Historic win cued tears of joy from Hidalgo team captain Gonzalez

HIDALGO - If Victoria Gonzalez had picked up the nickname "The Weeping Woman" away from the theatre it would be understandable.

After each of Hidalgo's playoff victories, Gonzalez has cried. On Saturday after Hidalgo beat West Oso to make the 3A state semifinals, her tears were spontaneous, just a product of the incredible joy and happiness she felt after her team's historic victory.

"I cried so much," Gonzalez said. "Not even on just making the Final Four, just making it to the Sweet 16, the Elite Eight and now the Final Four. It's been a dream. I just got overwhelmed with tears."

"The Weeping Woman", however, isn't a clever name given to Gonzalez by her teammates. Away from basketball, she is an actress, playing the part of "La Llorona" in the one-act play ¡Bocón!. The play is the story of a young Mexican boy who flees his village after it is raided by soldiers and loses his voice.

One of the characters the young boy meets while trying to rediscover his voice is "La Llorona," a character from Mexican mythology. The weeping Gonzalez does on stage is different than what she does after victories, however. On stage, Gonzalez describes the crying "is supposed to be kind of a fake cry, something that's funny."

After games, though, the tears are cathartic. It's a release of happiness, fatigue and excitement, a different way of expression for the Lady Pirates' star. The crying certainly isn't scripted, but can be helpful for the more choreographed kind.

"Just by crying realistically, and me talking and crying, it kind of helps me build my character," Gonzalez said.

While the crying can help Gonzalez in her life away from basketball, her experience as an actress helps her on the floor. Acting doesn't allow for shyness or bashfulness. There can't be much fear of speaking passionately in front of others, or exposing emotions in front of dozens of eyes.

All of that helps Gonzalez lead her Lady Pirates teammates as their captain. Her messages to her team come through clearly and she delivers them in such a way only somebody with her background could.

"She's fun-loving, she has a sense of humor. She's very emotional," Hidalgo coach Monica Rodriguez said. "When there's tears of sadness, tears of joy, you can always read Victoria as far as how she's feeling. She's one to motivate her teammates. A true captain on the court."

Hidalgo has already gone further into the playoffs than any Rio Grande Valley team in the modern era of girls basketball. If the Lady Pirates beat Argyle on Thursday in Austin, they will be one game away from a state championship, thanks in part to the charismatic leadership shown by Gonzalez.

And you can imagine exactly what kind of reaction that will get from Hidalgo's captain.

Brian Sandalow covers high school sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436 or via e-mail at bsandalow@themonitor.com.