Category: Warhorses & Arabians

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…

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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…

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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.

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…

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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.

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.

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.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Devine Athletic Boosters (DAB) recently hosted the Fall Sports Awards Banquet as it celebrated the grit and determination of all Arabian and Warhorse student-athletes who spent countless hours perfecting their craft.
Whether it was spiking a volleyball, slicing a tennis serve, conquering a grueling cross-country course, or lighting up opponents on the football field each athlete provided an unimaginable number of magical moments for everyone to remember.
A huge “Thank You!” to the Devine Athletic Boosters for their tireless work and unwavering support throughout not only the Fall sports but for what they will undoubtedly do and have already done for the spring sports as well.
Your contributions should never go unnoticed.
Congratulations to all the student-athletes who represented yourself, your school, and your community with pride and joy!
Volleyball
Airyanna Rodriguez-Most Valuable Player; Charlie Rangel-Defensive Most Valuable Player; Kynedie Cruz-Outstanding Setter; Katie Rios-Heart of an Arabian; Skylar Blanton…

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