Month: January 2015

GIRLS BASKETBALL WEEKLY REPORT: Brooks Academy storms back into 26-3A playoff race

Southwest maintains first in 28-6A; Harlandale upends Brack

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Brackenridge, Brooks Academy, Burbank, Harlandale, Jefferson, McCollum, South San, Southwest.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Brooks-Academy-overcomes-rough-start-6046325.php

 

Brooks Academy (2-3 in district) had a rough introduction to District 26-3A this season, losing its first three games by a combined 88 points as the schedulemaker pitted the Bengals against the cream of the district crop.

However, Brooks Academy recovered nicely. The Bengals moved into playoff position, grabbing fourth place with back-to-back victories last week.

The Bengals defeated Natalia 67-56 Tuesday at Brooks. They put an exclamation point on the week with a 70-16 victory over Fox Tech (2-24, 0-5) Friday on the Buffaloes’ home court.

Three players accounted for the bulk of the Bengals’ points against Fox Tech. J. Castillo led Brooks with 21 points. Alyssa Quintanilla scored 20 and B. Santiago added 17.

Statistics from the Natalia game were unavailable.

Southwest 56, South San 43

The Dragons (18-8, 4-1) held its ground heading into this Friday’s prospective first-place showdown with Corpus Christi Carroll (23-4, 4-1).

Southwest defeated South San (11-16, 1-4), which was coming off a 73-68 win over Corpus Christi King Tuesday, in a district game Friday at South San. The Bobcats led 10-8 after the first quarter, but the Dragons had seized control 20-17 by halftime and outscored their hosts 26-13 in the third quarter.

Southwest was led by 23 points from junior Aaliyah Holmes. Alexandra Busby produced 11 points and Brianna Longoria scored eight.

For South San. Desiree Orta scored 11 points and Ariel Sosa had nine.

The Dragons also edged East Central (10-14, 2-3) 41-38 Tuesday at Southwest.

Southwest had to come back from a 32-25 third-quarter deficit to secure the win. The Dragons received 15 points from Holmes and 14 from Busby.

Freshman center Nalyssa Smith led the Hornets with 15 points. Brittany Rodgers scored 12.

Harlandale 56, Brackenridge 50

The Indians (14-14, 8-4) passed Brackenridge (12-17, 7-4) in the District 28-5A standings to take fourth place with a win Friday 23 in the Eagles’ gym. Harlandale moved into position with a 59-40 win over Jefferson (6-20, 3-9) Tuesday.

Senior Elizabeth Herrera led Harlandale with 16 points as the Indians avenged a first-round loss to Brack. Justyne Perez scored 14 points and Kayla Nunez had 12. Analissa Hernandez added eight.

Brackenridge junior Skyler Reyna scored 29 points.

Against Jefferson at Harlandale, the Indians Perez scored 20 points and collected five rebounds. Theresa Navarro made three 3-point shots for nine points. Fawzieh Saleh and Priscilla Gonzalez each grabbed six rebounds.

Junior Angela Hardcastle had a team-high 22 points for Jefferson. Cecilia Campos contributed eight points.

Southside 55, Laredo Nixon 48

The Cardinals (17-7, 8-1) wrapped up their second-consecutive playoff berth with a win over Laredo Nixon (15-10 ???, 6-3) in a District 29-5A game Friday at Southside.

Southside held a slim 33-31 halftime lead over Nixon but pulled away thereafter. Freshman Desirae Arocha led the Cardinals with 24 points. Mayra Sendejo scored 17.

The Cardinals defeated Somerset (7-17, 2-7) Tuesday at Southside. Southside led just 13-12 after a quarter, but had established a five-point lead by halftime. Arocha (18 points) and Sendejo (17) were the leading scorers. Freshman Klarissa Quintana added eight points.

Lanier 49, Jefferson 41

The Voks (17-11, 9-3) locked in third place with a pair of District 28-5A wins, defeating McCollum (2-19, 1-10) Tuesday at the Lanier and Jefferson Friday at Alamo Convocation Center.

Lanier led Jefferson 17-16 at the half, but outscored the Mustangs 20-13 in the third quarter. Destiny Garza led the Voks with 15 points. Ruby Garza scored 12 and Sabrina Cortinas 10.

Jefferson received 18 points from Hardcastle and eight from Phileen Perez.

The Voks had a narrow escape against an energized McCollum (2-20, 1-11). Lanier led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter, but McCollum battled to take a 28-27 halftime lead. The Cowboys led 42-37 through three quarters. Lanier pumped in 20 points in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Cortinas produced a team-high 23 points for the Voks. Ruby Garza chipped in 11 points. Sophomore Brandi Mojica scored eight points.

Freshmen Celeste Ramirez and Stephnie Esquivel each scored 12 points for McCollum. Miranda Rich aded 10 points.

Sam Houston 54, McCollum 29

The Hurricanes (14-7, 9-2) blitzed McCollum Friday in a District 28-5A game, after seizing a close win over Burbank (9-18, 2-9) Tuesday at location.

At McCollum, senior Jordyn Stewart led Sam Houston with 17 points and Monisha Jones had 15.

Senior Tiaria Mackey scored eight points.

E. Guerra scored nine points for McCollum.

The Hurricanes defeated Burbank at Lanier by outscoring the Bulldogs 18-8 in the final quarter. Burbank had a seemingly solid 33-26 lead through three quarters.

Freshman center Ashawntae Brown led Sam Houston with 18 points. Jones scored eight.

Senior Abigail Macias topped Burbank with 13 points. Jade Moore contributed 11 points and Antwanisha Riddle finished with eight.

BOYS BASKETBALL: Fifth-straight win catapults Brackenridge into third in 28-5A

Eagles suddenly winning by wide margins

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Brackenridge, Edison.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Brackenridge-now-winning-close-games-6046317.php

Earlier in the season, Brackenridge’s young team struggled to win close games. Lately, the Eagles have been avoiding them altogether.

Brackenridge (12-10, 6-4) claimed its fifth-consecutive District 28-5A.victory Friday at Harlandale. It finally was the nail-biting victory the Eagles had been working toward for so long. After winning the previous four by an average margin of 14.5 points, Brack edged the Indians (14-13, 3-7) 67-64.

“We stepped up and hit some big shots,” Brackenridge coach Joey Isaac said. “Our point guard (Isiah Saenz) handled the ball really well and hit a couple of shots. They’re beginning to believe they can win games, that’s the big difference. They believe in each other.”

Brackenridge also defeated Edison (9-16, 4-6) 58-41 Tuesday at Alamo Convocation Center to help the Eagles ascend to third place in 28-5A. The sixth-place Golden Bears had won their first meeting 55-54 in overtime Dec. 9.

Both teams have surged in the district race since.

“We just had to start playing as a team,” Brackenridge junior post Richard Wallace said. “We’re doing everything better now. We’re focused on our goals and we’ve stepped it up a notch.”

The Golden Bears rebounded to defeat Highlands (9-15, 4-5) 58-51 Friday at Alamo Convocation Center. It was their second win in three games after losing their previous four, as Edison hopes to move into playoff position.

“Most of the teams I’ve had the past few years have finished (the district) strong,” Edison coach Art Vela said. “It’s a dogfight in our district. If we’d scored seven or eight more points, we’d have two or three more wins.”

Edison scored the first six points against Brackenridge, four by senior Lorenzo Vela (the coach’s son). The Eagles tied it with five uninterrupted points from Saenz (12 points, 3 assists), including a three-point basket. The sophomore also added another three-pointer to what became a 15-1 run.

Brackenridge never trailed after the rally.

“In this four-game winning streak,” Isaac said after the Edison game, “We haven’t gotten down on ourselves. We just keep playing together. It has been a total team effort.”

With Brack ahead 16-11 and 5:55 left until halftime, Edison ran off seven unanswered points. Senior post Joseph Ortiz contributed a pair of free throws and a layup off an assist from Jared Zapata.

The Eagles responded once again, with a rebound basket from junior Richard Wallace (15 points, 11 rebounds) and a pull-up jumper from Saenz.

The inside combination of Wallace and Jalen Davis (11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocked shots) proved difficult for Edison to cope with.

“I guess having more experience on varsity, I should be able to lead the team, and I’m able to,” said Wallace, a second-year starter. “Jalen is a really big help. At the beginning of the season, he was a little bit rusty from football. Now, he’s fitting in well.”

A three-pointer from Nathan Avila and a short jumper from Ortiz brought Edison within 30-26 early in the third quarter. The Eagles finished the quarter with a 6-2 spurt, highlighted by a Jonathan King three-pointer, and the Golden Bears couldn’t mount another challenge, despite 11 fourth-quarter points from Lorenzo Vela (18 points).

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Salinas returns to lift Holy Cross into third place

Defense, rebounding carry Knights

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Holy Cross.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Holy-Cross-injured-guard-sparks-victory-on-6046302.php

A week before Holy Cross’ game against San Antonio Christian Saturday, Knights point guard Brianna Sallinas left the same gym in a stretcher.

Salinas was taken to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital after colliding with the Holy Cross gym wall. The junior had been pushed by a Corpus Christi John Paul II defender who tried to foul her after making a steal and going in for a layup.

Her return for the San Antonio Christian game was nothing short of triumphant. Salinas scored eight points and sparked the Knights’ defense to a 39-34 victory that enabled Holy Cross (15-10, 7-3) to vault past the Lions into third place in TAPPS District 4-4A.

“I was really nervous,” Salinas said. “It was my first game back.”

In fact, Salinas hadn’t been able to practice in the week following the accident, so she had to miss the Knights’ 40-32 win over Cornerstone Christian Tuesday. She said she had been experiencing back spasms.

“I didn’t know how long she’d be able to (play),” Holy Cross coach Jesse Arguello confessed, “but she looked like her old self to me.”

San Antonio Christian (21-7, 6-4) established a slim 11-9 first-quarter lead. The Knights had to overcome turnovers and cold shooting in first and last quarters to claim their fourth-straight district win since losing Jan. 9 to first-place Victoria St. Joseph.

“It was definitely a defensive struggle,” San Antonio Christian coach Brian Hannas said. “There was a lot of intensity and it was sort of a playoff atmosphere. It was good for our young girls to grow up.”

The Lions, who defeated the Knights 50-39 Dec. 9, have four freshman and two sophomores on their roster. Their leading scorer, Caroline Carruth (10 points, 8 rebounds) fouled out on a disputed call little more than two minutes into the second half with Holy Cross leading 27-22.

“We played defense much better (than Dec. 9),” Arguello said. “We didn’t give away layups. This was our best rebounding game ever. We definitely took a big step. And it helped having our point guard scoring. She only had one point against them last time.”

Holy Cross senior Hayley Andrade (11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) nailed a three-point shot to tie the score 18-18 with 2:58 left, beginning a 9-4 spurt until Carruth’s dismissal. Salinas (6 points, 4 steals), who said she was trying to avoid contact, followed with a steal and assist to volleyball all-stater Victoria Gonzalez (8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) for a layup.

The teams combined to score just nine points in the fourth quarter.

Camryn Hannas, the Lions coach’s daughter, hit a three-pointer that brought San Antonio Christian within 36-33 with 3:15 remaining. The Lions’ Haley Hodges added a free throw, but the visitors came no closer. Andrade sank two free throws and Salinas made one in the final minute to seal the win.

Holy Cross senior Megan Hernandez supplied 10 points eight rebounds.

“It just came down to free throws,” Salinas said. “We rushed a lot of things on offense, but I think we did play hard on defense.”

BOYS BASKETBALL: Area rankings (thru Jan. 28)

Through January 28

 

TOP 15:

 

Rank-Team-Last Week

1. South San – 1

2. Lanier – 2

3. East Central – 3

4. Burbank – 5

5. Sam Houston – 4

6. Central Catholic – 7

7. Brackenridge – 6

8. McCollum – 8

9. Southwest – 10

10. Harlandale – 9

11. Edison – 12

12. Highlands – 11

13. Kennedy – 13

14. Memorial – 14

15. Jefferson – 15

 

NR = not ranked

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Area rankings (thru Jan. 28)

Through January 28

 

TOP 15:

 

Rank-Team-Last Week

1. Highlands – 1

2. Southwest – 2

3. Southside – 3

4. Sam Houston – 5

5. East Central – 4

6. Lanier – 8

7. Brackenridge – 7

8. Harlandale – 10

9. South San – 6

10. Holy Cross – 9

11. Kennedy – 11

12. Young Women’s Leadership Academy – 12

13. Burbank – 13

14. Jefferson – 14

15. Edison – 15

 

NR = not ranked

BOYS BASKETBALL: Area playoff picture (thru Jan. 31)

Boys basketball playoff picture

These are the area teams that have a chance to qualify for the playoffs (in alphabetical order):

Through Jan. 31

ALREADY QUALIFIED: Lanier (19-11, 12-0).

LIKELY QUALIFIERS: Brackenridge (12-12, 6-6), Burbank (21-7, 8-3), Central Catholic (18-14, 2-1), East Central (15-11, 3-2), Fox Tech (12-15 ???, 2-3), Sam Houston (9-12, 7-5), South San (20-6, 3-2).

POSSIBLE QUALIFIERS: Edison (10-16, 5-6), Harlandale (14-15, 3-9), Highlands (10-16, 5-6), Holy Cross (8-21, 3-7), McCollum (13-13, 5-6), Southside (9-15 ???, 4-5), Southwest (12-12, 1-4).

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Area playoff picture (thru Jan. 31)

Girls basketball playoff picture

These are the area teams that have a chance to qualify for the playoffs (in alphabetical order):

Through Jan. 31

ALREADY QUALIFIED: Highlands (22-9, 12-0), Sam Houston (16-7 ???, 11-2), Southside (18-7, 9-1).

LIKELY QUALIFIERS: Brooks Academy (6-11 ???, 2-5), East Central (13-14, 3-4), Harlandale (15-15, 9-5), Holy Cross (15-11, 7-4), Lanier (18-12, 10-4), Southwest (20-9, 5-2).

POSSIBLE QUALIFIERS: Brackenridge (12-19, 7-6), South San (11-18, 1-6).

BOYS BASKETBALL: This week’s results (thru Jan. 31)

NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface

Games of Jan. 25-31

Monday’s games

No games scheduled

Tuesday’s games

District 28-6A

Southwest (12-11, 1-3) 59, Corpus Christi Ray (10-15, 0-4) 39

Corpus Christi Carroll (19-4, 4-0) 58, South San (19-6, 2-2) 47

East Central (15-10, 3-1) 100, Corpus Christi King (16-10, 2-2) 86

District 27-5A

Boerne Champion (13-14 ???, 4-7) 52, Kennedy (8-18, 1-9) 37

Kerrville Tivy (20-8, 7-3) 65, Lockhart (12-14 ???, 4-7) 51

Floresville (19-10, 8-3) 80, San Marcos (13-14 ???, 7-4) 65

Alamo Heights (17-6, 9-2) 61, Seguin (12-14 ???, 8-3) 50

District 28-5A

Burbank (20-7, 7-3) 57, McCollum (13-13, 5-6) 36

Highlands (10-15, 5-5) 59, Harlandale (14-14, 3-8) 48

Sam Houston (8-12, 6-5) 75, Jefferson (8-16, 1-10) 54

Lanier (18-11, 11-0) 69, Brackenridge (12-11, 6-5) 67

District 29-5A

Laredo Martin (10-9 ???, 6-2) 81, Laredo Cigarroa (11-8 ???, 4-4) 66

Laredo Nixon (18-8 ???, 8-0) 91, Eagle Pass Winn (4-17 ???, 1-7) 40

Somerset (15-9, 5-3) 53, Medina Valley (11-14 ???, 2-6) 45

Southside (9-14 ???, 4-4) 59, Uvalde (9-15 ??, 2-6) 46

District 26-3A

Cole (12-7 ???, 2-2) 51, Brooks Academy (0-8 ???, 0-4) 43

Marion (17-5, 3-1) 82, Fox Tech (12-14 ???, 2-2) 47

Randolph (20-2, 4-0) 55, Natalia (6-5 ???, 1-3) 34

TAPPS 4-4A

Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (10-17, 3-7) 59, Holy Cross (8-21, 3-7) 48

TMI (21-14, 9-1) 68, Cornerstone Christian (13-11 ???, 4-5) 46

Corpus Christi John Paul II (13-10, 6-2) at Laredo St. Augustine (9-19, 3-6) (canceled)

Non-district

Central Catholic (17-14) 54, Austin St. Andrew’s (13-12 ???) 44

Wednesday’s games

No games scheduled

Thursday’s games

No games scheduled

Friday’s games

District 28-6A

South San (20-6, 3-2) 67, East Central (15-11, 3-2) 59

Corpus Christi Carroll (21-4, 5-0) 67, Southwest (12-12, 1-4) 44

Corpus Christi King (17-10, 3-2) 69, Corpus Christi Ray (10-16, 0-5) 57

District 27-5A

Alamo Heights (18-6, 10-2) 64, Memorial (7-21, 0-11) 30

Kerrville Tivy (21-8, 8-3) 48, San Marcos (13-15 ???, 7-5) 45

Lockhart (13-14 ???, 5-7) 62, Kennedy (8-19, 1-10) 52

Floresville (20-10, 9-3) 83, Seguin (12-15 ???, 8-4) 76

District 28-5A

Edison (10-16, 5-6) 47, Harlandale (14-15, 3-9) 39

Lanier (19-11, 12-0) 67, Highlands (10-16, 5-6) 47

Sam Houston (9-12, 7-5) 69, Brackenridge (12-12, 6-6) 61

Burbank (21-7, 8-3) 69, Jefferson (8-17, 1-11) 54

District 29-5A

Laredo Cigarroa (12-8 ???, 5-4) 58, Uvalde (9-16 ??, 2-7) 52

Laredo Martin (11-9 ???, 7-2) 69, Southside (9-15 ???, 4-5) 46

Eagle Pass Winn (5-17 ???, 2-7) 40, Medina Valley (11-15 ???, 2-7) 39 (OT)

Laredo Nixon (19-8 ???, 9-0) 77, Somerset (15-10, 5-4) 63

District 26-3A

Cole (13-7 ???, 3-2) 69, Fox Tech (12-15 ???, 2-3) 51

Randolph (21-2, 5-0) 58, Brooks Academy (0-9 ???, 0-5) 31

Marion (18-5, 4-1) 85, Natalia (6-6 ???, 1-4) 38

TAPPS 2-5A

Antonian (24-8, 3-0) 75, St. Anthony (5-12 ???, 0-3) 54

TAPPS 4-4A

San Antonio Christian (29-5, 10-0) 78, Laredo St. Augustine (9-20, 3-7) 42

Saturday’s games

TAPPS 2-5A

Central Catholic (18-14, 2-1) 73, Brownsville St. Joseph (15-8 ???, 1-2) 47

TAPPS 4-4A

TMI (22-14, 10-1) 59, Corpus Christi John Paul II (13-11, 6-3) 53

Cornerstone Christian (14-11 ???, 5-5) 59, Victoria St. Joseph (6-15, 0-9) 56

GIRLS BASKETBALL: This week’s results (thru Jan. 31)

NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface

Games of Jan. 25-31

Monday’s games

No games scheduled

Tuesday’s games

District 28-6A

Corpus Christi Carroll (24-4, 5-1) 76, South San (11-17, 1-5) 22

Corpus Christi King (9-21, 2-4) 55, East Central (12-14, 2-4) 50

Southwest (20-8, 5-1) 53, Corpus Christi Ray (20-8, 3-3) 49

District 27-5A

Alamo Heights (13-9 ???, 7-6) 42, Seguin (12-16, 5-7) 39

San Marcos (25-6, 11-1) 59, Floresville (13-14, 8-5) 44

Kerrville Tivy (23-4, 11-0) 64, Lockhart (4-18 ???, 1-10 ???) 21

Boerne Champion (17-11 ???, 8-5) 51, Kennedy (7-18 ???, 2-9 ???) 29

District 28-5A

Sam Houston (15-7 ???, 10-2) 74, Jefferson (6-21, 3-10) 50

Lanier (18-11, 10-3) 56, Brackenridge (12-18, 7-5) 46

Highlands (22-9, 12-0) 70, Harlandale (14-15, 8-5) 33

Burbank (10-18, 3-9) 39, McCollum (2-21, 1-12) 28

District 29-5A

Laredo Nixon (16-10 ???, 7-3) 79, Eagle Pass Winn (0-12 ???, 0-9 ???) 15

Laredo Cigarroa (28-4, 10-0) 45, Laredo Martin (8-14 ???, 5-5) 41

Somerset (8-17, 3-7) 54, Medina Valley (9-18, 3-7) 45

Southside (18-7, 9-1) 68, Uvalde (3-24 ???, 1-8 ???) 42

District 26-3A

Cole (26-2, 6-0) 67, Brooks Academy (4-7 ???, 2-4) 13

Marion (17-10, 5-1) 95, Fox Tech (2-25 ???, 0-6) 7

Randolph (9-13 ???, 4-2) 41, Natalia (10-13, 1-5) 22

TAPPS 4-4A

Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (20-9, 10-1) 48, Holy Cross (15-11, 7-4) 22

Cornerstone Christian (12-12 ???, 6-5) 51, TMI (4-19 ???, 1-10) 37

Victoria St. Joseph (28-5, 11-0) 94, Providence (1-27, 0-10) 13

Corpus Christi John Paul II (6-19, 5-7) 46, Laredo St. Augustine (11-15 ???, 3-9) 28

Non-district

Young Women’s Leadership Academy (21-11) 67, Austin Hyde Park Baptist (1-8 ???) 38

Wednesday’s games

No games scheduled

Thursday’s games

No games scheduled

Friday’s games

District 28-6A

Corpus Christi Ray (21-8, 4-3) 71, Corpus Christi King (9-22, 2-5) 55

Corpus Christi Carroll (25-4, 6-1) 55, Southwest (20-9, 5-2) 42

East Central (13-14, 3-4) 46, South San (11-18, 1-6) 35

District 27-5A

Alamo Heights (14-9 ???, 8-6) 52, Memorial (1-24 ???, 0-11 ???) 17

Kennedy (8-18 ???, 3-9 ???) 36, Lockhart (4-19 ???, 1-11 ???) 30

San Marcos (26-6, 12-1) 54, Kerrville Tivy (23-5 ???, 11-1) 48

Floresville (14-14, 9-5) 53, Seguin (12-17, 5-8) 37

District 28-5A

Burbank (11-18, 4-9) 62, Jefferson (6-22, 3-11) 41

Highlands (23-9, 13-0) 59, Lanier (18-12, 10-4) 47

Harlandale (15-15, 9-5) 38, Edison (7-22, 2-11) 36

Sam Houston (16-7 ???, 11-2) 51, Brackenridge (12-19, 7-6) 38

District 29-5A

Medina Valley (10-18, 4-7) 69, Eagle Pass Winn (0-13 ???, 0-10 ???) 25

Laredo Nixon (17-10 ???, 8-3) 52, Somerset (8-18, 3-8) 44

Southside (19-7, 10-1) 60, Laredo Martin (8-15 ???, 5-6) 55

Laredo Cigarroa (29-4, 11-0) 82, Uvalde (3-25 ???, 1-9 ???) 19

District 26-3A

Cole (27-2, 7-0) 81, Fox Tech (2-26 ???, 0-7) 11

Marion (18-10, 6-1) 80, Natalia (10-14, 1-6) 27

Randolph (10-13 ???, 5-2) 45, Brooks Academy (4-8 ???, 2-5) 38

TAPPS 4-4A

Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (21-9, 11-1) 57, Providence (1-28, 0-11) 7

Saturday’s games

TAPPS 4-4A

Corpus Christi John Paul II (7-19, 6-7) 48, TMI (4-20 ???, 1-11) 24

San Antonio Christian (22-7, 7-4) 49, Laredo St. Augustine (11-15 ???, 3-9) 35

Victoria St. Joseph (29-5, 12-0) 83, Cornerstone Christian (12-13 ???, 6-6) 19

GIRLS BASKETBALL WEEKLY REPORT (Jan. 11-17): Rockets, Manzanares kick Mules

Harlandale hangs in 28-5A race with two wins

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Brackenridge, Burbank, Edison, Harlandale, Holy Cross, Jefferson, Kennedy, McCollum, Providence, Southside.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Lamkin-s-legacy-spurs-Hurricanes-to-win-6030780.php

Kennedy (7-16, 2-7) sprung the biggest upset so far in District 27-5A Tuesday, defeating Alamo Heights (12-7, 6-4) 36-28 at Kennedy

Alamo Heights took charge early, grabbing a 7-2 lead over the Rockets in the first quarter. Kennedy surpassed the the Mules in the second quarter and claimed an 18-13 halftime lead. The Rockets cemented their lead by outscoring Alamo Heights 11-6 in the third quarter.

Rockets guard Esmeralda Manzanares scored a game-high 15 points. Cameron Orta chipped in nine points. Kira Domagalski scored seven.

District-leading Kerrville Tivy (21-4, 9-0) defeated Kennedy 58-34 Friday in the Antlers’ gym. Statistics from the game were unavailable.

Harlandale 42, McCollum 28

The fifth-place Indians (12-14, 6-4) fortified their District 28-5A playoff hopes with a pair of wins, including a 14-point victory over rival McCollum (2-18, 1-9) Jan. 16 at Harlandale.

Harlandale’s Kayla Nunez scored 10 points. Justyne Perez scored seven points, grabbed six rebounds and made five steals. Senior Elizabeth Herrera had a team-high seven rebounds and Fawzieh Saleh snared six.

Stephanie Esquivel led McCollum with eight points.

Harlandale also defeated Burbank (9-17, 2-8) 49-42 Jan. 13 in the Bulldogs’ gym.

Perez led Harlandale with 14 points and four assists. Saleh collected a team-high 10 rebounds. Teresa Navarro scored nine points and Nunez added eight. Herrera (8 points) and Kristy Ricondo each corralled eight rebounds.

Cory Sepulveda and Abigail Macias each scored 10 points for Burbank.

McCollum edged Edison 43-42 Jan. 13 for its first district victory.

Esquivel produced 19 points for the Cowboys and Miranda Rich scored nine.

Holy Cross 68, Providence 12

The Knights (13-10, 5-3) blitzed TAPPS District 4-4A rival Providence (1-24, 0-8) Tuesday at Holy Cross. Holy Cross also defeated Corpus Christi John Paul II (11-11, 5-4) at home Saturday in another district game.

Holy Cross opened a 19-2 lead in the first quarter against Providence. Junior Brianna Salinas led the Knights with 19 points. Hayley Andrade supplied 15 points, Bryanna Solis added 12 and Megan Hernandez had nine.

Junior Kasey Day led the Provets with five points.

Against Corpus Christi John Paul II, Andrade and Salinas were the Knights’ top scorers with 23 and 19 points, respectively. Junior Victoria Gonzalez scored eight.

Cornerstone Christian (11-11, 5-4) won 37-13 Friday at Providence. Day scored a team-high seven points for Providence.

Southside 71, Eagle Pass Winn 22

The Cardinals (15-7, 6-1) crushed Eagle Pass Winn in District 29-5A game Friday at Southside. It was Southside’s second district win of the week. The Cardinals also won 56-45 Tuesday at Medina Valley (8-16, 2-5).

Southside built a 25-3 lead in the first quarter and led 44-6 at the half. Substitutes Riquee Vasquez and Savannah Guzman were the Cardinals’ top scorers with 13 points each.

Against Medina Valley, Southside received 23 points from Mayra Sendejo and 17 from Desirae Arocha. The Cardinals ran to a 20-4 lead in the first quarter, but the Panthers were within seven points after three quarters. Southside outscored Medina Valley 13-9 in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Highlands 51, Brackenridge 29

The Owls (20-9, 10-0) kept rolling along with two more large-margin wins in District 28-5A games at Lanier last week.

Highlands downed Brackenridge (10-16, 5-3) 51-29 Friday. The Owls manufactured a surprising 21-9 halftime lead and never looked back.

Point guard Kiara Pesina was the Owls’ leading scorer with 18 points. Jazmine Jackson produced 14 points and Aaliyah Prince added 13.

Junior Skyler Reyna was the Eagles’ only double-figure point producer with 15.

The Owls overwhelmed Jefferson (5-18, 2-7) 79-35 Tuesday behind a 25 point outburst from Prince. Senior Emily Pearce (13 points), Pesina (13 points) and Jackson (11 points) all scored in double figures.

Junior guard Phileen Perez led the Mustangs with 11 points.

BOYS BASKETBALL WEEKLY REPORT (Jan. 11-17): Fox Tech opens 26-3A with statement win

South San shines in 28-6A opener; Edison snaps streak

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Edison, Fox Tech, Jefferson, McCollum, South San, Southside.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Memorial-misses-first-win-but-coach-sees-6025720.php

Fox Tech (11-10, 1-0) pulled out two close games last week, including their District 26-3A opener against Natalia 68-62 Friday.

The Buffaloes were tied with Natalia with 2:45 remaining, but spurted ahead and held its ground down the stretch. Fox Tech ended the first quarter with a 25-6 lead over the Mustangs. Natalia caught up by outscoring the Buffaloes 39-27 in the next two quarters.

Individual statistics for Fox Tech were unavailable.

Against Lytle (1-16) Tuesday, the Buffaloes prevailed 48-40 in their last non-district game.

They trailed 20-17 at halftime but took control in the third quarter at Fox Tech. Fox Tech had a 36-29 cushion entering the fourth quarter.

Senior Nick Buys led Fox Tech with 16 points, nine steals, seven assists and four blocked shots. Roger McCracken scored seven points. Ruben Chapa led the Buffaloes with nine rebounds and Bryan McCreless collected six.

South San 45, Corpus Christi Ray 43

The Bobcats (18-4, 1-0) also won their district opener, edging Corpus Christi Ray (10-12, 0-1) Tuesday at Corpus Christi.

Ray finished the first quarter of the District 28-6A game with a 14-8 lead, but South San forged ahead 24-23 by the half. The score was tied 30-30 through three quarters.

Junior Curtis Allen led South San with 19 points. Olando Lopez accounted for seven points.

Edison 61, Jefferson 46

The Golden Bears (8-15, 3-5) lost a 53-49 heartbreaker to McCollum Tuesday, but rebounded nicely with a commanding District 28-5A win Friday over Jefferson (8-13, 1-7) at Lanier. The win ended a four-game losing streak for Edison.

Lorenzo Vela led the Edison with 26 points, four rebounds and four assists. Senior post Joseph Ortiz produced 16 points, six rebounds and two steals. Jared Zapata added 10 points, six rebounds and three steals.

For the Mustangs, Dominick Perez scored 14 points. Noah Soto contributed 14 points and had nine.

Against McCollum at Alamo Convocation Center, Senior Angelo Leyvani led the Golden Bears with 24 points, making eight of 11 shots from three-point territory. Eduardo Esquivel contributed four assists and three steals. Vela collected three assists and Andrew Rodriguez made three steals.

Roger Martinez led McCollum with 13 points and Danny Lerma chipped in 10.

Southside 71, Medina Valley 59

The Cardinals (7-12, 2-2) identified themselves as a possible playoff contender in District 29-5A with a win over Medina Valley (10-11, 1-3) Tuesday at Southside.

Southside was led by Eric Rios with 17 points. Alex Rangel fired in 14 points. Manny Martinez scored nine points. The Cardinals outscored the Panthers 26-9 in the fourth quarter

The Cardinals, however, were upset 53-48 Friday at Eagle Pass Winn (1-4 in district). The Mavericks led 27-22 at halftime. Football standout Matt Collier led Southside with nine points. Martinez finished with eight points.

BOYS BASKETBALL: Area rankings (thru Jan. 21)

Through January 21

 

TOP 15:

 

Rank-Team-Last Week

1. South San – 1

2. Lanier – 3

3. East Central – 2

4. Sam Houston – 5

5. Burbank – 4

6. Brackenridge – 7

7. Central Catholic – 6

8. McCollum – 11

9. Harlandale – 10

10. Southwest – 8

11. Highlands – 9

12. Edison – 12

13. Kennedy – 14

14. Memorial – 15

15. Jefferson – 13

 

NR = not ranked

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Area rankings (thru Jan. 21)

Through January 21

 

TOP 15:

 

Rank-Team-Last Week

1. Highlands – 2

2. Southwest – 1

3. Southside – 3

4. East Central – 4

5. Sam Houston – 7

6. South San – 6

7. Brackenridge – 5

8. Lanier – 8

9. Holy Cross – 9

10. Harlandale – 11

11. Kennedy – 10

12. Young Women’s Leadership Academy – 12

13. Burbank – 13

14. Jefferson – 15

15. Edison – 14

 

NR = not ranked

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Lamkin’s team carries on her legacy

Sam Houston holds off Lanier

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Lanier, Sam Houston.

PLEASE RETURN TO THIS STORY TUESDAY FOR A LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Lamkin-s-legacy-spurs-Hurricanes-to-win-6030780.php

Those acquainted with late Sam Houston girls basketball coach Milyse Lamkin knew her as a fighter.

Lamkin died of cancer in August after a years-long battle. The players she had intended to coach this season have done their best to carry on that fighting spirit, and that desire carried them to a 58-53 triumph over Lanier Jan. 13 at the Alamo Convocation Center.

“It’s kind of hard, but we always keep fighting,” said Sam Houston senior forward Monisha Jones, who was playing with an ankle sprain. “We don’t put heads down.”

The Hurricanes (12-7, 7-2) rode a 10-2 fourth-quarter spurt to victory against Lanier (15-11, 7-3) in a battle for second place in 28-5A. The Voks remained in the hunt by winning a close game Jan. 16, defeating Burbank (9-17, 2-8) 53-51.

Against Sam Houston, Lanier closed within 52-49 at the Alamo Convocation Center on a three-point possession with 1:20 remaining. Amanda Reyes made one of two free throws. Voks senior Destiny Garza rebounded the missed foul shot and passed to junior Ruby Garza (23 points)

The Voks then had a chance to tie the game when Brandi Mojica launched a three-point shot from the corner.

“I thought it was going in,” Lanier coach Laura Negrete-Fernandez admitted. “As much as they got ahead, if we would have made a few more free throws it would have helped.”

Lanier began the game scoring in increments of three, whether on three-point baskets or three-point plays.

A three-pointer from Ruby Garza supplied an 11-6 lead with 1:37 left in the first quarter.

“That was really our goal,” Negrete-Fernandez said. “We couldn’t match their height or athleticism. We’re an inside-oriented team, but we couldn’t play that way today.

“We hit a couple of threes and made some free throws. We just didn’t get enough.”

The teams traded baskets before the first quarter ended. Then Sam Houston turned up its intensity.

The Hurricanes scored the first six points in the second quarter, with five from 5-foot-10 senior Jordyn Stewart (19 points, 15 rebounds, 4 steals) and a free throw from 6-2 freshman Ashawnte Brown (8 points, 10 rebounds). The pair combined with Jones (19 points, 10 rebounds) to help Sam Houston outrebound Lanier 45-14.

“That’s our strength, and we do try to play to our strengths,” said Hurricanes coach Marchae Keno, a 2005 Sam Houston graduate who was an assistant to Lamkin last year.

“Inside play is our strength, and it opens up other things.”

On the foundation of its inside game, Sam Houston outscored Lanier 23-6 in the second quarter and ked the rest of the way.

After the missed shot from Mojica, Ruby Garza split two free throws and cut Lanier’s deficit to 54-52 with 39.8 seconds left. Before another second ticked off, the Hurricanes hustled the ball upcourt and Stewart made two free throws. Sam Houston point guard Kori Dittiumus fed Jones for a layup that secured the win with 22.8 seconds on the clock.

“I just feel like my team has to fight for everything,” Jones said. “We have (injured players) who were not with us today. I’m going to get out there and fight for my team.”

Sam Houston’s boys and girls teams each wear warm-up shirts with this phrase on the back: Long Live Lamkin.

“It has definitely been a challenge,” Keno said, “but we’re trying to keep her name alive. We use it as motivation. She gave so much to the community. I just want to keep supporting her legacy.”

Lanier slid past Burbank behind 21 points from junior post Sabrina Cortinas, who battled foul trouble against the Hurricanes. Ruby Garza and Destiny Garza each scored 13 points.

“It’s a good mix of girls,” Negrete-Fernandez said after the Sam Houston game. “You just can’t give two quarters to a team and win. You have to play four quarters of basketball every game.”

Abigail Macias and Olivia Cardenas led Burbank with eight points apiece.

BOYS BASKETBALL: McCollum learning to win the tight games

Cowboys prevail, Harlandale’s last shot off the mark

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Harlandale, McCollum.

PLEASE RETURN TO THIS STORY TUESDAY FOR A LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/District-28-5A-draws-intense-competition-6030807.php

 

Adding Harlandale, McCollum and Sam Houston to an already potent basketball district has created a minefield of trials and tribulations.

Of the 20 games played between Jan. 3 and Jan. 16 in District 28-5A, 12 were decided by five points or fewer. McCollum’s 52-50 win over rival Harlandale on its home floor was the Cowboys’ second-consecutive contribution to that 60 percent figure.

The Cowboys (12-11, 4-4) won their third-straight game in the series.

McCollum also edged Edison (8-15, 3-5) 53-49 Jan. 13 at Alamo Convocation Center. The wins forged a four-way tie for third-place with Brackenridge, Highlands and Sam Houston midway through the 28-5A season.

“All these games, for the most part, are coming down to the wire,” McCollum coach Marcus Alvarado said. “From a competition standpoint, it makes it intense. You have to work and scrap down to the last minute, then you’ve just got to pull it out.”

Eighth-place Harlandale (12-12, 2-6) came into the game riding high after upsetting Burbank (19-6, 6-2) 75-69 on Jan. 13. The Bulldogs were undefeated in 28-5A and shared first place with Lanier at the time.

Although that outcome wasn’t among the 60 percent, it was one of the 13 games (65 percent) that were decided by 10 points or fewer in the same span.

“I’ve been coaching 20 years and I’ve never seen a more-balanced district,” Harlandale coach Chris Adamek said. “They say this about the NBA. It’s a make or miss league.”

The saying refers to games coming down to the final shot.

Harlandale’s Ryan Blanquiz (13 points) couldn’t find the range on a three-point try from the right corner with two seconds on the clock Jan. 16 at McCollum. Blanquiz had tied the score 50-50 by converting a three-point play with 33 seconds remaining.

Cowboys senior Danny Lerma recorded the winning basket on a driving layup with 13 seconds left.

“I saw a new guy was on me,” Lerma said. “Whenever I got the ball, I was going to look to score. The ball just fell. I was going to look to score no matter what.”

Lerma had made two important free throws after teammate Angel Loera took a charge in the waning seconds against Edison.

“When Angel took the charge, it lifted us up,” Lerma said. “I had to make the free throws we needed for the win.”

Alvarado said that win helped pave the way for the win over Harlandale. Like the Indians, the Cowboys have a somewhat young team and needed the experience only close games can provide, he said.

“With these young guys, it creates intensity,” Alvarado said. “It carries over. You’re basically playing playoff basketball every night.”

When Harlandale and McCollum share a court, the desire to defeat a rival adds another dimension.

The Indians led 14-8 after a quarter and 25-22 at halftime. McCollum gained a 31-27 lead with 6:33 left in the third quarter by making back-to-back 3-point shots.

“At halftime, we were struggling,” Lerma said. “Then we made some shots. We just kept our heads up and kept fighting. We knew they were going to come after us.”

Harlandale changed its defense in the fourth quarter and forced three consecutive turnovers with about five minutes remaining in the game. A basket from senior post Ram Torres brought Harlandale within 43-40.

The Indians took a 47-46 lead on two free throws from Blanquiz with 2:49 to play. Cowboys senior guard Nate Aguero (13 points) stole the ball and sank two free throws for a 50-47 lead at the 1:59 mark.

“We still have eight games left,” Adamek said. “We’ve got the whole second half to play. It’s far from over.”

For Alvarado, the win was his first over Harlandale as coach at his alma mater.

“I almost feel like a young man playing Harlandale for the first time,” he said. “It’s been a rivalry since Day 1. I have the utmost respect for Chris and the Harlandale Indians.”

 

LAST 12 HARLANDALE-McCOLLUM GAMES

 

McCollum 7 wins, Harlandale 5 wins

 

Date                       Harlandale      McCollum        Location

Jan. 16, 2015               50                    52              McCollum

Feb. 11, 2014               65                    67              McCollum

Jan. 17, 2014               68                    75              Harlandale

Feb. 12, 2013               60                    39              Harlandale

Jan. 18, 2013               62                    32              McCollum

Feb. 14, 2012               60                    62              McCollum

Jan. 20, 2012               44                    48               Harlandale

Dec. 3, 2011                67                    60               South San

Feb. 15, 2011              65                     74               Harlandale

Jan. 21, 2011              61                     75               McCollum

Feb. 16, 2010              66                     46               McCollum

Jan. 22, 2010              62                     53                Harlandale

BOYS BASKETBALL: Memorial seems to be closing in on first 27-5A win

Minutemen took Champion and San Marcos to the wire

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Memorial.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Memorial-misses-first-win-but-coach-sees-6025720.php

 

Its first District 27-5A victory continues to elude Memorial, but the Minutemen remained right on the cusp of it.

Memorial (7-18, 0-8) lost its last three games in the district by a combined total of just 19 points. That includes an 11-point loss to rival Kennedy Jan. 9 that was closer than the score indicated.

At Edgewood Gym Jan. 16, the Minutemen took a 64-59 lead into the fourth quarter against San Marcos (12-12, 6-2). The Rattlers, who share second place in 27-5A, averted the upset with a 92-87 win.

In the loss, Minutemen senior guard Bryan Obregon scored 34 points and San Marcos’ Steven Price finished with 36.

“It was frustrating,” Memorial coach Jon Sanchez said, “but we played better than we’d been playing in the past, especially (against San Marcos). Bryan had one of his best games. They just shot the ball better than we did.”

Memorial was even closer to victory Jan. 13 against Boerne Champion (11-11, 3-4). The Chargers hit a three-point basket as time expired for a 54-51 win after the Minutemen tied it 15 seconds from the end.

“The kid caught it with two seconds on the clock,” Sanchez said. “It came down to that they hit the shots they needed to, and we didn’t.”

Despite the disappointments, Memorial and Kennedy (7-16, 1-7) – which lost a 61-60 heartbreaker to perennial powerhouse Alamo Heights in overtime Jan. 13 – have shown they can be competitive in the tough district. The football teams representing the Edgewood ISD schools proved to be overmatched.

“Our defense is playing really well,” Sanchez said. “That’s what has kept us in games.”

Against San Marcos, the Minutemen missed an open three-point shot from the right corner after the Rattlers had taken the lead. San Marcos made it a five-point final margin by making its free throws.

“Our guards can get by people,” Sanchez said. “We don’t have enough people who can finish. The exception is (Gabriel) McGarity.”

Obregon is capable of making long-distance shots regularly, but that phase of his game wasn’t working against San Marcos. So, the point guard compensated.

“He played an all-around game,” Sanchez said. “He was getting shots, and he’s our best rebounding guard. He does a lot of little things. He was getting to the rim, but he wasn’t hitting a lot of threes. He only had two or three, but he was getting a lot of layups and ‘and-ones.’ ”

McGarity, a sophomore, contributed 16 points. Jordan Portillo scored 10. C.J. Hernandez and Alfred Ramos, a three-year starting quarterback in football, added eight points apiece.

“McGarity has done a good job of making our defense better,” Sanchez said. “He’s getting better.”

On the heels of the loss to Kennedy, Memorial regrouped to stay close to Boerne Champion throughout. The Rockets contained Memorial’s offensive efforts by limiting fast-break opportunities and utilizing a 2-3 zone defense.

“They were just trying too hard and I was on them too hard,” Sanchez said of the Kennedy loss. “They were trying to do too much, but I think they figured it out after that game.”

As the Minutemen embark on the second half of district season, Sanchez said he planned to move up a pair of younger players from their underclass teams and continue to improve the team’s offensive efficiency.

“If we keep playing the way we’ve been playing,” Sanchez said, “we have a chance to win multiple games in the second half. We play better defense than most of the teams in our district.”

GIRLS BASKETBALL: This week’s results (thru Jan. 24)

NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface

Games of Jan. 18-24

Monday’s games

No games scheduled

Tuesday’s games

District 28-6A

Corpus Christi Carroll (22-4, 3-1) 39, Corpus Christi Ray (19-7, 2-2) 26

South San (11-15, 1-3) 73, Corpus Christi King (8-20, 1-3) 68

Southwest (17-8, 3-1) 41, East Central (10-13, 2-2) 38 

District 27-5A

Lockhart (4-16 ???, 1-8 ???) 25, Memorial (1-23 ???, 0-10 ???) 21

Boerne Champion (16-10 ???, 7-4) 48, Alamo Heights (12-8 ???, 6-5) 32

Floresville (12-13, 7-4), 40, Kennedy (7-17 ???, 2-8 ???) 33

San Marcos (23-6, 9-1) 62, Seguin (11-15, 4-6) 45

District 28-5A

Brackenridge (11-16, 6-3) 61, Edison (7-20, 2-9) 46

Lanier (16-11, 8-3) 57, McCollum (2-19, 1-10) 53

Sam Houston (13-7 ???, 8-2) 44, Burbank (9-18, 2-9) 41

Harlandale (13-14, 7-4) 59, Jefferson (6-19, 3-8) 40

District 29-5A

Laredo Nixon (15-9 ???, 6-2) 48, Laredo Martin (7-13 ???, 4-4) 36

Medina Valley (9-16, 3-5) 43, Uvalde (3-23, 1-7) 22

Southside (16-7, 7-1) 56, Somerset (7-16, 2-6) 39

Laredo Cigarroa (17-2 ???, 8-0) 75, Eagle Pass Winn (0-11 ???, 0-8) 16

District 26-3A

Cole (24-2, 4-0) 54, Marion (15-10, 3-1) 29

Brooks Academy (3-6 ???, 1-3) 67, Natalia (10-11, 1-3) 56

Randolph (8-12 ???, 3-1) 58, Fox Tech (2-23 ???, 0-4) 8 

TAPPS 4-4A

Holy Cross (14-10, 6-3) 40, Cornerstone Christian (11-12 ???, 5-5) 32

Laredo St. Augustine (11-12 ???, 3-6) 32,TMI (4-17 ???, 1-8) 27

Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (18-9, 8-1) 64, Corpus Christi John Paul II (3-7 ???, 3-7) 17

Victoria St. Joseph (26-5, 9-0) 65, San Antonio Christian (21-6, 6-3) 33

Non-district

Young Women’s Leadership Academy (20-11) 48, Providence (1-25) 25

Wednesday’s games

No games scheduled

Thursday’s games

No games scheduled

Friday’s games

District 28-6A

Corpus Christi Carroll (23-4, 4-1) 86, Corpus Christi King (8-21, 1-4) 44

Corpus Christi Ray (20-7, 3-2) 59, East Central (10-14, 2-3) 50

Southwest (18-8, 4-1) 56, South San (11-16, 1-4) 43

District 27-5A

Seguin (12-15, 5-6) 63, Memorial (1-24 ???, 0-11 ???) 14

San Marcos (24-6, 10-1) 57, Alamo Heights (12-9 ???, 6-6) 38

Kerrville Tivy (22-4, 10-0) 49, Boerne Champion (16-11 ???, 7-5) 40

Floresville (13-13, 8-4) 69, Lockhart (4-17 ???, 1-9 ???) 28

District 28-5A

Highlands (20-9, 11-0) 59,Edison (7-21, 2-10) 29

Lanier (17-11, 9-3) 49, Jefferson (6-20, 3-9) 41

Sam Houston (14-7 ???, 9-2) 54, McCollum (2-20, 1-11) 29

Harlandale (14-14, 8-4) 56, Brackenridge (12-17, 7-4) 50

District 29-5A

Laredo Martin (8-13 ???, 5-4) 79, Somerset (7-17, 2-7) 66

Southside (17-7, 8-1) 55, Laredo Nixon (15-10 ???, 6-3) 48

Laredo Cigarroa (27-4, 9-0) 67, Medina Valley (9-17, 3-6) 39

Uvalde (3-23, 1-7) at Eagle Pass Winn (0-11 ???, 0-8) (score unavailable)

District 26-3A

Brooks Academy (4-6 ???, 2-3) 70, Fox Tech (2-24 ???, 0-5) 16

Cole (25-2, 5-0) 80, Natalia (10-12, 1-4) 23

Marion (16-10, 4-1) 70, Randolph (8-13 ???, 3-2) 42

Non-district

St. Anthony (16-11 ???) 63, Young Women’s Leadership Academy (20-12) 48

Saturday’s games

TAPPS 4-4A

Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (19-9, 9-1) 42, Laredo St. Augustine (11-13 ???, 3-7) 23

Holy Cross (15-10, 7-3) 39, San Antonio Christian (21-7, 6-4) 34

Victoria St. Joseph (27-5, 10-0) 78, TMI (4-18 ???, 1-9) 28

Corpus Christi John Paul II (5-19, 4-7) 46, Providence (1-26, 0-9) 9

BOYS BASKETBALL: This week’s results (thru Jan. 24)

NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface

Games of Jan. 18-24

Monday’s games

No games scheduled

Tuesday’s games

District 28-6A

Corpus Christi King (16-8, 2-0) 62, South San (18-5, 1-1) 45

East Central (13-10, 1-1) 102, Southwest (15-9, 1-1) 59

Corpus Christi Carroll (17-4 ???, 2-0) 57, Corpus Christi Ray (10-13, 0-2) 46

District 27-5A

Floresville (17-10, 6-3) 54, Kennedy (7-17, 1-8) 48

Lockhart (12-12 ???, 4-5) 60,  Memorial (7-19, 0-9) 51

San Marcos (13-12 ???, 7-2) 67, Seguin (11-13 ???, 7-2) 64

Alamo Heights (15-6, 7-2) 46, Boerne Champion (11-13 ???, 3-6) 38

District 28-5A

Brackenridge (11-10, 5-4) 58, Edison (8-16, 3-6) 41

Lanier (16-11, 9-0) 71, McCollum (12-12, 4-5) 47

Harlandale (14-12, 3-6) 76, Jefferson (8-14, 1-8) 59

Sam Houston (7-11, 5-4) 56, Burbank (19-7, 6-3) 54

District 29-5A

Laredo Cigarroa (10-7 ???, 3-3) 79, Eagle Pass Winn (4-15 ???, 1-5) 34

Laredo Nixon (16-8 ???, 6-0) 67, Laredo Martin (8-9 ???, 4-2) 46

Southside (8-13 ???, 3-3) 81, Somerset (14-8, 4-2) 80 (OT)

Medina Valley (11-12 ???, 2-4) 39, Uvalde (8-14 ??, 1-5) 36

District 26-3A

Marion (16-4, 2-0) 55, Cole (10-7 ???, 0-2) 35

Natalia (6-3 ???, 1-1) 57, Brooks Academy (0-6 ???, 0-2) 48

Randolph (18-2, 2-0) 80, Fox Tech (11-13 ???, 1-1) 29

TAPPS 4-4A

Cornerstone Christian (13-10 ???, 4-4) 80, Holy Cross (8-19, 3-5) 74 (OT)

TMI (19-14, 7-1) 49, Laredo St. Augustine (8-19, 2-6) 32

San Antonio Christian (27-5, 8-0) 73, Victoria St. Joseph (6-14, 0-8) 33

Corpus Christi John Paul II (13-10, 6-2) 47, Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (9-16, 2-6) 38

Non-district

Austin St. Stephen’s (18-6) 64, Central Catholic (15-14) 60

Wednesday’s games

No games scheduled

Thursday’s games

No games scheduled

Friday’s games

District 28-6A

East Central (14-10, 2-1) 89, Corpus Christi Ray (10-13, 0-2) 67

South San (19-5, 2-1) 61, Southwest (15-10, 1-2) 50.

Corpus Christi Carroll (18-4, 3-0) 83, Corpus Christi King (16-9, 2-1) 60

District 27-5A

Alamo Heights (16-6, 8-2) 63, San Marcos (13-13 ???, 7-3) 52

Seguin (12-13 ???, 8-2) 77, Memorial (7-20, 0-10) 76

Floresville (18-10, 7-3) 65, Lockhart (12-13 ???, 4-6) 63

Kerrville Tivy (19-8, 6-3) 62, Boerne Champion (11-14 ???, 3-7), 57

District 28-5A

Brackenridge (12-10, 6-4) 67, Harlandale (14-13, 3-7) 64

McCollum (13-12, 5-5) 62, Sam Houston (7-12, 5-5) 55

Edison (9-16, 4-6) 58, Highlands (9-15, 4-5) 51

Lanier (17-11, 10-0) 70,. Jefferson (8-15, 1-9) 53

District 29-5A

Uvalde (9-14 ??, 2-5) 49, Eagle Pass Winn (4-16 ???, 1-6) 46

Laredo Cigarroa (11-7 ???, 4-3) 61, Medina Valley (11-13 ???, 2-5) 53

Laredo Martin (9-9 ???, 5-2) 46, Somerset (14-9, 4-3) 44

Laredo Nixon (17-8 ???, 7-0) 92, Southside (8-14 ???, 3-4) 49

District 26-3A

Randolph (19-2, 3-0) 50, Marion (16-5, 2-1) 49

Fox Tech (12-13 ???, 2-1) 58, Brooks Academy (0-7 ???, 0-3) 48

Cole (11-7 ???, 1-2) 44, Natalia (6-4 ???, 1-2) 19

TAPPS 4-4A

San Antonio Christian (28-5, 9-0) 64, Holy Cross (8-20, 3-6) 46

Saturday’s games

TAPPS 2-5A

Central Catholic (16-14, 1-1) 64, St. Anthony (5-11 ???, 0-2) 52

Antonian (23-8, 2-0) 45, Brownsville St. Joseph (15-7 ???, 1-1) 29

TAPPS 4-4A

Laredo St. Augustine (9-19, 3-6) 52, Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (9-17, 2-7) 47

TMI (20-14, 8-1) 71, Victoria St. Joseph (6-15, 0-9) 36

GIRLS BASKETBALL WEEKLY REPORT: Dragons pull out District 28-6A opener

YWLA stays hot; Kennedy downs Memorial

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Brackenridge, Edison, Harlandale, Jefferson, Kennedy, McCollum, Memorial, Sam Houston, Southside, Southwest, Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

Aaliyah Holmes scored 16 points in leading Southwest past Corpus Christi Ray in its District 28-6A opener.
Aaliyah Holmes scored 16 points in leading Southwest past Corpus Christi Ray in its District 28-6A opener.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

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Southwest (15-7, 1-0) began its District 28-6A season with a 41-38 win over Corpus Christi Ray (16-6, 0-1) Friday in Corpus Christi.

The Dragons trailed 17-16 at halftime. Southwest outscored Ray 9-7 in the final quarter to secure the win.

Junior Aaliyah Holmes led Southwest with 16 points. Karyssa Henry contributed eight points.

Holmes scored 27, fellow junior Alexandra Busby had 17 and Brianna Longoria added nine Jan. 5 at Southwest as the Dragons eclipsed Laredo Alexander 59-48. Busby’s total included 1,000th point of her Dragons career.

Young Women’s Leadership Academy 56, St. Gerard 43

The Cardinals (18-10) produced a pair of non-district victories, clipping Randolph (5-11) 52-43 Tuesday at Fox Tech and traveling to St. Gerard (9-7) for a win Saturday.

YWLA defeated the Ro-Hawks for the second time in three meetings this year as junior guard Olivia Balderas accounted for 37 points. Balderas had scored 38 in the Cardinals’ previous game against Brooks Academy.

Valeria Serenil was YWLA’s second-leading scorer against Randolph with five points.

The Cardinals trailed 23-19 at halftime, but outscored St. Gerard 24-8 in the third quarter.

Young Women’s Leadership Academy individual scoring information was not available.

Kennedy 46, Memorial 15

The Rockets (6-14, 1-5) defeated their archrival Memorial (1-20, 0-7) Friday in a District 27-5A game at Kennedy.

Kennedy’s lead was just 10-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Rockets seized control by outscoring the Minutemen 14-2 in the second quarter.

Senior Cameron Orta led the Rockets with 15 points. Esmeralda Manzaneres contributed 10 points and Vivica Vargas added nine.

Juanita Rodriguez was Memorial’s top scorer with five points.

Brackenridge 74, Jefferson 51

The Eagles (11-15, 6-2) moved into a second-place tie with Lanier and Sam Houston in District 28-5A by defeating Jefferson (5-17, 2-6) Friday at Lanier.

Brackenridge placed five scorers in double figures, led by junior Skyler Reyna (6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals) with 17 points. Miranda Sandoval finished with 13 points and six steals. Clarissa Rodriguez (12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals), Clara Ramos (11 points, 5 rebounds) and Ashley Hernandez (10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists) also scored in double digits.

Junior guard Angela Hardcastle led Jefferson with 24 points. Cecilia Campos added nine.

Tuesday at McCollum, Brackenridge defeated the Cowboys (1-16, 0-7) 51-32. Reyna led the Eagles with 16 points and Rodriguez scored 11. Softball standout Alyssa Berlanga supplied eight points.

McCollum’s top scorer was freshman Stephanie Esquivel with nine points.

Sam Houston 59, Harlandale 49

The Hurricanes (11-7, 6-2) picked up an important 28-5A win Friday at Harlandale (10-14, 4-4), which enabled them to remain in second place.

Sam Houston received 18 points from senior Jordyn Stewart. Monisha Jones scored 13 and Ashawntae Brown added 12.

Justyne Perez led Harlandale with 17 points and four assists. Teresa Navarro and Kayla Nunez each scored 13 points. Navarro made three 3-point baskets. Nunez had three steals.

The Hurricanes outscored Edison (6-17, 1-6) 15-9 in the second quarter to seize control of the 28-5A game Tuesday at Alamo Convocation Center. Sam Houston won 37-28.

Stewart scored 10 for Sam Houston. Brown and senior Dajah Thomas each had nine.

Dashia Miles was Edison’s leading scorer with eight points. Miles also made five steals and Jasmin Hernandez made four. Amy Marcos led Edison with seven rebounds. Freshman Judilynn Mayorga scored six points and grabbed five rebounds.

Laredo Cigarroa 59, Southside 40

The Toros (5-0 in district) broke a first-place tie with a decisive District 29-5A win Friday at Southside (13-7, 4-1). Cigarroa, No. 16 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches state rankings, established an 18-8 lead in the first quarter.

Freshman Desirae Arocha led Southside with 14 points. Amalia Alexander scored 10 and Suwanan Nanthaphit had eight.

The Cardinals had won 52-23 Tuesday at Uvalde (2-16, 1-2). Southside outscored Uvalde 14-2 in the first quarter and 18-7 in the fourth.

Arocha scored a team-high 18 points for Southside. Junior Mayra Sendejo added nine points.

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Edison wins numbers game vs. Burbank

Bulldogs, Golden Bears tied for sixth in 28-5A

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Burbank, Edison.

Burbank sophomore Jade Moore looks for an open teammate in a previous game.
Burbank sophomore Jade Moore looks for an open teammate in a previous game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

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Edison is discovered the strength it has within its numbers Jan. 9 in a District 28-5A win over Burbank.

The Golden Bears (7-17, 2-6) used its depth to pull away from the Bulldogs (9-15, 2-6) for a 53-42 win at the Alamo Convocation Center. Edison broke open the battle for a share of sixth place with a 10-2 run in the third quarter when its transition game kicked in.

“All 11 of them contributed something positive,” Edison coach Angie Alonzo said. “That’s what we’ve been preaching.”

Edison’s win forced a three-way tie for sixth place between the Golden Bears, Burbank and Jefferson (5-17, 2-6) as the first round of district play came to a close.

“We’re not where we should be at this point in the season,” Burbank coach Laura Zapata said. “We just haven’t put it all together. For some reason, we’ve struggled coming out in the third quarter.”

Burbank took a 23-22 lead when Jade Moore sank a three-point basket off an assist from Olivia Cardenas 23 seconds into the third quarter.

Burbank seven turnovers in third quarter. Edison outscored the Bulldogs 17-8 in the quarter.

“We just stepped it up on defense,” Alonzo said. “We were able to create layups off of our steals and that chemistry.”

Edison freshman forward Judilynn Mayorga scored eight points in the quarter and 15 of her 18 points after halftime. Mayorga chipped in three baskets during a run of 12 unanswered points after a pair of free throws from Burbank junior Antwanisha Riddle tied it 26-26 with a pair of free throws.

Mayorga scored most of her baskets in transition, working in concert with guard Dashia Miles. With 47.2 seconds remaining in the quarter, Mayorga passed to Miles for a layup. Miles (8 points) then recorded a backcourt steal and immediately returned the favor to the freshman.

“I’ll call for the ball as soon as I see Dashia with it,” Mayorga said. “I’ll go up and shoot. If she sees me, I’ll pass it to her when she’s open.”

The Golden Bears led 39-28 after three quarters. Bulldogs senior Katherine Regalado (13 points) sank a free throw on the first possession of the final quarter, but Burbank was unable to get closer.

Edison established a 13-7 lead in the first quarter. Burbank tied it 18-18 on a foul shot by Regalado and took a lead on one from Riddle. Golden Bears freshman Victoria Rodriguez (7 points) answered with back-to-back fastbreak baskets and Edison led 22-20 at intermission.

“Today, the girls stuck together,” Alonzo said. “Against Brackenridge and Lanier, we had great first halves, but we weren’t able to finish.”

BOYS BASKETBALL WEEKLY REPORT: Central Catholic gathering momentum as district season approaches

Rockets record double-digit win over Minutemen

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Burbank, Central Catholic, Harlandale, Kennedy, Memorial, Sam Houston.

Photos taken by KJ Toso. For more photos or to purchase photos, please visit: http://kjtoso.photoshelter.com

 

Burbank senior guard Moses Montalvo negotiates some driving room against Highlands.
Burbank senior Michael Mascorro negotiates some driving room against Highlands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sam Houston post Devin Allen (42) clears a rebound over Edison's Andrew Rodriguez (5) while the Golden Bears' Lorenzo Vela closes in.
Sam Houston post Devin Allen (42) clears a rebound over Edison’s Andrew Rodriguez (5) while the Golden Bears’ Lorenzo Vela closes in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highlands guard Jose Alvarez (4) drives on Burbank post William Valdez (50).
Highlands guard Jose Alvarez (4) drives on Burbank post William Valdez (50), while Valdez sets himself to take a charge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edison senior Lorenzo Vela has the basket squarely in his sights.
Edison senior Lorenzo Vela has the basket squarely in his sights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Holy-Cross-hits-its-stride-in-4-4A-season-6010410.php

Central Catholic lost four of its five leading scorers from 2013-14 to graduation. The other, its top scorer, has been lost since this season began.

Six-foot-10 senior Tony Lewis, who has signed to play basketball next year at Santa Clara, has been shelved for the remainder of the season by a leg injury. Despite losing Lewis, the Buttons have regained veteran guard Jaime Nava, who had been injured, and have made positive gains in recent weeks.

The Buttons (14-12) claimed a pair of wins, edging Fredericksburg 58-57 Tuesday and trouncing St. Gerard (5-10) 69-32 Friday.

Central Catholic bolted to a 20-5 first-quarter led and had a 37-13 advantage over St. Gerard by halftime.

Senior Will Galindo led the Buttons with 15 points. Raul Aguilar scored 11. Nava and Julian Rodriguez contributed nine and eight points, respectively.

Scoring information from the game at Fredericksburg was unavailable.

Central Catholic was scheduled to begin TAPPS District 2-5A play Friday with an 8 p.m. game against rival Antonian (20-8) at Bill Greehey Arena on the St. Mary’s University campus.

Kennedy 62, Memorial 51

The Rockets (7-14, 1-5) gained the upper hand in the season series with rival Memorial (7-16, 0-6), defeating the Minutemen Friday at Edgewood Gym. The rematch will be Feb. 10 at the same location.

Kennedy ended a five-game losing streak with its first District 27-5A win. The Rockets led 30-20 at halftime and fended off Memorial in the second half.

Senior Isaac Castro led Kennedy with 14 points. Quentan Bell provided 11 points. Marc Esquivel and Julian Landeros scored seven apiece.

Senior guard Bryan Obregon led the Minutemen with 13 points. Football standouts Albert Ramos and Jose Pargas scored 12 and eight points, respectively.

Burbank 54, Edison 53

The Bulldogs (19-4, 6-0) made a pair of narrow escapes last week to remain undefeated in District 28-5A.

Burbank edged Highlands (8-13, 3-3) by two points Tuesday and Edison (7-13, 2-4) by one Friday at the Alamo Convocation Center.

The Golden Bears established a 17-10 lead in the first quarter. The Bulldogs gained the upper hand 30-24 by halftime, but Edison was within 42-41 entering the final quarter.

Eduardo Esquivel led Edison with 12 points. Joseph Ortiz, Andrew Rodriguez (5 rebounds) and Lorenzo Vela scored nine points apiece.

Bulldogs statistics were unavailable.

Burbank survived a 52-50 score from Highlands. The Bulldogs stormed to an 18-7 lead, but the Owls cut their deficit to six points by halftime. Highlands outscored the Burbank 28-24 in the second half, but the Bulldogs brought the win home.

Michael Mascorro and Juan Castillo each scored 11 points for Burbank. Post William Valdez added 10 points. Moses Montalvo finished with nine point.

Highlands senior Lamar Sterling led all scorers with 18 points. Joseph Jackson and Christopher Hartfield each tallied 10.

Sam Houston 68, Harlandale 56

The Hurricanes (6-10, 4-3) recorded their fourth-consecutive District 28-5A win Friday over Harlandale (12-11, 1-5) at the Alamo Convocation Center .

In a 55-53 nail-biter against Edison at the ACCr, Sam Houston opened a 37-31 lead after three quarters of a close game. The Golden Bears outscored Sam Houston 22-18 in the final quarter.

Senior post Devin Allen led the Hurricanes with 15 points. Dewayne Brown added 13 points. Robert Christian mustered 10 points.

Vela led Edison with 25 points, making five of seven shots from three-point range. Vela also distributed four assists. Senior Angelo Leyvani also sank five three-pointers and reaped 17 points.

No statistics were available from the Sam Houston-Harlandale game.

BOYS BASKETBALL: Holy Cross hits its stride in 4-4A season

Knights rapidly improving under first-year coach Curran

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Holy Cross.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Holy-Cross-hits-its-stride-in-4-4A-season-6010410.php

Midway through the season, Holy Cross and its first-year coach have reached an understanding.

TAPPS District 4-4A wins over Laredo St. Augustine Tuesday (73-64) and Victoria St. Joseph Friday (78-46) were evidence of the fact the Knights (8-17, 3-3) are all on the same page. The victories took on added meaning because they came on the heels of a blowout loss to powerful San Antonio Christian and re-established Holy Cross as a potential playoff contender.

“It has been good to see the boys buy into our whole philosophy,” said Holy Cross coach Chad Curran, who coached Castle Hills Baptist for the previous three seasons. “We don’t have a lot of AAU players. It’s about playing good defense, getting up and down (court) and making smart passes.”

Holy Cross lost its first 10 games this season, but has steadily improved. Rapidly, in fact, since the Knights picked up their first win (76-54) over Cornerstone Christian Dec. 2 in their TAPPS District 4-4A opener. They used the momentum to sweep their next four games at the Pearsall Tournament.

The Knights are fourth in 4-4A, trailing co-leaders San Antonio Christian and TMI (both 5-0) as well as Corpus Christi John Paul II (3-2 in district).

“Our goal has been to beat the teams we need to beat,” Curran said. “We’re working for that second or third (playoff) spot. San Antonio Christian has been beating all the good 5A teams in town.”

Scrappy Laredo St. Augustine (7-17, 1-5), whose mascot also is Knights, fit the bill as a team Holy Cross needed to beat. St. Augustine scored 10 points in less than two minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters to take the lead.

Holy Cross led 41-33 before the visiting Knights threw down the gauntlet.

“Early in the year, we lost focus when we got down,” Curran said. “Tonight, the kids responded. We made great adjustments in the second half. We played a little 2-3 (zone) to get them out of their rhythm. The kids have come a long way.”

Trailing 43-41, senior post John Autrey (10 points) scored inside and sophomore point guard Raymond Rios (18 points) drove for a layup that regained the lead.

St. Augustine’s Robert Gonzalez tied the score with a rebound basket, but Holy Cross launched a 13-2 run with a three-pointer from Thaddeus Gonzales (13 points). The long-distance shots quickly became contagious.

Jason Fernandez (12 points) and Gonzales each contributed three-pointers to the run, which left the host Knights with a 58-49 advantage with 3:42 remaining. Drives from Rios and senior Chris Rodriguez led to open shots.

“We were coming up with layups,” Rios said. “As we made more layups, we got the confidence to make our threes.”

Holy Cross received 20 points from senior guard Bryan Brown and 16 from Autrey in the win over Victoria St. Joseph.

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Owls breeze through first half of 28-5A schedule

Highlands taking measures to stay focused

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Burbank, Highlands, McCollum.

Photos taken by KJ Toso. For more photos or to purchase photos, please visit: http://kjtoso.photoshelter.com

Burbank guard Olivia Cardenas tries to prevent Highlands' Emily Pearce (11) from turning the corner.
Burbank guard Olivia Cardenas tries to prevent Highlands’ Emily Pearce (11) from turning the corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highlands post Susana Stephens (40) goes after a shot from Burbank guard Jade Moore (10).
Highlands post Susana Stephens (40) goes after a shot from Burbank guard Jade Moore (10).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highlands' Aaliyah Prince (22) makes a bid for the baseline against Burbank's Antwanisha Riddle.
Highlands’ Aaliyah Prince (22) makes a bid for the baseline against Burbank’s Antwanisha Riddle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Owls-breeze-through-first-half-of-28-5A-schedule-6010415.php

Highlands is looking for ways to maintain its edge as it pursues the school’s first girls basketball district title in memory.

“We’ve been practicing against the freshman boys team,” 11th-year Owls coach Adrianna Wiatrek said. “We did it with that bunch that made the playoffs four years ago. We started doing it before the Sam Houston game, because they’re so athletic and so long. We couldn’t go against each other and get that kind of preparation.”

Highlands was halfway to an unblemished district season after claiming an 89-28 victory over McCollum Friday on their home floor.

The first-place Owls (18-9, 8-0) weren’t really challenged in their first pass through District 28-5A. The win over the Cowboys (1-17, 0-8) was their largest margin of victory. The closest win was a 50-38 decision over Brackenridge Dec. 12.

In her years as Owls coach and her previous five years as a Southwest assistant, Wiatrek is unaware of any previous Highlands district titles. Another unanswered question is whether Highlands has ever gone through an undefeated district season.

“We’re in uncharted waters,” Wiatrek said. “We’re trying to keep pushing ourselves and stay focused.”

Brackenridge (11-15, 6-2) shared second place with Lanier and Sam Houston as of Friday. McCollum was in ninth place.

“I also see Harlandale coming on through,” Wiatrek said. “I keep telling the girls it’s going to be a different second round. Just like everyone else is preparing, we have to keep preparing.”

Highlands outscored McCollum 32-2 in the first quarter.

“We’re doing a better job of coming out in the first quarter and pushing the pace,” Wiatrek said.

Aaliyah Prince led the Owls with 28 points against the Cowboys. The junior produced 30 points, seven steals and four blocked shots in a 71-33 rout of Burbank (9-15, 2-6) Tuesday.

“Aaliyah has really found her groove in scoring,” Wiatrek said. “She has been way more aggressive lately. She looks to pass when she shouldn’t. We have to have that conversation a lot, that she needs to be a little selfish.”

Senior guard Jina Lackey erupted for 22 against McCollum. Miranda Rich led the Cowboys with seven points.

“Everybody runs that 1-2-2 (zone) against us.” Wiatrek said. “Jina gets that rebound and takes off. Not many people can beat her down the floor. Her three-point shots have been so much more money, too.”

Point guard Kiara Pesina notched 12 points. Monique Jackson scored nine.

Burbank was within 11-9 after the quarter, but Highlands outscored them 44-13 in the second half. Highlands produced 20 steals.

Pesina finished with 17 points, five assists and four steals. Junior post Jazmine Jackson logged six points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.

Jackie Rodriguez-Torres led the Bulldogs with 12 points.

Highlands lost junior guard Sabrina Curren to an anterior cruciate ligament tear. Wiatrek said the injury has reminded her players of the need to stay in the moment.

“You can’t take anything for granted,” Wiatrek said. “Sabrina gets really emotional when she talks to them. She says, ‘Look what’s happened to me.’ ”

BOYS BASKETBALL: Area rankings (thru Jan. 14)

Through January 14

 

TOP 15:

 

Rank-Team-Last Week

1. South San – 1

2. East Central – 2

3. Lanier – 4

4. Burbank – 3

5. Sam Houston – 5

6. Central Catholic – 6

7. Brackenridge – 7

8. Southwest – 9

9. Highlands – 11

10. Harlandale – 12

11. McCollum – 8

12. Edison – 10

13. Jefferson – 13

14. Kennedy – NR

15. Memorial – 14

NR = not ranked

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Area rankings (thru Jan. 14)

Through January 14

 

TOP 15:

 

Rank-Team-Last Week

1. Southwest – 2

2. Highlands – 1

3. Southside – 3

4. East Central – 6

5. Brackenridge – 5

6. South San – 4

7. Sam Houston – 8

8. Lanier – 7

9. Holy Cross – 9

10. Kennedy – 11

11. Harlandale – 10

12. Young Women’s Leadership Academy – 13

13. Burbank – 12

14. Edison – 14

15. Jefferson – 15

 

NR = not ranked

GIRLS BASKETBALL WEEKLY REPORT (Dec. 28-Jan. 3): Voks defeat Edison, seize second in 28-5A

Brackenridge knots up 28-5A race

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Brackenridge, Brooks Academy, Burbank, Edison, Harlandale, Highlands, Jefferson, Lanier, McCollum, Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Southside-awakens-blows-away-Laredo-Martin-after-5997030.php

 

Lanier (13-10, 5-2) bounced back from a loss four days earlier to claim second place in District 28-5A with a 55-34 win over Edison (6-16, 1-5) Jan. 3 at Alamo Convocation Center.

The Voks lost 76-49 to district-leading Highlands (16-9, 6-0) Dec. 30 on the same court.

The Voks pulled away from Edison in the second half, holding it to four points in the third quarter. The Golden Bears were within 22-17 at halftime, despite a big first half from Lanier junior Ruby Garza, who finished with a game-high 20 points.

Sabrina Cortinas added 13 points for the Voks. Junior Rachel Campos led the Golden Bears with nine points.

Harlandale (10-12, 4-2) defeated Edison 50-41 Dec. 30.

Senior Elizabeth Herrera led the victorious Indians with 15 points, 11 rebounds, seven steals, three assists and two blocked shots. Justyne Perez scored 11 points. Kristy Ricondo scored eight points and collected seven rebounds for Harlandale. Kayla Nunez made five steals.

Freshman Judilynn Mayorga was the Golden Bears’ top scorer, supplying 10 points to go with five rebounds. Jasmin Chapa grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and made three steals as did Rachel Campos. Jasmine Hernandez scored nine points.

Brackenridge 48, Burbank 39

The Eagles (9-15, 4-2) forged a three-way tie for third place in District 28-5A with a win over rival Burbank (9-13, 2-4) Jan. 3 at Alamo Convocation Center.

Brackenridge finished the week tied with Harlandale (10-12, 4-2) and Sam Houston (8-7, 4-2), whom the Eagles defeated 55-46 Dec. 30. Burbank had won its previous two district games.

The Eagles received 21 points from junior Skyler Reyna and 14 from senior Clarissa Rodriguez.

Katherine Regalado led the Bulldogs with 12 points. Antwanisha Riddle scored 10.

Young Women’s Leadership Academy 77, Brooks Academy 42

Sophomore guard Olivia Balderas fired in 38 points as the Cardinals (16-10) blitzed Brooks Academy in a non-district game Jan. 2 in the Bengals’ gym.

Clarissa Castro chipped in 11 points for YWLA. Jylian Bolton scored nine and Julianna Lopez added eight.

Alyssa Quintanilla was Brooks Academy’s leading scorer with 14 points. Hailey Rinewalt and J. Castillo contributed 10 points apiece.

Jefferson 29, McCollum 23

The Mustangs (5-15, 2-5) edged McCollum (1-15, 0-6) in a District 28-5A Jan. 3 at Jefferson.

Jefferson took a 9-7 lead in the first quarter and led at the end of each successive quarter. The Cowboys were within 19-17 after three.

Junior guard Angela Hardcastle led Jefferson with 11 points. Kasey Torres scored seven.

Azrith Gomez, Andrea Green and Celeste Ramirez each scored four points for the Cowboys.

BOYS BASKETBALL WEEKLY REPORT (Dec. 28-Jan. 3): Bobcats put exclamation point on week with win over Laredo LBJ

Lanier hangs onto share of 28-5A lead

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Brackenridge, Edison, Harlandale, Highlands, Lanier, Sam Houston, South San.

South San's Arthur Rangel (35) assesses the Brahmas' defense while teammate Joseph Zepeda moves in to set a pick. Rangel scored 20 points against Laredo Johnson.
South San’s Arthur Rangel (35) assesses the MacArthur’s defense in a previous game while teammate Joseph Zepeda moves in to set a pick. Rangel scored 20 points against Laredo Johnson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/communities/southside/article/Southwest-gets-revenge-on-New-Braunfels-Canyon-5997034.php

 

 

South San (15-4) capped a full week with a 67-30 blowout victory over Laredo Johnson (5-13) Jan. 3 at South San.

The Bobcats also placed third at the Calallen Christmas Classic earlier in the week. South San won three of four games in the two-day tournament at Corpus Christi Calallen.

Against Laredo Johnson, senior Arthur Rangel scored a team-high 20 points as South San established a 31-14 halftime lead. Malik Brown contributed 11 points. Andre Flores and Jordan Allen each scored nine points. Curtis Allen had eight.

South San won its first two games at Callallen, blasting Corpus Christi Incarnate Word 83-39 and Corpus edging Christi Flour Bluff 60-56 Dec. 29. Coppell defeated the Bobcats 62-31 Dec. 30 in the semifinals, but they recovered to dump District 28-6A rival Corpus Christi King 68-38 and claim third place.

Curtis Allen scored 25 points for South San against King.

Lanier 57, Edison 51

The Voks (12-11, 5-0) remained atop the District 28-5A standings, a half-game ahead of Burbank (17-4, 4-0), with a victory over Edison (7-12, 2-2) Jan. 3 at Alamo Convocation Center.

Junior post Raul Solis led Lanier with 14 points. Sophomore Isaiah Vargas also was in double figures, with 10 points. Jerry Samudio and Joe Soto scored nine points apiece.

Senior Angel Rodriguez was Edison’s top scorer with 14 points. Lorenzo Vela supplied 11 points, three assists and three steals. Angelo Leyvani added 10 points for the Golden Bears.

Lanier also defeated Highlands 78-61 Dec. 30 at the ACC. Edison defeated Harlandale (12-9, 1-3) 59-44 that day at Harlandale.

Sam Houston 87, Highlands 67

The Hurricanes (4-10, 2-3) rolled to their first two District 28-5A wins, defeating Brackenridge 56-47 Dec. 30 and downing Highlands Jan.3 in the opening contest of a marathon day at Alamo Convocation Center.

Against Highlands, Sam Houston junior wing Robert Christian (29 points) and senior post Devin Allen (26 points) each benefitted from the fast tempo. Henry Carter chipped in 15 points. Dewayne Brown added eight points.

Senior post Joseph Jackson led Highlands with 23 points. JerMichael Shirley, who recently returned from an injury scored 13. Jamaria Moody (13 points) and Alejandro Trevino (10 points) also were in double figures.

In the win over Brackenridge, Christian logged a team-high 15 points and Raymonte Prime scored eight.

Richard Wallace provided 15 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Eagles. Jonathan King added 10.