Category: Lytle Pirates & Lady Pirates Sports

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Lytle Lady Pirates now move into 4th in district standings after splitting matches with a tough five-set loss to Carrizo Springs and a dominant three-set victory over Natalia. Lytle is now 2-2 in district play but continues to improve with every game. Head coach Margaret McOsker said both matches gave the team “valuable opportunities to grow.”
“We were disappointed with the loss [to Carrizo Springs], but I was proud of how the girls competed and continued to battle until the final point,” McOsker said. “Then, against Natalia, we responded with a dominant three-set victory. It was great to see the team reset, refocus, and play with confidence. We’re also battling against injuries that have changed our lineup and forced the younger players to step up.”
During their match against the Wildcats, rallies were extended to their absolute limit, with Carrizo almost always earning the point after. McOsker felt the team was too cautious or made an extra error when the possession was extended.
“To improve in those situations, we have to be more disciplined with our first contact, communicate better, and trust our systems,” McOsker explained. “We also need to stay aggressive at the net and understand that long rallies require patience, but not passivity. The goal is to…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Lytle Lady Pirates have started district play 1-1 after falling to Crystal City then taking down Cotulla, both in straight sets. Lytle has been clicking at the right time, winning four of their last six games. Head coach Margaret McOsker said starting off with an even split gives her a clear view of where they are and what they need to do to improve.
“The loss to Crystal City was disappointing because we struggled to find consistency and didn’t play with the confidence or urgency we needed,” McOsker said. “I was proud of how the girls responded against Cotulla. They came back focused, played together, and showed the resilience we’ve been asking of them.”
To win a match the same way you lose one usually means that a minor tweak is all that’s needed. McOsker said the biggest difference between the loss to Crystal City and the win over Cotulla was the team’s energy and execution.
“Against Crystal City, we were too hesitant and allowed mistakes to affect us for several points at a time. Against Cotulla, we played more aggressively, communicated better, and stayed in control. We served tougher, handled the…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Lytle Pirates took a tough loss to Bandera, falling 63-0. The Pirates now hold a record of 1-2 ahead of district play. Head coach Mike Trevino didn’t sugar coat anything, stating that it was a “tough night.” He credited Bandera for coming out prepared and taking advantage of the opportunities the Bulldogs created. 
“For us, it was one of those nights where adversity hit early and we never really found the rhythm we needed to respond. But I told our kids afterward that these moments reveal a lot about you. Winning can build confidence, but nights like this can build character if you respond the right way,” Trevino said. “We’ve intentionally challenged ourselves through this non-district schedule because we wanted to find out who we are before district play begins. We’ve been tested, bruised, humbled, and forced to grow. Now the question becomes: What are we going to do with everything we’ve learned?”
This was the second week in a row that the Lytle defense has given up 60+ points. Last week Trevino mentioned “self-inflicted wounds” as a cause for the defense letting their opponents run up the score. Even against the Bulldogs he said they had missed assignments, poor leverage, missed tackles, alignment issues. Mistakes like that add up very quickly against a good football team. 
“The biggest thing is continuing to understand that defense takes all eleven guys doing their job together. We have to get back to trusting our training. The encouraging part is those are things we can correct. We own it, we learn from it, and then we go back to work,” Trevino said. 
The offense was not at its best either that night, but every miss-step is an opportunity to grow and improve. The biggest lesson he wanted the offense to take away from…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
After months of training and countless tournament matches, district play will begin for volleyball and the Lytle Lady Pirates are primed and ready for the competition. In their last two matches Lytle took on Providence Catholic and Medina Valley Creek View. Head coach Margaret McOsker said both hard-fought matches “provided valuable experience heading into the most important stretch of the season.”
Vs. Providence Catholic
Lytle took down Providence Catholic 3-0 on Sept. 1, controlling the match from start to finish. 
The Lady Pirates’ scoring…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!