Sharyland Times

08/31/2024

At Richard Thompson Stadium tonight the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks lost the inaugural game of the 24-25 football season against the PSJA Bears by a score of 34-0 . The home loss is the Diamondback’s first season opening loss in four years and their largest margin of defeat since 2021.

“Tonight we just fell a fell short and made some mistakes we’ve got to clean up,” Diamondbacks' head coach Eddie Galindo said after the game.

The Diamondbacks struggled to limit the Bear’s explosive offense. An unreliable pass rush, missed assignments in the secondary, and poor tackling put the Diamondbacks behind the eight ball. To make matters worse, the defense played too many snaps and often found themselves on the wrong side of the field. Despite playing stellar defense after falling behind 14-0, turnovers and stagnant possessions from the young and inexperienced Diamondback offense dashed any hopes of a comeback.

Although losing wasn’t the expectation, the Diamondbacks are eager to get back to work and reverse their fortunes in week 2.

“You know, every week you either get better or you get worse. We’re planning on getting better. We’re gonna work hard, we’re gonna watch film and look at the little things we can improve on as a whole… we just gotta go back and keep grinding, keep working, and keep getting better,” Galindo said when asked about how his team planned to bounce back in week two.

The Diamondbacks will return to action at Richard Thompson Stadium next Thursday night at 7pm against Rio Grande City Rattlers as they try to capture their first win of the season.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/Aug-30-2024-Football-PSJA-vs-Pioneer-JV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela Photography.

08/28/2024

The Sharyland Lady Rattlers volleyball team demolished the McAllen Memorial Lady Mustangs in straight sets, 25-17, 25-15, 25-21, tonight at Sharyland High School to secure their first district win of the 24-25 season. The win comes after the Lady Mustangs, led by former Sharyland head coach Raul Castillo, defeated the Lady Rattlers two sets to none earlier this year at McAllen ISD's annual Poundfest Tournament.

"Being able to show everybody that we're still at the top feels really good," sophomore outside hitter Pamela Pena said after Tuesday night's victory.

The Lady Rattlers learned from their mistakes and made necessary adjustments by playing methodically and relying on finesse to offset Memorial's tough middle blocker, Karly Bazan. The game plan worked as the Lady Rattlers attacked the outside and dotted the Mustang defense.

"We needed to go pin to pin and, most importantly, get the defense on the other side of the net moving. What got the best of us last time was we weren't really sharing the ball, so that was something we kept reiterating," Head Coach Lydia De Leon said when describing her team's winning strategy.

Deleon, who took over for her long-time mentor after his departure at season's end, deflected the notion that this game meant more because of who was gracing the opposing sideline.

"It's never gonna be a thing where I see him as an enemy just because I've learned so much from him. If anything, it keeps me on my toes because I know how much he knows and how much I've learned from him," De Leon said when asked about facing her mentor Castillo.

With tonight's win, the Lady Rattlers move to 15-2 on the season. This weekend, they will look to build on their hot start in the Sharyland ISD Invitational.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland/August-27-2024-Volleyball-Memorial-vs-Sharyland-JV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela Photography.

05/05/2024

Tonight was game three of a best-of-three series between the Palmview Lady Lobos and the Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks to determine who would be advancing to the Regional Quarterfinal round of the UIL state playoffs. Led by senior shortstop Faith Nunez and second baseman Daniela Zapata, the Diamondbacks were coming off a Game 2 win that saw them play some outstanding defense against the Lobos.

Despite the Diamondbacks’ defensive intensity being turned up, Lobos’ senior pitcher Arianna Alaniz came up to bat in the first inning and hit a beauty that almost sailed over the fence to bring in senior outfielder Destinee Garza. That made the score 1-0 in favor of the Lobos.

In the third inning, Lobos’ sophomore infielder Yailyn Trevino singled, stole second, and scored off a single from sophomore third baseman Alynna Gonzalez. Gonzalez found home after senior shortstop Ximena Alanis dribbled the ball in between second and third base. This extended the Lobos lead to 3-0.

In the fourth inning, the Diamondbacks made a pitching change from Arlyn Reyes to Kaitlyn Cortez to fight off the Lobos, but that was not the case. The Lobos caught fire after a hit-by-pitch sent sophomore outfielder Evoria Garcia to first base. Trevino brought in Garcia for another score. Garza was up to bat and her fly out allowed for sophomore outfielder Marina Rodriguez to come home to extend their lead to 5-0. Gonzalez brought in Trevino while Ximena Alanis brought in Gonzalez to extend the Lobos’ lead to 7-0.

The Diamondbacks were slowly losing momentum to the Lobos who were catching fire. In the 5th, the Lobos took advantage of a couple of Diamondback errors to get themselves in scoring position. With that, Garcia and Rodriguez found home plate to set the score up at 9-0. With two more innings left, the Diamondbacks found some rhythm offensively but were ultimately defeated by the superstar pitching from Alaniz, who continued to strikeout batter after batter. The game ended in 7 innings with a score of 9-0 in favor of the Lobos. With this win, the Lobos will advance to the Regional Quarterfinal round of the playoffs while the Diamondbacks season comes to an end.

After the game, Lobos head coach Jessica Cardenas-Russell told Progress Times, “I couldn’t sleep. I knew that we had to show up and stay focused. We had to erase what happened yesterday and prepare for today. Take today and do what we do best and not wait till the end to do it. Thankfully, God blessed us and we were able to finish it off.”

Destinee Garza told us, “It took us a lot of hard work and a lot of work from the coaches for us. We’ve been waiting for this moment. It feels great, it feels surreal, I can’t wait for the next round.”
Arianna Alaniz told us, “It feels amazing to be a part of this team. Since day one we knew that we had one goal and even though we didn’t get to accomplish it our freshman, sophomore, and junior years, we knew that before we left we wanted to make history for this school. Here we are now, we’re going to the next round as Area champs”

Ximena Alanis told us, “I’m proud to be a part of this amazing team. We work every day and I’m glad that I’m able to be here and accomplish something that we’ve never been able to. We’re going to work hard to keep advancing.”

Aalysa Longoria told us, “It took us a lot of time and effort. During the summer, preparation, workouts, weight room, conditioning, practicing day-in and day-out, it all came together this season. It shows that we’ve been working at this for a long time.”
Congratulations to the Lady Lobos for continuing their historic run and advancing to the next round of the playoffs and to the Diamondbacks for having a wonderful season and putting up a tough fight!

Here are some photos from tonight’s game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Palmview/May-4th-2024-Softball-Pioneer-vs-PalmviewMM

Progress Times photos by Mario Magallon Photography.

05/03/2024

Tonight began game one of a best-of-three Area round playoff series between the Palmview Lady Lobos and the Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks softball teams . The loud and proud Diamondbacks got to chanting early, but nothing got them louder than senior shortstop Faith Nunez hitting a home run to kick off the first inning for them. The Diamondbacks continued to play wonderful defense with pitcher Arlyn Reyes in the circle. The Diamondbacks kept the Lobos from scoring through four innings, something not a lot of teams have done this season.

The Diamondbacks would take a 0-1 lead going into the 5th inning. It was a matter of time for either the Diamondbacks to extend their lead or for the Lobos to respond with a score of their own.

The Lobos kicked off the 5th with back-to-back singles from senior catcher Ximena Alanis and sophomore outfielder Marina Rodriguez that would then set up senior first baseman Aalysa Longoria to walk to first. This loaded up the bases for the Lobos with sophomore infielder Yailin Trevino up to bat with no outs. A flyball out to midfield brought Alanis in for the first score. Four balls later, the Lobos would take the lead as Rodriguez came in with the second run for the Lobos. Sophomore third baseman Alynna Gonzalez singled while Flores put her body on the line at home for a Lobos score. The Diamondbacks brought in junior pitcher Kaitlyn Cortez to help try close up the wound, but it didn’t stop Lobos senior outfielder Destinee Garza from stealing home after an error from the Diamondbacks catcher. Sophomore outfielder Evoria Garcia singled to bring in Gonzalez for another score, the fifth of the inning. A third out for the Diamondbacks would close the turn of the 5th inning, but not before the Lobos took the lead and ran with it. 5-1 Lobos.

With the game in the hands of the Lobos, there was no way that they would let it slip out. Senior pitcher Arianna Alaniz played the last two innings with fire in her hands. Every ball coming out of the circle was near impossible to hit. With three more outs at the bottom of the 7th and no score from the Diamondbacks since the 1st inning, Alaniz threw strike after strike after strike to close out the game for a 5-1 Lobos win over the Diamondbacks.

The Lobos take the first game of a best of three series between the Diamondbacks. Game two will be played tomorrow in Palmview at 6 pm. Good luck to both teams!

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/May-2-2024-Softball-Palmview-vs-Pioneer-JV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela Photography.

04/26/2024

Tonight at Sharyland Pioneer High School, the Lady Diamondbacks Softball team narrowly defeated the Mercedes Tigers by a final score of 6-4 in game one of their best-of-three Bi-District Playoff series.

Following a scoreless first, catcher Lexie Lopez and first baseman Kayla Guerrero detonated back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the second inning to give the Lady Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead. The solo shots electrified the Pioneer faithful and put the Lady Tigers on their heels.

"It felt awesome. We had no idea that was coming. We both had faith in each other to hit the ball. So, I'm glad we did, Lopez said.

Despite Lopez and Guerrero's herculean efforts, The Lady Tigers held their explosive lineup scoreless in the third and fourth innings. But the Lady Diamondbacks would not be denied. In the bottom of the fifth inning, their patience and resiliency were rewarded as they registered five hits and scored four runs.

With a 6-0 lead and only six outs away from victory, the Lady Diamondbacks seemed poised for an easy finish. But a four-run rally sparked by the bottom of the Lady Tigers' order stole the momentum from them. The Lady Diamondbacks could have folded under the pressure. Instead, their resiliency won the day as they weathered a barrage of hits from the blazing Lady Tigers lineup.

"We came out with the mindset of "we're going to win this game...," Guererro said.

"We've got to finish. We may see a different pitcher and we know one games' not gonna win it. So, we've got to make sure we finish it off, Head Coach Javier Garcia said after tonight's win.

The Lady Diamondbacks will travel to Mercedes tomorrow night with a 1-0 lead in search of a series sweep and their sixth consecutive Bi-District Championship.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/April-25-2024-Softball-Mercedes-vs-Pioneer-JV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela Photography.

03/27/2024

Richard Thompson Stadium hosted a bi-district soccer matchup between the Veterans Memorial Chargers and the Sharyland Rattlers. This district winning Rattlers team looked to start their journey in the playoffs with the hopes of making a deep playoff run once again. The boys got off to a fabulous start. Francisco Gomez scored their first goal in the first 55 seconds of the game. Juan Trevino followed that up four minutes later with a header into the back of the Chargers net. Some could say that this game was over with, but they would be wrong. A Chargers group charged their way back with two goals within the span of ten minutes to close out the first half with a 2-2 score.

The Chargers and the Rattlers fought hard in the second half to regain the advantage. For the amount of opportunities that the Rattlers got at goal, the Chargers got. One of these teams was going to break the tie and on this chilly night, the Chargers would take the lead with 13 minutes left in the game. As it turned out, this would be a lead that they would keep for the remaining time on the clock. The Chargers came back from an early deficit to take out this great Rattlers team. The Rattlers’ otherwise highly successful 2024 season came to a much too early end with tonight's loss.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland/Mar-26-2024-Boys-Soccer-Sharyland-vs-Brownsville-Vets

Progress Times photos by Mario Magallon Photography.

03/27/2024

Richard Thompson Stadium hosted a bi-district soccer matchup between the Harlingen South Lady Hawks and the Sharyland Lady Rattlers. The district champion winning Lady Hawks were hoping to get off to a good start against this Lady Rattlers team. With 27 minutes left in the first half, lightning struck for the Lady Hawks as they got off to a 1-0 lead over the Lady Rattlers. Minutes later, a second Lady Hawks striker would pin the ball in the back of the Rattlers’ net.

A 0-2 deficit going into half wasn’t enough for the Lady Rattlers to give up on the game. Players such as Rachel Andaverdi, Yhoalibeth Alvarez, and Marifer Cabada would help the Lady Rattlers find their footing in the second half. However, the Hawks would ultimately put the nail in the coffin with a third goal with four minutes left in the game. With the 0-3 loss, Lady Rattlers otherwise successful 2024 season has come to an end.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland/Mar-26-2024-Girls-Soccer-Sharyland-vs-Harlingen-MM

Progress Times photos by Mario Magallon Photography.

03/13/2024

Sharyland trustees vote ‘no’ on school chaplains By Lea Juarez | March 11, 2024 | 0 During the 2023 Texas legislative session, state lawmakers passed a bill allowing unlicensed chaplains to work in school districts with students, specifically in counseling roles. However, several school systems ...

02/28/2024

02/28/2024

The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks Cinderella story ended tonight at Mission High School after losing to the Edinburg Vela Sabercats 63-41 in the Regional Quarterfinals of the UIL State Basketball Playoffs.

The Diamondbacks leading scorers were Edward Chavez, Joshua Gaither, and Matthew Maldonado. Solid defensive efforts from the Julian Valdez, Dustin Duty, Mohammed Shaath and the aforementioned trio kept the Diamondbacks within arms reach of the Sabercats for most of the first half. But missed shots, late defensive rotations, and a cascade of turnovers allowed the Sabercats to finish the half on a 12-2 run. The Diamondbacks entered the break down 14 and never recovered.

JP Olivares, Jordan Bustamante and Axel Garza carried the Sabercats to victory over the 4th seeded Diamondbacks and will now head to San Antonio to compete in the Sweet 16.

Although the Diamondbacks fell short tonight, their improbable journey will not be forgotten.

“These guys definitely set the bar for us. These seniors set a good example and worked hard all year. They set the bar high…the third round. And I have expectations to be back here soon,” Head Coach Fernando Rodriguez said after the loss.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/Feb-27-2024-Basketball-Boys-Vela-vs-Pioneer-JV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela Photography.

02/21/2024

Tonight in Mission, the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks upset the top-seeded, 32-5A District Champions, Weslaco East Wildcats, in a 42-20 slugfest at home. The win comes exactly one year after the Diamondbacks lost to the Wildcats 41-27 in the Bi-District round of the 2023 state playoffs.

A late Diamondbacks run led by seniors Joshua Gaither, Edward Chavez, and Julian Valdez erased a Weslaco East lead with just over four minutes in the fourth quarter. Constant pressure from East guards Jediah Rivens, Zion Rodriguez, and EJ Garza nearly folded the Diamondbacks—however, veteran leadership and the unrelenting will to win powered them to victory. A last-second contest from Leo Espinoza Jr. to force a Rodriguez miss sealed the Diamondbacks win and punched their ticket to the Area round this Friday versus the Gregory-Portland Wildcats.

"I've been with some of these guys for four years as an assistant and as a head coach for two years. It's been an incredible journey. We don't always come out with our best game... but they came out and played for each other and did what we planned to do," Head Coach Fernando Rodriguez said.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/Feb-20-2024-Basketball-Boys-WeslacoEast-vs-Pioneer-JV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela Photography.

01/28/2024

Photos from last night's Sharyland FFA Booster Club's Rattler Rodeo. Included are photos of Sharyland High School senior Jorge Ramirez's two bull rides.

To view more photos from this event, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/20240127-Sharyland-FFA-Rattler-Rodeo-LG

Progress Times photos by Luciano Guerra.

01/24/2024

Tonight, Sharyland Pioneer High School hosted a District 31-5A basketball matchup between the McAllen Memorial Mustangs and the Pioneer Diamondbacks. The 7-4 Diamondbacks went up against the 9-2 Mustangs. The boys began to trade baskets early in this game. There were a lot of fast break opportunities for both teams and both were able to use their speed to take full advantage of them. The Diamondbacks defense was playing with a lot of energy in the first half. Their playmaking and tough defense would help them cut a nine point Mustangs lead down to just one point with a couple of minutes left in the half.

The Mustangs started to use their size to their advantage by forcing the ball down low. This area of the game is where the Diamondbacks would soon struggle to defend. The first half closed with a score of 22-31 in favor of the Mustangs.

The Mustangs caught fire in the second half. Attacking the Diamondbacks down low would extend the Mustangs lead to 24. This game was starting to become out of reach for the Diamondbacks if they didn’t have an answer for the Mustangs size. Senior forward Julian Valdez and sophomore guard Muhamed Shaath helped tremendously in the attempt for a comeback throughout the game. This game would ultimately end up with the Mustangs on top but it was in valiant effort. The game ended with a score of 36-64 in favor of the Mustangs. The Diamondbacks fall to 7-5 in District 31-5A as they continue the fight to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/Jan-23-2024-Basketball-Boys-Memorial-vs-Pioneer-MM

Progress Times photos by Mario Magallon Photography.

01/24/2024

Tonight, Sharyland Pioneer High School hosted two District 31-5A basketball matchups between the McAllen Memorial Mustangs and the Pioneer Diamondbacks. In the first game, the 12-1 Lady Diamondbacks went up against the 9-4 Lady Mustangs.

The Lady Diamondbacks opened up the game hot. They took a sizable lead in the first quarter by finding their players open while the Mustangs attempted to half-court trap them. The idea was to get the ball out of the hands of their best playmaker, junior guard Kassandra Garcia. Garcia’s passing helped the Diamondbacks beat the pressure that the Mustangs were creating in the first quarter and helped the Lady Diamondbacks jump out to a 17-6 first quarter lead.

The second quarter saw the Mustangs playing more to their strengths by using their size down low. This allowed the Mustangs to climb back into the game, but the Diamondbacks were starting to match their energy.

The Diamondbacks took a slim 24-21 lead into the second half. These teams were going back and forth all throughout the third quarter, but that allowed the Mustangs to tie the game at 29-29 to start the fourth quarter. The Mustangs were hoping to stop the Diamondbacks from getting hot from the perimeter. Their hopes fell short when the Diamondbacks’ Garcia and senior guard Valerie Vela hit two back-to-back shots from downtown to open up the quarter.

Some playmaking, tough defense, and clutch free throws later, had the Diamondbacks up 41-36 with a couple seconds left in the game. The Mustangs were hoping to get a quick score and the ball back to send the game into overtime but that was not to be. The Mustangs attempted a couple of shots in those final seconds and were able to get to the free throw line after an offensive rebound.
With one second left on the clock, the Diamondbacks put this game away with a successful inbounds pass, but an error on the inbounds pass would turn the ball over to the Mustangs for one last chance to tie the game. The Mustangs inbounded the ball to their hottest shooter in the corner. The Diamondbacks couldn’t have defended it any better. The Mustangs shot fell short of the basket which secured the win for the Diamondbacks.

The Diamondbacks have now added a bit of cushion as they sit in first place in District 31-5A with a 13-1 record. Congratulations to the Diamondbacks for winning a tough game and to head coach Nicole Sandoval for picking up her 200th win as a head coach for Pioneer!

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/Jan-23-2024-Basketball-Girls-Memorial-vs-Pioneer-MM

Progress Times photos by Mario Magallon Photography.

11/18/2023

The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks 23-24 football season ended Friday night at Dub Faris Field in San Antonio after losing to the Liberty Hill Panthers 62-35. The Area round loss is the Diamondback’s second of the season, making their final record to 10-2. The meeting between the two squads was their first since 2021, when the Panthers eliminated the Diamondbacks in the regional quarterfinals of the UIL State Playoffs.

The Panthers powerful T-formation was once again too much for the Diamondbacks to contain. All 62 Panther points were scored on the ground with fullback Ben Carter leading the Panthers stable of backs with four rushing touchdowns.

Diamondbacks scores from Dylan Tijerina, Leo Espinoza Jr., and Will Goodloe kept the Diamondbacks within striking distance. However, a 34-21 halftime deficit and failed 2nd half onside kick to open the third quarter allowed the Panthers to score with ease from midfield extending their lead to three scores.

Third and fourth quarter Rushing touchdowns from the Diamondbacks’ Dylan Tijerina and quarterback Julian Alvarez were not enough to equal or minimize the impact of the Panthers 28 point second half outburst.

The Diamondbacks finish the 23-24 football season as Co-District 16-5A II champions and Bi-district champions after defeating the Edcouch Elsa Yellow Jackets in the opening round of the UIL State Playoffs.

Photos by COUNTERPUNCHMEDIA

11/11/2023

UIL State Playoffs Area Round details from SISD Athletic Department:

Pioneer vs Liberty Hill
Friday 11-17-2023
7:00 pm at Dub Farris Stadium in San Antonio

11/10/2023

In the Inaugural round of the UIL 5A Division 2 State playoffs, the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks defeated the Edcouch Elsa Yellow Jackets 48-29 at Richard Thompson Stadium. Thursday night's victory brings the Diamondback's overall record to 10-1 and adds another Bi-District championship to their mantle, their first since the 20-21 season.

"It feels good, but it's not about me. It's about these kids; they deserve this. It's about them, " Diamondbacks’ head coach Eddie Galindo said

The Diamondbacks bullied their way to a 14-0 first-quarter lead thanks to an initial 30-yard receiving touchdown from Diego Chapa and a recovered fumble on the subsequent kickoff that led to a 36-yard Dylan Tijerina rushing touchdown a few plays later. The Yellow Jackets shrunk the lead after an Alejandro Rodriguez touchdown from Elijah Trevino brought them within 7 to end the first quarter.

A Miguel Rodriguez rushing touchdown midway through the second quarter brought the Yellow Jackets closer. Still, the Diamondback's offensive line continued to maul the Yellow Jackets' front seven, allowing quarterback Julian Valdez and running back Dylan Tijerina to score 3 combined rushing touchdowns and finish the half with a firm 28-14 lead.

"It's the work we've all been putting in. This is just the outcome," Tijerina said when asked about the offense's performance.

An early second-half Yellow Jacket score from Nathan Amaya, alongside a bold attempt at an onside kick, was not enough for the Yellow Jackets to break through against the Diamondbacks. Three Julian Valdez second-half rushing touchdowns destroyed that hope.

Yellow Jacket scores from Senoy Moya and Trevino made the final score respectable, but the outcome was never in doubt. Suffocating defense and relentless effort from the Diamondback offensive line proved to be too overwhelming.

Defensive back Andrew Rivera, who caught two crucial interceptions despite playing with a fractured hand, said it best, "Even if they score on us, we're still gonna bring work. We're still gonna put in work. We're not gonna look back in the past. We're just going to move forward."

The Diamondbacks will play the winner of theLiberty Hill vs. Harlandale matchup in the Area round of the UIL state playoffs next week. A Liberty Hill victory would guarantee the Diamondbacks a rematch against the team that eliminated them in the Regional Quarterfinals of the 20-21 playoffs.

Here are some photos from Thursday night's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/Nov-9-2023-Football-Edcouch-vs-Pioneer-JV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela Photography.

11/08/2023

The historic 2023/2024 Sharyland Lady Rattlers' volleyball season ended tonight in a crushing 3 set defeat to the underdog McAllen Memorial Mustangs 25-21, 30-28, 25-21. The regional quarterfinal loss ends a magnificent 43 match unbeaten streak and eliminates the Lady Rattlers from the postseason, leaving their overall record at an astounding 44-2.

The Lady Rattlers were 3-0 against the Lady Mustangs prior to tonight’s contest, but miscommunication, a swarm of mistakes, and missed opportunities proved to be the Lady Rattlers downfall.

“We didn’t show up to play. We were timid, we didn’t wanna swing, we didn’t wanna earn a point. We wanted them to make the mistakes, we wanted them to give us the point. And it doesn’t work that way. Not with a team that good,” said head Coach Raul Castillo

After tying the first set at 9, the Lady Mustangs went on to score 8 unanswered points to take a 17-10 lead. Impressive hitting from Amare Hernandez and Madisyn Sosa buried the Lady Rattlers despite comeback heroics of junior senior Kassandra De La Garza.
The second set was a gut-wrenching slugfest highlighted by 15 ties and 14 lead changes. Every earned advantage vanished before either team could capitalize and create distance. The Lady Rattlers stood on the brink of tying the match at 1-1 thanks to outstanding hitting and defense from Pamela Pena and Kenisha Martinez which allowed them to claw their way to a 27-26 lead. But an unceremonious error gave the Mustangs a point and life in front of their home crowd carrying them to an eventual victory.

The Lady Mustangs raced out to a 16-2 third set lead only to be threatened by a 14-1 Lady Rattler run immediately after. But the sting of set two’s finale and the weight of an 0-2 set deficit was too much to overcome.

The Lady Rattlers finish their season as undefeated district champions with bi-district and area playoff wins added to their illustrious resume.

“We fought every single game. We fought every single point together. We’re just really connected. I want people to know that this is a team that fought for each other,” said senior Faith Arevalo.

At the Falfurrias Jr. High gym, the Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks also saw their 2023/2024 season come to an end as they lost to Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 3-1 (26-24, 25-20, 22-25 and 25-19). With the loss, the Lady Diamondbacks overall record drops to a still very respectful 39-7.

Here are some photos from the Lady Rattlers game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland/Nov-7-2023-Volleyball-Sharyland-vs-Memorial-JV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela Photography.