By PETE BANDA
Special to the NEWS
RIO HONDO—After a spectacular 28-win season last year, the Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats entered this season with more question marks than they’ve had in recent memory. Fourth-year Head Coach Victor Sauceda was tasked with replacing six of his top contributors and Rio Hondo was forced to change districts after back-to-back district championships. Despite the changes, Sauceda has managed to lead his team to one of the best records (27-3) in the entire state while posting a perfect district mark for the third straight season.
Led by an explosive offense that averages close to 77 points per game, the Lady ’Cats are currently on a 19-game win streak and already boast an overflowing trophy case. In addition to winning the district title in their first playing in 32-3A, Rio Hondo has already collected a Bi-district trophy and an Area championship. The team is set to travel to Seguin on Friday, Feb. 24, where they will play in the Sweet 16 round for a chance at the first regional semi-final appearance in school history.
“We were a senior-heavy team last year, but we had a few really talented players coming back, so I knew we’d be okay, but I didn’t know just how special this team would be,” said Sauceda. “A few games into the season you could see that offensively, this team is just on a different level. We had some big wins early in the season and the girls just continued to get better.”
While their defense has been nothing short of superb, allowing just over 30 points per contest, a large part of Rio Hondo’s success can be attributed to the evolution of senior hooper Eliza Reyna. A four-year varsity player, Reyna exploded on the scene last year by leading her team in scoring as a junior. Now in her final season, Reyna has ascended to the cream of the crop among Valley ballers as her 29.7 points per game ranks third in the entire state.
Want the story in its entirety? Pick up a copy of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our e-Edition by clicking HERE!
Recent Comments