BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln clinched the first boys basketball playoff berth in school history this week under coach Albert Carrillo.
“The team was really happy,” he said. “It’s something we had been working hard for. This being the first time in history, the boys were excited. They celebrated after the game.”
On Tuesday, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln topped La Joya High 75-39 to secure a playoff berth. After the moment had passed, the attention turned toward the postseason for a team hungry to create school history.
“We still don’t know who we are going to play — it’s either South San Antonio or Laredo Alexander,” Carrillo said. “We are going to prepare just as we have been for every district game. It’s going to be win or go, and that’s the mentality we are going to take into the playoffs.”
The Huskies avoided a scare after senior center Luis Garza turned his ankle last Friday against McAllen High. Garza missed the game’s final three quarters but was back for the tilt against La Joya High, leading the way with a double-double.
Garza, who is averaging 16.9 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, will be a key to matching up with bigger teams from out of the area.
“In the summer, he did a good job of playing up north against bigger opponents in San Antonio and Houston,” Carrillo said. “And he did fairly well, so I believe that last summer helped him prepare for this playoff game.”
Garza won’t be alone, though.
“It is going to be a combined team effort,” Carrillo continued. “I know one thing we will have to do better is boxing out. That is something we will be working on during practice.”
Carrillo plans to be ready for any opponent.
“One of the things we have been preaching is whoever we are playing against, we have to be mentally tough,” Carillo said. “Anything can happen in a game and our kids are pretty confident moving forward. We have seen Laredo Alexander play and if we match up with them, the kids believe they can win. … I am going to study our opponent as much as I can to give the kids every advantage they can get.”