Category: Sports

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Lytle Pirates had an excellent week on the court, taking down their local rival the Natalia Mustangs, 81-30 and then outlasted Jourdanton in an overtime thriller, 77-75. The Pirates advance to 4-1 in district play, holding firmly onto the second seed.
Vs. Natalia
A rivalry that spans generations, Pirates vs Mustangs always brings a packed house and an entertaining game. However, the Pirates had no interest in making things “interesting”, they came to handle business. After out-scoring Natalia, 28-7 in the first quarter, Lytle never looked back.
“Our defensive pressure was full throttle from everyone who stepped on the court, making it tough on the Mustangs all over the floor,” Head coach Arturo Vela said. 
Vela credited the dominant win to the Pirates executing on both ends of the court. Vela said they came out with strong defensive pressure and knocked down early shots, which helped them take control of the pace. 
“Diego Reyna knocked down a few early three-pointers that got us going, and the pace set by Chase [Guevara], Weston [Jackson], and Seth [Pierce] pushed the tempo and helped us score over 80 points,” Vela said. “The defensive effort from everyone who stepped on the court, especially Lee Mills, Ethan [Elizondo], Jalen Roudriguez and Clayton Jopling, turned the game into a track meet that the Mustangs couldn’t keep up with.”
Available stats:
Scoring: #1 Darius Garcia- 14 pts, #2 Chase Guevara- 21 pts, #3 Weston Jackson- 7 pts, #4 Jalen Rodriguez- 7 pts, #5 Lee Mills- 4 pts, #12 Seth Pierce- 14 pts, #14 Ethan Elizondo- 6 pts, #21 Diego Reyna- 8 pts
Rebounding: #1 Garcia- 3 reb, #2 Guevara- 1 reb, #3 Jackson- 3 reb, #4 Rodriguez- 2 reb, #5 Mills- 3 reb, #12 Pierce- 12 reb (five offensive), #14 Elizondo- 4 reb, #21 Reyna- 8 reb
Assists: #1 Garcia- 1 ast, #2 Guevara- 1 ast, #3 Jackson- 3 ast, #4 Rodriguez- 1 ast, #11 Clayton Jopling- 2 ast, #12 Pierce- 1 ast, #14 Elizondo- 1 ast, #21 Reyna- 1 ast
Steals: #1 Garcia- 4 stl, #2 Guevara- 5 stl, #3 Jackson- 3 stl, #4 Rodriguez- 3 stl, #5 Mills- 3 stl, #11 Jopling- 1 stl, #12 Pierce- 2 stl, #21 Reyna- 3 stl

Vs. Jourdanton
One of the most entertaining games of the season came in the form of the matchup of Lytle and Jourdanton. The whole town seemed to slip away and the only thing that ever existed was the game on Friday night. 
“Although we struggled shooting the ball on Friday, we showed a lot of effort and toughness to stay in the game,” Vela said. “It was a game of runs, and neither team was able to truly separate. Our guys never gave up, continued to defend and stayed committed to the game plan.”
As the game came winding down, Guevara, Pierce and Reyna each…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 $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Opening their 2026 season in Natalia on January 14 were Head Coach Melissa Gomez and 10 of her Pirate athletes. Senior Noah Smoot and junior Ezekiah Aguilar each finished in the top of their respective weight divisions to take medals on their shot bus trip home.
“We took a group of primarily new powerlifters to Natalia to compete in their first meet,” Gomez stated. “A few had a rough start with commands/rules, controlling the bar, and nerves, but with guidance and support from their team, they were able to overcome those challenges by their second or third lifts.”
Smoot earned second place in the 181 weight class with a total of 1,265 pounds while the new-to-the-sport Aguilar earned third place in the 165 weight class with a total of 805 pounds.
“It was a great learning experience for the new powerlifters. This young team is full of potential, and we are excited to see them grow this season,” Gomez said in closing.
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Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Under the direction of Head Coach Melissa Gomez, the Lady Pirates began their 2026 push to greatness in Natalia on January 7 as their season got underway. Seniors Gabriela Cortez and Valeria Gonzalez led the way as Cortez earned 3rd place in the 132 weight class with a total of 585 pounds while Gonzalez took 3rd place in the 148 weight class with a total of 680 pounds.
“We took a team of 9 returners and 2 new lifters to Natalia,” Gomez stated. “The meet had over 90 lifters total competing for medals and team placements and for it being the first meet of the season, girls from around the area went all out!”
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Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Lytle varsity Pirates continue their campaign through the regular season, beating the Hondo Owls 75-64. The Pirates currently sit in third place of the district standings with a record of 2-1 and an overall record of 12-10. 
In their win over the Owls on Jan. 6, the Pirates showed exactly why they’re a force in Medina County. Their fast paced offense was firing on all cylinders, keeping Hondo on their heels on offense and then their toes on defense. The Owls had a resurgence in the second half but Lytle dug in defensively to douse Hondo’s hope of a comeback.
“The momentum and energy went back and forth all night, and our defense once again set the tone, led by Weston Jackson and Diego Reyna,” Vela said. 
The offense was fueled by Chase Guevara’s 26 points and Seth Pierce’s 24. What capped off the win was Pierce scoring his 1,000th point of his high school career. The senior Pirate is a perfect blend of offensive superiority, mixing physicality bolstered by graceful work and elite basketball IQ to get his teammates involved on all three levels of scoring. Vela said the senior has been a major contributor to the team since he stepped onto the floor as a freshman.
“[Pierce has] been great on both sides of the ball and at times, probably not selfish enough for my liking. He’s a tremendous teammate who makes everyone around him better,” Vela said. “We definitely feel it when he’s not on the floor because of how big of an anchor he is for us, both defensively and offensively. He’s the voice of our team and does a great job getting guys where they need to be. I’ve truly enjoyed being a part of Seth’s journey to 1,000 points.”
On Friday Jan. 9, the Pirates first loss of district play 55-95 to Crystal City. The Javelinas are a top 10 team in the state so Vela knew this matchup would be an uphill battle. Crystal City set the pace from the opening tip and the Pirates couldn’t match their offensive production.
The Pirates are looking to bounce back in this week’s rivalry game against the Natalia Mustangs on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Lytle’s gym then the Pirates will travel to Jourdanton on Friday, Jan. 16 to take on the Indians at 7:15 p.m.