By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
Defending District 32-6A champion Los Fresnos rolled past a fatigued Harlingen High 78-62 in Rio Grande Valley Summer League action Tuesday night.
Senior forward Ricky Altamirano and point guard Elian Gonzalez are two of the most significant returners from a program poised to bring home its sixth straight district title. Los Fresnos will look to Altamirano and Gonzalez to help integrate some of the team’s newcomers into the fold.
“We’re just trying to build chemistry and come together,” Altamirano said. “That’s how we play, and we become a brotherhood.”
Gonzalez said the lessons learned from the 2017 senior class and the continuity of last year’s team will carry over to this season.
“Last year was a brand new team,” Gonzalez said. “Last year we started hanging out more and building a bond, because was only going to help us throughout the season. We won district last year, and we’re trying to build that chemistry with the new guys coming in.”
Gonzalez and Altamirano said incoming freshman Gerry Martinez is a new Falcon to watch for during summer league and the 2019-20 season. Martinez is a sharpshooter that the team has high expectations for and may even earn a starting spot on the varsity level.
Cards show promising length, athleticism
There were several bright spots despite two summer league losses for Harlingen High, which took advantage of a Rio Hondo forfeit to get in another full game against Los Fresnos immediately following their matchup with Pace.
Guards Matt Moreno and Eric Quilantan were active on both ends of the floor for the Cardinals, and Harlingen High’s taller wings matched up well with the Falcons’ bigs, resulting in several emphatic blocks.
Pace’s Guajardo grows his game alongside new teammates
Summer is when basketball players go back to the lab to work on their game. After elevating Pace’s offense to new heights as a freshman, Christian Guajardo led Pace to a 51-34 victory over Harlingen High at the Cardinals’ home gym Tuesday night.
The sophomore point guard set the tempo for the Vikings, forcing turnovers and pushing the ball upcourt quickly and finding open shooters on the wings, as is tradition in Pace’s system.
Pace summer league coach Juan Fortaneli said sophomores Chase Morales and Benny Villarreal, and junior Domanique Diaz figure to be key components of the Pace offense going forward. The two players compliment a system designed around Guajardo’s elite passing and playmaking ability.
“We’re gonna keep that mentality, like it’s zero-zero the whole game,” Fortaneli said. “Hopefully transition to the season with a strong start, like we have been playing in summer league.”
Guajardo said that while the Vikings may not always have a height advantage, their superior speed and shooting can give Pace an edge. He also said he’s looking to improve his midrange game this summer.
“We’re comprised of mainly underclassmen,” Guajardo said. “We have some experience from last year, and a lot of the players that were on the team (coming back) were in starting position last year. We’re confident that we have the experience, and we’re just going to build off our hustle and our play together.”