By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Manuel Sepulveda was the first man off the bench last year for Roma, and an occasional starter, depending on the matchup.
This year, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound post has emerged as the Gladiators’ go-to player, averaging 16 points per game.
Coach Abelardo Escobar lauded Sepulveda for his unique combination of strength and speed, saying he’s been a force rebounding and scoring inside.
“Through what we’ve faced this year, I could tell you that he hasn’t been able to be stopped,” Escobar said.
The difference from his junior season, Escobar said, is Sepulveda’s acceptance of his role on the low block. His “brute strength,” he said, has been the difference-maker for the Gladiators, who will travel to Hondo this weekend for a tournament.
Even with 6-foot-5 or 6-6 players, Sepulveda has consistently held his own early on.
“He just uses his body well,” Escobar said. “You don’t see anyone stick with him. He’s all power.”
That he’s developing a mid-range shot should help Roma improve on its 1-2 start. The team is still coming together. Abel Escobar, who was the district’s newcomer last year, is working his way out of a recent slump. But when he’s pairs with Jaime Martinez, the team’s second-leading scorer, the elder Escobar believes Roma should be in the running for a postseason berth.
TURNING IT AROUND
Despite boasting an undersized and relatively undermanned roster, first-year Mercedes coach Rick Treviño is encouraged by his team’s 3-3 start.
Twice the Tigers have relinquished double-digits leads, but Treviño has pleased nonetheless, feeling like his team could be 5-1 now, even with some of the transition.
“There’s a lot of potential for this team,” Treviño said. “We just have to find ways to finish games. I think that’s their inexperience, to play the full four quarters. But hopefully we get there.”
Mercedes has bolstered its roster with football players, adding strength and athleticism to a 10-man unit.
Ray Rincon, in particular, has come up big for the Tigers. Treviño said Rincon generally defends the opposing team’s best player, and has a knack for snatching rebounds and recovering loose balls.
His production, along with that of Ricky Jimenez, has been instrumental for a program that has gone through something of a makeover since last season. Jimenez is the lone returning starter this year, and he’s been invaluable initiating the team’s offense.
STATE NODS
San Isidro is ranked No. 14 in this week’s Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll for Class 2A teams.
Edinburg Vela, ranked No. 24 in Class 5A, and Brownsville Veterans Memorial (No. 23, 6A) are the only other Valley teams that made the cut.