No team in the Metro area was close to Brownsville Veterans Memorial this season, and the Lady Chargers were led by two special players, Caite Esquivel and Bryanna Buitureira.
Those two are The Brownsville Herald’s 2021-2022 All-Metro Girls Basketball Co-Most Valuable Players.
“Honestly, I would not want to share with anyone else,” Buitureira said. “Everyone knows that Bry and Caite are the dynamic duo. We have grown up and played together since fifth grade. I would not want to share with anybody else.”
Buitureira and Esquivel helped the Lady Chargers capture a third straight undefeated district title and advance to the second round of the playoffs. The closest game they had in district was a 15-point win against Donna High.
“It feels pretty good to end the season on a good note,” Esquivel said. “It feels good to share the MVP with my teammate, who I have played with for so long. That feels even better. It is a great honor, and I feel pride in receiving the award.”
Esquivel, the Metro area MVP last season, took home District 32-5A’s defensive player of the year award this season. Esquivel averaged a double-double per game, averaging 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds per game.
“I feel this is one of my best years,” she said. “I was happy to play with my teammates, have a great coach and enjoy the game. I go into every game wanting to help my team win overall. I try and grab as many rebounds as I can, but overall, the team’s success means more than my success.”
Buitureira, District 32-5A’s Co-MVP, averaged 11.1 points per game, chipped in 5.7 rebounds and dropped four assists per game. Both girls could have had better stats but often were relaxing late in games as they cruised through district play.
“It is a blessing. It means a lot because I worked very hard,” Buitureira said. “I play all year around the past eight years, and it feels good to see that hard work pays off. My goal no matter where I am at is to do whatever it takes to win the game.”
Brownsville Veterans coach Arnold Torres said everyone in the area knew that Esquivel and Buitureira were a huge part of the team’s success.
“They made the team better every time they were on the court,” he said. “They did a good job getting the rest of the team involved. Their presence on the court made us the team that we were and made us better.”
Co-Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year
Ashley Gonzalez, Brownsville Pace, and Sarahi Jones, Los Fresnos
Besides Esquivel and Buitureira, no two players meant more to their teams’ success in the Metro area than Sarahi Jones and Ashley Gonzalez.
Both girls had massive impacts on both sides of the court and have been rewarded for such throughout the careers.
Without the girls doing everything they can on both sides of the court, neither Los Fresnos nor Brownsville Pace might not have made the postseason. It is fitting that the girls are honored in both categories as The Herald’s co-offensive and defensive players of the year.
Ashley Gonzalez averaged 19 points per game and was awarded District 32-5A Co-MVP honors. She also grabbed an average of 10 rebounds per game and blocked five shots per game, and provided assists and steals as she willed her team in the postseason.
“It has been a very hard four years for me,” Gonzalez said. “It feels really good to actually feel noticed in the Valley and the district. I put so much hard work and effort into this season. It feels good to actually be recognized.”
In a big game against Weslaco East — with the playoffs hanging in the balance for the Lady Vikings — Gonzalez posted a triple-double with 14 points, 11 blocked shots and 10 rebounds. The senior finished with six assists as well, nearly missing out on the illustrious quadruple-double.
“I would have to try and find ways to help my team win,” she said. “It was not easy, but there is always a way to help both sides, offensively and defensively, and to be able to get it done for them. It was fun. I loved it.”
Blocks have a huge impact on a game. Sending a ball into the seats lifts teammates’ spirits and sends the crowd into a frenzy.
“It is such a great feeling to get a block,” Gonzalez said.
Said Pace coach Eddie Lozano, “Since she came in as a freshman, she has been a big piece to what we have done. When she is getting 10-plus rebounds a game and four or five blocks a game, you cannot beat that. It gives the rest of the girls confidence, because they know they have her behind them to clean everything up.”
Gonzalez was a great three-point shooter, too, was able to take on defenders and finish at the rim with ease as she averaged 19 points per game, one of the highest marks in the Rio Grande Valley.
“I am not going take any credit for her shooting ability,” Lozano said. “She came in shooting 3s like nothing and eventually developed her game little by little to become the player she was this year.”
Jones, the District 32-6A offensive player of the year, was the All-Metro defensive player of the year last season. She averaged 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds per game. Jones also provided key blocks and steals in big situations throughout the year.
“I knew coming in the season, I had to step up on both sides of the court,” Jones said. “Especially as a senior year, I knew I was going to have to step up and make plays. I just made it my goal to make an impact offensively and defensively.”
Los Fresnos’ most impressive win came at Harlingen High. The Lady Falcons erased a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Lady Cardinals in overtime.
Jones scored 20 points that night, went 8-for-9 from the free-throw line, blocked two shots and grabbed 15 rebounds. 10 of which were on the defensive side of the ball.
Jones said that was a big win for the Lady Falcons this season because it snapped a 12-year losing streak to Harlingen High, and she said it felt good ending the streak.
Jones also said she could have stepped up more. The Lady Falcons finished fourth in district and lost a tough playoff game against Edinburg Vela.
“I could have been a better leader on the court,” she said. “I felt like I was not vocal enough with the girls. I could have stepped up a little more. Maybe our season could have gone differently.”
Los Fresnos coach Alex Lucio said everyone knew about Jones being the team’s backbone and that if she had to do more on defense or offense, she was there.
“She was just that player that could do so many things for us this season,” he said. “She led us in every aspect of the game: points, steals, rebounds and blocks. She was everything for our team. It is a big miss when you lose a player like Sarahi.”
Newcomer of the Year
Aylene Ortega, Los Fresnos
The junior made the jump from junior varsity to varsity with ease this past season. It looked like she had been on the varsity team before with the way she finished at the rim and controlled the post, making her one of the best interior threats in the Metro area.
“I am very excited, I did not see it coming, but all of the hard work paid off,” she said. Ortega was District 32-6A’s newcomer of the year as well.
“It was an amazing year, I am grateful for the opportunity my coach gave me, but I could have done way better.”
She averaged 10.1 points per game to go along with 8.7 rebounds per game, nearly averaging a double-double for the season. In the Harlingen High game, Ortega was clutch in overtime, netting big points down the stretch to pull off the win.
“Honestly, she stepped up a lot for us this year,” Lucio said. “She was our force in the paint. We used her in a lot of pick-and-roll situations. She developed so much in the last couple of years. I am so proud of the way she stepped up and helped our team.”
Coach of the Year
Arnold Torres, Brownsville Veterans
Torres continues to solidify the Lady Chargers as the premier program in the Metro area. The All-Metro coach of the year led his team a third straight undefeated District 32-5A championship.
“I feel very blessed,” he said. “I know there is a lot of good coaches in the area and the Valley, so to receive this honor is a blessing. I always tell people we are only successful as our kids. Our kids did a great job this year. That honor goes not only to the players, but the administration and faculty for all of their support.”
The Lady Chargers also picked up a playoff victory over Sharyland Pioneer, finishing with a 29-8 record and collecting solid non-district wins against Los Fresnos, Harlingen South and Edinburg High, all playoff teams from 6A.
“I want to thank the administration, my coaching staff and players,” Torres said. “None of this could have been done without their support and commitment to the program. I also want to thank my family, my wife and my kids because throughout the long hours and everything, their support means a lot to me. The support of that entire group is the reason we were successful.”
The Brownsville Herald’s 2021-2022 All-Metro Girls Basketball Team
Superlatives
Co-Most Valuable Player
Bryanna Buitureira, Brownsville Veterans
Caite Esquivel, Brownsville Veterans
Co-Offensive Player and Defensive Players of the Year
Ashley Gonzalez, Brownsville Pace
Sarahi Jones, Los Fresnos
Newcomer of the Year
Aylene Ortega, Los Fresnos
Coach of the Year
Arnold Torres, Brownsville Veterans
First team
Regina Tovar, Brownsville St. Joseph
Alexa Torres, Brownsville Veterans
Mariana Espinosa, Brownsville Veterans
Olivia Parra, Los Fresnos
Layni Mata, Port Isabel
