By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
SAN JUAN — Continuity is important, perhaps now more than ever.
As a first-year program, Sharyland Pioneer doesn’t have a large margin for error, so coach Rene Gonzalez preaches “togetherness” and “playing with one another,” realizing the importance of chemistry in the infant stages of a team’s development.
It’s what the Diamondbacks are hoping to instill. When they show it consistently, they’ve been an above-.500 team. When they show it in spurts, however, they have to rely on late-game rallies to make things interesting, as they did Thursday in a 45-44 loss to Edcouch-Elsa at the Tri-City Tournament on Thursday at PSJA High.
At times, Pioneer (9-7) showed its inexperience together, trailing by double digits after being outscored 15-2 in the second quarter. But the Diamondbacks made a furious rally to regain the lead midway through the fourth quarter, outscoring E-E 20-10, before surrendering a 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining to ice the game.
The missed opportunities are learning lessons for a team still finding its way, hoping to mesh with one another as district nears.
“That’s the main thing,” Gonzalez said, “coming together on and off the court.”
That applies to coaches and players alike. Gonzalez is beginning his first full season as a head coach after filling in on an interim basis last year for Sharyland High’s David Keith, who was battling a brain tumor. That experience, Gonzalez said, was “a big help” in preparing him for this season, having guided the Rattlers to a second-place finish in district and a third-round playoff appearance.
This year’s task is different. Pioneer has a unique blend of youth (five sophomores) and senior leadership (four). This is the first time they’re playing together with some players having transferred from Sharyland High and another (Rose Martin) arriving via McAllen Memorial.
Though a junior, Martin is somewhat inexperienced, considering he missed his freshman season after tearing his ACL. He’s shouldering a leadership role at point guard, but he also understands that he might have to pick up the scoring load on occasion.
On Thursday, he was a big contributor during the Diamondbacks’ 20-10 fourth-quarter run, scoring 9 of his 11 points in the final frame, including a pair of long-range bombs.
“I have a good shot,” Martin said, “but for me, I rather get my teammates involved first. I rather have them score first.”
The Diamondbacks have a respectable inside-outside game, with Dalton Curtis holding his own underneath the basket. The 6-foot-4 post scored 16 of team-high 19 points in the second half, showing an array of spin moves in the paint.
Zack Ramon, a 6-foot-2 guard, also chipped in with eight points, including a couple of momentum-changing plays. He wrestled the ball away from an E-E player before drawing a foul, sinking one of two free throws to tie the game at 37.
Moments later, Martin spotted Ramon for a 3-pointer as Pioneer took a 42-40 lead with 1:12 to play.
“There’s no one-man show,” Ramon said. “We play as a team, we share the ball. We’re all shooting for that goal: winning games and taking it one game at a time.”