LA FERIA — Edinburg High’s Ivan Garcia dropped 20 points, all in the first three quarters, to help the Bobcats to a 60-40 win over city and district rivals Edinburg Economedes.
The game did not take place in one of the gyms of either school from District 32-6A. No, it took place in a back gym at the C.E. Vail tournament in a gold bracket game at La Feria High School.
| Edinburg High’s Ivan Garcia (11) drives to the hoop where he would finish a contested shot against Edinburg Economedes Friday at the C.E. Vail tournament at La Feria High School. Edward Severn |
“I think we played well,” Garcia said. “We moved the ball around a lot. We followed our coaches. We did the plays that they told us, and I think we executed well on them.”
The Bobcats opened the game with Jahi Fagan scoring the first seven points. Fagan scored 14 points, 12 in the first quarter and Garcia chipped in with six in the quarter to put Edinburg High up 21-8 after a quarter.
| Edinburg High’s Jahi Fagan (22) receives the ball in the lane as he prepares for his next move against Edinburg Economedes Friday at the C.E. Vail tournament at La Feria High School. Edward Severn |
Out of the three games the Bobcats played at the tournament, Edinburg High head coach Esequiel Cuellar said this game, the Bobcats started with the most intensity.
“I usually tell them in the locker room, ‘you have to go out there and set the tone. It does not matter who we are playing we have to establish ourselves on both sides of the floor,’” Cuellar said. “I thought we did a good job, not a great job, in doing that today.”
Fagan and Garcia combined for 28 of the 37 Bobcats points in the first half. Axel Navarro and Noah Garza provided range with 3-pointers.
| Edinburg High’s Joaquin Soto (12) prepares to pass the ball to a teammate Friday against Edinburg Economedes at the C.E. Vail tournament at La Feria High School. Edward Severn |
The Bobcats went in the half up 37-19 and that is as close as the game would be as Edinburg High would coast to victory.
“We got to play everybody, which was my main concern,” Cuellar said. “Especially in tournaments where you play five or six games. We try to save some legs on these six or seven starters that we utilize a lot. That helped us out.”
| Edinburg Economedes’ Angel Hernandez (2) prepares to make his next move against Edinburg High Friday at the C.E. Vail tournament at La Feria High School. Edward Severn |
Economedes’ Sebastian Lopez led the Jaguars in scoring with a game-high 24 points. Guard Angel Hernadez was the only other Jaguar in double figures, finishing with 10 points.
| Edinburg Economedes’ Sebastian Lopez (3) shoots as an Edinburg High defender closes in on him Friday at the C.E. Vail tournament at La Feria High School. Edward Severn |
The first district meeting between the two is slated for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, at Edinburg High.
Edinburg High would defeat Raymondville later in the day to set up a game with Edinburg Vela at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at La Feria High School.