District races are heating up for the large districts and beginning in others as girls basketball heads out of the holiday break.
Sharyland Pioneer picked up a huge win to go to the top of District 31-5A after beating Edinburg Vela. The meeting featured two previously unbeaten teams in district, but it is now the Diamondbacks that control their destiny in the district after beating the Saber Cats 55-43 on Tuesday night.
The Diamondbacks meet city rival Sharyland High at noon Friday at home. Sharyland Pioneer has won every district game by double figures.
Pioneer is first in District 31-5A at 8-0, Edinburg Vela is next at 7-1, McAllen Rowe is 6-2 and McHi is 5-3.
Harlingen South is still the No. 1 seed in District 32-5A despite losing a crazy game against Brownsville Lopez last Saturday.
The Hawks are 7-1, tied with Brownsville Veterans, but hold the tiebreaker after beating the Chargers to open district. Mercedes and Brownsville Lopez are both 6-2. The next meeting between Harlingen South and Brownsville Veterans is at 6 p.m Jan. 9 at South.
La Joya Palmview is alone atop District 30-5A after beating Laredo Nixon last Friday and Mission Veterans on Tuesday, and Roma fell to Laredo Nixon on Tuesday.
The Lobos are in prime position to win their first district title in program history. La Joya Palmview faces Roma at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Roma. The Gladiators are a game behind the Lobos at 3-1 in district.
The Class 6A teams join the party Friday.
District 32-6A features a contest between the top two teams from last season, Harlingen High and Weslaco High, two of the Rio Grande Valley’s most consistent programs in recent seasons. The Cardinals and Panthers meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Weslaco.
Also playing Friday is San Benito and Brownsville Hanna at Hanna, and Brownsville Rivera and Los Fresnos face off at Los Fresnos.
The battle for the playoffs and the title in District 32-6A is as wide open as it has been in recent years. Harlingen High has won five straight titles but has had a lot of top RGV talent graduate the past two seasons.
Harlingen High, Weslaco High, San Benito and Los Fresnos finished in that order last season, but it could be shaken up.
Any team from 32-6A should be happy to make the playoffs, but all should want to avoid Edinburg High. It is no disrespect to the remainder of District 31-6A, but the Bobcats are extremely likely to win the district without a blemish.
The Bobcats are the best team in the Valley with a record of 24-2. Edinburg High’s only losses came to San Antonio Pieper and Converse Judson.
Edinburg High faces Mission High on Friday. PSJA High takes on Edinburg Economedes, and Edinburg North meets La Joya High also on Friday.
The latest Valley rankings:
1. Edinburg High
2. Harvest Christian
3. Weslaco High
4. Sharyland Pioneer
5. Edinburg Vela
6. San Benito
7. La Joya Palmview
8. Harlingen South
9. Brownsville Veterans
10. McAllen Rowe
