Jerel Beaty Staff writer Lunna Reyes, Aliana Cardenas, and Valentina Ayala all messed around and got a double-double to lead the Lady Pirates to their first district win on December 10. Reyes scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed a game-high 21 rebounds, while Cardenas also scored a team-high 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, and Ayala popped Dilley for 11 points and snatched 10 boards in Lytle’s 49-14 dominating victory. “We picked up a great team-win to start off district play 1-0,” said Head Coach Lori Wilson. “Everyone played and contributed positive minutes for this win.” Lytle played well throughout, outscoring the Lady Wolves in each of the four quarters. Lytle’s third quarter was an offensive explosion, however, as the Lady Pirates scored 21 points to make the beatdown official. The Lady Pirates defense was on all night as well. “Our defense stepped up in this game forcing…
Staff writer The JV Horses lost 58-46 to Marion on December 10. Only trailing 27-24 at halftime, Devine could not make up the difference as a parade of free throws in the fourth quarter by the Bulldogs kept the Horses at arm’s length. Marion hit 9 of 12 free throws in the final eight minutes while Devine connected on only 5 of 14 attempts from the charity stripe for the entire game. Three players hit double figures for Devine led by Becker Byrd who scored 12 points. Shawn Lowe and Dylan Hinnant each put in 10 points. Others scoring were Caden Mann who hit two three-pointers for his 6 points, Steven Montes with 3 points, Zane Fritz and Jacob McKee each with 2 points, and Jack Rumfield hit a free throw for his point.
Jerel Beaty Staff writer Head Coach Jacob Hernandez has his team ready for District 28 action as they blew past San Antonio Stacey 77-27 December 10. The Pirates hosted their talent-packed tournament a couple of weeks ago, racking up wins against Santa Rosa 86-51 and Great Hearts Northern Oaks 71-62 while dropping contests against La Vernia 76-66 and St. Anthony 73-53. That tournament provided a lot of maturing and built confidence among the entire team. “After playing three state-ranked teams in our tournament, I feel that made our Stacey game a breeze,” Hernandez stated, meaning no disrespect to the Eagles in the process. “Our defense was relentless, getting our hands in…
Jerel Beaty Staff writer I personally send out a huge “THANK YOU!” to each of the coaches from Devine, Lytle, and Natalia who take the time necessary to promote their program and their players through The Devine News. Coaches who submit factual game statistics, standout performances, and crucial play-by-play details not only brings back memories of a game from those who either participated in that game or that saw it happen live but even more importantly it paints a more accurate picture for those who did not go missed out on witnessing. It is simply impossible for I or any other staff writer to sit in the press box or on the top row of the bleachers at each and every contest across three schools and multiple layers of competition for both males and females. In my time as a staff writer, conjuring compelling sports stories out of thin air with no factual information is virtually impossible, and quite frankly, is a horrible read for those that pick up the newspaper anticipating a well-written, stat-filled article. So, the real news is no stats, no story. Ultimately, the article written is your program’s highlight reel for the community. When coaches take the time to submit game results, spotlight key performances, and even throw in a quote or two, they are not just helping their players get a moment in the spotlight, they are helping the entire community rally around their program. Parents clip articles for scrapbooks, more fans turn out for the next game and maybe cheer a little louder knowing exactly what is at…
Jerel Beaty Staff writer Get the brooms out! Devine Middle School Fillys and Colts made it a clean sweep of Bandera Monday night as all eight teams came out victorious in their last contests prior to Christmas break. The Fillys rundown includes wins by 7th B by a score of 23-6, 7th A 37-16, 8th B 33-12, and 8th A 41-20 while the Colts were equally impressive as 7th B won by the slimmest of margins 18-17, 7th A 34-12, 8th B 32-17, and 8th A 62-26. Combined, Devine won all 8 games by a total of 280 to 126 for an average score of 35-16. Devine’s hoops future looks bright for these matchups as the next few years roll by. Fillys 7th B Devine got out to a 13-0 halftime lead as their defense was absolutely phenomenal. Led by Savannah Solis who had an incredible 10 steals to go along with her 6 points, the Fillys never trailed in their 23-6 victory. Fillys 7th B stats Savannah Solis 6 points, 1 rebound, 10 steals; Riley Hennessey 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal; Sophia Espinosa 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists; Brooklyn Kendrick 2 points, Brylee Adriano 2 points; Allyson Muniz-Arteaga 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist; Clover Salinas 1 rebound, 1 steal; Emily Cashion 2 rebounds, 1 steal; Jacklynn Clark 1 rebound, 1 steal; Meela Luna 1 rebound. Fillys 7th A Devine was more than ready for this tilt as they dominated from beginning to end in their 37-16 victory. “The girls did a great job coming out ready to go in this game,” commented Coach Kara Stacy. “We took control right at the start with great defense which allowed us to get up quick and take a 14-point lead halfway through the game.” Lilliana Rodriguez led the way with 14 points, 9 steals, and 5 assists followed by Allison Balencia with 8 points. “The momentum built in the first half carried over throughout the rest of the night which allowed us to close the door with a big 21-point win.” Brooke Stacy added 6 points, and Juliana Rivas was credited with 6 steals. Grabbing some offensive rebounds for chances at…
Arabian Oakley Malone plays tough defense in this past week’s tournament.
District begins Friday in Uvalde
Jerel Beaty Staff writer The Arabians brought home the team championship from the Marion Tournament that was held last weekend. Devine defeated Nixon-Smiley, Marion, Long Creek, and Blanco to go spotless -0 over the three-day hoop-fest, and cooped with their December 3 win over Marion, the Arabians went 5-0 over a 5-day span. Kylie Monreal and Airyanna Rodriguez were named to the All-Tournament Team. District 27-4A begins Friday December 13 in Uvalde then Devine hosts Carrizo Springs on Sessions’ Court inside Devine Student Activity Center. vs Marion (Dec3) Devine shot 44% from the floor and got a whopping 30 points off 29 Lady Bulldog miscues as the Arabians downed Marion 62-40 on the road. Kylie Monreal led the way with 19 points, got her hands on 18 deflections, and was credited with 13 steals leading to easy baskets on the other end of the floor. Devine converted 18 of 37 inside the lane as they outscored Marion 36-18 from close range. Double figure scorers included Natalie Valle with 16 and Kenadi Marek with 13. Monreal led with 19 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds in her and her team’s…
Jerel Beaty Staff writer Warhorse Head Basketball Coach Jacob Alegria had a busy, but extremely productive week last week as they destroyed the Owls in Hondo prior to hitting the pavement for the James Woods Tournament in Decatur. “Most teams use tournaments to build chemistry and fine tune strategies before starting district play. Coaches may not always like to look at the silver lining in losses, but there were some definite positives and growth in this tournament. Some of the role players saw their roles expand and some of the starters seem to have found their groove,” Alegria stated. “We averaged just over 64 points a game for the tournament, forced opponents to 70 turnovers for an average of 17.5 a game and an average 16.3 assists a game. We look to use this tournament experience and our upcoming Yorktown Tournament to guide us the rest of the season.” vs Hondo Many may have been surprised that they did not have to change the singed basketball nets at halftime, on the Warhorse end of the court anyway, as they simply scorched Hondo on their home court December 3. All 11 Horses that checked in at the scorer’s table scored at least two points in Devine’s 68-37 domination. Devine led 24-6 after the first eight minutes and kept piling it on as they took a 40-12 lead into the more than jubilant halftime locker room before leading by as much as 52-14 midway through the third quarter. Karson Ray led the way with 12 points and Mason Beaver posted 10 points, but it was a complete team effort all the way through. Devine shot 43% from the floor including an impressive…
Junior Varsity Warhorses #33 Becker Byrd and #15 Dylan Hinnant wait for the rebound in the Nov. 26 game. Photo by C Richard.
Jerel Beaty Staff writer The JV Horses dropped a 45-42 heartbreaker against the Owls in Hondo on December 3. Tied at 42, Hondo hit a three-pointer with 49 seconds left to pull out the win in front of their home folks. It was no doubt a tight one as teams exchanged leads nine different times throughout the ball game. Devine trailed 9-8 after the first quarter but bounced back nicely in the second quarter taking a 20-16 lead into the break. Dylan Hinnant led the way with 11 points while Jacob McKee grabbed 11 boards. Becker Byrd dished out 5 assists. Others scoring were McKee with 9 points, Byrd 6, Caden Mann 6, Shawn Lowe 6, Jace Martinez 2, and Sergio DeLeon 2. Team members contributing in other ways besides scoring were Jack Rumfield, Gavin Sanchez, and Rex Hershberger. Devine was off last Friday as the varsity Horses were in Decatur for a tournament and played Bandera December 10.
Jerel Beaty Staff writer Lytle Head Powerlifting Coach Melissa Gomez along with new assistant coach Shelley Armentrout will be ready to roll (and wrap) once January 4 rolls around as the Pirate team begins its season at Cotulla High School. The Lady Pirates crank it up the following week on January 8 in Natalia. “We are excited to welcome back numerous experienced and qualifying returners, along with talented new lifters and our new Assistant Coach, Shelley Armentrout,” Gomez stated. “This program continues to thrive, so come out and support your Lytle Powerlifting team!” Gomez pointed out accomplishments of her 2024 squad that included 3 Pirates qualifying for Regional and 2 of those advancing to State, earning a 2nd and 3rd place medal in the process while Lady Pirates qualified 7 for Regional and 2 to State. Things are looking great for Lytle, so check out the schedule below and make it a point…
Varsity Warhorse Mason Beaver evades the Bulldog team members followed by #14 Cecilio De La Garza during the Nov. 26 game.
Yorktown Tournament on tap for Warhorses Jerel Beaty Staff writer After a camaraderie-filled trip to Decatur, the Warhorse hoopsters hit the road for their last tournament of the season as they make the much shorter trip to Yorktown December 12, 13, and 14. Devine’s Pool B competition includes Goliad, San Marcos Homeschool, St. Lutheran, and Beeville JV. After completion of pool-play games Thursday and Friday, the Horses will play a team from Pool A on Saturday at a time to be determined. Pool A teams are host Yorktown, Stockdale, Falls City, Weimar, and Bloomington. On Thursday, Devine opens against St. Lutheran at 10:30am followed by a 3:00pm tip against San Marcos Homeschool. Friday’s two contests include a 10:30am tipoff against Goliad and a 3:00pm jump versus Beeville JV.
