By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
RAYMONDVILLE — The Raymondville Bearkats picked up a signature win by defeating Port Isabel 73-63 on Tuesday, handing the Tarpons their first District 32-4A loss of the season.
It was the fifth consecutive district victory for the Bearkats, who continue to mature and progress game after game. Raymondville coach John Tamez said as the team’s confidence grows, it is playing better and smarter and getting where it needs to be.
“It’s awesome for us. We beat Hidalgo, too, so things are coming together at the right time for us,” Tamez said. “We’re making better decisions now and we’re shooting the ball better, and the combination of those two things is really helping bring up the level of play. We’re very happy with how things are turning out. Hopefully we roll into the playoffs and are peaking at the right time to get a good little run.”
The Bearkats had all the momentum and a 20-5 lead after the first quarter. Jayson Cantu (14 points) was dominant down low, playing solid defense and cleaning up on the boards. Raymondville pushed the ball down court after rebounds for transition layups. Jayden Garza raced through a tough Port Isabel press and ran the offense well to get the early advantage.
The teams swapped scoring runs during the second quarter. Port Isabel chipped away at the deficit with a 4-0 run, then put together a 13-0 stretch behind a relentless defense and good effort from Daniel Zamarrow and Kaiden Martinez. The Tarpons trimmed Raymondville’s lead to one point with one minute remaining in the half as Martinez then Zamarrow drained back-to-back 3-pointers and trailed by five at the half.
“We had a great first quarter, and then lost our composure for a while. But we regained it. We did the right things today, we got some key rebounds and converted those. Early in the season, we weren’t doing that,” Tamez said.
The second half was a fast and physical affair, and as the teams battled, tensions rose. Port Isabel was issued a technical on the court and a bench warning for unsportsmanlike conduct during the third quarter.
Raymondville’s Ethan Tagle (18) and Garza (15) hit consecutive 3-pointers to put the Bearkats back up by 10. But some self-inflicted errors and ill-advised fouls late in the frame gave Port Isabel scoring chances, and the Tarpons took advantage. Gilbert Medina was 4-for-5 at the free-throw line and navigated through Raymondville’s defense to get his team within seven points of the lead heading to the final quarter.
Port Isabel’s aggressive full-court press gave the Bearkats fits throughout the contest and created offensive opportunities, but the Tarpons struggled to finish shots. They drove hard to the basket with urgency, but Raymondville’s Cantu and Diego Gutierrez played big defense down low.
Zamarrow (17), Will Camacho and Cole Pinkerton were especially disruptive to lead the Tarpons’ defense. They looked like defensive backs anticipating Raymondville passes, and they showed their athleticism to high point the passes for steals. But the Bearkats didn’t get flustered and worked through the press, then hit shots with consistency to maintain their lead.
Port Isabel got in a groove and was animated on the court as Camacho and Medina (12) knocked down 3s to cut the deficit to five during the back half of the fourth. Raymondville stayed focused and played solid defense, and an 11-point fourth quarter from Joshua Valdez (13) helped seal the win.
“At the last timeout he called, I said, ‘From here on out, it’s the smarter team.’ In the end, we were able to mentally stiffen up,” Tamez said. “We’re still a work in progress, but it feels good that the kids are playing at the levels that we expect from these guys. We’re getting play from guys that need to step up. For us, the big three are Jayden, Ethan and Jayson. If everyone else can sprinkle in, that’s a good thing.”
A district title is still within reach for the Tarpons, but Tuesday’s loss makes the season finale at Hidalgo that much more important. A win would give Port Isabel the championship, and a loss will have it tied with Hidalgo at two losses each. Tarpons coach Mike Hazelton said the adversity his team faced in the loss could be a good thing to learn from.
“Sounds weird, but sometimes a loss can help you in the long run. You learn from it and that’s what we’ll do,” Hazelton said. “It’s still one game at a time for us. We have the next one Thursday at Hidalgo, and it’s going to be a big game.”