BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
WESLACO — With Weslaco High down nine points late in the first quarter, senior forward Jesus Payes made a jumper that helped turn the tide.
The Panthers rallied back and grabbed a lead before halftime, but the Los Fresnos Falcons would not be silenced. With six seconds left in the first half, Falcons senior guard Jordan Urbina hit a floater in the lane that gave Los Fresnos the lead for good in a 54-43 win at Weslaco High School on Friday.
“I think we gave a great effort. They came out and punched us in the mouth, but we responded well,” Payes said. “I just think we couldn’t put the ball in the hole anymore in the second half, and that cost us.”
Payes finished the game with seven points, but his effect on the game is more than what shows up in the box score.
As one of five seniors on the roster, Payes isn’t necessarily the team’s main leader, but he showed his veteran presence on Friday.
Los Fresnos got off to a hot start. As Weslaco High coach Gabe Valdez put it, “If it was a boxing match, they had us on the ropes in the first round.”
The Falcons lead, at its largest, was 15-2 in the first quarter. But Valdez played with his lineup until he found the right combination of players to stop the bleeding. The unit that worked best for Valdez on Friday was Payes along with three other starters: senior guard Braxton Bloomquist, senior guard Matthew Olmeda and senior forward Khalil Fino-A-LaSelf. Instead of the fifth starter, senior center Derek Cedeno, Valdez opted for his sixth-man, junior guard Safi Fino-A-LaSelf.
“We can throw different lineups on the floor, but that group being a little taller, longer, but also having that speed, it helped us a little bit, because we could extend,” Valdez said.
That unit remained on the floor for almost all of the second quarter as the Panthers clawed their way back into the game.
Payes was vital to everything that happened during that stretch. His ability to play the five in Weslaco’s small-ball unit gives the Panthers offense from all five spots while still maintaining their rebounding and rim defense.
“When I go to the five, it’s usually a quicker lineup,” Payes said. “We are able to go on a lot more runs.”
Payes also brought clutch scoring when no one else seemed to be able to find the bottom of the net.
He said he had one goal in mind after the Panthers’ playoff run ended last year, and that was to improve his 3-point shot.
“I think basketball is evolving,” Payes said. “It’s changing, and shooting is becoming a lot bigger. … I focused on my 3-point shot this summer, and it has improved a lot.”
Payes didn’t train with fancy clinics or shooting coaches in an effort to rework his jumper. He says the key was just putting in the work and getting the reps.
“Just keep shooting, no matter what,” Payes said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s in the gym, at the park or in the backyard. It’s just about putting the shots up.”
Midway through Friday’s second quarter, Weslaco was within seven points when Payes got the ball on the left side and saw his moment. He sized up a shot from 3 and hit it. The Falcons immediately called a timeout, having watched their huge lead nearly vanish.
Payes said he feels comfortable shooting from 3, but he said he has to be smart about when to shoot versus when to look for the open man.
The Falcons pulled away early in the second half and never really looked back.
Friday marks Weslaco High’s second loss to Los Fresnos this year.
The Panthers are 18-7 overall but have fallen to 2-3 in a tough District 32-6A. Valdez said his team is ready to bounce back like it always has, but Olmeda has noticed a different intensity from opponents this year following the team’s run to the regional semifinals in 2017.
“Teams are coming out to beat us,” Olmeda said. “This year, we have a bigger bull’s-eye on our back because of how far we went in the playoffs last year.”
The Panthers are confident they are still the king of the hill.
“I think we (Los Fresnos and Weslaco) are the best two teams in the Valley,” Payes said. “I think our two losses before this don’t define us.”
When crunch time comes this year for the Panthers, the lineups may be the same, or they may be tweaked. One thing is for certain: Payes will have a big role.
“He has grown up a lot,” Valdez said. “Coming off last year’s season and him being a big key for our team, coming off the bench. Now, he is a starter. He plays a big role.”