BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF REPORT
HIDALGO — Last year, Weslaco High pulled off one of the biggest wins in the Hidalgo Pirate Classic tournament, only to lose the championship game to Los Fresnos.
The Panthers beat Houston Dickinson in the semifinal last year, a foreshadowing of this year’s final, when the Panthers would again be matched up with a tough non-Valley team.
On Saturday afternoon at Hidalgo High School, the Weslaco High Panthers outlasted the Laredo LBJ Wolves 61-55, in the Platinum Bracket Championship of the 7th Annual Hidalgo Pirate Classic.
“Last year, it slipped through our hands,” senior guard Safi Fino-A-Laself said. “I am glad we are finally bringing the ’chip back to Weslaco High.”
The tournament win is Weslaco High’s first since 2010.
“We have been close every year, and finally we got the win this year,” Weslaco High coach Gabriel Valdez said. “Hopefully, it will carry over to the next tournament. It was a long time coming for us.”
The Panthers pulled ahead at the 2:08 mark of the third quarter, but the pressure from LBJ never ceased.
“We got a lot of pressure in the San Antonio tournament, which really helped us,” Valdez said of the South San Bobcats Tournament that ran from Nov. 29-Dec. 1. “We knew Laredo was going to be that kind of team. We talked about some things, and who to hit to break that pressure. We just missed a bunch of shots today. It could have played out a little bit differently. Laredo has a great ballclub. We just kept our composure and pulled it out.”
Fino-A-Laself was already one of the best players in the Valley, but with the Panthers’ talent-laden rosters of the past couple season, he has had to play different roles.
Now, he and his two best mates, Caleb Ybarra and Isaiah Garcia, are the three guards who start for the Panthers. In anticipation of his increased role this year, Fino-A-Laself made a major move this offseason.
“This summer, I went to live with my dad for a while in Albuquerque,” Fino-A-Laself said. “I got a shooting coach named Ron. Him and my dad really worked me out, and they made sure that I got (my jumper) down this season, because I really haven’t had a jump shot for the majority of my basketball career. They made sure I got that down, so I could bring it to the table this year.”
Fino-A-Laself started the year scoring 31, 27 and 24 points. In three games at the South San Tournament, Fino-A-Laself scored a combined 57 points against Fort Worth Wyatt, San Antonio MacArthur and Dallas Kimball.
“Those teams are really fast,” Fino-A-Laself said. “We competed. We didn’t win, but we didn’t get blown out like we were supposed to. … We have gotten a lot better at breaking those presses, because of facing teams like that. We have learned to play a more composed offense and defense because of it.”
Fino-A-Laself totaled 18 in the championship game Saturday, including seven of the team’s 13 fourth-quarter points. Not only does he know how to get buckets when the team needs them — he has become something of a savant at playing in the clutch for the Panthers — but he is a versatile player who adds a lot of value beyond his scoring. On Saturday, he skied past the taller Wolves’ bigs to pull down several key rebounds. He is a smooth passer, and he knows how to find Garcia and the rest of his shooters beyond the arc.
His poise down the stretch, against a pestering LBJ defense was the difference in the game.
“It was a lot of mind games,” said Fino-A-Laself, who was one of several Panthers dealing with foul trouble on Saturday. “They had me in my head for a little bit there, I’m not going to lie, but in the fourth quarter, I had to take a deep breath, step back and take my time. Because when I freak out, the team freaks out, and we can’t have that, if we want to win. I had to regain my composure, get us back on track, and from there, we got the win.”
Having Garcia and Ybarra by his side in the biggest moments helps Fino-A-Laself be the leader his younger team needs.
“My three guards, Safi, Caleb and Isaiah, do a really good job of understanding the game, and playing with a little more IQ,” Valdez said. “They call us the Rugrats because we are a squad,” Fino-A-Laself said. “We run as one. Caleb plays the defense, and me and Isaiah, we are the quick triggers. Of course, it is a team effort from everyone, but it feels good for us, because I think we have worked really hard for this.”
All three were named to the All-Tournament team, Fino-A-Laself earning the tournament MVP award.
“It was a pretty cool moment,” Ybarra said. “This is our first year starting, all together.”
In the title game, Garcia scored 12 and Ybarra added 10.
As Fino-A-Laself pointed out, Ybarra’s defense is a big factor for the Panthers. He is often tasked with guarding the opponent’s best player, and against LBJ that was again true, as he drew fellow All-Tournament team member Osvaldo Garza, the Wolves’ senior guard.
“I just had to play a little more back, because he was quick with his left hand,” Ybarra said. “So, I made him play to his right.”
In the semifinal against a short-handed Hidalgo, Garza scored 12 of LBJ’s 56 points. Ybarra held him to 7.
The Panthers aren’t just the Rugrats. Senior forwards Matt Casanova and Alexis Lizarraga are the type of bigs that can bang with the bigger Laredo and San Antonio forwards, but they are also skilled and quick enough to get out and run and find the open spot, when the Rugrats hit top gear.
Behind the senior-laden starting lineup, Valdez has a bench unit comprised of sophomores and juniors.
“We have all really embraced that leadership role,” Fino-A-Laself said of himself, Garcia and Ybarra. “I am the team captain. I have to set things straight, when things need to be set straight. A lot of the guys listen when they need to. It’s not just me, though, Caleb and Isaiah have taken on the leadership role as well. Those younger guys have taken a liking to us, and they are listening to us. We are doing better as a team because of it.”