Category: Warhorses & Arabians

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…

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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…

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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…

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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.

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.

Team-traveling is more than just basketball

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Warhorse hoops fans get the opportunity to travel up I35 to Decatur this weekend to catch Devine Basketball compete in the James Woods Invitational at Decatur High School December 5, 6, and 7.
The Horses are in Pool B and take on Pottsboro at 3:30pm Thursday before ending the day against host Decatur at 6:30pm. Pool-play results determine Devine’s opponent and game time for Friday and Saturday tipoffs.
As for hitting the road for a few games, there is something about packing up a bunch of teenage boys into a school bus and heading off to a distant high school gym that screams character-building-goldmine as playing a basketball tournament in an unfamiliar location against unknown opponents is one of the best things that can happen to a high school team.
Traveling forces players to spend time together in ways that a home game does not. On the road, they share meals, playlists, and inside jokes. They figure out who is the loudest snorer, who can recite a specific episode of The Simpson’s word for word, and exactly…

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Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Devine was able to wrap up its Thanksgiving break with a decisive win over Jourdanton on November 30. The Horses drummed the Indians 76-63 on Sessions’ Court inside Devine Student Activity Center.
Christian Beaver led the way with 21 points and 5 rebounds while Mason Beaver added 14 points and 4 assists. Ray’sean Beaver had 9 dimes and 6 steals.
The Horses were en fuego from the floor as they shot 45% for the game while their defense held the Indians to 39%. Devine shot a whopping 55% from two-point range (17 of 31) and made a respectable 32% from downtown (8 of 25).
Free throws continue to be an issue as the Horses only converted 10 of 20 from the charity stripe.
Stats vs Jourdanton
Mason Beaver 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 deflection, 4 steals; Christian Beaver 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 deflection; Tanner Davis 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals; Ray’sean Beaver 8 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 deflections, 6 steals; Gavin Williamson 7 points, 2 steals, 1 assist, 2 deflections, 3 steals; Karson Ray 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 deflections…

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Jerel Beaty
Staff writer

The JV Horses ran past visiting Jourdanton 47-23 November 30 at Sessions’ Court inside Devine Student Activity Center. Devine jumped out to a 14-point halftime lead and never looked back in their 24-point thumping of the Indians.
Becker Byrd led the Horses with 19 points while Caden Mann also hit double figures with 11 with 9 of those coming from downtown.
Jacob McKee snatched 10 rebounds.
This one was never in doubt as Devine built a 29-point lead at one point after a 13-point outburst took the score from 33-17 to 46-17.
As good as their offense was, the defense had their fingerprints all over this one as they blocked three shots, had 17 steals, and grabbed 30 rebounds.
Shawn Lowe contributed 5 points, McKee and Sergio DeLeon 4, Jace Martinez 2, Kaleb Oropeza 2, and Steven Montes added a free throw to round out the scoring for the Horses.

Marion for round-robin tournament
5 games slated for December 5-7

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Devine, Waelder, Long Creek, Blanco, Nixon-Smiley, and host Marion compete in a three-day, five-game, round robin style tournament at Long Creek High School December 5, 6, and 7.
The Arabians play Thursday at 2:30pm against Nixon-Smiley then again at 5:30pm versus Waelder.
Friday’s doubleheader includes a tilt against Marion at 11:30am prior to their 4:00pm tip against Long Creek.
Only one game on the schedule for Saturday and that has Devine taking on Blanco at noon

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, there was still time for a little hoop action prior to the break as the Warhorses continue to improve with each passing practice and ballgame.
vs Canyon Lake (Nov21)
Payback is a sun-of-a-gun. Devine did not have to wait long to avenge a setback to the Hawks as the Horses swamped Canyon Lake 68-58 just two days after losing by 7 to the same team.
Free throw shooting, carelessness with the ball, and points allowed off turnovers did not doom Devine this time around as each were drastically different.
The Horses converted 11 of 14 from the charity stripe and committed a season-low 15 turnovers. Devine also shot 24 of 51 from two-point territory to help offset their less than stellar 3 of 18 output from downtown.
Christian Beaver, Tanner Davis, and Mason Beaver paced Devine with 19, 18, and 17 points, respectively while Christian (14) and Davis (11) also hauled in double-digit boards. Ray’sean Beaver delivered 6 assists.
The Horses got out of the gate quickly, outscoring Canyon Lake 17-12 in the opening frame. The Hawks came around a bit in the second quarter to pull it even at 32 going into halftime.
Devine left nothing on…

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