By STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writer
Saint Joseph Academy coach Oscar Garza and the Bloodhounds were looking forward to defending their district title when the rapid spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus put every spring sport governed by the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools on pause.
“We had a very good year,” Oscar said. “We were motivated and taking practices more seriously. And because of that, we had good results.”
Texas governor Greg Abbott announced April 17 all public and private schools and institutions of higher learning would be closed for the duration of the school year. Previously, Abbott had declared schools would be closed through May 4.
The latest development in a series of statewide and local measures taken to respond to the pandemic means the window of opportunity for seniors like SJA’s top player, Antonio Garza, to try to earn a spot in the state tournament has officially closed.
TAPPS and the University Interscholastic League decided a mere three hours after the governor’s news conference to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 athletic year.
To make the most of their extended downtime, Oscar is assigning his players homework — requesting that they watch old tennis matches on YouTube and to study how they return serves or observe their footwork.
“We want them to stay focused and work on the mental side of the game,” Oscar said. “But it’s not the same. We still miss going to practice and going to exercise and all that.”
His coach says Antonio is one of the top five players in the Rio Grande Valley.
“(Since he got to SJA) he’s always been our best player,” Oscar said. “This year, last year and the year before that. … He’s the (centerpiece) of the team.”
Antonio has won his past six competitions and was the runner-up in two other tournaments.
He captured the top spot at tournaments at Harlingen High on Jan. 17-18, the Brownsville Invitational on Jan. 24-25, the Los Fresnos tournament on March 6-7 and the La Feria tournament on March 14-15.
He also took home first place with his doubles partner, junior Sergio Puig, at the San Benito tournament held Jan. 10-11 and won the singles and doubles titles at the Hanna tournament held Jan 31.-Feb. 1.
The Bloodhounds’ coach said Antonio’s mental preparation is among the most improved aspects of his game, augmenting his already sound net game and aggressive play along the baseline.
“(Antonio) has good ground strokes, good serve and good volleys,” Oscar said. “He’s turned into a more mentally tough player. When he makes mistakes, he doesn’t let them affect him. He moves on to the next point. He’s turned into a tough fighter. … It’s like when a dog bites you and doesn’t want to let you go.”
Other notable players for SJA include senior Ana Villalobos, who earned second-place finishes with different doubles partners — sophomore Natalia Montemayor at the Los Fresnos tournament and junior Paulina Gonzalez at the Brownsville Invitational.
Villalobos and Montemayor, the Lady Bloodhounds’ top player, were district champions in doubles last season.
“(Montemayor) is more of an all-around player,” Oscar said. “She has quick feet. She also plays volleyball and basketball, so that’s helped her. She’s also a good fighter and doesn’t choke (under pressure), which happens to a lot of tennis player.”
Alex Garza, a senior, was the runner-up in the boys singles division at the Los Fresnos tournament.
The duo of sophomore Alvaro Garza and junior Max Lawler came in second at the Brownsville Invitational, and the two are expected to compete for the No. 1 spot, along with a host of other returners in 2021.