Big names nominated for Girls Team of the Year
From start to finish, the 2010-11 athletic school year was marked with fond memories, history and some surprises. And that’s just on the girls side.
The following seven girls teams are the nominees for the Fourth Annual RGV All-Star Sports Awards to be held June 14 at Yeckel Auditorium on the campus of MMA in Harlingen. Tickets for the event can be purchased by calling (956) 421-2400.
Memory lane started off in McAllen where a couple of volleyball teams made it to the Sweet 16 last fall. McAllen Rowe qualified for the Region IV-5A tournament for the second year in a row after winning a co-championship of the District 30-5A crown. The Lady Warriors were led by All-Valley MVP Brittanie Best and went on to a superb 33-4 reord. Rowe was ranked No. 2 in Valley Freedom Newspaper’s final rankings.
The other co-champ from 30-5A also made the list of final nominees.
McAllen Memorial did the improbable and claimed their share of the title despite playing without middle blocker Jennifer Kowalski. The Lady Mustangs also made it to the regional tournament in San Antonio but their playoff run ended with a loss to then top-ranked Corpus Christi King. It was Memorial’s first trip to the regional tourney since 2002.
The Lady Mustangs were the Valley’s top-ranked team and ended the year with a 32-6 record. The squad was led by All-Valley head coach Lorena Lopez.
On to basketball, the Hidalgo Lady Pirates had established themselves as a power in District 32-3A. But a move to Class 4A, a new coach and the loss of their starting point guard Nashae Owens (moved to Houston) forecasted a down season.
It was anything but as Hidalgo returned to the Sweet 16 behind a roster of only eight players including junior post Nelly Flores (an All-Valley selection) and freshman Lexi Williams (All-Valley Newcomer of the year).
Hidalgo won the 32-4A title and finished the year 30-6 and ranked No. 3 in the Valley.
The Valley’s top-ranked Harlingen South Lady Hawks faced the same uncertainties before the season started. Playing without what head coach Dawn Engleman called a “wow” player, the Lady Hawks claimed another District 31-5A crown and made it to their third Sweet 16 in four years. South finished 29-8.
In the spring, the McAllen Lady Bulldogs soccer team reached its fifth regional tournament in school history and kept alive a streak of 15 straight playoff appearances.
McHi also overcame losing some great players to graduation but surprised the Valley with a 23-3 record, 15 shutouts and allowing only 16 goals. McHi was the top-ranked soccer team in the Valley this season.
On the track, the Mission Veterans Memorial Lady Patriots were amongst the best this season and their dominated the District 32-4A meet.
The Lady Patriots scored well over 100 points more than the second-place team en route to their sixth district title in school history, which only dates back to 2002.
Mission Veterans’ 400 relay set a new district record at the meet too.
Finally the San Benito Lady Greyhounds closed out the school year with a little history.
The Lady Greyhounds softball team became the first Valley team to advance to a regional final when they defeated San Antonio Southwest in a regional semifinal.
San Benito advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in school history, the most among Valley teams.
San Benito won 34 games (a school record) and achieved a Texas Girls’ Coaches Association 5A state poll ranking as high as 14th during the regular season and sixth in the playoffs.
San Benito was the Valley’s top-ranked team this season.
THE NOMINEES
GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
>> Amanda Garza, Sr., San Benito
>> Ashley Benavides, Sr., Los Fresnos
>> Brittanie Best, Sr., McAllen Rowe
>> Emily Perez, Jr., La Joya Juarez-Lincoln
>> Jessica Tamen, Jr., Edinburg High
>> Laura Torres, Sr., Edinburg High
>> Samantha Sepulveda, Sr., Grulla
BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
>> Aaron Olvera, Sr., Edinburg High
>> Bobby Gonzalez, Sr., Weslaco East
>> Moises Gonzalez, Sr., Brownsville Lopez
>> Randy Bermea, Jr., Harlingen High
>> Ricky Mata, Sr., Sharyland
>> Skylore Janes, Sr., Raymondville
>> Tony Jaramillo, Sr., Rio Hondo
COACH OF THE YEAR
>> Clarisse Arredondo, San Benito Girls Basketball
>> David Gilpin, Mission Veterans Football
>> Eddie Serna, Weslaco High Baseball
>> Jose Espitia, Brownsville Porter Boys Soccer
>> Juan Hernandez, La Feria Tennis
>> Lorena Lopez, McAllen Memorial Volleyball
>> Manny Gomez, Harlingen High Football
GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR
>> Harlingen South Basketball
>> Hidalgo Basketball
>> McAllen High Soccer
>> McAllen Memorial Volleyball
>> McAllen Rowe Volleyball
>> Mission Veterans Track & Field
>> San Benito Softball
BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR
>> Brownsville Porter Soccer
>> Edinburg High Basketball
>> Harlingen High Football
>> PSJA Memorial Track & Field
>> Sharyland Baseball
>> Sharyland Track & Field
>> Weslaco East Football
PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
>> Edinburg High
>> Harlingen High
>> McAllen High
>> Mission Veterans
>> Rio Hondo
>> Sharyland
>> Weslaco High
MOMENT OF THE YEAR
>> Bermea breaks 23-year Valley record in 110 hurdles and 24-year mark in 300 hurdles.
>> PSJA Memorial wins 65-58 offensive showdown against La Joya Palmview during Week 1.
>> La Villa’s Garza eclipses Detmer’s all-time Valley single game passing mark.
>> Porter beats Lopez in battle of Southmost at regional soccer final in Brownsville.
>> Casas’ buzzer beater at end of regulation keeps Edinburg High’s season alive.
>> Garza’s hit on Gonzalez makes statement in Mission Veterans’ win against Weslaco East.
>> Edinburg High scores 17 unanswered in final eight minutes to stun Sharyland in playoffs.
SPIRIT AWARD
>> Brownsville Porter
>> Edcouch-Elsa
>> Edinburg High
>> Harlingen High
>> Los Fresnos
>> San Benito
>> Weslaco High
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT
>> Bobby Barker, Sr., Port Isabel
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT
>> Joe Rodriguez, Brownsville ISD
