LIONS BASKETBALL TAKES DISTRICT

Santa Gertrudis Academy High School’s varsity boys basketball team (20- 12 overall, 9-1 in district) secured the District 32-A championship after defeating Bruni and Ben- Bolt-Palito Blanco last week. Academy first beat Bruni 55-49. Raul Garcia was the team’s top scorer with 16 points. Chris Ainsworth and Emilio Martinez each scored 14 points. Also scoring were Randy Cavazos (4 points), Aaron Ramon (2), Carlos Valdez (2), Lalo Gonzalez (2) and Connor DeLaney (1).

The Lions then had a tougher outing against Ben Bolt, eventually defeating the Badgers 47-44 in overtime. Ainsworth led Academy on the scoreboard with 20 points. Garcia also reached double digits with 16 points. Also hitting buckets were Lalo Gonzalez (5), Emilio Martinez (2), Carlos Valdez (2) and Eddie Resendez (2).

“Our turnovers were down but we shot 1-12 from the free-throw line,” Head Coach Matthew Gonzalez said. “We missed most of our free-throws late in the game and that allowed Ben Bolt to stay close and eventually tie the game at the end of regulation.”

The Lions stumbled this past Tuesday, however, losing their last game of the season to La Villa 58-48. Gonzalez said La Villa simply out-hustled his team in every facet including rebounding. The Lions compounded their problems by committing several silly turnovers near the conclusion of Tuesday’s game.

Academy has to wait for the conclusion of two upcoming games before finding out who their first postseason opponent is. Junction and Rock Springs will square off this Friday. The winner between them will face the George Gervin Academy of San Antonio either Monday or Tuesday. That game’s victor meets Academy on Friday (March 26).

PRIDE NO-MO

Santa Gertrudis Independent School District announced that their mascot was changed back in the summer. With their high school campus formerly known as ‘The Pride’ and their junior high dubbed ‘The Pioneers’, SGISD switched to the ‘Lions’ back in July.

SGISD Superintendent Mary Springs said school trustees initiated the switch as a method of unifying both campuses.

“Last summer we did a survey with all of the students in the district asking them for their input on what they would like to be named,” Springs said. “The survey results were in favor of changing to the Lions, so the board met and decided to make the Lions the mascot for both campuses.”

LIONS IN ACTION THIS WEEK

The Lion varsity softball team hosts Woodsboro at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Academy competes at a tournament hosted in Woodsboro Thursday through Saturday.