SAN ANTONIO – The Pearsall High School Mavericks have not been known for their success in basketball, but this year’s team is changing that.
The Mavericks faced the Lago Vista Vikings in a 4A area round playoff game Friday night at Seguin High School, where their defense excelled.
Shutting down passing lanes to the Vikings’ skilled forward Henry Sisemore helped the Mavericks pick off passes by the Lago Vista guards, leading to many fast break points.
The Mavericks held a 7-point lead at halftime, but the Vikings came back to tie the game up at 40 with four minutes remaining.
A 7-0 run by Pearsall with two minutes left secured the Mavericks a 59-47 victory, earning the title of area champions for the first time since 1977, according to the Pearsall boys basketball Facebook page.
“It feels great, all the glory to God,” junior guard Jeremy Rodriguez said. ”You know, I’m blessed to play basketball with my friends, my family, everybody.”
“It’s a blessing from the man above. I think all the hard work we put in this season, the countless amount of hours this summer the unseen hours, you know we do it for us, our families, and our community,” senior forward Xavier Rendon said. ”At the end of the day, we’re able to have a good community like them, and they have our back, and we have theirs.”
“It feels amazing, I grew up wearing that same jersey,” Pearsall High School head coach Jeff Viesca said. “I talk to them as an alumni and how proud I am of them, and I talk to them as a coach; it just feels amazing that we can do this, and we just gotta get ready for the next round now.”
The next round will be a regional semifinal showdown against La Marque at Yoakum High School on Tuesday night.
Read more reporting and watch highlights and full games on the Big Game Coverage page.
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