EDINBURG — It is now or never for the Valley’s best girls basketball team.
Despite having some of the most talented players the last couple of seasons, the Bobcats have fallen in the second round. Edinburg High’s senior core of Madison Martinez, Kimora Fagan and Emily Carranco are all grown up now and eager to face San Antonio Sotomayor at 7 p.m. tonight at Calallen High School in Corpus Christi.
It has not been easy the past two seasons going against one of the best teams in South Texas, Laredo United South. The Bobcats have lost the last two seasons in the area round to the Panthers.
It is never easy for the Valley’s Class 6A basketball teams in the second round with the potential of having to meet state ranked teams from District 29-6A.
Sotomayor made it to the area round with a 54-42 win over Laredo United.
“They are athletic,” Edinburg High head coach J.D. Salinas said. “They can run, dribble – run the floor in transition. A lot of their points against Laredo United came off of transition layups. We didn’t see what Sotomayor was like in a true offensive set.”
Salinas said his team is prepared for anything the San Antonio team could do tonight.
“I think our girls, especially the ones that have been with us for some time know our system very well,” Salinas said. “They know what to expect and they do not get rattled by what defense you are going to throw at us.”
Fagan, Carranco and Martinez all have the green light offensively to take shots whenever they need to, it doesn’t matter where they at in their offensive possession as long as their feet are right and they take a good balanced shot, Salinas said.
Fagan is a player that takes advantage of that. The 2,000 career point scorer hit four 3-pointers against Los Fresnos, some were quick answers after the Falcons hit a big shot.
“You have to do what you have to do to win,” Fagan said. “That is where the green light comes from.”
Fagan averaged 23 points per game this season. Carranco also averaged 23 points, and also reached 2,000 career points this season and started the last time the Bobcats made it to the third round when she was a freshman.
“I was nervous as heck starting as a freshman with JaNai Coleman as well,” Carranco said. “The atmosphere was crazy and I felt like I had a lot of pressure as well because of the seniors, just knowing it could possibly be their last game. I had to step it up.”
Coleman is also in the area round but will be playing against Gregory-Portland for Edinburg Vela.
Carranco, Fagan and Martinez all praised Salinas along with his staff of Aaron Olvera, George Olvera and Natalie Alaniz for their mentorship in the program the last four seasons, calling them ‘father figures’.
“It has been a memorable time,” Martinez said. “The coaches are great, the girls are great and the teams that I have played with throughout the years have been really good. We are hoping to make a longer run this year and cherish these last moments with each other.”
The Bobcats had country music blaring at practice Thursday as they potentially practiced one last time.
“I don’t want the season to end,” Fagan said. “Just talking about it makes me emotional. This is something I have been doing as a freshman – go to school, basketball.”
Salinas said if you are an incoming freshman and you can impact the varsity team somehow, and at a good level, you are going to play varsity.
That is a key to keep his program fresh.
“When these girls came in they were hoopers,” Salinas said. “Kimora, Maddy and Emily were good role players, but by the time they became juniors they already know what our system is like and by the time they are seniors they are like coaches on the court.”
The Bobcats are 35-2 on the season with the only losses coming to Comal Pieper and Converse Judson. Edinburg High has beaten San Antonio competition with the most impressive being against Harlan, the second seed in 29-6A. Harlan and Sotomayor split district meetings.
The Bobcats are not the only Upper Valley team making the trek up north. McAllen Rowe takes on Flour Bluff, Edinburg Vela meets Gregory Portland, Weslaco High faces SA Harland and two growing IDEA programs IDEA Edinburg and IDEA Donna have tough competition waiting for them in Class 3A.
