Jaw-dropping 4th quarter comeback by JV Horses

Byrd scores 20, 14 during decisive 28-13 run
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
In one of the better games in recent JV basketball memory, Devine rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to claim the exciting 52-20 win over visiting Somerset on January 3.
“Picking up this game was a morale booster for the team and a perfect way to kick off the new year,” stated Coach Zac Valenzuela prior to adding this next tidbit of humor. “Facing Somerset, we found ourselves trailing the entire game, but in true JV fashion, we had them exactly where we wanted them—down 14 points in the fourth quarter.”
Somerset bolted out to a 21-13 lead halfway through, building as much as a 10-point lead in the first half before Becker Byrd and his Warhorse teammates put their exclamation mark on the game with a 39-point second half.
“We rose to the challenge in spectacular fashion. Becker Byrd became unstoppable, pouring in 14 of his 21 points in the final quarter alone. Freshman Dylan Hinnant nailed two clutch three-pointers, adding to our incredible 28-point fourth quarter. Freshmen Brody Lane and Nick Vasquez, who were called up for this game since Tuesday was our bye, contributed greatly to the team’s success and proved they were more than ready for the spotlight as well!”
Devine snatched 39 rebounds, many of which led to some much-needed second-chance points. Hinnant pulled down 7 boards and also hit two three-pointers in route to his 10 points.
Every point mattered in this one. Others scoring were Vasquez with 8 points, Lane 4 points, Jace Martinez 3 points, Shawn Lowe 3 points, Jacob McKee 2 points, and Zane Fritz 2 points.
Setting the stage
The final game-deciding ticks off the clock began with a Becker Byrd floater with about 10 seconds left.
Somerset transitioned..

Read the full story at www.devinenewsmembers.com

Fulton, Velasquez lead Lady Mustang Powerlifting

The Lytle boys Powerlifting team got 2nd place at their first meet. From left to right: Isaiah Delgado earned 2nd in the 242 class, Jaden Araujo earned 1st in the 123 class, Evan Syma earned 3rd in the 114 class, Luke Estrada earned 2nd in the 148 class, Christopher Jacques earned 2nd in the 181 class, and Noah Smoot earned 3rd in the 181 class.

Horses battle Somerset

#4 Davis prepares to take the shot

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The end of Christmas break did not end like the Warhorse basketball team had hoped as Somerset downed Devine 80-46 on Sessions Court on January 3. Things looked good for the home team early on as they were within three points at the end of the first quarter, trailing only 14-11.
Although Devine trailed 38-24 at the break, the Horses looked confident and played with defensive tenacity that showed the promise of them being capable of a second half comeback against perennial playoff powerhouse Somerset.
The near-5A Bulldogs put on a layup clinic after halftime, however, as Somerset went on a 25-point roll and scored 44 points in the paint in their lopsided win.
Mason Beaver and Tanner Davis notched double figures with 13 and 10 respectively while Christian Beaver drained 8 points. Davis also grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds while Ray’sean Beaver dished 4 assists.
Stats
Mason Beaver 13 points…

Read the full story at www.devinenewsmembers.com

1,000 points!

Arabian Natalie Valle hit her 1000 career points against Somerset on Friday, January 3rd. Photo by J DuBose.

Arabians don’t let Bulldogs off the porch

Natalie Valle notches 1,000 points
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Celebration all around on Sessions Court inside the DSAC on January 3 as Devine not only slapped Somerset with a 54-25 beatdown to move to 4-0 in District 27-4A but Natalie Valle notched her 1,000th career point in the process as well.
Nine different Arabians got their names in the scoring column, led by sole double-digit scorer Airyanna Rodriguez who splashed in 10 points. Thousand-point club-member Valle was one hoop away from double figures as she put in 8 points to go along with her 8 rebounds.
Kenadi Marek also scored 8 while Oakley Malone and Kylie Monreal each knocked down 7 points.
Maddie DuBose dominated the glass with 13 rebounds.
Devine’s defense was solid throughout, limiting Somerset to 18% shooting from the field. Although things seemed a little hairy early as the Arabians held a slim 8-5 lead after the first period, Devine got things cleaned up in the middle sections of the game by outscoring the Lady Dogs…

Read the full story at www.devinenewsmembers.com

Arabians beat Carrizo Springs, Pleasanton

Arabian Dani Gutierrez playing defense

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Arabians picked up a couple of District 27-4A victories last week to improve to 3-0 in the first round of action. They defeated Carrizo Springs 57-36 on Tuesday before downing Pleasanton 67-49 last Friday.
Led by Natalie Valle’s 25 points, including hitting all five of Devine’s successful three-pointer attempts, the Arabians defeated Carrizo Springs in the first official game on Sessions Court inside the DSAC on December 17.
Devine continued building upon an early 17-7 lead as they smacked the Cats for 17 additional hair-raising points in the second quarter to take a 34-13 lead into the break.
Valle’s first basket was a two-point shot then nailed three threes to give her 11 first-quarter points. She also made a shot beyond the arc in the second and fourth quarter.
Kenadi Marek was solid as well as she scored 8 of her 11 points in the middle two periods while Maddie DuBose chipped in 8 points.
Kyle Monreal scored all of her 6 points in the first half, Maddie De La Garza put in her 4 points in the fourth quarter, and recently named TABC All-State Volleyball player Airyanna Rodriguez hit 75% from the charity stripe for her 3 points.
Oakley Malone, Lynn Lawler, Jilliyn Guajardo, Dani Gutierrez, and Kyrie DuBose also contributed in their team’s 19-point lopsided victory.
Stats were not available for the Arabian’s 18-point win in the Pleasanton game.

Life on JV hoops is a learning experience

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The JV Horses have not had the opportunity to play as many games a week as their varsity brethren over the last couple of weeks. While the varsity was playing tournaments in Decatur and Yorktown, the JV sat idle waiting on district to guarantee their games happening every Tuesday and Friday…well, at least after the Christmas break anyway.
JV and assistant varsity coach Zac Valenzuela understands the trials and tribulations of being a “sub-varsity” player in basketball, especially in Devine where hoop expectations are always high regardless level of competition.
“Playing sub-varsity basketball for Devine is tough,” Valenzuela stated after tough games versus Bandera and Davenport. “We appreciate that so many student-athletes tryout, but we can only keep so many on each of the teams.”
Early game times, small crowds, and most of the time hitting the court without cheerleaders pumping up the people who are in the gym makes it a daunting task at times to keep even those that make the squad.
“Even after we make cuts to get a manageable number of players to practice and play games with, some who survive tryouts often wind up cutting…

Read the full story by subscribing at www.devinenewsmembers.com

Natalia HS Boys Basketball Game Recaps

12/17-12/20/2024

By Coach Justin Welsh
Varsity Boys Basketball @ Jourdanton – 12/17/2024
The Mustangs hit the road Tuesday to face the Jourdanton Indians in the District 28-3A opener. A slow start on both ends of the floor put the Mustangs in an early hole, as the Indians came out firing on all cylinders. Jourdanton outscored the Mustangs 14-6 in the first quarter, with Dominic San Miguel contributing 4 points and David Rodriguez adding 2 for the Mustangs.
The second quarter saw a surge in offensive production for the Mustangs. After falling behind 25-12 with 4:50 remaining, the team responded with a 14-2 run sparked by San Miguel, Rodriguez, and Peyton Alderete. This rally trimmed the deficit to just 3 points, 27-24. However, the Indians closed the half strong, extending their lead back to 9 points at 35-26.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams finding success offensively. Alderete led the Mustangs with 9 points in the quarter, including two clutch three-pointers. Despite their efforts, Jourdanton slightly edged the Mustangs in the period, taking a 54-43 lead into the fourth quarter.
In the final frame, the Mustangs found themselves trailing by as many as 13 points but refused to back down. A three-pointer by San Miguel narrowed the gap to 10 with 3:38 remaining. With two minutes left, the Mustangs turned up their defensive intensity, forcing…

Read the full story by subscribing at www.devinenewsmembers.com

Warhorses open District 27-4A

66-59 road win in Pleasanton
Ray, Davis, M. Beaver combine for 57 points

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The first and fourth quarters were huge for Devine in their District 27-4A road opener in Pleasanton last Friday afternoon. The Horses shot a combined 15 of 28 (54%) from the floor in those bookend periods that helped secure their 66-59 victory over the Eagles.
Karson Ray had a monster game for Devine as he smacked down 26 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Tanner Davis also came up big, getting a double-double with 18 points and 12 boards and Mason Beaver tacked on another 13 points and dished out 7 assists.
Ray’sean Beaver has been dealing dimes all year long and this night was no different as he finished with 7 assists. Christian Beaver cleaned the glass for 10 rebounds, gathering 5 on each end of the court.
As good as Devine was from close range (25 of 50 for 50%), they were just the opposite from beyond the arc as they connected on only 2 of 19 attempts (11%).
Stats
Karson Ray 26 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal; Tanner Davis 18 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocked shots; Mason Beaver 13 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 deflection, 1 steal; Gavin Williamson 5 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal; Ray’sean Beaver 4 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 deflections; Christian Beaver 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 deflections; Cecilio De La Garza 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal.

Yes, Santa, there is a JV Arabian hoop team

Devine downs Lady Cats 44-21 to open district

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Thank you, Nancy Martin, for sending in pictures of the scorebook in the Arabian JV team’s 44-21 victory over visiting Carrizo Springs on December 17.
Karsyn Mann made nine field goals and was a perfect 3 for 3 at the free throw line to lead her team with 21 points. Nine of those 21 accounted for all of Devine’s first quarter points in their taking of a 9-1 lead early in the game.
Caroline Suhr added 7 points, including a three-pointer in the second quarter. Calleigh Schneider scored 4 of her 6 points in the second quarter while Greeley Malone scored 4 of her 6 points in the fourth quarter.
Lilly Owen and Payton Appling each added 2 points and Ariel Ottinger contributed in ways other than in the scoring column.

Arabians open District 27 with win in Uvalde

Arabians Nat Valle and Yaya Rodriguez put pressure on the defense Photo by J DuBose

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Devine defeated Uvalde 66-22 December 13 to open District 27-4A 1-0 prior to their December 17 tilt at the newly named Sessions Court at Devine Student Activity Center.
“We had a great first quarter which we were up 20-0 and then went into half 39-8,” Head Coach Hannah Thompson stated Tuesday right at press time. “The girls played with high energy, everyone contributed, and it was an overall fun game.”
Airyanna Rodriguez led with 14 points and Natalie Valle scored 12.
No other stats were available due to a mix up.
vs La Vernia
The Arabians pulled out a thriller in La Vernia 35-34 as Natalia Valle scored 16 points to lead Devine. Kylie Monreal and Airyanna Rodriguez each chipped in 7 while Oakly Malone nailed a huge 3-pointer in the fourth quarter and Kenadi Marek added 2 points.
Malone’s three-pointer tied the game at 32 in the waning moments, and Valle’s last of her four threes on the night proved to be the game-winner as La Vernia’s last second three-point attempt doinked off the rim to give the Arabians the electrifying victory.
Free throws did not translate into “free points” for the Lady Bears as they bricked 13 of 25 attempts in their loss.
Upcoming
The Arabians play Pleasanton December 21 and Pearsall December 31 to close out 2024.