Hays makes last 12 free throws, defeats Voks 60-52

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There’s no way to know how many wins first-year Hays coach Robert Lucero will accumulate in his career, but there was a feeling that a torch was being passed Feb. 18 in New Braunfels.

With the New Braunfels High gym packed from the floor to last row of bleachers – predominately with Lanier fans — Voks coach Rudy Bernal watched his time at the west-side school expire. Lucero and his Rebels (21-9) made the shots when they counted for a 60-52 bi-district victory.

“They’re extremely patient and poised,” Bernal said. “We tried to hit them with our pressure early to try to offset their size, but they did a good job of handling our traps.”

Bernal finished the Lanier phase of his coaching career with a 568-443 record. This year’s Voks produced a 25-9 mark.

It was a Voks team that had to work harder to score than it’s immediate predecessors, who were adroit from the three-point line. That absence was felt throughout the Class 4A bi-district game. Lanier missed three field-goal attempts in a row before 6-foot-4 freshman Isaiah Vargas (8 points, 7 rebounds) scored with .5 seconds on the clock.

By that point, the Rebels had finished making their last 12 foul shots.

“Lanier always plays with a lot of heart and is very physical,” Lucero said. “For us, we had to try to make each possession count. We tried to use our height and length inside, but they play so hard they sometimes negate it. We also wanted to keep their guards under control.”

Hays twice built six-point leads in the first half, but Lanier stayed in striking range.

The poised Rebels tied the score 40-40 as the third quarter ended. The Voks then surged ahead, scoring six of the next eight points with help from senior point guard Louis Garza’s jumper off the dribble and a three-pointer Carlos Gutierrez hit from the left wing.

Hays took a 48-45 lead, but sophomore Raul Solis (11 points) connected on his third 3-pointer and swished a 15-foot jumper for a two-point Voks advantage with 3:05 remaining.

“He did a great job,” Bernal said. “He kept us in the game. Raul made 3 threes and a couple inside shots. He was definitely valuable today. He played JV most of the season, but then we lost a couple of kids.”

The next 12 points belonged to Hays.

Hayden Cagle (9 points, 11 rebounds), a 6-8 post, tied it 50-50 with a pair of free throws. A rebound basket from 6-4 forward Heath Agnew put the Rebels ahead to stay. Stephen Ayala, Alec Mozee, Cagle and senior leader Jacob Rodriguez (12 points, 4 assists, 3 steals) each made two free throws down the stretch.

“We lost a tough game earlier this year to Boerne Champion,” Lucero said. “The guys learned from that loss and have done well in close games since then. Jacob is such a great leader and a great shooter. At the end of the game, we want him to have the ball.”

Adding to the Voks’ frustration in trying to buy their coach at least a few more days was the fact that they were missing close range shots they typically make.

“Overall, I felt the kids did a good job,” Bernal said. “They wanted to do well. We don’t have the scorers we had last year. I think they wanted to win so badly, they tried to do too much.

“But we still had an opportunity to win the game at the end.”

Lanier senior wing Ajax Reyes ended his career with 11 points and five assists.

“I’m proud of past years,” Reyes said, the sting of the loss still fresh. “This year really hurts. It’s my last year, and I wanted it to be my best year. I didn’t want it to end like this.”

The 5-4 Garza scored 10 to go with six rebounds and three steals. Classmate Rodrigo Garcia battled foul trouble to post five points and four steals.

“It has been amazing,” Reyes said of playing for Bernal. “He’s definitely the best coach I’ve ever been taught by. I really like him as a coach and a person.

“If I ever need anything, I know I can come back to him and he’ll be there for me.”

Bernal, who is retiring as a Lanier teacher at the end of the school year, plans to continue his coaching career at a private school. He stressed that he would not elect to coach at a school where he might be recruiting athletes who would otherwise play for the Voks.

“It has been a fun 31 years,” he said. “It’s difficult to end on a game like this but, unless you win a state championship, you’re going to go out on a loss.

“The kids put their hearts on the floor and played with a passion that not a lot of players possess.”

That’s precisely why opponents have feared Bernal-coached Lanier teams for more than three decades.