By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Santa Maria’s ever-growing injury report has charted everything from torn ACLs to poisonous snake bites — setbacks that have sidelined as many as eight players this season.
The Cougars have done their best to keep their heads above water, but their first district loss in nearly two years last week has coach Albert Briones eager to hit the reset button.
“Honestly, this is the break we’ve been waiting for,” he said.
Following a 28-23 district-opening loss to San Perlita on Friday, Santa Maria dropped to 10-8 overall, 0-1 in 32-2A play. It marked the first time the Cougars lost in district in 23 months, and it came with Martin Sanchez, their leading scorer and rebounder, hospitalized after being bitten by a snake.
It didn’t help, either, that the Cougars missed 18 of 22 attempts from the free throw line.
“It was rough,” Briones said. “But the good thing about it is, our kids, they’re not going to quit. They got that fight — you could tell. I’m glad the loss hurt because that’s what’s going to bring them together.”
The loss was especially costly for Santa Maria, which has aspirations of winning a third consecutive district title. Losing to San Perlita, a team threatening for that crown, could complicate potential tiebreaker situations.
For now, though, the Cougars are simply looking to get everyone back soon. With only one returning starter in the fold, Santa Maria has struggled to build continuity, especially considering many of the injuries are football-related.
The holiday break offers some relief. By the time they return to the court in two weeks, Santa Maria should have Sanchez back in the lineup to take on Brownsville St. Joseph. It’ll be a welcome addition for a Cougars team looking for any type of good fortune, at this point.
PLAYING BOTH ENDS
Christian Chavez and Daniel Hinojosa tend to grab attention for their offensive production each game for Pregreso, averaging 21.8 and 16.6 points per game, respectively. But they also make their mark on the defensive end, where they grab a combined 12 rebounds a contest and lead a charge that has allowed 40 points in a game only once this season.
It’s a big part of the reason why the Red Ants are 11-1, having won their last seven games heading into the holiday break.
“Really, it’s been a team effort,” coach Erick Quintero said. “We kind of say, when our offense isn’t working, our defense has to pick up.”
Those moments are few and far between for Progreso, which recently beat Kingsville H.M. King 58-33 to win the inaugural Red Ant Classic. They’ve done it with Chavez averaging 5.2 steals, with Jose Meza adding 3.4 steals per game, and with Dagoberto Zamora serving as the team’s energy guy, crashing the boards and guarding the opposing team’s top player.
“The kids are playing well together,” Quintero said. “Once they get going, it makes things easier for everyone. They just have to play solid defense because it opens up a lot of things for us.”