BROWNSVILLE — Brownsville Veterans is in familiar territory — a second round meeting with Victoria East.
Last season the Chargers won.
This season, they are hoping for the same success when they travel to Alice tonight to face Victoria East at 6 p.m.
Brownsville Veterans did graduate some key players from last season, but with a decent amount of experience returning and young players stepping up, the Chargers are ready for another meeting against Victoria East.
“I think we are getting to a point where we need to be this time of year,” Brownsville Veterans head coach Arnold Torres said.
The Chargers captured another District 32-5A title this season before beating McAllen Memorial 48-36 in the bi-district round.
The Chargers are expecting another tough area round meeting against Victoria East.
“We are excited, same team – same gym,” senior guard Annie Cisneros said. “We are familiar with them and I feel like we are ready. We have been preparing all season for this.”
Cisneros is one of the many terrific Chargers guards that could score and that could run up and down the court.
Brownsville Veterans picked up 23 points from junior guard Brianna Barnes in the bi-district victory over McAllen Memorial. Barnes, Cisneros along with Brianna Brackhahn and Daniela Sauceda are the leading scores for the Chargers.
“The are a really aggressive team,” Barnes said about Victoria East. “They were all up on us last year. We need to do what we did last year to get the win.”
Barnes, Cisneros and sophomore guard Tatiana Mercado praised Torres for their development in the program as well as the success the program has had the last few seasons.
“I feel honored, I love playing with these girls and being coached by Coach T,” Mercado said. “It is very nice being on a team like this.”
Class 6A teams alive
Harlingen High played a tough non-district schedule before going on a run in District 32-6A that saw them finish second and then pick up a bi-district victory over Edinburg North on Tuesday.
The Cardinals reward, the best team in San Antonio – Brennan.
Harlingen High meets SA Brennan at 6:30 p.m. at Corpus Christi Carrol High School tonight.
The Cardinals looked great pressing, a tradition around Harlingen High, and had plenty of depth to keep them fresh while doing it.
Brennan is currently 28-3 and went 16-0 in District 29-6A.
San Benito
The Greyhounds finished third in District 32-6A in 2024 and were rewarded with Mission High in round one. San Benito picked up the 13-point win to set up a meeting with the only team from District 30-6A to pick up a win against District 29-6A.
Laredo United South has played some of the best teams in South Texas all season and enter the meeting at 7 p.m. tonight in Flour Bluff with a 20-8 record and as District 30-6A champs.
San Benito’s Angie Reyes averaged 16.7 ppg as a junior this season and needs to be a key player against one of the best teams in South Texas. The Greyhounds have plenty of other solid players like Jakeida Ibarra, Lorena Segura, Jade Maya and Daisy Esquivel to name a few.
If the Greyhounds are on, they are one of the best teams in the Valley.
Sub-5A teams still in the hunt
All the teams currently remaining in the Lower Valley were in the second round last season, only Brownsville Veterans and Rio Hondo made it round three.
Rio Hondo continued winning tradition, this year they were forced to share the District 32-3A title with Lyford, but are still primed for a possible deep run like last season.
The Bobcats face George West at 8 p.m. in Kingsville.
Rio Hondo’s Emily Molina, Abby Atkinson and Hadassah Campbell all averaged points in the double-figures a night this season for the Bobcats. Molina and Atkinson are two of the best outside shooters in the Valley.
The pair will need to be ready against one of the best teams in District 29-3A that battled it out with Goliad and Aransas Pass for seeding.
La Feria
The Lionettes are back in the area round for a third straight season and are the last team standing from District 32-4A after their rivals were dispatched from the playoffs early in the week.
La Feria has a challenging opponent in West Oso at 6 p.m. Friday in Kingsville before the Rio Hondo vs. George West game.
West Oso has some impressive wins this campaign, taking down La Joya Palmview and Flour Bluff, two Class 5A playoff teams before breezing through district.
The Lionettes have the shooters and post players to potentially keep up with West Oso.
Third time could be a charm for La Feria.
