The Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) unveiled its All-Region Teams for the 2020-21 season Wednesday with several Rio Grande Valley hoopers earning recognition for their play on the hardwood. The All-Region teams are made up of the top 20 players in each of the University Interscholastic League’s four regions across the state, and were voted on by TABC regional coordinators and committees.
CLASS 6A
The RGV landed four players on the Class 6A All-Region IV Team in PSJA North’s Elijah De La Garza, Edinburg Economedes’ Ray De Leon, Los Fresnos’ Gerry Martinez and La Joya High’s Bernie Vera.
De La Garza, a senior guard, averaged 26.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 steals and 2.1 steals in 18 games for the Raiders this season.
The Jaguars’ junior forward De Leon tallied 27.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 4.1 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. De Leon helped Economedes finish 16-8 overall and get back into the playoffs after a one-year absence.
Los Fresnos’ sophomore guard Martinez led the Falcons to a 23-5 overall record while posting 20.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.8 assists per game.
Vera, the lone representative from the 31-6A champion Coyotes, was one of the region’s top post players as he averaged a double-double with 18.2 points and 10 rebounds per game. La Joya finished the year 22-4 and reached the area round of the Class 6A playoffs.
CLASS 5A
District 31-5A co-champions McAllen High and McAllen Rowe, and District 32-5A champion Brownsville Pace each placed one player on the Class 5A All-Region IV Team.
Quinllion Canada Jr. was the driving force behind McAllen High’s historic season that ended in the Elite 8, which tied the program record for the furthest a Bulldogs’ team advanced in the state playoffs. The McHi senior guard and team captain filled every category of the stat sheet with 9.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals and nearly one block a game.
Junior guard Christian Guajardo led the Pace Vikings to a 13-0 district record while averaging 20.8 points, 3.3 assists and 2.6 steals.
Sophomore point guard Darren Manriquez spearheaded the Rowe Warriors’ attack by recording 21.3 points, 5.1 steals and 4.7 assists per game. Manriquez and the Warriors also advanced to Round 3 of the Class 5A playoffs.
CLASS 4A
The top two teams from District 32-4A, Port Isabel and Hidalgo, both landed one player on the Class 4A Region IV Team.
Hidalgo senior post Kyle Perales averaged a double-double with 21.7 points and 13.1 rebounds in seven games played this season.
Port Isabel’s Cole Pinkerton helped his team win its first district title in more than 30 years and reach Round 4 of the playoffs.
CLASS 3A
A pair of Santa Rosa Warriors were named Class 3A All-Region IV players in seniors David Balzaldua and Evan Olivarez.
Balzaldua finished as the team’s leading rebounder with 8.2 to go with 13.8 points per game, while Olivarez scored 15 points and dished out 5.5 assists per game.
The duo helped Santa Rosa put together a 16-4 overall record and reach the Region IV-3A championship game.
CLASS 2A
Santa Maria’s Bernardino Castellanos and Chris Ibarra both earned all-region honors as they guided their team to Round 3 of the postseason and picked up a district 32-2A championship in the process.
CLASS 1A
A trio of San Perlita Trojans and one San Isidro Tiger were named to the all-region team.
Max Garciani, James Herrera and Ely Terry all played key roles in San Perlita’s playoff run to this year’s Elite 8 to earn all-region recognition.
San Isidro’s Marcos Barrera averaged a whopping 28.4 points, 105 rebounds and 3.9 steals per game.
