Sub-4A powers return to regional quarterfinal round
Feb. 27—By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — San Perlita, Santa Maria and Santa Rosa are three small schools with big reputations when it comes to boys basketball.
It's no surprise that each of those programs, which are among the most consistent and respected in the Rio Grande Valley, will be competing in their respective regional quarterfinal rounds of the UIL playoffs today.
The Class 3A Santa Rosa Warriors are facing San Diego at 3 p.m. at Corpus Christi Ray. In Class 1A, the San Perlita Trojans will be taking on Nordheim at 2 p.m. in Alice. The TABC Class 2A No. 23 Santa Maria Cougars will be battling No. 7 Port Aransas at 3 p.m. in Freer.
Santa Rosa's tradition of success has continued with new coach Adrian Trevino at the helm. Trevino praised the Warriors' ability to adapt to his style, which he said was molded by his familiarity with Santa Rosa's program and former coach Juan Cipriano. Trevino credited CJ Olivarez for helping to make the transition smooth and getting the Warriors to trust the new coach, which he said has been the key this season.
"Coming in as a Santa Rosa person and understanding what Cipriano set up and what he did here, I knew this was coming. Santa Rosa teams go to regionals. It's realistic to have those expectations every year," Trevino said. "CJ Olivarez was the first guy I talked to when I accepted the job. It's understood that guy's the leader of the team. He doesn't say a lot, but everybody looks to him. When he was willing to give me a chance and see what I had, I think it made everybody else buy into it."
Olivarez, David Bazaldua and Christian Vela get Santa Rosa going. All three can score in bunches and play with a lot of heart, and Trevino lauded Bazaldua's defensive and Vela's offensive rebounding. Jarren Jimenez, Daniel Villarreal and Rey Davila are guys Trevino said can "come off the bench and knock down 3s."
Adrian Zamora is the rim protector, and Ruben Ochoa is someone Trevino credited for playing hard and sacrificing his scoring stats to lead the team defensively.
"The counterpart to CJ is David Bazaldua. Those two work together really well," Trevino said. "Rebounding was one of the things that was hurting us early in the year. David was the only one doing it, then Chris Vela exploded on the offensive boards. He just flies around. I'm really blessed with the talent that's here right now."
Trevino said TABC No. 25 Santa Rosa is feeling good heading into the regional quarterfinal. He feels the Warriors and San Diego have "a lot of similarities," particularly when it comes to shooting efficiency. Trevino said San Diego is a good defensive team, but he believes playing fast and applying pressure can help Santa Rosa get the win.
San Perlita is heading to the third round for the fifth straight time under Nataniel Garza. The TABC No. 9 Trojans defeated No. 7 Dime Box 74-71 on Wednesday and are rolling into their date with Nordheim with some confidence.
"We feel good. The guys are focused, and we're just enjoying the fact that we get to play another basketball game," Garza said. "By this time, anybody that's playing is going to be really tough. We just have to come out and play within our system and just be us, just do what we do."
Garza said this year's group has been a resilient bunch and has grown in its mental toughness by handling adversity. Along with the same COVID-19-induced pauses and challenges other teams faced, San Perlita also had to deal with a string of injuries during its tough non-district schedule. Garza said the team now feels like it can get through anything that comes its way, which is a mentality the Trojans will rely on in Round 3.
Garza believes his team isn't built around one particular player, but rather the squad has a bunch of guys who fill their role and produce every game. James Herrera, Diego Ortiz, Ely Terry, Max Graciani and Sam Conde are a few of the many Trojans who contribute in a lot of ways.
"James Herrera, he's an engine. That kid has a huge heart and I think he's one of the best players in the Valley, regardless of classification," Garza said. "Diego Ortiz, he doesn't get the stats that James Herrera has, but he controls everything on the floor for us. He's like an extension of me on the court, he's a leader and very poised. He deserves a lot of credit."
Garza said this year's group is special, not just for its basketball abilities, but with the players' bond and his connection to them. The sixth-year coach said he enjoys their company even more than he enjoys coaching them, and he wants to see them continue racking up success. The Trojans are focused on getting a win today and continuing to build on the longstanding tradition at San Perlita.
"I've just been blessed every year with great kids to coach. They're hard-working, very humble, extremely respectful. They buy into the system, and they do everything to the highest level possible," Garza said. "Our consistency and success over the years all goes to my former and my current players. They do all the hard work, I just try to guide them. And this group is on a mission. They're trying to build something, and they're doing a great job."
