ALICE — Chants of “Who let the dogs out?” erupted inside the Alice High School gymnasium after the McAllen High Bulldogs defeated Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 54-47 in their Region IV-5A quarterfinal playoff matchup Saturday.
The victory sends the Bulldogs (22-7, 12-2) back to the fourth round of the postseason for the first time since 2014-15.
“It took a lot of energy, enthusiasm and effort on the boys’ part, and that’s what you saw out there. They played with great enthusiasm on every possession, practically,” McHi head coach Ryan Flores said. “They were zoned in and focused during timeouts, at halftime, in pregame. They really wanted it and they played so well. We have such a great team, they played together and that’s why we’re in the fourth round.”
Senior guard Quinllion Canada Jr. led the Bulldogs with 14 points and six assists. Three of his dimes came during the fourth quarter while Flour Bluff was desperate for stops. With the Hornets’ defense focused on Canada, he sliced his way past defenders to find teammates in the paint for easy buckets.
“We worked hard for this and it’s a great feeling when hard work pays off. We just played as a team,” Canada said. “We played with heart and passion, and that’s what keeps us together and separates us from different teams.”
McHi was in rhythm early and often, taking a 28-23 advantage into the locker room. Jaylon Chappell was a key contributor as he scored seven of his 12 points during the second quarter.
Flour Bluff fought back to tie the game at 31 early during the third, but McHi leaned on its defense to close out the victory.
“It’s a great feeling to be on the winning side. A lot of people doubted us but we’re proving them wrong,” Canada said.
Senior center Nathan Mangum made his presence felt down low for the Bulldogs with nine rebounds and four points.
“They were a good team and we knew it was going to be a battle with their height. I was just trying to get up there, get some boards and help my team out,” Mangum said.
McHi has now held all three of its playoff opponents to fewer than 50 points.
“We love defense. As a team, that’s what we focus on the most because we know defense wins games,” Chappell said.
Junior Robert Canul added 10 points for the Bulldogs, while freshman Danny Canul had nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. Jordon Chappell also had five for McHi.
Flores said he’s proud of his group coming together and accomplishing the goals they set throughout the unique 2020-21 season.
“With these unprecedented times, with the challenges and obstacles every team in the state of Texas has gone through, I’m so proud of their perseverance. To be able to stay focused on what we wanted to achieve as far as district, bi-district, area and now the regional quarterfinals moving on to the fourth round,” Flores said. “I’m proud of our team, I’m proud of our staff. It’s the campus, it’s the community, and we felt that energy from them and we fed off them tonight.”
The Bulldogs now move on to the Region IV-5A semifinals for a fourth-round playoff matchup against Georgetown. The game is tentatively scheduled to be played Tuesday. Time and location have yet be determined.
