BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
MERCEDES — Seniors Caleb Arthur and Jared Castaneda burst onto the Mercedes basketball scene as sophomores coming off the bench for the Tigers.
Arthur and Castaneda learned from the likes of Rey Rincon, Jaime Rodriguez, Alex Rios, Richard Urbina and Roger Adame III.
“Everybody has been working hard all summer,” Castaneda said. “The work ethic, we learned it from Jaime and Rey, and we just kind of passed it on to these guys.”
Now, Castaneda and Arthur are leading a group of mostly juniors into new territory. Those teams from a few years ago, regularly battled in the playoffs, and dominated their district. Last year, the Tigers missed the playoffs for the first time under coach Rick Trevino, meaning that pivotal junior class is lacking the playoff experience.
Arthur and Castaneda are there to bridge the gap.
“Caleb and Jared are both three-year lettermen, and they are the only ones who have that playoff experience,” Trevino said. “They have both been huge for us this year, and they are helping get everyone involved with their passing.”
The Tigers cleaned up at the Mission Thanksgiving Classic, winning the entire tournament. After the tournament, Trevino was asked who his tournament MVPs were, and rather than name them himself, he put it to a team vote. The players selected Arthur and Castaneda.
“It was a great accomplishment,” Arthur said. “I want to thank my teammates. Really it was more of a team award, because I feel like in that tournament, everyone showed what they are capable of doing.”
The Tigers got off to a hot start, reeling off eight straight wins to begin the season. Then things got real for the Tigers.
Mercedes traveled to Laredo for the Border Olympics tournament. There they faced extremely tough out-of-Valley competition, including the eventual tournament winners San Antonio Antonian.
“We knew exactly what we were getting into,” Trevino said. “Antonian is kind of like a prep school. They won the whole thing. They beat Nixon, who is ranked in the state. They were in our pool. They were just a different kind of athleticism and speed. It was good to see that. Because we knew that any little mistake we made would hurt us, for example, with a big dunk on the other end.”
The Tigers went 1-3 at the tournament, but they held their own against everyone they played, and more importantly, they learned a lot about their team.
“I think the Laredo tournament really helped us figure out who we are as team,” Castaneda said. “It magnified our mistakes, so that we can fix them. We competed against those teams. Laredo United South lost to Ray, by two points. They were a top 20 school in Texas. And then, we lost to them by three. So, that really showed us where we are as a team.”
Arthur and Castaneda lead the team in assists. On any given night one of the four leading scorers, Castaneda and Arthur along with juniors Jordan Ovalle and Brandon Lozoya, can get hot and burn the opposition. Arthur and Castaneda have done a tremendous job of finding Lozoya and Ovalle for open looks. Against those bigger teams, senior Jesse Fuentes and junior Jay Ayala had the responsibility of guarding the low post monsters they faced. It wasn’t easy, and it took a group effort, but the work ethic that started Rincon and Rodriguez, showed in Laredo.
The following Monday, the practice court for Mercedes became the proving ground. Players challenged each other in practice.
“It got a little intense, the guys were getting after each other,” Trevino said. “And there is nothing wrong with that. If it is happening every day, that is different. That hasn’t happened too much. They are wanting to get better. I thought we did have a hard-nosed practice.”
The Laredo tournament was a wake-up call of sorts for the Tigers, but they proved they are still the class of the Valley by getting back on track with a 50-43 win over La Joya Palmview on Tuesday.
Arthur’s game has developed so sharply over the last two years, that he has suddenly become one of the most versatile players in the Valley.
“Caleb has come a long way,” Trevino said. “He started for us last year, but he didn’t do as much for us as he is now. After a rebound, usually he would have to outlet, but now he can dribble it up himself and be like a guard. He can play the point if he wanted to, he kind of does sometimes. He can play the guard on the side, or he can post up and play the four underneath. He is our most versatile guy. I think he is one of our biggest x-factors.”
Castaneda, meanwhile, has always been great with the ball in his hands, but his basketball IQ seems to double every year. Now, he is so much of a coach on the court that he can see the plays happening before the players even get into position. His passing vision is second to none.
“Jared used to be a part of that same group as a sophomore. He would come off the bench and he was kind of figuring things out,” Trevino said. “Now he is doing everything full speed. He’s got a whole new level to his game. Before, he didn’t understand how to work at full speed all the time. Now he really does understand as a senior.”
Mercedes’ district (32-5A) is going to be a fight all year long. Brownsville Pace, Brownsville Veterans and Edcouch-Elsa have all shown themselves to be formidable challengers to the title. Even teams like Donna High, Valley View and Brownsville Porter will provide a tough contest night in and night out.
The feeling in Mercedes, though, is that they have the goods to win that title. They have proven it throughout the beginning of the year, and the young team continues to improve with every game.
“We are humble, we are not saying we will win this game or that game, we are just going to come out and give our all every night,” Ovalle said.
For now, though, the Tigers are only focused on one title, and that is the La Feria tournament title. The tournament begins today, and the Tigers are ready for the challenge.
“If you really want to see some good up-and-down basketball, come out and watch us,” Trevino said. “You will have fun watching us. The kids feed off the crowd.”
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