DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
Roma has won its district’s boys team title the last 10 years in a row. But this season, coach Eddie Marquez finds himself in an unfamiliar situation.
Having lost his top six boys, two to college tennis programs, and three of his top girls, Marquez is starting from scratch.
“It’s definitely a rebuilding year,” Marquez said. “Right now we’re playing some good tennis, but we’re improving. We’ve been getting into the quarters in some tournaments, and we’re battling.
“We’re not favorites, but we might shock some people.”
At the core of the Gladiators’ program is a slew of budding sophomores that have shown promising talent.
There’s Chantal Lozano on the girls side, inexperienced but consistent in her game.
“She’s precise with her shots, and you know she’ll be someone to reckon with,” Marquez said. “She’s growing more into the game.”
On the boys side, there’s Marquez’s two doubles teams — Joel Flores, Roel Loera, Raul Ramirez and Mario Saenz. Each doubles team reached the quarterfinals of the Corpus Christi Spring Fling tournament recently before losing to the top seeds.
“The main thing is believing in themselves,” Marquez said. “You’re coming from a small town like Roma, where there’s no tennis center or private coaching. Everything comes through us. These kids don’t get the opportunities like others do.
“I take pride in what we do, and we’ve been at the top of the tennis scene the last 10 years. The kids just have to believe and buy in. That’s what it takes to re-establish the way we are.”
So far, Marquez likes what he sees. His team recently played PSJA Southwest, district champs last season, and dominated. So the signs are there.
“I like what I’m seeing, but they’re still young,” Marquez said. “These kids are good. They’ll be better. But they’re still growing.”
EMERGING
Edinburg North golf coach Joey Zamora has been pleased with his team this semester.
“It’s gone pretty well,” Zamora said. “Better than I thought. We’ve improved quicker that I thought we would.”
The Cougars have not won a tournament, but their progress means more in a district that is not as strong as years past. With powerhouses Sharyland High and Edinburg Vela departed for Class 5A, District 31-6A is now essentially a race between North and Weslaco High.
“Barring anything surprising, we should be going to regionals,” Zamora said.
The Cougars are paced by senior Phillip Garza, who qualified for regionals last year. An All-State band player on the trombone, Zamora said Garza now has goals of receiving a scholarship to play golf in college.
He certainly has the talent to do so.
“He drives the ball straight and keeps the ball in play,” Zamora said.
The Cougars are also led by senior David Deanda and sophomore Baylee Vasquez. Vasquez, Zamora said, is hitting the ball longer and “showing she can compete with the best in the Valley.
In all, Zamora said, he’s seen more of a sense of urgency in his program this year.
“For some reason, they’ve been working harder,” he said. “At the beginning, I would have to push them to work hard. It’s a long season and it’s hard to keep them motivated. But they’ve picked up the slack and its paying off.”
VELA STARS
At the Border Olympics golf tournament in Laredo recently, Edinburg Vela’s boys team dominated the field.
Vela took first place as a team with a two-day score of 650. The SaberCats were led by Alberto Uriegas (164), Andres Zamora (170), John Torres (150), Jordan Olivarez (166) and Mario Rios (207).
Vela barely edged out Brownsville Hanna, which finished second with a score of 651.
Sharyland High’s boys team finished 10th with a score of 697. The Rattlers were paced by Abel Oseguera (181), Alfredo Garza (172), Carlos Ramirez (170), Danny Lee (176) and Robert Pulido (187).