High School Sports Magazine-Final Four

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Hidalgo Makes it to the...Hidalgo Makes it to the...

FINAL FOURFINAL FOURIt’s March Madness! It’s March Madness!

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4 HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE February 27-March 25, 2009

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It’s all about passionPUBLISHER’S NOTE www.texashighschoolsportsmagazine.com

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BY

he Rio Grande Val-ley finally made it to the “Final Four” in Austin, Texas. History was made with high schools from 3A Hi-

dalgo and 2A Santa Rosa advancing to the University Interscholastics League’s State Basketball Tourna-ment held annually at the University of Texas-Austin Frank Erwin’s Cen-ter in the same season. To get here, the Lady Pirates knocked off undefeated second-ranked Corpus Christi West Oso 37-36 in the Region

from the stands. As-sistant head coach Ar-nold Martinez lifted Coach Rodriguez off her feet before her hus-band could do the same. That’s what makes this job (a low paying one too) worth it. The last time the Val-ley experienced this kind of outburst was

when the Harlingen South Hawks advanced to the U.I.L. State 5A Championship baseball

T

National Associationof Hispanic Journalists

Member of the

Final Four Support. Coaches from the RGV showed their support for Hidalgo and head coach Monica Rodriguez.

IV Finals at the free-throw line. A basket that will be remembered forever by Lady Pirate, Jessica Olvera. Alone, standing freely at the American Bank Center (7,500 capacity) in Corpus Christi, Texas, Olvera missed her first attempt with 3.9 seconds left to play in the game after getting fouled. “I was scared. This was it. I had to make the next shot,” she said. Her next attempt swooshed the nets. “This is unbelieveable,” cried Olvera after making the winning shot. The moment was emotional. Too emotion-al. More than 500 (1,200 attendance) Pirate fans rushed onto the court hugging and jumping with joy. From a distant, Monica’s husband watched Olvera’s second shot go in and he too, would jump with disbelief

game in Round Rock, Texas in 2007. Even-though the Hawks lost to Houston Cypress-Fairbanks 6-1, it was the RGV fan support that made the difference at Dell Stadium (6,500 fans). As the Lady Pirates stepped onto the bas-ketball court where the Texas Longhorns play, Rodriguez stood for a moment and stared at every inch of the Frank Erwin Cen-ter. And for senior post, Victoria Gonzalez, it would be a moment never to be forgot-ten. With the Valley pushing to host U.I.L. Region IV Tournaments, this moment cer-tainly made an impression with the U.I.L. It’s time to bring these special moments to the Rio Grande Valley in 2010.

Feb. 27-March 25, 2009 Volume Five Issue Two

The Final Four! At the 3A U.I.L. State Girls Basketball Semifinals in the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas Hidalgo head coach Monica Rodriguez leads her team. A first for the Lady Pirates. (HSSM IMages)

8 Lady PiratesMake it to Final 4By David A. Amador

19 McHi Wins 33Class 5A Region IV action.Bulldogs make it to San Antonio, Texas. Meet SA Wagner for third time.

29 BasketballPlayoff BracketsGet all Class 2A, 3A, 4A,5A, boys and girls basketball results.

Warriors make it the statetournament for the secondtime in school history.

27 Santa RosaMakes Too

Lady Pirates travel toAustin, Texas to playArgyle High School.

ContentsContents

6

On the Cover: Hidalgo’s Lady Pirate Victoria Gonzalez at the State 3A semifinals against Argyle’s Claire Pettibon. (HSSM IMages)

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8 HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE

2009 UIL State Basketball Results

FINAL FOUR!FINAL FOUR!Hidalgo Lady Pirates Makes It To...Hidalgo Lady Pirates Makes It To...

Class 2A Semifinals: Hidalgo 43 Argyle 58 Frank Erwin Center-Austin, TxClass 2A Semifinals: Hidalgo 43 Argyle 58 Frank Erwin Center-Austin, Tx

Hidalgo’s Victoria Gonzalez scrambles to get the ball against Argyle player Colbea Harris. (HSSM IMages)

Hidalgo’s Victoria Gonzalez scrambles to get the ball against Argyle player Colbea Harris. (HSSM IMages)

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE 9By DAVID A. AMADOR, HSSM Sports Director

(HSSM IMages)

FINAL FOUR!FINAL FOUR!Hidalgo Lady Pirates Makes It To...Hidalgo Lady Pirates Makes It To...

Class 2A Semifinals: Hidalgo 43 Argyle 58 Frank Erwin Center-Austin, TxClass 2A Semifinals: Hidalgo 43 Argyle 58 Frank Erwin Center-Austin, Tx

Monica RodriguezHidalgo Lady Pirates

Head Basketball Coach


State 3A UIL Basketball Semifinals. Katie Eckert of Argyle chases a loose ball with Hidalgo’s Stephanie Serna. Argyle advanced to the State finals with win. (HSSM IMages)

“

(Austin, Texas)- Staring high above the Frank Erwin Center at the University of Texas in Austin, head coach Monica Rodriguez of Hidalgo looking at the scoreboard hanging from the ceiling, she took one sigh and smiled. “We are here. Now its time to take care of business,” Hidalgo head coach Rodriguez told HSSM right before game time. “I have waited for this moment all my life. Now we are here,” she added. The Hidalgo Lady Pirates(37-3) opened the 2009 University Interscholastic League (UIL) State 3A Girls Basketball Tournament Semifinals presented by Cricket Communications of the Rio Grande Valley at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas as the top seed in the tournament. Their opponent, the 2006 State 2A champions, Argyle (566 enrollment) Lady Eagles. And just like that, the Lady Eagles showed why they are former state champions by starting the game with an opening three-pointer by Amy Beecher and by the time the game clock had run out, the Lady Eagles would finish with seven three-pointers to end Hidalgo’s run at a state title, winning 58-43. “This was a magical experience. The UIL treated us with a Texas Welcome. We’ll be back next year,” added Rodriguez. As Lady Pirates senior Victoria Gonzalez (6’0) was presented with her State 3A semifinal medal by University Interscholastic League athletic coordinator Traci Neeley, tears streamed down her face as she received it. “This is a dream come true. I will never forget this moment,” added Gonzalez. Meanwhile, Argyle had a well-laid out plan for the senior post. “We had to double-

This was a magical experi-ence. The UIL treated us with a Texas Welcome. We’ll be back next year...

team her and keep her out of the paint. She’s an all-stater,” said Argyle head coach Steve Schmidt. However, the plan to stop Gonzalez did not seem to work as she penetrated the Lady Eagles defense with 12 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocked shots. Instead, Schmidt switched to his outside shooting. “This is what got us here. This team was tough inside,” added Schmidt. More than 3,000 Hidalgo fans made the journey to Austin, Texas on March 5th, along with the support of many Rio Grande Valley basketball coaches, including head basketball girls coach, Rene Garza of Mission High School and Roy Garcia of San Benito High School to witness the Lady Pirates play at the University of Texas-Frank Erwin Center. “We are proud of Monica and her team making it to state. This just opened the doors for the Rio Grande Valley,” said Garza. In the first period, Lady Pirate Maria Perales would steal the ball from Argyle’s

The SeasonAt Hidalgo Early College...

3 4 10 11 12 13 14/2420 21 23 25 30 31 34

Maria Perales Jessica Olvera Stephanie Serna Nicolette Gonzales Daisy Pitones Nashae Owens Alexis Frias Jessica Castillo Mariana Martinez Edna Duran Victoria Gonzalez Brenda Reyes Nelly Flores Bianca Martinez

Junior Junior Junior SophomoreJunior SophomoreFreshman SophomoreFreshman SophomoreSenior Freshman Freshman Senior

Team Roster

Mission Sharyland Weslaco East Mission Veterans Memorial Edcouch Elsa PSJA North Mission Laredo Nixon Cedar Park San Antonio Churchill El Paso Coronado Arlington Sequin Port Isabel Brownsville St. Joe Brownsville Hanna Edinburg Harlingen Progreso Gregory-Portland Edcouch Elsa Los Fresnos Edinburg North Corpus Christi King McAllen Memorial Raymondville Rio Hondo Lyford La Feria Zapata Port Isabel Progreso Raymondville Rio Hondo Lyford La Feria Zapata

65 63 52 70 63 56 75 43 65 33 58 75 65 64 62 54 80 55 68 61 53 43 49 63 75 96 67 67 103 73 69 67 73 63 99

2127193039233367602833244139434411463630374642271631413941113822194835

Opponent Score

Overall Season 37-3

UIL State 3A Playoffs


Claire Pettibon (14 points) and get fouled. At the free throw line, Perales would convert one shot to trail 3-1. The Lady Pirates, playing aggressive defense came up with the defensive rebound by Jessica Castillo and she would run up the court for a three-pointer to give the Lady Pirates its first lead of the state semifinals to

make it 4-3. On another fast break, Owens stole the ball again and decided to drive to the basket. She was fouled. Then the free-throw woes started to happen for the Lady Pirates. Owens would miss both shots to the rim. “We missed (10-of-21) too many free throws,” said Rodriguez. Either way, the opportunities early on

Pure Perfection. With the State 3A Basketball Region IV Title on the line, Hidalgo’s Jessica Olvera missed her first free throw with 3.9 seconds left in the game, tied with West Oso 36-36. Her second shot was perfect. “This was the biggest shot of my life. I had to make it perfect,” said Olvera. With her shot, her team ad-vanced to the state tournament. Head coach Monica Rodriguez is lifted by assistant Arnold Martinez in celebration. (HSSM IMages)

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE 13

www.highschoolsportsmagazine.net

for the Lady Pirates kept flying in with more fouls by the Lady Eagles, still ahead 4-3 with 3:59 left in the first quarter. This time Olvera would get slapped on the wrist by Pettibon again. Olvera would make one of two free throws to give the Lady Pirates a 5-5 tie. For Argyle, they were staying patient, despite their


Great High School Career. UIL athletic coordinator, Traci Neeley presented Hidalgo’s Victoria Gonzalez with her State 3A Semifinalist medal. Gonzalez led the Valley with 25.0 points per game in 2008-09. (HSSM IMages)

State 3A PlayoffsArea Championships

Lytle 55-40Regional Qtrs

Ingleside 61-44Regional Semifinals

Brookshire Royal 44-34Region IV Championships

CC West Oso 37-36Class 3A State Semifinals

lost to Argyle 58-43

own miscues in the first period. “We were luck y that Hidalgo was missing,” added Schmidt. Argyle’s Molly Hennesy forced Rodriguez to call a timeout trailing 7-5 with 3:23 left in the first. Playing man-to-man defense with full court pressure, Argyle’s Jessica Bonefield fouled Owens on a drive to the basket tied the game at 7-7. Owens would miss her extra point opportunity. The Lady Eagles answered right back with another three-pointer by senior Beecher. This put the Lady Eagles up 10-7 with 2:28 left. The Lady Eagles scored again with Meghan McIaney laying it up to make it 12-7. Another three-pointer by Pettibon gave the Lady Eagles 15-9 lead. However, Gonzales kept fighting and was fouled going to the basket. She converted both free throws to narrow the Lady Eagles lead 15-11. But Bonfield bomb another shot to the basket for another score to extend the Lady Eagles lead to 17-11 with 2:14 left in the first. In the second quarter, Hidalgo closed the gap after Gonzalez added two straight baskets to bring the Lady Pirates trailing 19-15 with two assists by Owens on a fast breaks. “She’s tough,” said Argyle head coach Steve Schmidt. This time Argyle called timeout to regroup. “I told our team to stay focused,” added Schmidt. That they did. The Lady Eagles would redeemed themselves with a another three-pointer by Beecher to extend their lead to 24-15. Pettibon would hit another three-pointer to put the Lady Eagles up 27-15 with 3:57 left in the half. The cold-shooting Lady Pirates looked tired with 2:17 left in the half, shooting shots from the three-point line that never seemed to reach its final destination. Olvera would give Hidalgo one more point from the free throw line after being fouled by Beecher to make it 16-29. On the rebound, Gonzalez would get fouled too but she would miss her opportunities. A three-pointer by Perales brought Hidalgo closer, trailing by ten points, 19-29 as the first half expired. The Lady Pirates made only 7-of-23 shots from the field and converted only 3-of-10 shots from the free throw line. Argyle made 5-of-13 three point attempts. At the start of the second half, a different Lady Pirate team hit the court. The Lady Eagle’s Pettibon would pick up her third foul on Owens after going up for two points. This ignited a Lady Pirate attack, beginning with Gonzalez making a big shot under the basket to pull the Lady Pirates 25-31 with 4:54 to play in the third. Then a smooth three-pointer from Perales put the Lady Pirates down 28-31. With more than 6,504 in attendance, the crowd grew louder in the Frank Erwin Center. But Argyle would

Tough Defense. West Oso’s Keara Lanehart is guarded by Hidalgo’s Jessica Castillo (20) and Jessica Olvera in the Class 3A Region IV Championship game played at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. (HSSM IMages)

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE 15


answer right back with back-to-back baskets, including Beecher’s 15-footer to make it 35-28 Lady Eagles. “It was loud. The fans get loud in this arena. It’s hard to talk to your players,” said Rodriguez. Gonzalez still fought hard. She would break loose down court with Owens spotting her for a sure basket. But she would get fouled by Lady Eagles Katie Echert.The two points were good. At this point, Hidalgo trailed 30-35 with 1:40 left in the third period. Owens again, would get her fifth steal of the afternoon and Echert chased her down court but Owens would score and get fouled. Her extra point hits the nets to bring the Lady Pirates within two points, trailing 33-35. With the Lady Eagles getting in foul trouble early, the Lady Pirates had their opportunities. Owens would get fouled again by Echert. The extra bonus brought the Lady Pirates closer to 35-37. Owens again, on another break-away steal, she would get fouled by Colbea Harris going up for two points. Harris made sure the basket would not fall. The extra bonus shot would bounce off the rim with :23 seconds left in the third still trailing 35-37. In the final period, the Lady Pirates managed to tie the game at 37-37 but the Lady Eagles unleashed their barrage of three-pointers beginning with Harris, to make it 40-37 with 6:49 left in the game. Hidalgo’s Nelly Flores would get called for a foul bringing Pettibon to the line. She would score both free throws to make it 42-37. The Lady Eagles extended their lead to 50-42 with Harris scoring on a drive with 3:02 left in the game. The Lady Pirates started to watch their hopes of a state title grow dimmer. Beecher’s basket to the rim ended the Lady Pirates hopes as they trailed 52-42. The Lady Eagles then went into a stall with 1:36 left in the game. “We will be back next year,” said Rodriguez. At the press conference, Rodriguez fought back tears but added that, “I thank the UIL for their support and I thank the Hidalgo administration and the parents. This was special.” Reporters also questioned senior Victoria Gonzalez about her experience at the state tournament. “This was amazing. Argyle did a great job today. I told our players that we got here as a team and together, this will be well remembered,” she added. In the locker room, head coach Rodriguez spoke to her players and told them how proud she was of one of her players. Hidalgo athletic director Albert Guerra also expressed his thoughts by adding, “be proud ladies, because you just made history in Hidalgo and the Rio Grande Valley.”

HSSM BoxscoresTeam 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total

Argyle 17 12 8 21 58Hidalgo 11 8 16 8 43Leading scorers: Argyle-Claire Pettibon 14, Jessica Bonfield 13, Colbea Harris 10; Hidalgo-Victoria Gonzalez 12, Nashae Owens 10

She Owns. Nashae Owens scored 19 points in their win over Corpus Christi West Oso 37-36 played at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi to advance to the State 3A Semifinals in Austin, Texas. (HSSM IMages)

Class 3A Region IV Finals

Hidalgo Lady Pirates defeat West Oso in ThrillerAdvance to State 3A Basketball Tournament: Meet Argyle H.S.

(Corpus Christi, Texas)-Looking back, with three seconds left to play in the final period, Jessica Olvera went up for a fast break layup and was fouled with the game tied at 36-36. Her first shot from the free throw line sailed right of the rim and bounced off. Her second attempt went right through the rim for the win. “I can’t believe this. This is amazing,” said Olvera as she wept with tears of joy. “We are going to the state tournament.” It was Olvera’s third point of the game. The final score of 37-36 was a sight to read on the scoreboard at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas as Pirate fans raced onto the court in celebrationHidalgo head coach Monica Rodriguez believed from the start of the season that this team had what it could take to make it to the State 3A basketball tournament in 2009. The Lady Pirates defeated Ingleside 61-44 in the regional quarterfinals after knocking off Lytle in the area round. They would also defeat Pattison Royal 44-34 in the regional semifinals. Sophomore Nashea Owens (13.0 ppg) led all scorers with 19 points but it was her driving force to the basket and four steals that kept West Oso off-balanced throughout the afternoon. The only two losses this year for the Lady Pirates were to Cedar Park 43-67 and Corpus Christi King 43-46. For the season, Hidalgo has outscored their opponents 2301-1238, or 64.0 points per night on offense.

For more on UIL Basketball go to: www.highschoolsportsmagazine.net

She Owns. Nashae Owens scored 19 points in their win over Corpus Christi West Oso 37-36 played at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi to advance to the State 3A Semifinals in Austin, Texas. (HSSM IMages)

Class 3A Region IV Basketball Champions. Hidalgo Lady Pi-rates head coach Monica Rodriguez lifts the Region IV trophy with assistant head coach Arnold Martinez. (HSSM IMages)

Class 3A Region IV Finals

Hidalgo Lady Pirates defeat West Oso in ThrillerAdvance to State 3A Basketball Tournament: Meet Argyle H.S.

(Corpus Christi, Texas)-Looking back, with three seconds left to play in the final period, Jessica Olvera went up for a fast break layup and was fouled with the game tied at 36-36. Her first shot from the free throw line sailed right of the rim and bounced off. Her second attempt went right through the rim for the win. “I can’t believe this. This is amazing,” said Olvera as she wept with tears of joy. “We are going to the state tournament.” It was Olvera’s third point of the game. The final score of 37-36 was a sight to read on the scoreboard at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas as Pirate fans raced onto the court in celebrationHidalgo head coach Monica Rodriguez believed from the start of the season that this team had what it could take to make it to the State 3A basketball tournament in 2009. The Lady Pirates defeated Ingleside 61-44 in the regional quarterfinals after knocking off Lytle in the area round. They would also defeat Pattison Royal 44-34 in the regional semifinals. Sophomore Nashea Owens (13.0 ppg) led all scorers with 19 points but it was her driving force to the basket and four steals that kept West Oso off-balanced throughout the afternoon. The only two losses this year for the Lady Pirates were to Cedar Park 43-67 and Corpus Christi King 43-46. For the season, Hidalgo has outscored their opponents 2301-1238, or 64.0 points per night on offense.


HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE 19> Send your scores and stats to David A. Amador, @ [email protected]

McHi Wins 33 GamesAdvances to State 5A Region IV Tournament Again

High Flyin Bulldog. Junior center, J.J. Avila has led the McAllen Bull-dogs to three playoff appearances, including two 30-5A titles and 5A Regional Semifinal rounds. Head coach Roy Swift watches Avila against San Antonio Wagner. (HSSM IMages)

(McAllen, Texas)-The McAllen High School Bulldogs basketball team had to ask the McHi Basketball Booster Club for revenues to get them to San Anto-nio a day earlier due to financial prob-lems from McAllen I.S.D. Instead, the school wanted to provide busing on the day of the event. One fan, upset, spoke and said that, “if this was the football team they would have all the funding in the world. This is not fair.” The McHi Basketball team traveled via/booster bus on Thursday to get ready for their game against the San Antonio Wagner Thunderbirds on Fri-day, March 6th at the University of Texas-San Antonio Convocation Cen-ter. The Bulldogs would be playing the T-Birds for the third time in less than twelve months. This time, it would be in the State 5A Region IV Semifinals, again. And again, the T-Birds would win 84-65. McHi head coach Roy Swift watched from the bench as the T-Birds took a 47-26 lead at the half by forcing Bull-dog points guards Nevin Franks and Mark Lopez to numerous of turnovers. Wagner’s Jordan Clark would lead all

scorers with 19 points, including four three-pointers. Junior center, J.J. Avila scored 17 points to lead his Bulldogs. “I’m proud of these players. We had a great year and won 33 games. This is great. I’m just glad to be here in San Antonio,” said Swift. The Bulldog’s dynasty started with four freshmen in 2006. Swift was hired to coach the Bulldogs that year and found that Avila, Nick Garza, Ryan Evans, Nevin Franks had the talent to make the team. A risk he took, a risk that has paid off too. That year, the Bulldogs made the playoffs for the first time since 2000, when the Bulldogs lost to Edinburg 77-66 in the area playoffs. For Swift, the Road to the Sweet 16 does not happened with luck in back-to-back seasons. He says that it hap-pens with dedication and hard work in the off-season. “These guys play year-round,” says Swift. Against Weslaco in the State 5A Re-gional Quarterfinals played before a sellout crowd at the University of Texas-Pan American Field House, the two-time 30-5A champions McAllen

Bulldogs converted only 3-of-19 three-point attempts but still managed to pull out a thrilling come-from-behind win over the Weslaco Panthers 54-53 in double-overtime to advance to the State 5A Region IV Semifinals. Playing before some 5,000 fans, junior

For basketball playoff photos go to www.hssmphotos.comClass 5A Region IV Basketball


For more sports go to www.highschoolsportsmagazine.net


Fighting Dogs. McHi Senior Corey Pace (left) played his last game against San Antonio Wag-ner with teammate (right) junior Ryan Evans getting double-cover by Wagner. “It was a great sea-son,” said Pace. (HSSM IMages)

center J.J. Avila, was fouled under the basket by Weslaco’s Danny Ryan with 3.5 seconds left in double over-time as he went up for two points. “It was the scariest moment in my life,” Avila said. His first shot bounced off the rim with the score tied at 53-53. “I was hoping that I would make my free throws.” His second shot went through. Weslaco still had one more shot at the rim, but Eddie Cantu’s shot sailed right. Cantu led all scorers with 30 points and Avila led his team with 15 points and Corey Pace added another 13 points for the Bulldogs. McHi raced past Laredo Martin 61-44 to win it’s second straight Class 5A Bi-District title and then barely escaped Harlingen South (22-12) 49-44 in the area championships before capturing their second regional quar-terfinal title. Senior Bulldog team members in-clude Pace, Joseph Pompa, Hutton Edwards, Carlos Cruz, Charles Foll-mar, and Stephen Guerra. Set to return in 2009-2010 are Avi-la (6’6), Ryan Evans (6’6), David At-kinson (6’4), Chris Smith (6’4), Nick Garza (6’3), Nevin Franks (5’9), and Joey Pompa (5’7). Swift hopes that his senior ball club will lead them to the State 5A Tournament in 2010 just like Wagner made it this past week-end. The T-Birds defeated San Anto-nio Southwest 84-54 in the Region IV Finals before losing to Cedar Hill 61-58 on a three-pointer by Tanner Hill with two seconds left to play in the state semifinals. “It was a great year and I wish all my seniors the best of luck. They made this happen these past two years. It’s been the best experience in my career,” said Swift.

For basketball playoff photos go to www.hssmphotos.com


Back to the Region IV Tournament Again. McHi head coach Teresa Casso cheers as her Lady Bulldogs de-feat Weslaco 42-32 in the Class 5A Regional Quarterfinals played at PSJA High School. (HSSM IMages)



For basketball playoff photos go to www.hssmphotos.com

Tough Panther Defense. Kimberly Armstrong of Weslaco blocks a pass to McHi’s Christy Garza in the State 5A Region IV Quarterfinals. (HSSM IMages)

Lady Bullogs Win 30-5A Title AgainTop Hispanic Basketball Coach Teresa Casso leads team to Region IV Tournament(Pharr, Texas)-Buzzer after buzzer, the shot clock kept going off stopping play and causing confusion for both McAllen (31-7) and Weslaco (28-9) teams in the Class 5A Region IV quarterfinals. In the end, the Weslaco Panthers would fall to the two-time Region IV Quarterfinal Champions, McAllen 42-32. The Lady Bulldogs, led by senior Ali Bills who dominated the boards and scored 24 points, ended the Lady Panthers first run at the regional tournament. “This was a great win. We are going back to the regional tournament,” said Bills. The Weslaco Lady Panthers, making their first appearance in the Class 5A Regional Quarterfinals in school history were held scoreless in the first quarter 0-8, with missed shots from under the basket, from the three-point line, and even from the free throw line but a three-pointer by Amber Polvado put the Lady Panthers on the board with 6:56 left in the half to make it 10-3 McAllen. In the first round, the Lady Bulldogs met Laredo United. The Lady Bulldogs needed overtime to escape the Lady Longhorns 48-40. Then, McHi head coach Teresa Casso grinded her teeth as she watched her

team pull off another come-from-behind win over the Edinburg Lady Bobcats in Palmview, Texas. In the regional semifinals,

San Antonio Jay (34-4), making its first playoff appearance since 1998 Mustangs ended Casso’s bid at a state tournament

appearance with a 51-27 loss. Casso has won more than 815 games as a coach in high school basketball in more than 31 years.

Class 5A Region IV Basketball


Surprising Lady Cards. Head coach Nora Zamarripa talks to her team during a game. (HSSM IMages)

(Harlingen)-Head coach Nora Zamarripa is probably just as sur-prise as her players were after mak-ing the State 5A playoffs and then winning the 5A Bi-District title with their win over Los Fresnos 52-46. Even though the Lady Cards lost to Laredo Alexander in the next round 60-63, this season ended with much hope for the Lady Cardinals. In District 31-5A, Zamarippa watched her team lose the final two games of the season against PSJA North and Harlingen South but they had already clinched a playoff spot with their third place finish (10-4). Players Crystal Gasca, twins Ash-ley and Megan Adams, along with Annalee Moncivaiz helped the Lady Cards scored 1,736 points this sea-son while allowing 1,546 points on defense. At home, the Lady Cards were 13-3.

Lady Cards WinFor more sports go to www.highschoolsportsmagazine.net


Have It

OPEN LATE!Hartrmi 2007

Participating RGV Locations7411 Padre Island Blvd-Brownsville 831-71613100 Boca Chica Blvd-Brownsville 544-4300

1300 Central Blvd-Brownsville 544-54753235 International Blvd-Brownsville 982-3945

1912 W. Tyler-Harlingen 428-7169601 South Sam Houston -San Benito 361-9797

1102 North Main -La Feria 797-9546419 1/2 S. International -Weslaco 447-8868

1617 N. Texas -Weslaco 968-3747 1702 W. University Drive -Edinburg 318-5130

4006 S. McColl -Edinburg 664-91422313 Military Hwy -McAllen 618-5030

2120 N. La Homa Rd -Palmview 584-0125688 East Exp 83 -La Joya 583-2325

1100 E. Main -Rio Grande City 488-1402390 East Grant -Roma 849-5806 Your

Way!


Weslaco Knocks off Laredo UnitedMore than 9,000 Fans Attend Playoff Games at UTPA Field House

Weslaco Wins Area Title. Sophomore Raul Garcia drives past a Laredo United defender . (HSSM IMages)

(Edinburg)-More than 9,000 fans attend both Weslaco basketball playoff games held at the University of Texas-Pan American Field House when they played host to Laredo United and again, to McAllen in the State 5A playoffs. “We do bring the crowds and our fans support our Panthers,” said athletic coordinator Tony Villarreal. Against Laredo United, the Panthers stopped their barrage attempts of three-pointers to eliminate the Longhorns 74-55. The Panthers had already reserved the UTPA Field House for their possible meeting with the McAllen Bulldogs in the State 5A Region IV Quarterfinals. The gamble paid off. “This is why we need the U.I.L. to host Regional Tour-naments here in the Valley. We bring the fans,” added Villarreal. With both sides filled to capacity, the two-time 30-5A champions McAllen Bulldogs pulled out a thrilling come-from-behind win over the Weslaco Panthers 54-53 in double-overtime to advance to the State 5A Region IV Semifinals on a free throw by junior center J.J. Avila with 3.5 seconds left in double overtime as he went up for two points and fouled by Danny Ryan of Weslaco. Weslaco’s Eddie Cantu led all scorers with 30 points and Avila led his team with 15 points. Corey Pace added another 13 points for the Bulldogs.



Santa Rosa Makes History. The Warriors advanced to the State 2A Basketball Tournament for the second time in school history with a win over Universal Randolph 63-62. (HSSM IMages)

(Austin, Texas)-The Santa Rosa Warriors basketball team begun its season with a win over Brownsville St. Joe 69-63 and after clobbering Mission Veterans Memorial 83-56 in the preseason, many Warrior fans started to think playoffs. But how deep in the playoffs? Head coach Johnny Cipriano knew that his team would be young in the lineup with only two seniors, Ivan Martinez and Jacob Garcia leading his team. However, fate had its own destiny for this Santa Rosa basket-ball team in 2008-2009. The Warriors (30-7) won the 32-2A title and then knocked off Van-derbilt Industrial 66-57 in the area playoffs. Three more playoff wins against Jourdanton (80-69), Jar-rell (59-56), and an overtime vic-tory against Randolph capped the Cinderella Season for the Warriors. Their next game against eventual state champion, Ponder (40-1) 77-54 ended their magical year at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. Santa Rosa’s junior Dario Men-doza led his team with 17 points along with sophomore Mark Cor-dero’s ten points. Freshmen Aaron Ramirez added 13 points.

Santa Rosa Advances to 2A SemifinalsWarriors Upset Universal Randolph in Overtime 63-62



For State Playoff Photos by High School Sports Magazine go to www.hssmphotos.com










Documents

High School Sports Magazine-Final Four