EDINBURG — Topping Edinburg High’s list of priorities in its District 31-6A opener against La Joya High was containing Coyotes senior standout Ethan Moya.
Moya entered the game averaging 20.1 points on the year, but the Bobcats scratched and clawed their way to a 45-38 victory and limited La Joya’s lethal scorer to 17.
Edinburg High improved to 17-8 overall and 1-0 in 31-6A. La Joya High fell to 17-11 on the year and 0-1 in district.
“We know who Mr. Moya is and what he’s capable of, and we just had a good plan for him. We did several things we haven’t done all year, then again we haven’t played a player like him, so we knew we had to contain him,” Edinburg High head coach Zeke Cuellar said. “It’s hard to stop a kid like that.”
The Bobcats started fast and finished strong as senior guard Jahi Fagan scored seven points during the first quarter and six more in the fourth for a team-high 13. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out four assists and recorded one steal and one block.
“This was a good win, and we have to keep it going,” he said.
Ian Garcia finished with 11 points and five rebounds, and came through with clutch buckets in the paint during the fourth quarter to create some separation against the Coyotes. Ryan Rivera scored nine points with four assists, Joaquin Soto had seven points and four boards, and Noah Garza scored five points off the Bobcats’ bench.
“We talked to each other, gave each other confidence and helped build each other up,” Garcia said.
Although he didn’t register a point, Edinburg High senior Gabriel Negrete spearheaded the Bobcats’ defensive attack against Moya with relentless pressure, multiple looks and help from teammates. The Bobcats held Moya to two points during the decisive fourth quarter.
“Gabriel is our top defender. He’s our scrappy player, he’s a guy that’s going to fight for every rebound and dive on the floor when he needs to dive on the floor, and every team needs one of those types of players,” Cuellar said. “We’re just fortunate to have a player like him on our team.”
La Joya’s Arian Quintanilla found success inside against the Bobcats with 12 points and six rebounds. The Coyotes trimmed the Bobcats’ lead to 35-33 during the fourth quarter by turning to full-court pressure before Edinburg High pulled away.
“Both teams played tough. They played hard defensively, I thought Edinburg just made a couple more shots than we did, and that hurt us,” La Joya High head coach Eric Montalvo said. “We just have to bounce back. We’re an experienced group so they know that every game, every quarter, every possession counts, so they got to bounce back and be ready for the next one.”
The Coyotes will look to rebound when they face Edinburg Economedes (12-14, 0-1) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at La Joya High School.
On deck for Edinburg High is another high-profile matchup as the Bobcats pay a visit to crosstown rival Edinburg North (15-13, 1-0) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Edinburg North High School.
