EDINBURG — Mercedes Hernandez’ eyes brighten when she talks about something as routine as the drudgery of practice.
“It’s fun,” the sophomore guard said. “I’m excited because we have so much to look forward to, and we’ve been waiting a long time since last season.”
Last season was one of surprise for Edinburg High. The Lady Bobcats returned just two starters and boasted a roster complete with seven underclassmen. But Edinburg found inspiration in its youth, winning 23 games, making a postseason appearance and earning the status as one of the Valley’s best upstart teams.
“We were supposed to finish at the bottom of the district,” senior post Jennifer Galvan said. “We weren’t supposed to make it to the playoffs, but we slipped in there. We beat some teams we weren’t supposed to beat… It was difficult, but whoever wanted it more, got it.”
The Lady Bobcats are led by sophomore Jayla Santa Maria, last year’s RGVSports.com Newcomer of the Year. As a freshman, Santa Maria demonstrated her versatility by averaging 11.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3 steals per game.
“She starts at our three, but because of her length and her ability to pivot in the paint, we can play her at the four, also,” Edinburg coach John David Salinas said. “There were times we’d move her to the one, and she’d start the offense. She just has a great IQ for the game. It’s exciting that she’s already had a year of pressure on her, so maybe she’ll be able to comeback and give us a little bit more.”
That little bit more includes improving the intangibles. Santa Maria admits to playing timid during prolonged stretches of games last season, and that bringing a pronounced mental focus into 2015 is on her list of improvements.
“I guess I just need to imagine that every game is in the fourth quarter and that we’re playing for our season,” Santa Maria said.
As Santa Maria’s skills are used in myriad ways, her offseason routine included working on post moves, ball handling and improving her mid-range shots. Santa Maria says she wants to increase her individual productivity across the board, especially scoring — a weak spot for the Lady Bobcats a season ago.
“I want to put more points on the board,” Salinas said. “We’ve been able to somehow get away with keeping games close by playing good defense, which should be able to give us some chances on offense. We’ve got some extremely fast guards. We’ll be able to get a little bit of transition points in that regard.”
Hernandez already notices a difference in the offense during practices and preseason scrimmages. Where the team spent much of last year getting used to playing alongside each other, Edinburg’s continuity is breeding familiarity.
“Last year, everyone was on a different page to begin the season,” she said. “Now, I don’t even have to look, but I can pass the ball and I already know that someone is going to be there. The chemistry is just awesome.”
With so much trust comes added roles. Aside from being a low-post presence, Galvan has become one of the team’s best communicators, barking out opposing screens for her teammates.
“Last year, we didn’t do a lot of that stuff until the end of the season,” Galvan said. “We started calling a lot of switches. Little things like that may not seem like they help, but actually it does, a whole lot.”
Each of the Lady Bobcats understand the space they occupy on the court and the responsibilities that come with it. Santa Maria is the best player, sure, but Galvan can be counted on for nearly 10 rebounds a night. Senior guard Reyna Del Castillo brings a solid defensive presence and led the team in steals a year ago. Junior post Natalie Roxburgh scraps her way to tough buckets in the paint when the opportunity presents itself.
“Everyone knows what their job is,” Salinas said. “You may not be the girl that’s going to get named in the newspaper, but if you do your role to the best of your ability, then everything is going to click.”
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Five Other Valley-Girls Players to Watch
Bianca Cortez, So. Post, Edinburg Vela
As a freshman, Cortez hovered near a double-double on the season, averaging 9 points and 7 boards. This year, Coach Lottie Zarate plans to use Cortez as a stretch shooter.
Samantha Gutierrez, Sr. Guard, La Joya Palmview
A left-handed guard that’s nimble and fast, Gutierrez was named the District 30-6A Offensive Player of the Year in 2014 behind 15.9 points and 2.4 assists per game.
Ana Marshall, Jr. Post, Sharyland High
Marshall scored 28 points during last year’s bi-district win over Mercedes. At 6-foot-1, there are few players in the Valley who can challenge her one-on-one.
Belle Palacios, Sr. Forward, PSJA North
Led the Lady Raiders in points per game (13.2) and rebounds per game (9.4) in 2014 and was named the District 31-6A Offensive Player of the Year.
Ashley Smith, Sr. Guard, Mission Veterans Memorial
Smith was the third-highest scoring guard among UIL-Valley teams last year, averaging 14.8 points in addition to 4.2 steals per game.