BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
LA VILLA — The La Villa Lady Cardinals wanted to believe their coach, but had reason for skepticism.
When Sam Rodriguez came to his team at the beginning of the season with a vision of contending for a district title, some players could only dwell on the obstacles in their path. After all, the team missed the postseason a year ago and, like other Class 2A programs, struggles with low student turnout and limited financial means.
But Rodriguez didn’t see constrictions. He saw opportunity and a team ready to be tested.
“With some of the size and the guards we have, we can get up and down the court and dictate our style of play to the opposing team,” Rodriguez said.
And dictate they have. Employing height, power and agility, the Lady Cardinals are 8-1 in District 32-2A and guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. In its eight victories, the team outscored opponents by an average margin of 26 points.
For an upstart team, such results equate to a job well done. But La Villa is ever-mindful of its preseason goal and remains unsatisfied. Its final opportunity to achieve the status of champion comes Friday against Santa Maria (8-0) at La Feria High School. Should the Lady Cardinals win, it would create a tie atop the district standings with three games remaining.
“If we win, it will say a lot about us,” senior guard Sarah Rubalcaba said. “It will show how hard we’ve worked and all the time and effort we’ve put in to what we do.”
Santa Maria was victorious during round one of district play, edging La Villa 32-27 on January 5. It’s a loss Rodriguez takes the blame for. The second-year coach says he stuck with his flawed game plan for too long, and that his play calling was restrained.
Friday is a chance for redemption, but it’s also an opportunity for a culmination. Should La Villa set itself up for a district crown and hold on in its remaining games, it will mark the end of a journey that began in the weight room.
When Rodriguez first arrived at La Villa, he overtook a loose-knit team absent focus and an identity. He quickly put his players on a strict and timely workout regimen. If a player is late, they may not start. If a player skips out entirely, they may not play.
“He still gets upset if someone misses time on the weights,” Rubalcaba said. “It was something he really stressed for us. He wanted us to be stronger so we could play that way on the court.”
Not just strength, but endurance, too. The Lady Cardinals play a swarming, press-heavy defense and stamina is required to be successful on both sides of the ball. However, to counteract any fatigue, Rodriguez substitutes early and often.
“We try to play everyone,” he said. “No one sits on this bench for the whole game. Everyone is going to get two minutes here, two minutes there. I think that helps us stay fresh.”
At first, such a come-and-go rotation was a hard sell. But the team saw Rodriguez’s vision manifest during a tournament. Watching from the stands, the Lady Cardinals saw Cristoval employ a similar scheme en route to a crushing victory over their opponent.
Envious of Cristoval’s abilities and awakened to their own potential, La Villa bought into Rodriguez’s schemes.
“They wanted to play just like that,” he said. “The pace, the rotations, the defense. They said, ‘Coach, we can do that, too.’”
So it is that the Lady Cardinals have. They relish the success they’ve achieved, but they know the work continues.
“Santa Maria was the better team in round one,” Rodriguez said. “We feel as though we are the better team right now. We just have to prove it.”