By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Getting to the playoffs was just part of the Rams’ story this year. Now, they want to make their stay a memorable one.
The Del Rio Rams basketball team takes its first step towards immortality Tuesday night in Uvalde when they face the San Antonio Warren Warriors in the Bi-District round of the playoffs.
The game is slated to be held at the Uvalde High School gymnasium at 7 p.m. According to the San Felipe Del Rio CISD, tickets for the Rams’ first playoff game in four years will begin Monday at noon. A link will be posted on the school district’s official website. District representatives added that all senior and district passes would be honored.
The Rams finished fourth in District 30-6A after they defeated Laredo LBJ and Laredo Nixon defeated Laredo United South Tuesday night. Warren finished its district season tied with Brennan for the 29-6A title at 16-2. The Warriors finished the season on a 12-game winning streak including a 60-57 win over Brennan in their rematch Jan. 22.
The Warriors are led by an impressive trio – junior Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, senior Xaivier Kirk and junior Aden Mendez.
Of that group, it’s Crocker-Johnson that has drawn the most attention. A power forward, he stands 6’ 7” and weighs in at a solid 195 pounds. He averaged 21 points during the regular season but is one of the team’s leading rebounders as well, racking up more than 400 rebounds during the season.
Kirk is no slouch either. Standing at 6’ 2” and weighing in at 188 pounds, Kirk was the second leading scorer on the Warriors, averaging just over 18 points per game. A guard, Kirk can play point guard or shooting guard and is adept at driving the ball to the hoop as well as shooting from anywhere on the floor.
Mendez rounds out the trio of double-digit scorers, averaging just over 11 points per game. A 5’ 10”, 140-pound junior, Mendez plays point guard for the Warriors and is averaging just over four assists a game.
Though those three are the only players averaging in double digits in scoring, Warren’s team is filled with skilled players and big bodies. According to Del Rio’s basketball coaches, Warren is a big team that likes to wear down its opponents with its size and plays a more deliberate, slower style.
That may be the opening the Rams need.
Del Rio has been a run-and-gun team during the year. While they have a pair of big men in J.J. Cervantes and Jorge Rubio, the team’s true strengths have been in the speed and skill of players such as seniors Nick Rivera and William Proffit and underclassmen Alessandro Elizondo and Alan Dobbins.
For Del Rio to have success against Warren, it’s going to take a disciplined Rams team that’s ready to use its speed and length to neutralize Warren’s size.
The X factor may be Cervantes. A solid post player, and former Rams player of the year, Cervantes has begun to extend his offensive play from just in the paint to mid-range and the occasional 3-point shot. He’s also become a better defensive presence in close. He will have his hands full, but if Cervantes can hold his ground then the Rams will have a legitimate chance.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
