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McALLEN — The McAllen Rowe Warriors were fresh off back-to-back seasons without earning a postseason berth when Alex Robles took over as head coach in 2018.

During his first year at the helm, the team’s struggles continued, winning just two games and finishing at the bottom of the district standings.

Since then, the Warriors have climbed the ranks, returning to the postseason in 2019 and 2020, finishing fourth and second in the district, respectively.

During Robles’ fourth year at the helm, the Warriors put it all together. McAllen Rowe finished this season with a 14-0 mark during District 31-5A play, capturing the district crown while earning their third straight postseason berth.

After leading the Warriors to a district title and the most wins in program history (32), Robles is the The Monitor’s 2021-22 All-Area Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for all the hard work that not only I put in, but that the team put in,” Robles said. “It’s a whole team effort from top to bottom. From those sleepless nights breaking down film, to trying to figure out the workouts for the following day. It just feels good that all our hard work is being recognized here at the end.”

The Warriors complied an overall mark of 32-5 this year, with four of their five losses coming against Class 6A opponents in non-district play. Following a loss to Edinburg Vela on Dec. 3, the Warriors reeled off 19 straight victories to close out the season.

The Warriors outscored opponents 1,039-607 during their 19-game winning streak, with an average margin of victory of 22.7 points per contest.

“We knew we had the pieces that were here that had established themselves,” Robles said. “We also knew we had some special pieces coming in, like our freshman that came in this year. We were solid at every position, and we had depth. We knew we could do something special. I just didn’t’ know it would be that type of historic season. From winning the most games in school history to being the first girls basketball team in Nikki Rowe high school to go undefeated in district play, it was truly amazing to see it happen.”

During the postseason, the Warriors dominated Mercedes during the Class 5A bi-district round, picking up a 60-23 victory. In the second round, McAllen Rowe nearly erased an 18-point deficit, clawing to within two before falling to Laredo Cigarroa 54-48.

Going into this fifth season, the bar has been raised for Robles and the Warriors, with postseason appearances becoming the norm.

Still, Robles and his squad are excited for the road ahead, with several key players from this season’s historic squad set to return.

“We had two wins our first season, to now winning 32. It’s an amazing feeling,” Robles said. “The stress of not winning many games our first year and not knowing what route we were going to take after that season, all we knew was it was going to take hard work. … To see that come into fruition at the end and accomplish what we accomplished this year, it’s just special. You don’t see too many programs or coaches being able to turn it around and have that success in the short amount of time. That goes to show the willingness by these girls to learn and get better to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

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