SAN JUAN — Between the COVID-19 pandemic and a chaotic schedule, it’s been a roller-coaster ride of a season thus far for the PSJA High Bears.
After starting the season unbeaten in non-district play before stumbling in District 31-6A, the Bears closed the regular season strong by toppling a state-ranked Edinburg High team and taking rival PSJA North to the wire in a tight loss to end the regular season.
Now, PSJA High, which enters the postseason at 19-3 overall and No. 25 in Class 6A in the latest Texas Girls Coaches Association rankings, is playing for more than at any point in recent history during a season that many doubted would take place in the Rio Grande Valley.
“It has been tough this year with this pandemic and getting tested every week,” said senior point guard Ileana Martinez, one of two players to take the floor in all 22 regular-season games.
“We just pulled through it all together as a team by being cautious and staying safe. We had to follow the procedures for us to keep playing and not getting shut down. Overall, my team and I did very well in the (regular) season, coming out strong and pushing one another.”
“We didn’t get a real pre-season or offseason,” junior power forward Kaylah Hernandez said. “We decided as a team that we were going to work and compete and surprise a lot of people, and that’s what we did.”
Hernandez has starred down low for a Bears team that many opposing coaches and players across the Valley consider one of the area’s deepest teams.
Hernandez is one of four girls basketball players across the RGV this season to cross the 1,000 career points threshold, becoming the Valley’s youngest active player to reach that achievement in mid-December.
She has since asserted herself as one of the premier post players across South Texas in her third year as a varsity letterman. Hernandez has averaged 18.5 points — the second-highest mark in Hidalgo County and tops among post players — through 20 games this season to go along with 9.2 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
“The key to my success this year has been my teammates and our willingness to work hard for all of this,” she said. “I wouldn’t be here without them feeding me the ball most of the time. Yes, I get put-backs and steals that turn into fast breaks, but I couldn’t have done it without my three point guards. I am so blessed we were able to have a season. I had so much planned, and I am grateful to say I checked off my personal and team goal this season.”
With the help of fellow forward Norma Mendez, who has averaged 5.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per contest, and a dangerous trio of point guards — Martinez and juniors Heaven Estrada and Lesly Tinoco — the Bears have made it back to the state playoffs for the second time in the past five years and their first appearance since 2019.
The Bears’ backcourt trio has been one of the most prolific throughout the RGV this season with Estrada, Martinez and Tinoco combining for 33.6 points and 7.6 steals per game, making PSJA High just as dangerous on the fastbreak as the half court offensively.
Hernandez, Martinez and company will also have an opportunity to notch PSJA High’s first postseason victory in the last 15 years. Together, they believe their depth can power them to new heights after securing the program’s best regular-season finish in the last decade.
“Our lineup is stacked at the moment. We are a solid 11 group of girls. Put any of us in; it does not matter who we (face), we will put up a good fight,” Hernandez said. “It’s great to have role players come off the bench and contribute. It’s helped us come a long way from last season.”
PSJA High will host the Weslaco High Panthers (19-4), one of the Valley’s premier programs in Class 6A, at 7 tonight to tip off the bi-district round of the state playoffs, but the Bears believe they have the program’s first deep playoff run in a generation in store.
“Our point guard Lesly just works wonders; she’s our playmaker. Heaven is an amazing 3-point shooter, Kaylah is just an overall outstanding player and Norma fights really hard to get those boards,” Martinez said. “Our other teammates are really good as well because they will go in and they can pick up just fine. I’m glad to be leaving (PSJA High) with making the playoffs and, hopefully, a (trip to the) second round with my team.”
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @ByAndyMcCulloch
