By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
Los Fresnos has lofty expectations after winning a share of the District 32-6A title and making it to the area round of the playoffs before losing to Laredo United 57-30.
Coach Marco Hinojosa, The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro Coach of the Year last season, thinks his players relish it.
“They’re ready,” Hinojosa said. “They know they have a huge target on their backs, but they like it. They’re ready for the challenge.”
Three starters return from last year’s 22-12 squad that tied with Hanna and Harlingen South for Los Fresnos’ first basketball district title in 30 years.
Point guard Hugo De La Cruz (senior), shooting guard Alex Garcia (junior) and forward Johnny Gomez (senior) will lead the way in the Falcons’ title defense this winter.
De La Cruz averaged 15.9 points per game, 3.4 steals per game, 3.4 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game while landing on the All-Valley first team last season.
Garcia scored 11.4 points per game and averaged 4.1 rebounds a game. Gomez averaged 7.0 points per game and 5.0 boards per game.
High hopes for a repeat champion won’t stop Hinojosa’s team from improving from week to week.
“We’re trying to get better every day, compete and get a playoff spot,” Hinojosa said.
Hanna
A young Hanna squad looks to use “team depth” to offset losses from graduation and make a third consecutive trip to the postseason.
Coach Todd Barckholtz says the Eagles lost about 80 percent of the team’s total scoring from last season’s co-district championship team and is counting on a mix of six to eight players from last season’s freshman and junior varsity teams to fill holes on Hanna’s two-deep.
“We’re looking at going about 12 deep this season,” Barckholtz said. “We’re working on depth and team concepts … we’re hoping team depth is what helps us (this season).”
Senior guard Andy Lopez (12.4 points per game, 2.4 assists per game, 1.3 steals per game and 6.6 rebounds per game) is the lone starter returning to the Eagles, but Barckholtz expects him out for a few more weeks because of a knee injury.
Sophomore post Vicente Garcia, senior guard Eric Garcia and sophomore guard Gabe Martinez are returning bench players who look to figure in Hanna’s rotation.
Lopez
Lopez brings back plenty of experience to rebound from last season’s 3-28 record. Eight players return, including four starters.
Seniors Darren Gonzalez (guard) and Edgar Amaro (forward), junior Julio Jimenez (point guard) and sophomore Johnny Ibarra (shooting guard) return to the Lobos’ starting line-up. Gonzalez is Lopez’s leading returning scorer after averaging 14.7 points per game last season in addition to last season’s team-leading 2.1 rebounds per game.
Mike Sanchez, Giovanni Barrientos, Saul Mendoza and Priciliano Diaz provide experience from the bench.
Second-year coach Neil Schuster says a seasoned roster should help the Lobos end an 11-year playoff drought.
“You can expect to see a team that has more depth and a better understanding of the game with more experience,” Schuster said. “Last year, we struggled with finding our identity. It was a learning experience for myself and the players.”
Pace
Coach Jose Luis Ramirez expects District 32-5A to be tough, but the Vikings’ goal remains the same.
“Our thoughts are that the district will be tough as all teams are very competitive and had young players last year,” Ramirez said. “Our expectations every year are for us to contend for the district title.”
Eight players return from last season’s playoff team, including four starters.
Junior point guard Alex Acosta, junior guard Andres Salgado (the All-Valley newcomer of the year), senior forward Esteban Garza (All-Metro first team)and senior post Mario Salinas started last season.
Senior wing Luis Rodriguez replaced AJ Medrano for the final four games of last season. Angel Munoz, Hugo Robledo, and Jose Humberto Salinas return from the bench.
Porter
Coach Luis Garza is optimistic about Porter’s chances for success this season, and the playoffs might be in the cards if the Cowboys can peak during District 32-5A play.
“I think it will take this group of kids coming together at the right time (during January and February),” coach Luis Garza said. “It’s going to take trusting one another and learning from our previous failures.”
Seven varsity players return for the Cowboys, including starting point guard Mike Reyes, Joel Gracia and Luis Garza II, all of whom have multiple years of varsity experience.
Reyes should be a player to watch in terms of overall performance and contribution level, Garza said.
Albert Garza, Rey Martinez, Andres Fragoso and Damina Bentancourt are returning bench players from last year’s team.
Rivera
Coach Saul Villarreal says he has high expectations despite the loss of 10 players, including all five starters, from last year’s team.
“Our players have been working hard,” Villarreal said. “Our players have set goals for themselves … (they) will be young and inexperienced. We have four sophomores, so it’s a rebuilding year with high expectations, and the team is preparing hard for this coming year.”
Josh Arellano, Sam Orive and Chris Zuniga are the Raiders’ returning players from last season’s squad.
“We’re expecting all the new players on varsity to make an impact since most of the players played on junior varsity or freshman,” Villarreal said. “We will have a young team.”
Brownsville Veterans Memorial
The Chargers have a chance to be pretty good this season, coach Larry Gibson said.
“I would this season be very disappointed if we weren’t a playoff team,” Gibson said. “I believe this team has the ability to achieve great things.”
Gibson said athleticism will be the team’s strength this season as Brownsville Veterans fights for a return to the postseason for a second consecutive season.
The Chargers return three starters, last year’s “sixth man” and four other returning players from the bench.
Gibson thinks Aaron Villarreal (9.1 points per game), Alex Marquez (4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game) and Jeremiah Meyers (9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game) should be three of the top players in the Valley this season.
Kevin Gomez, Tristan Oquin, Darrin Thuku, Erik Saldana and Martin Martinez should contribute as well.
Port Isabel
Anthony Velarde, Port Isabel’s new basketball coach, likes the effort his players have shown so far in practice this season.
“I’m pleasantly surprised with the enthusiasm they’ve shown,” Velarde said. “It’s a group of guys trying to work hard, and their attitudes are pretty good.”
Varsity spots are open as far as Velarde’s concerned, but two players look to be leaders in the early stages of the season.
Senior point guard Jose Atkinson is an “athletic kid” who has worked on his outside shot in the offseason. Junior Nick Carillo, a post player, also will figure in as one of the Tarpons’ key players on the court.
Velarde said three or four sophomores who saw game time last season are in the mix for varsity spots.
“Jobs are open and they have to earn their spots,” he said.
St. Joseph
Last year’s inexperienced St. Joseph team will look to compete for a title in the four-team TAPPS Division I District 2.
“We play in a very tough district, but the team looks forward to the challenge and wants to bring a district championship to St. Joseph,” coach Samuel Lucio said.
Sophomore point guard Kai Money, junior guard Jorge Villarreal and senior guard Andres Borrego are returning starters this season.
Villarreal averaged 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.9 assists per season to earn first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state honors last season. Money averaged 7.7 points per game, 2.1 rebounds per game and 1.2 assists per game while making second-team all-district and the South Region all-tournament team. Borrego average 5.4 points per game and 1.4 rebounds per game.
Jose Martinez, Bernie De La Garza and Joey Navarro also played key roles for St. Joseph last season.
Lucio hopes for a more aggressive defense to create more fastbreak opportunities on offense.
“We want to push the ball as much as we can this season,” he said.
IDEA Frontier
Playoffs are the expectations for IDEA Frontier this season.
“We have a young team, but they are eager and excited to play,” coach Gerardo Dela Garza said. “The practices have been intense and hopefully that carries on to the court.”
Three starters return to the lineup this season. Junior guard Angel Alanis, junior post Marcos Arrellano and senior center Ludwig Cox provide the Chargers with starting experience. Junior guard Brandon Esquivel returns from the bench.
First Baptist
Coach George Solis thinks his experienced Crusaders have a great chance to make a run in the playoffs.
“I think if we play defense the way I know we can, we will be able to get in the playoffs,” Solis said.
Seniors Jorge Bejar and Dulio Gomez-Reyna, junior Jorge Barrios, and sophomore George A. Solis all return as starters to First Baptist’s lineup.
Six other players return, including four seniors and two sophomores.