BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
MERCEDES — As the evolution of basketball continues in the Valley, the lineups keep getting smaller, and Edcouch-Elsa is a prime example.
The Yellow Jackets don’t play a traditional low-post big man very often. Friday night on the road, the smaller lineup led the Yellow Jackets to a 56-50 win over rival Mercedes.
“It was great,” senior guard Joseph Gonzalez said. “The fans loved it. We loved it. Our coach loved it. We needed it. It was big.”
The Yellow Jackets are 14-15 overall and 7-2 in District 32-5A, and the win moves them two games clear of third place in the district with five games to go.
“Our coach told us this was going to be a big game as we get closer to the playoffs,” Gonzalez said. “So, we needed this win to put us in a good spot for second place.”
The Yellow Jackets start one player over 6 feet tall. The rest of the lineup is 5-foot-10 or shorter.
While the size disadvantage typically hurts the Yellow Jackets on the boards, it allows them to run freely up and down the court.
Senior forward Dustin Rodriguez is another reason the Yellow Jackets can succeed with a smaller lineup.
Rebounding is usually a group effort for E-E, with six players averaging more than three rebounds per game.
Among that group, Rodriguez is the only player capable of rebounding against any team.
“I work out on my legs a lot,” Rodriguez said. “The key to rebounding is both the timing and my leaping ability. I put in hours of work on my legs, just so I can get rebounds for my team, to keep us in the game. I try to do my best.”
As a freshman, Rodriguez averaged eight rebounds per game at the sub-varsity level. On Friday, he pulled down eight boards.
“Dustin is our little Energizer bunny. That guy can go all day,” Edcouch-Elsa coach Lalo Rios said. “He can play. He’s got a motor. He just does a lot of everything. We really value and appreciate what he brings to the table.”
The explosiveness he brings to rebounding also applies to scoring.
“That guy is always jumping around in practice,” Gonzalez said. “His ability to rebound for us is huge. Nobody expects him to do that. And he uses it at the other end to get above defenders for an open look at the rim.”
Rodriguez scored 10 points in Friday’s win.
“It feels good, because this is our hometown rivalry,” Rodriguez said. “We just tried to come out here and execute the game plan and try to get a W away, because we are on the road. And we have Pace and Lopez next. We are going to try to come for them, too.”
Brownsville Pace remains undefeated in 32-5A, and the two teams will meet Tuesday at Edcouch-Elsa.
The Yellow Jackets charged out to an early lead and never really looked back, leading by as much as 11 for stretches of the game. Mercedes hung tough and got the game to a single-possession difference multiple times, but the Yellow Jackets would not be denied the win.
Rios has become known for his five-in, five-out substitutions, but on Friday he showed a different look, using what he described as “big-game minutes.”
“Obviously, this is our rivalry,” he said. “It’s intense, and we knew it was going to be neck and neck all the way through. So, we decided to shorten the lineup a little bit, and let the guys that can carry us to victory play a little bit more.”
Several players needed to adjust, but one in particular was not tired at the end of the game.
“I condition a lot in practice,” Rodriguez said. “I’m always running. So, I never get tired. That’s the way I am. I have been an athlete all my life. I’ve just conditioned a lot. I come out here, and I don’t get tired.”