Let’s hear it for La Villa

It’s truly amazing what head coach Rick Cantu has done in La Villa.

Being a Class A school, the press and recognition sometimes eludes a tiny team like the Cardinals.

La Villa opened up the 2006-07 regular season with a loss to St, Joseph’s Academy.

But the Cardinals bounced back and a few weeks later reached the championship game at the C.E. Vail Tournament in La Feria.

La Villa faced Harlingen but lost 77-70 against the bigger and deeper Cardinals.

It’d be La Villa’s last loss of the regular season.

The Cards are currently riding a 17-game winning streak and earned a bi-district bye in the state playoffs next week.

They will however play a warm-up game against Sharyland on Friday in Mission.

Seniors J.D. Cisneros and Louis King lead Villa. Cisneros leads the team averaging 18.8 points per game. King scores an average eof 18.2 an outing.

King is among the leaders in the Valley with 11.7 rebounds a contest

Cisneros and Rey Perez also average four assist per game. And Rocky Rodriguez (3.9), Perez (3.4) and Cisneros (3.3) are among the steals leaders in the Valley, too.

STAY HOME NEXT TIME: I hate neutral sites!

Well, Let me clear it up a little.

Most of the time I hate neutral sites.

I don’t mind them when they’re practical.

Rio Hondo is playing Zapata in a Class 3A bi-district contest next week on Wednesday. It’s a pretty long drive to make especially on a school night. So the two schools decided on a more centralized location and the game will be played in Rio Grande City.

Fair enough. It makes sense.

All four representatives from 30-5A are playing Laredo schools. So it’s only obvious to find a neutral site.

But then there are those other times that you just have to scratch your head and wonder why these coaches elected to play in a neutral site.

District 31-5A champs Edinburg is playing District 32-5A fourth-place Brownsville Porter.

Now the drive from Brownsville to Edinburg isn’t anywhere near as long as Rio Hondo and Zapata.

Yet the Cowboys and Bobcats will play in La Feria on Wednesday.

The PSJA North-Los Fresnos game will be played in neutral Harlingen High.

Now there’s nothing absolutely wrong with choosing a neutral site. But it does seem a little too early to start doing it.

It might save a few minutes of travel time in the long run.

But all it’s really doing is stripping the team and fans of their right to play and watch another home game.

It just doesn’t make sense.

HOOPS HEAVEN: Due to some coaches’ decision to play in neutral sites, basketball fans in the San Benito-Harlingen-La Feria area will benefit.

District 32-5A champions Weslaco hit the road to face Harlingen South in their bi-district clash on Wednesday.

First-year Harlingen South head coach Brian Molina was an assistant at Weslaco for several years and there’s still a mutual respect between Molina and the Panthers players. It’ll be the first time Molina coaches against his former team.

In San Benito, Roy Garcia’s Greyhounds will be rewarded for their first playoff appearance since 1961 with a home game.

San Benito hosts the PSJA Bears also on Wednesday hoping to keep the postseason dream alive.

As for the neutral sites, Edinburg and Porter face off in La Feria and PSJA North at Los Fresnos at Harlingen High.

So pick a game and have a great time. They should all be good.

GUZMAN’S GROUP: With the exception of four-year starter Aaron Garza, Rio Hondo lost most of its basketball team that’s reached the third round of the postseason the last couple of years.

And while outsider’s expectations weren’t high for head coach Joe Guzman and his Bobcats, Guzman proved again that you can’t count him out.

After a dreadful start, Guzman and the Bobcats ended on a high note battling to a 4-4 District 32-3A mark and second place in the league standings.

The Bobcats face Zapata in the first round of the playoffs at RGC.

Eladio Jaimez covers boys basketball for the Valley Morning Star. He can be reached at 956-430-6285 or eladioj@valleystar.com.