By KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Friday night’s district-clinching win gave the Harlingen High Lady Cardinals their third 32-6A title in the past five years.
Last year, Harlingen High fell one game shy of winning another district title. This year, the Lady Cards have righted that wrong.
Entering a season filled with high expectations, the 2015-16 team was the ideal side-by-side comparison to this year’s team.
Each team had a lockdown defender. Sami Quilantan provided that for the 2015-16 team, and this year senior Andrea Cortez provides that service. Along with that came a full-court press that has stymied offenses along the way.
Both squads had a Dickey. Addison Dickey was third on the team in scoring and led the team in rebounding. Three years later, Taegan Dickey has taken the mantle, and leads the team in scoring and rebounds. Each provides an ability to score, rebound and play defense.
The 2015-16 team was arguably the best team fifth-year coach Ashley Moncivaiz has had. They went a dominant 34-2 and cruised through district play with a 14-0 record, posting an impressive 24-game win streak along the way.
Along with the dazzling regular season, Harlingen High found itself in the third round of the playoffs, bowing out with a 56-46 loss at home against Weslaco High.
However, this year’s team just might have that 2015-16 magic in it. But what might set this year’s group apart is its ability to spread the ball around, and its depth. While the loss of sophomore sharpshooter Alexus Coto will hurt Harlingen High, the Lady Cards will look to senior Bianca Rodriguez and freshman Emery Scoggins, who have shown the ability to shoot from beyond the arc.
This year, Harlingen High is 28-5 and on a 12-game winning streak. The Lady Cardinals are 9-0 in district play with one game remaining.
“I will say the same thing I have said about both of those teams, is that they are hungry,” Moncivaiz said. “They always go out there and want to play the best, and they want to compete, and really the only difference between that team and this team is the depth. This year we can put anyone out there, and they can go out and compete.”
What is left of the 2015-16 team are four seniors who were freshmen at the time: Rodriguez, Andrea Cortez, Ariel Leal and Alyssa Cervantes. Cervantes traveled with the team during its playoff run, and she got a taste of what is to come.
“Being able to be a part of it was special,” Cervantes said. “I saw and felt what it was like, and it only motivated me more to want to do it again, and now that I’m here as a district champion it feels amazing, there are so many emotions.”
Leal, a four-year letter winner, also sees many similarities.
“There was good chemistry on that team and on this year’s team as well,” Leal said. “That group would push each other to be better, and we do the same thing on this year’s team. When I played with the older girls it was honestly easier for me, because they led the way and they showed me how to go about myself.”
The playoffs will determine where to rank this 2018-19 team. The pieces are in play for a special postseason run, the bench is loaded and the starting five is stacked.
Time will tell on just how filled the Lady Cards’ next banner will be.