Eagles and Patriots meet again
On Tuesday night at Mission High School, the Veterans Memorial Patriots and the Mission Eagles squared off once again in a double-header, with both the girls and boys varsity basketball teams in action. This is not a mistake. This is the first district matchup between the two teams following the Eagles’ reclassification from 6A to 5A. The stakes of this game, and the many games that will follow, will surely intensify the rivalry between these two sister schools.
Lady Patriots vs Lady Eagles
The girls’ game tipped off the evening as the (8-6, 2-1) Lady Patriots faced off against the (4-10, 0-2) Lady Eagles. Both teams struggled to find their rhythm early, but the Eagles were the first to gain momentum, attacking the Patriots inside while keeping their guards under control. A buzzer-beating three-pointer by Cassandra Salas gave the Eagles a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Patriots showcased impressive ball movement, finding open cutters for easy baskets to chip away at the Eagles’ lead. However, the Eagles responded by improving their offense, which helped them maintain a six-point advantage heading into halftime at 26-20. Pamela Zapata and Kayla Alaniz led the charge for the Eagles in the third quarter, applying pressure on the Patriots throughout.
In the fourth quarter, the Eagles took control with a strong performance from Alaniz, who scored six points. Salas, Victoria Guzman, and Bella Rivera each contributed with key baskets and free throws, sealing the game with a 47-32 victory.
Eagles’ Kayla Alaniz finished with a game-high 17 points. Bella Rivera finished with ten points. Pamela Zapata finished with eight points. Victoria Guzman finished with seven points. Cassandra Salas finished with three points.
Patriots’ Briselda Chimely finished with 16 points. Caylie Montalvo finished with nine points. Savanna Trevino finished with five points and Bella Canizalez finished with two points.
After the game, Progress Times spoke with Patriots’ head coach Nelly Trevino, who told us, “It was a tough game. We knew it would be challenging, especially since we’re playing in their house, but it’s been exciting to watch the girls go out and see them improve.”
Despite the loss, Trevino remains optimistic about her young team, “This is my first year with them and they’ve been doing great. Their record is already better than last year, and the season is just beginning.”
Trevino highlighted the team’s recent achievements, including a win over the Rio Grande City Rattlers, who they hadn’t beaten in four years and a victory over the Roma Gladiators, also ending a four-year losing streak. About two weeks ago, the Patriots defeated the Eagles in a non-district game by ten points, showing they are a team you can’t just count out.
Trevino talked to us about the team’s long-term goals, “Our focus has been on building a program… We want to lay a solid foundation and keep growing from there. Our goal is to gain as much experience, competition, and make as much progress as possible and we will continue to build on that.”
Patriots vs Eagles
The boys’ game followed, with the (2-8, 0-1) Patriots facing off against the (8-10, 0-1) Eagles. From the opening tip, it was a competitive back-and-forth matchup, but it wasn’t until the second quarter that one team gained a significant lead. The Eagles took control, extending their lead to seven points midway through the second quarter.
Eagles’ Leon Villarreal, who had a strong first quarter, continued his dominant play in the second, with Jared Castro joining in. Their combined effort helped the Eagles push their lead to 27-18 at halftime.
The Patriots made a push in the fourth quarter with Aurelio Chavero and Devin Soliz leading the charge. However the Eagles offense led by Castro and Pablo Zapata, who began to find his rhythm, kept the Patriots at bay. Despite a strong comeback attempt from Soliz and the Patriots, the Eagles pulled away in the fourth, with Zapata and Villarreal closing out the game for an Eagles’ 55-42 win.
Eagles’ Jared Castro finished with 16 and Leon Villarreal both finished with 16 points. Pablo Zapata finished with 14 points, Daniel Pena finished with four points, Israel Ramos finished with three points and Pablo Trevino finished with two points.
Patriots’ Aurelio Chavero finished with 15 points, Devin Soliz finished with seven points, Freddie Villarreal finished with seven points, Josh Oleja finished with six points and Kaiden Espino finished with four points.
After the game, Progress Times spoke to Eagles’ head coach Sam Cortez, “This is a great game for the City of Mission. It’s always good when you have a sister school playing each other and its rivalry. Last year, we played them in a non-district matchup over there and they beat us, so this year we wanted to return the favor.” The Eagles win means more now, “This is for the district.”
The big story from last off-season was the Eagles’ reclassification from 6A to 5A that introduced a new set of teams for the Eagles to compete against across nearly every sport. This shift also allowed the Eagles and Patriots to continue their rivalry beyond just the annual football game, the Battle of Conway. With the reclassification, the Eagles entered District 30-5A, where they could now challenge the Patriots for the district championship.
District 30-5A is made up of nine teams: the Eagles, Patriots, Nixon Mustangs, Martin Tigers, Cigarroa Toros, Rio Grande City Rattlers, Roma Gladiators, Juarez-Lincoln Huskies, and Palmview Lobos.
On the girls side of the district last season, the Lady Lobos finished at the top of the district with a 13-1 record, claiming their first district championship in school history. Meanwhile the Lady Patriots struggled, ending their season with 11 losses.
The Lady Eagles, in District 31-6A last season, finished in second place with a 6-4 record and earned a playoff berth. Their playoff run was short-lived as they were defeated 39-26 by the San Benito Greyhounds in the Bi-district round. Despite the loss, the Eagles developed a strong playoff mindset.
As of today, the Lady Toros lead the girls’ district with a 3-0 record, followed by the Lobos and Tigers at 3-1. The Patriots sit at 2-2, while the Mustangs are at 2-1. The Eagles trail with a 1-2 record.
In the previous season, the Tigers and Mustangs tied for first place with 15-1 records, sharing the district championship for the boys side of District 30-5A. The Patriots however, finished near the bottom of the district with only two wins.
The Eagles in District 31-6A last season, finished with a 4-6 record and barely secured a playoff spot. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round after a 66-47 loss to the Harlingen Cardinals. A playoff berth for the Eagles would set high expectations for following seasons.
As of today, the Lobos lead the boys’ district with a 2-0 record, followed by the Rattlers and Eagles at 1-1. The Mustangs sit at 0-1, while the Patriots and Toros are both winless.