McALLEN — Before the McAllen Rowe Warriors tipped off their Region IV-5A area round game against Corpus Christi Veterans on Thursday, the team put their arms around each other and formed a huddle near their free-throw line.

In the center of the circle was Rowe senior Louie Yebra.

Although the team captain and one of the Rio Grande Valley’s top players hasn’t been able to lead the Warriors on the court due to an injury suffered early during the season, his leadership is still making an impact. He turned and spoke to each of his teammates in the huddle, firing them up for their second-round playoff game.

McAllen Rowe senior Louie Yebra (center in black) speaks to his Warriors’ teammates before their Region IV-5A area round playoff matchup against Corpus Christi Veterans on Thursday at Weslaco High School.

Rowe (22-5, 12-2) proceeded to defeat Corpus Christi Veterans 64-52 and punch its ticket back to the third round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

With Yebra (17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.1 steals, 3.5 blocks in six games) unable to play the majority of the season, the Warriors have turned the keys of the offense over to Darren Manriquez.

The sophomore point guard answered the call by spearheading the Warriors’ attack, helping lead his team to winning a fifth straight district championship.

Manriquez has averaged 21.3 points, 4.7 assists and 5.1 steals through 20 games, and at one point, put together a string of five straight 30-point games during district play.

“I’m just trying to get my team involved, get team wins, and if the points come, they come,” Manriquez said after scoring 31 points during a 62-42 win over rival McAllen High on Jan. 15.

McAllen Rowe’s Darren Manriquez (13) drives to the basket against Corpus Christi Veterans in a 5A area round playoff game at Weslaco High School on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

McAllen Rowe head coach Jose Luis Yebra said he’s seen the maturity in Manriquez’s game after giving him big minutes as a freshman last season.

Yebra even made Manriquez a team captain this year, showing the confidence and trust Rowe has in the young point guard.

“His growth has been scoring the ball and I’ve always known he’s played good defense. He takes great pride in his defense and he loves to score,” Yebra said after their game against McHi. “Darren has the ability to score whenever he wants to, and the rest of our guys are stepping up, scoring and really coming through for us.”

Manriquez is joined on the court by four versatile players who have the ability to spread the floor and beat teams inside led by senior captain Patrick Tarbutton, Julian Avila, Elijah Alcantar and Emiliano Ramirez.

Each player was key in Rowe’s second round playoff win over Corpus Christi Veterans as Ramirez scored 14, Tarbutton and Avila had 12 apiece, and Alcantar had eight points and pulled down 12 rebounds. When the Eagles’ defense focused on Manriquez, he got everybody else involved to pull off the big win.

McAllen Rowe’s Elijah Alcantar (11) celebrates the team victory over Corpus Christi Veterans in a 5A area round playoff game at Weslaco High School on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Now, the Warriors are back in the third round, hoping to keep their season alive. It’s the same round their season ended a year ago while competing at the Class 6A level.

The Warriors are set for their Region IV-5A regional quarterfinal matchup against Victoria West (18-2, 14-2), slated for a 5:30 p.m. tip today at Alice High School. The Victoria West Warriors beat Roma 93-39 in the first round and Sharyland Pioneer 54-49 in the second to advance to the regional quarterfinals.

“We’re just going to have to continue to play good defense and control the boards like we did today. We’re going to have to play as a team and shoot the ball well,” Yebra said. “Victoria West is a very athletic team. We’re going to have to play some good defense and do our job.”