|
Only have a minute? Listen instead
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
McALLEN — The McAllen High Bulldogs entered this year with lofty expectations as the team to beat in the Rio Grande Valley after finishing the 2020-21 campaign with a playoff run to the Elite 8 at the Class 5A level.
The Bulldogs never let the pressure get to them, however. McHi head coach Ryan Flores helped the Bulldogs (32-9, 12-2) capture a share of the District 31-5A championship for the second straight year and put together a postseason run that ended in the Region IV-5A semifinals.
After leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back district titles and back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, Flores is The Monitor’s 2021-22 All-Area Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.
“It’s been a great blessing. I’ve had great groups here in my eight years as the head coach at McAllen High School,” he said. “We keep getting great, coachable kids. It just so happened these past two years, we’ve had some pretty good athletes to come along with it. I just feel so blessed and so happy that I was able to coach them and the way I coach them has been a great privilege.”
The Bulldogs’ road to the Sweet 16 included playoff wins over Brownsville Veterans (52-31), Victoria West (49-45) and Corpus Christi Flour Bluff (42-38) before ultimately falling to state qualifier Boerne-Champion.
Whether the Bulldogs were in front or trailing during late-game situations, Flores kept his composure, which translated to his players. Instead of tensing up during do-or-die moments, McHi learned to flourish. The results were an area playoff overtime victory over Victoria West and a late comeback win against Flour Bluff in the regional quarterfinals.
“I’ve been coaching 19 years. My father’s a coach, brothers are coaches, my uncle, my cousin — we’re a family of teachers and coaches,” Flores said. “As a coach, as a player, I’ve been there before. I see the situation and try not to lose my cool because if I show I’m scared or frustrated in any way, it’s going to go to the kids. I tell the kids we’ve been here before. Let’s continue our gameplan, executing on offense and we’re going to be alright. Win or lose, we’re going to do our best, and it’s worked so far.”
With back-to-back district titles and a combined seven playoff wins over the last two seasons, the expectations for McHi hoops continues to grow. Several key contributors return for the Bulldogs next year, and in order to keep their hot streak alive, Flores knows they have to take things one game at a time.
“This group plays hard for themselves, for their families, for me, for the staff and community and school itself. There’s a lot of tradition and pride that comes with McHi and I’m just proud to be a part of it,” he said. “It’s humbling to be a part of it and I’m glad I’m able to coach these guys.”
