rodriguez 3, Jared Casteneda 11, Sammy Longoria 2, Jesse Fuentes 4.

RECORDS: Mercedes 1-0; San Benito 0-1.

SHARYLAND HIGH 67, PSJA HIGH 56

PSJA High 14 11 18 13 — 56

Sharyland High 22 11 14 20 — 67

SHARYLAND HIGH (67): Nazier Moore16, Johnny Escamilla 6, Mauro Fernandez 21, Isai Heredia 4, Andres Abrego 14, Andy Rubio 8.

PSJA HIGH (56): Nick Ruiz 9, Andrew Casas 5, Victor Rangel 5, Josh Lorealo 5, Jesus Salinas 4, Chuy Ramos 13, Juan Rodriguez 5, Miguel Villareal 7, Rick Salazar 3.

RECORDS: Sharyland High 1-0; PSJA High 0-1.

EDINBURG HIGH 60, LA JOYA HIGH 43

La Joya High 5 12 10 16 — 43

Edinburg High 13 13 13 21 — 60

EDINBURG HIGH (60): John Carranco 20, Marc Figueroa 15, Fermin Ramos 13, Jorge Hernandez 6, David Gomez 4, Markus Pena 2.

LA JOYA HIGH (43): Gilbert Uresti 17, Cesar Villarreal 7, Juan Trujillo 7, Michael Reyna 5, Leonardo Gonzalez 4, Jason Longoria 1, Jeans Matos 1, Jose Garcia 1.

RECORDS: Edinburg High 1-0; La Joya High 0-1.

PSJA SOUTHWEST 59,
BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ 47

Bro. Lopez 13 9 6 19 — 47

PSJA Southwest 24 13 13 9 — 59

PSJA SOUTHWEST (59): Omar Jimenez 7, Dawrelle Robinson 10, Sabien Figueroa 6, JR Garcia 7, Adrian Reyna 5, Carlos Hernandez 10, Juan Montes 12.

BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ (47): Joe Sanchez 5, Angel 3, Ozzy 7, Juan 1, Angel 4, Hiram 22, Pablo 3, Mario 2.

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest 1-0; Brownsville Lopez 0-1.

EDCOUCH-ELSA 85,
LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 33

LJ Juarez-L. 2 9 11 10 — 33

PSJA Southwest 23 22 21 19 — 85

EDCOUCH-ELSA (85): Marcos Escobar 16, Christian Lira 7, Dillion Gomez 1, Aaron Aguinaga 16, Bryan Guerra 14, nicolas Ybarra 5, Damian Granados 2, Zion Allen 7, Lupe Balderas 4, Jacob Gomez 2, Edward Saenz 11.

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN (33): A. Hernandez 6, Gerson Ramos 10, Fernando Gonzalez 3, L. Garza 4, J. Garcia 2, D. Alvarado 2, R. Villasana 1, A. Torres 5.

RECORDS: PSJA Southwest 1-0; Brownsville Lopez 0-1.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen High guards Bryan Argil and Matt Ibarra have been described as special since they joined McHi.

“There isn’t a team that can compete with my backcourt,” McHi coach Ryan Flores said.

They have only improved over the years, and during McHi’s first game, while everyone else on the court was battling early-season jitters, Argil and Ibarra both looked to be in mid-season form.

“Me and Matt, we go back a long ways,” Argil said. “Our bond is real close. We know where we are at all times. We always played the 1 and 2 together. … We are special. We are two special guards, and in my opinion, there is no one like us.”

Ibarra and Argil, sparked by the defensive effort to start the second half, found a fluid rhythm and put the game away quickly.

The Bulldogs (1-0) topped a tough Brownsville Veterans team, 63-41 on Tuesday at McAllen High School.

“In the first half, we played pretty bad,” Ibarra said. “But, in the second half we played as a team, we all moved the ball, and we really got going. It was good.”

Ibarra and Argil have played together since middle school. They play together during the summers, and their chemistry is undeniable.

“I’ve had those guys since they were freshman; it is their senior year,” Flores said. “It is beautiful basketball when they play as a team.”

After all the long hours, and everything they have worked for, the atmosphere in the gym makes it undeniable; these two are ready to do something special for the school that has been their lives for the past four years.

“We want to let the whole city of McAllen know who we are,” Argil said. “We just want to make this season one to remember, a season that the fans will never forget.”

The game had a defensive focus from the start, aided by those nerves from both sides. Both teams were aggressive, chasing steals in the passing lane, and very few offensive rebounds were available at either end.

Ibarra and Argil each scored 16 points.

Veteran’s junior big man Damian Maldonado struggled with foul trouble after picking up three first-half fouls and sitting the rest of the half. When he was in, he was on, grabbing boards and even knocking down a transition 3-pointer. But, his presence was missed when he was out. Maldonado finished the night with 6 points

Senior Justin Anaya showed off his speed and hands for the Chargers, with a few stealthy steals and tipped passes. He added seven points.

Freshman Dax Delgado led the Chargers with 12 points.

“They are a tough team,” Ibarra said. “A lot of credit to them for their effort tonight. They did not make it easy for us.”

The star of the night was undeniably McHi junior Dylan Suarez. Suarez moved from McHi to Austin before his sophomore year. He rejoined the Bulldogs midway through his sophomore year, but only got to play in two JV dark games.

Suarez put in tons of work over the summer, and that work paid off right away.

“When Dylan came on and he had six or seven steals, rebounds, pushing the ball; he was a real big spark to this team, and it hyped us all up,” Argil said.

Suarez was a monster, and the bench loved every minute of it. His 3-point shot fell a few times as well.

“It felt good,” Suarez said. “Especially because I moved from Austin, and coming back here, we are the underdogs. People say McHi doesn’t have a bench, but we are out to show everyone just how good our bench is.”

When Suarez was in the midst of his run, all of the McHi starters were on the bench, but they weren’t sitting, they were standing and jumping around with each bounce of the ball, unabashedly cheering for Suarez and the rest of the reserves.

“He has been working really, really hard,” Flores said. “He has been pushing himself in the offseason. He worked really hard in the weight room, with the strength and conditioning. He is going to be a big contributor to the team.”

McHi faces a new-look District 30-6A. The addition of two PSJA schools means the district now has at least three powerhouses in McHi, McAllen Rowe and PSJA North. That’s not to say the other teams won’t be a factor. There are no slouches in the district, and every win will be a fight.

“In the second half, we really looked tough to stop,” Ibarra said. “We are legit, and we are ready for all the top teams.”

With Ibarra and Argil at the helm, it may not matter who McHi is facing.

“Those two are really good,” Suarez said. “When they get going, I don’t know who can stop them.”

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VALLEY H.S. BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Saturday, Nov. 10
Non-District
Laredo United South 86, PSJA North 63
McAllen Rowe 51, Harlinegn South 35
Rio Hondo 70, Donna North 59
Laredo Alexander 73, Roma 44
Mercedes at PSJA Memroial, not reported

Monday, Nov. 12
Non-District
San Isidro 80, Zapata 37
Mission Veterans 52, IDEA Weslaco 42
MMA 61, Edinburg IDEA Quest 51

Tuesday, Nov. 13
Non-District
Brownsville Veterans at McAllen High, 7:30 p.m.
Edinburg North at Santa Rosa, 7:30 p.m.
Weslaco East at Los Fresnos, 7:30
PSJA High at Sharyland High, 7:30 p.m.
Mission High at Rio Grande City, 7:30 p.m.
La Joya High at Edinburg High, 7:30 p.m.
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at Edcouch-Elsa, 7:30 p.m.
Donna High at McAllen Memorial, 7:30 p.m.
Edinburg Vela at Laredo United, 7:30 p.m.
Brownsville Hanna at Edinburg Economedes, 7:30 p.m.
Weslaco High at Brownsville Pace, 7:30 p.m.
Brownsville Rivera at Brownsville Porter, 7:30 p.m.
Brownsville St. Joseph at Harlingen High, 7:30 p.m.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — Harlingen High sophomore guard Alexus Coto has been working for the past two years, just to get back on the court.

Coto first injured her ACL in seventh grade. She suffered another ACL injury over a year later, and never stepped onto the court her freshman year.

On Saturday, Coto stepped up and knocked down necessary baskets to lead the Cardinals to the championship of the Mid-Valley Classic tournament.

“She has come a long way,” Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz said. “This is her first year actually playing. She has been out. To us, she is a blessing, coming in to our team.”

Harlingen knocked off Weslaco High at Weslaco, 73-69.

‘We are very excited, because it doesn’t really mean anything until the regular season comes, but now we are ranked No. 1 in the Valley,” senior post Taegan Dickey said. “So, it means a lot to us.”

Coto finished with 14 points, including seven in the fourth quarter, claiming the All-Tournament MVP award.

“The rehab itself, I had to do it three times a day,” Coto said. “It was very hard. And then getting into the rhythm of playing basketball was tough, because I haven’t played in forever.

“This award is an honor. I worked so hard just to play my heart out for this game that I love.”

Dickey contributed a team-high 17 points, and was cleaning the glass all night, but foul trouble haunted her late in the game.

“I just have to keep my composure out there,” Dickey said. “But, we know we can count on our bench to step up and fill in for anyone.”

The Cardinals’ lead had been cut to four points with four minutes left in the third quarter. Dickey came out to avoid fouling, but the Cardinals banned together and clawed back into the lead. With half a minute left in the quarter, Harlingen hit back-to-back threes from sophomore guard Alyssa Salas and sophomore wing Callie Cervantes to balloon the Cardinal’s lead to 11.

“It was very a big moment,” Moncivaiz said. “We had our sophomores come in and hit some big shots. And that is the thing we have been telling them: We need people off the bench who can come in and give us a spark.”

Weslaco High started the fourth hot, scoring six of the first eight points in the quarter. The Panthers chipped away at the lead, but just when the Cardinals needed it, they got a stop, a turnover or a Coto three to steal back the momentum. Coto’s long-range shot with six minutes left pushed the lead back out to 10.

“She is really good,” senior point guard Ariel Leal said of Coto. “She has been working really hard since her injury. She has always been on the court.”

With 1:48 left to play, Weslaco High’s Aleksa Gallegos buried a corner three to give the Panthers their first lead of the game.

With her team down three, and 45.9 seconds showing on the clock, Coto stepped to the three-point arc and drilled a jumper, which tied the game.

“I was just hoping it went in,” Coto said with a giggle.

The Cardinals got a stop, and 35 seconds later, Leal was wide open at the top of the three-point line.

“Watching her hit that shot was awesome,” Dickey said. “For us to know we can count on her for big moments like that, it means a lot.”

The play was designed for Coto to get a shot, but Coto knew if she couldn’t get open, Leal would be.

“That was our play,” Coto said. “We were hoping that they would trap me, and I would have Ariel open.”

The former district rivals are now in separate districts, and they met Saturday, six days before the two schools will meet on the football field in the bi-district round of the playoffs. The atmosphere on Saturday resembled a playoff game. The two teams will meet again in non-district action Dec. 29 at Weslaco High.

“This win feels good,” Moncivaiz said. “We are headed in the right direction, and we played against a tough team, so that helps us out.”

[email protected]

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — The Edinburg Vela boys basketball team is taking position-less basketball to the next level.

The SaberCats have a deep roster full of shooters.

“We’re going to play a really fast-paced game,” senior big man Noah Sekinger said. “Our whole team is suited for it. We can shoot the ball, play well together, get back in transition, and get ready for the press.”

One SaberCats player tells the story of what the team has been through over the past few years.

Kaleb Coronado was a freshman two years ago, when chaos enveloped his world. He was at the center of accusations about eligibility, and Vela’s wins were vacated. In the final year of what was one of the Valley’s best basketball dynasties, everything came to a halt.

Life was tough after that. Coronado was at the center of a scandal he never asked to be a part of, and even worse, he couldn’t play varsity ball. He returns to the court this year, and figures to play a pivotal role on this year’s SaberCats.

“I have known him since I was in seventh grade; he was in sixth,” Sekinger said. “I’ve known this guy and his family for a long time, so to see him go through that stuff was tough. But I’m glad he is back on the team now, because he is a great asset to this team. He is a great shooter, play-maker, and the more he jells with us, the better we will be.”

The SaberCats have had three coaches in three years. Things weren’t always easy last year even as the team made it to the postseason. The team chemistry was pretty low at times. But, the SaberCats revamped the program and changed the priorities.

“Academics are really important,” Sekinger said. “Especially with coach Lucio (Rodriguez), he is emphasizing it. If you are not passing, you are not playing. We have to get tutoring if our grade drops below a certain level, and we can not play until we get our grades up.”

Sekinger is the embodiment of the new era at Vela.

“To me personally, academics have always been really important,” Sekinger said. “I have always been able to attain high grades. Through hard work and dedication, I have been able to maintain all A’s throughout my entire high school career.”

Austin Garza is also an all-A’s type of student.

“It’s student before athlete. We know we have to do the work in there, so we can play out here,” said Garza, the younger brother of Ryan Garza, who dominated at Vela for four years, before moving on to St. Edwards, where he is still playing a big role. “It’s tough to balance. You have to juggle both things: practice until six and you have projects due the next day. Tournaments on the weekends. It’s tough to handle them both. My parents help me out a lot. They push me and they make sure I am doing well in both.”

Behind coach Lucio Rodriguez, who was an assistant last year, and took over after the departure of David Keith, Vela is focused on doing things the right way, on and off the court.

Rodriguez has the team working well together. Gone are the chemistry problems, and gone are the days of scandal. Now, the players can focus on what they do best: playing basketball.

“That’s the main reason why we are here,” Rodriguez said. “It is about the kids. It’s about them enjoying this season. For Noah and Josh (Diaz), the seniors, they have been through three different coaches. If I can make an impact, it is making sure these guys have a great senior year.”

The smarts in the classroom translate just as well to smarts on the court. Diaz, Sekinger and Garza are off the charts with basketball IQ, which spreads to the whole team.

“These guys, whatever we say or whatever is on the practice sheet, they pick it up within minutes,” Rodriguez said. “We work in segments, and most of the stuff we teach is picked up in one or two five-minute segments, which allows us to roll through practice efficiently. We are able to get a lot in.”

The understanding of the system is crucial, because Vela hopes to run up and down the court at a break-neck pace, which means they have to make split-second decisions.

Luckily the decisions aren’t extremely hard, because kicking out to anybody on the perimeter is likely to result in three points.

That starts with Diaz, who has an uncanny ability to hit shots from anywhere on the court. Like Stephen Curry, Diaz has shown his ability to hit any shot by winning shooting contest with teammates.

“Josh is always going to hit his three,” Seknger said. “That is what Josh does. When we need a bucket he will get it.”

Diaz wants to be known as the best shooter in the Valley, and he continues to prove it every time he steps on the floor.

Typically a team would only have two or three guys who can shoot, but Vela is loaded with them.

“Kaleb can shoot, Bobby (Espericueta) too,” Sekinger said. “Austin’s shot has gotten a lot better. Mike (Garcia) is a real good catch-and-shoot guy. Nate (Gomez) has a real good shot off the dribble. JD (Velasquez) is real good catch-and-shoot type of guy as well. I think that is one thing that really separates us from other teams: we have a ton of depth. Our bench guys can fill in for anyone.”

That has allowed Rodriguez to de-emphasize positions and instead focus on matchups.

“Our offense is designed for one post and four players, “Rodriguez said. “They are not set positions; they are interchangeable because most of these guys have similar skill sets, the passing, the shooting, the playmaking and the defense. So, on the outside we can put any four guys.”

Diaz and Garza are both exceptional athletes who excel on both sides of the court. Each can legitimately lock down players 1-4. They have faced much bigger players in the summer during AAU, and they know how to overcome any size or speed disadvantage.

Vela has big goals and the talent to achieve them. The SaberCats begin the year with a tough road contest. They travel to Laredo to face United at 7:30 on Tuesday night.

“There is just something about playing over there,” Sekinger said. “The long bus ride, the fans, the energy. It will be a really good test for our team.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — By now, a lot of people know a few key players on the Weslaco East defense.

There are the All-State guys in linebacker Freddy Cardenas and defensive lineman Jacob Banda, both seniors. There are the guys that play on both sides of the ball: safeties Ramsey Vasquez and Hector Muniz, both juniors, and senior cornerback Dimas Alvarez.

But, the unsung heroes on the East defense are just as valuable to the No. 1 defense in the Valley.

“Everybody out here works very hard,” Cardenas said. “It’s not just me or Banda or Hector or Ramsey, it is all 11 of us. If you watch film on us, it is very sound football, very disciplined. We all worked very hard this season, and we all came together.”

Many of the players on the defense have played for years, in some of the biggest matchups East has had.

“Everybody knows Freddy Cardenas and Jacob Banda. Everybody knows they are two of the best players in the Valley. And they are, they have proved that,” Mike Burget said. “Not everybody knows about Rob Vera, he plays inside linebacker. He’s a two-year starter. Robert has been there the whole dang year and he’s right behind Freddy in tackles.”

Vera, a senior, has 78 tackles, Cardenas has 86. Each has one sack this year.

“We also have Robert Torres, a defensive tackle a lot of people don’t know about, because they hear about Banda. He’s a three-year starter,” Burget said. “Then we have Carlos Espinoza, outside linebacker, he’s been solid, and I mean solid. His play has been great.”

Torres has 29 tackles and one tackle for loss. Espinoza has 36 tackles and two sacks.

“Dimas started last year, playing corner. The other corner is Jose Serna. Serna has been solid. I didn’t know he could do what he did, and he came out and worked hard this summer,” Burget said.

Speaking of unsung heroes, the East offensive line has been through a hellish season, and they are just now starting to put it all together.

One of East’s best players Mario Trevino, a junior center, was injured earlier this year, and the line had to adjust.

“We had to come together as a team,” senior lineman Alexis Gil said. “As soon as Mario went out, I had to move to the center position, and we had to move someone else into my guard position.”

Things weren’t easy for the guard who hadn’t played center in at least three years. He described some of his early snaps as “ugly.” Since then, Gil has worked tirelessly to ensure his snaps are as sound as his blocking already was.

The line has dealt with several injuries, Trevino’s being the biggest blow. The style of play East utilizes demands the offensive linemen give everything they have. Still, the group’s confidence has never wavered. The coaches have supported the line and helped them improve and learn on the fly.

“The coaches are like father figures to us,” Gil said. “They help us through everything. I look up to them.”

That patience has paid off, as the line is peaking at just the right time, according to Gil.

“I feel like we are starting to come together,” Gil said. “We are getting on our blocks and staying on our blocks. We are making the running backs look good again.”

East suffered a tough defeat at the hands of rival No. 4 Weslaco High last week. The loss robbed East of a chance to play for the outright district title. But the Wildcats know a share of the district title is on the line this week when East travels to Richard R. Flores Stadium to take on No. 1 Edinburg Vela. The game starts at 7:30 Friday night.

“Last week was a tough loss, but our kids shook it off,” Burget said. “We are getting ready for Vela and then the playoffs.

“They are the No. 1 team in the Valley for a reason. They are 9-0. They have had a great schedule. They play great football. My hat’s off to them. They have a lot of athletes over there, and it will be a big challenge for us, but we are looking forward to it.”

East has been to the playoffs 12 consecutive years.

“That tells you a lot about the program, we haven’t been around for very long. These seniors knew coming in, what they had to do,” Burget said. “We have lost to one Valley team now, last week. Like I said it was a tough loss.”

Earning a playoff berth is not the destination for East, it is the beginning of a new season.

“We have nine seniors that want to win a game really bad,” Burget said. “But they also know that, last week, the world didn’t stop just because we lost a game. We have Vela, which is the best team in the Valley, we see that on film. But we are going to go play East football and see if it is good enough.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

ROMA — A refrain that is oh so familiar echoed throughout the gym at Roma Middle School:

“Sweet 16,” shouted the McAllen Memorial volleyball team, along with their families and supporters.

An even more familiar line led to Memorial clinching a forth-consecutive trip to the Class 6A Regional Semifinals: Mustangs beat Bulldogs.

Junior Demy Banks has played Laredo Alexander each of the past two years. She also watched her sister Draik Banks, another Memorial standout volleyball player, battle with Alexander all four years of her career.

“It’s almost like a family tradition,” Demy Banks said.

Memorial bested Laredo Alexander 27-25, 25-23, 13-25, 25-22 on Tuesday in a Class 6A Regional Semifinal matchup to again earn the distinction as the last Valley team left in the playoffs.

“I’m super excited and relieved for the seniors especially,” Memorial coach Lorena Lopez said, “I’m especially excited for our seniors. They have been to the sweet 16 every year, and the expectations are really high.”

The first set swung back and forth as the teams traded the lead, and momentum. It was extremely close, and both teams were scoring quickly. It almost felt as if the set could go on forever, but Banks and senior Jocelynn Everage were there to seal the deal.

“Jocelynn is our rock,” Lopez said, “She is the one we look to, to get the kill, make the pass, get the ace. And she has done that every game this season. You look at the girl’s stats and she just doesn’t mess up. It is incredible.”

Banks finished with 14 kills and four blocks. Everage added 19 kills and one block.

Alexander hung tough and took a lead in the second set, leading 18-14. But Memorial would not be denied, tying the second set at 21 before pulling away to get the win.

“Our confidence definitely did waver a little bit,” Everage said. “I’m just glad we have the confidence and will power to come back from that and get the win.”

Alexander took the third set, but Memorial picked up a few key points down the stretch to slow Alexander’s momentum.

“Even if you are not going to win the set, you have to push points, get momentum back,” Lopez said. “That’s what volleyball is, it’s all about momentum.”

The fourth set again teetered back and forth, but it was a crucial timeout by McAllen Memorial — which was down 20-19 at the time — that allowed the Mustangs to seal the match. Demy Banks powered home point after point down the stretch to secure the set.

“Demy has incredible fire,” Lopez said. “That is why she is able to come out big in these matches, because she loves the competition, she lives for the big moments. The fact that she embodies that — and it affects the entire team — when she is in there, it just fires everybody up. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

After the match there was time to celebrate, but history waits on the other side of Memorial’s next match, and the Mustangs are eager to get there.

“This has been the expectation all season, so I feel both very proud and also relieved,” Lopez said. “But we are not done. We want to break through the semifinals, even though the odds are stacked against us.”

With this being Lopez’s final year as the volleyball coach, the players are fighting for her.

“In her last year, to make it past the semifinals would be amazing,” Banks said. “It has never been done at Memorial, so that is history. Especially with it being her last year, we want to give her everything we have.”

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