Plainview Herald Basketball Wrap Up - 03/14/2026

Bulldogs built a strong foundation this season

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

The development of a good program starts with a strong foundation. Any coach can attest to that.

So as he prepared to step into the role as head coach of the Plainview Bulldogs, that’s where Karson Hembree turned his focus.

“This was our first season instilling our program’s values and standards,” he said. “Overall, we were able to be competitiveineverygameand we were able to show incredible strides from the beginning of the year to our last game.”

The team went 14-19 overall and 6-10 in district. The Bulldogs closed the season with a sixth place finish in a nineteam district, one on the significantlylargersideof Texas 5A basketball and stacked with talent.

At the start of the season, Hembree knew it would be a challenge. He took over a team with little varsity experience competing against a district stacked with talented opponents all prepared to battle it out for a top four finish. It was up to a group of three Plainview seniors—Dominic Fulton,JordanPorterand Ethan Lopez—dubbed the foundation” to help guidetheiryoungerteam-

Who was the most competitive?

Dominic Fulton

Who set the tone in practice every day?

Ethan Lopez

Who was the calmest in high-pressure moments?

Jordan Porter Who was the team’s best hype person?

Jeremiah Esquivel

mates through the season. We started this year with only three players thathadanyvarsityexperience, so to see those three step up and control games early on (was) huge for the younger players to understand whatittakestowinatthis level,” he said. It was no easy feat. The Bulldogs opened their season with a 57-40 win over Levelland. What followed was a bumpy ride of highs and lows reflected on the scoreboard. By the time the Caprock Classic Tournament rolled around at the end of 2025, Coach Hembree started to see the pieces coming together. Towards the end of the Caprock Classic, we were able to put together a strong tournament where we finished with winning back-to-back

games versus two good opponents in Hereford and Levelland,” he said. “This to me was the moment that we came togetherasateamandwere completely bought into our program and understood the standards that wewerebeingintroduced to this season.”

The Bulldogs went 2-2 in that tournament including a 65-48 win over Lubbock High and a 5850 win over Levelland.

After the tournament, the Bulldogs found some rhythm and notched two more back0to-back wins against Hereford and Amarillo Caprock. Three gameslater,Plainviewhit another turning point witha71-66winoverLubbock Monterey.

“This was the moment that our team’s belief completely shifted,” he said. “After winning that game, our team’s approach to each game was not that we were going to just compete, but that at any given point, we can win. Once you have a team believing that they can win, everything else will start to fall into place.”

And it did.

The Monterey win was also one of the team’s best performances. Going into that game, Hembree noted, the Bulldogs knew there would be challeng-

Bulldogs continues on B6

PLAINVIEW GIRLS

Alfaro: Season was challenging but meaningful

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

After winning an area championship in 2024-25, expectations for the new basketball season were high for the Plainview Lady Bulldogs.

Unfortunately, the end of the season came too soon.

Coach Adrian Alfaro said this year was a challenging but meaningful one for the Lady Bulldog program.

It was the first time in many years we did not maketheplayoffs,butthat doesn’ttakeawayfromthe growth and fight our team showed,” he said.

Battling through adversity, the team grew and fought for every victory, both the ones that reflected on the scoreboard and the wins that did not.

TheLadyBulldogswere in a nine-team district with teams regarded as some of the best in Texas 5A. Before the season started, he knew it would be tough, especially since Plainview is one of the smallest schools still competing at that level.

“Despite the difference in enrollment, our girls showed tremendous heart and continued to compete against much larger programsthroughouttheseason,” he said.

Resilience was a big part of the team’s identity this season, he noted. The girls never quit and saw each contest all the way through, even when the results didn’t turn out

Alfaro continues on B5

TEAM FAST FACTS

Who was the most competitive? Maribel Montelongo Who set the tone in practice every day? Marley Loredo and Urijah Chavez

Who was the calmest in high-pressure moments? Jerze Lawson and Ailey Kerbo

Who was the team’s best hype person? Jordan Gutierrez

ACCOLADES

First team All-District: Maribel Montelongo

Second Team All District: Ailey Kerbo, Jerze Lawson, Marley Laredo

Honorable Mention: Jaimee Rodriguez, Jaelyn Longoria, Maleah Laredo, Urijah Chavez

Antelopes close noteworthy season with lots of hope for next year

By Ellysa Harris

This basketball season didn’t end quite as well as was hoped for the Abernathy Antelopes but it was still a good one.

The team ended the season 25-9 and closed district play in second place with a record of 9-3.

Coach Drew Thompson said it was the most wins in a season in Abernathy in the last 12 years.

“The season didn’t end quite like we hoped it would, but proud of our guys’ efforts throughout the season,” he said.

Speed and pressure on defense were key factors in the wins, especially. Abernathy averaged 72 points per game, which is 16 points more than last season’s per game average.

“Our team grew tremendously throughout the season,” Thompson noted. And it showed.

Abernathy didn’t just wingames,theAntelopes dominated the court, especially when the score was up. Twice this season, Abernathy broke into triple-digit scores. The

Who as the calmest in high-pressure moments?

Who was the team’s best hype person? Ronnie Kirk POST-SEASON ACCOLADES

Offensive MVP: Case Micheletti

Utility MVP: Dre Minfield 1st Team All-District: Darion Duvall, Ronnie Kirk: 2nd Team All-District: Caden Bird, Henry Webb:

Antelopes reached 106 points against Ralls (14 points) and Tahoka (46 points) a week apart from each other.

A few standout moments from the season, besides the triple-digit win, were winning the Plains Tournament and going on a 13-game winning streak, Thompson said.

A few outstanding

players that consistently ledtheoffenseweresophomore Case Micheletti andjuniorDarionDuvall. Micheletti averaged 26 points per game, five assists and six rebounds. Duvall averaged 17 points per game.

The Antelopes had a fewothersthatcontributed as well. Junior Ronnie Kirk and sophomore Henry Webb did outstanding controlling both theboardsandgettingthe ball out and down the floor, Thompson noted.

Junior Caden Bird also stepped up for the Antelopes in a moment of need. When Dre Minfield was injured, Bird picked up and kept going.

The Antelopes’ efforts thisseasonearnedthema ticket to post-district play. Abernathy took on Farwell in a bi-district game. They lost 60-74.

While it wasn’t ideal, a lot of hope remains for whatever 2026-27 has in store. With no seniors this season, the Antelopes stand to return 12 varsity players.

We feel great about next season,” Thompson noted.

By Ellysa Harris

Abernathy’s new coach, AdamZepeda,ledtheLady Lopes through another winning season.

For the second year in a row, Abernathy racked 26 total wins for the season, the most for the district in more than a decade.

Abernathy’s schedule was stacked with opponents from around the regionwhocompeteatthe2A level with a few competitors from the 3A and 4A levels sprinkled in.

The Lady Lopes started strong with two consecutive wins to get the season started. They beat Nazareth, a strong 1A competitor, 55-44, before turning around and beating Spur, 70-29.

Acrosstheboard,theLadyLopeswerestrongcompetitors among 2A peers and1Ateamsallseason.Before district got underway, they beat Stratford, Whiteface, Trinity Christian, Littlefield, Lorenzo and Clarendon. They also claimed wins against Texline, Clarendon, Hereford, West, Valley and Hale Center.

Abernathy hosted Tahoka and won two games on senior night Friday (Feb. 6).

District action started early compared to most area schools. Abernathy fell into a district with sev-

en competitors, a large one for 2A divisions. The Lady Lopes waded through dis-

trict opponents making it look easy. Abernathy went 26-9

overall and 10-2 in district for a second place finish and ticket to post-district

Lacy Bloskas, senior

action. The Lady Lopes faced Olton in the bi-district round and beat them, 7544. A few days later, Abernathy faced Panhandle but fell in the Area round, 3961. A glance at the team’s roster for the 2025-26 seasonshowsjusttwoseniors, Emmerson “Emme” Easterwood and Lacy Bloskas. They’re both strong competitors and did big things fortheLadyLopesthisseason. Looking ahead to next season, the future looks bright for players set to return.

Whirlwinds close district in fifth place

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

The Floydada Whirlwinds were in a competitive seven-team district this year.

Under new head coach Aaron Ross, this season was about rebuilding and learning a new program.

After a disappointing start to the season with a series of four back-toback losses, the Whirlwinds notched their first win against Idalou, 62-59. Three games later, they beat Christian Academy, 55-54.

Floydada hit a threegame win streak at the start of district play, beatingAnton(69-63),Tahoka (41-36) (a district game) and Tulia (53-34).

As district got underway, the stakes got higher, and it was a bit harder for the Whirlwinds to find a good rhythm. They beat RallstwiceandPosttocap the season with a highlight. Overall, the team went 8-20 and closed district play with a 4-8 record landing in fifth place.

Floydada’s season ends in bi-district round

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

It’s been several years now since the Floydada girls missed playoffs.

The Lady Winds are a consistentforcetobereckonedwithjustaboutevery year and the 2025-26 season was no different.

Though the season didn’t stretch out as long as they’d probably hoped, the girls still punched their ticket for post-district play with a 6-6 district record to finish in fourth place. They ended the season with a 10-21 overall record.

The season started rough with four straight losses before finally makingtheirwayintotheWin column with a victory over O’Donnell, then Plains, then Lockney. Their seven other wins came interspersed between droughts.

But in a district with seven competitors, which is on the larger side for Texas 2A basketball, the Lady Winds fought hard for those district victories against Tahoka, Tulia, Ralls and Post to seal a playoff bid.

It wasn’t a deep run, though. Floydada lost to Farwell, 13-60, in the bidistrict playoff round.

The Lady Winds competed with a team made up mostly of freshmen and juniors with one sophomore and one senior, Tavianne Bullock, thrown into the mix.

The season’s ending were not ideal but there’s hopeyettolearnandgrow as they look to the possibilities of the 2026-27 season.

their way.

As the season began, the Lady Bulldogs had to learn to play together and find a rhythm, he noted.

As the season progressed,ourteambeganto understand their roles better, communicate more effectively on the court, and play with more confidence,” he said.

He noted improvement on the defensive side regarding the team’s effort and discipline. On the offensive side, Plainview started moving the ball better and finding better score opportunities, he added.

“By the end of the season, we saw a team that was competing harder, playing smarter basketball and continuing to improvedespitethechallenges we faced in district play,” Alfaro noted.

In a district with nine teams, district play began early, especially compared to other area teams. Plainview faced Monterey on Dec. 9, which marked the point in the schedule when the wins became more critical.

Plainview’s district included three teams that went on to compete in the regional semifinals and the regional finals.

This group never quit and continued to work and compete even when things didn’t always go our way,” Alfaro noted.

“They stayed committed toeachother, played hard, and continued to represent our program with characterandeffort.Competinginsuchastrongdistrict and against larger schools every night requiredtoughness,andour girls consistently stepped up to that challenge.”

The Lady Bulldogs looked to players like Maribel Montelongo, Ailey Kerbo,MarleyLoredoand Jerze Lawson this season.

He describes Montelongo astheteam’s“topoffensive threat” and Kerbo as the “best perimeter shooter.” Loredo “anchored our defense”andsteppedupasa leaderthisseason,headded.

“Jerze Lawson also contributed tremendously and really stepped up in key moments and continued to grow throughout the season,” he said.

Otherplayersthatexperienced considerably growth include Jaelyn Longoria and Urijah Chavez.

PlayerslikeMarleyLoredo and Maleah Loredo did a lot of the little things that don’t always show up in the stats defense, hustle plays, communication, andleadershipthathelped our team compete every night,” he noted.

Reflecting on the legacy of the seniors, Alfaro said theydidatremendousjob.

“They set the example every day in how they practiced, competed and represented Plainview basketball,”hesaid.“They showed our younger players what it means to wear the Lady Bulldog jersey with pride. Their leadership, toughness, and willingness to compete especially in one of the toughest5Adistrictsinthestate helpedsetthestandardfor our program, and that impact will carry forward withtheyoungerplayers.”

Next season, he added, their leadership will be

missed.

Asked if there was anybody that deserved a specialshoutoutfortheircontributions this season, Alfaro had a lot to share about his assistant coachingstaff.NotonlyisAlfaro head basketball coach of theteam,heisalsoathletic directorandit’sademandingrole.Havingthosepeoplebackinghimuphelped tremendously this season asheembarkedontheseason. He noted Jordan Gutierrez, freshman coach, Cailin Neudorf, junior varsity coach, Armeldo Gonzales, first assistant coach, coach Adrian Gutierrez, and coach Adrian Cisneros, director of operations.

Our assistant coaches deserve a lot of credit for the time and dedication they put into helping our playersimproveeveryday. Our managers and support staff also played an important role in making sure our program runs smoothly throughout the season,” Alfaro noted.

As he looks to next season, Alfaro continues to have high hopes for the 2026-27 Lady Bulldogs. Plainviewwillmoveintoa 4A district where they’re expected to be more competitive.

“Our girls know the standard of Lady Bulldog

basketball,” Alfaro said. Thisseasongaveusvaluablelessons,andwe’regoing to use them to come back stronger, tougher,

andmorepreparedforthe challenge ahead. When youreallylookatwhatour girls are up against, it makes you even more

proud of them.” He expects the team to keepworkingandimproving to start next season off strong.

es, including Monterey’s ability to simply find the basket.

We had several guys step up and that is what made it a true team win,” hesaid.“Forstarters,Jordan Porter and Jae’Breon (Wideman) locked in and caused and capitalized several turnovers. Ethan Lopez and Mason King were able to manage the middleofthefloorbytaking multiple charges. DominicFultonscored32 points to lead all scorers and finally, Elario Saenz sealedthegamewithabig rebound and making both free throws.”

By the end of the season, the Bulldogs found their stride, though the scoreboard didn’t always reflect it. Hembree said his team was consistent in style and played to their strengths – athleticism and guard play.

Hewasabletobethatguy for us.”

Ashelookstonextsea-

son, Hembree said the team will miss Fulton, who is set to graduate in May.

Dominic Fulton was someone night in and night out that we were able to lean on,” Hembree said. “He had several areas that he was outstanding for us this season. First, he averaged 24 points and eight rebounds (per game) this season. While doing so, he surpassed 2,000 career points. Another record area is in his ability to shoot the three. He broke the single-season record for threes made with 108.”

The Bulldogs also had strong three-point shooters, he added. Thebiggestadjustment was defense. Tweaks were made as the season progressed and those

This allowed us to be efficient on the offensive end while making teams guard multiple people,” he noted. “Our guards were able to put pressure on teams due to each one of them being a threat to score at any given time.”

changed proved to be a challenge for opponents, however, the team didn’t quite get it to the level he hoped to see.

A few players that experienced significant growth this season include Wideman, King and Saenz, he noted. They are all juniors who

stepped up into significant roles this season. Theygrewintheirundestanding of the game and Coach Hembree expects big things from them in 2026-27.

Jayden Juzaino, a sophomore, was another outstanding player.

“He had the hard job of

steppinginforguyswhen they were in foul trouble or struggling,” Hembree said. “But he was able to step in and do whatever was needed for us to be successful, either it was guard the other team’s best player, have a presence on rebounds or knock down open shots.

His absence, as well as therestofthemembersof “the foundation” will leavesomebigshoestofill but he’s excited about the possibilities for 2026-27, especially after a season with so much growth.

“Overall, I am excited for the future of this program and building a program that is a household name for basketball for years to come,” he said.

Gonzales leads Owls to Area playoff round

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

Itwasanotheroutstanding season for the Hale Center Owls.

They started the season strongwinning10gamesin a row by decisive margins. It was a promising outlook for a team that started the season with their eyes on post-district action.

The Owls went 27-9 overall and closed district play in third place with a 7-3 record.

Toughness was their identity,notedCoachBrandon Castillo.

Afterthe2024-25season, the team graduated five seniors so this season was a chance to reinforce the strength it still had with a new group including playerslikeseniorsCarterGonzales, David Hinojosa, RyanMesquiteandKauner Cerbantez.

“Such a great group to coach,” Castillo noted. “They are leaving Hale Center basketball much better than they left it.”

Without a doubt, Gonzales was key for the Owls’ success. He closes his senior career with over 1,500 points. Castillo describes him as a leader since his sophomore season, and one the team will surely missastheyadjusttowhateverchallengesnextseason presents.

The possibilities of next season will rest on the shoulders of players like Martin Cano and Damian Martinez, among others. Cano, Castillo said, is a freshman who stepped up in big moments for the OwlsandMartinezshowed exceptional growth as the season progressed.

“I am so proud of this kid,”CastillosaidofMartinez, described him as “the most unselfish kid that I have ever coached.

He cares about the success of his team and that’s sure to take him far in this game. A couple of other people who deserve shoutouts, he noted, include Jayton Ellis, Keith Mauldin and Jordan Mora. Castillo described them as “incredible” and

Darius Borrego, of Hale Center, takes a shot during an Area playoff game against Panhandle on Feb. 27.

TEAM FAST FACTS

Who was the most competitive? Carter Gonzales

Who set the tone in practice every day? Carter Gonzales

Who was the calmest in high pressure moments? David Hinojosa, Jr.

Who was the team’s best hype person? Martin Cano

ACCOLADES

1st Team All District: Ryan Mesquite, Carter Gonzales, David Hinojosa, Jr.

2nd Team All District: Darius Borrego, Kauner Cerbantez

“hardworking.”

“Icouldnotdothiswithout them,” he added. The Owls went two games deep into post-district play. After a strong performance ending in a decisive 71-57 win against New Deal in the bi-district round, the Owls met Panhandle for the Area round. Though they lost, 75-50, the season ended on an exciting note and a performance that should be considered a highlight of the season.

Gonzales contributed 34

HALE CENTER GIRLS

Lady Owls prove they can compete with anyone

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

It’s been several years sincetheHaleCentergirls miss post-district play.

The team wasn’t ready to let this year be the first.

The Hale Center Lady Owls started their season strong. After starting the season with a 12-game winningstreak,HaleCenter set out to prove they were a dangerous opponent this season.

Under new head coach Marc Elbert, the girls made it to the bi-district playoff round and ended the season with an overall 27-6 record. Twenty-seven also marks the most number of wins in a season in at least a decade.

The Lady Owls went 8-2tofinishsecondindistrict play, effectively sealing their playoff spot.

After their first loss of theseason,theLadyOwls won a game against Floydada and lost the next. Losses were few and far between after, and they were by relatively small margins. The Lady Owls worked hard in the hunt for post-district action.

When district began, Farwellwastheonlyteam to hold up the Lady Owls. They lost twice, once by a margin of 18 points and the next by a margin of three.

But enough about the losses. The Lady Owls’ wins were even more noteworthy. This 2A team inHaleCountybeatteams across the 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A divisions proving they could compete with anyone.

Overall, the season ended earlier than perhaps they'd hoped with a 53-49 loss to New Deal, but the Lady Owls have a program to be proud of. The team will lose just twoseniorstograduation, AlyssaAshbyandAalexis Martinez.

Honorable Mention: Martin Cano, Ethan Hinojosa

1st Team All Defense: Damian Martinez

ROSTER

0 – Ryan Mesquite, senior

1 – Carter Gonzales, senior 2 – David Hinojosa, Jr., senior 3 – Brandon Lopez, sophomore 4 – Martin Cano, freshman 5 – Darius Borrego, junior 11 – Ethan Hinojosa, sophomore 13 – Damian Martinez, junior 24 – Kauner Cerbantez, senior

points in the last game of his senior season. It was a close game that went into double-overtime before a winner was decided.

It was a heartbreaking ending to an outstanding season but hopefully for the Owls, a positive sign of what’s possible in the season to come. As he reflects on the closeofthisseasonandthe startofpreparationsforthe next, Castillo is hopeful. Someguyswillhavetostep up, he noted. It’s sure to be another good season.

They’ll surely be missed, but for a team stacked with athletes in grades 11 and under, the 2026-27 season should be just as good.

ACCOLADES

Defensive Co-MVP: Maygen Espinosa, sophomore

Defensive Co-MVP: Anaya Compton, junior

First Team All-District: Bella Flores, sophomore; Aalexiz Martinez, senior Second Team

All-District: Alyssa Ashby, senior; Laikyn Gonzales, sophomore; Kyndal Jimenez, junior

Defensive Team: Gissele Guerra, sophomore

Honorable Mention: Zoey Castillo, freshman; Kylie Juarez, freshman

ROSTER

0 – Laikyn Gonzales, sophomore 1 – Gissele Guerra, sophomore 4 – Alyssa Ashby, senior 5 – Aalexiz Martinez, senior 12 – Kyndal Jimenez, junior 20 – Anaya Compton, junior

21 – Kylie Juarez, freshman 22 – Bella Flores, sophomore

23 – Maygen Espinosa, sophomore 30 – Zoey Castillo, freshman 31 – Kendrie Milstead, junior

Kress turned things around with playoff appearance

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

The Kress Kangaroos began the 2025-26 basketball season with one primary goal: turn things around.

By any measure, it appears they did.

Coming off a year where they had a losing record by a large margin (5-22), the Kangaroos finished the 2025-26 season with a14-19 record overall and a 6-7 record to close district in fourth place. It was enough to punch a ticket for post-district play.

“Thisteamgrewsignificantly from the beginning of the year to the

ACCOLADES

2nd Team All District: Drew Morphis, Henri Nolen

Honorable Mention: Kingston Brumley, Kraegan Pesina, Kobie Vuittonet

Academic All District: Jayston Lovvorn

ROSTER

00 – Kraegan Pesina, junior

2 – Drew Morphis, senior 3 – Henri Nolen,

end,” noted Coach Jacob Bentley. “They eventually bought in to the process and began to trust themselves, each other and me.”

Theseasonprovidedits

Playoffs are becoming the norm for Kress

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

Playoffs are becoming the norm for the Kress Lady Roos, a program that, until 2020, had never played past district.

Bi-district contests? They’ve been there just about each year since. The real challenge for the program is moving further into the playoff brackets when the competitors get more intense and the stakes get higher.

Coming off a 2024-25 season where the girls wenttotheregionalsemis under then-new head coach Jerry Cathey, expectations were high for this season, at least for the team.

“The expectation for

Playoffs continues on C6

TEAM FAST FACTS

Who was the most competitive? Aleeyah Trevino

Who set the tone during practice? Addi Reed

Who was the calmest in high-pressure situations? JaLea Morphis Who was the best hype person? Our bench

ACCOLADES

District 4-1A Newcomer of the Year: JaLea Morphis (Freshman)

District 4-1A All District: Addi Reed (Senior) and Zowie Vuittonet (Sophomore)

District 4-1A Honorable Mention: Hope McLain (Junior) and Aleeyah Trevino (Junior)

District 4-1A Academic All District: Addi Reed (Senior), Avery Goss (Senior) and JaLea Morphis (Freshman)

ROSTER 0 – Lindsey Fernandez, sophomore 1 – Hope McLain, junior 2 – JaLea Morphis, freshman 5 – Addi Reed, senior 10 – Avery Goss, senior 11 – Janiah Baker-Carr, sophomore 12 – Aleeyah Trevino, junior 22 – Eva Montes, freshman 23 – Jaylynn Trevino, sophomore 24 – Malasia Garza, freshman 34 – Zowie Vuittonet, sophomore

sophomore 4 – Jaek Lovvorn, freshman 5 – Kobie Vuittonet, sophomore

10 – Omar Valdez, sophomore 11 – Kingston Brumley, junior

12 – Heath Searcy, junior

13 – Zavian Pacheco, junior

20 – Jayston Lovvorn, junior 55 – Jaden Galvan, senior

share of challenging opponents for the Kangaroos but he’s proud of the progress.

The biggest turning point of the season, he

Kress continues on C6

Lockney went 8-15 this season

By Ellysa Harris

This season was a rough on for the Lockney Longhorns. They’d hoped for a program refreshastheteamembarkedon the fourth season under head

coach Cody Brewer. The Longhorns had a few notable wins but it wasn’t enough to turn their luck around.

Lockney finished the season 8-15 overall with no wins in district play. They kicked off the season

with a win against county rival, Floydada, in late November. They also took wins from Idalou, Muleshoe, Vega, Wheeler, Anton, ACA and Paducah before starting district competition. District was stacked with tal-

This

ent, though. Competition included a Farwell team that went 9-1 and 25-8 overall, an Olton team that went 8-2 and 30-6 overall and a Hale Center team that went 7-3 and 27-9 overall.

Each of these teams easily claimed playoff spots by the end

of the regular season. Sudan took fourth in the district and earned a playoff spot as well. Seniors on the team for the 2025-26 roster included

challenging season for Lockney Lady Horns

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD ACCOLADES

It was a challenging season for the Lockney Lady Horns. After a difficult season in2024-25,theteamhoped for better as the 2025-26 season got underway. It didn’t quite work out. The Lady Horns ended thebasketballseasonwith an overall 1-20 record and went 0-10 in district play. That lone win came against Cotton Center. The Lady Horns beat the Lady Elks, 49-26, in a hard-earned victory.

District was full of tough competitors such as Farwell (23-9), Hale Center (27-6), Olton (25-7) and Bovina (15-13).

This was a season to rebuild for the program that loses just two seniors to graduation.There’spromise for the 2026-27 season.

Olton overcomes adversity for successful season

By Ellysa Harris

The Olton Mustangs openedtheirseasonwitha nine-game winning streak.

Even with that success, the best was yet to come. After the team’s first loss of the season, they won 10 games in a row.

As the new year kicked off, the team hit a bit of a bumpy patch but still closed the season with a 30-6 overall record and ended district in second place with an 8-2 finish.

It earned the Mustangs a playoff spot. Olton went two rounds deep beating Post, 70-31, in bi-district before falling to Wellington in a hard-fought 55-63 defeat in area.

Overall, we had a successful season,” said Coach Bobby Workman.

Facing adversity in the form of injuries as the team hit its halfway point in the season, the Mustangs had to find new waystomakethevictories happen.

Reflecting on the season, Workman said there were a few key moments that helped the team figureoutwhotheywereand what they needed to do to lock in.

“We had big wins over Frenship Memorial, Panhandle, Bushland, Whitharral, New Home, Farwell and Hale Center that allowed us to be battle tested,” Workman said. “We also lot a couple of games that exposed some things we needed to work on.”

Thekeywasplayingunselfish basketball, he added. Defined by a defensive pressure and pace of play, the Mustangs battled on.

Who was the most competitive?

Sebastian Sparkman and Manny Jimenez

Who set the tone in practice every day?

Sebastian Sparkman and Alex Green

Who was the calmest in high-pressure moments?

Sebastian Sparkman and Matt Flores

Who was the team’s best hype person? Rylan Holmes and Zayden Falcon ROSTER

1 – Sebastian Sparkman,

While there were many great moments throughout the season, Workman said he’s perhaps most proud of the efforts his teamshowedinthewinon the road against Farwell and the win against New Home at the Littlefield Tournament. AssistantcoachesRosario Gonzalez, Ty Rodgers and Jalen Barrientez deserve shoutouts as well as key players for the season, Sebastian Sparkman, Brady Azam and Matt Flores. Five seniors had places on the roster for the 202526 basketball season. Matt Flores and Chris Cabrera stepped into starting roles this season and Coach Workman described them as making an “instant impact.” Ryan Vega and Vaden Carroll also shined in leadership roles. Sebastian Sparkman is also sure to leave behind a big hole in his absence. The four-year starter for the Mustangs was a twotime district MVP, an AllRegion player, a member of the THSCA Super Elite Team and closed his high

senior

2 – Zayden Falcon, junior

3 – Manny Carrasco, junior

4 – Matt Flores, senior

5 – Alex Green, freshman

10 – Ryan Vega, senior

11 – Santi Jimenez, sophomore

12 – Brady Azam, junior

14 – Vaden Carroll, senior 20 – Wyatt Francis, junior 22 – Nathan Craig, junior 23 – Rylan Holmes, sophomore 34 – Chris Cabrera, senior

school basketball career with 1,100 total points. He was also a consistent leader both on and off the court.

Besides the group of seniors, Workman said a couple of other players had significant impacts this season as well.

Freshman Alex Green came in and did an outstanding job defending and brought toughness to the team,” Workman added. “Brady Azam was huge for us with his shot blocking and rebounding ability.”

Those players will no doubt develop into key players for the Mustangs inyearstocomewithplenty of opportunities to step up, especially as the team looks to start prepping for next season.

Looking ahead, excitement is already building for next season. The team will return several players andgainafewextrafroma JVteamthatwent27-2this year.

“Optimistic about the groupthatwehavecoming up,” Workman noted.

Fillies start season with 9-game winning streak

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

The Olton Fillies kicked their basketball season off with a nine-game winning streak.

Itwasanimpressiverun to start the season and was a confidence builder for a teameagerforanothershot at post-district play.

The Fillies finished their season 25-7 overall, an improvement by two more winsthanthepreviousseason. They closed district witha7-3recordlandingin third place and earning a pass to the bi-district round.

The Fillies began with a 70-49 victory over Ropes. That felt particularly good, said head coach TJ Fly, because it showed the Fillies’ potential. By the time Game7oftheseasonrolled around,theFilliesweredeveloping a good rhythm and learning to work together. The 51-48 win over Vega at home was a huge confidence booster.

“This team bonded really well throughout the season,” Fly noted.

The program switched things up this year and transitionedtoamorefastpaced style of play, and it paid off. There were plenty of other key moments to celebrateastheseasonprogressed.

The Fillies took their first loss at the start of December but didn’t let it impact them. The team kept pushing for better and turned things around, so muchso,thattheyearneda hard-fought win against Farwell at home during district play. Fly said he’s especially proud of that result.

ThelasttimeFarwellexperienced a loss in district was three seasons ago and the last time Olton beat Farwell was more than a decade ago. It was a sweet

FAST TEAM FACTS

Who was the most competitive? Mariana Gallegos

Who set the tone in practice every day?

Jentry Bressler

Who was the calmest in high-pressure moments? Kambri Ruiz

Who was the team’s best hype person? HalleeKate Huguley

ACCOLADES

All District: Kaybree Ramon

1st Team All District: Mariana Gallegos, Taryn Smith, Jentry Bressler

2nd Team All District: Kambri Ruiz, Kaleigh Geldenhuys District Newcomer of the Year: Ella Azam

All-Defensive Team: Amie Beelitz Honorable Mention All District: HaleeKateHuguley, Kaybree Ramon, Harlow Gorman, Llama Ramirez

victory for a deserving team out to prove they could compete with the best.

One thing Olton noticeably improved this season wasdefensiveintensityand opposing teams struggled against it.

Outstandingplayersthis yearincludedjuniorsMariana Gallegos, Kaleigh Geldenhuys and sophomores Jentry Bressler and Taryn Smith.

Other notables included Kambri Ruiz and Kaybree Ramon. Those girls were “always in the right place, doing exactly what they were asked to do,” Coach Fly said. The numbers don’t do justice to the impacttheyhadontheFillies.

He also called out Ella Azam for stepping up several times as the season

Academic All District: HalleeKate Huguley, Kaybree Ramon, Kambri Ruiz, Ella Azam, Harlow Gorman, Taryn Smith, Jentry Bressler, Kaleigh Geldenhuys and Amie Beelitz

ROSTER

2 – HalleeKate Huguley

3 – Kaybree Ramon

4 – Mariana Gallegos

5 – Kambri Ruiz

10 – Kaitlyn Ruiz

11 – Ella Azam

12 – Harlow Gorman

14 – Taryn Smith

20 – Jentry Bressler

21 – Llama Ramirez

22 – Kaleigh Geldenhuys

32 – Amie Beelitz

Managers: Magaly Rios, Claire Lostroh and Barbara Gallegos

Head Coach: TJ Fly

Assistant Coaches: Taniqua McFarland, Sasha Bridges and McKenna Morgan

progressed. Asked if there was anybody else who deserved recognition, Fly mentioned CoachTaniquaMcFarland, Barbara Gallegos, Magaly Rios and Clare Lostroh. McFarlandwasasoundingboardandanextrapair of eyes while the team of managers kept him organized and hydrated, especially during those intense moments.

Looking ahead to next season,theFillieswillmiss this group of seniors. “Our seniors helped turn the program around and made it as competitive as it is today,” he noted. But the prospects for 2026-27 are exciting because there’s a lot of talent coming up. Fly expects next year’s team to be just as competitive.

This season proved to be challenging for Tulia Hornets

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

Thiswasaseasonfullof challenges for the Tulia Hornets.

At the start of the season, the schedule felt heavywithlotsoftalenton the opposing side of the ball. New coach Koby Washington at the time said he hoped simply to work hard and show improvement throughout the season.

Though the season didn’t end quite the way the Hornets hoped, they fought through adversity and grew through the challenges.

The Hornets finished 721overalland2-7indistrict closing the season in fifth place.

Staringdowntheschedule for his first season as headcoachoftheHornets, Washington knew competition, both pre-district and district opponents, would be a challenge.

With four returning players, including two seniors, from the 2024-25 season, the Hornets set to work.Tuliastarteditsseason with two losses before gaining the first mark in the win column.

“The team grew together and learned to rely on one another more,” noted Washington.

1st Team All District: Zaiden Jalomo, Cj Parker

District Honorable

Mention: Logan Becerra, Gavin Mahannah, Zai Frost

ROSTER

Logan Becerra, senior Zaiden Jalomo, senior Kevin Pulido, senior

Outstanding players this season included Zaiden Jalomo, Cj Parker, LoganBecerra,ZaiFrost,Gavin Mahannah and Deshaun Yarbrough.

Elijah Wonzo, senior Cruz Chapa, junior

Easton Mahannah, junior

Cj Parker, sophomore

Kavin Powell, sophomore

Zai Frost, sophomore

Gavin Mahannah, sophomore

Paxton Watson, sophomore

Deshaun Yarbrough, freshman

Other players that did well this season were Deshaun Yarbrough and Kavin Powell, Washington added.

Healsopointedtoacoupleofathletesthatstepped up into leadership roles.

Frost and Mahannah were dependable leaders both on and off the court.

“Theseasondidn’tgoas wehoped,butIfeellikethe newcomers to the varsity program improved tremendously and will be a force next season,” Washington said.

Assistant Coach Spencer Dutcher and manager/ student coach Luke Moore deserve shoutouts for what they poured into the team this season. Washington said he could not havemadeitthroughwith-

out them. (I) couldn’t be more proudandhonoredtohave both of them with me this season,” he said. Reflectingontheseason that just ended and what’s instoreforthe2026-27season, Washington said he can’t help but feel hopeful. Next season is going to be a challenge,” he said. “Moving to a really tough district next season but I am hopeful that our experience and skill level will getustowherewewant to be as a program.”

2025-26 was a season of rebuilding for Tulia Lady Hornets

By Ellysa Harris PLAINVIEW HERALD

This season was about rebuilding for the Tulia Lady Hornets Under new coach Andra French, the team focused on strengthening fundamentalsthisseason.

Reflecting on the outcome, the numbers don’t reflect this season’s gains for the Lady Hornets. Theywent4-18overalland 1-8 in district play.

“Earlyintheseason,we were learning how to execute,”saidFrench.“Bythe end, we were competing with confidence, commu-

nicatingatahighleveland operatingasatrueteamin every sense of the word.”

TheLadyHornetsfaced a stacked schedule with bothareatalentandaslate of challenging district competitors.

A key turning point was the game against Canadian. The score reflectedaloss,butitwasagame when things started to click for the team.

“Thatgameshowedour girls what was possible,” French noted. “We competed. We executed. We trusted the process.”

The way the Lady Hornetspresentedthemselves

ROSTER

0 – Iceland Kelly, junior

5 – Sage Gore, sophomore

10 – Kimberly Joven-Castillo, sophomore 15 – Day'Lynn Brookins, junior

20 – Arieana Wells, sophomore 25 – Naliyah Williams,

in that game was defined by poise, discipline and belief, she added.

“That moment validated the work we had been putting in every single day,” she said.

freshman 30 – Curslynn Shivers, freshman

35 – Aubrii Williams, junior

40 – Bailey Acker, junior

45 – Tylani Hutcherson, junior

55 – Faith Adams, sophomore

Looking back, French said, she’s most proud of the way her team embraced the pursuit of perfecting fundamentals. They worked on footwork, defensive position-

ing, ball movement and situationalawareness,she noted.

“Instead of chasing quick fixes, we built systems. And our athletes embraced that,” she said. “Theyacceptedthecoaching, held each other accountable and worked relentlessly.”

The team’s work ethic shined at the end.

“There were several team performances this season that stand out—not just the wins, but because of how we played together,” French said.

“When the ball moved, when the bench was en-

gaged, when we responded to adversity with toughness—that's when wewereatourbest.Those arethemomentsI'mmost proud of.” After all the lessons learned this year, she noted, she’s excited to see what next season holds.

“We’velaidthegroundwork,” she said. “We’ve built the culture. Now it’s about taking it to another level. With this group’s talent, work ethic and complete buy-in to our systems, the ceiling is high. The progress this yearwasreal—andit’sjust the beginning.”

From page C2

added, was a game against Silverton that saw a 17-point deficit for the Kangaroos at the half. The team fought back harder.

Though we ended up losing that game, it showed the guys to never stopfightingandtrustthe process,” Bentley said.

District play was rough. Kress won two back-to-backgamestoget started but then dropped back into a five-game loss streak. They won two more, lost two more, then beatSilvertonforashotat a play-in game... against Silverton, which they ultimately won, 54-51.

“We dug ourselves a hole in district play but

most, but not our team, was that we would be down and be in a little bit of a rebuild,” Cathey said, noting that the team lost four starters from last season.

That wasn’t quite the case.

The team went 23-9 overall and 8-4 in district closingtheregularseason inthirdplaceandearning a playoff spot.

The Lady Roos easily moved past Boys Ranch with a 61-23 victory in the bi-district round. With barely any time to rest, theLadyRoosmetClaude in the area playoff round. Thatwaswheretheirseason came to an end. Kress lost, 47-29.

Sure, it was disappointing, at least in the moment, but the Lady Roos have a lot to be proud of this season.

“This team bought into the plan for the year and to their new roles,” Cathey noted. And it paid off.

put our heads down and only worried about what we could control, eventually fighting back and winning a play-in game againstSilvertontoearna playoff spot,” Bentley said.

Kress faced Texline in the bi-district round but lost, 96-49. Reflecting on how the season went, Bentley credits seniors Drew Morphis and Jayden Galvan with leading the

team, particularly during critical moments throughout the season. Both good leaders on and off the court, I thank them and will miss them next season,” Bentley said.

Othersdeservingshoutouts include assistant coach Jaden Noriega. Noriega was another pair of eyes and ears that proved to be an asset as the season progressed.

“He also had good sug-

Play hard no matter what. Never give up. Play for each other. That’s what defined the team this season, Cathey noted.

This team really did grow throughout the year,” he added. “We had some injuries early in the season and we had to come together quickly, or it was going to be a long season. They just trusted

each other and again just boughtintowhatwewere doing and accepted their roles on the team.”

The Lady Roos kicked off their season with six consecutive wins. Their longest win streak (eight games) came later in the season.

The team dealt with losing a senior, Drue Searsy, to a season-ending injury and then lost

another power player, Zowie Vuittonet, for a threegame stretch. Those happened early in the season, and those events taught the girls to adjust. They played through the Dimmitt Tournament with a shake-up in the roster.

The Lady Roos went 2-1 and finished the tournamentinsecondplacewith wins against two district opponents. It marked a

turning point in the season.

Twenty-three games won for the second straight season in a row was a pretty outstanding feat, Cathey noted. The 32-29 victory against Valley was another highlight because the Lady Roos were seen as the underdog in that match.

“I believe all our players are outstanding, I

gestions and helped implementsomegoodthings thisseason,”Bentleysaid.

“He’sasmartyoungcoach with a bright future and I hopeheknowshowmuch I appreciate him.”

He also noted coaches Ricardo and McKayla Carillo and Derick Wingrove for running the score table for most home games.

Looking ahead to the possibilities for next year, Bentley said he will miss the seniors but he’s excited about the group set to return.

Fourstartersandmultiple guys that contributed off the bench will be coming back to build on what we started this season,” he said. “Also excited about the eighth grade classcomingupthatcompeted well this season.”

really do,” said Cathey.

“But freshman guard JaLea Morphis and sophomore Zowie Vuittonet carried this team offensively. But I will say juniorHopeMcLainandsenior Addi Reed did all the little things on this team for us to be successful.” Seniors Reed and Avery Goss will be missed next season. They’vehelpedsetafoundation for the team, he added.

While he’s proud of the girls, Cathey is just as proud to have assistant coach Lorena Rincon with the team every step of the way.

“Sheholdsthisteamtogether and has such a positive attitude at all times, with me, the game, the girls and with everything,” Cathey noted.

Looking ahead at what next season could have in store, Cathey is excited and expects great things. Withfourstartersexpected to return and just seeing the growth his team experienced this year, the 2026-27 season is sure to be another good one.