RIO HONDO — The Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats achieved something no other Rio Grande Valley team did, as they went undefeated during the 2020-21 regular season.
Now, the District 32-4A champions are aiming to use their defense-first approach to go on a long playoff run. Rio Hondo (15-0, 10-0) hasn’t made it past the bi-district round since 2014, but the Lady Bobcats are feeling good about ending that streak when they take on Alice at 6:30 p.m. today in Rio Hondo.
Senior Natalie Martinez is a four-year letterman and “the absolute leader” of the team. Martinez said she has been emphasizing to her teammates every day how much she wants to get past Round 1, and with the team playing well and feeling confident after an undefeated season, she thinks the Lady Bobcats will get it done.
“I’ve never passed the first round of playoffs in any of my years, and I really believe this is the year we can do that. That’s my goal and our goal,” Martinez said. “Most of these girls haven’t played in a playoff game, so you have to build their confidence and teach them, and tell them that we have to get past the first round.”
Rio Hondo only returned a small handful of varsity players from last season, so coach Victor Sauceda wasn’t sure what to expect this season. He knew the big three of Martinez, sophomore Eliza Rodriguez and junior Alexis Rhyner would be a solid core, but there was a good amount of mixing up the lineup throughout the year.
Sauceda credited Mia Zuniga, Clarissa Selvera and Gladys Garcia for being key pieces that stepped up this season. Zuniga received quality varsity minutes last year, and Garcia and Selvera are two members of Rio Hondo’s 2020 district champion JV squad that moved up and “chipped in at different times.” Sauceda praised all his players for buying into the system and embracing their roles for the better of the team.
“It’s special when you can go undefeated in a season, I never in my wildest dreams thought something like that would happen,” Sauceda said. “But the girls believe in what we’re doing. Basketball’s a team sport, so you try to teach them the right way of finding each other and making the right plays. They understand what I’m telling them and they execute to the best of their abilities, and that’s all you can ask.”
Martinez and Sauceda both felt Rio Hondo’s first district game, a 40-33 win at La Feria, set the tone and showed the Lady ’Cats their potential. They’re not the biggest team out there, so they rely on their speed and athleticism to let their defense anchor their success.
“I really don’t care who’s scoring, just as long as they’re playing good defense,” Sauceda said. “That’s kind of been our mantra. These girls know we’re going to be aggressive defensively, we’re going to create turnovers. That’s what’s been good for us. Trapping girls, trying to make them uncomfortable, steals, deflections, all those little things that give you extra possessions.”
Martinez and Rodriguez lead the defensive effort and are the team’s top scorers. Sauceda called them both “once-in-a-lifetime kids that really progress your program.” Rhyner is a three-year letter winner and multi-sport standout who is “breaking out of her shell” and hitting big shots with consistency to go along with her defense.
Rhyner believed from Day 1 that the Lady ’Cats would do big things this year, and she credits the team’s chemistry and commitment to giving their best effort every play for the success. She thinks those qualities will help Rio Hondo return to the area round.
“Last year, I didn’t really score, but these last few games I’ve been scoring more. Natalie and Eliza always score, so now adding me just makes it better,” Rhyner said. “We all work well together, especially on defense. (Sauceda) always tells us, ‘The one thing you can’t teach is effort.’ On defense, it’s all about effort for us, and we just try to go 100 percent all the time.”
Martinez believes her team’s defensive prowess will keep her senior season alive at least another week. She called it a blessing to get to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and she’s ready to lead the Lady Bobcats to reach a goal she’s been working toward for four years.
“It feels great knowing we practiced this hard and we came this far,” Martinez said. “Knowing it’s my senior year, I was trying to make the best of it and I’m glad I got a good group of girls that helped me out. I’m really grateful we were able to have a season and finish (the regular season) like this, and we’re not done yet.”
