Girls Basketball Notebook: Rowe braces for McHi

McAllen Rowe survived a slugfest on Tuesday and will likely encounter another one when it plays host to McAllen High on Friday.

Rowe improved to 20-8 overall and 9-1 in District 30-5A with its 35-29 victory over Sharyland. That put the Lady Warriors one game ahead of McHi in the standings. McHi has handed Rowe its only loss in district.

Given that, it was understandable why Rowe coach Raul Vega did not want to broach the subject of winning a district championship. With four games remaining, Vega said it’s too soon to talk about that.

“Every district game is a big game,” Vega said. “Anyone can beat you and throw you off.”

One place the Lady Warriors are likely headed is the postseason. The Lady Warriors need to win once more in order to secure a postseason spot. Rowe can also make it if Mission High loses to McAllen Memorial on Friday.

Last season, the Lady Warriors were 6-26 and 2-12. Vega refers to the team’s struggles last season to keep it motivated.

“I remind them of the season we had last season and how hard we’ve worked to put ourselves in a position to hopefully make the playoffs,” Vega said. “We have to keep that in mind and use it as a focus point. The kids are really good about staying grounded.”

MILESTONE

Harlingen High coach Nora Zamarripa will try to record her 700th career victory on Friday when the Lady Cardinals play at Edinburg North.

“It makes you reflect on all the kids that you’ve been fortunate enough to coach and the staff and assistants that have been with you throughout the years and the sacrifices my family has made.”  Zamarripa said. “It makes you do a lot of reflecting.”

The Lady Cardinals have put Zamarripa in position to reach the milestone thanks to a season of revival in which Harlingen High has rocketed to the top of the District 31-5A standings. The Lady Cardinals, who clinched a playoff spot with Tuesday’s 58-38 victory over PSJA North on Tuesday, are seeking their first district championship since 2004.

Harlingen High is 26-4 overall and 10-0 in district. The Lady Cardinals are also ranked No. 19 in Class 5A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and No. 2 in the area by Valley Freedom Newspapers. Having her Lady Cardinals return to prominence has made approaching this milestone special.

“It really adds to the season,” Zamarripa said. “We are really going well in district. In the past, (winning district and being state-ranked) are things that used to happen all the time. We’ve made the playoffs in the past, but we haven’t been winning those district titles so this makes it sweeter.”

LOW KEY

One thing Los Fresnos coach Kim Edquist will not discuss with her team is its No. 25 ranking in this week’s Class 5A Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll. The Lady Falcons earned a state ranking for the first time this season when the poll was released on Monday.

“My initial reaction was I hope none of my girls saw this,” Edquist said. “I didn’t mention it to them, and I don’t even know if they know about it.”

The Lady Falcons are soaring thanks to their 26-4 overall record. They are 10-0 in district and they secured a playoff spot on Tuesday when they defeated San Benito, 45-36. Los Fresnos is Valley Freedom Newspapers’ No. 3-ranked area team.

“Even when the (area) rankings came out, no one mentioned it, no one got excited about it,” Edquist said. “It was just business as usual. I always tell (my players) that rankings, standings and records don’t mean a thing. When you are on the court, it’s five on five. They are pretty level-headed, and they are pretty grounded.”

STILL ROLLING

Hidalgo, ranked No. 18 in this week’s Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 4A poll and the No. 1 area team by Valley Freedom Newspapers, secured a playoff spot with a 65-18 victory over Brownsville Veterans Memorial on Tuesday. The Lady Pirates improved to 30-2, marking the third season in a row in which they have recorded at least 30 victories.

David Hinojosa covers girls high school basketball for Valley Freedom Newspapers.  You can reach him at (956) 683-4442 or via email at dhinojosa@themonitor

Top 10

Rank;School (record);Previous

1. Hidalgo (30-2); 1

2. Harlingen (26-4) 2

3. Los Fresnos (26-4) 3

4. McAllen Rowe (20-8) 6

5. PSJA North (23-7); 4

6. San Benito (20-12); 5

7. Brownsville St. Joseph (22-10) 7

8. Mission Veterans (23-10); 8

9. Weslaco (25-8); 9

10. Edinburg North (18-11); 10